The Ming Dynasty started with caution

After several manipulations by Zhu Houzhao, the price of the recipe for white sugar reached 65,000 taels.

Every time he shouted, the gentry in the audience felt as if their parents had died, but Zhu Houzhao never tired of it.

Zhou Yu stood up: "Don't bid, let me do it alone!"

Everyone was playing for the first time, but they also figured out the rules of the auction.

The more people bid, the faster the price rises. Even if the deal is made, you have to pay several times the price.

The price rose by more than 30,000 taels at once, and Emperor Hongzhi's heart couldn't stand it: "What is the prince doing? Tell him that I won't give him money!"

Yan Chengjin knew he misunderstood: "Your Majesty, His Highness is actually a trustee.

If others want to buy, they need to buy it at a higher price, so that the official sale can make money."

Emperor Hongzhi and the ministers beside him cast contemptuous eyes at the same time.

Wow~

If I don't find a trustee, where will the money for the treasury come from? How dare you look at me like this? If you have the guts, spit out the 60,000 taels you took!

Yan Chengjin straightened his back: "I am also doing this for the court."

Liu Jian smiled straightforwardly: "This job is suitable for the prince."

The old face of Emperor Hongzhi twitched fiercely, and he glanced at Liu Jian. Liu Jian realized that something was wrong and coughed awkwardly.

"This rebellious son is always so good at doing shameless things."

Encouraging the prince to raise the price, Yan Chengjin also timidly said: "I want to turn over 20% of the silver I get from selling the official to the national treasury."

"30%!" Emperor Hongzhi acted as if nothing had happened.

Yan Chengjin cursed in his heart: "Your Majesty is right. How can a mere 20% express my feelings? I will pay 30%."

Emperor Hongzhi slowly smiled and turned to look at Yan Chengjin: "I think the price the prince called is a bit low. Do you need me to come?"

Father and son are the same...

Yan Chengjin can't let Emperor Hongzhi come. Someone can recognize him. Once he opens his mouth, he will ruin the official sale.

At this time, the Zhang brothers and Zhou Yu rarely reach an agreement.

Zhou Yu came to bid, otherwise the price would be raised higher and higher, and no matter who bought it, it would be a loss.

As soon as Zhou Yu called out 68,500 taels, Zhu Houzhao immediately chased: "70,000 taels."

Zhang Yanling walked to Zhu Houzhao and was furious: "You are well-read, how can you do such a thing? It's embarrassing for the Ming Dynasty!"

Is Zhu Houzhao a shameless person? ! Zhang Heling punched his brother and smiled at Zhu Houzhao in a flattering way: "Houzhao, uncle will give you 500 taels of silver, don't shout anymore."

Zhu Houzhao nodded.

The Zhang brothers were overjoyed and quickly took out 500 taels of silver from their arms and handed them to Zhu Houzhao, and then gave Zhou Yu a wink.

Zhou Yu saw that it was done, and hurriedly raised the price: "70,000 taels."

There was silence around, Zhang Xian glanced around, and no one shouted.

70,000 taels is already a sky-high price. Even the wealthy gentry in Jiangnan could hardly afford 70,000 taels with all their wealth.

Zhu Houzhao raised his hands and moved his eight fingers very smartly.

Zhang Xian and the gentry looked over, what did this mean?

At this moment, the eunuch next to him understood and said: "My young master is offering 80,000 taels."

Zhou Yu was angry: "80,000 taels, if you raise the price like this again, I won't buy it!"

Is this palace bidding too high?

Zhu Houzhao looked at Yan Chengjin suspiciously, only to see Yan Chengjin nod slightly. He immediately said, "I won't shout anymore."

Zhang Xian raised the gavel and snapped, "Deal!"

Zhou Yu was overjoyed. He could make back the money quickly by selling sugar to the French and Arabs.

Everyone wanted to see how Zhou Yu would pay. More than 80,000 taels of silver was enough to cover the commercial tax of a prefecture. In the world, except for the court, who could really take out so much silver?

Emperor Hongzhi pondered and said, "The annual salary of the Earl of Changning is only 2,000 dan. Can he afford 80,000 taels?"

One tael of silver equals two dan of rice, which is 1,000 taels of silver a year. Zhou Yu would have to receive 80 years of salary to pay 80,000 taels.

Emperor Hongzhi couldn't help but wonder how a minister could have so much silver.

