It’s still the same teahouse and the same private room.
"Now everything is ready, we are just waiting for the east wind. Mingyue is here, congratulating you in advance for getting what you wished for."
Mingyue raised the glass towards Murong Zhen and drank it all in one gulp.
Murong Zhen's face was full of solemnity, but finally he relaxed a little.
"The old thief stole the country, how despicable." He raised his glass and drank it all, looking at the bright moon with a sigh: "But those old thieves are too arrogant, losing to you is not unfair."
Mingyue raised her eyebrows and smiled: "No, they lost to you, young master. This world is your world after all, and the people are your subjects. They touched something they shouldn't have touched, so they should pay the price."
Murong was stunned for a moment, then laughed: "Yes, I have endured for so long, it is time to end it. Three days later, you do this... this..."
Mingyue listened carefully and occasionally added a few important words.
After chatting for a long time and planning everything, the two left the teahouse one after another.
Those princes and nobles thought they were powerful enough and had strong family connections, so even if the emperor was dissatisfied and wary of them, he did not dare to take action against them easily.
However, they didn't know that even a rabbit bites when it is angry, not to mention that Murong Zhen is not a good-tempered person.
Murong Zhen's previous repeated concessions were only because when he took over the dynasty from the previous emperor, the dynasty was a mess that had been controlled by princes for a long time. He showed weakness only because he was forced by the situation.
Over the years, Murong Zhen has shown weakness on the surface, but in fact he has been keeping a low profile and employing talented people from humble backgrounds. He has more and more cards in his hand and has long wanted to deal with these old thieves.
So how could he tolerate their collusion and continued trafficking of iron ore to harm the country
After all, they had lost their conscience for the sake of money and actually secretly shipped items such as ironware out to sea and sold them to the Japanese people overseas.
You have to know that the Japanese invaded coastal areas such as the South China Sea every year. Every time they came ashore, they would burn, kill and loot. By the time the guards learned the news and came to suppress them, the Japanese had already robbed things and women and fled away on their big ships.
Our soldiers were not good at sea warfare, and even if they went to chase, they would be scattered by the Japanese and lose their lives in vain. After being fooled several times, the soldiers learned their lesson and never chased again, and only built a defense line on the shore.
However, in recent years, the Japanese have become more cunning and not only have their weapons become increasingly sharper, but they also always go ashore when the guards are lax, making it impossible for the people living in the coastal areas to make ends meet.
So when Murong Zhen learned that the Prince of Luzhou and his men sold ironware to the Japanese just for a few cents of profit, this despicable act of selling out one's country for profit completely touched his bottom line.
After the princes had discussed their important matters, they mentioned the shopkeeper with purple air coming from the east and the ownership of the imperial green.
A conspiracy against them is also brewing secretly.
Three days later.
Because Zi Qi Dong Lai had a live signboard announcing the upcoming auction of Imperial Green, there were more people in the shop today than at the first auction. They all came to see the Imperial Green, and everywhere was crowded with people.
As usual, those distinguished guests arrived early and sat in their respective private rooms according to their seats from last time.
Of course, the prince of Beiyuan Marquis who caused the trouble was confined to his house, and the person who came today was Beiyuan Marquis himself.
Now Beiyuan Hou has both love and hate for this Imperial Green. He loves it because it is a collectible item, and if he gets it, it will be a treasure passed down from generation to generation. He hates it because this Imperial Green caused those old guys to catch him, forcing him to give up the fat meat in his mouth.
With such complicated feelings, Beiyuan Hou was determined to obtain Emperor Green.
However, the princes and nobles had already discussed it. The tactless shopkeeper of Zi Qi Dong Lai had to be replaced. As for who would get the Emperor's Green Flower, it would depend on each person's ability.
Fortunately, they did not know that Mingyue was the real daughter who caused Marquis Dingyuan to fall from power, otherwise they would have been on guard against her.
Of course, no one would have thought that the girl who was abandoned by Marquis Dingyuan and grew up in the countryside would become the emperor's trusted confidant and the most crucial chess piece in this game.
Soon, the auction officially began.
The auction items were placed on the table one by one, and after Master Li's eloquent introduction, many rich young men were fooled into spending a fortune.
After a long time, it was finally the turn of the imperial green.
After the waiter brought the imperial green to the table, Master Li lifted the red curtain. Many people who were watching for the first time couldn't help but gasp, staring at the imperial green without blinking and swallowing.
This is a genuine treasure that anyone with a discerning eye can tell is real.
Compared to his eloquent talk about other auction items, Master Li was very concise about the Imperial Green: "Everyone knows the rules of our shop. You should all know how superb this Imperial Green is. I won't waste any more words now. The starting price of this Imperial Green is 100,000 taels of silver. The highest bidder wins. Please make an offer if you are interested."
This capital city is full of hidden talents and wealthy businessmen alike.
However, everyone knows that the princes are determined to obtain the imperial green, and smart people will not get involved in this power struggle.
So except for a rich and stupid second-generation rich man who started bidding, the subsequent bidding became a contest between kings and princes.
Now, apart from Marquis Dingyuan who has been eliminated, there are still eight princes with hereditary titles, each of them is extremely wealthy and powerful.
However, having power but not having the opportunity to display it can sometimes be quite regrettable.
Right now, the princes and nobles are letting their followers compete to bid prices. Apart from the imperial green, what they care about more is actually a secret contest and a way to show off.
Moreover, these princes were not easy to deal with, and they had already made up their minds. No matter how much they offered, they would take back the money with interest. Anyway, if something happened to the shop, everyone would think it was caused by money, and they would never think of the princes.
Since they were aiming to get something for nothing, they became more and more unrestrained in bidding.
As those strings of frightening numbers were uttered, the people watching the excitement below were already shocked. That silver money that could not be earned in hundreds of lifetimes was actually the price for the nobles to buy a piece of stone. It was really beyond words.
However, as the kings and princes continued to compete, the atmosphere on the scene became somewhat tense.
Standing at the outermost bright moon, holding a cup of tea and shaking it gently, drinking it up after a while, it is time to end this boring time of bidding.
Mingyue raised her empty cup towards Master Li on the stage. Master Li's eyes flickered slightly, and he smiled and interrupted the bidding of the Prince of Suzhou's entourage:
"My dear friends, please allow me to say something. It is not a good idea to continue like this. Why don't you wait for a moment? Our shopkeeper would like to discuss with you in person the ownership of this imperial green?"
(End of this chapter)