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

The main hall of Fanlou had now become a battlefield without gunpowder.

As the red cloth was lifted, the crystal-clear "Heavenly Crafted Glass Cup" refracted a mesmerizing seven-colored halo under the candlelight, as if the air in the entire hall had been ignited.

Greed, desire, vanity—all these emotions intertwined and transformed into a tangible wave of sound.

There was no need for any preheating; the price quadrupled in the blink of an eye.

The stewards, who usually haggled with vendors over a few coins for vegetables, were now waving their number signs and shouting out numbers as if money were nothing, as if they were just meaningless syllables.

"Four hundred strings of cash!"

The head steward of Han Qi's mansion gritted his teeth and raised the sign in his hand. His forehead was covered in sweat, but remembering his wife's "don't come back if you can't buy it" look, he could only bite the bullet and push forward.

"Four hundred and fifty strings of cash!"

Not far away, the steward of Fu Bi Mansion sneered and then raised his sign.

The two men locked eyes across the crowd, sparks flying. This was no longer about buying cups; it was a battle of pride between two gentlemen!

"Five hundred strings of cash!" Butler Han roared, his voice trembling.

The wealthy butler hesitated.

Five hundred strings of cash is already the bottom line set by the master. If it's increased any further, I'm afraid I'll be punished when I get back.

Just as Butler Han thought victory was assured and a triumphant smile was about to spread across his face—

"Six hundred and fifty strings of cash."

A lazy voice, tinged with a touch of nouveau riche, came from a private room on the second floor.

The entire room fell silent.

Everyone looked up and saw a fat man dressed in fine silk and satin, with five gemstone rings on his fingers, leaning against the railing, playing with two huge walnuts in his hands.

Zhu Baiwan, a wealthy salt merchant in the east of the city.

"Butler Han, Butler Fu, you flatter me." Zhu Baiwan's eyes narrowed into slits with a smile. "I, Zhu, will take this cup. I'll take it back and have a sip of wine, and soak up some of the immortal aura."

Steward Han was so angry his face turned green: "You...you, a mere merchant, dare to use such a divine object?"

Zhu Baiwan chuckled and waved the thick stack of flying coins in his hand:

"So what if I'm a merchant? This auction is all about real money. If Steward Han thinks I'm not good enough, then raise the bid! If you offer seven hundred, I, Zhu, will have no objections."

Butler Han: "..."

He sat down angrily, wishing he could kill this nouveau riche with his eyes.

"Six hundred and fifty strings of cash! Once! Twice! Three times! Sold!"

The portly shopkeeper made the final decision with his gavel, so excited he almost dropped it: "Congratulations, Master Zhu! You've won the first piece of Heavenly Crafted Glazed Glass!"

With the first sample item as a template, the subsequent auctions went into complete frenzy.

"Second item, a finely crafted glass vase! Starting bid: 100 strings of cash!"

"Seven hundred strings of cash! I'll take it!"

"The third item, a finely crafted glass jewelry box! Starting bid: 100 strings of cash!"

"Eight hundred strings of cash! I'll fight anyone who tries to take it from me!"

One item after another, prices skyrocketed like rockets.

Those who didn't manage to buy any had red eyes.

"Shopkeeper! How come there's only this much? Is there any more?"

"More money! I'll pay double! Can you pull some strings and let me have one?"

The fat shopkeeper, wiping the sweat from his brow, shouted with a pained expression:

"Gentlemen! There are really none left! Master Jiang said that this thing is extremely difficult to refine, and only ten pieces can be produced per month! Scarcity makes it valuable!"

Upon hearing this, those who had initially wanted to wait and see panicked completely.

Only ten items in total?

Six items have already been sold! If you don't act now, you might not be able to snag one next month!

Panic spread instantly, and the competition became even more intense.

However, when the auction reached the seventh item, the scene suddenly came to a strange halt.

"The seventh item – a pair of exquisite glass earrings!"

The plump shopkeeper carried an exquisite brocade box containing a pair of teardrop-shaped transparent earrings that sparkled under the light.

"Starting bid: 100 strings of cash!"

"Two hundred strings of cash!"

"Two hundred and fifty strings of cash!"

"Three hundred strings of cash!"

