Chapter 15: Flirting with the Talented Beauty

The entire room was startled; one gaze after another turned toward Liu Zheng simultaneously.

That Chen Xiang, in particular, was somewhat unable to swallow his anger.

Very well!

This playboy from Liangzhou certainly had a big mouth! He only wanted to buy the girl Manqing for his own bedchamber, but he never expected this fellow to want to buy the entire Wanhua Pavilion outright.

The others also gasped in succession.

Is this what a Liangzhou playboy is like?

His actions are indeed different; his tone is far more arrogant than Chen Xiang's. It seems the rumors are true; this son of a County Marquis has only been in Yinzhou for a few days, and he already wants to buy a brothel just for fun...

Upon realizing this, everyone's gaze toward Liu Zheng held an extra hint of mockery.

As expected.

A spendthrift is a spendthrift! He couldn't behave for even a few days before starting to act out again.

"Why, is it not allowed?"

Liu Zheng naturally sensed the meaningful mockery from the crowd, but he did not take it to heart. Being misunderstood upon his first arrival in Yinzhou was something he was happy to see.

In their eyes, he was a playboy, a spendthrift—this was the best possible situation.

He would play the pig to eat the tiger for now; when he truly had the strength, that would be the time to strike!

"Hahahaha!"

Chen Xiang felt that he had lost a notch in momentum to this Liu Zheng, so he naturally felt resentful. His eyes turned somewhat malicious as he deliberately glanced at the girl Manqing and laughed loudly: "Young Master Liu is certainly willing to go to great lengths to win the Beauty, but unfortunately, as far as I know, Young Master Liu's entire net worth is not even ten thousand taels!"

"Ten thousand taels, and you want to buy Wanhua Pavilion?"

The crowd burst into laughter upon hearing this.

Liu Zheng was stunned: "Could it be that Wanhua Pavilion is actually that expensive?"

Based on his understanding of the prices in this era over the past few days, buying out this entire Wanhua Pavilion would likely cost around five thousand taels.

"Ignorant child!"

Chen Xiang scoffed: "It's not about whether it's worth it, but whether it's for sale! Right, Eldest Miss Zheng?"

At this moment.

Several people walked out of a private room on the second floor. One was a jade-faced young master, dressed in brocade, holding a folding fan, looking dashing and elegant with bright eyes and white teeth, followed by several attendants.

At this time, the young master walked down while looking at Liu Zheng with great interest, laughing: "Young Master Liu, I have long admired you from afar; I am Zheng Yue Ru!"

Eldest Miss Zheng!

Liu Zheng felt a jolt in his heart, only then realizing what was going on. So this Wanhua Pavilion, the only place of entertainment in Yinzhou, was actually a Zheng Family property?

No wonder even a proper young master like Chen Xiang dared not be too presumptuous here. Among the Four Great Noble Families of Yinzhou, the Zheng Family had the most solid political background.

Because the current Empress Zheng was a member of their Zheng Family.

Therefore, compared to this Zheng Family, the other three noble families were still a cut below.

Liu Zheng also stood up and cupped his hands, smiling: "Miss Zheng's demeanor is astonishing; you make this Liu envious!"

He was not exaggerating; this Eldest Miss Zheng was dressed in men's clothing, looking heroic and spirited, with a lot of style. If this were in later generations, she would definitely be a top-tier influencer. He just didn't know that in this era, this remark was considered very disrespectful.

"Audacious!"

"You..."

Before Zheng Yue Ru could speak, several attendants could not hold back; wasn't this pointing at the mulberry to curse the locust? Who knew that Zheng Yue Ru would laugh heartily and wave her hand: "Young Master Liu is straightforward in nature, and I admire that very much. But I wonder, why does Young Master Liu want to buy my Wanhua Pavilion?"

Liu Zheng paused, thinking he couldn't say that places of entertainment had been the best places to collect intelligence since ancient times, and if he wanted to know the affairs of the world, he naturally had to take this place.

He only smiled slightly: "To tell you the truth, I have a slight reputation in Liangzhou and am quite interested in zither and flute music. Yinzhou is barren and lacks entertainment; having just arrived today, my hands were a bit itchy, just itchy..."

The crowd felt very hurt and somewhat dumbfounded.

You want to buy a restaurant just because you like music? This tone is truly worthy of being the number one playboy of Liangzhou!

A flash of disdain crossed Zheng Yue Ru's eyes as she looked at Liu Zheng: "Brother Liu understands music?"

"I know a little!"

Liu Zheng nodded with a smile.

Zheng Yue Ru opened her folding fan and asked with a smile: "How does it compare to the girl Manqing?"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was another roar of laughter.

