Quick Wear Dream Qiqi

On the Frost Descent Day in the 27th year of Qianlong's reign, the dock of the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau was crowded with merchant ships from Southeast Asia.

The Siamese envoy, Suryu, holding a scented eyebrow pencil, shouted to the customs officials, "This is the 'divine eyebrow' of our women. Why are you prohibiting the export of borneol?"

Meng Qiqi stood on the city wall, watching the commotion on the dock, the "South China Sea Spice Trade Map" in her hand rustling in the wind.

Since scented ink and eyebrow pencil became popular, countries in Southeast Asia have followed suit, causing the price of borneol to soar threefold, and the Qing court's inventory was less than ten days' worth.

"Fujin," Chuntao handed over the secret report, "the Siamese are buying our orchids at a low price, processing them, and then selling them for eyebrow pencils at a high price."

Meng Qiqi frowned and looked at the red dot on the map - that was the distribution area of ​​borneol alternative plants marked by the system.

She remembered the record in Compendium of Materia Medica that "benzoin can replace borneol", and immediately ordered someone to get benzoin resin, add fluorescent powder and grind it.

"Inform the Jiangnan Embroidery Workshop," she handed Xiaoyanzi a sample of her new eyebrow ink, "from today on, we will switch to using benzoin to make our ink. Proclaim to the public, 'Borneol is unique to the Celestial Empire, and this new scent is even better.'"

When Xiaoyanzi took the eyebrow pencil, her fingertips touched the calluses on her palms - those were the marks left by grinding spices for several days.

She recalled the scene when she was a child in the slum, watching Rong Mama combing her hair with osmanthus oil, and complicated emotions arose in her heart.

On the day of the beginning of winter, Emperor Qianlong met with Suriyu in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. There were two kinds of eyebrow pencils on the desk: on the left was borneol eyebrow pencil from Siam, and on the right was benzoin eyebrow pencil from the Qing court.

"Why does your country restrict the export of borneol?" Suryu said in Chinese with a thick accent. "Women in our country also have the right to pursue beauty!"

Qianlong looked at Meng Qiqi, who stepped forward and unfolded the Theory of Spice Sovereignty: "Borneol is a rare spice in our country and must be supplied to the palace first.

"But—" She pointed at the benzoin eyebrow pencil, "This incense is produced in the Western Regions. It has a longer-lasting fragrance and is refreshing. I would like to share it with your country."

Suryu took the eyebrow ink suspiciously, and suddenly saw the butterfly pattern on the eyebrow brush, which was surprisingly similar to the "God's Butterfly" totem of his country.

Meng Qiqi took the opportunity to say, "This eyebrow pencil uses the 'butterfly collecting fragrance' method, which coincides with the 'butterfly god bestowing fragrance' in your country's legend. Isn't this heaven's will?"

The system interface popped up information about the Siamese butterfly myth. She continued, "Your country's ancient book, 'Chronicles of the Butterfly God,' records that the butterfly god's wings are stained with seven kinds of scented powder. Our country's benzoin eyebrow ink fits the legend of 'seven-colored butterfly wings.'"

Suriyu's expression softened, and Qianlong took the opportunity to issue an edict: "Benzoin is permitted to be exported to Southeast Asia, but borneol remains a prohibited commodity in the Celestial Empire. Concubine Xinrong will coordinate the spice trade, and there must be no mistakes."

Walking out of the Yangxin Palace, Yongqi looked at her hair that was messed up by the wind, and recalled how she stayed up late in the Shangyi Bureau last night to mix spices.

At this moment, Xiaoyanzi was teaching the palace maids to fold butterflies in the imperial garden. Her crisp laughter passed through the corridor and mixed with the benzoin on Meng Qiqi's body, causing inexplicable ripples in his heart.

During the Lesser Snow season, Ziwei stood in front of the compilation office of the Qing Folk Customs Records, holding a stack of folk picture books depicting butterfly prayers.

The word "俗" (custom) on the plaque at the entrance of the museum was covered with snow, looking like the word "谷" (valley), which reminded her of the folk legend of "butterflies saving the valley".

"Master Liu," she saluted the chief editor, "the folk practice of butterfly prayer has been popular for half a year, why is it still not included in the annals?"

Lord Liu pushed up his glasses and looked at the fluorescent butterflies in the picture book. "How can such a strange and lewd skill be included in the official history? Moreover, it is against etiquette for a woman to show her face in public."

Ziwei was about to argue when she heard the sound of gongs and drums in the distance. Thousands of women dressed in butterfly costumes were parading towards the Forbidden City, their headpieces and skirts adorned with butterflies folded from fluorescent eyebrow pencil.

"What is this...?" Lord Liu looked out the window in shock.

