"It's a mess down there. When will there be any results?"
The emperor pointed at the hall, seeming a little dissatisfied.
The emperor wanted to know how much his calligraphy could be sold for.
Everyone is curious, and the emperor is no exception.
Bai Zhong broke out in a cold sweat. "Your Majesty, please wait a moment. Someone has already started bidding."
"where?"
The emperor was very curious as he didn't see anyone bidding.
Bai Zhong pointed to a young businessman holding a fan in a corner of the hall, pretending to be impressive. "Your Majesty, please look, that's the man. He's going to bid."
oh?
The emperor's eyebrows moved slightly, and his eyes were very complicated.
The other imperial grandchildren also had strange expressions.
Because the bastard holding the fan and showing off is the emperor's dear grandson, the cousin of all the emperor's grandsons present, his surname is Huang and his name is Qubing.
Huang Qubing was weak since childhood and was raised in the warm south all year round.
When he grew up a little, he returned to the capital and often lived in the Beimangshan Hot Spring Villa and rarely returned to Beijing.
Few people in Beijing are familiar with him, and many have never even seen him, so they subconsciously ignore him.
But for the emperor's grandchildren, no matter how unfamiliar they are with him, they can still recognize their cousin.
Seeing Huang Qubing dancing with a fan and pretending to be so charming and dashing, as his cousin, I felt really embarrassed.
It seems that the emperor is even more embarrassed than his grandchildren.
I feel a little depressed to have such a grandson.
The emperor coughed lightly and asked Chen Dachang beside him, "When did he come back? How come I didn't know?"
The moment Chen Dachang recognized Huang Qubing, his mind started working.
I already had a plan in mind for the various questions the emperor would ask next.
He bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, Young Master Qubing returned to the capital three days ago specifically to participate in today's bidding conference."
The emperor snorted coldly, clearly dissatisfied. "It's a rare trip back to the capital, and you don't even know to go to the palace to pay your respects?"
Chen Dachang joked, "Mr. Qubing loves money more."
"I think he is obsessed with money."
After a pause, the emperor asked, "What item is he bidding for? He wants a golden signboard, why doesn't he just come to the palace and ask me for it?"
It’s hard to say about Chen Dachang.
The emperor turned and called Liu Zhao's name, "Tell me, if Qu Bing wanted the golden signboard, why didn't he just ask me directly for it? Why did he have to spend money to buy it?"
Liu Zhao turned his head and bowed, saying, "Perhaps the one that was bought would be more convincing."
The emperor snorted, "According to you, all the golden signs I personally gave out are unworthy of their reputation, right?"
The King of Chu stood aside, gloating over the misfortune.
He wanted to see how Liu Zhao would answer this life-threatening question.
Liu Zhao said calmly, "It is of course a great honor to have the royal grandfather personally bestow upon us a golden signboard. However, behind this, there is inevitably a connection between power and influence. Whether people go there for the golden signboard or for the power behind it is unknown. But the golden signboard purchased here, in this hall, has nothing to do with power; it is only about business reputation."
The King of Chu frowned slightly upon hearing this. When had Liu Zhao become so eloquent that he could easily resolve this fatal question?
The King of Chu secretly looked at Liu Zhao. Could it be that Liu Zhao learned from Gu Jiu?
Gu Jiu is truly Liu Zhao's good wife.
The emperor nodded, obviously agreeing with Liu Zhao's statement.
"So, you mean business can't have power involved?"
Liu Zhao bowed and said, "My grandson truly believes that powerful people should not interfere in business, otherwise there will be no fair competition and no survival of the fittest.
A merchant who sells moldy and spoiled grain will soon go bankrupt if he has no power. Reality will teach him that business is business and cannot be deceptive.
But once he has power, he can sell grain, not to mention moldy or spoiled, even poisonous grain, without worrying about bankruptcy. He might even be able to monopolize the grain trade in an entire city."
