Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 204 Zhang Shiyuan brought up the Supreme Sage Confucius?

Shen Shixing quickly pressed Zhang Juzheng down and said in a low voice.

"Please calm down, Your Excellency. There are many people around here, and it would be bad if you were recognized."

He didn't want to be recorded in history and become a topic of ridicule for future generations.

But Zhang Juzheng was very serious, and he shook his head repeatedly.

“This is not in accordance with the rules. The workmanship of this item is not exquisite. Even if it is glass, it is definitely not worth more than 30,000 taels of silver.”

Zhang Juzheng had studied economics carefully. He believed that things are valued because they are rare, but this rarity must be accompanied by demand. In his view, without demand, there is no value.

The disdain shown by the crowd for things like this statue of the Western Savior was obvious, indicating a lack of demand for it.

How can there be value without demand?
Zhang Juzheng frowned deeply and said, "What tricks is that brat Zhang Shiyuan up to now?"

Having been repeatedly fooled by Zhang Yunxiu's various tricks, he was like someone who had mistakenly practiced a divine skill and gone mad, and he was already somewhat paranoid.

Shen Shixing was more composed: "This person is a foreigner. Perhaps Zhang Tongzhi has found the spirit form they care about so much?"

Zhang Juzheng shook his head and said, "Otherwise, how could Zhang Shiyuan, who has been at home since childhood, have come into contact with the Portuguese?"

Just as the two were filled with doubt, Emperor Wanli was jumping up and down in a panic on the second floor.

"This Tong Ziming, arrest him! Let the barbarians take what they want, what are they doing causing trouble?"

Upon hearing the price of 30,000 taels, the emperor already felt it was unbelievable. He was also afraid that the other party might change their mind, so he wanted to get rid of the item as soon as possible to avoid any unforeseen complications.

But Zhang Yunxiu said confidently, "What are you saying, Your Majesty? In my opinion, the statue can be raised even higher."

"You really think the Red Barbarians are fools?"

The Wanli Emperor said this with great disdain.

But as soon as he finished speaking, he heard loud bidding from below.

"Fifty thousand taels of silver!"

Then Jia Nailao made the sign of the cross on his chest and said very sincerely.

"I am willing to use all my assets to purchase this statue of God. I would be grateful if this gentleman could help me."

These words shocked the entire room, and many people cast strange glances at them.

Tong Peiyuan was still hesitating about bidding, but upon seeing the Western monk's gesture, he immediately gave up.

There's really no need to argue with a madman.

Yu Xiangdou looked at Jia Nailao and asked again, "Mr. Jia, have you thought this through? Fifty thousand taels of silver is no joke."

If you don't have this much money, you're committing a grave crime of deceiving the emperor.

The Xishan Workshop is a royal property, and the Xishan Auction is no exception. If you dare to bid against the emperor, you're practically asking for trouble.

But Jia Nailao showed no fear whatsoever; he nodded and said...

“My lord of the Ming Dynasty, I have come here to let your emperor receive the grace of God and bask in the glory of my Lord. How could I possibly use lies?”
With the protection of my Lord, fifty thousand taels of silver is but a small fortune.

Upon hearing this, Yu Xiangdou frowned deeply and said...

“Western barbarian monk, once you come to our Great Ming, you must abide by the rules of the Great Ming. If you speak recklessly, no one can protect you.”

Aside from the reigns of Hongwu and Yongle, the imperial court did not strictly control public opinion. Now, during the Wanli reign, people spoke even more freely.

However, if such blasphemous words were uttered, upon closer examination, they could indeed be grounds for punishment.

The Wanli Emperor was on the second floor and naturally did not hear the conversation between the two men. He only heard the price being shouted out and the satisfaction of Yu Xiangdou's decisive hammer strike.

"We made money!"

The fat emperor jumped up excitedly. In just a few transactions, he brought in more than 20,000 taels of silver for the imperial treasury. He had never made money so easily before.

However, amidst his excitement, the emperor couldn't help but have some doubts and looked at Zhang Yunxiu, saying...

"Shiyuan, is it possible that this Tibetan monk is trying to renege on his debt? His clothes don't look conspicuous; could he be trying to trick us?"

Zhang Yunxiu smiled and shook his head, saying, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. You may not believe the nonsense of the Red Barbarians, but you can certainly believe in their wealth. After the Red Barbarians opened up new sea routes, they controlled the trade in slaves, gold, and spices, and they also extracted huge amounts of silver from that Gold Continent. The last thing they lack is silver!"

Emperor Wanli didn't quite understand what was being said, but he grasped the key words and asked a question.

"You mean, overseas trade can earn you gold, silver, and spices!"

The moment money was mentioned, the greedy emperor would wake up, his small eyes lighting up.

“That’s natural,” Zhang Yunxiu explained. “Since ancient times, overseas trade has been a way to make money. Your Majesty can go back and look through the daily records of Emperor Chengzu to see that the eunuch Zheng He made seven voyages to the Western Ocean, earning countless amounts of silver for the imperial treasury.”

"Hmm?" Emperor Wanli frowned. "But the gentlemen say that the voyages to the Western Ocean are a waste of manpower and resources, and the maritime ban should not be lifted lightly, otherwise it will cause trouble."

Zhang Yunxiu gave the emperor a meaningful look, but did not give an answer on the matter, leaving the emperor to guess at the endless speculation.

After all, no matter how eloquently described it is, it is not as credible as the emperor discovering it himself.

