"His Majesty...has arrived!"
This loud announcement, like a bucket of cold water poured into a boiling oil pan, instantly silenced all the noise and bidding sounds in the entire Yuexianlou.
Everyone seemed to be frozen in place, turning their gazes in unison toward the stairwell, their faces filled with utter shock and disbelief.
His Majesty?
Why would His Majesty grace this place with his presence?!
This is just a private charity auction initiated by Her Majesty the Empress to raise funds for the orphanage! Although it is called "Royal," it is ultimately a matter of the inner palace. How could it have alarmed the Emperor?
Amidst the stunned gazes of the crowd, Xiao Che, dressed in a black casual robe yet still exuding imperial majesty, slowly, step by step, ascended to the second floor of Yuexian Tower under the protection of the Imperial Guards.
His gaze didn't linger on anyone, but went straight through the crowd to the woman who was slowly getting up inside the private room.
"Your Majesty, I...respectfully welcome you." Lin Wanwan also looked "surprised" and gracefully bowed.
Xiao Che quickly stepped forward and helped her up, his tone carrying a hint of reproach, but more so an undisguised doting affection.
"Nonsense." He held her hand, preventing her from bowing, and said to the crowd, "The Empress shares the burdens of the country and cares for the orphans of the world. This is a great act of kindness. I was very pleased to hear this, and I came here to lend a helping hand to the Empress and to this good deed."
His words, though not loud, carried immense weight and clearly reached the ears of everyone present!
Let me lend a helping hand!
These five simple words, however, are enough to shake up the entire political landscape of the capital!
It is no longer a simple expression of praise, but a clear political statement!
It proclaimed to the world: Her Majesty the Empress's good deeds are the will of the Emperor! The orphanage is a national policy personally supported by the Emperor! Anyone who opposes the orphanage is opposing Xiao Che!
Those noblewomen who had initially harbored a schadenfreude, even waiting to see how the Empress would handle the situation, were now filled with nothing but relief. Thank goodness! Thank goodness they had been enthusiastic enough, otherwise…
The wives of officials who had been secretly plotting to sabotage the auction at their husbands' behest were now deathly pale, trembling so badly they nearly collapsed to the ground. They finally understood the terrifying vortex they had been drawn into!
Xiao Che ignored the complicated thoughts in everyone's hearts. He simply took Lin Wanwan's hand and walked together to the railing of the private room, looking down at the group of noble ladies below who were already silent with fear.
He nodded to the eunuch beside him.
The eunuch immediately understood, stepped forward, and announced loudly in a proud tone, "His Majesty, in gratitude for the Empress's benevolence, has specially donated a pair of 'Nine Dragon Jade Cups from the previous dynasty' as the final item to be auctioned at this charity auction!"
As soon as he finished speaking, two eunuchs carefully stepped forward with a brocade box and opened it.
Inside the box lay a pair of jade cups, carved entirely from mutton-fat white jade, each adorned with nine golden dragons in different poses. The jade's smooth texture and the exquisite craftsmanship shimmered and shone under the lamplight, almost blinding everyone!
"Heavens! It's the Nine Dragon Jade Cup! A legendary treasure that even the late emperor couldn't find, no matter how hard he searched the entire world!"
"It is said that this cup can detect poison and make clear water smell fragrant; it is a priceless treasure!"
A suppressed gasp erupted from the crowd!
If the items Lin Wanwan had previously brought out were merely "treasures," then what Xiao Che was bringing out now were true "national treasures"!
With this priceless treasure, he used the most direct and domineering method to stamp this "charity show" led by his empress with a supreme and unquestionable royal seal!
However, Xiao Che's "entertainment" was far from over.
Looking down at the faces below, stunned by the radiance of the Nine Dragon Jade Cup, he smiled faintly and announced a decision that would drive everyone even crazier.
"I have come here today not to compete with the ladies for their favorite items." His voice carried a touch of the composure and domineering nature unique to emperors. "I simply wish to add fuel to the fire for the Empress's virtuous act."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the entire room, and then spoke slowly and clearly:
"I hereby declare that all proceeds from today's auction will be doubled by the Imperial Treasury!"
boom--!
