Chapter 108: You have to buy it even if you don’t want to
Wen Yan comforted Meng Chifei, then turned around and walked towards Zhu Lele and Miss Jiang San.
Wen Yan smiled and said to Zhu Lele, "Miss Zhu, the grudge between us has long been known to the whole city.
The last time Miaobizhai opened, I made you look bad.
Miss Meng’s shop is opening today, so please come…”
"I believe many of you here know about my relationship with the Wen family. I married into the countryside, and my husband was a poor scholar.
The first thing I think about when I open my eyes every day is what I want to eat.
I've fallen into such a state. It was Miss Meng who took pity on me and asked me to come and help with the work to earn some living expenses."
Wen Yan acted pitifully and spoke with sincerity.
Many ordinary people felt sympathy for her.
I thought she was so poor that she couldn't even afford to eat, so selling her wedding dress was no big deal.
You can't just starve to death for the so-called wedding dress.
Wen Yan changed the subject: "As for opening this bookstore... Everyone knows that the Meng family accepted the task of disaster relief in Jinyang Prefecture.
The purpose of opening a shop is to sell things and raise funds for disaster relief.”
Wen Yan had a smile on his face, and suddenly he turned his attention to Miss Jiang San, pointing at the vase in her hand: "Miss Jiang San is beautiful and kind-hearted, born into a noble family and wealthy. She must be willing to do her bit for the disaster victims in Jinyang Prefecture and buy this jade vase."
Wen Yan instantly lifted up Miss Jiang San.
Miss Jiang San didn't want to buy anything at all.
Isn't this aiding the enemy?
But with so many people watching, if she didn't buy anything, it would mean she didn't care about the disaster.
However, the green jade bottle in her hand was worth at most a hundred taels of silver.
It can also bring good reputation to the family.
She gritted her teeth, feigned disdain, and said, "It's just a broken jade bottle. Can't I afford it?"
If I bring honor to my family, maybe my mother will give me some money as a subsidy.
"Miss Jiang comes from a distinguished family. She can certainly afford a small jade bottle." Wen Yan still smiled as if it were a flower, and bowed to her. "A sincere price, eight thousand taels."
"What!" Miss Jiang San screamed, "Do you think I'm a sucker?"
She pointed at the jade bottle and said, "It's just a jade bottle with a little more water. How can it be worth eight thousand taels?"
Zhu Lele cheered from the side, "Wen Yan, you are trying to trick Third Miss Jiang into giving you a cheap jade bottle to blackmail her."
"Miss Zhu, please be careful with your words!" Wen Yan reminded with a serious face.
"Sapphire is a symbol of good fortune, and this sapphire bottle has a fine texture and pure color, making it the finest kind of sapphire.
Ten years ago, the great general who defended the country defeated the Gumo tribe.
The current emperor personally ordered the Ministry of Internal Affairs to create this bottle and give it to the general.
This bottle was a gift from the emperor, how can it not be worth the price?"
The sapphire bottle was not originally worth this price.
But with the words "Imperial Gift", even if the price is 18,000 taels, it cannot be said to be not worth it.
Zhu Lele was both scared and angry.
A gift from the emperor.
She actually called her a cheap thing. If the emperor heard this, he would definitely be unhappy.
Miss Jiang San was so frightened by the harsh words that her hands trembled and the bottle was about to slip out of her hands.
Wen Yan was quick to catch it.
"Miss Jiang San, you have to hold it tight. If you drop this bottle, I'm afraid..." Wen Yan stuffed the jade bottle back into her hands, and the unfinished words were enough for her to imagine.
Zhu Lele, who was standing behind Miss Jiang San, glanced at the jadeite and gold necklace in her hand.
It's so exquisite and gorgeous, it couldn't be a gift from the emperor!
If Wen Yan saw this, he would probably ask for an exorbitant price.
She quietly tried to put it back in its place.
How could Wen Yan let her get her wish?
