Chapter 109: Chapter 109
Chapter 109
If anyone bid on this item and it didn’t end up in the hands of his father, wouldn’t they be risking their heads? This statement caused some wealthy nobles or those who might have wanted the item for other purposes, to withdraw. The remaining competition would now be between the princes and their siblings.
Above all, he had to be careful not to offend those in power. Some individuals remained neutral, not siding with any prince, yet had considerable wealth and desired this valuable item for their own collections. By declaring his intention to present the item to the Emperor when they were in this bidding war, he hoped the others wouldn’t mind and would not hold it against him.
"Third Prince is truly a dutiful son. However, the Crown Prince has also expressed the same desire. I am here as his representative. Such a valuable item for our kingdom’s benefit, the Crown Prince recognizes its significance as well," said a eunuch who had been ordered to travel a great distance to this place. Although he showed respect towards both princes, he made it clear that he intended to compete for the item.
"Third Brother, Yu Gonggong, you both should not use your authority to pressure others. The Art Institute holds auctions like this to allow those capable to bid for valuable items fairly. If you wish to bid, then state your price. As for me, I am Eighth Prince, and I intend to participate in the auction straightforwardly. I bid 550,000 gold taels," said the Eighth Prince, who was seated below with his caravan.
This prince was somewhat unconventional. Although he was a prince, he was down to earth. He was like a little merchant who traveled across all kingdoms. As a prince more interested in commerce than in vying for the throne, he was originally the Emperor’s favorite son, being the adopted son of Yan Guifei. His biological mother was just a regular consort, but Yan Guifei, who was childless and frail, adopted him.
Yan Guifei never cared about power, so she taught the prince to be like her, focusing on commerce. Eventually, he became the wealthiest man.
Since he showed no interest in state affairs, his father couldn’t support him for the throne. Nevertheless, Eighth Prince seemed content. Sometimes, he even gathered intelligence from other lands, making him a great connection.
However, his brothers often envied and resented him. Despite this, his skills and connections across all kingdoms made him indispensable. Even future rulers would need to use his services, so no one wanted to kill him. At most, they envied him because he was their father’s favorite.
But power and love are not comparable. Since he showed no interest in power, a little favoritism was not that interested. As long as he remained useful, keeping him around was not burdensome.
"Oh, is Brother Eight here too?" The Fifth Prince greeted his half younger brother with a tone of surprise.
They were on the upper floor of the tavern, unaware that another prince was below, just like a low-ranking noble. In hindsight, this younger brother was indeed a strange one, not someone that should befriend. If it weren’t for the fact that he was wealthy enough to have previously used his own palace funds to aid their father during a crisis to help the people, no one would see him as the useful tool he was now.
Honestly, if it weren’t for his vast wealth and connections, he, the Fifth Prince, a man of intelligence and prestige, wouldn’t have bothered to greet him.
"Ah, Brother Five, I’m the type who follows treasures wherever they are. Besides, I didn’t want to miss out on something as good as this. I don’t have much to offer except money, so I want to join in the bidding for this carved jade. I might sell it to the neighboring Bai Kingdom, it might make a profit of tens of thousands of gold taels." The Eighth Prince rubbed his hands excitedly.
The faces of others who heard this turned dark.
What kind of person was this Eighth Prince?! He dared to compete for a valuable item from the kingdom just to sell it to the neighboring Bai Kingdom? Had he not heard what the Third Prince and the Crown Prince’s representative had said?
They intended to present it to the Emperor in the capital, a gift of great importance to the kingdom. Everyone knew the Emperor was seeking a tribute for the powerful Hu Kingdom. But Eighth Prince had the audacity to sell it to a neighboring kingdom for a mere profit of tens of thousands of gold taels?
It was worth noting that although the Bai kingdom and Du Kingdom were adjacent, both were under the control of the powerful Hu Kingdom. Any defiance would result in their lands being seized and their people enslaved. Thus, to avoid bloodshed, the rulers of these weaker kingdoms had to submit.
However, among the kingdoms under Hu’s control, there was still silent competition. They maintained a facade of friendship, but in truth, they vied for favor from Hu by trying to outdo each other in accomplishments.
If they anger the Hu Kingdom, the tribute might be doubled, or their pleas for help might be denied. Just like during the last disaster, if it weren’t for the Eighth Prince’s wealth from trade in allied kingdoms, some towns would have become deserted.
However, if they manage to impress the Hu Kingdom, their requests for aid would be met with abundant supplies and money. It wasn’t that they had never been well taken care of. Unfortunately, that year, a certain princess refused to be sent as a consort and created chaos, leading to repercussions for the kingdom. Eventually, they made up for their mistake by sending seven princesses to appease the emperor’s anger. That was when the issue was resolved.
