"Mr. Rong, is that jade really that good?" After Rong Yunhe handed the jade in his hand to the next merchant, the other merchants around him could not help but ask anxiously!
Rong Yunhe saw the expressions of these people who were eager to know, but he just smiled at Shu Ya and said calmly, "Very good!"
After he finished speaking, Rong Yunhe stopped talking and sat quietly at the table as before, ignoring the commotion around him caused by what he had just said!
"Very...good?" After a while, everyone smiled awkwardly. They felt that the eldest son of the Rong family was really weird. He looked weird, acted weird, and spoke even weirder!
"Oh, how pitiful, it's all in vain!" The three people sitting in the side room laughed after seeing the disappointed expressions of those merchants, and Xiahou Qin even spoke with a smile!
Those merchants thought Rong Yunhe was just a teenager of fifteen or sixteen years old, so they felt that he could be bullied and wanted to get some valuable information from him!
But how could there be anyone so simple-minded in the Rong family? Rong Yunhe was the future patriarch of the Rong family, carefully nurtured and brought up by Old Lady Chen since childhood. How could she have raised someone who would easily reveal his thoughts?
"Although merchants from other places may not know how to distinguish the quality of jade, merchants from Youzhou are experts in this area!" Unlike Xiahou Qin's optimism, Yun Qianmeng spoke with a hint of solemnity, and his eyes lightly swept over the Youzhou merchants sitting on the other side. He saw that these people were just like Rong Yunhe. No matter whether it was good jade or bad jade, they would scoop it in their hands and observe it carefully. They did not treat it differently based on the quality!
And just as Yun Qianmeng said, in the auction that was already halfway through, 70% of the jade with poor quality was bought by merchants from other places, while the remaining 30% was bought by some small merchants in Youzhou!
Those who have not yet made a move are merchants with stronger financial resources. They are as calm and composed as Rong Yunhe, just waiting for the best jade to be nominated by the master!
"How long will this take?" It was almost noon, but the auction in the front hall was still in full swing. Xiahou Qin couldn't help but stretch and spoke while yawning!
"This is not something that can be rushed! Right now, the jade demand has only reached a medium level. If someone with ulterior motives fights for it, I'm afraid it may not end until tomorrow!" Yun Qianmeng drank the tea in her hand calmly, and from time to time she glanced at Chu Feiyang. The two smiled indifferently, and then turned their attention to the front hall, paying close attention to the developments in front!
"Thank goodness you have such great patience! So, after the auction ends today, we can go back to the capital?" Touching his hungry stomach, Xiahou Qin picked up a piece of glutinous rice cake and put it into his mouth, asking casually!
"Cousin, are you reluctant to leave the beautiful scenery of Youzhou?" Chu Feiyang asked back, looking at Xiahou Qin with a hint of sneer in his eyes!
Seeing this, Yun Qianmeng chuckled, turned slightly sideways and nodded to Mu Chun behind her. After seeing Mu Chun bow and leave, she sat up straight again!
Xiahou Qin shook his head repeatedly, seriously rejecting Chu Feiyang's proposal. "I was ordered to protect you back to the capital! How can I continue to stay in Youzhou? Even if the emperor doesn't blame me, I'm afraid my grandfather won't forgive me! But I'm a little curious, are you really going to take Chu Pei with you?"
Hearing this, Chu Feiyang raised his eyebrows slightly and asked instead of answering, "What else? Cousin, do you plan to send another group to escort him back to the capital? Or do you hope that Lu Xin's people can send Chu Pei back to the capital?"
Xiahou Qin declined the offer and immediately shrank his head, pretending not to hear Chu Feiyang's suggestion and continued to focus on the progress of the auction outside!
Yun Qianmeng saw Xiahou Qin being silent, and she felt funny in her heart, but she did not say a word!
Chu Pei's identity is special, so he cannot be handed over to others. Otherwise, if something happens, all the accusations will be directed at Chu Feiyang. To be on the safe side, Chu Pei will naturally be allowed to return to Beijing with them!
"Prince, Princess!" At this time, Mu Chun walked in with several maids!
