Before Sha Huang Li, the steward didn't know how to respond.
Xiang Ming slowly walked up to Niu You Dao, raised a hand, and placed it on his shoulder. Immediately, a wave of magical power spread through Niu You Dao's body.
Niu You Dao turned, and they exchanged glances for a moment. A warning flickered in Xiang Ming's eyes.
Xiang Ming chuckled, saying:
"Madam, you've misunderstood. How could a single painting be worth a hundred thousand gold? Mr. Huangdi came to Zhaixing City on business, and we just happened to conclude a contract with him for a hundred thousand gold. This painting was indeed included in the contract sum. However, we didn't agree on a second painting."
He turned to Niu You Dao and said:
"Sir, you must be tired today; you need to rest. Please come again tomorrow, and we can discuss the price for the second painting." He intended to speak with Niu You Dao later.
Sha Huang Li was no fool, and from the steward's reaction, she realized something was amiss:
"Remove your hand!"
Xiang Ming withdrew his hand.
Sha Huang Li, looking at Niu You Dao, said:
"Mr. Huangdi, speak the truth. What is going on? Don't worry, if someone is threatening you, I will stand up for you."
Xiang Ming glanced at him.
Niu You Dao: "City Lord, you've misunderstood. As the steward said, we agreed on one painting. If there's another painting, we'll need to agree on a price."
The moment he learned Sha Huang Li was not a cultivator, he immediately understood that she didn't actually control the city. The true reins of power lay with this steward. Thus, without much thought, he went along with Xiang Ming. After all, if Xiang Ming so wished, Niu You Dao could leave the city a dead man.
Xiang Ming immediately relaxed.
As several people exchanged glances, Sha Huang Li said, "Steward. I hope you understand that in this world, many people are starving!"
She was clearly suspicious of them.
Xiang Ming muttered to himself, "If only you knew how much money you spend and consume every day. You're served only the finest. What's a mere hundred thousand to you?"
However, he dared not voice such thoughts, instead bowing and saying:
"Madam, please calm yourself. We distribute a considerable sum to the poor every year. How could I possibly ignore such matters?"
Hei Mudan watched them, looking from one to the other.
Sha Huang Li, pointing at the portrait, asked:
"Mr. Huangdi, tell me honestly. How much would this painting cost? I advise you not to lie. Otherwise, don't blame me."
Niu You Dao understood he was caught between a rock and a hard place. Why did he have to encounter such a girl?
"As already stated, this painting comes as an added value. A specific price is hard to name," Niu You Dao replied with a smile.
Sha Huang Li: "Then how much would you charge to draw another painting like this?"
Niu You Dao: "City Lord, I am not an artist, nor do I draw paintings for sale. If I were to draw one, I could sell it for at least a thousand gold."
Xiang Ming cocked his head:
"A thousand gold is too expensive. We provided the materials ourselves. You only spent your time."
Niu You Dao: "Then you tell me?"
Xiang Ming held up a single finger: "I'll give you a hundred gold!"
Niu You Dao shook his head: "No, no. That's far too low a price!"
The two men began to genuinely haggle over the price.
Sha Huang Li watched them.
Xiang Ming wouldn't budge, and Niu You Dao finally sighed:
"City Lord, please be our judge. Can some things truly be valued solely by their materials? Is quality measured only by materials?" He pointed to the portrait on the easel and said:
"City Lord, do you truly believe this painting is worth only a hundred gold?"
Sha Huang Li looked at the portrait with affection. She truly thought a hundred gold was too little. So she turned and said:
"A thousand gold is a bit steep. How about this: you draw another painting, and I'll give you five hundred gold. What do you say?"
"This..." Niu You Dao seemed reluctant to agree.
Xiang Ming grumbled with displeasure:
"The City Lord herself has named a price, and out of respect for her, you don't wish to agree?"
Sha Huang Li waved a hand, indicating for him not to pressure Niu You Dao.
"Ah!" Niu You Dao sighed: "Since the household steward puts it that way, fine. Five hundred it is."
Sha Huang Li smiled contentedly. It was as if she was delighted to have saved five hundred gold. She immediately ordered all the drawing supplies to be presented to Niu You Dao.
Niu You Dao told the servant to sit on the chair, though this time he didn't adjust her pose. She sat as she wished. His hands began to move again.
Sha Huang Li, meanwhile, excitedly circled him, occasionally asking questions. She was astonished by Niu You Dao's technique, watching as the girl's outlines gradually appeared on the paper.
Seeing Sha Huang Li's delight, Xiang Ming smiled with satisfaction.
As soon as Niu You Dao finished, he declared, "Done!"
"..." Sha Huang Li looked. Aside from the beautifully depicted servant and the chair she sat on, everything else was blank. No background. And the scale was much smaller than her own portrait.
