"Hmm, go ahead." Mrs. Ruo lifted her hand from the water and used the handkerchief handed to her by the serving girl to dry the droplets, probed the jade vase besides her with a silver pick to scoop out some white jade ointment, polishing it evenly over her ten fingers, palms, and the back of her hands.
She fanned her delicate hands, now more tender and glistening like green onions, emitting a subtle perfume.
Mrs. Ruo delightedly sniffed her hand placed under her nose.
"Your Highness," Bi Tao came forward, holding a small brocade box. "Here is the item you requested. The messenger insisted that you should examine it personally."
All for a few strands of hair, to enable a Taoist master'to set some kind of spell to keep that whelp in check, to make him weaker by the day, perhaps to slip away unnoticed, all these fuss seems excessive to her.
Unimpressed, Mrs. Ruo scoffed inwardly but still opened the brocade box.
A white silk handkerchief wrapped the contents neatly inside.
