When people were in Qin, they captured Zhao and questioned Qin.

Chapter 30 Becoming an Apprentice

Guo Kai's words sound like a compliment, but upon closer examination, they have a subtle nuance.

Zhao Heng, however, seemed completely oblivious to the implied meaning. He simply pointed to Jianxin Jun and his entourage, who were surrounded in the middle, and continued, "I heard something commotion here, so I came to take a look. Mr. Guo, are they doing business? But what I'm hearing sounds..."

As he said this, he seemed to realize that pointing at people was impolite, so he quickly withdrew his hand and smiled apologetically.

"I heard that Jianxin initially said, 'Why should I spend ten thousand coins on such a little girl?' He also said she wasn't worth ten thousand coins. But now, he says he doesn't like her and thinks she's not worth it, yet he still wants to take her home..."

He blinked, a look of sudden realization crossing his face, then gently patted his forehead:

"Ah! I see! Jianxin-jun wants to buy the person out of the house with the money he pays. He says he thinks it's too expensive, but he actually likes him a lot, doesn't he? Jianxin-jun is really good at business, he understands the principle of 'saying one thing and meaning another'."

Jianxin Jun's face instantly darkened.

On the third-floor railing, a smile suddenly appeared in the beautiful eyes of the woman in the purple dress.

Her hearing was excellent, and she heard the conversation on the second floor clearly. She couldn't help but turn her head and whisper to her grandmother with a smile, "This little guy, he's not very old, but his words are quite sharp, yet he looks so innocent and ignorant. Interesting."

Grandma was both amused and exasperated, and whispered in response, "He's a clever little devil."

Downstairs, Jianxin Jun could no longer contain his anger, his tone clearly rebuking Zhao Heng: "You brat, what nonsense are you spouting?! How dare you presume to know what I'm doing!"

Seeing the situation was turning bad, and noticing that Zhao Heng seemed intent on causing trouble and possessed a special status, the fake mother grasped at this straw and, disregarding everything else, hurriedly interjected in a trembling voice:

"Your Majesty, this young master, Xiao Ji... she is truly not a woman of lowly status, but a lady from a respectable family! She is merely residing in this building temporarily, using her art to make friends; she is by no means someone to be bought or sold!"

"A girl from a good family?"

The attendants of Jianxin Jun dared not directly confront Zhao Heng, but immediately seized upon the pretext, pointing at the stepmother and shouting:

"A respectable woman staying in your Drunken Moon Pavilion? What a joke! You claim to be from a respectable family, but what proof do you have? Do you have any official documents proving her status? If not, then it's just your word! In my opinion, this woman is either someone you've fabricated to inflate your status and deceive important people, or she's a runaway slave or a family member of a disgraced official—both can be sold off without official status according to the law! What else do you have to say?"

The stepmother was speechless.

She opened her mouth, her eyes flickering, stammering and unable to utter a complete sentence, as if she had something difficult to say and couldn't immediately provide strong evidence. She could only repeatedly mumble, "She really is... I swear..."

Seeing this, Jianxin Jun was enraged and felt even more humiliated. Disregarding his status, he shouted at the captain of the guards at Zuiyue Tower:

"Go, call out the person in charge of your music hall. I want to ask, is it really impossible to negotiate a price for a girl of unknown origin, whose household registration is unclear? Does this Drunken Moon Pavilion have no rules at all?!"

The captain of the guard was pale and sweating profusely, caught in a dilemma.

Zhao Heng frowned, seemingly thinking very seriously for a moment, then turned to Guo Kai and asked as if consulting a teacher:

"Mr. Guo, I remember... although the laws of my Zhao Kingdom do not explicitly prohibit the buying and selling of respectable women, if a respectable woman does not sell herself willingly but is forced into a sale, it constitutes the crime of 'abduction,' and the punishment is not light, right?"

Guo Kai's smile remained unchanged, and he nodded, saying:

"Young master, you are young, yet you already understand the law, which is rare. What you said is generally correct, but..."

