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

The day before the auction, Bianjing City was in complete uproar.

Su Shi's "Ode to the Heavenly Craftsmanship of Glazed Tiles" was like a spark thrown into Bianjing, a city piled high with dry firewood, instantly igniting a prairie fire.

In the streets and alleys, in teahouses and taverns, and even in beggars' dens on the roadside, people talk about only one thing—Tiangong Liuli (a type of glasswork).

In the largest teahouse in the south of the city, "Panlou," the storyteller was speaking with great enthusiasm:

"Esteemed guests, when Nuwa mended the sky, a piece of five-colored divine stone was left over. It fell into the icy pool of Kunlun Mountain and, after ten thousand years of tempering in the ice, transformed into this crystal-clear, heavenly glass!"

"I've heard that just drinking a sip of water with it can prolong life and cure all diseases!"

The audience below was stunned:

"Really? That's amazing!"

"Of course it's real! How could a poem written by the top scholar Su himself be a lie? He's practically a reincarnation of the God of Literature!"

In the famous "Sangjia Wazi" brothel, the top courtesan Xue Niang uttered a harsh statement:

"If anyone could gift me a piece of exquisitely crafted glass, I would gladly serve them in bed for three days, accompanying them in every way imaginable—playing music, singing, and playing instruments!"

This shout drove the spoiled young masters of Bianjing City crazy. They all went home and turned their fathers' secret stashes upside down, vowing to get their hands on this "chick-chasing artifact".

Fanlou.

As the center of this storm, the fat owner of Fanlou has experienced the ups and downs of life in the past two days.

Just a few days ago he was crying and wailing over those eighty strings of cash worth of glazed tiles, and now? He's laughing so hard his cheeks are sore.

"Shopkeeper! Do you have any private rooms left? I'll pay 100 strings of cash! I just need a place to stand!"

"It's gone! It's really gone!"

The portly shopkeeper stood at the door, his face glowing with health, bowing respectfully to a group of wealthy customers waving silver notes.

"Gentlemen, we're sold out of everything, not just the private rooms, even the benches in the main hall! Even if you gave me a thousand strings of cash, I couldn't conjure up a place!"

He was so happy.

Just from selling admission tickets and VIP box reservations, he made five hundred strings of cash in one day! Those eighty strings of cash for glazed tiles are nothing! From now on, if anyone dares to speak ill of the Emperor, he'll be the first to get angry!

As evening approached, the sun began to set.

Luxury cars lined the Imperial Street in front of Fanlou, making it seem like a World Expo was being held.

The carriage from Han Qi's residence arrived, and the arrogant head steward stepped down, clutching a mahogany box tightly in his arms, which was clearly full of silver notes.

Following closely behind, carriages from the residences of Fu Bi, Ouyang Xiu, and various dukes arrived one after another.

Even some of the usually low-profile salt merchants and jewelers showed up.

When this group of people got together, the air instantly filled with a strong smell of gunpowder (and money).

"Oh, isn't this Butler Han?"

The wealthy man's steward greeted him with a forced smile: "What, sir, are you also interested in these strange and ingenious skills?"

Butler Han snorted coldly, "If Madam likes it, then Master has no choice but to buy it. Butler Fu, do you have enough money with you? I heard the starting price for this thing isn't low."

"No need for that." The butler patted the box in his arms. "My master said that you can bid as much as you like, up to five hundred strings of cash."

A salt merchant dressed in fine silks and satins nearby chuckled and whispered to his attendant:

"Five hundred strings of cash? That's like throwing money at a beggar. We'll show them what real wealth is later."

The second floor of the teahouse opposite Fanlou.

Su Shi leaned on the railing, watching the group of usually high-ranking and powerful stewards below glaring at each other like fighting cocks, and he couldn't stop laughing.

"Sir! Look! Look at that scene!"

Su Shi pointed below, a smug look on his face: "They've all been drawn here by my writing! What does it mean to have your pen strike like a storm? This is it! One of my articles can make Bianjing (Kaifeng) paper scarce, and keep these rich people running around like crazy!"