"Brother Zhao, you always say that business should not be mixed with power. Then, does the business done by my sister-in-law count as being mixed with power?" The King of Chu questioned.
The atmosphere in the private room suddenly became cold, and there was a sense of tension.
But the emperor did not stop it.
Liu Zhao smiled and pointed to the hall outside. "King of Chu, look outside. Is this business or power? My wife is the wife of the emperor's grandson, but does she have the power? Does she use her power to oppress others?"
Another question: Did the money houses run by the Shaofu have power? Yes. But did the Shaofu abuse his power to pressure others in business? Did he use his power to seize business? No.
The Shaofu's bank operates according to business rules, focusing on business, not power. "Grandfather, I think the Shaofu's bank has set a good example."
The King of Chu was about to retort, but the Emperor stopped him with a wave of his hand.
The King of Chu could only swallow all the words he had not said.
The emperor pointed to the hall outside and said, "Everyone, take a close look and see clearly. When you return, each of you should write a political essay on this matter and submit it to me."
Several of the emperor's grandsons looked miserable.
Writing articles, and political commentaries at that, is so tiring!
I was ignorant when I was in school, and now I grow up I can't escape doing homework. My life is so miserable.
In the past, all this pressure was borne by the princes, that is, the fathers of all the imperial grandchildren present.
Now, all the adult princes have been driven out of the capital, under the pretext of inspecting the local areas.
So, this task of writing political commentary, like a homework assignment, fell on the shoulders of these poor grandchildren of the emperor.
What a miserable life!
Everyone went to the King of Chu and glared at Liu Zhao.
What are you fighting for? Don't you consider the occasion?
The homework has been assigned. Can you two help us with it?
The King of Chu pinched his nose and snorted. "What a bunch of ignorant fools! I'm ashamed to be brothers with them."
Liu Zhaorao was good at writing political commentaries. If the topic concerned state affairs, he had no problem doing so. He wrote them in one go.
However, when it comes to writing political commentaries on the economy and people's livelihood, he is a bit at a loss and doesn't know how to start.
It seems that I can only ask my dear wife for help.
In the hall, people began to bid one after another.
In private room number seven, the Shaofu family official asked Gu Jiu, "How much do you think they'll spend to buy the golden signboard of "Exclusively for the Royal Family"?"
Gu Jiu drank his tea without any worries. "Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars are possible. It depends on the scale of their business."
For example, making bricks definitely makes more money than making glazed tiles.
Why?
Because baked bricks have a wide range of uses, bricks are needed whenever a house is built.
Glazed tiles are not suitable for all houses.
So, if you want to take a picture of the golden signboard "Exclusively for Royal Supply" on the bricks, you will definitely have to spend a little more money than on the glazed tiles.
The Minister of the Imperial Household asked, "Can you gather the 1.7 million taels Your Majesty needs?"
Gu Jiu laughed, "Don't worry, ancestor, it will only be more, not less."
This is a golden sign!
The emperor wrote it in his own handwriting, and it not only had the emperor's personal seal, but also the imperial seal which was usually only used for state letters.
What an honor this is.
The words "Exclusively for the Imperial Household" and two seals were carved on the brick. Even the most ordinary brick became more noble with these four words and two seals.
If someone builds a house without a few bricks with golden inscriptions on them, how can it reflect the class of the house?
cannot!
As an official, if you don’t collect a few pieces of rice paper with gold-lettered signs at home and build a garden with gold-lettered signs, would you be considered cool?
No!
As a wealthy person, does it look cool if your entire house is not built with expensive bricks, tiles, wood, or stones?
No!
Is this a golden sign?
yes!
But it is even more impressive.
For Gu Jiu, no matter it is a golden signboard or a high-class status, it all means money.
That's right, she was obsessed with money.
She is almost going crazy because of poverty.
Today Liu Zhao gave her 10,000 taels, and tomorrow Zhou Miao gave her 20,000 taels. She is not an ATM that only spits out money but doesn't deposit it.
