The room fell silent, with eyes darting back and forth between the east and west sides.
The air seemed to freeze, and the only sound could be the faint crackling of the lamp wick in the palace gauze lantern.
"Twenty-five thousand taels, twice!"
Silence fell over the eastern room. The old man stopped urging him and waited quietly. It seemed like a long time had passed, or perhaps just a moment, before no more sound came from the eastern room.
"Twenty-five thousand taels, three times!"
"When One"
The bronze chime rang out again, its clear sound lingering long.
"make a deal."
As the auctioneer's voice faded, a very faint sigh of relief could be heard from behind the bamboo curtain in the west room next door.
She vaguely saw the figure of a woman who looked somewhat anxious, constantly watching the situation downstairs.
Moonlight thought, "Isn't it just a jade Guanyin that looks pretty?"
The man seemed to value this object highly; what could be the reason behind it?
Before they could take another look, the jade Guanyin statue was covered with bright yellow silk again and carefully carried down from the high platform by the servants.
The winner will complete the transaction through a secret passage, and no one will know their name, leaving only an astonishing price and a room full of sighs and speculation.
The lingering effects of the Jade Guanyin statue had not yet dissipated, and the atmosphere in the venue was still in a slightly tipsy state after the shock.
The elderly auctioneer remained calm and waved his hand gently, and the two carefully carried the last item of the night onto the stage.
After being placed securely on the mahogany table, this time the old auctioneer did not hold it; instead, a maid dressed in a light green ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) stepped forward and lifted the lid of the carved sandalwood box.
He picked up the contents with both hands and gently placed them one by one on the dark velvet-covered table.
The maid walked away, revealing the true form of the thing.
Once they could see the object clearly, a series of low gasps, filled with doubt and amazement, rippled through the room.
What kind of tea set was it?
A set of five pieces: a teapot and four cups.
They are neither ceramics nor jade, but glass!
But this glass was completely different from the murky glass one could usually see in the marketplace.
They are incredibly pure, crystal clear, and flawless, refracting a dazzling, gem-like light under the illumination.
The teapot has smooth and elegant lines, and the walls are as thin as cicada wings, as if they would shatter at the slightest touch, yet they reveal a breathtakingly fragile beauty under the light.
What's even more remarkable is that the body of the pot and the rim of the cup are inlaid with extremely fine gold wire to depict a lotus scroll pattern. The gold wire meanders through the transparent glass, perfectly blending luxury and clarity, making it a masterpiece of craftsmanship.
Looking at the items on the stage, Yue Fuguang found their shapes to be indeed beautiful and classically elegant. It was clear that the aesthetic sense of ancient craftsmen was truly remarkable.
The auctioneer's voice rang out at the right moment, breaking the silence of the room and igniting a different kind of desire, a more intense one, unlike the profound and meaningful jade Guanyin statue just now.
"An exotic treasure from overseas: a set of crystal and gold-threaded lotus-patterned tea set. This item was made using a secret method by artisans from the far west, the 'Fulin Kingdom.' It was tempered in the heat of fire and shaped in the purest form, with water and fire complementing each other, and gold and jade within."
This is the only set in the world; the starting bid is eight thousand taels.
[Master, isn't the auctioneer afraid of being beaten to death by those who find out the truth, given how much he boasts?]
"We're just making money off the rich, and we don't produce in large quantities, so who's going to know the truth? If all else fails, we can just say we poached artisans from that 'Fulin Kingdom,' right?"
Should we try bidding? It looks like it could be fun.
"Ten thousand taels!" Almost as soon as the words were spoken, a merchant downstairs, who was clearly used to dealing with foreign merchants, shouted impatiently.
He knew that such pure and transparent glassware was priceless even overseas, let alone a complete tea set with such exquisite craftsmanship and inlaid gold wire.
"Fifteen thousand taels!" Yue Fuguang showed the system with her actions that she wanted it!
"Sixteen thousand taels!" A richly dressed woman quickly raised the price. She came from a royal merchant family and had no resistance to such rare treasures that combined exotic charm with practical beauty.
"Twenty thousand taels!" As soon as Yue Fuguang finished speaking, he quickly attracted the attention of many people.
Are you serious about adding so many all at once? How are we supposed to add fake heels little by little like this?
They didn't see anyone, but judging from the voice, it was a little girl. Was she just joking or did she really want to buy it?
Some people even wanted to call the parents out to discipline the child and stop him from causing trouble.
"Twenty-one thousand taels!" That's what he thought, but he didn't skimp on the price he was supposed to offer.
"Twenty-two thousand taels!"
The struggle instantly intensified.
Unlike the auction of the Jade Guanyin, where the atmosphere was heavy and slow in the second-floor private room, the allure of this glass tea set seemed more direct and captivating. The unexpected bidding by Yue Fuguang further ignited the enthusiasm of many.
Not only the wealthy merchants on the first floor, but even some originally reserved female relatives of officials joined the fray through whispered messages from their stewards or maids.
"Twenty-five thousand taels!"
"Twenty-eight thousand!"
Thirty thousand taels!
Prices soared, and bids came in waves, almost without pause.
The air seemed to be filled with a burnt smell, mixed with the aroma of spices, making one's heart race.
The crystal-clear tea set shimmered quietly under the light, like a giant magnet, attracting everyone's attention and desire.
“Thirty-five thousand taels.” A young and clear voice, with a Nanzhao accent, came from a private room on the east side of the second floor.
“Thirty-eight thousand taels.” Another voice from the west immediately followed, sounding somewhat gloomy.
"Forty thousand taels." The young man from the east was not to be outdone. Judging from his accent, he didn't seem to be from the Dayan Kingdom. It was unclear whether he was from the Western Qiang or the Northern Li.
Indeed, people from the other countries should all be present at this auction.
The room fell silent for a moment. Forty thousand taels to buy a tea set, no matter how exquisite or rare, was enough to make people's hearts race.
The auctioneer's gaze swept towards the west room, where Xijian remained silent, seemingly weighing his options.
Just as the auctioneer was about to confirm, a slightly hoarse but powerful voice rang out from the front row on the first floor: "Forty-five thousand taels!"
The crowd looked in the direction of the voice and saw an elderly man with gray hair but vigorous spirit, dressed in ordinary silk clothes, yet possessing an air of authority.
Someone recognized him as Shen Wanchuan, the biggest silk merchant in Jiangnan.
Shen Wanchuan? Yue Fuguang recognized the name. There was a mission related to him. Hmm, I'll recruit him next year!
This made even the young VIPs on the second floor hesitate.
It's not that they can't afford a higher price, but rather that going head-to-head with such a deeply rooted, wealthy private individual for a tea set seems unwise.
The auctioneer surveyed the room again, especially the east and west rooms on the second floor. Seeing no further response, he raised his voice: "Mr. Shen, the bid is forty-five thousand taels!"
"Forty-five thousand taels, for the first time!"
"Forty-five thousand taels, the second time!"
"Forty-five thousand taels, the third time!"
"When One"
The clear, resonant sound of the bronze chime rang out, settling the world in order.
Shen Wanchuan nodded slightly, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com