This incident highlighted the importance of tributes. After such a significant lesson, they must do their best.
Now, if the Bai Kingdom acquired this valuable item, when it originally belonged to the Du Kingdom, and if people found out that someone from Du sold this precious item to another kingdom for profit instead of presenting it to Hu, could one imagine the extent of their wrath?
"Eighth Prince, isn’t this inappropriate?" Yu Gonggong couldn’t contain himself. Although he had received substantial funds from the Crown Prince and his supporters, he feared the Eighth Prince might win the auction.
For him, losing to Third Prince was less terrifying than losing to Eighth Prince. The latter said those words, he would do it for sure. And the way he would do it for sure was frightening!
This wasn’t just a competition between princes; it was now a battle between kingdoms!
"What’s the matter, Yu Gonggong? I’m simply participating in the auction. How I intend to use the item shouldn’t concern anyone, should it? The Art Institute has no stipulation on how the item should be used after the auction. If I choose to resell it, what’s wrong with that?" The Eighth Prince raised an eyebrow, his demeanor was so provoking.
"But this concerns the preparation of tribute for the Hu Kingdom, Your Highness. I think..." Yu Gonggong persisted, but before he could finish, the Eighth Prince raised his hand to stop him.
"No need for excessive words. As a merchant, I prioritize the benefits of trade. I am willing to pay up to 600,000 gold taels for this item. Anything beyond that, I will not invest. So, let’s say I start the bidding at 600,000 gold taels. If no one can compete with me, then I will be the winner, and what I do with it is my business." The Eighth Prince, being a merchant, disliked unnecessary chatter.
Seeing that his brothers’ supporters wouldn’t let him win, he laid out his conditions. If the price went beyond this, he wouldn’t see a suitable profit margin. It might sell for slightly more, but if this valuable item didn’t yield at least 50,000 gold taels in profit, he deemed it not worth the risk of transporting it with his caravan.
"S... Six hundred thousand gold taels?" The Fifth Prince couldn’t help but exclaim.
This Eighth Prince had no noble supporters, so the 600,000 taels were entirely his own money. Previously, he had given hundreds of thousands of taels to his father, for the Emperor to aid the poor. Who would have thought that the amount of hundreds of thousands taels everyone envied would be used so easily to buy this item now?
Just how much wealth did this Eighth Prince possess?!
"So, let the auction continue. If no one else competes, I will acquire this valuable item. Correct?" The Eighth Prince looked seriously at Wu Yuandong, who sat next to the elderly woman.
He and Wu Yuandong seemed to be friends. Wu Yuandong often sold valuable items to him, not to mention various literatures that sold well in other kingdoms. Even in the Hu Kingdom, young misses eagerly awaited the next volume. As a merchant who benefited from such trade, the Eighth Prince and Wu Yuandong had a very good relationship.
Wu Yuandong looked at the straightforward yet merciless merchant with a complex expression.
This auction was organized to squeeze every last coin out of Third Prince and Fifth Prince, as requested by his little sister. Before the auction began, Yueqian had already told him that the item would likely go to Third Prince or Fifth Prince because they would undoubtedly fight for it with everything they had.
This was evident from their journey to this place. Furthermore, Yueqian had other plans prepared for the Third Prince and Fifth Prince. Thus, the Eighth Prince’s participation in the bidding, considered an unexpected character.
Upon seeing Wu Yuandong go silent, Yueqian, in her guise as Elder Ning, cleared her throat, bringing Wu Yuandong back to reality before he could reveal too much.
The beautiful woman in the body of a wrinkled elderly lady smiled slightly, looking at Eighth Prince with admiration and nodding twice.
"As expected of the son of Yan Guifei. Such a straightforward person," Yueqian said, taking a good look at the Eighth Prince whom she had met when she visited the palace to see the consort once again.
The Eighth Prince bowed his head to his mother’s friend as well. Their mutual friendship was evident. Judging from this scene, if the Eighth Prince desired the throne, with the love everyone had for him, it seemed within reach.
"I agree with Young Eighth Prince. Since we are holding an auction, we must accept the results of the competition. So, the current bid is set at 600,000 gold taels." Since Yueqian, as Elder Ning, said that she agreed with the Eighth Prince, no one dared to protest further.
"Grandmother, you still call me Young Eighth Prince? I’m not a child," Eighth Prince grumbled. However, given their quite close relationship, the prince wasn’t holding grudge, much like how the elderly woman only chuckled affectionately a few times.Even Yan Guifei didn’t know that Yueqian was just a young woman. Thus, the relationship between the Eighth Prince and her was akin to that of an elderly lady doting on her overly mature grandson.
