Ning Que had already told him how to govern Linzi.
All that remains is to respond accordingly.
He looked downstairs again.
At this moment, I have a different feeling.
No wonder Yu Ji had such a high opinion of Ning Que.
…
"One hundred thousand taels!"
Sima Changqing stood up and quoted a sky-high price.
The whole place was silent.
Chen Daozi's paintings are very few.
If it were to be circulated in the world, it would be priced at a sky-high price.
Seventy or eighty thousand taels are considered normal.
This picture of Guanyin, the Goddess of Childbirth, is pretty good.
But if it costs 100,000 taels, it’s a bit expensive.
The reason why it is priced at a premium is because of the Queen Mother’s birthday banquet.
Wan Sanqian looked around and smiled without saying a word.
This time the trading company made a fortune!
"Do you have any other offers?"
"Well, congratulations to Prime Minister Sima for obtaining the painting of Guanyin, the Goddess of Childbirth, by the Painting Saint!"
Wan Sanqian clapped his hands.
Sima Changqing breathed a sigh of relief.
One hundred thousand taels of silver was already the Sima family's limit. If anyone raised the price again, he would have no choice but to give up. He was willing to pay a high price, but he was forced to do so.
The Sima family, considered one of the most prominent families in Chang'an, may seem glamorous, but it also harbors many hidden hardships. Since Emperor Feng ascended to the throne, he has been ambitious and has steadily weakened the power of his ministers. Originally, the prime minister was the head of all officials, responsible for commanding the six ministries. Emperor Feng weakened the prime minister's power, directing the six ministries to report directly to him, bypassing the prime minister.
At present, Sima Changqing is still valued.
After all, he is still a die-hard supporter.
However, his performance during this Liao mission was poor, much to the displeasure of Emperor Feng. He privately approached him, accusing the powerful families of competing with the state for profit. They greedily amass wealth in normal times, but then seek refuge when the state needs them. For example, during the locust plague in Jingyang, if it weren't for Ning Que's staunch support, grain prices would have soared to a thousand coins per shi of rice!
Now that war is about to break out in Dafeng, money is needed everywhere. Therefore, these wealthy merchants must be severely punished!
How could Sima Changqing not understand?
He had to pay a high price for this painting!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