The aroma of food and rice immediately attracted Xiahou Qin's nose to sniff hard. He looked at the maids eagerly as they put lunch on the table, and couldn't wait to pick up the bowl and chopsticks to eat!
"I'll offer five million taels!" After lunch, the three of them were sipping their tea when a loud shout came from the front hall!
Looking closely, I saw a man holding up a number plate in his hand and bidding a sum two hundred thousand taels higher than the lowest price, hoping to get the first piece of the best quality jade today!
For a moment, there were bursts of exclamations outside. Not to mention the mining fee of up to 5 million taels, even if it was just the 4.8 million taels reported by the government, it would cause a lot of discussion among the people who lacked strength and the people outside the government office!
"I'll bid five million and one hundred thousand taels!" But before people could digest their surprise, Boss Li, who was the only powerful man in Youzhou City, held up his number plate and reported a higher number than the man in a calm tone and expression, which made the people stunned!
I think in their daily life, one or two taels of silver can buy several buckets of rice. But although these people are lowly merchants, they actually hold so much wealth in their hands. It is really shocking and unbelievable!
"Five million and two hundred thousand taels!" The man was not willing to be outdone, and immediately reported an additional one hundred thousand taels. At the same time, he turned around and glared at Boss Li, trying to use his momentum to overwhelm the shriveled old man and make him retreat!
"Five million three hundred thousand taels!" Little did he know that in order to become the richest man in Youzhou, Boss Li would not give in. He immediately reported the amount of silver he could afford!
"Okay! Boss Li, if you can get this jade, it will be a honor for our Youzhou Chamber of Commerce! We all have our eyes on you!" Boss Li's determined look immediately united the merchants in Youzhou!
How could they have expected that the government would use auctioning as a fair selection method!
Even if they want to join forces, what if the auction price is too high? Wouldn't all the merchants in the Youzhou Chamber of Commerce lose everything they have?
Therefore, those merchants with weaker strength have already withdrawn from the auction, and are just waiting to see who will get the best jades!
Little did they know that Boss Li actually made a bid at this time, which really boosted the morale of the Youzhou merchants. For a moment, everyone looked at Boss Li and gave his support!
"Five and a half million taels!" But the man did not give in at all, and raised the price by two hundred thousand taels at once, which immediately suppressed the momentum of the group of merchants who were cheering for Boss Li!
"Five million six hundred thousand taels!" Boss Li continued to increase the amount by one hundred thousand taels! However, at this moment, he turned his eyes to the man, calculating his own wealth in his heart, and his originally calm expression also changed a little!
If this man kept asking for more silver, even he would find it difficult! The current bid was 5.6 million taels, and the Li family's maximum limit was 6.4 million taels. If he exceeded this amount, even if he scooped up the jade, he would not have the silver to pay the government, let alone the silver to mine the jade!
Thinking of this, Boss Li felt a little confused for a moment, but at this time the man did not immediately increase the amount of silver, but fell into deep thought with him!
The courtyard fell silent because of the two people's silence. Only the master's voice was heard, "Five million six hundred thousand taels! Does anyone have a higher offer than this? If not, then..."
"Six and a half million taels!" Little did they know that the silent man suddenly spoke up and directly raised the bid to six and a half million taels, which immediately caused a lot of discussion, while Boss Li was dejected like a defeated rooster and no longer raised his hand!
"Seven million taels!" At this moment, a cold voice sounded!
Everyone turned their heads and saw the servant beside the eldest son of the Rong family holding up the number plate, and the shocking seven million taels came out of Rong Yunhe's mouth!
"Rong Yunhe is really amazing! He saw that these two people had reached their limit and others did not dare to make a move, so he directly reported a number that others could not reach, and easily won the jade item!" Taking a sip of hot tea, Xiahou Qin looked at Rong Yunhe's cold expression through the window and spoke slowly!
Hearing Xiahou Qin's pertinent evaluation, Yun Qianmeng nodded slightly. "Indeed! Instead of wasting time with them, it's better to deliver a fatal blow directly!"
As he was speaking, a final word came from outside, and the first and highest quality jade mining rights were won by the Rong family!