Moreover, her business empire is so weak that she needs to spend money everywhere.
People only see how much Yuhuaxiang earned, but fail to see how much money Gu Jiu spent this year.
The money she spent was in units of one hundred thousand.
This time, if she can't get a few hairs out of these rich guys, she won't be able to survive this year.
Because I have no money.
That's why she wanted Er Zhuang to follow her plan exactly and heat up the whole place first.
When people are excited, they are prone to impulsive consumption.
When you are calm, you might only spend 50,000 taels to buy the five-year use rights of the golden signboard.
If I have to pay an extra penny, I will hesitate for a long time.
But when a person is excited, let alone an extra penny, even if the price is doubled, from 50,000 to 100,000, he would be willing to spend it.
It's impulsive!
What do the wealthy like to do most when they are impulsive? Of course, they compete with each other for wealth.
Gu Jiu provided the wealthy people present with a platform to compete for wealth and gain profits.
Fight even if you can, fight to the death.
The more intense the fight, the more excited she became.
She was also very considerate and adopted the method of anonymous bidding, allowing the successful bidders to secretly feel happy first.
Then everyone changes the setting to show off, showing off their brand in front of their competitors. How cool! And by the way, they get the hell out of their competitors.
The rich love this kind of drama the most.
It's really boring to compete with each other in public. It also makes you look uneducated and a bumpkin.
It feels so good only when you casually tell your opponent that you won and you lost, and then see your opponent getting hit hard!
The place was very lively and Gu Jiu was very satisfied.
Erzhuang completed the task she assigned him successfully and lived up to her expectations of him.
After this matter is over, Erzhuang can take on more responsibilities.
The waiter knocked on the door and came in. "Excuse me, madam, old sir, Master Gu is here."
Gu Jiu was stunned. "What is the master doing here?"
"It's said to broaden your horizons."
Gu Jiu blinked and said, "Please place the master in room number three. I will be there in a while."
The waiter said, "The master came with the Minister of Revenue."
Gu Jiu now understood why Lord Gu would come here to join in the fun for no reason. It turned out that he was here to accompany the Minister of Revenue to join in the fun.
Lord Gu has always looked down upon some of the things she does.
For example, in Yuhua Lane, Lord Gu once advised her earnestly that as the wife of the emperor's grandson, her duty was to take care of her husband and children.
What kind of business is this? What kind of Yuhua Lane is this? It's simply putting the cart before the horse and looking for trouble.
It's not good for a woman to show off, it's shameful.
Women should not be the subject of gossip. Whether the gossip is good or bad, it is always shameful.
So what if you make money?
Could it be possible that the palace would be without her food or clothes?
Gu Jiu has always ignored Mr. Gu's chauvinistic ideas.
She planned to delay and not rush to see Lord Gu.
It’s not too late to go after the results are out.
Lord Gu accompanied the old man from the Ministry of Revenue and sat in private room number three.
The old man from the Ministry of Revenue looked at the lively scene in the hall and sighed, "Master Gu, your daughter is not ordinary."
Lord Gu smiled awkwardly. He was really embarrassed and did not take this as a compliment.
His old face flushed, "It's all nonsense."
"How can you say she's messing around? She's doing her job according to the Emperor's orders, and in my opinion, she's doing a great job."
Lord Gu didn't know whether to laugh or make some other expression, he just felt a little uncomfortable.
The old man from the Ministry of Revenue was very comfortable.
He promoted Lord Gu not because Lord Gu was capable or talented.
But it is because Lord Gu is a qualified executor.
These elders are all aware that Lord Gu lacks original insights and cannot come up with any effective governance plans.
But it is undeniable that Mr. Gu has strong execution ability.
Lord Gu basically completes everything his superior orders him to do without compromise.
Therefore, Lord Gu is more suitable for the position of Minister, rather than the position of the prefect of the capital.
Lord Gu himself felt that he was like a fish in water in the Ministry of Revenue.
