Opening a Tavern in the Tang Dynasty

In this palace, news always spreads fast.

When the concubines heard the palace maids and eunuchs talking about the wonderful fragrance on the queen's body, they were full of curiosity and rushed to the queen's palace.

In the palace, all the concubines gathered together, their eyes flashing with curiosity and anticipation.

One of the concubines said coquettishly, "Empress, the fragrance you smell today is truly enchanting. Where did you get this treasure from?"

The other concubines also echoed, their eyes fixed on the queen.

Empress Changsun smiled slightly and said slowly, "This is a rare treasure that Your Majesty discovered among the common people. It will be sold in a new shop next to Zuixianlou on Chang'an Street soon. They will not only sell this perfume, but also other exquisite items."

As she spoke, she asked the palace maid to bring out the mirror.

As soon as the mirror appeared, it attracted everyone's attention.

The gems inlaid in the mirror frame sparkled brightly under the illumination of the palace lanterns, which was extremely luxurious.

The mirror surface was as smooth as ice, reflecting the concubines' faces clearly, even each hair was distinct.

The concubines exclaimed: "Wow!"

"Your Majesty, this mirror is so exquisite. I have never seen such a beautiful mirror!" A young concubine couldn't help but exclaimed in admiration.

Empress Changsun smiled and nodded, "This mirror is truly extraordinary."

Then she picked up the perfume and sprayed a little on each concubine's handkerchief.

In an instant, the air was filled with an even richer fragrance.

The scent of the perfume, a mixture of flowers and mysterious spices, is refreshing.

"Wow, this perfume is amazing!" The concubines sniffed the handkerchiefs one after another, their eyes full of surprise.

Some concubines gently waved their handkerchiefs, feeling the fragrance flowing in the air, as if they were in a fairyland garden.

Then, the queen ordered someone to prepare shampoo.

With the help of palace maids, this magical shampoo was tried on each concubine.

When warm water mixed with shampoo flowed through the concubines' hair, a feeling of relieving itching, stopping dandruff and drying the hair came naturally.

After washing and blow-drying, their hair became soft, shiny and exuded a faint fragrance.

"Your Majesty, this shampoo is amazing! It makes my hair sooth, itchy, and dandruff-free, and it also leaves my hair dry. It has such a charming fragrance." A concubine stroked her hair with a look of joy on her face.

Although these concubines had seen many rare treasures in the palace on a daily basis, this was the first time they had encountered an object that combined exquisiteness, practicality and wonder.

A concubine said with a smile on her face: "You said that shop is so lively when it opens! We should have our servants line up early to prevent them from buying everything."

Another concubine nodded hurriedly, "Yes, the more I think about that mirror, the more I like it. The gemstones on the frame are dazzling and it would make our palace look extremely luxurious. With it, we will have more fun dressing up every day."

"And what about the perfume! The scent is so charming, different from what we're used to. If we use it, every step we take in the palace will be filled with fragrance, and maybe the emperor will come to our palace more often." A concubine in pink palace dress said coquettishly, her eyes full of anticipation.

"The shampoo is pretty good. Haven't you noticed how smooth and shiny my hair becomes after using it, just like silk? I don't want to use those ordinary things anymore." An older concubine also joined the discussion.

"The Queen has truly opened our eyes this time. There are such wonderful things among the common people. I can't wait to see if there are any other novelties in that shop."

"Yes, we have been looking forward to the opening of the shop these days. We have to prepare well and save more money to buy all these good things so that we can live a more refined life." The concubines talked to each other, and their laughter echoed in the palace.

Empress Changsun smiled as she looked at the chattering concubines. She raised her hand and said, "Alright, you can go back now. You've all seen all these wonderful things today. When the shop opens, you can go look for them."

The concubines finally came to their senses and bowed. One concubine smiled and said, "Your Majesty, today has been truly eye-opening. Thank you for sharing. I will take my leave." The other concubines followed suit.

After all the concubines left, Empress Changsun leaned slightly on the couch, with a smile still in her eyes.

She was well aware of the charm of these objects and looked forward to them becoming popular in Chang'an City.

She called the palace maid and gently reminded her to keep the remaining samples well. When His Majesty came again next time, they would discuss the relationship between this business matter and the palace expenses. As she thought about it, a trace of fatigue came over her.

Before long, the news spread throughout the palace like wildfire.

The talk in every palace was of the mirrors, perfumes, and shampoos displayed by the Queen.

Those concubines who had not yet met the emperor asked the concubines who had met them for details, and the entire palace was immersed in this exciting atmosphere.

Concubine Wei sat on a gorgeous palace couch, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she said to the maid beside her, "The items the Empress displayed this time are truly exquisite. The mirror, perfume, and shampoo—every one of them is truly my favorite. When the shop on Chang'an Street opens, you must send someone smart to buy more."

"We can't let other palaces get ahead of us. We have to act quickly and prepare more. It will be great to have these good things with us when we do things in the palace in the future." After saying this, she smiled with satisfaction.

The maid nodded: "Yes"

……

The maids from all the palaces gathered together and said excitedly, "Did you know? The Empress has found some amazing things, including a beautiful mirror, charming perfume, and a wonderful shampoo. There's a shop on Chang'an Street selling them."

The news spread like wildfire. The cooks in the imperial kitchen chatted while cutting vegetables, the eunuchs who cleaned the kitchen talked about it while working, and everyone knew about it.

This craze not only spread within the palace, but also gradually spread outside the palace through some eunuchs and palace maids who went out of the palace to purchase goods.

An old eunuch, carrying a load on his shoulder, said to the young palace maid as he walked, "The treasures the Empress is displaying this time are truly extraordinary. They've caused a sensation in the palace. When we go out of the palace to buy something, we must also spread the word."

The young maid nodded repeatedly, "Yes, who wouldn't like those mirrors, perfumes, and shampoo? Once the news gets out of the palace, there will definitely be many people interested."

They walked and talked to passers-by on the street.

The eunuchs and palace maids who went out of the palace to purchase goods spread this magical item to the streets and alleys of Chang'an.

Some dignitaries with connections to the palace also heard the news and became very interested in these novel items such as perfumes and mirrors.

In Chang'an City, there seemed to be an invisible force surging, and many people, especially the concubines, were looking forward to the opening of the store.