Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

Soon, the people below noticed the sparkling diamond on Luo Ningxin's neck.

They wondered aloud, "What is that shining thing?"

"I don't know, but since Miss Luo Ningxin is wearing it so close to her, it must be a rare treasure given to her by some young master!"

"I don't know what it is or how much it's worth, but it must be incredibly valuable."

Fang Zheng carefully observed the reactions of the crowd, nodding to himself. It seemed that his plan was working.

Shiny things have always been irresistible to people.

Soon, Luo Ningxin finished her song, and the people below began to loudly ask questions.

"May we ask what kind of jewelry Miss Ningxin is wearing? Could you enlighten us?"

Luo Ningxin leaned out and saw Fang Zheng, who was watching from downstairs. She smiled slightly and said, "It seems everyone is curious about the jewelry Ningxin is wearing today, so Ningxin won't keep you in suspense."

"This item is called a diamond. It represents unwavering love. Ningxin once heard someone say that a diamond is forever."

"May true love last forever, with diamonds as proof. Ningxin wishes all young masters here can find their lifelong love."

With that, she turned to go back inside.

Someone downstairs shouted again, "Miss Ningxin, can you tell us who gave it to you!?"

Luo Ningxin, who already had one foot inside the door, suddenly stopped when she heard this question.

After hesitating for a moment, she turned back and looked at Fang Zheng, who was chatting with Li Yuanzhao downstairs. A smile suddenly appeared on her lips.

"This diamond was given to me by Fang Zheng, Young Master Fang!" she said before immediately returning inside.

The crowd erupted in an uproar upon hearing the answer.

"Fang Zheng? Is that the infamous Fang Zheng?"

"You're wrong! He's now a court scholar of the Zhan Shi Office, having ousted Yan Guoan."

"What a joke! Yan Guoan was the top scholar of his year. Fang Zheng, an unknown local official, must have used despicable means to deceive the Crown Prince."

"........"

Fang Zheng's face fell, and he glared at the second floor.

What exactly does this woman want to do? I asked you to promote the product, not recklessly drag me into this...

Li Yuanzhao nudged Fang Zheng and teased, "I thought it was something important. Turns out you're selling jewelry."

"Lao Fang, you've got some skills! You've unknowingly won over the courtesan! I'm going to tell my sister!"

"Don't ruin my image in front of the princess. Do you still want the money!?"

Fang Zheng felt a headache coming on. The more proactive Luo Ningxin was, the more wary he became, but he couldn't figure out why.

Logically speaking, there should be no shortage of wealthy young men and high-ranking officials trying to get close to Luo Ningxin. There's no reason for her to act this way...

Could it be that she admires my literary talent? Fang Zheng himself didn't believe it.

"Lao Fang! What are you thinking about!?" Li Yuanzhao nudged him again when he saw him spacing out.

"What's a diamond? Can this thing really represent love?"

Fang Zheng snapped back to reality and smiled without saying anything.

Broken glass, of course, can represent love. Love is just as fragile, much more suitable than diamonds.

The crowd below Cangxiang Pavilion began to disperse. Fang Zheng waved his hand toward his stall, and a group of dancers who had been hiding behind the stall began to appear on the street.

The three of them lined up and started dancing, while the people behind them began to place various diamond rings on the table and loudly advertised to the crowd.

"A diamond is forever."

"The sparkling light is my sparkling love."

"Luxurious radiance, only at Youzuan."

A series of advertising slogans were shouted from the mouths of the "salespersons". The seductive and graceful dance, coupled with Luo Ningxin's earlier promotion, instantly caught the attention of many people.

The crowd surged forward, crowding in front of the stall, eagerly looking at the diamonds on the table.

"This is a diamond! It's indeed exceptionally beautiful! How much is this ring? I'll take one!" A wealthy man directly offered a price.

"Esteemed guest, this is a medium-sized diamond, only one hundred taels each, and we can also provide you with a professional certificate of authenticity."

Upon hearing the price of one hundred taels per ring, half of the crowd immediately dispersed.

One hundred taels for a broken ring? Isn't that a rip-off! And it looks so small. With that money, you could buy a large piece of jade.

Seeing this, Fang Zheng quickly transformed into a shill, approaching the crowd and loudly questioning, "Isn't this a black shop? How can you sell it so expensively!"

The "salesperson" recognized Fang Zheng, covered her mouth and laughed, and began to explain in detail according to the previous script.

"Everyone, don't be anxious. As you may not know, this item gathers the spiritual energy of heaven and earth... Even the ring holder is made of pure silver... The Crown Prince also wanted to share the joy with the people on this day, so he reluctantly smashed this treasure and made it into jewelry to celebrate the Qiyuan Festival."

Fang Zheng "suddenly realized" and exclaimed, "So that's how it is! It's actually the Crown Prince's treasure! Then it's really not expensive! In other words, this item is gone after being smashed. If it's kept for a few years, wouldn't the price of this treasure skyrocket?"

"Give me two necklaces!"

"Esteemed guest, our necklaces are only inlaid with large diamonds, so the price is three hundred taels per piece..."

"Only three hundred taels! Give me three and another ring to make it a round number!"

Fang Zheng paid without hesitation, and the "salesperson" placed the necklace in a beautiful porcelain box and handed it to Fang Zheng.

This old trick from the beggar era, newly renovated, clearly had an effect.

Seeing someone take the lead, everyone couldn't help but feel a little tempted. People might be suspicious if things are sold expensively, but if the Crown Prince is brought up, they have to believe it. Which unscrupulous merchant would dare to do this in public, not wanting their head?

Seeing this, the "salesperson" immediately shouted, "Three necklaces have already been sold... Only ninety-seven remain, first come, first served! After this sale, there will be no more diamonds for sale in the world!"

Someone in the crowd asked, "How much is the small diamond ring?"

"Seventy-nine taels!"

"I'll take one!"

"Only ninety-nine small diamond rings are left!"

The crowd gradually became excited, and Fang Zheng scurried from left to right, constantly inciting the crowd.

Li Yuanzhao and the others stood awkwardly outside the crowd, watching Fang Zheng's performance.

"Lao Fang is lying again..." Li Yuanzhao was speechless, feeling a little embarrassed.

Zhang Biao nodded, but said, "The young master never lies!"

Bai Yi glanced at the two of them, put his hands in his sleeves, and helplessly looked at Fang Zheng.

He doesn't lie, he's just short of eating people! But... it seems that diamonds are really good things... So beautiful, but I can't afford them...

Emotions are contagious, and the people buying diamonds became more and more enthusiastic.

Some were buying them to give to their beloved women, while others valued the prospect of appreciation.

Although everyone who came to this area to spend money was a young master, there were very few who could readily take out hundreds of taels of silver to buy a piece of jewelry.

Under the instigation of the crowd, many people's eyes turned red, and they gritted their teeth and took out all the silver they had to buy a ring.

If they couldn't afford a big one, they would buy a small one! In short, they had to buy one!

This was the Crown Prince's treasure!

............