Because he didn't have to worry about what the Ministry of Revenue should do, what it should do, or how to deal with the emperor. He only had to worry about how to do the things his superiors had told him to do.
The old man from the Ministry of Revenue does not need a subordinate who is quick-witted and has unique insights.
What he needs is a down-to-earth and hard-working executor like Lord Gu who can perfectly implement his policies, rather than confront him head-on.
This is also the reason why, although Mr. Gu is mediocre in ability, he is doing well in the Ministry of Revenue.
Lord Gu felt a little uneasy and dissatisfied.
This dissatisfaction was directed at Gu Jiu.
He has been here for such a long time, why hasn’t Gu Jiu shown up yet?
He didn't know that Gu Jiu was not happy to see him at all at this moment.
More and more people came to bid, and Erzhuang already had a pile of bids in front of him.
The guys are registering by category, and the results will be announced to everyone shortly, striving for fairness and transparency. Let everyone know that Sihai Trading Company has a strong reputation.
Doing so will be of great benefit to Sihai Trading Company's next big project.
Gu Jiu’s next big project still needs the support of these wealthy businessmen.
Many hands make light work!
After all the commotion, the final offer was delivered to Erzhuang.
Er Zhuang held the loudspeaker and asked loudly, "Are there any more bids? If not, we will announce the results. Remember, the highest bidder wins. If anyone is dissatisfied, just hold it in. Next time there is such an opportunity, remember to prepare more money."
Everyone laughed.
After laughing, I became nervous again.
Erzhuang got the first quotation result.
Looking at the string of quotes above, his face flushed because he was so excited.
He shouted, "The result of the brick auction is number 89, 289,170 taels. Congratulations to owner number 89! You have won the golden signboard of "Exclusively for the Royal Family" for bricks for the next five years."
boom!
As soon as the words fell, the place exploded.
The price for the bricks alone was nearly 290,000 taels of silver. Damn, this price is outrageous!
Everyone looked around, who was number eighty-nine?
Which boss is so generous?
The real boss of number 89 was secretly pleased. He followed everyone else's example and looked around.
Seeing everyone's envious, jealous and confused expressions, Boss No. 89 felt so happy that he had to struggle to suppress the upward curve of his lips.
Second floor, private room 8.
The emperor was subconsciously amazed.
An inconspicuous brick can be sold for nearly 290,000 taels. How much money can one make today?
The emperor looked at Liu Zhao calmly.
Where did this luck come from? Among hundreds or thousands of young ladies in the capital, Liu Zhao chose Gu Jiu.
But Gu Jiu is the real fortune-bringing boy.
For some unknown reason, the emperor felt a trace of envy in his heart.
Why doesn't he have the foresight to marry a fortune-bringing boy and place him in the palace?
Resentment!
In private room number three, Lord Gu opened his eyes wide in disbelief.
"Two hundred and eighty thousand taels? Not twenty-eight thousand?"
The old man from the Ministry of Revenue stroked his beard and said, "Madam Zhao's reputation as a money-making boy is well-deserved. Lord Gu, next time Madam Zhao has any profitable business, don't forget to let me know. I also want to make some money for my coffin."
Lord Gu was extremely embarrassed. "This, this, this, is it possible that I read it wrong?"
The old man from the Ministry of Revenue laughed heartily. "It can't be wrong. It's written in black and white, how can it be false?"
That's right, the price quote for bricks was recorded on a large piece of rice paper and posted on a vertical wooden board.
The words are large enough to ensure everyone can see them clearly.
There were seven people in total who participated in the bidding for bricks.
Seven quotations are listed from high to low.
The second-ranked bid was only twelve thousand taels less than the first-ranked bid.
The businessman at number 63 secretly beat his chest and stamped his feet.
He is the second-ranked bidder.
He was only 12,000 taels away from the golden signboard, and he was almost angry to death.
Who is the bastard number eighty-nine?
They stole his golden signboard, and from now on, the two families will be irreconcilable.
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