Chapter 9: A Double Blast in Quick Succession

Page 1/3

Receiving imperial gifts displayed on the shelves often comes with the risk of blame. The shopkeeper’s voice rose an octave in panic: “Nonsense! The moment you entered the shop, I saw you were already wearing that sachet!”

“Really?” Song Ruzhao smiled triumphantly.

“I have two eyes, and they saw clearly.”

“Then, who entered the shop first? You or Lady Chen?”

“Of course, you came in first.”

Caught off guard, the shopkeeper inadvertently admitted the truth.

Song Ruzhao recounted calmly, “The shopkeeper has testified for me—the sachet was already in my possession before I entered. Lady Chen, who came in after me, insists her sachet was stolen inside the shop. The timing simply doesn’t add up. Everyone heard that clearly, right?”

Chen Yan’s face darkened; she glared fixedly at the shopkeeper, her eyes cold, as if vowing to cut off his livelihood.

People like her never gave up so easily.

Before she could speak, Song Ruzhao struck first: “If Lady Chen insists the sachet is hers, then what fragrance was burned inside?”

The crowd instinctively labeled Song Ruzhao as naive—what credibility could this question hold? Anyone with a nose could recognize the scent of styrax.

Chen Yan answered confidently, “Styrax.”

“No other fragrances?”

“None.”

“Cong—gratulations to you…” After letting Chen Yan savor three seconds of relief, Song Ruzhao abruptly shifted tone, “Oh no, congratulations to myself—you answered incorrectly.”

“There was also lily fragrance in the sachet. Because it was in small amounts and not as pungent as styrax, if you don’t wear it close to your body, you wouldn’t notice.”

Chen Yan suddenly felt uneasy. She realized Song Ruzhao had set a trap, waiting for her to fall into it. Well then, she would turn the tables and strike back.

Growing bold, as a native daughter of the county office who had learned a few tricks of argument from the courtroom rogues, she spoke without a hint of embarrassment, her words flowing smoothly: “Yesterday, I indeed burned lily fragrance, so there’s residue, which I overlooked. Today, I only added styrax, so I only mentioned styrax. You stole my sachet; if you truly knew what fragrance was inside, why resort to underhanded tricks to deceive me?”

Her defense was logical and well-reasoned, swaying half the crowd to her side.

Song Ruzhao smiled slyly. “You think your story is airtight, but you’re actually digging your own grave.”

Then she revealed her trump card: “Please forgive my earlier lie—I deliberately said it was lily fragrance instead of sandalwood, which exposed Lady Chen’s many contradictions!”

As she spoke, her delicate hand twisted open the intricate sphere, carefully emptying the contents. Using a slender chopstick, she removed the ash resembling snowflakes, leaving behind the unburned incense granules.

The crowd stepped forward. No one smelled any lily fragrance—only styrax and sandalwood, their colors distinct.

“Lady Chen, you’re not going to claim you burned lily fragrance yesterday as well, are you?”

Page 2/3

By following the opponent’s path, she left her no escape.

With the shopkeeper’s testimony and Chen Yan’s two failed attempts at clever rebuttal, the crowd’s eyes were sharp and discerning.

Chen Yan’s face was about to sink into the depths of Qujiang Pool. She reflected on her motives: simply a dislike for the Song family, and underestimating Song Ruzhao as a fool, believing this was a surefire win and a chance to disgrace the Song family’s reputation.

But the Song Ruzhao before her was a completely different person from the one she had seen at the Song residence.

The only one who had ever bested Chen Yan was Song Sanniang, the would-be sister-in-law who had threatened to break off the engagement just last month.

Even Xiao Jiahe was surprised: was this really the same Song Ruzhao, the second sister whom Song Ruohua often worried about at court, thought incapable of managing her own life, with the intelligence of a toddler, and easily bullied?

