The Great Song Dynasty: You were put in charge of teaching, and you produced a whole bunch of prime

The private room on the third floor of Wanghu Tower fell silent instantly.

You could hear a pin drop.

All the merchants stared intently at the enormous sand table, their eyes gleaming with greed and excitement.

They were all shrewd people; as soon as Jiang Lin finished speaking, they were already quickly making plans in their minds.

The future Jiang Lin described was too tempting.

Owning a piece of land in the heart of West Lake, building a lakeside villa, or opening a unique restaurant—that's not just a business, but a symbol of status and prestige!

When the time comes, all the literati, scholars, and wealthy merchants from all over the world will come to Hangzhou. Who wouldn't want to stroll along the "Twin Causeways in the Heart of the Lake" and spend some money?

This isn't buying land; it's buying a golden goose!

"Mr. Jiang... Mr. Jiang." The portly businessman's voice trembled slightly. "What are the procedures for this... auction you mentioned?"

"It's very simple." Jiang Lin picked up a small wooden mallet and gently tapped the table. "On the sand table, from south to north, these ten numbered plots are our first batch of auctions today. Each plot covers half an acre, with a starting price of one thousand strings of cash! Each bid must be at least one hundred strings of cash! The highest bidder wins, and the contract and payment will be signed and executed on the spot!"

"One thousand strings of cash!"

There was an exclamation from the crowd.

A thousand strings of cash could buy a decent small house in Hangzhou. Now, it can only buy half an acre of "land in the lake" that may never be completed, which is quite a high price.

However, when they thought about the prospects Jiang Lin described, everyone felt that the price... wasn't unacceptable.

In the corner, the clerk representing Prefect Liu and the trusted steward of the Lin family head exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of panic in each other's eyes.

They came to watch the spectacle and were prepared to cause trouble.

But now, the situation has developed in a way that has completely exceeded their expectations.

This young man named Jiang Lin, with just a few words, actually managed to incite this group of profit-driven businessmen.

"We can't let them succeed!" The advisor lowered his voice and said to Butler Lin, "Butler Lin, your Lin family has absolute authority in Hangzhou's business world. You need to step in and curb this unhealthy trend!"

Butler Lin understood and nodded.

He cleared his throat, stood up, and said in a sarcastic tone, "Mr. Jiang's promise is quite impressive; it's even tempting to me. However, I have a question."

He looked around and deliberately raised his voice: "The restoration of West Lake is a major project of the imperial court. Although Prefect Su is an official appointed by the imperial court, he is, after all, just a prefect."

"This is a major undertaking—filling the lake with earth to build a dam and openly selling land. Has it been reported to the imperial court and received official approval? If not, we've spent a fortune buying the land today, and then the court issues a document saying it's an illegal structure and has to be demolished. Wouldn't all our money have gone down the drain?"

His words immediately dampened the enthusiasm of the businessmen, who had just been enthusiastic, as if they had been doused with cold water.

Yup!

Butler Lin is right!

This is too risky!

If the imperial court denies its promise, they will lose everything.

In an instant, the crowd that had been itching to make a move all shrank back, keeping their eyes down and no one daring to be the first to step forward.

An awkward silence fell over the private room once again.

The clerk of Prefect Liu and Steward Lin both wore smug smiles.

Kid, you're still too green to fight us!

Su Shi stood aside, his palms sweating with anxiety. He hadn't expected his opponent to attack from this angle, and to hit the nail on the head so effectively.

He looked to Jiang Lin for help, only to find that Jiang Lin's face still held that calm and collected expression, as if he had expected this move all along.

"Butler Lin is right." Jiang Lin nodded, not angry at all, but instead gave him an approving look. "When doing business, it's only right to consider the risks."

He paused, then changed the subject: "However, Steward Lin seems to be overthinking it. Lord Su is the top scholar personally selected by the Emperor, and now he has been ordered to Hangzhou to serve as the Vice Prefect. Managing West Lake is simply his duty. He is sharing the burdens of the country and bringing benefits to the people; how can this be considered illegal construction?"

"Furthermore," Jiang Lin's gaze swept over everyone present, "those of you here today are the cream of the crop in Hangzhou. We're not using the imperial court's money to manage West Lake, but our own! We Hangzhou people raise funds ourselves to repair the lake in front of our own homes and beautify the environment. Do we really need to travel thousands of miles to the capital to ask the emperor for permission? How busy would that make the emperor?"

His words, though a clever substitution of concepts, were nonetheless reasonable and persuasive, and many businessmen nodded in agreement.

Butler Lin's expression changed, and he wanted to say something more, but Jiang Lin interrupted him directly.

"Of course, words are no proof." Jiang Lin smiled slightly. "To dispel everyone's concerns, our Jing Shi Academy is willing to be the first to take this step."

He glanced at Zhao Lingjun beside him and gave him a meaningful look.

Zhao Lingjun understood immediately, stood up, and her clear voice resounded throughout the room.

"I, from Jingshi Academy, offer ten thousand strings of cash to purchase plot number one in the very center of the double causeways in the heart of the lake!"

"Ten thousand strings of cash!"

The entire audience erupted in uproar!

Everyone was stunned by this sudden, exorbitant price.

She bid 10,000 guan for a piece of land with a starting price of 1,000 guan! Is she crazy?

"Young master..." A merchant, not recognizing Zhao Lingjun dressed as a woman, said, "You're offering ten thousand strings of cash, are you kidding me?"

Zhao Lingjun, fanning himself with a folding fan, said with a hint of arrogance, "What's a mere ten thousand strings of cash? My Jingshi Academy bought this land not to make money, but simply to build a library in the most beautiful spot by West Lake, open to all scholars in the world free of charge!"

These words shocked everyone present.

Build a free library?

What a spirit! What a magnanimous heart!

In an instant, the image of Jingshi Academy and Su Shi became incredibly lofty in everyone's minds.

They themselves invested 10,000 yuan of real money, and it was for charity. How could this project be fake?

The faces of Butler Lin and Master Liu instantly turned as ugly as pig liver.

They had planned everything meticulously, but they never expected the other side to pull this stunt.

With an irresistible exorbitant price and a noble reason, all doubts and hesitations were completely shattered.

Just then, a middle-aged businessman who had been sitting silently in the corner suddenly stood up.

"Damn it, I'm going all in! These scholars are all so bold, what are we businessmen afraid of?!" he shouted. "I, from the Zhang Family Silk Shop in Hangzhou, offer two thousand strings of cash for plot number two!"

This Zhang family silk shop was quite well-known in Hangzhou, but it had always been suppressed by the Lin family's silk business and was having a very difficult time.

Today, he saw an opportunity.

An opportunity to break free from the Lin family's control and seek refuge with the newly powerful Su Shi!

His shout was like lighting the fuse of a powder keg.

"I'll offer 2,500 strings of cash! I want plot number three!"

"I'll offer three thousand strings of cash!"

"Don't try to take it from me! I want plot number four! Three thousand five hundred strings of cash!"

The auction, which had just been quiet, instantly turned into a frenzied market.

The merchants, their eyes red and their voices hoarse, were eager to seize that piece of land that could lay golden eggs.

The price soared, quickly surpassing five thousand guan, then ten thousand guan...

Su Shi stood aside, completely dumbfounded by the crazy scene before him.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

He had thought Jiang Lin's plan would succeed, but he never imagined it would succeed to this extent.

This isn't an auction, it's a money-grabbing frenzy!

Meanwhile, the instigator leisurely sat back in his chair, picked up a cup of tea, as if the scene before him that was enough to shake the entire city of Hangzhou had nothing to do with him.