Black Myth: Starting from the Destined One
Chapter 373 - 257: Non-stop flipping!

Chapter 373: Chapter 257: Non-stop flipping!

But the Red Mansion before his eyes was so magnificent that even he couldn’t help but envy it.

"Isn’t this going too far?" Imperial Majesty Zhao Ji asked with a tone of displeasure.

Yang Jian hurriedly stepped forward and replied, "In response to Your Majesty, according to the laws of Great Song, residences in Chang’an City may be built up to seven stories high, and may not occupy more than ten zhang of land."

"In my humble opinion, this Red Mansion has not exceeded those limits."

Zhao Ji glared with fury, pointing at the glazed glass roof he shouted:

"You call this seven stories?"

"This has got to be nine stories at least!"

Yang Jian cautiously said, "Although this building is indeed a bit tall, it truly has only seven stories."

Li Ping’an had this Red Mansion built with ten jars of wine, having the Imperial Palace artisans come personally to construct it.

Imperial Majesty Zhao Ji, rendered speechless upon hearing this, drooped his face and stepped inside.

As soon as he arrived at the entrance, he was stopped by a maid, undergoing yet another membership process, and paid a fee of five thousand liang.

This turned Zhao Ji’s face even darker.

The land under heaven belongs to the king; yet he, as Emperor, actually needed to pay money!

Fortunately, he remembered the purpose of his visit and managed to hold back his anger without exploding.

"This is the proof of membership for the Red Mansion, please keep it safe, guest."

Upon receiving the glazed glass token, a cool sensation spread through his hand, immediately calming the Imperial Majesty’s mood quite a bit.

Looking at the transparent object in his hand, his thoughts were similar to Madame Zheng’s.

This thing was absolutely a rare treasure!

With that in mind, one hundred gold didn’t seem like a loss at all.

Just as Imperial Majesty Zhao Ji was about to take people inside, he was stopped once again by a maid:

"According to the rules of our refined dwelling, each person may only bring one attendant, and carrying weapons inside is strictly forbidden."

"Your place has even more rules than the palace?"

Zhao Ji said with an unpleasant face.

"Apologies, but these are the rules set by the proprietor." The maid spoke as if apologetic, but her face showed not a hint of remorse.

"Fine, fine!"

Imperial Majesty Zhao Ji grunted the word ’fine’ twice, clenching his teeth, then proceeded inside with only Yang Jing as his attendant.

As soon as he entered the hall, Imperial Majesty Zhao Ji’s eyes immediately widened.

Before him, there was a spacious platform where several delicate ladies, dressed in identical cheongsams, were practicing their routines.

Liang Hongyu was there, incessantly giving instructions.

"You there, extend your leg outward a bit more."

"That’s right, that’s right, show a bit of your knee, and make the movement bigger."

"Very good."

Not to mention the nationally recognized beauty of Liang Hongyu, even the appearances of the singing ladies surpassed many of the consorts in the palace.

[What in the world is this place?]

[They even know how to enjoy life better than I do!]

At that moment, Liang Hongyu noticed the newcomer and immediately clapped her hands, "Our guests have arrived; today’s rehearsal ends here."

After speaking, Xu Qing turned to go upstairs.

Being Li Ping’an’s close confidant, naturally, she was not responsible for greeting guests.

However, Zhao Ji’s old habits flared up, so he quickly came forward and beseeched, "Miss, please wait."

"Is there something you need?" Liang Hongyu frowned slightly, her tone indifferent.

Harboring dissatisfaction, Zhao Ji nonetheless persisted because the lady before him was indeed beautiful, and continued, "I... I am new here, may I inquire the name of the miss?"

Liang Hongyu scrutinized Zhao Ji, then chuckled and shook her head, departing with a laugh.

"Hey!"

"You haven’t answered me yet."

Zhao Ji called out from behind, but Liang Hongyu didn’t turn back as she walked away.

A maid responsible for reception approached with a smile: "The guest might not know, but Sister Liang is someone from the proprietor’s side, her standards are quite high indeed..."

"Of course, I am not saying that the guest isn’t good enough; it’s just that compared to our proprietor, there is still some difference."

That statement was worse than saying nothing at all!

Cold sweat ran down Yang Jian’s forehead at the side.

The people in this place were really too bold.

Zhao Ji was so angry he nearly lost his breath, as he himself, the Emperor, couldn’t compare to a mere shopkeeper?

Fortunately, he remembered that he was in disguised inspection, and forcefully suppressed his rage.

He was guided by the maid to take a seat.

"What would the guest like to order?"

"Anything will do, bring some of your signature dishes."

Zhao Ji said offhandedly; he was there to investigate, after all, and not in the least interested in dining.

While waiting for the dishes, Zhao Ji seemingly casually said:

"I’ve heard that the clientele here consists of high officials and nobility?"

"Naturally, the membership fee alone of five thousand liang is not something ordinary people can afford."

"That makes sense."

Zhao Ji nodded and continued to speak to the maid before him, "The clothes you all wear seem quite strange; I suppose this was the idea of your proprietor?"

Upon mentioning the proprietor, the maid’s eyes lit up with enthusiasm.

"Certainly, our proprietor is really something special."

"Oh?"

"How so? What makes the proprietor special?"

Looking up with admiration, the maid said, "Our proprietor started with nothing, and within just one year amassed dozens of businesses."

"What’s more, the proprietor is a good person, and so handsome..."

"Stop, stop, stop."

Zhao Ji hastily interrupted her: "From what you’re saying, your proprietor can do no wrong?"

"Of course."

Zhao Ji’s eyes gleamed as he asked, "I’ve also heard that the proprietor came up with something even superior to the current paper quality, lighter and more convenient. Wouldn’t that also be true?"

After asking, Zhao Ji unconsciously clenched the fist hidden in his sleeve.

"Writing materials?"

A little puzzled, the maid suddenly said, "Oh, you must mean the Zhang paper."

"That’s it, this thing right here."

The maid took out a small notebook used for taking orders.

[Keep calm, don’t lose composure!]

Zhao Ji struggled to shift his gaze away, feigning nonchalance, "It must be this item, so given its lightweight nature, it certainly must be expensive, right?"

"That I wouldn’t know, but definitely not worth much money," the maid replied with a smile.

"How so?"

Nonchalantly, the maid said, "In the storage room at the back, there is a large box full of these booklets, readily available to any working girl here."