The kitchen of the Old Brush Pen Shop was filled with the fragrance of vegetables. Ning Que stood behind Sangsang and finally couldn't help asking, "Does anyone suspect that I sold them myself?"
Sangsang didn't turn around and said, "I heard that they all thought I sold them secretly."
"I'm really sorry to let you bear the reputation of being a thief."
Ning Que said shamefully.
Sangsang glanced at the green tofu pudding in the pot and closed the stove with her little foot. She put the tofu pudding into the bowl and said, "Young master, it's okay as long as it can be sold for a good price."
Ning Que took over the increasingly heavy bowl and said, "I hope so."
Recently, there was a secret rumor in the calligraphy and antique shop in Chang 'an that seven sections of calligraphy from the Old Brush Pen Shop were going to be sold. It was said that these seven sections were from a greedy handmaiden.
Of course, that was not the truth. Six out of the seven sections were written by Ning Que on a certain night, and he was the one who wanted to sell them. The reason why he took such a roundabout way to involve Dewdrop and even let Sangsang bear the reputation of a greedy seller was mainly because of three reasons.
First, Ning Que didn't want anyone to know that he needed a large sum of money now because he didn't want others to know what he was going to do with the money. Second, as a first-class or even super-class calligrapher, selling his own works was a very shameful thing no matter how one looked at it.
The third point was the most important. If he wanted to sell his calligraphy sections in public, the Emperor in the palace would definitely borrow them or buy them at the official price, even though his words were gentle and he was shameless.
The emperor had never returned the sections borrowed from the Old Brush Pen Shop. As for the official price … it couldn't meet Ning Que's current needs. That was why he came up with this idea.
Sangsang cut some pickled mustard and used chopsticks to put it on the green tofu pudding. She asked, "Do you want sesame oil?"
Ning Que shook his head and said, "The corners of my mouth are burning. I'd better eat something light."
Sangsang used her slender fingertips to pick up a small handful of sesame seeds and sprinkled them evenly into the tofu pudding. She asked, "Yesterday I did the calculation with Mr. Qi again. The amount of money is still not enough. Will the seven sections be less?"
"No matter how precious an item is, if too much of it is released at once, its price will drop. Just like Chenjinji Cosmetics Store's cosmetics, if it was everywhere on the streets, why would it be so expensive?"
Ning Que said, "I was worried that if I put all seven sections on the market at once, it would ruin the market price. Now it seems that the Stone House is indeed capable."
Holding the tofu pudding bowl, Sangsang's eyes glowed as she said, "I wonder how much this can be sold for."
Ning Que said, "The first six sections can be sold at least eight or ten thousand yuan, right? The most important thing is that last Chicken Soup Calligraphy. I don't know how much it will sell for. "
Sangsang asked doubtfully, "Is that Chicken Soup Calligraphy the original?"
Ning Que nodded and looked at the array eye pestle that was placed in an inconspicuous corner of the display rack. He said, "The Chicken Soup Calligraphy has always been wrapped on the pestle that my master asked you to pass to me."
Then he sighed and said, "My master is an old liar. I am very touched."
This sentence was both a tease and a sigh. It was mostly because of his conversation with General Xu Shi a few days ago. Xu Shi insisted that Master Yan Se was a righteous and righteous person. Now that it was proven that his late master was indeed a troublemaker, Ning Que could not help but feel gratified.
Sangsang said worriedly, "I'm just worried that Old Scholar Wang will be angry."
Ning Que laughed and said, "He wants to buy the Chicken Soup Calligraphy from my master with four thousand taels of silver. Who else would my master lie to if not Lord Wang?"
Sangsang said, "But a lie is still a lie."
Ning Que thought for a moment and asked, "Have you found out?"
Sangsang said, "Old Scholar Wang was originally from Qing. In Chuan County, the clan has been planning to rebuild the ancestral temple and the genealogy. The Grand Secretary's Mansion has been leading this matter and has been preparing for a few days. "
After eating the vegetable and beancurd porridge, Ning Que rubbed his stomach and got on the horse carriage to the Grand Secretary's Mansion.
It was not Zeng Jing, the Grand Secretary of the Imperial Library, who lived in the Grand Secretary's Mansion, but Wang Shichen, the Grand Secretary of three dynasties. Grand Secretary Wang Shichen's seniority and prestige were not comparable to that of Grand Secretary Zeng. Compared to him, his temper was also much worse than that of Zeng Jing.