He immediately said, "Miss Zhu, the necklace in your hand is a dowry given by the Empress to Miss Meng. It is priced at fifteen thousand taels."
Zhu Lele took a deep breath.
It's just a necklace, worth at most a thousand taels of silver.
Wen Yan dared to bid 15,000 taels of silver.
The curse words almost came out of my mouth.
She finally figured it out.
Wen Yan did it on purpose.
He wants to cheat them out of their money in the name of the imperial gift!
She wouldn't fall for it.
I was just about to make an excuse that I didn't have that much money and not buy it.
Anyway, no one would carry tens of thousands of taels of silver notes with them when going out.
No one would say anything to her for this reason.
Wen Yan seemed to see through her thoughts.
Before she could speak, he said, "I know you two didn't bring so much money with you today. But it's okay. We'll seal the things and deliver them to your house in person. We can settle the bill later."
She immediately asked someone to bring a box, carefully packed the two things, and sealed it.
Even if they don’t want to buy it, they have to buy it!
Zhu Lele doesn't want to be the scapegoat.
If her parents knew that she had so much silver, they would make her kneel in the ancestral hall all night.
Her eyes rolled around.
Suddenly he shouted, "Meng Chifei, how dare you openly sell the things bestowed by the emperor? What crime should you take?"
Zhu Lele knew that he was no match for Wen Yan, so he turned his attention to Meng Chifei.
Meng Chifei is tongue-tied and definitely cannot defeat himself in an argument.
Either she would take back the gift from the emperor, or she would be blinded by anger and do something to herself.
Then she wouldn't have to waste this money.
Unfortunately, she miscalculated.
Meng Chifei said calmly: "I have obtained the approval of the emperor and the queen for selling these four imperial gifts. What crime have I committed?
There are only four items in my store that were gifts from the emperor, and you two picked up half of them as soon as you arrived.
Miss Zhu, Miss Jiang, you are so lucky."
Miss Jiang San's face was twisted with anger.
Do you want this blessing?
"Everyone has a misunderstanding about our shop, and I'm here to explain," Meng Chifei said loudly, his breath sinking, "Jinyang Prefecture is suffering from a drought, and my brother has been assigned to provide disaster relief.
Although Your Majesty is looking after the hundreds of thousands of people in Jinyang Prefecture, my brother and I also want to do our bit to help, which is why we have the scene you see now.
In three days, our store will hold an auction with many great items. If you are interested, please come and join us."
The customers who were choosing things in the store were all stunned.
They didn't expect that the massive opening publicity was actually to raise funds for disaster relief.
Zhu Lele snorted and was about to say something.
Then a shrill voice was heard outside: "The Queen's decree..."
The shop was quiet again.
The people at the door automatically made way for several eunuchs to come in.
The leading eunuch smiled cordially at Meng Chifei and said, "Captain Meng, the Empress has an order."
The chief eunuch addressed Meng Chifei by her official title, not her maiden name.
Essentially, this distances her from ordinary noble ladies.
Meng Chifei quickly pulled Wen Yan to kneel down.
The others also knelt down.
The chief eunuch read out the imperial decree: "In compliance with the empress's decree, Meng Chifei, the daughter of the great general, who guards the country..."
The content of the decree was very simple. The queen praised Meng Chifei for her concern for the people and her kindness, and gave her a jade ruyi as a reward.
She can freely decide whether to keep or give up this jade ruyi.
Meng Chifei immediately said that this was the Queen's sympathy for the victims of the Jinyang Prefecture, so she put the jade ruyi up for auction three days later.
The eunuch nodded with satisfaction, said congratulations, and left.
Zhu Lele felt like he had drunk a jar of old vinegar, and his whole body was emitting sour smell.
She tugged at the handkerchief in her hand.
Why is Meng Chifei, a big, strong man, so favored by the Queen?!
She snorted coldly: "It's just taking advantage of the royal power to benefit yourself.
With all the fanfare, how much of the money from the sales will actually reach the victims?
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