The auctioneer on the stage wore a mask.
The hammer in his hand froze in midair. Even he seemed taken aback when he heard Ji Junjiao’s bid.
“Ten million cash!?”
The audience erupted.
“The Grand Secretary actually bid that much!?”
“That’s ten million cash…”
“Could it be that the Haiyan ring really can command the Chengping Army?”
“Who knows? If the Grand Secretary is willing to pay that price, it has to be worth something, doesn’t it?”
“…”
Ji Junjiao paid no attention to the whispers around him. His gaze remained clear and composed, his posture perfectly upright. Every inch of him embodied the elegance and dignity of a true gentleman.
Qin Buwen stared at him in disbelief.
Has Ji Junjiao lost his mind?
Ten million cash… for a jade thumb ring?
Give me the money instead! I could buy him a whole pile of rings!
What a spendthrift.
Clicking her tongue under her breath, Qin Buwen rested her chin on one hand, prepared to enjoy the spectacle.
But before anyone else could react, Yan Tang, seated in front of Ji Junjiao, said coldly,
“Fifteen million.”
“Twenty million.”
“Thirty million.”
“Fifty million.”
The two men traded bids back and forth. Within only a few rounds, the price of the thumb ring had multiplied several times over.
Qin Buwen was completely stunned.
Since when was a dead person’s keepsake worth this much!?
Yan Tang pressed his lips together. His voice remained clear, but there was the faintest tremor beneath it.
“Grand Secretary… what exactly are you trying to do?”
His eyes were red.
From where Qin Buwen sat, she could only see his back.
For some reason, that solitary figure looked unbearably lonely.
Ji Junjiao slowly raised his eyes, looking straight ahead.
“Minister Situ, you cannot buy this ring.”
Yan Tang’s lashes quivered, his expression turning icy.
Enunciating each word, he said,
“That… belongs to me.”
He spoke so quietly that no one else could hear him clearly.
But Qin Buwen did.
Her eyelids twitched as emotion surged through her.
It was only a jade thumb ring.
When she saw the ring she had worn for so many years displayed on the auction stage, she had done little more than sigh at the unpredictability of fate.
The dead were gone.
She had never expected Yan Tang to be so attached to such a small object.
She remembered him as the last person to cling to possessions.
The silent battle between the two men showed no sign of ending.
“Ten million,” Yan Tang said in a low voice, obsession burning in his eyes.
“In gold.”
The hall exploded.
“Did I hear that right!? Ten million taels of gold!?”
“That kind of money could buy half a city!”
“Then the legends must be true! Haiyan really can command armies!”
“Is it true? If someone buys that ring, can they really command the Chengping Army!?”
Ji Junjiao lowered his gaze, his expression unreadable.
“Minister Situ, you’ve always been known for your calm temperament and gracious conduct. I don’t understand why you’re so determined over a single thumb ring today.”
Separated by a screen, Yan Tang’s handsome features were cold and severe, stripped of all their usual warmth.
“I only want her.”
Ji Junjiao pressed his lips together. At last, he stood and walked to Yan Tang’s screen.
“Yan Tang. Do you understand what His Majesty will think if you do this?”
He deliberately lowered his voice. Though everyone nearby strained to listen, they couldn’t make out a single word.
Qin Buwen, however, heard every syllable.
“Haiyan belonged to Prince Chang’an. If you purchase it for such an extravagant price, His Majesty will inevitably suspect you of harboring treasonous ambitions.”
Ji Junjiao was right.
At the height of Prince Chang’an’s power, even the Emperor had feared her.
The entire court had regarded her as a thorn in their side.
There had even been many officials who openly supported Prince Chang’an, memorializing the throne and proposing that Prince Chang’an govern the empire alongside the Emperor.
Only five years had passed since Prince Chang’an’s death.
Her lingering influence over Yaoyun had not yet faded.
If Yan Tang openly bought Prince Chang’an’s personal effects before the eyes of the entire capital, the Emperor would undoubtedly grow suspicious.
Ji Junjiao was doing this for one reason only.
He did not want the court to lose such a brilliant young minister.
Everything Ji Junjiao did was for the empire and its people.
Yan Tang was exceptionally intelligent. There was no way he couldn’t understand the consequences.
Ji Junjiao simply couldn’t comprehend why he insisted on this thumb ring.
Yan Tang slowly lifted his eyes, meeting Ji Junjiao’s gaze.
“I don’t care.”
He didn’t care.
He didn’t care what the Emperor thought.
He didn’t care what the people thought.
He didn’t care what the officials of the court thought.
He only wanted Haiyan.
Hearing those words, Qin Buwen finally let out a quiet sigh.
“Yan Tang, I know how many businesses and banks you own. Your wealth may very well exceed mine. But are you truly prepared to drag us both into ruin just to obtain Haiyan?”
Yan Tang let out a soft laugh.
Then he lightly tapped the table with one finger and called out,
“Ten million taels of gold. Does anyone wish to bid higher?”
His meaning was unmistakable.
He would not yield.
Ji Junjiao frowned slightly, his expression solemn.
The masked auctioneer smiled before raising his voice.
“Ten million taels of gold, once!”
“Ten million taels of gold, twice!”
“Ten million—”
Qin Buwen sighed helplessly.
She glanced at the smooth, translucent thumb ring gleaming beneath the lights.
It really had accompanied her for many years.
In the end, she slowly raised her hand.
“Bid from Guest Number Eighteen.”
The attendant beside Qin Buwen froze.
He clearly hadn’t expected anyone to challenge that price.
As expected, the moment he announced it, every eye in the auction hall turned toward her.
Qin Buwen wore her fox mask without the slightest concern about being recognized.
She raised one hand high and held up two fingers.
The entire auction house erupted.
“Two? Twenty million taels of gold!?”
“Twenty million!? W-When did Chang’an produce someone with that kind of fortune!?”
“It’s even a woman! I’ve lived in Chang’an for years and I’ve never heard of anyone like her!”
“Twenty million taels of gold? Even the imperial treasury might not have that much!”
“…”
Yan Tang’s eyes turned colder still as he looked toward Qin Buwen.
His patience was nearly exhausted.
On the stage, the masked auctioneer narrowed his eyes, though the courteous smile remained on his face.
Qin Buwen still held up two fingers. Resting her chin on her other hand, she lazily yawned, looking thoroughly bored.
“Guest Number Eighteen,” the auctioneer asked with a smile, “are you certain your bid is twenty million taels of gold?”
Qin Buwen blinked innocently and wiggled her two fingers.
“Who said I bid twenty million taels of gold?”
“Then… what is your bid, Miss?”
A pair of charming dimples appeared as Qin Buwen smiled sweetly.
“Two copper coins.”
The auctioneer’s face stiffened.
For the first time, his perfect smile nearly cracked.
“…What?”
Qin Buwen smiled with wide-eyed innocence.
“I said my bid is two copper coins.”