However, Rong Yunhe's move just now served as a deterrent, and all the merchants were on guard against him!
However, the Rong family is very wealthy. Even though they have tried hard to avoid the Rong family, they still cannot avoid a head-on confrontation with Rong Yunhe!
After a fierce verbal battle over the price, only the last piece of high-quality jade was left, and the rest fell into Rong Yunhe's hands!
"I think the Rong family is determined to win! With such financial resources, it's no wonder that although they are merchants, they are imperial merchants! Even the emperor relies on the Rong family!" The people at the door showed envy in their eyes and couldn't help but talk about Rong Yunhe who was sitting at the table from beginning to end!
"That's right! In the blink of an eye, tens of millions of taels of silver disappeared, and that young master didn't even blink. The Rong family is truly terrifying!" Such a huge amount of silver would be astronomical for ordinary people! It also made them realize the power of the Rong family. Without a certain level of strength, they wouldn't have become the only imperial merchant in Western Chu, nor would they have been favored by Emperor Yugan, who even allowed two generations of Western Chu kings to marry women from the Rong family as concubines!
"It's exactly the same amount as we expected!" Yun Qianmeng looked at Rong Yunhe who looked calm and said this softly, but in her heart she couldn't help but admire Rong Yunhe's cleverness!
Chu Feiyang smiled faintly as he helped Yun Qianmeng up, saying calmly, "He's paid no less than anyone else! Others think he has a large family and a lot of capital to compete with others, but little do they know that without these days of investigation, how could Rong Yunhe be so confident? Moreover, tens of millions is not a small amount of money. Even the Rong family has to be cautious. If they invest the wrong money, they are likely to lose everything!"
After hearing Chu Feiyang's words, Yun Qianmeng nodded, retracted her gaze towards the front hall, and slowly said, "The next thing depends on Rong Yunhe! I wonder when Wen Han will be able to return!"
"It's almost time! We should go back and pack up to prepare to return to Beijing!" Seeing Xiahou Qin who had already turned around and left the room, Chu Feiyang took Yun Qianmeng's hand and walked out slowly!
In the front hall, an auction without any suspense ended perfectly when it got dark!
Hundreds of merchants came with high hopes but left disappointed. Disappointed, they envied Rong Yunhe who won the first prize. It was a pity that they were not wealthy, so how could they compete with others?
In the presence of everyone, Rong Yunhe signed the document that had been drafted long ago with the government on the spot and paid all the silver, and then he took Si'er away from the Youzhou government office!
"Young Master, where are we going? You've been tired all day, you should go back and rest!" Following closely behind Rong Yunhe, Si'er found that the road they were taking was not leading to the warehouse!
But the only answer he got was the clatter of horse hooves!
It was not until Rong Yunhe came to the house he had lived in last time that Si'er understood his young master's intention!
At this time, the house was already filled with noise. All the merchants in the Youzhou Chamber of Commerce were making a big fuss because Boss Li did not win any jade in the auction!
"Uncle Li, it's because you were too ambitious that we didn't even get a medium-sized jade item this time! It's such a disgrace to us!" The complaints were endless. Whenever people remembered that it was the merchants from other places who took away things that originally belonged to them, they became angry!
"You say that easily. Rong Yunhe had already raised the price to seven million taels. Do I have to go bankrupt just to save your face? Why don't you fight for it? You all just blame others afterwards!" Boss Li was even more angry! What made him even more worried was that the demand for Youzhou's jade was now almost divided up by outsiders. What would happen to them, the jade merchants in Youzhou?
"If you are interested, you can join my Rong family!" At this time, a familiar clear voice came from far away!
Everyone turned their heads and saw a young man slowly approaching under the quiet moonlight. His expression was indifferent, but not contemptuous, which made people feel that he was noble and not bullying!
"Mr. Rong!" There was an exclamation from the crowd. Everyone looked at each other, wondering why Rong Yunhe came here at this time!
"I wonder what Master Rong has to say?" Boss Li, speaking as the Chamber of Commerce's president, was also trying to guess Rong Yunhe's intentions. He was also surprised that the other side, clearly the victor, would actually come to visit them, the defeated ones!
