jdhmnovel Chapter 1247 Testing Lin Wanshan
Chapter 1247 Testing Lin Wanshan
"Seven thousand eight hundred taels!"
Within half a quarter of an hour of taking the stage, the bidding for "Ning Shen Qi Wan" had already approached eight thousand taels.
Apart from the soft scratching of the accountant's pen, the private room was extremely quiet.
Lin Wanshan was restless, secretly wondering why Shen Zheng had kept him here. Just as he was about to find another excuse to leave, Shen Zheng suddenly spoke up: "Lord Lin's former residence was in Yuanzhou, so he must be very familiar with the rules of this pavilion?"
Seeing the undisguised inquiry in Shen Zheng's eyes, Lin Wanshan's back stiffened.
Keeping in mind that the accountant was still in the private room, he didn't directly address Shen Zheng as "Sir," but instead replied, "You flatter me. It's rare for Jubao Pavilion to hold an auction, and this is my first time participating. I just wanted to see something new..."
"Oh?" Shen Zheng raised an eyebrow, turning her gaze back to the documents, and deliberately said, "In my opinion, the 'Miracle Pill' on the stage right now is quite novel. Why doesn't Lord Lin participate in the bidding?"
The word "This official" caused the accountant's wrist to twitch, and he secretly looked over.
"You..." Lin Wanshan was surprised that she "revealed her identity" in front of the accountant of Jubaoge, and even more surprised by her direct probing.
"Your humble servant..." Hearing the rising and falling bids from within the pavilion, Lin Wanshan's forehead grew increasingly sweaty, and he forced a smile: "This item sounds novel, but I don't know if its effects are genuine. Although I am curious, I am still unwilling to spend money on such an unknown item, and I hope you will forgive my presumption..."
"Unknown?" Shen Zheng chuckled, her words carrying a hidden meaning.
Lin Wanshan's smile faltered, and he nodded, "This humble official has never seen such a thing before, and its effects are naturally unknown..."
"I see." Shen Zheng's smile deepened, and she praised, "It seems Lord Lin is always cautious; that's good. However..."
Shen Zheng changed the subject, her voice filled with curiosity: "I have been traveling around lately, and I have little sleep and many dreams at night. I feel listless during the day. If this product is truly effective, I would like to try it... Lord Lin is in charge of salt and iron and is well-informed. If this product appears again, I hope Lord Lin will send someone to inform you."
Upon hearing this, Lin Wanshan not only did not ask her "why not bid now?", but also nodded in agreement.
"Rest assured, if I hear any news about this item, I will buy it for you immediately and send someone to deliver it to Liuyang Prefecture."
Upon hearing this, Shen Zheng glanced at him indifferently, already understanding most of the situation—although the person selling "spiritual powder" in Yuanzhou had little to do with him, he was definitely someone who knew about it, and perhaps even someone who profited from it.
After thinking it over, Shen Zheng waved his hand: "In that case, I will not keep Lord Lin any longer."
Upon hearing the order to leave, Lin Wanshan immediately stood up and took his leave.
Shortly after he left, the accountant respectfully handed him the document: "The document has been drafted, please take a look, esteemed guest."
Shen Zheng took the document in one hand, dipped his brush in ink with the other, and said without even glancing at it, "Tell the owner a message for me. If the document is not genuine, I will personally lead people to demolish this building within three days."
As soon as she finished speaking, the name "Shen Zheng" appeared on the paper, the strokes sharp and precise, mirroring her tone.
Seeing this, the accountant stopped pretending not to recognize her and quickly bowed, saying, "You, you can rest assured, this herbal elixir is absolutely genuine. I, I will certainly pass on your message..."
"That's for the best." Shen Zheng picked up her veil, stood up, and handed the document back. "Deliver the goods."
Hua Duo and Chen Zhikuan simultaneously handed over bank drafts to the accountant.
While the accountant was still struggling, Hua Duo impatiently stuffed the silver notes into his arms, picked up the brocade box on the table, and followed Shen Zheng. Chen Zhikuan was stunned for a moment, then followed closely behind.
"Lord Shen..." Chen Zhikuan, clutching a stack of silver notes, strode up to Shen Zheng and whispered, "It is my duty to pay the bill today. I hope you can..."
“Money is just an external thing, so there’s no need for you to be so formal, Manager Chen.” Shen Zheng pressed down the brim of his hat and stepped downstairs. “I have to rush back to Liuyang Prefecture tonight and can’t stay any longer, but there are a few things that I need the Chamber of Commerce to help me investigate.”
Hearing the seriousness in Shen Zheng's tone, Chen Zhikuan immediately made a guess.
Yuanzhou Prefecture... is likely about to undergo a major upheaval.
He glanced at the arena secretly, his tone becoming more serious: "Please give your orders."
"Let's talk outside." Shen Zheng stepped down the last step and walked towards the pavilion door.
As she passed through the hall, her gaze swept over the competition platform, then over the two blood jade bottles on the tray, and finally landed on Yunniang.
Yunniang seemed to sense something, turned her head to look over, then smiled, bowed slightly, as if to say goodbye.
Inside the pavilion, a cacophony of noise lurked beneath the surface, a tension that was hard to quell. Amidst the increasingly loud bidding, Shen Zheng strode out of the pavilion.
"Boom-"
The pavilion doors closed, shutting out the noise. A gentle breeze blew in, and Shen Zheng looked up at the sky.
......
Before leaving Yuanzhou Prefecture, Shen Zheng gave Chen Zhikuan four instructions.
—"First, investigate the identity of the final winner of the 'Spirit-Gathering Pill' and secretly inform them that this substance is harmful to the body and spirit and should not be taken."
"Second, bypass the government and investigate the source of the 'miracle pills,' focusing on merchants with unusual dealings recently, especially the Nie family. The batch of goods that Lin Wanshan seized from them must be suspicious."
—"Third, send a trusted person to Luming Academy to find Headmaster Hou and tell him that 'something has happened.'"
"Fourth, never confront any official head-on. If you are unsure about anything, never act rashly. Instead, send someone directly to Liuyang Prefecture to find me."
After listening attentively, Chen Zhikuan looked at the pitch-black streets and alleys before him and couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering him: "Lord Shen, Lin Wanshan should know quite a lot. Will he... interfere?"
Shen Zheng twirled the reins twice in her hand, neither nodding nor shaking her head, "I don't know yet."
She paused for a moment, then continued, “Just now in the private room, although I had already subtly hinted at something to him, as the Salt and Iron Commissioner, he has probably already reaped considerable benefits. If he is truly blinded by gold and silver, it is hard to guarantee that he will not become our enemy. In short... you must be careful in your actions.”
Looking at Shen Zheng's face, Chen Zhikuan felt a chill run down his spine.
Having been in business for many years, he had fought at least eighty or a hundred battles and considered himself used to all kinds of storms. But this time, he truly felt an unprecedented pressure.
But this pressure can also be a driving force.
He knew perfectly well that if he could win this battle, both he and the Fifth Chamber of Commerce would rise to a higher level.
"Please rest assured!" Chen Zhikuan completely transformed the pressure into motivation, his eyes shining brightly, and even his voice became a little louder: "I understand the importance of things and will definitely act cautiously!"