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

Chapter 31 Snow Woman

Guo Kai stood to the side, still stroking his sparse beard, his narrow eyes squinting. He didn't speak, but his gaze swept back and forth between Zhao Heng and Jianxin Jun, as if he were pondering something.

Zhao Heng's gaze finally shifted from the snow-haired girl's face. Faced with Jianxin Jun's angry rebuke, he merely blinked and asked in return:

"But this foster mother says she's not a musician, just temporarily residing in the music hall to make friends through her art. Besides, isn't this exactly what Mr. Guo just said about 'making the best use of everyone's talents'? This young lady is highly skilled at the xiao (vertical flute), and she can teach me. By hiring her as my teacher, paying her tuition, and having her pass on her skills, I'm making the most of her talents and enabling her to make a living. What's so funny about that? If my mother knew how eager I am to learn, she would surely be pleased."

Jianxin Jun's face turned ashen.

The expressions of the onlookers also turned strange. They wanted to laugh but dared not, clearly not expecting that this young master would so naturally and confidently use Guo Kai's reasoning verbatim to shut up Jianxin Jun, and even bring up the banner of "learning".

Seeing his master speechless and embarrassed, the attendant beside Lord Jianxin couldn't help but angrily say, "This woman has already been chosen by my lord, how can you, young master..."

"presumptuous!"

Zhao Heng abruptly interrupted him, his voice turning icy: "When did it become your place to repeatedly interrupt and make pronouncements when I was discussing matters with Jianxin Jun? Do you even have the right to interfere here?"

The question came as a surprise to the attendant, and even Lord Jianxin was somewhat taken aback, not expecting Zhao Heng to suddenly attack a servant.

Zhao Heng narrowed his eyes, ignoring everyone else, focusing solely on the attendant. His voice remained calm, yet carried a subtle air of authority:

"I just consulted Mr. Guo about the law because he is the steward of my uncle's household, and is very knowledgeable. He answered my questions. Who do you think you are? How dare you reprimand me and speak on behalf of Lord Jianxin? Is this how things are done in Lord Jianxin's household?"

The moment Zhao Heng finished speaking, Ji Chengli, who could no longer contain himself, stepped forward, his thumb pressing against the hilt of the sword. With a soft "clang," half of the sword was ejected from its sheath. His tiger-like eyes were wide open, his gaze fixed on the attendant. If the other dared to utter another word, the sword would be thrust out without hesitation.

Luan Ding also moved to the side almost simultaneously, getting closer to Zhao Heng to form a protective triangle. At the same time, he slightly turned his body and calmly scanned the other two guards of Jianxin Jun and their possible attack routes, subtly blocking the direction from which the other party might suddenly launch an attack.

The attendant was startled by Zhao Heng's sudden change in demeanor and Ji Cheng's actions. His face turned pale, and he subconsciously took half a step back, looking at Jianxin Jun.

Jianxin Jun's two guards immediately stepped forward to protect him, forming a standoff with Ji Cheng and Luan Ding.

Guo Kai's eyelids twitched, and he quietly took half a step back, placing himself in a safer position.

Then, he narrowed his eyes, glancing between Zhao Heng, Jianxin Jun, and the snow-haired girl, as if he was quickly considering whether he should step in to smooth things over or simply stay out of it and be happy to see the conflict escalate.

Zhao Heng suddenly laughed, waved his hand at Ji Cheng, and said with a hint of reproach, "Put it away quickly. I was having a very pleasant conversation with Jianxin Jun. Your tense atmosphere makes us seem tactless and disturbs Jianxin Jun's enjoyment."

These words, seemingly a rebuke of Ji Cheng's recklessness, carried a deeper meaning in the ears of others. Wasn't the attendant's interruption just now a clear display of tactlessness?

The attendant was filled with shame and anger, his blood boiling. He was about to rush forward to argue regardless of the consequences when Jianxin Jun interrupted him with a stern shout: "Get out! You disgraceful wretch!"