"I know that everyone in the Youzhou Chamber of Commerce has hardly gained anything this time, so I came here to cooperate with you!" Rong Yunhe walked up to Boss Li and stated his purpose loudly!
"What do you mean? I don't quite understand what Mr. Rong means! With the strength of the Rong family, there is no need for Mr. Rong to look for us!" When Boss Li noticed that someone had a happy look on his face, his heart tightened, and he tested Rong Yunhe with a hint of vigilance!
"Boss Li, since you already know the strength of the Rong family, why would my Rong family have any ideas about you? However, you all know that the Rong family seldom deals with jade, while you are jade merchants in Youzhou. In this respect, you have a great advantage over the Rong family! I came here today, hoping that you can join the Rong family! Be responsible for mining jade! You all know that the Rong family won the best jade this time, and the future share will be very considerable! However, the merchants from Youzhou were almost wiped out in the auction this time. I believe you all know what choice is beneficial to you!" Rong Yunhe spoke calmly. He was not afraid because he was the youngest or the other party had a large number of people. His frank appearance and calm tone made people realize his sincerity, and even made most people begin to waver and be moved!
Boss Li naturally noticed everyone's expressions. To be honest, he was also tempted by the opportunity provided by Rong Yunhe!
But who knows if Rong Yunhe will kick them away after using them?
What they need is long-term livelihood, not temporary exploitation!
Although the others had smiles on their faces, they were still subconsciously paying attention to Boss Li's expression. Seeing that he did not immediately respond to Rong Yunhe's proposal, they did not dare to agree to Rong Yunhe casually, for fear of falling into the trap of the Rong family!
"If you have any questions, feel free to ask!" How could Rong Yunhe not understand their concerns and calculations? And since he had come today for this very matter, he patiently spoke, waiting to answer their questions!
"Mr. Rong, how long do you plan to cooperate with us?" Since Rong Yunhe had spoken, Boss Li naturally did not hesitate. They were all businessmen, so of course they would not get angry. If they did not make things clear, they would most likely be the ones who would suffer in the future!
"The conditions are written here, everyone can circulate it!" Unexpectedly, Rong Yunhe came prepared. He pulled out a written document from his sleeve and handed it to Boss Li. "Words are not enough. The Rong family has already made it a written agreement. If everyone thinks the conditions are acceptable, please sign and seal it, and this document will take effect!"
Boss Li was the first to take it and read it carefully. He felt relieved, but still puzzled. "Is Master Rong pitying us?"
Hearing this, Si'er glanced at Boss Li coldly, thinking that this old man was really nosy! How could their Rong family pity them?
Rong Yunhe smiled elegantly and spoke slowly, "If it were Boss Li, would you pity your defeated men? The winner always takes the throne! But you are the governor of Youzhou, and you are very familiar with Youzhou's jade needs! And although the Rong family is the richest in Western Chu, they have never come into contact with jade needs. In comparison, you naturally have the advantage! I am only doing this to prevent you from interfering! Everything is based on the interests of the Rong family, Boss Li, there is no need to think too much!"
To be honest, Rong Yunhe's sincerity immediately made Boss Li look at this young man with new eyes! In his heart, he saw from Rong Yunhe that businessmen could also be so honest. No wonder the Rong family was so powerful!
"Okay, I'll sign!" Nodding carefully, Boss Li immediately asked his servant to prepare pen and ink, and was the first to sign his name on the document!
Seeing this, the other merchants no longer hesitated and followed suit, signing and sealing the agreement!
"I will send the steward of the Rong family to contact you regarding the next matters. Bye bye first!" Seeing that the matter was settled, Rong Yunhe put away the document and led Si'er out of the house!
Inside the Chu Mansion!
"Sir, I didn't expect that the King of Chu would drag the Rong family into this!" A guard repeated everything that happened today to Chu Pei, but his brows never relaxed during the narration!
"Go pack your bags, it's time for us to get on the road!" But Chu Pei sneered and turned into the inner room!
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