Thinking that Qin Yun had bid for the Purple Gold Gourd for him, Xie Zixuan felt disgusted.
He frowned, put down his wine cup, and lost all interest.
Li Fengsheng, sitting opposite him, was also in a state of dejection.
He hadn't expected someone to appear out of nowhere, and to make matters worse, it was Qin Yun.
Everyone knew that Qin Yun's desire to bid for the Purple Gold Gourd was undoubtedly to impress Prince Li.
However, he had promised Prince Li today that he would bid for the Purple Gold Gourd, and it seemed improper to falter at this moment.
Li Fengsheng had no choice but to grit his teeth and signal the servant beside him to continue bidding.
Upon receiving the signal, the servant immediately raised the bidding paddle and shouted, "Ten thousand taels!"
The hall erupted in commotion once more.
The discussions grew louder, and Shopkeeper Wang had to repeatedly bang his gavel to restore order.
"Thirteen thousand taels!" Qin Yun, unwilling to be outdone, continued to drive up the price.
Upon hearing this price, Li Fengsheng felt so angry he wanted to spit blood. He clenched his fist under the table, but maintained a dignified demeanor, smiling and saying, "I didn't expect Young Master Qin to be so generous. I wonder if you have enough funds prepared?"
Xie Zixuan sighed, "In my opinion, Lord Li should give up. The opponent has already bid thirteen thousand taels. I shall personally bid for this Purple Gold Gourd!"
Li Fengsheng felt embarrassed. Did His Highness Prince Li think his wealth was less than Qin Yun's?
He could not swallow this insult.
"Your Highness, what are you saying? Thirteen thousand taels is but a small sum that this subordinate does not take into account!" With that, Li Fengsheng stood up directly, took the bidding paddle from the servant's hand, and bid personally.
"Seventeen thousand taels!" Li Fengsheng thought that since he had bid so high, Qin Yun should retreat.
To his surprise, Qin Yun did not play by the rules and, without a word, bid directly, "Thirty thousand taels!"
Good heavens!
Thirty thousand taels!
Did that ugly fellow Qin Yun dare to bid thirty thousand taels?
Everyone turned their attention to Qin Yun, as if they wanted to stare him down.
"He's a spendthrift, completely lacking in judgment! Can't he see that the person in the private room is a favored confidant of the Emperor?"
"Indeed! This ugly fellow is such a prodigal. It is truly a misfortune for the Qin family to have such a rebellious son!"
Qin Yun listened to the crowd's gossip, calling him a rebellious son and a spendthrift.
He was a spendthrift for bidding so aggressively for the Purple Gold Gourd, while Li Fengsheng was correct for spending so much money.
Qin Yun did not care about their opinions; no one could stop him from doing what he wanted.
"Young Master?" Xiao Ju also felt a bit flustered and looked at Qin Yun anxiously, quietly tugging at Qin Yun's sleeve, signaling him to stop bidding!
Qin Yun gave Xiao Ju a reassuring smile, then looked provocatively at Li Fengsheng not far away.
Li Fengsheng had been hesitating whether to continue bidding. He had originally budgeted around ten thousand taels, and now it had reached thirty thousand taels, exceeding his psychological limit. Thirty thousand taels was no small sum.
But seeing Qin Yun's provocation and Xie Zixuan's expectation, Li Fengsheng gritted his teeth, thinking to himself that this would be his last bid. If Qin Yun raised the price again, he would forfeit.
As far as he knew, Qin Yun did not have that much money and was merely putting on a brave face.
"Thirty-five thousand taels!" Li Fengsheng shouted, holding the paddle, his hand trembling slightly. He truly feared that Qin Yun would bid again.
If he forfeited and lost to Qin Yun, it would be utterly humiliating. His heart was filled with mixed emotions at this moment.
Seeing Li Fengsheng continue to bid, Qin Yun truly wanted to laugh out loud but had to maintain a calm expression.
Xiao Ju, afraid that Qin Yun would continue bidding, kept shaking her head at him.
Qin Yun knew the gravity of the situation. Thirty-five thousand taels was already Li Fengsheng's limit. If he bid again, Li Fengsheng might not be appeased.
Qin Yun's brow furrowed, and he sighed continuously, feigning great distress. "This humble Qin admits defeat. It seems this Purple Gold Gourd is destined to be out of my reach. I shall reluctantly give way and let Lord Li have it!"
Li Fengsheng was so angered by Qin Yun that he felt like he would die.
After all that talk, he made it seem as if he was snatching someone's beloved treasure. Qin Yun had cornered him completely.
"Hmph, if Young Master Qin truly has the capability, then continue bidding! I suspect you simply don't have enough money, do you?" Li Fengsheng said coldly, marking Qin Yun in his mind.
"Enough, enough. I merely came to look today. Since Lord Li also fancies this treasure, I shall give you face!" Qin Yun said nonchalantly, rising to his feet. "Farewell."
Then, Qin Yun left with great flair.
He had no interest in the other treasures to be auctioned. In any case, he had dug a deep enough pit for Li Fengsheng today. Thirty-five thousand taels was merely a small financial blow to him.
Li Fengsheng, we will meet again, and you can wait for my next move!
Watching Qin Yun's潇洒 departure, in another private room, Xie Qianmo smiled, watching Qin Yun slowly disappear from his sight.
This person was becoming more and more interesting, able to manipulate Li Fengsheng so thoroughly.
"Your Majesty, this Young Master Qin is too arrogant! He so easily bid thirty thousand taels! Anyone with sense could tell that Lord Li wanted the Purple Gold Gourd, and he tried to snatch it! Truly lacking in judgment!" Eunuch Hua also looked down on Qin Yun in his heart, thinking him utterly foolish.
Who didn't know that Lord Li was a favored confidant of the Emperor? Everyone was eager to curry favor with him, yet Qin Yun dared to contend.
Unexpectedly, Xie Qianmo was displeased by Eunuch Hua's words, his expression darkening.
Sensing the air around him growing colder, Eunuch Hua dared not speak further and lowered his head silently.
Suddenly, a sharp voice came from above.
"Twenty lashes!"
When Eunuch Hua heard that he was punished, he felt incredibly aggrieved.
Had he said something wrong again?
Without daring to delay, Eunuch Hua raised his hand and, without hesitation, slapped his own face hard.
Slap, slap, slap...
He stopped only after twenty slaps.
At this moment, Eunuch Hua's face was red and swollen, puffed up high!
He had grievances but dared not voice them or ask.
Eunuch Hua silently added this account to Qin Yun.
He felt that his punishment today was definitely because Qin Yun had shown no respect to Li Fengsheng and had stubbornly contested, thus displeasing his master.
When Li Fengsheng handed the Purple Gold Gourd to Xie Zixuan, his heart ached as if it were bleeding.
This treasure had cost him thirty-five thousand taels!
Was he really going to give it to Prince Li?
But he had already made his promise. To go back on his word now would be offending someone.
It would be one thing to offend others, but Prince Li was a prince with extensive connections and a noble status. This was something he absolutely could not afford to offend.
On the other hand!
After leaving the shop, Qin Yun went to an inconspicuous corner and then burst into unrestrained laughter.
"Hahaha, it's so satisfying! This Li Fengsheng is nothing special!"
Xiao Ju, not understanding, asked curiously, "Young Master, you scared this servant to death just now. Fortunately, you didn't continue bidding, otherwise, where would we find thirty thousand taels!"
"I never fancied that Purple Gold Gourd at all; it's not a worthy item!"