"How much silver is this jade ruyi worth?" Song Zhiyu pretended to be interested in examining the jade ruyi in the old man's hand, but his real purpose was the red agate jade bottle in the corner.
The old man was overjoyed, thinking that these daughters of officials were easy to fool. "This is Master Qian Yuan's masterpiece, worth four thousand taels. But since I feel a connection with you, I'm willing to sell it to you for the low price of three thousand taels. No one else has this opportunity."
Master Qian Yuan was once a famous jade carver in the Lintian Dynasty. The jade he crafted was considered top-quality. No wonder the old man asked for four thousand taels without feeling guilty at all.
Seeing that Song Zhiyu's clothes and jewelry were quite expensive, he knew she was someone who didn't lack money, so he naturally wanted to ask for an exorbitant amount.
“Three thousand taels…” Song Zhiyu murmured, her lips twitching slightly. Did she look like a sucker?
The old man didn't notice Song Zhiyu's subtle expression. "Young lady, three thousand taels won't make you lose out or be cheated. You can buy Master Qianyuan's masterpiece. Why not?"
Song Zhiyu hit the nail on the head: "If your jade ruyi is really that valuable, why don't you sell it to the Treasure Pavilion instead of offering it at a low price? How can I believe that this jade ruyi is genuine?"
But the old man seemed to have been prepared. He slowly took out a book of poems with slightly yellowed paper from his bundle, stroked his beard, and sighed, "This is the original work of Master Qian Yuan, and it also bears his personal seal."
Everyone in the capital knows that Master Qianyuan's private seal was personally bestowed by His Majesty; it is the only one of its kind in the entire world, and no one can imitate it.
Song Zhiyu gently stroked the seal on the book with her fingertips, a look of surprise flashing across her face. This seal was real.
I initially thought he was just a con artist, but it turns out he actually has genuine works by Master Qian Yuan. No wonder he dares to openly swindle people.
"This is indeed a genuine work by Master Qian Yuan." Song Zhiyu deliberately raised his voice, intending for the person hiding in the shadows to hear.
"Young lady, now you should believe me, right? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." The old man's eyes darted around, and instead of directly answering Song Zhiyu's question, he changed the subject.
Apart from this genuine manuscript, everything else is a fake.
But so what? As long as this original manuscript exists, no one will doubt his words.
On his way to the capital, he had already sold many "authentic works by Master Qian Yuan" using this method, making a fortune.
Even if those people discover the truth later, so what? He will have already fled and changed his name.
“I really can’t afford three thousand taels…” Song Zhiyu looked conflicted, as if he was really considering buying the jade ruyi.
Seeing this, the old man gritted his teeth and reduced the price by another two hundred taels. His expression looked somewhat pained, but in reality, he was overjoyed. "Since the young lady and I are of one mind, how about I sell it to you for two thousand eight hundred taels?"
There are quite a few fools with lots of money in the capital, and he just happened to run into one.
"Two thousand five hundred taels." Song Zhiyu bargained and reduced the price by three hundred taels from the original two thousand eight hundred taels.
Upon hearing this, the old man hurriedly waved his hand in refusal, feeling that he had Song Zhiyu firmly under his control and was not afraid that she would not buy it. "No, it has to be at least two thousand seven hundred taels."
The old man was quick-witted. He originally only wanted to sell it for two thousand taels, but seeing that Song Zhiyu seemed very fond of the jade ruyi, his eyes darted around and he refused to budge an inch.
This girl looks easy to fool; he'll definitely try to swindle more money from her.
"Two thousand six hundred taels." Song Zhiyu took a step back.
The old man remained silent, clearly determined.
Finally, Song Zhiyu compromised, "Two thousand seven hundred taels is fine, but you have to give me something."
She pointed casually to the red agate jade bottle lying quietly in the corner.
"This vase looks nice; it's perfect for the room."
"Okay, you can take it."
The old man glanced at it out of the corner of his eye and chuckled to himself. The young girl just liked these fancy things, and this was the least valuable one among them.
Song Zhiyu picked up the red agate jade bottle and stuffed it into Lu Bai's arms, smiling broadly. "In that case, I'll go back and take the silver first. Please don't sell the jade ruyi to anyone else, sir."
He managed to acquire the most expensive red agate jade bottle without spending a single copper coin. If the old man knew the truth, he would be furious.
The person who raised eagles year after year ended up having his eyes pecked by an eagle.
"Don't worry, young lady, I will definitely keep my word," the old man replied cheerfully.
But he was just saying it; if another sucker offered a higher price, his words wouldn't count.
Song Zhiyu remained noncommittal, but secretly gave Lu Bai a look, signaling her to cooperate with the upcoming drama.
The two were having a very pleasant conversation, which worried Shen Jinhua, who was hiding in the shadows. To make matters worse, Song Zhiyu and Lu Bai's conversation kept getting into her ears.
"Miss, are you really going to buy this jade ruyi? It costs two thousand seven hundred taels of silver."
As soon as Lu Bai finished speaking, Song Zhiyu chimed in, "Master Qian Yuan's genuine work is worth far more than 2,700 taels of silver. In the end, I'm the one who made the profit."
Her slightly cheerful voice sounded particularly grating to Shen Jinhua's ears.
“That’s true. If Miss hadn’t had another genuine work by Master Qian Yuan, she wouldn’t have recognized his private seal so easily.” Lu Bai patted her chest, looking very pleased, as if they had gotten a great deal.
Hearing the faint rustling sounds coming from the alley entrance, Song Zhiyu knew that the fish had taken the bait.
She narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly, glancing out of the corner of her eye at the two restless figures not far away, and raised her voice considerably, "Let's go back to the Marquis's residence to get the money first, lest someone snatch it up at a higher price."
This made Shen Jinhua's heart waver uncontrollably. Could it be that the jade ruyi in this old man's hand was really Master Qian Yuan's masterpiece?
I heard that Madam Ling loved jade and treasured all kinds of jade stones, which she cherished.
If she could present this jade ruyi as a birthday gift to Old Madam Ling, it would not only please her, but also, with Master Qian Yuan's reputation, she would surely outshine Song Zhiyu, steal the spotlight at the birthday banquet, and win Old Madam Ling's favor.
At that time, it will be much easier for her to marry into the Duke of Ling's family.
But where would she get so much money? Shen Jinhua's joy was short-lived, and she became troubled again.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Shen Jinhua.
She didn't have any money, but her uncle did.
If her uncle knew what she was thinking, he would definitely support her wholeheartedly.
If she can successfully marry into the Duke of Ling's mansion, it will be entirely beneficial to the Marquis of Cheng'en's mansion.
Shen Jinhua became more and more excited as she thought about it. She had to raise the money to buy the jade ruyi before Song Zhiyu returned to the mansion, and see what Song Zhiyu could use to compete with her.
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