Chapter 196: Chapter 169: Yisha’s Predicament
With something so good, how could they possibly maximize profits by selling it only to the nobility? So, when Huangpu Cangran came to discuss the matter in person, Yisha happily agreed to his proposal.
She promised to supply the auction house with fifty elixirs each month! They would be the sole agents for the Beauty Pill auction!
As for the commission fee... before Huangpu Cangran even arrived, he had presided over a clan meeting where they unanimously voted to waive all fees!
It was a joke to even consider it. With an unprecedented opportunity to promote their clan, they would have happily paid for the privilege. Why on earth would they ask for money?
So, in her letter, Yisha humorously told Ling Xiao that, when all was said and done, it was two great clans serving him, and him alone!
That’s right. The two clans only gained fame. The profit... that all went to Ling Xiao.
Yisha had already said that she only needed this to secure her position as the first heir to her clan. That was enough. As for money, what did she need it for? Besides, that person... was the man she liked!
In January of Imperial Calendar year 1454, the Huangpu Clan’s auction house reopened its doors. The venue in the Imperial Capital was once again filled to bursting! Tickets were nearly impossible to come by. Residents of the area witnessed yet another spectacle as countless noblewomen, who were normally never seen in public, flocked to the event. Even... nobles from neighboring countries had somehow gotten word and swarmed to Yalan, the Imperial Capital of the Lanyue Empire.
While the Huangpu Clan gained fame, they also inherited the pressure that had once been on the Gandalf Clan. An uncountable number of people sought out Huangpu Cangran every day. In the beginning, Huangpu Cangran would personally and courteously greet even a mere Baron. Later, even a Marquis wanting to meet this "lowly" great merchant had to book an appointment in advance. It couldn’t be helped. In the vast Lanyue Empire, there were no fewer than a thousand Dukes of various ranks, not to mention the Princes above them! And members of the Royal Family... everyone wanted to use their privileges to be the first to purchase these Top-Grade Elixirs.
This immense pressure from buyers forced Huangpu Cangran to approach Yisha again, hoping she could provide more elixirs to hold an additional auction.
However, Yisha refused, citing a principle everyone understood: the highest bidder wins!
’Does that really require any brainpower to understand?’ The nobles who approached the Huangpu Clan simply assumed that they must have a large supply of these Top-Grade Elixirs. Bidding against the wealthy merchants would only drive up the price, ultimately benefiting no one but the elixir’s owner!
Just because the nobles had money didn’t mean they would spend it recklessly. While the noblewomen who craved the elixirs might be irrational, the ones actually paying for them were quite sensible.
Ultimately, with no other choice, Huangpu Cangran had to change the rules again—something unprecedented in the history of Huangpu Clan auctions. The new rule stipulated that of the fifty elixirs, half would be reserved for nobles to bid on, while the other half... was open to all!
After that, he refused to see anyone. Things finally quieted down. While the wealthy merchants were unhappy with the Huangpu Clan’s decision, they could only accept it. After all, the nobility were the true masters of the country. If the nobles were truly angered, every merchant would suffer for it. And though the nobles were still somewhat dissatisfied, they knew this was the best possible outcome. Many merchant families were, in fact, backed by powerful noble houses.
The relationship between merchants and nobles was one of mutual dependence, not opposition.
The Huangpu Clan also mobilized all of its High-level Martial Artists to protect the elixirs.
They even recalled two of the four High-level Martial Artist bodyguards who were protecting Huangpu Yue in the south.
Unaware that Ling Xiao was the owner of the elixirs, Huangpu Yue even complained in front of him and Ye Zi, saying the owner was too black-hearted. A Beauty Pill that only worked for half a year was being sold at such an outrageous price! Otherwise, she would want to take it long-term.
Snickering, Ye Zi said with a grin, "If you marry our Lord, maybe you could take it all the time."
Huangpu Yue rolled her eyes. "Your Lord has a mountain of his own expenses; he’s a pauper right now! Besides, he has enough women around him already. I’m not about to join the crowd!" Apparently, Huangpu Yue now considered Feng Ling, who was still living at the Viscount’s Mansion, to also be one of Ling Xiao’s women.
At the first auction, the fifty elixirs sold for a grand total of over thirteen million gold coins!
It was the highest-grossing single auction in the Huangpu Clan’s history—an unprecedented success!
Due to the enormous sum, Yisha wrote in her letter that she wished to deliver the money to Ling Xiao personally. In truth, it was just an excuse to see him.
Therefore, Ling Xiao wasn’t too worried about the funds needed to build his city. The thought on his mind was, ’How am I going to explain having this many gold coins without arousing suspicion?’
’Come to think of it, it’s not as if there’s no one who might suspect me. I wasn’t at the Imperial Academy for very long, but everyone knew I was on good terms with Yisha. Then there’s the fact that I opened my Celestial Vein and my power increased dramatically. And on top of that, all the women around me are peerless beauties!’
’Add to that the dramatic change in my mother, Lady Ling’s, appearance... It would be almost impossible for people not to suspect that the source of Yisha’s elixirs is deeply connected to me!’
