Nightfall

The royal buyer from the South Jin Kingdom on the west of the third floor did not mind offending the bigwigs of the Tang Empire and joined the bidding for the Chicken Soup Calligraphy. This must be the intention of the Crown Prince.

The future emperor of the South Jin Kingdom that had treated the Tang Empire with enmity did not mind spending a bomb on the Chicken Soup Calligraphy and raising the fame of Ning Que, a citizen of Tang. Ning Que could not explain this other than that the crown prince must be mad. His thoughts eventually went southwards.

Chu Youxian did not know about the oddities in Ning Que’s questions. He answered, “The Crown Prince of South Jin Kingdom is famous for being lecherous. He is not gay at all. But I have never heard that he liked calligraphy.”

As the two were speaking, the bidding war for the Chicken Soup Calligraphy intensified. The bid was at 20,000 taels with both the steward of the Grand Secretary and the royal buyer from the South Jin Kingdom bidding. However, the two people bidding were enough to cause a fiery explosion in the hall.

Ning Que listened to the louder and louder voices and the increasing figures. He had long abandoned all conjectures about why the Crown Prince of South Jin Kingdom would want to buy his calligraphy. He was very satisfied.

Before long, the price of the Chicken Soup Calligraphy rose to 10,800 taels of silver.

There were three taps on the bamboo screen. Grand Secretary Wang’s steward walked out with a grave expression. He stood by the railings and looked towards the west and smiled coldly. “We Tangs have always subdued others with logic and virtue. This is Chang’an, and I will of course not bully those from the South Jin Kingdom. Let’s talk with our gold.”

The silk curtains in the west room were lifted. A pudgy middle-aged businessman with flushed cheeks emerged slowly. He wore cotton robes and had a jade pendant hanging from his waist, and looked extraordinary. He looked at the steward and said, “I bear a huge responsibility and dare not give up easily. Please forgive me, Sir Steward.”

The price had been called and they have seen each other and spoken. What followed, was naturally the resuming of the bidding process. Even though both parties did not increase the bid by too much, but as time passed, the price of the Chicken Soup Calligraphy eventually rose to an astronomical price.

“30,100 taels.”

“32,000 taels.”

“33,000 taels.”

The Grand Secretary’s steward looked at the South Jin businessman darkly as he bid 33,000 taels of silver.

30,000 tales of silver was not a small amount to the Grand Secretary with his position as a senior statesman. No matter how strict the laws of the Tang Empire were, they could not stop him from hiding such wealth in his mansion, so this amount did not seem too extreme to the steward. However, everyone knew that the steward was backed by Grand Secretary Wang. An official who spent tens of thousands to purchase a calligraphy section would cause tongues to wag, which was why he was eager to have the South Jin businessman back off.

However, who would have thought that the royal buyer did not hesitate to add another one thousand taels of silver. Judging by his calm expression, it seemed that he would not mind adding another 10,000 taels to the bid.

The Grand Secretary’s steward glowered.

There were some foreign dignitaries and businessmen in the Stone House. Most of them were citizens of Tangs who were very rich.

They could not help but be annoyed when they saw how the royal buyer was behaving.

It wasn’t that they did not have money. No matter how much they liked Sir Ning’s calligraphy, they felt that the price right now was too ludicrous. The royal buyer from South Jin Kingdom did not seem like he was here to buy the calligraphy section, but he was here to deliberately fight the Tangs for the section or was even here to slap their faces.

Debates rang in the air as two royal buyers from the Southern City prepared to bid. The atmosphere in the room burned and tensed up.

The only person who could keep calm was the auctioneer Zhong Li. He had long known that the royal buyer from South Jin was in Chang’an. He had long anticipated a scene like this. In fact, one could say that he was the one who caused this scene between the Tangs and the man from South Jin Kingdom.

