Lanqin walked up to a vessel that looked like a Yixing teapot and examined it closely. It seemed to be made of something like ebony. Its shape was very simple and ancient, and the wood grain on it was very clear. The whole piece was perfectly natural, extremely exquisite and unique.

"Madam, have you taken a fancy to this inkstone teapot?" The shop owner asked as he approached Lanqin, who had been staring at it for a long time.

"Is this used for dripping inkstones?" Lanqin asked, looking at it.

"That's right, this is a water pot used for dripping inkstones, not a teapot," the shopkeeper said with a smile.

“Our mistress knows!” Shui Ling glared at the shopkeeper and said. Hmph, our mistress is a concubine of a prince; what hasn’t she used? Your attitude is clearly disrespectful.

When the shopkeeper heard the maid-like figure behind Lanqin reply in a gruff voice, he couldn't help but wonder about Lanqin's identity. Judging from her clothes, she must be a lady from a wealthy family, but he couldn't tell exactly what her background was.

"Hehe, young lady, you've misunderstood. I'm just giving you an introduction. Madam, please take a closer look." The shopkeeper, being a businessman, was quick-witted and immediately put on a smiling face.

"Boss, this inkstone teapot is indeed quite nice. How much is it for sale?" Lanqin asked, having taken a liking to it.

"Hehe, Madam has a good eye. This inkstone teapot is the best one in our entire shop. It's made of ebony. Look at the quality; it's made entirely of ebony." the shopkeeper said.

“That’s really good. So how much silver does it cost?” Lanqin asked.

"Hehe, I see that you have a dignified appearance, Madam, and must be a person of great fortune. How about this, since this is your first time here, I will give you a discount. This inkstone teapot is worth two thousand taels, but I will sell it to you for one thousand five hundred taels." the shopkeeper said.

"I bargained that price pretty hard!" Lanqin thought, as if she were seeing herself shopping for treasures in Caijiayuan in the past.

“This tiny inkstone costs 1,500 taels? That’s too expensive!” Shui Ling said immediately.

“Yes, what kind of wood is this? It’s more expensive than gold!” Si Hua said.

Lanqin also felt that the shop owner was dishonest and that the price was too high, so she said, "Since the shop owner has made a price, I should at least try to negotiate a price back. Whether or not it can be sold depends on the shop owner's decision."

"Please speak, Madam!" the shopkeeper said politely, seeing that Lanqin was very perceptive.

“Three hundred taels,” Lanqin said.

Si Hua and Shui Ling both looked at Lan Qin in surprise. They had just said the price was too high, estimating it to be around a thousand taels, after all, this item was made entirely of ebony, the legendary divine wood, and the best in the shop. But to their surprise, Lan Qin only asked for three hundred taels.

The shopkeeper was utterly speechless with shock. All his prepared lines seemed to have been choked back by Lanqin's words, "three hundred taels." The price Lanqin had quoted was practically his bare minimum; he couldn't possibly sell it. He had planned to sell the inkstone teapot for a thousand taels, and wouldn't be able to get rid of it without making a profit of seven or eight hundred taels. Although he hadn't spent much money acquiring these items initially, they were truly top-quality pieces, and shouldn't be worth this much.

“Madam, the craftsmanship and materials of this inkstone are top-notch; it is the prized possession of our shop. I greatly admire your discerning eye. However, three hundred taels is simply too low, and I cannot agree to it,” the shopkeeper said.

Lanqin smiled and said, "In that case, I won't take it. Let's look at some others."

The shopkeeper had just used a feigned retreat as a tactic to advance, but Ke Lanqin didn't fall for it and immediately showed that she wanted to look at other things, which made him feel a little tricky.

“Madam, if you really like this inkstone teapot, then don’t hesitate. The price is negotiable. There’s absolutely no other one like it; it’s a unique piece. Madam, it’s definitely worth the price,” the shopkeeper said. Those items had been sitting there for a while, and he wanted to sell them quickly.

"What do you think, shopkeeper? I've already set a price," Lanqin said.

"Alright then, eight hundred taels, that's the lowest I can go. Madam, this inkstone teapot is absolutely a treasure. If I didn't have too many goods stored here, I would never sell it for eight hundred taels. Madam has excellent taste." The shopkeeper knew that Lanqin wanted to buy it because she was willing to continue negotiating.

"Oh, it seems you have many good things here, shopkeeper. What else do you have? May I have a look?" Lanqin continued, neither confirming nor denying.

The shopkeeper began to re-examine Lanqin, noticing that the clothes she was wearing seemed to be made of Shu brocade, which was worth more than a bolt of platinum.

"What, is the shopkeeper hiding something good and not letting anyone see it?" Lanqin asked.

"I think you can afford the price, Madam. Those are all treasures; I won't show them to anyone who can't afford them," the shopkeeper said.

"Shopkeeper, why don't you take a look? If these are truly good items, I'll see if I can get a few more for my master," Lanqin said.

“Alright, since Madam is so interested, please come with me to the inner room. There’s only a small portion of what’s displayed here,” the shopkeeper said.

Lanqin was genuinely interested in what the boss was saying and was about to agree when Sihua stopped her.

"Master, we're unfamiliar with this place, be careful not to get ripped off!" Si Hua whispered to Lan Qin.

"Don't worry, just go with him and see," Lanqin said.

"How about it, madam? Would you like to see it?" the shopkeeper asked.

“Alright, let’s go take a look with the shopkeeper,” Lanqin said.

So the three of them followed the shopkeeper into the inner room. The room was located in the back of the front shop, and like a pharmacy, it had a long row of wooden cabinets covering one entire wall. Each small compartment held a treasure; pulling one out would surely leave you astonished.

"Madam, come and take a look. I also have porcelain vases, incense burners, and jade items here, all of them top-quality. If you like them, I can give you a discount," the shopkeeper said.

"Then please take it out and let us see it." Lanqin and her two maids were invited into the inner room and sat in the guest seats.

The shopkeeper immediately ordered his assistant to take out the items hidden in the display case one by one and place them on the table for Lanqin to admire.

“Everyone says Xuchang is an ancient city, so there must be many cultural relics. This incense burner looks simple and interesting; it must be an old thing, right?” Lanqin said, noticing the incense burner with the Qilin crouching on the table.

“Madam has a good eye. This incense burner has quite a history. Let me tell you about it.” Seeing that Lanqin’s question was relevant, the shopkeeper skipped the usual pleasantries.