Chapter 166 Spending a fortune to win a beauty's smile
The atmosphere at the auction was very lively. The rare treasures did not attract much interest, as the young masters from wealthy families were there mainly for the calligraphy and paintings of the noble ladies.
"Eight hundred taels"
"One thousand taels!"
"One thousand two hundred taels!"
......
After Dou Wenyi casually took her seat, Princess Fu'an and Shen Lishu sat down on either side of her.
At this moment, a painting titled "Searching for Plum Blossoms in the Snow" is being auctioned in the hall. As the price rises steadily, Shen Lishu's face becomes increasingly red.
Dou Wenyi glanced at her and teased, "Let's guess, did this painting end up in the hands of Gu Yufeng, the commander of the Imperial Guards, or Yin Congjian, the vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue?"
"Who will win? It's so hard to choose!"
The person present at the auction was indeed Yin Congjian. I wonder whose face Pei Siyan is using to flaunt himself today.
Princess Fu'an glanced at the two men who were arguing and clicked her tongue twice.
She turned to look at Shen Lishu, "In my opinion, both of them are quite good. Gu Yufeng looks a bit ruthless, always on the edge of his skin. Living with a man like him would probably be a constant struggle. But his physique looks more powerful; he'd probably be more exciting in bed. What does a mere Imperial Guard know about calligraphy and painting? He never has time to attend these banquets; he's probably here for you!"
"Don't you and Gu Yufeng have any connection?"
Shen Lishu blushed from her face to her neck. She was on good terms with Gu Lingrong and had even visited the Gu family, but she had never spoken a word to her older brother, Gu Yufeng.
How could he possibly have those kinds of thoughts about me?
Princess Fu'an squinted her eyes and said, "As for this Yin Congjian, he is dashing and unrestrained, but I'm afraid he's a playboy. Which one do you think is better?"
Shen Lishu was extremely embarrassed. "It was all an anonymous auction. They had no idea that it was painted by me."
Princess Fu'an ruthlessly exposed her, "Are you stupid? How could they not know? Xie Guidu's painting skills are unparalleled, yet he only sells for a few taels of silver. But your painting sold for two thousand taels of silver?"
"If they're not after you, are they just stupid enough to be taken advantage of? Spending a fortune just to win a smile from a beauty, right?"
Recently, many young noblemen have been making special trips to inquire about the owners of the auctioned items; the princess is practically turning into a matchmaker.
Dou Wenyi wholeheartedly agreed, a smile playing on her lips. "You'd better keep your eyes open and choose carefully this time."
"My dear sisters, please, please stop teasing me." Shen Lishu blushed and kept twisting her handkerchief.
In her previous life, after Shen Lishu divorced, she seemed not to remarry, and it was unknown who her true love was, so she couldn't offer advice casually.
The painting "Searching for Plum Blossoms in the Snow" was eventually auctioned off to Gu Yufeng for a high price of three thousand taels of silver, while Shen Lishu's handwritten Buddhist scripture dramatically ended up in the hands of Yin Congjian.
Next came several more paintings and calligraphies. One of them, "Red Apricot and Rocks," was inexplicably sold for five thousand taels of silver by a group of people. The person who bought the painting was a manager, but it was unclear which family he belonged to.
Princess Fu'an stared intently at the painting, her eyes filled with undisguised disdain. "They've already arranged a marriage, yet so many people still covet it, attracting unwanted attention. They're shameless!"
Dou Wenyi's expression changed slightly, and she became genuinely curious. "Who painted this picture?"
Princess Fu'an sneered, "Who else could it be? It's none other than Sheng Xiyue, the Crown Prince's concubine!"
When the eldest princess received Sheng Xiyue's auction item, she praised her lavishly, while also criticizing herself, saying that if she were even half as sensible as Sheng Xiyue, she would wake up laughing in her sleep.
Fu'an was so angry that he tore up the carefully prepared painting on the spot and even retorted to the princess.
"If you like her so much, why don't you make her your daughter?"
The eldest princess was so angry she almost slapped her.
The Sheng and Cheng families were related by marriage. Princess Fu'an had grown up in the shadow of Sheng Xiyue since childhood and had long been fed up with the princess's admiration and favoritism towards her.
Now that Sheng Xiyue has been bestowed the title of concubine, Princess Fu'an was overjoyed upon hearing the news.
Dou Wenyi seemed to be deep in thought. This auction was not really about the auction itself. Princess Fu'an's deduction was not unreasonable. Besides, it was normal for a noble lady like Sheng Xiyue to have several people secretly admiring her.
Just then, Princess Fu'an's long whip caused a commotion in the audience, but many people still bid, leaving Princess Fu'an dumbfounded.
Dou Wenyi said meaningfully, "Fu'an, these people are all quite good. Take your time to choose."
Princess Fu'an scoffed, "They're either ugly ducklings or they're only after money. I don't care."
That's true. After all, the eldest princess only has one daughter, so whoever marries her will rise to the top in one step.
What followed became increasingly bizarre. The painting by Dou Bochang that Dou Wenyi had submitted was also speculated on by a group of people and sold for eight thousand taels of silver. The person who came forward to buy the painting seemed to be a stranger.
It was unremarkable, with nothing unusual about it.
He took a picture of the painting and left the auction shortly afterward.
Dou Wenyi felt a sense of unease. She still vividly remembered how Dou Bochang had been tricked last time. What kind of conspiracy was this merchant hiding?
She excused herself to use the restroom and hurriedly got up to chase after him.
It started raining heavily outside. Dou Wenyi walked quickly along the corridor to the Misty Rain Pavilion not far away to take shelter from the rain. She took out her whistle and blew it. Immediately, two dark figures darted out from somewhere.
They were the bodyguards Pei Siyan had arranged for her to protect herself.
"Follow him! Find out who that merchant is!"
The two guards exchanged a glance. "But His Highness's orders to us are to protect your safety."
The implication is that other matters are not within their scope of responsibility.
Dou Wenyi's expression seemed displeased. "Then can we leave one person behind? That person's behavior is strange. If you don't hurry, he'll leave the West Garden."
"promise!"
The two figures in black disappeared into the rain and mist in a flash.
The rain was getting heavier.
She vaguely saw Xie Mengyao holding an umbrella, walking alone along the bluestone path beside Yanming Pond.
Xie Mengyao looked dejected, seething with resentment.
Every time she encountered Dou Wenyi, she was doomed. She rolled up her sleeve, revealing red marks all over her snow-white arm, and tears streamed down her face again.
Her thoughts were in turmoil. She stepped on the mud, slipped, and stumbled, falling to the ground.
The gold hairpin on her head fell to the ground, rolled several times, and finally landed in the grass on the bank.
The umbrella fell to the side, and Xie Mengyao was almost completely soaked. She simply sat down on the grass and burst into tears, "You all just wait and see how you treat me after bullying me..."
After a while, she squatted down in the grass to look for her hairpin. Just then, a hand suddenly pushed her from behind, and Xie Mengyao fell into Yan Mingchi with a thud...
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