Zhong Li was the son of a concubine in the Zhong family of Yang Guan. Yang Guan was the most prosperous city in the Southern frontiers of the Tang Empire. It was very close to the South Jin Kingdom. In fact, Yang Guan used to be the northern part of the South Jin Kingdom three centuries ago. Those who lived there were very familiar with the South Jin Kingdom. Even though he had been chased out of the Zhong family very early on, he still was very familiar with what happened in the South Jin Kingdom. He knew how sensitive they were to the Tangs and of the odd pride that they had.

And due to a certain incident, he was certain that the royal buyer from South Jin would not give up on the Chicken Soup Calligraphy. That was why he had dared to say that the Chicken Soup Calligraphy would sell for at least 30,000 taels.

The calligraphy had indeed surpassed this amount, and Zhong Li could not help being proud about it. As an auctioneer, his greatest pride was that the things he had sold would end up in history books.

As an auctioneer, Zhong Li could be calm, contented and proud of himself. However, the Big Owner of the Stone House realized that the atmosphere in the room was spiraling out of control and he could not bring himself to be happy. It would be great if he could earn more commission, but what would he do if he offended two bigwigs?

The boss stood behind a pillar on the first-floor corridor and looked at Zhong Li gravely, trying to signal to him with his eyes.

Zhong Li understood, and began to calm the room down. However, with the addition of another Tang royal buyer in the fray, his attempt to end the bidding went up in smokes.

Even Zhong Li, who had seen a more luxurious auction, grew anxious and frightened as he listened to the astronomical figures that continued to grow.

This bidding had turned into a battle between the Tang Empire and the South Jin Kingdom. Even though it had nothing to do with powerhouses, or cavalry, and had only everything to do with money, it was beyond his control.

Zhong Li lifted his sleeves and wiped his sweat. He discovered that he had underestimated the Chang’an-ites’ desire to protect their pride. He had also underestimated the impact that the Crown Prince of South Jin Kingdom had on the royal buyer.

The royal buyer from South Jin bid another astronomical figure. Then, he looked at the Tang nobles in the attic and smiled, “The South Jin Kingdom is not as wealthy as the Tang Empire. I am just a little businessman who doesn’t amount to much in your eyes. But the South Jin Kingdom is still a large kingdom and our country’s vaults have plenty of gold.”

There was a large commotion in the attic when he said that. Even though the Tangs present were all wealthy, but if the royal buyer from South Jin was using the country’s vaults in this competition, who could be his match? Nobody could unless the emperor himself brought out the gold in their country’s vaults and started bidding.

And just like what the businessman said. The South Jin Kingdom might not be as big as the Tang Empire, but there was plenty of gold in their country’s vaults. How could a Grand Secretary or a royal buyer compete with him?

Could it be that they really have to be slapped by this royal buyer from South Jin?

Even though they could continue to bid, what if the royal buyer decides not to?

They couldn’t refuse to pay after that. The laws of the Tang Empire weren’t just decorative.

…

…

“He’s using the gold in his country’s vaults to fight for face?”

Ning Que looked at the royal buyer from South Jin and could not wrap his head around what had happened.

Chu Youxian said mockingly, “That backward country doesn’t have any rules. Do you think they are like the Tang Empire? To the South Jin Emperor and Crown Prince, the country’s vaults are like their personal vaults. They can use it any way they want.”

It was then, when a subordinate from the Grand Secretary’s manor walked to the steward and whispered to him. The steward who kept silent for a long while turned towards the royal buyer in the west room and said with a cold smile, “I wondered why the Crown Prince of South Jin was so interested in the Chicken Soup Calligraphy. So it is for the Hill Master of the Great River Kingdom.”

The royal buyer did not refute that and smiled, “Indeed, His Highness knows that the Hill Master likes this Chicken Soup Calligraphy a lot, and have decided to buy it for her.”