Below the stage, Zhang Juzheng appeared furious, slamming his hand on a chair, startling those around him.

"You unfilial son! You're only good at these deceitful tricks! Can this thing really sell for 50,000 taels? This is destroying the market, and if this continues, it will inevitably cause trouble!"

This guy is deliberately driving up prices. As mentioned in "The Wealth of Nations," this is creating an economic bubble, a disastrous act that harms the country and its people.

"Don't stop me, Ru Mo. I'm determined to find him and ask him properly!" He was in a hysterical state, but to those around him, he looked like a madman.

"Ah—" A merchant shook his head, looking completely unfazed, and sighed. "Another one's gone mad. How can 'The Wealth of Nations' be so easily deciphered?"

An old gentryman glanced at him, looking quite disgusted: "Old man, stop making a fuss. Do you really intend to cause trouble for Magistrate Zhang? If you do, be careful not to get arrested by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and thrown into the imperial prison."

"you!"

Zhang Juzheng was furious, but he couldn't retaliate.

If a conflict arises, revealing the Grand Secretary's identity might indeed be cathartic, but it would also make him a laughingstock.

Especially if Zhang Yunxiu finds out, he'll probably laugh at his father again.

In order to maintain his dignity in his old age, Zhang Juzheng, despite being furious, did not break off relations.

Shen Shixing, standing to the side, also blushed, not from anger, but from feeling somewhat embarrassed.

He grabbed Zhang Juzheng and said, "Your Excellency, a moment of patience will bring peace. Why bother with these commoners?"

At this moment, the attention of the gentry and merchants had long since shifted away from these two unremarkable old scholars, and many of them spoke excitedly.

"Here it comes! This is the grand finale of the day. I wonder what it will be."

"The last time we bid on the Shakyamuni Buddha and Guan Yu, the winners were all extremely wealthy and powerful. If we could bid on one or two of these, we would surely rise to great heights!"

"It must be Yue Fei. Yue Fei is a famous general throughout the ages, a loyal minister and a good general. He must be outstanding."

There was a lot of discussion among the audience, but Zhang Juzheng lost interest. He let out a heavy sigh and said...

"Ru Mo, let us leave quickly. This place is filthy and corrupt. Let us not corrupt our minds."

Shen Shixing was somewhat curious, but he still nodded.

“What you say is absolutely right.”

The two were slowly pushing their way out when, halfway through, a sudden uproar erupted inside.

"What is this this time?" Shen Shixing looked at the stage with some curiosity.

"I won't look!"

Zhang Juzheng looked quite disgusted, but after taking two steps, he found that Shen Shixing was still standing in the same spot, seemingly frozen in place.

He was muttering something like "the most holy teacher," "the four great sages," and "the twelve philosophers of the East and West."

Zhang Juzheng frowned and subconsciously looked towards the stage, but he immediately couldn't take his eyes off it.

In just a moment, his face turned ashen, and he spoke through gritted teeth.

"Zhang! Shi! Yuan!"

On the auction stage, Yu Xiangdou looked at the stunned expressions of everyone present, but he became even more excited and introduced the auction with great enthusiasm.

"You should all be familiar with this treasure. Standing at the highest point is the most holy teacher Confucius, followed by the four great sages Yan Hui, Zengzi, Ji, and Mencius, and then the twelve philosophers in front of them."

There are a total of seventeen glazed stone statues, arranged in a complementary and harmonious manner.

He carefully began to demonstrate.

“Each statue can be disassembled, and each one is radiant and has its own unique air of sainthood.”

Furthermore, when these talents are gathered together, it is as if a group of wise men have come together, sharing the brilliance of a thousand-year-old cultural heritage, which inspires awe and naturally motivates people to learn.

If this treasure is placed on the desk in the study, it will receive the blessings of sages and saints, ensuring that the descendants of the family will be blessed by the wisdom of their ancestors, and that their lineage will continue to produce officials for generations to come!

This glass statue is extremely special, and the speech was naturally carefully prepared as well.

Yu Xiangdou pieced it back together, smiled, and said, "I've heard that Grand Secretary Shen also has one in his home. You should know that Grand Secretary Shen was the top scholar in the imperial examination in the forty-first year of the Jiajing reign!"

Shen Shixing, sitting in the audience, also seemed a little confused.

When did I ever display this item?

"How much does this cost?"

An elderly scholar in the audience trembled slightly and couldn't help but ask.

Yu Xiangdou said with a smile.

"It's not expensive at all. The starting price is only 50,000 taels of silver, and you can have these seventeen glass statues enshrined in your home!"

Yangzhou City.

In the main hall of the government office.

"Well done, Yang Yingxun!"

Hai Rui slammed his hand on the desk, staring at the kneeling Yangzhou prefect with eyes bulging with fury.

"You are the magistrate of Yangzhou, yet you completely disregard the people. Mulberry fields and farmland outside the city have been destroyed, and silkworm farmers have suffered heavy losses. We asked you to vacate all the temples, academies, and government offices in the city to provide housing for the disaster victims, but you have repeatedly made excuses!"
The imperial court allocated 300,000 catties of disaster relief grain, so why is it being delayed with the excuse of "taking it into consideration"? It's all due to the incompetence of the lower-level officials; don't you, the prefect, bear any responsibility at all?
Do they think the lives of the city's inhabitants are worthless?

Do you really think I can't remove your official hat?

(End of this chapter)