She couldn't help but ask:
"Sir, where is the background?"
Niu You Dao petty replied: "Painting is still difficult; it consumes a lot of energy. So, I drew this for five hundred gold."
When Xiang Ming heard this, his lips twitched. He didn't know what to say.
Fortunately, Sha Huang Li said nothing. She was quite satisfied as it was.
Having gained some knowledge, Sha Huang Li immediately wanted to try painting. She promptly seated a maidservant in front of her and, picking up a sketching tool, began to draw her.
Xiang Ming departed, nodding to the steward before he left. The steward then escorted Hei Mudan and Niu You Dao out of the area.
When they went downstairs, the steward asked them to wait for a moment and left. After a short while, he returned and handed Niu You Dao a stack of banknotes:
"Please, Sir, count them."
Hei Mudan looked at the stack and saw twenty ten-thousand-gold banknotes. A ten-thousand-gold banknote was the largest denomination in the land.
Niu You Dao counted them and was pleased to find that the household steward truly kept his word. Two hundred thousand, no less. And this was for two paintings. Their haggling in front of Sha Huang Li had indeed been a mere show.
The steward looked at him admiringly and said:
"The steward requested Mr. Huangdi not to say what should not be said. Otherwise, problems might arise."
"Understood." Niu You Dao nodded and motioned for Hei Mudan to go first.
As soon as Hei Mudan left, Niu You Dao glanced around, pulled out ten banknotes, counted half of them, and handed them to the steward:
"You've worked hard today, Master. This is my token of gratitude."
The steward was astonished. He had seen many generous guests, but none so lavish. He immediately began to refuse.
Niu You Dao, however, insisted:
"Master, don't worry. Only you and I know about this. There's no need to tell anyone and invite trouble."
The steward knew these words well. Many guests liked to give them money to ensure good treatment. It was normal practice. However, not every guest was so frighteningly wealthy. Thus, the steward dared not take the money and returned it.
"We agreed on a hundred thousand. I won't take any more. You can keep these yourself, and when the time comes, hand them over to the steward."
Upon hearing this, the steward finally took the money and tucked it into his sleeve. He instinctively glanced around.
He understood the rest clearly. Niu You Dao had given him this hundred thousand. But if Niu You Dao plotted anything against them or their residence, the steward would simply hand the money over to Xiang Ming and reveal everything.
The two men came to an understanding and left.
At the bottom of the stairs, near the arched doorway, Yuan Fang and Hei Mudan were waiting. They bade farewell to the steward and departed.
On the way, Yuan Fang couldn't help but ask, "The money?"
Niu You Dao shot him a sideways glance, then looked at Hei Mudan:
"Don't speak of today's matters to anyone."
"Understood!" the two replied.
When they returned to their room, Niu You Dao counted out fifty thousand for each of them and gave it to them both. He kept nothing for himself.
Of course, Hei Mudan felt awkward taking the money and wanted to return it to Niu You Dao. She was still embarrassed by her earlier words.
"If I gave it to you, then take it. No need for extra words," Niu You Dao calmly said:
"In some matters, do as you see fit. Just don't speak of this to your friends for now. If they know too much, they'll overthink things. That won't be good for them. Do you understand?"
"Understood!" Hei Mudan immediately replied. She realized she had acted hastily in the palace.
And when she returned to her room, she felt a pang of awkwardness and shame in her heart. For how many years had she toiled, earning every penny with difficulty? Yet he went, easily earned, and just as easily spent the money. What a nature, what spirit he possessed! She even felt ashamed.
In her room, she hung the painting and began to examine it closely. And when she considered that this painting was worth a hundred thousand, she shuddered. She looked at her own fifty thousand.
When Niu You Dao had given her the painting, he had asked, "Would you buy this painting for a hundred thousand gold?"
Even then, she had been surprised, thinking Lord Dao was joking. Who knew his painting would truly be bought for such a sum?
She couldn't help but recall everything that had happened today. She remembered how Lord Dao had inquired about Sha Huang Li. She had mentioned then that Sha Huang Li was interested in art. Then she recalled how Lord Dao had specifically asked for a staff member to personally bring wine and take the painting for framing... After remembering every detail, she came to the conclusion that Lord Dao seemed to have orchestrated all of this specifically to get acquainted with Sha Huang Li. However, he decided to keep her at a distance to lull her vigilance. Was he plotting something with her?
Inside the room, Yuan Fang happily gazed at the ten-thousand-gold banknotes. His joy knew no bounds. Only, from time to time, he grumbled to himself:
"Lord Dao, how long have we known her? We don't even know what kind of person she is. Why give her so much money?"
He spoke with a hint of resentment. How long had he followed Niu You Dao, how much had he endured! One could say he only now truly belonged in Niu You Dao's company.