The steward looked at the South Jin royal buyer and laughed out loud suddenly. He said mockingly, “Everyone knows that the Hill Master is in love with Sir Ning of Tang. That is why she likes the Chicken Soup Calligraphy so much. Does your crown prince think that he can replace Sir Ning in the Hill Master’s heart with this calligraphy? That is so ludicrous!”

The expression of the royal buyer changed drastically.

Without waiting for him to speak, the steward continued sarcastically, “Trying to get a girl to fall in love with you by buying her things that she loves. I wonder what your crown prince is thinking! I did not expect that the South Jin Kingdom is full of useless people. You are useless on the battlefield, and your Sword Master from the Sword Garret is useless. You are also useless in love!”

The royal buyer’s expression grew ugly as he was insulted. His sleeves shook as his hands clenched tightly. However, there were no falsehoods in the steward’s words. The South Jin Kingdom had never been a match for the Tang’s cavalry on the battlefield. Liu Qingshan from the Sword Garret had indeed been defeated by Ning Que at the side doors of the Academy. The story between Calligraphy Addict Mo Shanshan, and Ning Que had spread in the world for days.

The royal buyer attempted to stifle the anger in his chest. He said coldly, “Bidding for calligraphy depends on one’s ability. Speak if you can afford to. Unless the Tangs only know how to fight with their words!”

With that, the insults from the Tangs in the attic flew. However, he did not care, but only glowered at the auctioneer on the platform. It seemed that he was determined to kill them with money.

…

…

Ning Que did not expect that the Crown Prince of South Jin Kingdom would spend so much on the Chicken Soup Calligraphy just to get in Shanshan’s good books.

After a moment of silence, he took something from his sleeves and passed it to Chu Youxian. After some instructions, he lifted the curtains and walked out of the Stone House.

Chu Youxian paused in surprise. Then, he clutched the object in his hands tightly, went downstairs and found the boss of the Stone House.

The boss of the Stone House recognized him as the only son of Master Chu from the Easter City. He paused slightly and received the seal. He glanced at it, and his expression changed drastically.

The seal was Ning Que’s personal seal. They rarely appeared on his calligraphy sections, so only a few calligraphy appraisers have seen it. But the boss had seen it on the back of the Chicken Soup Calligraphy.

The boss only knew then, that Sir Ning had been watching the auction in the attic all this while. He saw the seal that Chu Youxian held out and thought that Ning Que was dissatisfied and angry, and could not help but feel uneasy. He wondered to himself if he had judged the incident with the calligraphy sections wrongly, and that the little handmaiden had indeed stolen them.

He heaved a sigh of relief when he heard what Chu Youxian had to say.

Chu Youxian signaled for him to bring him to the platform and pulled the auctioneer to the side.

Those in the attic discovered the movement on the platform, and the debates and insults tapered off.

The royal buyer from the South Jin Kingdom stood by the railings expressionlessly. He looked at the platform and was determined to bring the Chicken Soup Calligraphy back to South Jin no matter what tricks the Tangs played.

The boss wrapped his hands around his fist and bowed to those on the third floor. Then, he cleared his throat and said, “The Chicken Soup Calligraphy is sold to room 2B for 33,000 taels of silver.”

All was silent in the room as no one had been able to react.

Then, as they all emerged from their dazes, ruckus ensued.

Room 2B was the room of Grand Secretary Wang’s steward.

However, the bidding had not ended, why did Stone House say that the Grand Secretary had gotten the Chicken Soup Calligraphy?

The royal buyer from South Jin Kingdom looked downstairs, steel-faced. He asked coldly, “Even if the bidding had to end due to the price, I have offered the highest price. Why did the calligraphy go to someone else? Unless you Tangs do business like this? Do you not care about your reputation anymore?”

Chu Youxian recollected what Ning Que had said before leaving. He made sure that he remembered every single word correctly before saying mockingly, “So what if you have money?”

“I won’t sell it to you even if you have plenty of money.”

“Because Mr. Thirteen doesn’t want to give the South Jin Crown Prince any face.”

…