Chapter 81
As dawn broke, Shengxuan opened his eyes.
The reveille hadn't sounded in the barracks yet; only the early birds chirped outside the window. He sprang out of bed with a jolt, a sharp pain shooting through the wound on his left arm, but it did nothing to extinguish the burning passion in his heart.
"Hiss—" Sheng Xuan gasped, pressed the bandage haphazardly, and hurriedly put on his casual clothes.
As he adjusted his collar in front of the bronze mirror, he noticed that the corners of his mouth kept uncontrollably turning up, making him look like a cat about to steal some fish.
The market was located in an open space outside the west gate, and the sun had just risen when Shengxuan arrived.
The camel bells of the Western Region caravan jingled, and various tents were already set up. The air was filled with dust, animal dung, and the aroma of roasted naan wafting from afar.
He wore an inconspicuous gray cloth robe, carefully concealing his injured left arm in his sleeve, but his hurried steps and eyes that gleamed with a certain eagerness still seemed out of place among the leisurely people going to the market in the early morning.
Sheng Xuan pretended to be nonchalant as he walked past rows of stalls selling leather goods, ironware, and livestock, finally stopping in front of a tent with a string of deep purple glass wind chimes hanging from it.
The tent flap was half-drawn, revealing a dim, flickering candlelight and a rich, complex exotic aroma—a blend of flowers, resin, and some indescribably sweet scent. This was the place he was looking for.
Sheng Xuan took a deep breath, quickly scanned left and right like a thief, and after confirming that there were no familiar figures, he lifted the heavy wool curtain and slipped inside.
It was darker inside the tent than outside, with the only light source being an oil lamp in the corner.
By the dim light, Sheng Xuan could see the layout inside: three simple wooden shelves were densely packed with containers of various shapes and sizes. There were crystal clear glass bottles, colorful enamel boxes, slender white porcelain tubes, and even oddly shaped sandalwood boxes.
Whether open or closed, they exude fragrances that are either strong or subtle, intertwining to create a sweet and intoxicating atmosphere.
“Oh! Sir!” A slightly high-pitched voice suddenly rang out.
A merchant from the Western Regions, sporting a black mustache with upturned ends and wearing a small embroidered round hat, appeared out of nowhere, smiling broadly as he approached with the agility of a sand fox.
"Welcome, esteemed guest! What would you like to buy? We have some freshly arrived delicacies from the Land of the Great Food, we guarantee you'll be satisfied!"
He rubbed his hands together, his eyes quickly sweeping over Sheng Xuan's young yet angular face and his slightly unnatural left arm, his smile deepening.
Sheng Xuan felt his cheeks burning and his heart pounding. The fragrance inside the tent mingled with his secret thoughts, making his mouth dry. He tried to keep a straight face and pretend to be serious, but his voice was a little tight: "Just...just looking around."
"Oh? Just browsing?" The merchant chuckled, a knowing look in his eyes, and led him to the innermost shelf. The containers here were noticeably more exquisite, and the aromas more unique and mellow. "Is this your first time here, sir? No problem, my shop is known for its honesty and integrity! Let me give you a proper introduction?"
Before Shengxuan could answer, the merchant pointed to the items on the shelf as if they were his own treasures:
“Look at this,” he said, picking up a round, glass jar about the height of a thumb. The ointment inside was a translucent light pink, exuding an extremely rich, sweet rose scent. “It’s the finest Damask rose ointment! It’s extracted from flower buds with the first drop of dew in the morning. Just apply a little bit, and the fragrance will last a long time! Beautiful women love it; if you keep it close to your body, it will smell wonderful all day long!”
He brought the bottle close to Sheng Xuan's nose, and the domineering sweet fragrance hit his nostrils. Sheng Xuan subconsciously shrank back.
The merchant then picked up a slender celadon porcelain bottle, uncorked it, and a crisp, slightly cool jasmine scent wafted out, slightly dispelling the previous sweetness. "This is Jasmine Balm, made with jasmine from the frigid regions of the far west. It's pure and pristine, and when applied, it feels cool and soothing! Especially suitable for... cough cough... the first time, to relieve pain and calm the mind..." The merchant lowered his voice, glancing at Sheng Xuan with an ambiguous look.
Sheng Xuan's heart was pounding in his throat, and his ears were burning red. His gaze darted away, while the merchant continued his enthusiastic description of other flavors: the intense and alluring ylang-ylang, the mysterious and rich frankincense and myrrh, the sweet and honey-like tuberose.
Shengxuan subconsciously looked for the item described in the picture book as "rose ointment, which can be used as a lubricant".
“That…that one?” Sheng Xuan finally mustered up her courage and pointed to a row of the most luxurious-looking gilded round jars at the top of the shelf. One of the jars had tiny green glass beads embedded in it, making it look particularly unique.