Lord Jianxin's face turned ashen. He glared fiercely at the unruly attendant, then fixed his gaze on Zhao Heng, his eyes dark, and forced out the words through clenched teeth: "Young Master Heng, are you determined to oppose me today for the sake of such an unrelated, unknown woman?"

Zhao Heng immediately put on a completely bewildered and innocent expression, and asked in surprise:

"Why do you say such a thing, Lord Jianxin? I simply feel that as the Prime Minister of the State, you are busy with countless affairs of state, and your time is extremely precious. Your household must be full of talented people and many musicians. Even if this young lady has some skills, she will probably not have many opportunities to display them in your household, and her talents will ultimately be buried."

I was clearly trying to help Jianxin Jun solve his problems, so how did it become "opposition" in his mouth? Does Jianxin Jun perhaps feel that his magnanimity and appreciation for talent are insufficient to accommodate a mere child's request to learn?

Jianxin Jun felt a tightness in his chest from being choked by his words, and in his anger, he laughed inwardly. He glanced at the snow-haired girl, then looked at Zhao Heng, and said in a sinister tone:

"Very well, a fine way to share burdens! I've certainly seen it all today! You say you want to hire this woman as your teacher? Fine! I spent ten thousand coins just to meet her. Since you want to hire her as your teacher, surely your 'meeting gift' can't be less than ten thousand coins? I wonder how much tuition you plan to offer? If you can't afford it, or offer too little… hmph, I'm afraid it will be difficult to convince everyone. Don't bring up 'making the best use of everyone's talents' then!"

Guo Kai listened from the side, somewhat speechless. Things had come to this point; what was the point of you, Jianxin Jun, a prime minister of a state, arguing with a mere child?

She's just a woman from a music troupe. Even if she has some beauty and skill, what's wrong with giving her to him? Why make things like this, with everyone red in the face and shouting at each other? What kind of reputation will this make? It's a complete loss of dignity.

However, he was happy to see the two compete, and he could simply stand in a safe place and watch with a smile.

Hearing this, the attendant regained some confidence and glared angrily at Zhao Heng, waiting to see him suffer a setback.

The stepmother looked at Zhao Heng with a troubled expression, hesitant to speak. She had completely offended Lord Jianxin, and naturally hoped that Zhao Heng could truly help her out of this predicament.

Ten thousand coins... Even though Zhao Heng is the grandson of the King of Zhao, he is still a minor child. How much could he possibly have in private savings? If he were to spend ten thousand coins on a young girl from a music hall, I'm afraid that when the young master's mother, Lady Han, found out, she would not only disagree but would also severely punish him.

At that point, this attempt to extricate themselves from the predicament might backfire.

While everyone was lost in their own thoughts, Zhao Heng showed no embarrassment upon hearing this.

He glanced at the snow-haired girl again; her light blue eyes were also quietly looking at him. Zhao Heng then looked at Jianxin Jun, whose expression was unfriendly, as if he were seriously considering the price of the "tuition fee."

Then, he smiled slightly, his handsome face showing a calm expression, and was about to speak.

"A mere ten thousand coins is nothing to worry about."

A soft yet noble, clear and composed female voice suddenly came from the upper third floor.

Everyone looked up and followed the sound.

On the third floor, the woman in the purple dress, who had been quietly observing, stood by the railing. Her face was covered by a light veil, and only a butterfly wing pattern under her left eye shimmered slightly in the light, adding to her mysterious and enchanting beauty.

She looked down at the crowd on the second floor, her posture elegant and composed, as if she were the true owner of this music hall.

Guo Kai paused slightly, stroking his beard. A look of confusion and contemplation flashed in his eyes. Clearly, even with his extensive network of information, he had no clue about the woman's identity.

The woman slowly swept her gaze over the crowd downstairs, her eyes lingering slightly longer on Zhao Heng with a hint of inexplicable interest, before finally landing on Jianxin Jun, whose face was grim.

"Lord Jianxin, Prince Heng, why must you two ruin your relationship over a mere young girl?"

