Chapter 903: Making Another Move
Even though the courtiers were full of complaints, none of them actually dared to make a scene in front of the Huajia father and son. However, whenever they exited the palace gates and saw the long queues, they couldn’t help but feel resentful.
With Gu Wenheng causing such a massive spectacle, even if they didn’t know the exact revenue, they still had a rough idea. Watching such a large sum of Silver slip through their fingers, no one could be happy.
If this Silver were distributed among the various ministries, they wouldn’t have to grovel to the Ministry of Revenue for a very long time. The mere thought of this made their blood boil. Now that Gu Wenheng had taken over the Ministry of Revenue, he would be even harder to deal with in the future. Just thinking about it was incredibly frustrating.
“I heard the treasures are selling very fast these days, and some out-of-town merchants have already rushed over,” Yu Ligao, who went in every day to stroll around and feast his eyes, said to the other officials meaningfully.
“Word is that the Holy Emperor even sent people riding at breakneck speed to spread the news far and wide.”
“So what? The venue is only so big. At its absolute maximum, they can only let in a set number of people each day,” Li Laifu said dismissively. Even if more people came, the daily capacity was limited, so it really didn’t matter.
Yu Ligao smiled and shook his head. “That’s why being the Minister of Revenue isn’t a job for just anyone.
“Haven’t you noticed how exceptionally bustling Shangjing has been lately? I heard the inns are fully booked every day, and even many private residences have been rented out. This scene is even livelier than the annual imperial examinations.”
It wasn’t just the court that benefited; even the commoners of Shangjing had seen a significant increase in their income. Gu Wenheng’s move was killing multiple birds with one stone. It was only these people, constantly fixated on the Silver, who failed to notice that construction had begun on the other side of the palace gates.
Although he didn’t know what new scheme was being cooked up this time, Yu Ligao felt that the days were getting more and more interesting. Gu Wenheng had only been the Minister of Revenue for a short while, yet he was already leaving everyone breathless under the pressure.
***
Gu Wenheng hadn’t expected the Huajia father and son to trust him so much. He had barely pitched his idea before both the Supreme Emperor and the Emperor agreed without hesitation.
“Just go ahead and do it, my loyal minister. I will have the lower-ranking officials fully cooperate with you,” the Emperor declared.
Hua Zhang had seen from the treasure exhibition that Gu Wenheng was truly a master at raking in money. It seemed that his initial attempt to please his father by placing him in the Ministry of Revenue had turned out to be a stroke of luck.
This time, Gu Wenheng wanted to set up an auction house, allowing some carefully selected treasures to go to the highest bidder. Just thinking about it was fascinating. If it proved as successful as the treasure exhibition, the Silver Taels earned would undoubtedly double.
At the thought of this, the corners of Hua Zhang’s mouth curled up. He even thought to himself, “I might just be the luckiest new emperor in history.”
In the court, he had the Supreme Emperor backing him up. Whether it was the veteran courtiers or his restless brothers, everyone had to stay out of trouble and give him a sufficient transition period. The court also had Gu Aiqing, this capable minister, who had brought him continuous good news in such a short time.
As long as the Holy Decree for a general amnesty was issued, his throne would become even more secure.
Hua Shunming cleared his throat twice to remind the Emperor not to get carried away, but the corners of his own mouth remained turned up in a smile.
He had been terminally ill, but the recent string of good news made Hua Shunming feel like he could hold on for a bit longer. Eating well, sleeping well, and being in a good mood made his body feel much less heavy than before.
He thought to himself, “Hmm, it seems I can live a while longer.”
“What the Emperor said is also my intention. Just go ahead and do it boldly. If anyone is dissatisfied or tries to cause trouble, tie them up directly and send them to the Heavenly Prison,” Hua Shunming said, stroking his beard. “Even a Commandery Prince will be treated the same.”
He wasn’t blind to the fact that his other sons had always been restless. It was just that the Emperor still needed polishing in many areas, and it was the perfect opportunity to let his brothers keep him on his toes.
Hua Zhang was momentarily speechless. He thought to himself, “As expected, I am the only Emperor in my father’s heart. Suddenly, I feel a bit of pity for my younger brothers…”
Completely unaware of all this, Hua Shunming remained none the wiser.
***
Hot on the heels of the treasure exhibition, another whirlwind swept through Shangjing.
“Have you heard? The Supreme Emperor is going to auction off a batch of his private collection at the palace gates! It’s not just for the royal family and high officials; even us commoners can attend.”
“That’s old news. Wasn’t the treasure exhibition open to everyone too?”
“There’s a huge difference! The items at the treasure exhibition had clearly marked prices. But for this auction house, I heard the items are even more precious. Many are the Supreme Emperor’s beloved possessions, and they will go to the highest bidder.”
The people who had been planted in the streets and alleys long ago were now doing their utmost to act as megaphones.
“Think about it. These are things that caught the Supreme Emperor’s eye—how could they not be precious?
“We’ve lived in Shangjing for generations; when have we ever encountered such a good opportunity?
“My brothers and I discussed it, and we’re planning to pool our spare Silver this time to see if we can bring home a family heirloom.”
“Does the auction house also require Silver to enter, just like the treasure exhibition?”
Although one Silver Tael was more than half a month’s living expenses for their families, it wasn’t impossible to grit their teeth and pay it just to expand their horizons.
“What? You think it’s like the treasure exhibition where one Silver Tael is enough?” The man stared at him with wide eyes. “If you don’t have about a thousand Silver Taels on you, you can’t even get through the door.”
The bystanders drew in sharp breaths. “You need a thousand Silver Taels just to enter? Who would be willing to part with that? Are you trying to scam us?”
“Scamming you doesn’t do me any good, and it wastes a cup of tea from the teahouse waiter.
“They don’t actually charge an entrance fee, but if you want to participate in the auction, you must at least have some financial backing.
“Think about the items at the treasure exhibition—which one wasn’t worth hundreds or thousands of Silver Taels?
“Even if you bring a thousand Silver Taels inside, you might not necessarily be able to win a bid.”
Hearing this, the crowd thought it made sense.
“That’s truly a pity. Even if my whole family emptied our pockets, we couldn’t scrape together a thousand Silver Taels. I’ll just have to wait for you gentlemen to come out and tell us what you saw.” Upon hearing the thousand Silver Taels requirement, many people gave up on the idea.
The person who started the topic didn’t mind. The threshold of this auction would inevitably block out a large portion of the population. Spreading news in places like teahouses and restaurants right now was primarily aimed at targeting out-of-town merchants.
“Don’t bother waiting for our news either. Even if we prepare enough Silver, we might not be able to get in.”
“My friend, what do you mean by that?”
“That auction house isn’t like the treasure exhibition where you can come and go as you please. It’s only held for one hour a day, so the number of guests they can host is naturally limited. Each session is capped at a hundred people.
“Think about it: with so many people wanting to go and broaden their horizons, how could we possibly get a spot?”
“Well, if you put it that way, none of us should go,” someone nearby jeered. Since he didn’t have the Silver to enter anyway, he figured no one else should go either.
The man glared angrily, pulled a card from his pocket, and paraded it boastfully in front of the crowd. “That depends on personal ability. I went to the Ministry of Revenue early to get a number token, so I can enter with the first batch.”