The Empress Wants It All: The Empire and Me - Chapter 11

That night, Lin Yanran stayed up all night and finally identified three more ingredients in the Cooling Pill. However, there was still one ingredient she could not discern. Her only remaining strategy was to crush the pill and examine it in fine detail.

Once the pill was broken or dissolved in water, it would be impossible to restore it to its original form. She had only one chance to identify the final ingredient.

The next day at breakfast.

The two ate at the same table, both very silent. While clearing the dishes, Youqin Mingyue suddenly asked, “Can the water room be used today?”

This was the first time she had initiated a conversation.

Lin Yanran replied, “The bathtub will be delivered this afternoon, so it will be ready then. I’ll boil the water and come call for you.”

“Fine.”

She uttered that single word and said no more.

Lin Yanran did not linger either. She hurried out of the house to the carpentry workshop to pressure the proprietor. Right next door happened to be the only pharmacy in Phoenix Town—He Nian Tang.

She glanced at the sign. In the bottom right corner of the three characters for “He Nian Tang” was a line of small text: Branch No. 118.

She walked inside, and the fragrance of hundreds of herbs rushed toward her. They were all herbs she was familiar with; not a single scent resembled that of the final ingredient. What kind of medicinal catalyst had Liu Zhenzhen used?

The shopkeeper recognized her. Last time she came to buy medicine, she had been very prompt with her payment, so he hurried over to greet her: “Young Master Lin has come to buy medicine again?”

Young Master? That title was quite novel. In this world, aside from having a physical structure no different from a woman, a Qianyuan enjoyed the same treatment and respect as a man. Most people used “Young Master” as a respectful address.

“Manager Xu, does your shop sell medicine to suppress pheromones?”

Manager Xu glanced at her, his tone becoming profound and mysterious: “Naturally, we do.”

“May I have a look at it?”

Manager Xu glanced at her again, and this time his gaze held a hint of contempt. He said flatly, “I cannot bring it out.”

“Why?”

Manager Xu smiled. “Young Master Lin may not know, but these pheromone-suppressing pills are all made by Great Physicians. They are expensive; ordinary people cannot afford them, so naturally, they are not brought out for display.”

So, she was being looked down upon.

Lin Yanran snorted. “Since I am asking, I naturally intend to buy. If you don’t bring it out for me to see, how will I know if it’s real or fake?”

Manager Xu said unhurriedly, “If Young Master Lin truly wishes to buy, you must first pay a deposit. Then, this shop will place an order with the Great Physician on your behalf. It can be collected in about three months. When a Great Physician acts, success is naturally guaranteed!”

“Three months? By then, the person would have already burned to death!”

Manager Xu chuckled. “That is why ordinary people cannot afford it. Wealthy families naturally prepare it well in advance.”

Damn! Looked down upon again.

Lin Yanran had no choice but to ask, “May I ask how much this medicine costs?”

Manager Xu held up one finger. “One hundred taels per pill. The ten-tael deposit is separate. Honest prices for all, no bargaining.”

Hiss— This is daylight robbery!

Lin Yanran was significantly shocked. She asked a few more questions before leaving in a daze. Liu Zhenzhen could actually concoct a Cooling Pill that only a Great Physician could make; was she truly just an obscure rural doctor?

After urging the carpentry workshop proprietor to deliver the bathtub to her door, Lin Yanran still did not let the man leave. She poured several buckets of water into the tub to rinse it, then said, “Sand it down again, inside and out. Ensure there isn’t a single splinter, or I won’t pay you a cent.”

The proprietor knew she was a rogue and did not dare offend her. He could only work resignedly with his two young apprentices, sanding the bathtub from top to bottom once more.

“Young Master Lin, look at how smooth this is! Forget about touching it with your hands—even if you put a piece of tofu on it, it wouldn’t be damaged in the slightest! I beg you, please stop making things difficult for me!”

Lin Yanran reached out and felt it. Although it was smooth, she was still not entirely at ease.

“Your carpentry skills are family-inherited, yet you work so crudely. If word gets out, how will you keep your shop open? Sand it again carefully with a dry towel.”

The proprietor argued his case: “My ancestor, you’re just taking a bath, it’s not for a goddess descending to earth. Why does it need to be so exquisite?”

Lin Yanran’s eyes widened, looking fierce: “How do you know it’s not for a goddess? This bathtub is for a goddess! Stop talking nonsense and get to work!”

The proprietor wanted to cry but had no tears, secretly regretting his greed in trying to charge her an extra ten wen. Now, he could only continue sanding.

It was only after they had meticulously rubbed every board of the tub with dry cotton cloth—sanding it until a hand placed upon it would simply slide off—that Lin Yanran finally paid the money.

“Hard work, Manager. I’ll look for you next time I need something.”

The proprietor wiped the sweat from his forehead and didn’t even dare to respond, walking away as fast as he could.

Lin Yanran drew well water and scrubbed the bathtub clean before pushing it into the water room and fixing it in place. Then she began to build a fire and boil water. She boiled four large buckets of boiling water, poured them into the tub, added well water to adjust the temperature, and then continued to boil two more buckets, placing them outside the tub with a water ladle on top.

Coming to the room, Youqin Mingyue looked up from her scrolls.

Lin Yanran smiled at her. “Everything is ready. While the afternoon sun is good, you should go bathe.”

As she spoke, she went to the trunks to look for a change of clothes for her. Suddenly, her eyes froze. Among a pile of coarse cloth skirts, she saw a set of neatly folded robes.