Zeng Gong, peeling peanuts nearby, mercilessly poured cold water on the idea:

"Zizhan, save your breath. People are here for the 'Nuwa Mending the Sky Stone.' If they knew it was just sand that Shen Kuo fired in a broken kiln, they'd probably beat you to death first."

Su Shi: "..."

On the other side of the room, Jiang Lin was giving Zhao Lingjun the final pre-battle instructions.

"Young Master Zhao, today's task is very important."

Jiang Lin looked at Zhao Lingjun, who had changed into a low-key brocade robe, with a serious expression:

"You are our 'treasurer,' and also the torch that lights this pile of dry wood."

Zhao Lingjun touched the three thousand strings of flying coins in her bosom (her father's hard-earned money), and took a deep breath:

"Don't worry, sir, I've remembered everything. So... how much should I negotiate the price down to?"

Jiang Lin held up one finger.

"One hundred strings of cash?" Zhao Lingjun asked.

Jiang Lin shook his head, a crazed smile curling at the corner of his lips:

"One thousand strings of cash."

"hiss--!!!"

Zhao Lingjun gasped, his eyes widening in shock: "One...one thousand strings of cash?! Sir, are you crazy? What if you're stuck with this? One thousand strings of cash for a glass? What kind of sucker would be willing to take that deal?"

"rest assured."

Jiang Lin peered through the crack in the window at the fervent crowd below, his tone resolute:

"For these people, the more expensive something is, the more worthwhile it is to rob."

"A thousand strings of cash are not money to them, but face, status, and the thrill of trampling their mortal enemies underfoot."

"You just need to start the fire; greed and vanity will take care of the rest."

Zhao Lingjun looked into Jiang Lin's deep eyes, and his heart inexplicably raced.

This person... is a devil.

But I have to say, this devilish plan sounds really exciting!

"Fine!" Zhao Lingjun gritted his teeth. "A thousand strings of cash it is! Tonight I'll be the biggest 'shill'!"

It was exactly 7:00 PM.

Inside the main hall of Fanlou, the lights were on, as bright as day.

Hundreds of people were crammed into the lobby, and the private rooms on the second and third floors were completely full. All eyes were fixed on the high platform covered with red silk in the center of the lobby.

Jiang Lin did not show himself; he hid backstage, holding a teacup, listening to the commotion in front.

Su Shi and Zeng Gong mingled in the crowd to watch the excitement.

Zhao Lingjun found an inconspicuous corner to sit down, clutching the silver notes in his hand, his palms slightly sweaty.

"Distinguished guests!"

The portly manager of Fanlou Restaurant personally served as the emcee. Standing on the stage, his legs were trembling with nervousness, but his voice was trembling with excitement:

Welcome to the Fanlou "Heavenly Craftsmanship Glass" Auction!

"Enough with the chit-chat, let's get straight to the treasure!"

He suddenly waved his hand, and two waiters carefully carried a tray up.

The entire venue fell into a deathly silence; you could hear a pin drop.

The portly shopkeeper took a deep breath and abruptly lifted the red cloth covering the tray—

"Whoosh—"

Under the candlelight, a crystal-clear, shimmering glass goblet appeared before everyone's eyes.

It is so pure that it has no impurities, and the cup wall is extremely thin. Under the light, it reflects a mesmerizing seven-colored halo, so beautiful that it seems otherworldly.

"hiss--"

A collective gasp filled the arena.

"It's...it really is transparent!"

"My God! Is this the Heavenly Craftsmanship Glass? It's even more miraculous than the rumors!"

"I want it! I'm determined to have this!"

Greedy eyes surged toward the platform like a tide.

The fat shopkeeper swallowed hard and shouted:

"The first item up for auction: a masterpiece of glass craftsmanship!"

Starting bid—fifty guan!

Before he finished speaking, the audience erupted in cheers, with countless hands raised.

"One hundred strings of cash!"

"One hundred and fifty!"

"Two hundred strings of cash!"

Prices are skyrocketing at a breathtaking speed.

In the corner, Zhao Lingjun watched this scene with a slight smile on his lips, his fingers gently stroking the silver notes in his pocket.

It’s just a good show.