In the quiet study, Old Scholar Wang looked at Ning Que in front of him. His slightly turbid eyes were spitting flames of anger. He did not care about Ning Que's identity as a student of the Second floor of the Academy at all. He shouted harshly, "When you were in my mansion, you stamped the Chicken Soup Calligraphy in front of everyone. Why is there another Chicken Soup Calligraphy now? I don't care whether it was your handmaiden who stole it or not. I just want to know why there is another Chicken Soup Calligraphy! "
Ning Que suddenly regretted it. After a long silence, he said with a bitter smile, "I did not know about this before I got the relic of my late master. I was drunk when I wrote the note in the House of Red Sleeves that night, so I did not recognize that it was a copy of my late master's in the Grand Secretary's Mansion. I really did not expect him to have such an elegant hobby."
"Elegant hobby? How is that elegant hobby! "
Wang Shichen's white hair fluttered in the wind. He was so angry that he could not vent his anger. He waved his trembling hands and roared angrily, "That day when I went to the Southern Gate Temple to stop him, he took out the Chicken Soup Calligraphy from his sleeves. How is this elegant hobby? He was obviously prepared to cheat me of my money in advance!"
Ning Que smiled and corrected him, "My late master must have never thought that you would be the one to be cheated."
Then he said seriously, "Since that Chicken Soup Calligraphy is a copy of my master's, it is naturally very precious. Moreover, he has already passed away, so please do not blame him anymore."
Grand Secretary Wang sneered and did not reply.
Ning Que suddenly asked, "I heard that your family is rebuilding the ancestral hall."
Grand Secretary Wang's expression changed slightly and he nodded.
"With your prestige, the horizontal board of the ancestral hall will naturally be inscribed by His Majesty. However, do you still need someone to write the inscription tablet and the genealogy?"
Ning Que asked.
Grand Secretary Wang was startled and then he understood Ning Que's meaning. He could not help but be overjoyed. Although the Chicken Soup Calligraphy was precious, for a large family that inherited poetry and books, the ancestral hall and the genealogy were related to the inheritance of the family. It was something to be passed on to the future generations. It would be wonderful if Ning Que could inscribe it himself.
"Thank you very much. Then I will not stand on ceremony."
Grand Secretary Wang laughed and then he changed the topic and asked, "Since the calligraphy was taken by Miss Sangsang to sell, are you going to take it back the day after tomorrow?"
As an elder statesman of the Tang Empire for three dynasties, he naturally knew the news that Zeng Jing had reunited with his daughter. Therefore, the Grand Secretary was angry about the Seven Calligraphy of the Old Brush Pen Shop and had always had a deep doubt. At this time, he asked in front of Ning Que.
Ning Que smiled and did not answer.
Grand Secretary Wang understood what he meant and said with a serious expression, "If that is the case, then I will go and buy the Chicken Soup Calligraphy back. Will Sir Ning mind?"
With a bigwig like Grand Secretary Wang entering the auction, the seven calligraphy sections would definitely be sold at a very good price. Ning Que only had money in his eyes and did not mind at all. He immediately smiled.
…
…
Chu Youxian got off the horse carriage and looked at the people walking towards the Stone House. His expression changed slightly and he said with a trembling voice, "My father is indeed rich, but there are many people richer than him in Chang 'an. Those people are royal merchants from the South City. Are you expecting me to compete with them?"
Chu Youxian's father was Master Chu, one of the Seven Aristocrats in the Eastern City. He was a famous wealthy merchant in Chang 'an and was famous for being cultured. Therefore, the Stone House had sent an invitation to Master Chu for the Seven Calligraphy of the Old Brush Pen Shop. This invitation was naturally kept in Chu Youxian's sleeve.
Ning Que had followed Chu Youxian to the Stone House. He was not too interested in the auction of his own calligraphy sections, but to ensure that there would be no problems and that he would be able to get the money, he had decided to come personally.
Chu Youxian looked at Ning Que beside him with a worried expression. After his father had received the invitation, he had started to ask around about today's events and vaguely knew that the Old Brush Pen Shop had been robbed. Since they were selling stolen goods from the Old Brush Pen Shop today, Ning Que had insisted on coming to take a look. It could only be that he wanted to cause trouble or buy it back with money. But no matter what, it sounded a little dangerous.
"I'm not here to cause trouble."
Ning Que explained, "I'm afraid that someone will cause trouble."
Chu Youxian did not understand his words. He thought of his father's ecstasy when he found out about his relationship with Ning Que. He did not care about what would happen next and walked towards the Stone House.
After showing the invitation, a pretty maid led the two into the courtyard.
The Stone House was located by the quiet lake. The warm lake breeze of late spring passed through the willows by the lake and through the quiet corridors and halls. When they entered the courtyard, it was already much cooler.
The auction was held in a three-story wooden building. The building was divided into three sides, and only the side facing the lake had no buildings. It was wide and open, and there was a platform in the middle of the building. There was nothing on the platform except for a large, elegant screen. A calligraphy section was embroidered on the screen with golden thread, but it was hard to tell who it was from a distance.
