Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 139 Aroma
Baihua Xiu gracefully ascended the high platform.

A group of Xihe girls stood gracefully behind, each holding a red ivory tablet.

Several of them were women from the Western Regions with high noses and deep-set eyes.

After General Zhang Yichao returned to Shazhou, the Guiyi Army frequently sent beautiful Hu women to Chang'an as tribute, most of whom were captured in battles against Hu communities still loyal to Tibet. Since the Pear Garden (a type of opera troupe) had declined and could no longer absorb so many Hu women, a large number flowed into the general populace. The Xihe sect, located in Guanzhong, had a particularly advantageous position to receive them.

After a clear and melodious chime, Baihua Xiu danced gracefully and sang, while the girls of Xihe joined in with clappers to keep the rhythm.

Baihua Xiu danced gracefully, her beauty captivating and alluring. With every turn and step, she displayed her elegance and charm.

On the Lantern Festival, the Queen Mother of the West bids farewell to Fei Qiong by adorning her hair with green buds.

The stunningly beautiful woman dancing gracefully, her hair styled in a nine-tiered fairy bun, dressed in a peacock-emerald robe and adorned with a seven-jeweled necklace, was simply a celestial being descended from the Jade Pool of the Purple Palace. Her smooth, golden hair shimmered under the hazy lamplight, adding a goddess-like solemnity to her ethereal aura, making her impossible to look directly at.

Her singing voice was clear and tender, truly captivating, leaving one utterly mesmerized.

Her skirts trailed gracefully, like flowers and clouds, her songs and dances ever-changing, sometimes like Xi Shi clutching her heart, sometimes like Wang Zhaojun leaving for the border, sometimes like Zhao Feiyan dancing slenderly, sometimes like Yang Guifei drunk with wine. She captured the charm of all four great beauties.

She exuded a delicate fragrance that changed in intensity with the rhythm of the songs and dances, carrying the scents of a hundred flowers.

It's hard to imagine that a single person could possess such grace and poise while dancing and singing; she's like a hundred stunning beauties seamlessly blended into one.

The "Rainbow Feather Dress Dance" lasts a very long time, but the audience is completely captivated, afraid of missing a single scene, and is utterly immersed in the atmosphere created by the dance and music.

Zhuoying sighed deeply, knowing that in terms of talent, she had lost completely.

The other party danced alone, without any elaborate background or complex accompaniment, yet perfectly embodying the grace of the goddess, the purity of the fairy, the delicate beauty of the flower bud, and the allure of the fox spirit.

This is the true "Rainbow Feather Dress Dance".

Seeing Baihuaxiu's dance, one can understand Yang Yuhuan's captivating charm in the past, "A song of rainbow skirts on a thousand peaks, a dance that breaks through the Central Plains and descends down," and feel that Emperor Xuanzong truly disregarded the vast empire for the sake of a beauty.

As the long, graceful dance came to an end like a phoenix folding its wings, Baihua Xiu lightly lifted her ribbons, raised her arms, and bowed to thank the onlookers. Because she was wearing a high-waisted silk skirt, after removing her shawl, it was clear that her armpits were as smooth as her snow-white skin, without a single hair.

Since the Sui Dynasty, women have used a method called "face threading," where a professional threader would use plaster powder as a lubricant and then wet hemp thread to remove fine facial hair. This method could also be used to remove thicker underarm and leg hair, but it was very painful.

Zhu Wen suddenly remembered that this summer, after Tian Jun finished training, in order to cool off, she took off her armor and ran around the military camp wearing only a high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) without an outer garment or scarf; she would also raise her hand to fan herself from time to time, which attracted a group of people to stare at her armpits.

Tian Jun remained oblivious until Zhu Wen, unable to bear it any longer, brought her back and had Lan Suting pluck out all the thick body hair under her armpits.

Even in summer, Lan Suting would never expose her shoulders. But she once learned how to groom her close friend's hair.

Tian Jun, that carefree idiot, if she weren't born with a stunning figure, people would really say she lacks femininity.

More than twenty experts sat high on the second floor, serving as the "judges" of the Five Peaks Incense Gathering. Their opinions carried more weight than the amount of gold and silk each school received for their performances.

After Baihuaxiu's "Rainbow Feather Dress Dance," Xihe gained countless amounts of gold and silk, and according to statistics, it had gained an absolute advantage.

The outcome now hinges solely on the comments of the "criterialists".

Baihua Xiu's gaze merely swept over Zhuoying; she clearly did not consider Zhuoying a true opponent.

Zhuoying could easily see that this woman's background was far beyond his own.

"Has a verdict been reached on the outcome of the incense gathering?" Baihua Xiu asked, raising her head. Her voice was not loud, but it carried a powerful and penetrating quality.

The Taishan disciples present all turned pale.