When the price reached 300 strings of cash, it suddenly stopped.

Several buyers who were initially eager to buy looked at each other and hesitated.

The cups, vases, and jewelry boxes in front are all large items, eye-catching when displayed at home, and impressive when taken out. But these earrings... are just too small.

Three hundred strings of cash for two "water droplets"?

Although it's also made of natural glass, I still feel like I'm missing out.

Moreover, everyone knows there's a grand finale to come, and if you spend your money now, you'll miss out on the rest.

As a result, a brief silence fell over the lobby.

"Three hundred strings of cash at a time..."

The portly shopkeeper's voice faltered slightly. This won't do! Jiang Shanchang's target was to break five hundred per item, and they're already stuck at just three hundred?

He looked towards the backstage area as if seeking help.

Backstage, Jiang Lin was drinking tea, a smile playing on his lips.

"That's about it."

He turned to look at the figure in the corner and snapped his fingers lightly.

In a corner of the lobby.

The previously unnoticed "Young Master Zhao," who seemed to be just an observer, slowly put down his teacup.

Zhao Lingjun straightened his clothes and took a deep breath.

Although she was a princess and had seen many grand occasions, this was the first time she had ever done something like "spending money" in public to act as a child's attendant, so she couldn't help but feel a little excited.

"Three hundred strings of cash twice..." The fat shopkeeper raised the hammer, his eyes filled with despair.

Just then.

A clear, calm voice, exuding an air of "treating money like dirt," suddenly resounded throughout the entire venue.

"One thousand strings of cash."

Quiet.

A deathly silence.

The fat shopkeeper's hammer froze in mid-air, almost hitting his own foot.

The whispering crowd instantly fell silent, and hundreds of eyes, like searchlights, all focused on the corner in a flash.

A handsome young man with an extraordinary air was seen leaning back lazily in his chair, holding up a number plate and wearing a faint smile.

"One...one thousand strings of cash?"

A buyer nearby, doubting he had misheard, stammered, "Sir, you...you must have mispronounced it? This is three hundred strings of cash, not three strings..."

Zhao Lingjun tilted his head slightly and said in an extremely Versailles-like tone:

"You didn't mispronounce it."

She pointed to the small earrings on the stage, her eyes filled with a tenderness as if she were looking at rare treasures:

"My wife loves these small and exquisite trinkets. A thousand pieces of gold can't buy what she loves. As long as my wife is happy, I can afford to spend ten thousand or even ten thousand pieces of gold."

"Whoosh—!!!"

The entire venue erupted in cheers!

Where did this extravagant spendthrift come from?!

A thousand strings of cash for a pair of earrings? Or just to please his wife?

This is the real top-tier elite! Compared to this, that Zhu Yuanwai who spent 650 guan on a cup and even argued with someone is just incredibly unsophisticated!

Butler Han was stunned.

The wealthy butler was stunned.

Even Master Zhu, who was in the private room on the second floor, was so surprised that he crushed the walnuts in his hand.

Emotions called "comparison" and "shame" are growing wildly in everyone's hearts.

People can spend a thousand strings of cash to appease their wives. If we can't even part with a few hundred strings, how can we survive in Bianjing?

Do they even have any shame?!

The fat shopkeeper was so excited that his whole body trembled, and his voice was hoarse from shouting:

"One thousand strings of cash! This young master has offered one thousand strings! Is there anyone offering even more?!"

In truth, he knew perfectly well that this was definitely Jiang Shanzhang's doing! But he had to admire Jiang Shanzhang's methods; this "spending a fortune to buy bones" move had directly brought the atmosphere of the entire venue to a climax!

Just as Zhao Lingjun was preparing to "keep his merits hidden" and wait for the fat shopkeeper to strike,

An unexpected change occurred.

"One thousand two hundred strings of cash!"

A voice suddenly rang out from a private room on the second floor.

Everyone looked up and saw a fat man in a bright red robe, his face full of scars, rush to the railing, his eyes bloodshot, pointing at the audience and roaring:

"I want those earrings! Nobody can take them from me!"

Zhao Lingjun paused for a moment, then smiled slightly and slowly put down the number plate in his hand.

The sucker has taken the bait.