Li Ying bowed slightly to the Princess Royal and asked with dignity, "Your Highness, are you satisfied?"
The Princess Royal was extremely intelligent and perceptive. She immediately understood Li Ying's intention.
"Is this the business you told me about?"
Li Ying nodded. Then, like a magician, she took out a row of bottles of various sizes and introduced them to the princess one by one with enthusiasm.
"These are all essential oils extracted by this commoner from the common flowers and plants in the capital. For example, bergamot can stimulate appetite, relieve cold symptoms, and has a very significant effect on acne."
"White jasmine can relieve menstrual pain, reduce skin wrinkles, and relieve emotional anxiety. It can make people feel happy."
"Tea tree essential oil is very beneficial for coughs and colds. It can also shrink pores, make the skin smoother and more delicate, and refresh the mind..."
She had only made some essential oils for her own use in her spare time before. But after meeting Hu Qinzhu, she became eager to do something.
Miss Hu, who seemed to rarely leave her boudoir, actually had very unique insights into extracting these floral and herbal fragrances.
Now, when extracting essential oils, Li Ying only needed to give a few words of guidance, and Hu Qinzhu would immediately understand and master it.
Leafy plants like basil, coriander, and cypress are most suitable for extraction by distillation. For bergamot and small green tangerines, pressing is the best method to retain the natural aroma and active ingredients of the essential oils to the greatest extent. For flowers with extremely strong fragrances like orange blossom and rose, the oldest fat absorption method is used.
After only a few days of exploration, Hu Qinzhu could choose the most suitable extraction method according to the characteristics of different plants, maximizing the efficacy of the essential oils and improving their purity.
The Princess Royal loved flowers. With just a little discrimination, she could tell that the essential oils and hydrosols Li Ying took out were all top - grade products. The novel therapeutic effects really caught her eye.
"Your Highness, there are many beauty - loving women in the capital. However, the makeup powders and beauty creams available are not satisfactory. They seem to be good for beauty and health, but actually have many hidden problems. If you open this women's beauty club, it will truly be a meritorious deed."
"Moreover, everyone has a responsibility for the rise and fall of the country. People often say that women have no intention of serving the country. But among the daughters in the capital, there must be many heroines with a heart for the world. Having a facial care is also a way to contribute to filling the national treasury. Why not do it?"
Her bright eyes stared intently at the Princess Royal. Hu Qinzhu also chimed in on the side, "Your Highness, Boss Li once told me that there are still many rare flowers and plants in the world that have not been discovered and extracted, and they have amazing effects."
"Qinzhu is not very talented, but I am willing to follow Boss Li to search for the rare flowers and plants all over the world and present them to Your Highness!"
With the two of them singing in chorus, the Princess Royal finally nodded and agreed, "Fine. Since that's the case, I'll follow your arrangements."
She paused for a moment and added, "However, you two must not act too ostentatiously. If the people in the capital think that I am bullying others with my power and wantonly squeezing the people's fat and cream... I will hold you accountable!"
The two of them naturally agreed repeatedly. Hu Qinzhu had just taken over as the head of the Hu family and also had the task of cultivating rare flowers and plants. She couldn't afford to delay. After paying respects to the Princess Royal, she left first.
Li Ying was going to talk to the Princess Royal in detail about the operation details of the women's beauty club. But suddenly, she heard nine bell rings in the city.
Li Ying didn't understand what it meant, but the Princess Royal couldn't hide her great joy on her face. She hurriedly got up and took the sedan chair into the palace.
Seeing her solemn expression, Li Ying knew that there must be something extremely important happening in the palace.
She couldn't help but feel a little restless. Fortunately, Lu Xunguang told her that it was a ceremonial bell, which signified great joy.
Sure enough, not long after, news came from the palace. It turned out that the Empress, who had only given birth to a princess over the years, finally gave birth to a legitimate son today. The Emperor was overjoyed and immediately ordered an amnesty for the whole country. The whole country celebrated.
"The aunt - nephew relationship is always very close. No wonder the Princess Royal left in such a hurry."
Li Ying was relieved. She casually responded and didn't think about it anymore.
Seeing that it was getting late and time for dinner, she simply went straight to the kitchen.
In the capital, the heat had been increasing day by day. Everyone in the Lu Mansion had little appetite. Even Li Ying herself felt lazy and had little interest.
On these slightly hot days, drinking some sweet soup, which was sweet and just right for the taste, was a good choice.
The peach blossoms in the Lu Mansion's garden had withered long ago. The pointed peach leaves were growing lush and green, full of vitality.
Li Ying called the servants in the mansion. They held sharp short daggers and gently cut open the shiny maroon bark. Immediately, the maroon tree gum slowly oozed out.
This was peach gum, also known as "tears of the peach blossom" in a more elegant name.
The peach gum was stewed with lilies, white fungus, red dates, and milk. The warm milk soaked the ingredients, making them slowly wake up and fully stretch. After the fusion and refinement of water and fire, they turned into a thick and glutinous soup.
The peach gum in early summer was crystal - clear, and its color was as solid as tortoise shell and amber. Its nourishing and beauty - enhancing effect was a hundred times stronger than the peach gum that had been soaked in rain and faded to yellow or even transparent.
After drinking this bowl of milk and peach gum soup, one's complexion would obviously improve the next day. If one drank it continuously for seven days, the rich collagen could make the skin delicate and elastic, and the face would be as rosy as a peach.
The various skin - care treatments in the beauty club took a lot of time. I'm afraid the guests who came here out of admiration would have to queue up and wait for some time.
For this reason, in order to make every guest feel at home, Li Ying secretly made up her mind that during the waiting period, the beauty sweet soup in the club would be provided unlimitedly.
The maids and servants never expected that the common peach tree gum could be made into such a delicious and nourishing sweet soup. They thanked Li Ying, the mistress of the mansion, and then followed her instructions to pick the peach gum, soak and clean it with mulberry ash water, and dry it for later use.
She also boiled some wolfberry and mulberry paste, which was shiny black. When drinking, one only needed to take a spoonful and mix it with linden honey, and it would be a sweet and delicious tea that could brighten the eyes and blacken the hair.
Considering that different people had different tastes, and since the main feature of the club at the beginning of its opening would be the skin - rejuvenating effect of rose essential oil, Li Ying brewed a pot of rose vinegar. After waiting for some time, the bright red color of the roses was completely extracted into the rice vinegar. When the lid was opened, the refreshing fragrance of flowers and vinegar came to one's face.
The rose vinegar drink was sour, sweet, and appetizing. It was most suitable for the sweltering summer when people had no appetite. It could relieve the heat and fatigue.