If taking out the Nine Dragon Jade Cup was shocking, then this sentence was earth-shattering!
Double the amount!
what does that mean?
This means that if you donate 10,000 taels to the orphanage today, His Majesty will donate another 20,000 taels! Every penny you spend will be returned threefold in His Majesty's eyes!
This is no longer simple support; it's blatant, all-out, and unreserved backing, delivered with money!
At this moment, the entire Yuexianlou Restaurant was in an uproar!
All the ladies have gone mad! Their eyes are no longer filled with calculation and comparison, but with fanaticism!
This is no longer a simple auction; it's an "investment" that will leave a mark on His Majesty and bring immense profits!
"The Nine Dragon Jade Cup! I'll offer 100,000 taels!"
"You want to take the national treasure for 100,000 taels? I'll offer 150,000!"
"Two hundred thousand! Nobody can take it from me! This is to accumulate blessings for orphans all over the world!"
Prices skyrocketed at an alarming rate. The noblewomen who had been haggling over a few thousand taels of silver just moments before were now behaving like gamblers, their eyes bloodshot. What they were handing over was no longer just silver, but their own land, shops, and even the fiefs granted by their ancestral titles!
In the end, the pair of Nine Dragon Jade Cups were acquired by a low-key royal merchant's wife for a sky-high price of 500,000 taels of silver!
The auction ultimately raised a staggering sum of three million taels of silver, thanks to Xiao Che's promise to "double the amount."
This number is enough to build ten magnificent orphanages!
Xiao Che looked at the result with satisfaction. He knew that from today onwards, no one would dare to say a single word of "no" about the orphanage.
He didn't look at the excited noblewomen below anymore. Instead, he turned around, took Lin Wanwan's hand, and slowly walked down the stairs under the protection of a group of imperial guards.
As he passed by the wives of the officials who had secretly sabotaged him, he suddenly stopped.
The ladies were already pale with fright and trembling like leaves. When they saw the emperor standing in front of them, they collapsed to the ground with a thud.
Xiao Che looked down at them with a forced, friendly smile on his face.
"Ladies, there's no need for such formalities."
His voice was gentle, yet carried a chilling coldness that made the ladies tremble even more violently.
"I've heard," he said slowly, "that recently the ladies' households seem to be rather short of money? They're even struggling to spare enough to donate to the orphans?"
Upon hearing this, the ladies were terrified and kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "I dare not."
"It's alright." Xiao Che waved his hand, his smile widening, but his words sounded like the most vicious curse. "I have always been considerate of my officials. Since your families are facing difficulties, I will have the Ministry of Revenue allocate some silver from the national treasury for each of you."
He paused, and his gentle tone suddenly turned icy cold, like a chilling wind from the depths of hell.
"It can also be considered as... accumulating some good karma for the orphanage."
boom!
These ladies were struck dumb, collapsing completely to the ground!
What a scathing statement!
Funds from the Ministry of Revenue to "subsidize" them? This is tantamount to announcing to the world that their husbands are on His Majesty's "blacklist"! And all under the guise of "accumulating blessings for the orphanage"! This is even more humiliating and terrifying than simply confiscating their property!
"Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me!"
The ladies were terrified, their faces pale, and they knelt on the ground, crying and begging for mercy without regard for their image.
However, Xiao Che didn't even bother to look at them again.
He simply walked straight to Lin Wanwan's side, and amidst everyone's awe-inspiring gazes, took her hand again, as if what he had just done was merely a trivial matter.
Lin Wanwan looked at the several wealthy women slumped on the ground without a trace of pity. She knew that from this day forward, the foundations of those once deeply entrenched conservative forces had been completely destroyed by Xiao Che in the most domineering and effective way.
She looked up at the man beside her.
Above his head, his own cartoon figure was wearing cool sunglasses, one hand in his pocket, and the other arm around the shoulder of the little figure dressed as a queen, with an expression that said, "I'm the coolest person here."
Below the emoji, a line of incredibly arrogant text slowly appeared:
[See this? This is what happens when you try to outdo my Empress in wealth.jpg]
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