In matters of law, evidence is paramount. This prostitute claimed the woman was from a respectable family, yet she offered no concrete proof. This woman works in a music brothel, entertaining people and receiving payment; how is her conduct any different from that of a registered entertainer? Lord Jianxin, pitying her exceptional talent and unwilling to let such a gem be wasted, is willing to redeem her with a large sum of money, allowing her to escape this place of entertaining and farewell and to dedicate herself to her art within his household. Is this not a benevolent act? Where does this talk of forced purchase come from?

He shrugged, a beaming smile on his face: "This is clearly a refined affair, demonstrating keen insight and making the best use of talent. Don't you agree, sir?"

Upon hearing this, Jianxin Jun's expression softened slightly. He nodded with satisfaction, glanced at Zhao Heng, and gave a soft hum, seemingly regaining his previous composure.

Zhao Heng listened to Guo Kai's sophistry, seemingly lost in thought. He pondered for a moment, then looked again at the snow-haired girl surrounded in the middle.

She remained standing there, the jade flute in her hand gleaming, her light-colored eyes gazing ahead, neither sad nor happy, as if all the quarrels around her were nothing but fleeting clouds.

Seeing that Zhao Heng seemed stumped by Guo Kai's question and had nothing more to say, Jianxin Jun's attendant immediately became even more aggressive, pointing at the stepmother and shouting:

"Did you hear that? Mr. Guo said this girl can't produce any proof of her good family background, so she's available for sale! Madam, stop your nonsense! Quickly call the manager and bring out her slave contract! This deal is yours to make today, whether you like it or not!"

The stepmother trembled and looked at the snow-haired girl for help, both anxious and afraid. She gritted her teeth and her lips trembled, as if she was making an extremely difficult choice.

The girl remained calm, but her slender fingers holding the jade flute had turned slightly white, indicating that she had used force.

At this moment, Zhao Heng suddenly said again:

"Wait a minute."

Everyone looked at him.

Then Zhao Heng looked at Guo Kai, clapped his hands, and laughed:

"Mr. Guo is right, we should make the best use of everyone's talents. I just heard the sound of the flute upstairs and was amazed. I was thinking that the flute player must be a master, and I was wondering if I would have the opportunity to visit and ask him for advice. I didn't expect that Mr. Jianxin would beat me to it."

Before Guo Kai or Jianxin could respond, he changed the subject, a slightly embarrassed smile on his face, and looked at Luan Ding beside him:

"Luan Ding, I remember my mother was saying a few days ago that as I get older, I should learn some refined music to cultivate my temperament and calm my mind. What do you think... about learning the xiao (vertical bamboo flute)?"

Ji Cheng was still somewhat confused, but Luan Ding immediately understood and nodded in agreement, saying in a deep voice, "Young master, the sound of the flute is clear and melodious, able to connect with the energy of heaven and earth, which is just right for you to cultivate and nurture your noble character."

Zhao Heng nodded in satisfaction, then turned to the crowd and said loudly, "Since that's the case—"

He looked at the snow-haired girl surrounded in the middle and said earnestly, "How about I hire this girl to be my musician and teach me the xiao (vertical flute)? That way, her talent won't be wasted, and I'll have a good teacher. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.

The stepmother's mouth gaped open, unable to close it for a long time, completely dumbfounded, never expecting things to develop this way.

For the first time, a noticeable ripple appeared in the snow-haired girl's light blue eyes. She slightly raised her eyelids and stared blankly at Zhao Heng, her eyes momentarily filled with surprise, scrutiny, and an inscrutable confusion.

Jianxin Jun and Guo Kai were also stunned.

However, after a brief moment of astonishment, Jianxin Jun seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world, and laughed in anger:

"Absurd! Utterly absurd! Our Zhao Kingdom is renowned for its music and rituals, with countless master musicians in the court and among the common people. You, a grandson of the King of Zhao, could easily find a renowned teacher to learn an instrument! Why would you choose to apprentice under a mere, inexperienced courtesan of unknown origin? If word gets out, won't you become a laughingstock among the other nations?! What will become of the royal family's reputation?!"