Liu Jian knew what he meant: "Your Majesty, don't worry, let's see how the Earl of Changning pays."

Zhou Yu only brought 10,000 taels of silver, and he was a little worried at the moment. If he didn't pay the silver, it would definitely be snatched away by the Zhang brothers.

Zhou Yu took out something from his arms: "I also have something that needs to be sold by the government, which can be used to pay for the silver of the sugar party!"

Sugar party is worth 80,000 taels, what kind of treasure can be worth 80,000 taels?

Yan Chengjin looked at the thing in Zhou Yu's hand curiously.

A square piece of white jade, many times larger than ordinary white jade, is rare to see.

Xie Yu couldn't tell what it was, thinking it was an antique, and sent it to Zhang Xian's desk.

Zhang Xian looked at it for a while, his face changed drastically, and he exclaimed: "Is this the Qin seal?!"

Mandated by heaven, longevity and prosperity, these eight characters are the Qin seal!

This jade seal is also missing a corner.

After the fall of the Qin Dynasty, the jade seal was passed to the Western Han Dynasty. Wang Mang usurped power and ordered his brother to ask for it from Empress Dowager Xiaoyuan. In anger, Empress Dowager Xiaoyuan threw the jade seal on the ground and smashed off a corner.

In the Tang and Song Dynasties, it disappeared, and Li Shimin asked someone to carve another one.

But the newly carved jade seal was not as good as the imperial seal passed down from the Qin Dynasty. If it fell into the hands of the traitor, it would be enough to rebel.

When Zhu Yuanzhang was the emperor, he also searched for this jade seal all over the world, but he couldn't find it until his death, so he carved one himself.

Yan Chengjin was stunned. He didn't expect Zhou Yu to dare to hide the jade seal privately.

He must have been unaware of it, otherwise, he wouldn't have collapsed on the ground at this moment.

"How can such a divine treasure be sold by the government!"

Emperor Hongzhi could no longer hold back, his eyes lit up with excitement.

For hundreds of years, emperors of all dynasties have been looking for this jade seal, and I have found it!

Xiao Jing, Mou Bin and others fell to their knees with a plop.

Zhang Xian saw Emperor Hongzhi and knelt down hurriedly: "Your Majesty, I, Zhang Xian, pay my respects to Your Majesty!"

A large number of Jinyiwei rushed in and made a way for Emperor Hongzhi.

Xie Yu was frightened and at a loss. This old Confucian scholar who looked familiar turned out to be the emperor of the day!

The gentry knelt down hurriedly when they saw this.

Emperor Hongzhi strode to the desk, picked up the Qin seal and looked at it for a long time, then looked at Zhou Yu: "Where did this Qin seal come from?"

Zhou Yu lay on the ground. If he had known that this was the Qin seal, he would have sold it secretly.

"I bought it from the French, I didn't know it was the Qin Seal."

"Nonsense! How could the French get this thing!" Emperor Hongzhi picked up the gavel and said sternly: "Where did it come from?!"

Zhou Yu had never touched the gavel, but he knew it was made of sandalwood and could kill people.

"I went to Shaanxi, and a gentleman named Hu presented this thing to me. I really didn't know it was the Qin Seal!"

After Zhou Yu arrived in the northwest, he ordered people to release the news in a high-profile manner, attracting officials and gentry to offer.

Among them, a gentleman named Hu presented him with a large jade stone.

It was difficult for ordinary officials to distinguish that this was the Qin Seal, let alone someone like him who only recognized silver and could not read a few words.

Emperor Hongzhi became even more angry: "What are you doing in the northwest?!"

Zhou Yu gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. This time he could not say it even if he was beaten to death.

The construction of the collapsed house in the northwest cost him more than 30,000 taels of silver.

The important thing is that this is a cash cow. If your majesty takes it back, the money will be cut off.

Emperor Hongzhi was really angry. He didn't want to pay attention to the Zhou and Zhang families on weekdays, but these two families became more and more presumptuous, leaving the capital one after another, and didn't take my words seriously.

"How dare you go to the northwest to plunder the people!"

Bang!

The gavel was thrown out and hit the ground in front of Zhou Yu. A strange sound spread throughout the government office.

Zhu Houzhao hurriedly whispered: "Old Gao, I'm going back to the palace."

Xiao Jing returned the gavel to Emperor Hongzhi.

Yan Chengjin hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, the Earl of Changning went to the northwest to build a collapsed house."