Stone Record, outside the gate, stood the Stone Record clerks dressed up one after another.
Outside the side door for carriages to enter and exit, there was Zhang Dazhi, the young eunuch and chief of the Liuli Department in official uniforms, and a group of his subordinates, who were waiting in full formation.
Xia Jingyun and Gongsun Jing did not appear on the first floor. Instead, they came to the main venue of the auction, which was the second floor of Shitouji, which had been rearranged. They stood by the window and looked out.
"Sir, do you have confidence?"
Gongsun Jing asked with some anxiety. Xia Jingyun turned to look at him with a smile. Gongsun Jing immediately understood and said, "It seems that he is very confident."
Xia Jingyun gently pressed his hand on the edge of the window and looked at the street in the distance. "It's up to people to plan things, and it's up to God to make things happen. Even if we are fully prepared, various accidents will often cause problems. Until everything is settled, At that moment, you can’t relax. So, it’s true to have confidence, but it’s also true to worry.”
Gongsun Jing hummed, then suddenly raised his brows and said in a deep voice: "Here he comes!"
At the far corner of the street, an obviously luxurious carriage turned out and drove in the direction of Stone Record.
And as if they had made an appointment, soon another carriage drove out from another street.
Then, one car after another, like hundreds of rivers reaching the sea, converging towards the Stone Record.
Xia Jingyun took a deep breath and suppressed his involuntary thoughts, "Go and get ready!"
"yes!"
At the side door, ladies carrying their husbands' belts got out of the carriage, and then greeted each other.
"Marquis Laiyang, you are here too!"
"Mr. Lu Guo, are you still healthy in your old age?"
"Oh, Prince Hanshou, you haven't shown up for a while!"
"Mrs. Qin, say hello to Prime Minister Qin for me!"
"Mr. British! With the look on your face, it seems like something good is about to happen to you again!"
"Oh, His Highness King Cheng! I'm sending you my regards!"
In addition to the important officials in the court who need to go to the Yamen to work and are inconvenient to come here, many of the top nobles of the empire or senior ministers come here in person.
The reason is naturally the news that came from the palace yesterday evening.
They are all old foxes who have been in officialdom for many years. Who can't smell it?
And when they were seated, a piece of news quietly spread among everyone, explaining the story behind the oral message last night.
"Did you know? It turns out that the General Superintendent has established a new Glass Department to be responsible for this mirror. The Young Supervisor Zhang Dazhi is personally in charge of it and is not under the Supervisor General's jurisdiction."
"It's not under the supervision of the general? Then who is under the supervision?"
"On the surface, of course, he has imperial power, but privately, think about it, how did Zhang Dazhi, a craftsman, rise to the position of being a young prisoner?"
"Oh, that's it. This mirror was made by Xia Gaoyang. The first mirror was dedicated to Concubine De, and he became Concubine De's adoptive brother. He rose through the ranks. Now His Majesty wants to use this mirror to raise funds for Wanbao Tower. Money, so you let someone under Concubine De be the head of the Liuli Department, and at the same time, you opened the door for this auction?"
"That's right! So, if you think about it, it is obviously a dispute between Mr. Qian of the Qin family and Xia Gaoyang, but His Majesty had to end it in person yesterday and issued an oral edict. Doesn't this make sense?"
"In other words, today our money seems to have been made by the general and Shitouji, but in fact we are sharing the worries of His Majesty."
"This statement is transparent! This statement is transparent!"
The news spread by word of mouth and soon reached everyone's ears.
The person who was originally worried that if he revealed too much wealth and was targeted by His Majesty and Yan Guan, he also quietly changed his mind. How easy it is to say that now, for the sake of His Majesty's grand plan, I will spend all my wealth without hesitation!
My wife is also satisfied, and His Majesty also licked her, how wonderful!
Backstage at the auction, Xia Jingyun closed his eyes slightly and looked at Gongsun Jing who walked in, "Has the news spread?"
Gongsun Jing said with a smile: "Young master has a clever plan. Judging from everyone's reactions, it seems that everyone is already ready to make a move."
Xia Jingyun was not satisfied and shook his head slightly, "It's not my clever plan, but His Majesty's prestige."
Just as he was talking, a young man from the Hou Mansion came over and said a few words in Gongsun Jing's ear. Gongsun Jing's expression changed slightly and he said to Xia Jingyun: "Master, Master Qian is here."
Xia Jingyun smiled and actually stood up, "Let's go and greet him personally."
Qin Yuwen and Qin Li walked down from the carriage. As soon as they walked into the side door, they met Xia Jingyun and Gongsun Jing walking out of it.
The two eyes met in the air, revealing tit-for-tat unkindness.
Xia Jingyun smiled and said, "I didn't expect Mr. Qian to be so supportive. Thank you very much."
Qin Yuwen only felt that the smile in front of him was very embarrassing, especially when he found that this guy's green shirt actually matched his little sister's green shirt. He couldn't help but snorted, "I saw with my own eyes that your wishful thinking failed and such a good opportunity failed, how could I Will miss it.”
Xia Jingyun was not angry, "Then please come inside."
Qin Yuwen strode in with a cold face. Qin Li had no choice but to cast an apologetic look at Xia Jingyun, bowed slightly but did not speak, and followed up with his troublesome eldest brother.
Xia Jingyun looked at the man in green clothes and asked Gongsun Jing softly in surprise, "Who is this?"
Gongsun Jing whispered: "This is the eldest lady of the Qin family. It is said that she is also the current owner of Mingyu Tower. Don't you have a jade plaque from Mingyu Tower? Maybe she gave it to you."
