Chapter 14: Exchange of Interests

Seeing his delicate and fragile-looking granddaughter utter such bold and arrogant words, the Earl of Yongqing only found it laughable.

The calming incense he used was purchased from Wenxiang Pavilion, the most famous incense shop in the capital. To hear her claim that it wasn't as effective as the incense she made?

Such ignorance of the vastness of the world—even with her beauty, she would only bring trouble to her maiden family once she married.

The Earl of Yongqing’s tone was icy: "Your grandmother is right to have you properly learn the rules. You may return now; do not come out again until you have learned them well."

"Granddaughter will return now," Qiu Heng said, yet she did not move. "Why is Grandfather angry? Is it because you think Granddaughter is boasting?"

"Is that not the case?"

"But isn't the calming incense you usually use ineffective?"

The Earl of Yongqing: "..." It was his insomnia that was too stubborn, not that the incense from Wenxiang Pavilion was ineffective!

"Granddaughter feels for you, Grandfather, which is why I made this calming incense to show my filial piety. Once you try it, you will know that the incense you usually use is indeed useless."

The maid standing to the side had a colorful expression.

The Sixth Miss really dared to say anything!

The Earl of Yongqing was so angry he laughed, saying word by word: "Then Grandfather shall try the calming incense Heng'er made."

The warning in his tone was completely undisguised.

Yet the young girl seemed not to hear it, slightly curtsying: "Granddaughter takes her leave."

After Qiu Heng left, the Earl of Yongqing pointed to the mythical beast incense burner placed against the wall: "Replace it with the calming incense the Sixth Miss sent."

A little girl trying to use a provocation tactic on him—she would soon realize how foolish an act that was.

The maid gently lifted the incense cover, placed the incense pellet brought by Qiu Heng inside, and then retreated to the outer room.

Wreaths of fragrant smoke were exhaled from the beast's mouth, gradually permeating the room.

The Earl of Yongqing caught a peculiar scent.

It was sweet and cool, yet carried a hint of bitterness. Because it was blended to perfection, it possessed a gentle, rich quality without being overpowering, like a long, soft breeze blowing slowly by.

*It must have agarwood in it,* the Earl of Yongqing thought, and the next time he opened his eyes, over an hour had passed.

When he first opened his eyes, the Earl of Yongqing felt a sense of disorientation, not knowing what time it was, but he quickly realized: he had actually fallen asleep!

When did he fall asleep?

"Jiangxiang—"

The maid walked in quickly: "Old Master is awake. Would you like some tea?"

"When did I fall asleep?"

"Not long after the incense burner was filled with the incense pellet the Sixth Miss sent, you fell asleep."

"How long have I slept?"

"It has been an hour."

The Earl of Yongqing was stunned.

This feeling of being refreshed and clear-headed was something he hadn't experienced even after forcing himself to sleep for three hours. And during this hour, he hadn't been in that half-awake, half-asleep state, nor had he tossed and turned; the time he spent asleep felt like a blank space that had passed in the blink of an eye.

This was the taste of deep sleep.

At this moment, the Earl of Yongqing couldn't help but feel his eyes grow moist.

He had truly been tormented by his insomnia for too long.

"Go and invite the Sixth Miss here!" The Earl of Yongqing was uneasy, adding, "No matter what the Sixth Miss is doing, have her come over immediately."

In Lengxiang Residence, a little maid came to report: "Miss, Sister Jiangxiang from the Old Master's side is here."

"Invite her in."

After seeing Qiu Heng, Jiangxiang bowed respectfully: "Sixth Miss, the Old Master asks for you."

Nanny Yu watched this, secretly shocked.

Jiangxiang was the Old Master's head maid, the most prominent among all the maids in the Earl's mansion; why was she being so polite to the Sixth Miss?

After Qiu Heng left with Jiangxiang, Nanny Yu couldn't help but ask Nanny Wang: "It seems the Sixth Miss is very favored by the Old Master."

"Who wouldn't like the Miss?" Nanny Wang stuffed a red bean cake into her mouth, feeling only sweetness.

On the way, Qiu Heng handed a red bean cake wrapped in a handkerchief to Jiangxiang: "Fangzhou just made these, Sister Jiangxiang, have a taste."

"Thank you, Sixth Miss." Jiangxiang took it and put it away, taking the initiative to mention the Earl of Yongqing: "After using the incense the Sixth Miss sent, the Old Master slept for over an hour. He is in very good spirits after waking up..."

No one knew better than she did the agony the Old Master suffered from his insomnia. She was certain that from this day on, the Sixth Miss would be the granddaughter the Old Master valued most.

"Old Master, the Sixth Miss is here."

Signaling for Jiangxiang to guard outside, the Earl of Yongqing looked at Qiu Heng with a very serious gaze: "Heng'er, did you really make that incense pellet?"

"Of course I did."

Such a matter-of-fact tone coming from a grandchild made the Earl of Yongqing very uncomfortable, but he now understood that this girl's audacity wasn't stupidity, but confidence.

However, he still had many questions.

"Your foster parents made a living by gathering incense. If you had such talent, how could they be ordinary farmers?"

"Granddaughter did not learn it from my foster parents." Facing the Earl of Yongqing's surprised gaze, the young girl was completely calm. "Our entire village made a living by gathering incense. I learned the basics by being exposed to it, and all the various incense recipes were slowly tested and created by myself out of interest..."

The Earl of Yongqing fell silent after hearing this.

It sounded bizarre, but according to the investigations made by the steward who went to fetch the girl, there were no incense masters who had taught her.

If it was bizarre, it could only be the truth.

"The calming incense you made is indeed somewhat effective for your grandfather. This recipe—"

Qiu Heng smiled slightly: "Does Grandfather know about cooking? With the same recipe, the dishes made by different chefs taste different. The same is true for incense making. Even if the recipe specifies the weight of each ingredient, the way they are ground, sliced, steamed, boiled, or roasted during the blending process, the temperature... subtle differences will lead to different effects."

The Earl of Yongqing fell silent again.

He needed this calming incense, but he didn't want to be manipulated by a little girl, so he had intended to demand the recipe directly. Yet, he had to admit that what she said made sense.

Qiu Heng added: "Furthermore, the person using the incense is also different."

The Earl of Yongqing was startled: "What does that mean?"

"It means that the recipe must be adjusted according to the individual's condition to be the most suitable."

Did this not mean that the Sixth Miss, who could create such miraculous calming incense, was irreplaceable?

That was right. If knowing the recipe were enough, the imperial families and major incense shops wouldn't be paying high prices to court those incense masters.

Realizing this, the Earl of Yongqing's heart skipped a beat, and his gaze toward Qiu Heng changed completely.

For the first time, he discovered that besides bringing benefits to the Earl's mansion through marriage, his granddaughter could have other uses.

"From now on, the calming incense your grandfather needs will be left to you, Heng'er."

"Yes."

At this point, the Earl of Yongqing no longer needed to put on a benevolent facade and asked directly: "What does Heng'er want?"

Qiu Heng curled her lips.

She had said it: being a well-behaved and sensible granddaughter was a waste of time. An exchange of interests was the most worry-free, effortless, and reliable way.

The young girl slightly raised her chin, revealing an ambitious look: "Granddaughter wishes to attend various banquets like my sisters and enter the homes of high-ranking officials. I want the nobles of this capital to know that I am not a crude country girl, and that I am no worse than any noble lady."

Faced with such straightforward ambition and vanity, the Earl of Yongqing actually laughed.

So, she was just a little girl who wanted to fly onto a high branch.

That was truly excellent.