Xiao Jiahe was lost in thought when Song Ruzhao, smiling faintly, handed her a thick pancake: “Thank you. You’re the only one who doesn’t treat me like a thief and even spoke on my behalf. But you said one thing wrong—”

“I am innocent, but not pitiable.”

Her eyes shone with determination.

Feeling admiration, Xiao Jiahe smiled softly at her, then grew curious about the pancake. Though she had tasted countless worldly delicacies and palace feasts, she doubted even the emperor had ever seen meat wrapped inside fresh lettuce.

“What kind of pancake is this?”

Just as she was about to step out the door, Song Ruzhao glanced back with bright eyes: “Hand-grasped pancake.”

Xiao Jiahe felt a pang of pity—claiming not to be pitiable, yet so impoverished she didn’t even have a pair of chopsticks!

Despite such hardship, she still gave a generous, fragrant pancake to a mere acquaintance.

True kindness exists everywhere! Xiao Jiahe was so moved tears fell onto the pancake. From the doorway came a warm reminder: “Eat quickly; these were baked last night. If you wait too long, they won’t be fresh. There’s plenty back home going to waste.”

Xiao Jiahe: “…”

Her sense of warmth shattered into pieces.

“Mother, mother—”

In the bustling market, Xiao Jiahe vaguely heard the voice of the child Chun’er. When she looked outside, she found nothing, thinking it must have been a hallucination. She hadn’t seen that child for a long time and was beginning to forget how his innocent voice sounded.

After parting ways, Chen Yan left in disgrace. Her husband and son, who had been separated in the crowd, finally arrived, breathless.

“The child just had an asthma attack; I went to the clinic…”

—

“Mother, mother—”

Outside the Seven Treasures Fragrance shop, the little bundle of joy squealed happily upon seeing her mother, sharing half of her little tiger candy.

“If you eat your candy, you can only call me ‘Zhao Zhao’—”

...

Page 3/3

“Do you understand fragrances?” Although Jusi Fu was not directly involved, he had witnessed the entire commotion.

“Not a clue.”

“Then how did you know there was sandalwood inside the sachet?”

He prided himself on his keen sense of smell, but after walking alongside her all afternoon, he only detected styrax.

Fortunately, Song Ruzhao was adept at seizing every opportunity when shopping, never missing a chance to sample products. Today, she had accidentally tried burning a bit of sandalwood incense while browsing. “The fragrance’s name was right there on the label. It’s not like I can’t read.”

“…”

Jusi Fu, meticulous as ever, found a flaw: “Even the smallest amount of sandalwood is more pungent and invigorating than styrax. Noble families have a tradition of burning incense—Chen Yan is experienced; how could she fail to detect it?”

Song Ruzhao shrugged helplessly. “I didn’t smell it either, which just means the incense was adulterated!”

Clang—

Sharp drumbeats echoed through the Sixth Street of Chang’an city, rolling over each other like surging waves.

The little bundle of joy scrambled into her mother’s arms in fright.

Song Ruzhao was startled by the “air raid alarm” as well, then realized it was curfew.

At the same time, inside the Seven Treasures Fragrance shop, the shopkeeper’s shrill voice rose with the drums: “Song, you dare to steal my incense!”

Soon after, “No sampling allowed” signs appeared prominently throughout the shop.

The unscrupulous shopkeeper quickly composed himself, consoling, “Luckily, it was low-purity inferior goods—no loss, no loss.”

Like the sun setting behind the city walls, the final drumbeat faded into the night of Chang’an, which deepened with the darkness. Following orders from the Marquis of Wu, all the city’s districts closed their gates.

Back at the Song residence, the words of the Song fairy were proven true: those of noble rank rest comfortably in high places.

Jusi Fu never imagined that the man who once gave orders from the dragon throne was now reduced to a beast of burden.

Despite the bitterness etched on his face, the quality of his work remained unaffected.

No wonder Song Ruzhao said there was no need to hire craftsmen.

Jusi Fu was curious: “He is so reluctant even to catch a mouse; how did he come to willingly take on roofing and tiling?”