The girl Manqing's zither skills had just been breathtaking. Zheng Yue Ru's words were actually meant to discourage Liu Zheng. If you claim to understand zither and flute music, but you aren't even as good as the singing courtesan in my restaurant, then you shouldn't be eyeing this restaurant. Ancient people spoke with subtlety, especially those from such great families.

After all, he was the son of a County Marquis, so at least some face had to be given.

Liu Zheng chuckled: "Does Miss Zheng mean that if I, Liu Zheng, can surpass the girl Manqing, then the matter of the restaurant can be discussed?"

"Boastful!"

"Just by you?"

Once these words were out, those fans of the girl Manqing cursed angrily.

Zheng Yue Ru also laughed: "Brother Liu, the girl Manqing comes from a scholarly family and is proficient in Zither Chess Calligraphy and Painting, but she is most skilled in musical arts. Brother Liu's words are indeed a bit arrogant. As you said, if you can truly surpass the girl Manqing, what does it matter if I let you have the restaurant?"

That Manqing, with her jewel-like eyes, also looked at Liu Zheng with curiosity. Her zither skills could be considered the best in the Capital, and she rarely encountered anyone who dared to challenge her. Although she had fallen on hard times, her pride remained.

"Miss Zheng is generous!"

Liu Zheng didn't waste words and walked slowly toward the girl Manqing's zither, praising: "A fine zither!"

The zither, also known as the Yao zither, Jade zither, or seven-stringed zither, belongs to the 'silk' category of the eight sounds. The zither has a wide range, a deep tone, and lingering echoes. In ancient times, this kind of instrument had been passed down for a full three thousand years and held a very significant position among traditional musical instruments.

"Ah?"

"Young Master Liu, what are you doing?"

"Could it be that you also know zither arts?"

Seeing Liu Zheng's actions, the crowd was stunned into silence.

Chen Xiang was even more furious: "You lecher, are you trying to get close to the girl Manqing on purpose?"

Zheng Yue Ru was also left between laughter and tears; who would believe that this playboy knew how to play the zither? These young masters of noble families were fine when it came to wine and women, and she would believe him if he said he could ride a horse, but the zither was not something an ordinary person could master.

"Just now, Miss Manqing's 'Recalling an Old Friend' was, logically speaking, performed perfectly without a single flaw. However, in the second movement, it seemed that Miss Manqing was affected by her emotions, and when transitioning from an adagio to an allegro, there was a slight discrepancy in the rhythm, which caused a piece that should have been about the melancholy of a boudoir to take on a hint of national hatred and family vendetta. What does Miss Manqing think?"

Liu Zheng chuckled and said unhurriedly.

His eyes remained fixed on Miss Manqing's velvet-like skin...

Truly beautiful...

At the close distance between the two, a refreshing fragrance wafted from her; in this era without Perfume or body wash, it was actually a natural body scent, which was truly rare.

As soon as these words were spoken, others were just about to say he was showing off before an expert, but Miss Manqing's delicate body trembled, her gaze shifting from surprise to sorrow, and she looked at the young master before her in disbelief.

"Young Master, Young Master is truly talented!"

Miss Manqing took a deep breath, and proud as she was, she obediently gave a slight curtsy to Liu Zheng.

"Just now, Manqing recalled family matters and my thoughts were slightly disordered; I hope Young Master will not take offense..."

The entire room was shocked.

Chen Xiang's mouth hung wide open.

What the hell is this?

He could even stumble upon the right answer like this?

Liu Zheng looked deeply at Manqing and sighed slightly: "Time passes like this, never ceasing day or night. Fame and fortune are but passing clouds, so do not take them to heart. A hundred years later, everyone will be but yellow earth."

Hearing this, Manqing's delicate body trembled slightly, and her autumn-water eyes turned a little red: "Thank you, Young Master, for your comfort."

Her tone this time was much gentler than her previous coldness.

Chen Xiang felt like he wanted to die!

Just this?

"Young Master Liu, is this your ability?"

"Who can't say a few words?"

"Show us some real substance!"

Although many people present admitted that this young master from Liangzhou was indeed much better at flirting than this man from Yinzhou, this was not the time for glib talk; it was time to see his real skills!

Zheng Yue Ru also shook her head repeatedly as she watched, a sense of disappointment toward this young master of the Liu Family welling up in her heart.

He's quite smooth at flirting...

A complete second-generation heir's demeanor.

What could such a person bring to Yinzhou?

Zheng Yue Ru, who had originally been astonished by some poems that had emerged at the already famous Liangzhou Poetry Society, could not help but feel it was absurd as she looked at Liu Zheng now.

However.

At this moment, Liu Zheng was already sitting beside the zither, smiling as he looked at Miss Manqing beside him and asked softly: "What would you like to hear?"

Manqing's pretty face flushed red under Liu Zheng's gaze, and she was at a loss for what to do.

XXX!

Chen Xiang was so furious!

Is this the start of open flirting?