She continued, her voice tinged with laughter:

"Drunken Moon Pavilion is a business that values ​​harmony and making money. This snow-haired young lady is indeed a respectable woman staying at our pavilion. She only plays music, does not receive guests, and certainly does not sell her body. Today, Mr. Jianxin insisted on seeing her, which is already an exception for the pavilion, and it has disturbed the young lady's peace. This matter of business should not be mentioned again, otherwise, it would truly be a case of our Drunken Moon Pavilion neglecting its guests and not knowing the rules."

Jianxin Jun frowned, his displeasure deepening, and asked in a deep voice, "Who are you? And who are you to be the master of this place?"

The old woman who had been standing beside the woman in the purple dress stepped forward and announced, "This is my young mistress, the current manager of Drunken Moon Pavilion."

Jianxin knew that Zuiyuelou had a powerful background; it was no ordinary merchant to have established itself in the most prosperous area of ​​Handan for so many years. But he had absolutely no recollection of this so-called "young master," and subconsciously looked at Guo Kai, hoping to get some clues from the well-informed Mr. Guo.

Guo Kai merely shook his head almost imperceptibly, indicating that he was also unaware of the matter.

Jianxin Jun felt even more irritated, but although the other party's tone was polite, there was no weakness in his words, so he couldn't immediately turn hostile. He could only coldly snort, "Even so, I can't let the ten thousand coins I've already spent go to waste without even a sound, can I?"

Upon hearing this, the woman in the purple dress chuckled lightly, "Of course. The ten thousand coins will be returned in full, not a penny less. Furthermore, to express my apology, I will personally present you, Jianxin, with three jars of 'Drunken Moon Spring' aged for ten years, as a token of my appreciation. What do you think, Jianxin?"

The so-called Zuiyuechun is Zuiyuelou's exclusive signature wine. Its brewing process is complex, the ingredients are exquisite, and the annual production is very limited. A single jar is quite valuable and is often sold out, reserved for distinguished guests or special occasions.

Three jars of ten-year-aged wine is already a great honor and a sign of sincerity.

Jianxin's expression softened slightly, but he was still unwilling to give up: "Then this girl..."

The woman in the purple dress interrupted him, saying, "As for this young lady... what Young Master Heng just said is a solution that satisfies both sides."

As she spoke, she turned to Zhao Heng, her smile deepening: "Young Master Heng is young and admires elegance. It is an honor for our Drunken Moon Pavilion to hire a young lady as a musician."

"As for the price..."

She said casually, "Drunken Moon Pavilion welcomes guests with the aim of ensuring everyone is happy and exchanging pleasantries. In my opinion, the favor shown to Lord Jianxin and the goodwill shown to you today far outweigh any worldly gains. If you don't mind, Drunken Moon Pavilion will cover the cost of hiring the musicians for you, which would also make for a beautiful occasion. What do you say?"

These words caused another uproar in the room.

Although her earlier promise to refund the money and give the wine was a way to save face for Jianxin Jun, the woman in the purple dress clearly sided with Zhao Heng with just a casual remark.

The so-called "funding on behalf of others" is clearly a strong endorsement of Zhao Heng's plan to take the person away!

Jianxin Jun's face was no longer ashen, but almost black, with veins bulging on his forehead. He had lost all face today, first being verbally humiliated by a child, and now having his intentions completely thwarted by this woman of unknown origin.

"but--"

The woman in the purple dress seemed oblivious to Jianxin Jun's unpleasant expression, and simply chuckled again:

"The amount of the bride price is ultimately a worldly matter, and the brothel can disregard it. But whether this engagement is successful or not depends most importantly on the young lady's own wishes. My Drunken Moon Pavilion has its own rules; we never force anyone to do anything against their will, nor will we make any decisions for the young ladies who are staying here."

She blinked her beautiful eyes and looked kindly at the snow-haired girl.

"Young lady, Young Master Heng sincerely invites you to serve as his musician. What do you say?"