The texture was magnificent, the craftsmanship exquisite, and the color elegant and noble. Placed among the common cloth clothes, it was like a goddess falling into the mortal world. It was a “Glacial Silk and Silver Thread Fairy Skirt,” every inch of it radiating luxury and grace.

She immediately guessed that this must be the palace attire Youqin Mingyue was wearing when the original body rescued her. To leave such beautiful clothing at the bottom of a trunk—was that not a waste of God’s gifts? Without hesitation, she took the outfit out.

Seeing her take out the clothes from her time of distress, Youqin Mingyue’s eyes narrowed slightly. Then, seeing her still rummaging through her undergarments, she couldn’t help but feel a strange surge of anger.

“Leave them, I will do it myself.”

Lin Yanran, unaware of her thoughts, said, “Rest assured, I can handle these things. You just focus on bathing peacefully.”

With a smile in her eyes, she took out the undergarments quite openly, folded them into a stack, and wrapped them in a dry cloth.

Youqin Mingyue turned her face away in anger.

Lin Yanran arranged all the items in the water room and then returned to the bedroom to carry her. Youqin Mingyue struggled for a moment.

Lin Yanran looked down at her. “Is there anything else you need? You just have to tell me.”

Her gaze was serious, gentle, and reassuring.

Youqin Mingyue felt deeply that her disguise was truly flawless; even she was occasionally deluded. The Lin Yanran before her eyes evoked a strange sense of fear in her. She lowered her eyes. “Nothing.”

Lin Yanran carried her into the water room and sat her down on a wooden stool, introducing the setup: “Look, I specifically added two door bolts to the wooden door. Once you close it from the inside, no one can get in.”

“This is the soap and the drying towel. The wooden clogs are placed outside the tub. In a moment, I’ll put another wooden chair inside so you can sit while you bathe. I’ve left two buckets of hot water outside; if you feel it’s getting cold, use the ladle to add some hot water.”

“As for your change of clothes, I’ve placed them in the outer area.”

After finishing her step-by-step introduction, she looked at her. “Does this seem appropriate to you?”

While she was speaking, Youqin Mingyue had followed her gaze. This bathtub was ordinary, but a protruding wooden board had been added to the rim to hold the soap and towel, which was indeed convenient.

Lin Yanran lifted a wooden stool. “This bath chair has been cleaned. I’ll put it in now. It will be easier for you to step in, and if your legs get tired, you can sit down.”

As she turned to leave and close the door, she asked once more, “I’ll be guarding outside. If you need anything, call me at any time.”

These words were meant to reassure Youqin Mingyue, but she didn’t realize they had the opposite effect.

Youqin Mingyue watched her walk out without saying a word. Only then did she support herself on the edge of the tub to stand up, then groped along the wall to move. With every step, the wound on her ankle throbbed with a piercing pain. It was like a reminder that her blood-deep grudge must never be forgotten.

Coming to the door, she saw a crack had been left open. Lin Yanran had moved a bamboo chair and was lying under the porch with her back to her, holding a pill and examining it closely. The black dog lay at her feet, wagging its tail at her incessantly.

The afternoon sun was just right. Even through the door, one could feel the beauty of the spring day. Yet, for no reason, she felt a chill all over her body. This Lin Yanran was not the one from before; she was several times more cunning, able to disguise herself and bewitch people’s hearts. Even her speech and actions carried an eerie quality.

She shut the door tight and slid the bolts home.

The light in the room dimmed instantly, but it was not dark. A red lantern hung in the corner, casting a red glow throughout the room. The steam rose up, dyeing her pale face with a hint of a blush.

Youqin Mingyue pulled the door again; it didn’t budge. Those newly added door bolts were heavy and solid, nailed in very firmly. Presumably, this commoner wouldn’t be able to break in.

She felt slightly more at ease and supported herself against the wall to reach the tub. One by one, she shed her clothes, revealing snowy, slender legs. Her graceful silhouette gradually emerged within the mist.

Stepping on the wooden chair, a slender, snowy foot reached into the bathtub. The water temperature was perfect.

She gripped the edge of the tub and carefully stepped onto the bath chair inside. Her skin was submerged inch by inch into the hot water. The moist water enveloped her, and every pore on her body opened up. A long-lost sense of comfort spread through her; she couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh and slowly sat down on the bath chair.

The height was also perfect.

Reaching out, her hand happened to touch the soap and towel placed on the board. The position was also perfect.

This commoner was indeed attentive.

She soaked the towel and wiped her skin—which was finer and whiter than congealed fat—bit by bit. Soon, her skin flushed red, as if peach blossoms were blooming all over her body. Even her toes were a vivid, powdery pink.

She had thought she would have to take another terrifyingly cold bath with well water as she had before, but instead, everything was comfortable. She felt the fawning of being served with total devotion, as if she had returned to the court of old. Rarely relaxing her body, she soaked in the hot water.

Yet, her mind inexplicably recalled the scene from the afternoon when Lin Yanran had intimidated the carpentry workshop owner into sanding the tub.

“How do you know it’s not for a goddess? This bathtub is for a goddess!”

She frowned slightly. This commoner had not only become cunning and overbearing but also slick-tongued!

Suddenly, it occurred to her that she had put so much effort into this bathtub because she intended to use it herself. Only—

The bathtub she had just used, was the other woman also going to strip naked and bathe inside it? Would she not then be pressing against the very spots she herself had leaned on?

Youqin Mingyue’s face turned scarlet in an instant, looking as if it were dripping blood.