Going to War
Luna Marche took over every part of a noble lady's life. In the morning, she might wake up using Luna Marche cosmetics and flowers dyed with Celestial Colours. At breakfast or tea, she might eat dessert with Celestial Colours and Celestial Nectar. She might have beautiful, manicured nails with nail polish and she might take a bath with bath bombs. She might comb her hair with a Luna Marche sparkly comb and use facial mist to preserve her beauty. If she was on her period, she would most certainly be using the convenient and hassle-free pads.
It was then that I introduced essential oils. Essential oils were easy enough to make, and manufactured in small bottles. One only needed to put a couple drops in the spring or fountain to make it fragrant. In front of the Luna Marche flagship store was a small, intricate fountain. Suddenly, on the same Monday everyone received their new basket, the fountain turned pink, matching the store décor, and smelt like roses.
Borrowing names and uses from the modern era, the Luna Marche flagship store now stocked series after series of essential oils with the same concept – health and wellbeing. Essential oils that calmed you down, that helped you sleep, that helped you feel positive vibes, that smelt like Guiling falls or the forests in the South or pine trees. Essential oils made their way into every proper household. Typically, modern essential oils came in small bottles as they went into the diffuser.
However, since Yuan An essential oils went into the fountain, and materials were considerably harder to get and preserve, that made it very expensive. However, since everyone had a memory they wanted to preserve, or came to the capital from their home town or moved to another province to get married, everyone wanted a little piece to take with them. Luna Marche sold essential oils in tiny bottles for commoners or travel purposes, and essential oils in larger jugs for those wanting to dump it into a fountain.
I had just climbed into bed after happily counting my taels and was about to go to sleep. I pulled my sleeping mask over my eyes (another Luna Marche product) and slowed my breathing. Then I heard it. What was that sound? Scraping at my window? "Ling Yue!" someone hissed from outside. I jumped. Tap tap tap. "Ling Yue!" the voice came again, louder.
Why did... this voice sound familiar? Narrowing my eyes, I reached under my pillow for my dagger, then under a false bottom for a sharp pointy hairpin which I stuck in my hair. Whoever it was, he would get to taste my skills after 1.5years of training! I hid at the blind spot beside my bed as the window slowly creaked open. I swung my dagger at the figure, who dodged. "Agh!" he exclaimed. Agh? I peered outside.
"Lu Qing Yu, what are you doing here?" I asked. Lu Qing Yu, dressed in his night clothes, looked sheepish as he stood outside. "Just come in." I said, beckoning him to climb through the window. "But... its not decent to visit a woman's room at night." he said. "Besides, it will only take awhile." he said. "But we're married." I reminded him. "Oh." he said, flushing. Seems like he had been convincing himself that he was a bachelor.
He climbed into the room. "What is it?" I asked, shutting the window and sitting on the bed. "Erm, I just wanted to tell you I was leaving." he said. "Leaving? Where?" I asked, dreading the worst. "To the North West." he said. I stared at him. Was the situation so dire the Emperor had to go to battle? "It's for morale. The war has been going on pretty long. Even the battle-hardened maniacs would get tired at this point." he said. Oh. That wasn't too bad.
"How long will you be gone for? Who will man the palace?" "I don't know... and I'm sure my uncle will find a way. I participated in the last war too anyway.". I remembered Mian Ru and felt somber. Regardless, it was so dangerous. Was I going to become an unwanted widow? "And when do you leave?" "Tomorrow." he said.
"And you only tell me now?" "Yes...?" "Can I go with you?" I asked. "What?" "I've been dying to see the trade route. I've done years of work on it and I want to see how its going. Also, I've been trained for 1.5 years by 2 generals." "Ling Yue..." "I bet you'll be stationed near the route since it's the safest place. If the situation looks bad, I can come stay with you." I said. I did really want to see the trade route. And wouldn't it be good for morale to see a pretty lady in the camp?
I stared at him pleadingly. He was the Emperor. If he said I could go, no one would dare to object. "I've followed my brother to war and fought on the front lines before." I used my last trump card. He looked at me for a long moment.
"Ok. But you're staying with me, you will be supervised, your guards need to come with you, and you can't do anything dangerous. Also, I'll come to get you at 6am tomorrow." he said. "But it's 11pm now! At least give me 2 days to settle business." I said. He gave me a pointed look. "So you're not going?" "I'm going, I'm going..." Looks like I wasn't sleeping tonight.
After he left, I reluctantly turned my lamp on and got to work. I didn't know how long I would be stationed at the front line. Fortunately after such a long year of experimentation and delays, the tampon was ready for launch. In fact, it was due to be launched next month. I could totally bring some to the North West and try it out first. I could endorse it and say a woman has already gone to war with it. I wrote a couple letters.
To my chief employees, to explain the work and release schedule for the next year – thankfully, we already had prototypes and a schedule ready since I had given them lots of briefing and they were very independent, what to do if suppliers or people gave them trouble, to the Ling Clan to inform them I was leaving, and generally just a long plan for Luna Marche. By the time I was done, it was 4am. Oops. 2 more hours to go.
I reluctantly called for Qiu Ci and Qiu Le. They were shocked to hear they had 2 hours to help me pack for war. Anyway, even if I called them up hours ago, it wasn't like they could do much, just pack what was on hand. According to Ling Yue's past war experience and General Mian, one should pack light. I packed a satchel of weapons, breath mint, hygiene products (a.k.a lots of tampons since pads were bulky), a comb, some hair ties and handkerchiefs. As well as a couple oilskins with fire starting materials. I scrubbed off my nail polish and washed my face.
The kitchen staff were also woken up to prepare a quick hearty meal for me so I could have some decent food before I left. Qiu Ci and Qiu Le retrieved underclothes, socks, boots, and my training attire. I also had 3 sets of war armour made over the year, which I added to my 1 war armour that I wore. The 3 sets were hastily taken apart and packed in a small trunk together with my clothes.
When Lu Qing Yu arrived in front of Lunar Palace, he was shocked to see my luggage. "Only these 2?" he asked. I nodded. "I thought women usually packed about 5 carriages worth of things." "Well, I am going to war." "You are not going to war, just to see the trade route." "Sure." I was introduced to my horse, Hong, and Yun (of Blood Moon) rode behind me. The other 3 would be hidden, just like the majority of Lu Qing Yu's guards.