Ye Rou was caught off guard, and her expression changed drastically. She thought that buying "Liuyun" for 1,500 taels was already a high price, but who would have thought that a roadblock would appear out of nowhere.
Shen Feng's face turned green, after all, it was his money that was being spent.
The happiest person on the scene was Yunxi. Her charming fox-like eyes slightly raised as she recognized the person in the private room.
It seems she's not the only one who wants to raise the price of her employer's reputation.
"Madam, will you continue bidding?" Yunxi looked at Ye Rou with a smile, her tone gentle, but every word was like a sharp blade piercing her heart.
"Two thousand five hundred taels..." Ye Rou gritted her teeth and added another five hundred taels.
She had already offered 2,500 taels, so the man probably wouldn't raise the price, Ye Rou thought with a glimmer of hope.
But as soon as she finished speaking, the people in the private room followed suit, raising the price by five hundred taels at a time.
"Three thousand taels."
Everyone gasped. It wasn't that they couldn't afford three thousand taels, but after weighing the pros and cons, they still felt it wasn't worth spending three thousand taels on a piece of clothing.
But people always love to join in the fun, and what made them even more curious was whether Mrs. Ye would continue to raise the price.
*
At this moment, Ye Rou's face had turned completely white.
She gripped her dress tightly with both hands, torn between her inner turmoil and the decision of whether to continue bidding.
She had only three thousand two hundred taels of silver in total, and reason told her that it was not worth spending so much money on a piece of clothing.
But she had an urge to keep bidding.
It wasn't just about a piece of clothing; it was also about saving face. She didn't want her mother to laugh at her.
"Miss, what should we do if she stops bidding?" Lu Bai asked anxiously, pacing back and forth in the private room.
In contrast, Song Zhiyu calmly brewed and poured tea, her smooth and graceful movements were a pleasure to watch, and she seemed completely unfazed.
"Don't rush, it hasn't reached her bottom price yet." Song Zhiyu handed a cup of tea to Lu Bai and comforted her gently.
Upon hearing this, Lu Bai calmed down, drank the tea in her cup in one gulp, and felt much more at ease.
She believed everything her young lady said; if her young lady said there was no bottom price, then there must be no bottom price.
As expected, Ye Rou raised the price.
"Three thousand two hundred taels."
She spoke those words through gritted teeth.
Shen Feng turned his head in surprise, a hint of disapproval in his eyes. Three thousand two hundred taels was far beyond the budget.
This is three thousand two hundred taels, not three hundred taels.
Lu Bai jumped up and excitedly rubbed her hands together as she paced back and forth. "Miss, you guessed right. Three thousand two hundred taels for a dress? Madam Ye will be disgusted when she sees this dress in the future."
“Three thousand five hundred taels. I quite like this dress. I happen to be attending the Prime Minister's wife's chrysanthemum appreciation banquet in a few days, so I might as well wear this.” Song Zhiyu rested her chin on one hand, her narrow phoenix eyes filled with a smile, and said casually.
Her nonchalant tone made it seem as if she had already successfully won the bid for the dress, which made Ye Rou grit her teeth in hatred.
She had meticulously planned to attend the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet for a long time, and she was unwilling to give it up easily, but she simply couldn't afford any more money.
Ye Rou remained silent, her face showing a conflicted expression. She felt a desire to back down, but also a sense of reluctance.
The atmosphere around them froze for a moment, and everyone held their breath as they looked at Ye Rou, wondering if she would make another bid.
They watched as if they had just witnessed a grand spectacle, patiently awaiting further developments.
Lu Bai nervously twisted the handkerchief in her hand, her knuckles turning white from gripping it so tightly.
For a moment, you could hear a pin drop.
Only the ancient incense burner emitted wisps of smoke, the fresh and tranquil fragrance of jasmine intertwining with the understated elegance of agarwood, swirling upwards and silently permeating the air around everyone.
"Thank you for your kind offer, Madam." Song Zhiyu spoke slowly, seemingly certain that Ye Rou would not raise the price further.
Upon hearing this, a faint blush rose on Ye Rou's cheeks, and the string of reason in her mind snapped completely. Ignoring the subtle gaze that Shen Feng was casting at her, she raised her voice, "Four thousand taels!"
The audience couldn't help but gasp. Spending four thousand taels on a single garment—this mother of the head of the household was truly wealthy and powerful.
Among the guests invited to the auction were many court officials who were also aware of Shen Rushan's family background.
With Chen Rushan's current salary, he couldn't afford a garment costing four thousand taels.
It seems the Ministry of Justice has been making quite a bit of money off of itself.
Shen Feng noticed that the officials' gazes toward Ye Rou were meaningful, and he couldn't help but feel flustered, followed by a surge of resentment.
Rushan had finally gained a foothold in the court and was about to be promoted; he absolutely could not afford any accidents.
He needs to think of a solution.
*
Ye Rou was in no better shape; she regretted her words as soon as they left her mouth.
She didn't know why she acted so impulsively just now, bidding on a whim, and now she regretted it terribly.
Buying a piece of clothing for four thousand taels of silver? That's just being a sucker.
Even if she liked the dress very much, she would never spend more than twice the price to buy it.
But words spoken are like water spilled; they can't be taken back.
Now, all she can do is look hopefully toward the private room where Song Zhiyu is, praying that she will raise the price to buy the dress.
She immediately gave up as soon as someone in the private room made an offer.
But Song Zhiyu did not do as she wished. She simply put down her teacup and reached out to push open the half-closed window.
"Crunch~"
A crisp sound echoed in the hall, and then a pair of slender, graceful hands came into everyone's view.
Under Ye Rou's resentful gaze, Song Zhiyu parted her red lips slightly.
"Since Madam likes this dress so much, I naturally cannot take what belongs to her."
The casual remark seemed to be about something unrelated, completely lacking the aggressive tone of the previous price increase.
"Isn't this Song Zhiyu, the second young lady of the Marquis's mansion? I didn't expect the person in the private room to be her."
"Isn't Shen Rushan a disciple of Marquis Chengen? I heard that Marquis Chengen treats Shen Rushan very well and raises him like his own son. How come she is arguing with Shen Rushan's mother over the same clothes? Isn't she afraid that the Marquis will blame her?"
The person who said this had a strange expression, but his eyes betrayed his schadenfreude.
Ye Rou overheard the conversation around her and learned about Song Zhiyu's identity. Her face turned pale and then flushed, a truly dramatic sight.
Thinking of the losses she and Shu'er suffered at Song Zhiyu's hands, Ye Rou trembled with anger, "You..."
If Song Zhiyu hadn't interfered, she would have bought the dress for one thousand taels long ago, instead of paying an extra three thousand taels.
Song Zhiyu is deliberately making things difficult for her. It wasn't enough that she harmed Shu'er, now she wants to harm her too.
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