"Oh my! Sir, you have a good eye!" The merchant's eyes lit up as he carefully removed the gilded jar adorned with green glass beads. "This is the most prized possession of our shop! 'Golden Wind and Jade Dew' uses not only Damask rose crowns, but also incorporates top-quality menthol, rare frankincense resin unique to the Arab world, and a few drops of castor oil!"
He leaned closer mysteriously, his voice extremely low, "Smell this?" He used his fingernail to pry open a tiny bit of the golden wax seal, and an extremely complex and intriguing fragrance wafted out—a base of rose with the coolness of mint, the depth of frankincense, and a faint hint of wild musk intertwined within.
"This is truly wondrous!" The merchant withdrew his hand, letting Sheng Xuan savor the unique fragrance. "Firstly, it soothes; secondly, it promotes blood circulation; and thirdly... hehe, it's an aphrodisiac that works wonders! It's suitable for any use, subtly and quietly invigorating, guaranteeing that you and your... um... that... will feel like fish in water, floating on air!"
He conveyed a subtle meaning only men could understand with his eyes, "Yesterday, a senior officer in the camp... cough... also took a can with him!"
The merchant spoke eloquently, rattling off various names and uses that left Sheng Xuan dizzy. Each one seemed incredibly useful, and none were described so clearly in any brochure! The more he listened, the more confused he became. A secret expectation and a nervous tension about the unknown intertwined, transforming into a restlessness and urgency—who cares about roses, jasmine, ylang-ylang, or myrrh! Su Zelan deserves the best! What if it comes in handy? What if this isn't suitable?
"Enough! I want them all!" Sheng Xuan's tone was resolute, his ears were bright red, but his eyes revealed a reckless spirit, as if he were assembling troops on the battlefield.
"And, what was that..." He remembered the free gift the merchant had mentioned earlier, but he hadn't caught the name.
The merchant was so surprised that his mustache stood on end and his eyes widened: "All...all of it? This..." He had clearly never encountered such a "generous" customer, especially one who looked so young!
"Yes! I want them all!" Sheng Xuan's voice rose an octave, as if trying to convince himself. He didn't want to waste any more time hesitating, and he didn't want to cause any regrets by leaving out any of them. At this moment, buying them all was the simplest choice!
"Ah! Good! Good! Good, good, good!" The merchant instantly went from shock to ecstasy, his face crinkling into a wide grin! He hurriedly began packing.
"Sir, you are so generous! You are truly a promising young man who knows how to care for others! Rest assured, I will take good care of everything for you!"
The merchant swiftly took out an exquisite multi-layered leather handbag and deftly inserted six or seven uniquely shaped and valuable perfume bottles into a specially designed compartment inside the bag.
Each bottle was separated by thick layers of silk floss and oil paper. The outermost layer was wrapped in a fragrant, subtly patterned silk cloth.
Sheng Xuan looked at the handbag that had suddenly bulged out like a treasure trove, and his lips twitched. He realized that there was much more than he had imagined, and hurriedly reached for the money pouch at his waist with his good right hand.
Just as Sheng Xuan was frantically reaching for his money pouch, his movements aggravated the wound on his left arm, causing him to hiss in pain. His hand trembled, and a handful of copper coins clattered to the ground.
"Ouch! Sir, be careful of your wound!" The merchant reacted quickly, squatting down to help him pick up the money with nimble movements.
After putting away the money, he handed the bag to Sheng Xuan. Just as Sheng Xuan took it and turned to leave, he mysteriously called out to him, "Sir, please wait!"
Sheng Xuan paused, looking at him warily.
As if by magic, the merchant produced a small, fragrant ebony box from under the counter, no bigger than half a palm, and stuffed it into Sheng Xuan's hand: "Sir, for your patronage today, this box of 'Hehuan Fragrance Pills' is a small token of my appreciation! Light one and put it in your incense burner when you get home, and I guarantee you'll achieve twice the results with half the effort, making this short but worthwhile evening!"
Sheng Xuan held the scalding hot wooden box as if it were a ball of fire. He felt that the merchant's words, "Take care of your wound," also had a deeper meaning.
Not daring to linger any longer, he hastily stuffed the ebony box deep into his bosom, grabbed the heavy satchel that exuded a rich, mixed fragrance, and slung it haphazardly over his shoulder.
As if carrying a fiery bomb about to explode, he rushed out without looking back, practically bursting through the tent flap.
The blinding sunlight outside momentarily blinded him, and the complex and alluring fragrance of the "Golden Wind and Jade Dew" in his arms seemed to seep through the fabric, reminding him of his "plan" to come.