"It's the folk custom of the 'Butterfly Goddess Festival,'" Ziwei explained. "People say that butterflies once brought seeds during the famine, and now they bring peace."

She opened the sketchbook, which contained prayer sticks sent from various places. "Women in Shandong use butterfly folding to record agricultural proverbs, and women in Jiangnan use butterfly patterns to embroider family tree. If this isn't folk custom, what is it?"

The system prompt sounded in Meng Qiqi's ears: "Folk custom recognition +70%, Qianlong is detected to be on an incognito tour and is approaching the blessing team."

At three quarters past three in the afternoon, Emperor Qianlong disguised himself as a businessman and mixed in with the prayer team. He took a butterfly origami handed to him by a little girl, on which was written "Long Live the Emperor" in the girl's handwriting.

"Little girl, why does this butterfly have seven wings?" he asked curiously.

"Because the Butterfly Goddess has seven fairy clones!" the girl replied crisply. "Break seven petals of her wings and you can pray for seven kinds of blessings!"

Qianlong looked at the seven-petal butterfly in his hand, and suddenly thought of Meng Qiqi's seven-color eyebrow pencil and the "seven-colored butterfly wings" she mentioned during the spice negotiations.

In the distance, Ziwei was explaining the "Butterfly Prayer Manual" to the people, and the crowd burst into calls to "record it in the annals."

That evening, Emperor Qianlong wrote the entry for "Butterfly Blessing" at the Compilation Office of the Records of Folk Customs, noting that "People believe it is auspicious, and many women use it to learn to read and embroider patterns. It is indeed a new way of education."

Lord Liu looked at the imperial comments and shook his head helplessly, but he had to order people to enter the chapters into the annals.

When the news reached the Shangyi Bureau, Xiaoyanzi picked up the butterfly whistle and blew a song of "Victory Order", while Meng Qiqi framed the copy of Qianlong's imperial calligraphy and placed the butterfly paper-cut sent by the people next to it.

Yongqi watched all this and felt that the women in the deep palace had actually used their butterfly wings to fan out their own chapters in the history books.

On the eve of the winter solstice, Yongqi was wandering outside Shufangzhai when he heard the laughter of Xiaoyanzi and Meng Qiqi coming from inside the house.

He hid behind a Taihu stone and saw two figures in the moonlight: Xiaoyanzi was dancing and telling folk stories, while Meng Qiqi was smiling as she mixed the newly made scented ink, occasionally throwing in a few professional comments.

"Xinrong, do you think Yongqi will think I'm not as smart as you?" Xiaoyanzi's voice suddenly lowered.

"How could that be?" Meng Qiqi put down the ink stick. "You have the straightforwardness of a man from the underworld, which is the most rare quality in the palace."

Yongqi was shocked, remembering that the day before yesterday in the court, Meng Qiqi used butterfly trade data to convince Qianlong, but Xiaoyanzi gave him roasted chestnuts after the court was dismissed - that was his favorite snack in childhood.

"But..." Xiaoyanzi's voice was choked with sobs, "He's been investigating cases with you a lot lately, and the way he looks at you...is different from the way he looks at me."

Meng Qiqi was silent for a moment, then suddenly took out a butterfly sachet: "This is made of benzoin and chestnut shells. Take it. Some thoughts are more important than cleverness."

Yongqi turned and left, his boots crushing a patch of snow.

He didn't know that the look in his eyes when he looked at Meng Qiqi was filled with admiration for his shared interests, and the look in his eyes when he looked at Xiao Yanzi was filled with the warmth of childhood sweethearts.

The two emotions were like two colors of fragrant ink on his eyebrows, intertwined into an unsolvable knot in his heart.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, a thin layer of ice formed on the surface of the lake in the Imperial Garden.

Yongqi was watching the lanterns with Xiaoyanzi and Mengqiqi when he suddenly heard the crisp sound of ice cracking.

Xiaoyanzi subconsciously pushed him away, but she slipped on the ice and was about to fall into the lake.

"Little Swallow!" Yong Qi exclaimed and was about to rush forward, but saw Meng Qiqi swinging out a butterfly whip - a horse whip modified with fluorescent embroidery thread, which accurately wrapped around Little Swallow's wrist and pulled her back to the shore.

"Are you okay?" Meng Qiqi supported Xiaoyanzi, and her fingertips touched the butterfly sachet on her waist, which was the one she had given her.

Little Swallow looked at the two of them and suddenly chuckled, "One of you is like a butterfly, the other like an eagle, and I'm stuck in the middle, looking like a stupid bird."

Yongqi looked at them and suddenly remembered a line from the Book of Songs: "Mandarin ducks and flounder ducks, when they stop, they pair up."