"Gentlemen, I know that many of you are wealthy, but it has all been converted into real estate. It is indeed difficult for you to come up with cash all at once. Therefore, how about we simply use goods as cash and conduct an on-site assessment and conversion?" The wicked man's words were full of seduction.

Zhang Erhe gasped. As an outsider, he roughly understood the wicked husband's intentions. In the wicked husband's words, these fat leeks needed to be properly harvested!

The businessmen present didn't think much of it after hearing this; they just enthusiastically shouted, "Grand Commandant is wise!" People have different ideas about managing money; some people like to save their money when they have it.

Some people just love to shop!

Just because someone doesn't have cash on hand doesn't mean they're truly broke. How can we let them off the hook just because of that?

Looking at these passionate faces, the wicked man secretly gloated. He thought to himself, "These people won't be able to leave this door alive without being skinned alive."

Driven by a desire to watch the spectacle, the wicked man winked at Zhang Erhe, who immediately shouted, "Bidding for the second license, continue!"

"Ten million!"

"I'll offer thirteen million, plus three mansions and two mining veins!"

"I'll offer fifteen million..."

One bid after another came from the mouths of these bloodthirsty big spenders, and the wicked man was shocked by their wealth.

Indeed, no matter when you are in this world, there are always countless poor people and a small number of wealthy people lurking beneath the surface.

As the bidding continued to rise, even Ying Zheng and his court officials, who were still in the palace dealing with disaster reports, were alarmed.

At Meng Can's suggestion, Ying Zheng decided to go to the scene in person to see how the wicked husband managed to get these wealthy households to willingly hand over their money without resorting to force.

Incidentally...

Look how much money we can scrape up!

"The King has arrived!"

When Zhao Gao's shrill voice rang out, the heated bidding suddenly cooled down, and everyone turned to look at the entrance of the mansion.

"The King has arrived?"

"It really is the King!"

"This humble servant greets Your Majesty!"

After the initial shock, everyone saw Ying Zheng, dressed in a black royal robe, enter the house and quickly stood up to greet him.

Ying Zheng glanced at the wealthy families present, a smile appearing on his majestic face. "Gentlemen, please rise and continue. I am merely here to watch the excitement."

"Everyone, you don't need to have any worries. Follow the Grand Commandant, and you will definitely not lose money!"

Upon hearing this, the tension in everyone's hearts eased slightly.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, we absolutely trust Your Majesty and the Grand Commandant. It would be an honor for us lowly merchants to contribute to the prosperity of our Qin Kingdom!" someone boldly flattered.

These words made Ying Zheng laugh heartily, and he was extremely pleased with them, to the point that his prejudice against merchants, which had been influenced by Lü Buwei, lessened somewhat.

"Your Majesty, please take a seat!" The wicked man walked up to Ying Zheng and pointed to the large chair that had just been brought to him.

Ying Zheng nodded slightly, walked to the large chair, and sat down. "Gentlemen, let's continue!"

Perhaps eager to impress Ying Zheng, the merchants' bidding enthusiasm intensified. They rushed to offer higher prices, as if the auction had become a stage for them to display their wealth and loyalty.

"Eighteen million!" a businessman's voice boomed, seemingly trying to overpower everyone else.

"Twenty-five million, plus five shops!" Another competitor, not to be outdone, quoted a price that drew the attention of everyone present.

Ying Zheng watched this scene, secretly calculating in his mind. He began to realize that these people were not simple, and he began to take seriously the business plan that his wicked husband had mentioned earlier.

He never expected that this group of people would be so wealthy!

"Your Majesty, look at how wealthy these people are, isn't it beyond your imagination?" the wicked man whispered in Ying Zheng's ear, a smug smile on his face.

Ying Zheng nodded. "Compared to their wealth, I was truly ignorant and narrow-minded before..."

If the national treasury hadn't become so full from the repeated wars waged by the wicked ruler, we would have found an excuse to confiscate their property if we had known how rich these people were.

The wicked man smiled without saying a word, completely agreeing with Ying Zheng's assessment of him.

As the bidding continued, Ying Zheng's smile grew wider and wider, like a blooming daisy.

He knew that this auction would not only solve the problem of the money needed to build Kucha, but would also make the national treasury full again, greatly alleviating the financial and food pressure brought about by the disaster.

All of this was inseparable from the wicked husband's ingenious planning and his irresistible eloquence.

About an hour later, all ten licenses were auctioned off. Meng Can personally went down to calculate and verify the winnings, which left him drenched in sweat.

A moment later, Meng Can slumped into the large chair, muttering to himself, "Oh no... I can't keep up. There's too much money, too much stuff..."

Ying Zheng and his wicked husband exchanged a smile, their eyes filled with mockery and ridicule.

That old bastard Meng Can is greedy for money. He insisted on getting involved in the calculations, and now his brain is about to explode. He can't blame anyone else.

Zhang Erhe looked at the wicked husband, who nodded slightly, and then shouted, "The auction of the ten licenses is over. Next, we will tally the number of shareholders."

"The ten people who won the license, please leave your seats and go to settle accounts with the officer!"

"The remaining shareholders will submit their bids in order of their seating arrangement!"

Next, a new auction began. Merchants stood up one after another and orderly announced their investment amounts, making the scene even more heated than before.

Everyone seemed eager to secure a place in this commercial feast, hoping to gain a share of the future development of the Qin state.

"I'll invest five million!" a businessman announced loudly, his voice filled with confidence and anticipation.

"I'll offer six million, plus two houses in the southern part of Xianyang!" another challenger retorted.

Ying Zheng sat to the side, watching the scene unfold before him. He was even more impressed with his wicked husband's business acumen. As the amount of his investment continued to rise, Ying Zheng's smile grew even wider.

"Money...it's all money, all my money."

Looking at his greedy appearance, the wicked husband couldn't help but laugh out loud, thinking to himself, "If there were a mirror in front of him, Brother Zheng would definitely see that his pupils have turned into the shape of coins."

Fearing that Ying Zheng might embezzle the money, he spoke up preemptively, "Your Majesty, this money is for building the Kucha market; you can't pocket it!"

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, instantly chilling Ying Zheng, who was caught up in the heat of the moment, and his face turned ashen with pain.

He gritted his teeth, as if he had made a tremendous decision, "I...I know, how could that be?!"

He actually had this idea in mind, thinking that Kucha was a large tribe after all, and surely the royal court couldn't be without a house or anything like that?

We can just use those existing houses, make a few minor modifications, and they'll work just fine.