His steps were unsteady, his heart pounding in his chest like a drum, and he had barely run a few steps when he almost bumped into an acquaintance coming from the opposite direction—
"Young Master Sheng? You...you're still not fully recovered, what are you doing here in the market so early in the morning...?" A junior officer from the patrol team looked at Sheng Xuan in surprise, whose face was flushed, whose eyes were darting around in a panic, and whose arms seemed to be bulging.
Sheng Xuan felt like a thief caught red-handed; all the blood in her body rushed to her head and then receded sharply, leaving her feeling cold.
He clenched his right fist and pressed it against the "stolen goods" hidden in his clothes, his voice rising with a hint of bravado: "Get some... some fresh air! Go back and recover now! Don't let your guard down!"
After saying that, he practically fled on all fours, leaving behind a patrol team with bewildered expressions, struggling to suppress their laughter. The strong, pungent aroma lingered for a long time, accompanying his disheveled escape.
Sheng Xuan practically fled back to the general's mansion, his heavy leather satchel on his back like a red-hot iron, continuously emitting a blush-inducing blend of fragrances—rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang, myrrh, frankincense, tuberose, and the most intense "golden wind and jade dew"... The various scents intertwined, more flamboyant than the smoke from the military camp's mess hall.
"Damn...it smells so good..." Sheng Xuan cursed under his breath, dodging every possible figure on the road like a thief, and sneaked back to his own detached little courtyard almost hugging the wall.
As soon as he entered the courtyard, he slammed the gate shut behind him, leaned against the door, and gasped for breath, his heart pounding wildly in his chest.
No, this smell! This damn smell! It must be hidden! No one can smell it!
He rushed into the bedroom and ripped the bag off his shoulder.
The room was instantly filled with that rich, suggestive fragrance.
Sheng Xuan felt even more dizzy. He looked around frantically, his gaze finally settling on the old wooden box under the bed where he kept odds and ends.
He knelt on one knee and laboriously dragged the heavy wooden box out from deep under the bed with his right hand. Opening the lid, a whiff of stale dust wafted out, slightly diluting the overpowering aroma.
Sheng Xuan didn't care about anything else and stuffed the whole bag full of "treasures" into it! To cover up the smell, he grabbed some old clothes and a thin blanket from the bed and piled them on top of the box, filling every gap until the box was completely sealed.
After finishing all this, he finally let out a long sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead, whether from exhaustion or nervousness, he couldn't tell.
The aroma seemed to have been sealed off by the box, at least it was no longer so strong in the room.
Only then did Sheng Xuan notice the injury on his left arm. The intense running and tumbling he had just endured made him feel the pain, which was now throbbing in his muscles.
He looked down and saw a faint dark red stain showing through the cuff of his light-colored outer shirt at the elbow—damn it! It looked like it was bleeding a little! Instantly, the romantic thoughts in his mind faded a lot, and a sense of tension rose up again.
"Oh no..." Sheng Xuan exclaimed softly, not bothering to tidy up the messy bed, and rushed to the bronze mirror. The young man in the mirror was pale, his hair was disheveled, but his eyes were surprisingly bright, carrying a complex light that mixed with guilt and urgency.
He quickly tidied himself up. First, he took off his outer shirt, which was stained with the smell of medicine and dust, and put on a clean, fine cotton casual dress, which was soft, comfortable, and made him look more refreshed.
Then, he hastily wrung out a wet towel to wipe away the sweat and dust from his forehead, and carefully tidied up the few unruly strands of hair on his forehead in front of the mirror.
As he tidied up, his gaze kept drifting to the wooden box under the bed. Thinking about what was inside, and what he was about to do, his heart began to race uncontrollably. But the throbbing pain from his arm wound was a timely reminder of the danger.
"No, I have to go... I have to go find Zelan..." Sheng Xuan licked his slightly chapped lower lip, took a deep breath in front of the mirror, tried to suppress the suspicious blush on his face, and tried to put on a gentlemanly expression that said, "I'm just injured and need treatment, it really hurts."
He deliberately moved his left arm, and the pain immediately made him grimace. This time, he didn't need to pretend; his facial features creased slightly.
"Hiss... I have to let him see..." Sheng Xuan muttered to himself, as if he had found the perfect reason. He took one last look at himself in the mirror, straightened the hem of his clothes, took a deep breath, mustered his courage, and pushed open the door to go out.
The afternoon sun shone warmly on the stone-paved road of the General's Mansion.
Shengxuan walked hurriedly, yet with a hint of barely perceptible unease and urgency, heading straight for the hot spring villa.
That "I have a legitimate reason" expression returned to his face as he approached the moon gate of the villa, but the little deer in his heart was running rampant, almost bursting through his chest.
Closer, even closer.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