The clear lake breeze blew in from outside the building, gently brushing against the screen and slowly passing through the pavilions. The heat that had just arisen disappeared immediately. In the gentle breeze, the extremely simple layout would make even the most vulgar person feel a sense of elegance at a glance.
There were more than twenty individual pavilions on the third floor. The entrances of the pavilions were partitioned by gauze bamboo. When the lake breeze blew, the gauze fluttered, revealing the bamboo bone curtains at the back. One could vaguely see the feet, but it was impossible to see what kind of person was sitting inside. It not only made the people in the pavilions feel comfortable, but also protected their privacy.
Ning Que and Chu Youxian were led by the pretty maid to a pavilion on the second floor. They sat down and looked at the clear screen on the platform in the building. They thought to themselves that they had made the right choice in choosing the Stone House.
There was too little time between receiving the seven calligraphy pieces from the Old Brush Pen Shop, starting the publicity, and today's official auction. There was not enough time to spread the news to the South Jin Kingdom and the other countries. Those foreign merchants also did not have the time to attend the event. The boss of the Stone House could not help but feel a little regretful. He thought to himself that he should not have asked the appraiser to come over when he first received the news from the Old Brush Pen Shop. He should have just spread the news.
However, the seven calligraphy pieces from the Old Brush Pen Shop, especially the Chicken Soup Calligraphy, was too attractive. Even though the merchants from the South Jin Kingdom and the other countries did not have the time to attend the event, the envoys from the other countries and two or three royal merchants who lived in Chang 'an all year round came. From their expressions, it seemed that they were really interested.
There were countless whispers in the pavilion of the Stone House. No one doubted the credibility of the Stone House, and naturally no one doubted the authenticity of the seven calligraphy pieces. These buzzing discussions were probably about whether or not to bid and to analyze the strength of the competitors.
As a middle-aged man in a simple green robe walked up to the platform, the discussions in the Stone House gradually subsided. When the middle-aged man gently tapped the Golden Chime Tablet in his hand, it became even more quiet.
"This is the boss of the Stone House?"
Ning Que asked.
Chu Youxian shook his head and pointed at the man downstairs with his folding fan. He said, "This person's surname is Zhong and his given name is Li. It is said that he is from a branch of the Zhong family in Yang Guan. He had some problems with his family and was unable to become an official for many years. That was why he left Yang Guan in anger and started this business. He has been working in the auction house of the Kingdom of Song all these years. Many people think that he is the best seller. Since the Stone House has made such a big event today, we naturally have to invite him."
When Ning Que heard the Zhong family in Yang Guan, he naturally thought of Zhong Da Jun. He could not help but laugh. He said, "I hope this person is not as boring as Zhong Da Jun."
Chu Youxian laughed. "Not everyone from the Zhong family in Yang Guan is useless."
…
…
Zhong Li stood on the platform and calmly looked around at the three pavilions around him. Even though it was a simple glance, the people in the pavilions felt that he was looking at them. Just this move alone was enough to show the skills of a seller.
Then, contrary to everyone's expectations, the seller did not introduce the history of the Stone House like normal auctions, nor did he greet the bigwigs in the pavilions. Instead, he spoke directly. His voice was calm and his expression was neither servile nor overbearing. There was even a hint of pride in his voice.
"Today is the eighty-fourth day of spring. It is the time for the Golden Jade Nectar to hit the market."
"Everyone says that gold is common and jade is pure. However, jade is also common today. Today, I invite all of you to admire the most elegant item in the world, the beauty of a thousand years of ink fragrance."
Zhong Li smiled and said, "You may be a little disappointed. Today's event does not have a prelude, nor will there be any other famous calligraphy sections. Just as gold is a common object before jade, what other calligraphy sections in the world are not common objects before the seven sections of the Old Brush Pen Shop?"
Hearing this, the nobles and businessmen in the pavilions of the Stone House gasped in shock. This was because the seven sections from the Old Brush Pen Shop were too highly praised. However, after thinking about it carefully, the people in the pavilions had to admit that even though this was a move by the Stone House to raise its own status, they could not be faulted. This was because in today's world, not to mention the calligraphy masters of the past, even the works of the old masters and the works of the Master of Calligraphy could not compare to the glory of the Old Brush Pen Shop.
As Chu Youxian listened to the discussions and praises in the pavilion, his eyes brightened and his expression became more and more proud. He gently fanned himself and stole glances at Ning Que from time to time. He thought to himself, If you know that the owner of the Old Brush Pen Shop is sitting right next to me, won't you die of jealousy?
…
…
"Damn it. Even Chuan County is prohibited!? Chapter Two will definitely be out before 11 o 'clock! " (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian.Com to vote for me. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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