With the help of Zhu Wen, the strategist of the rebel army, and after a whole year of meticulous preparation, all their efforts were in vain in the face of this blonde beauty who suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

The judges whispered amongst themselves, clearly captivated by Baihuaxiu's stunning beauty and extraordinary talent.

The outcome of this incense gathering seemed to be a foregone conclusion. Just as the judges were about to announce the results loudly, Zhu Wen suddenly stood up.

He appeared on the high platform as if by teleportation, and the rich fragrance emanating from Baihua Xiu immediately filled his nostrils.

Zhu Wen naturally used the secret passage that Chuo Ying had once used to descend from the throne.

Without even glancing at Baihuaxiu's face, he loudly proclaimed, "Of course, a judgment should be made. But the Five Peaks Incense Gathering is known as 'Peerless Fragrance,' and it's not just about talent, but also about fragrance."

"aroma?"

Among the many "criterialists," a handsome young man of about fifteen or sixteen asked in confusion, "What's there to argue about? And who are you?"

When the ladies of Mount Tai, including Zhuoying, took the stage, their fragrance was indeed elegant and captivating. However, during Baihuaxiu's performance, the fragrance was infinitely varied, exceeding all expectations. To compare oneself to that would be to humiliate oneself.

"My surname is Zhu, and my given name is Huang." Zhu Wen brought up the pseudonym "Zhu Huang" again: "I am just a small merchant whose family sells rose water, and I have some connections with the Taishan Sect."

He specifically emphasized the words "rose water".

Unlike the spices commonly used by the Tang people, rose water could not be produced in Tang China and had to be imported from the Abbasid Caliphate. Compared to burning incense to scent clothes, rose water could be applied directly to a woman's skin, and its fragrance was more lasting and captivating.

Tian Jun had no idea what Zhu Wen was doing.

But she caught a glimpse of Lan Suting's strange gaze beside her.

This usually refined and unassuming young woman suddenly showed a hint of smugness in her eyes.

Was this step actually devised by Lan Suting?

Tian Jun was a little uneasy. Previously, Lan Suting had devised a plan to send her on a diplomatic mission to persuade "Snow General" Qi Kerang to give up his mind. This prevented Qi Kerang from sending troops to join forces with Zhen Ranyu to suppress the rebel army, thus giving the rebel army a chance to turn the tide in the Battle of Muling Pass.

However, faced with Baihuaxiu's forceful and unyielding attitude, Tian Jun worried that Lansuting's plan might not be able to achieve the desired effect again.

“Since he is an outsider, Young Master Zhu should not have rushed up to the stage to speak.” The young man looked somewhat displeased. His name was Tang Wenyi, and he came from the Tang Clan of Bashu, one of the six major sects. Although he was not yet sixteen years old, he was already a veteran in the world of pleasure. This time, he was representing his sect as a “judge” to participate in the Five Peaks Incense Gathering.

"No," Zhu Wen denied. "This matter is quite important. Baihua Xiu Niangzi's fragrance is her natural scent, but Zhuoying Xianzi and the others use external fragrances. The rose water they use is supplied by our family."

Tang Wenyi exclaimed in surprise, "A natural fragrance is a gift from birth. How can the fragrance of external things compare to one's own body odor?"

Zhu Wen nodded: "Theoretically, it's impossible. But what if our rose water is produced in Tang territory and doesn't need to travel along the Silk Road, crossing thousands of miles of yellow sand and enduring countless hardships to be transported here?"

Tang Wenyi's expression changed drastically.

All martial arts sects are founded on the foundation of interests. Only when there are interests do they need to practice martial arts for protection.

The Tang Clan of Sichuan is famous for its hidden weapons, but the business of hidden weapons alone cannot support the thousands of mouths inside and outside the Tang Clan.

"If rose water could be produced locally in Tang, the cost could be reduced by at least nine-tenths." Tang Wenyi, as the successor of a major sect, was indeed extraordinary, and immediately came to an accurate conclusion.

"What you say is absolutely right, Young Master Tang." Zhu Wen revealed an approving look: "This is the secret of fragrance. Did you notice, Young Master Tang, that the fragrance on Fairy Zhuoying was exceptionally fresh and elegant, quite different from the rose water brought from the Abbasid Caliphate?"

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement. Only then did they realize that the fragrance of the rose water from Mount Tai, including Zhuoying, when she danced the Heavenly Dance was lighter than that of the rose water from the Great Food Kingdom, but the scent was more elegant and pleasant.

"Isn't the difference in aroma enough to be a key factor in determining the outcome?"

Zhu Wen's gaze finally fell on Baihua Xiu.

His arrogant gaze lingered on this stunning beauty, as if she were a defeated dog.

Lan Suting also whispered to Tian Jun, "Both rosewater and spirits are made using the same distillation method. Since the Salt Commander has restored the method of making spirits from the Han Dynasty, why worry about not being able to make rosewater?"

(End of this chapter)