Xia Jingyun suddenly realized, then frowned again, then shook his head to get rid of unnecessary hesitation and regain his composure.
The Qin family brothers and sisters arrived and greeted everyone.
The Qin family may know that they have a noble family background and possess such wealth, so they should act carefully. Therefore, the generation in power rarely shows up and rarely gets involved in the affairs of the capital. They believe in making a fortune in silence, and the powerful people are also concerned about this. I'm used to it and don't feel there is any imbalance in status.
Sitting down on his seat, Qin Yuwen glanced at the five pieces of red cloth on the stage in front of him, which were carefully protected by several powerful guards, with a cold look in his eyes.
After a short rest, Xia Jingyun walked out from the backstage with the sound of a gong.
Seeing the crowd gradually quieting down, he bowed to everyone respectfully and solemnly.
"Thank you all for coming. Xia Jingyun, the inventor of this mirror, has been invited to host this auction."
"To be honest, when the supervisor Zhang Shaojian approached me, I refused. How could I, a scholar who only knows how to study, shoulder such an important responsibility in front of such powerful and distinguished people? But! There is no other way, Mr. Zhang has said that His Majesty has decided that I will be the host."
"So I just had to rush the ducks to put it on the shelves. Therefore, if there are any inaccuracies later, it is not for other reasons. It is purely because of my lack of ability. Please forgive me."
Everyone was smiling on the surface, but privately, some people complained about the frivolous words. Some people keenly grasped the words "His Majesty decides" in it. Some people nodded secretly for such friendly words, each with their own thoughts. No need to say more.
Qin Li smiled and said, "This Young Master Xia is quite humorous and interesting!"
Qin Yuwen on the side responded with a cold snort.
"Okay, your time is precious, let's not talk too much and get straight to the main topic of today!"
Xia Jingyun did not hesitate and said directly: "Some of you have already seen this mirror, and some have only heard of its name. If you are bragging, I won't say more here. Everything you see is believed!"
"Oh, yes, I have to say one more thing. The five mirrors this time are all bigger and better than the one of Concubine De!"
"Here, ask for the mirror!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Xia Jingyun personally lifted the red cloth covering the mirror, revealing five neatly arranged mirrors.
The mirror is wrapped with golden nanmu to serve as a frame. There is a long red strip on the left and right sides. You can't see what it is, but the frame above the mirror is inlaid with a huge gemstone, and there is also a circle of pearls and jade around it. Embedded in it, it is jeweled and luxurious.
Many people who have seen De Concubine's mirror have confirmed that it is indeed larger than De Concubine's mirror and looks much more luxurious!
Everyone's breathing quickened quietly. Originally, many people were still thinking not to take action and not be taken advantage of, but at this time, that idea had weakened a lot.
The wood and jewelry alone are worth a lot of money!
At Xia Jingyun's signal, Gongsun Jing personally picked up the leftmost side and walked towards everyone present.
"You can take a closer look at this mirror and see its wonder!"
Gongsun Jing started at the first table on the left, where King Cheng and Princess Cheng, who had the highest status in the room, sat.
The two naturally cast their gazes. At first, they were attracted by the jeweled frame, but soon, when the mirror came in front of them, they saw their appearance clearly revealed in the mirror, every detail of which they had experienced. The miraculous Princess Cheng looked stunning again, and Prince Cheng, who had never seen this mirror before, was so frightened that he couldn't help but exclaimed.
But before he could take a closer look, Gongsun Jing had already followed Xia Jingyun's instructions in advance and walked to the next table, leaving that startling glance in the minds of King Cheng and Princess Cheng that would be unforgettable for a long time.
Then, exclamations came one after another.
Even those who did not exclaim were deeply shocked by the clarity of this mirror.
As the mirror passed in front of Qin Li, Qin Li's beautiful eyes widened. She had seen countless rare treasures since she was a child. She looked at the mirror in amazement, and her heart naturally felt determined to keep it for herself.
After Qin Yuwen glanced at it unconsciously, his heart sank.
But then he forced himself to comfort himself, no, these old foxes are all scheming, and they will definitely not obediently offer a high price. This mirror will definitely be sold, but not for much!
If Xia Jingyun wanted to rely on this mirror to turn over, it would be impossible!
When Gongsun Jing walked back to the stage holding the mirror, he placed it in front of Xia Jingyun with great relief. Ju, did you not disappoint everyone?"
"but."
Just when everyone was smiling kindly, he suddenly changed the topic and pointed at the frame, "Do you think the two red cloths here don't match?"
Many people nodded slightly. As top dignitaries, they naturally have good art appreciation skills. The two long strips of red cloth on both sides were somewhat eye-catching and empty, destroying the overall beauty of the mirror. .
Xia Jingyun smiled slightly, "I have no other talents, so I only have a few poems. This is exactly the plan of me and the general supervisor. Under the red cloth, there are five lines of poetry written by me personally, which have never been revealed to the world. Let the master calligrapher write the inscription in his own hand, and then the skilled craftsman who will be the supervisor will engrave it. It is unique in the world. Whoever can buy this mirror will give it to her. The owner of this mirror will also follow this poem and name it. Leave a lasting legacy!"
"And this is the first sentence."
Xia Jingyun carefully tore off the red cloth on both sides and said loudly: "The beauty conceals the present and the past, and the lotus embarrasses the beauty."
The eyes of many noble ladies immediately showed complete heat.
In the eyes looking towards the stage, there is only complete and pure desire:
I want! I want!
"The starting price is one hundred gold, and each increase will be no less than fifty gold!"
Xia Jingyun picked up the drumstick and knocked it lightly, "This mirror, start shooting!"
(End of chapter)
