The Clock
As the owner of the clock, Fu Yunlang naturally attended the auction tonight. He stayed in Xiao Lingpu box with Fu Yunkai.
Upon seeing Zuo Qiusheng's painting, he was shocked and asked Xiao Lingpu, "Second Highness, do you know what items will be auctioned tonight?"
The two items that appeared at the auction tonight were both incredibly shocking to him. He couldn't believe that even a painting by Zuo Huangsheng could be included. Where did the Fifth Highness find so many wonderful things?
The thought that his clock could be sold alongside these other items, and that the first two items were of such high quality, filled Fu Yunlang with immense excitement.
Xiao Lingpu shook his head. "No. You know that Fifth Brother was extremely busy preparing for this auction recently. Aside from the Ministry of Ministry of Works, he was practically invisible. I did see him briefly before the auction started..."
He pointed to Fu Yunkai: "It was yesterday, when your brother just came back. Lao Wu and I came here to check out the venue and discuss how to arrange the seating."
Fu Yunkai smiled and nodded, indicating that he was confirming this.
Xiao Lingyan continued, "I did ask him what he had to sell. But he said it was a secret for now, to give me a surprise."
Fu Yunlang had no choice but to give up.
His eyes shone as he stared at the stage, eagerly anticipating the appearance of his clock.
He wasn't disappointed. Guan Wentao on stage began, "People say that time flies like an arrow. We've already seen the arrow; now let's talk about time."
He paused for a moment, then said, "I wonder if anyone else has ever had their time delayed because of a copper leak in their home?"
The people present were all lords, putting on airs, Guan Wentao asked that question, naturally no one paid him any attention.
Guan Wentao didn't expect anyone to answer, and with a slight smile, he continued, "For example, in the dead of winter, your house is too warm, and you are woken up by your servants to go to court as scheduled. But when you arrive at the palace gate, you find everyone already lined up and the morning court is about to begin. In the freezing cold, don't you break out in a cold sweat?"
Everyone burst into laughter.
This actually happens.
The water clock uses water to tell the time, and the amount of water dripping out indicates the time. However, the water level changes with temperature. In winter, people who are sensitive to the cold might have their kang (heated brick bed) burning brightly, causing the water in the water clock to evaporate and resulting in an inaccurate time reading. The same applies in summer.
In winter, if there is no heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed) or charcoal fire in the house, the water in the leaky windows will freeze and become completely unusable.
In ancient times, there were no accurate timekeeping devices, and people relied on observing the shadows cast by the sun to estimate the time. They didn't have a strong sense of time and generally got by without much regard for it. However, this was a different story when it came to attending court. Being late for the morning court session could result in anything from a reprimand to demotion or dismissal from office, with very serious consequences.
"So, our third item for auction tonight is a time-telling artifact that traveled all the way from the Western Ocean, enduring countless hardships to reach our Great Jin."
Eunuch Qin led four strong men out carrying a bell.
The clock is carved in a Western style on the outside, and the frame is painted with gold powder. The internal parts are made of bronze, which is shiny and bright. The bronze pendant at the bottom swings from side to side automatically, and it looks exceptionally exquisite under the light.
"It doesn't need to drip water into it every day; instead, it uses finely geared machines to drive the hour and minute hands, making timekeeping extremely precise. All your servants need to do each day is gently turn the mechanism at the back a few times to wind it up, and you'll never have to sleep soundly for fear of being late for court again."
Guan Wentao pointed to the bronze pendant. "This bronze pendant swings on its own, never stopping. The clock is of very good quality; as long as it's not damaged by humans, it will last for decades or even a hundred years without any problems."
Although the vase's shape was somewhat novel, it was quite ordinary in everyone's eyes; Zuo Qiusheng's paintings were rare, but not entirely unseen.
This clock was not only unique in its exotic design, unlike anything anyone had ever seen before, but the fact that the bronze pendant could swing on its own also greatly surprised everyone.
They had never seen an object that swayed on its own without being touched.
Therefore, when the burly men carried the bell into the private room, the gentlemen sitting near the aisle completely forgot about their official airs and stood up, craning their necks to watch, disregarding all decorum. If it weren't for Eunuch Qin stopping them, some would have even tried to touch it.
Seeing this, Fu Yunlang was so excited that his body trembled.
"Is this the clock you brought back from the south?" Xiao Lingpu asked him.
"Your Second Highness, that's right." Fu Yunlang hurriedly replied.
Xiao Lingpu smiled and said to Fu Yunkai, "Not bad, Yunlang is very capable now."
Fu Yunkai was also pleased with the serious things his younger brother was doing, but he still had to say a few words of humility on the surface.
He chuckled and shook his head, "Just a traveling merchant, he's bound to be looked down upon."
A bucket of cold water was poured directly over Fu Yunlang's head, and his heart, which had been so excited it was almost boiling, suddenly turned ice-cold.
Xiao Lingpu shook his head and said, "No, Yunkai, you're too prejudiced. People say merchants are lowly, but I don't think so. People in the south grow oranges, and merchants transport them to the north, allowing people in the south to gain wealth while people in the north enjoy oranges. The reverse is also true. It's clear they have value, so how can they be lowly?"
"Look at the noble families in the capital, which one doesn't engage in commerce? Those who say merchants are lowly are just afraid that merchants will take over the business and leave their families without money."
During this period Xiao Lingpu was constantly brainwashed by Xiao Lingyan. He also carefully observed the people in the capital's streets for a while and found that people really couldn't live without merchants. He also discovered that only by allowing goods to circulate and become commodities could the economy of the Great Jin prosper.
Therefore, he no longer holds any prejudice against itinerant merchants.
He is still pondering whether the policy of "emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce" adopted by rulers throughout history has been correct.
He felt he could always find a balance between agriculture and commerce.
"Leaving aside other matters, just consider the border region. If merchants didn't transport tea, salt, and other goods there to sell, the lives of the people there would be unimaginably difficult," he added.
Fu Yunkai hadn't thought about the issue in detail. He hadn't meant to belittle businessmen; he was just being modest on behalf of his younger brother.
Seeing that Xiao Lingpu was serious, he naturally wouldn't argue, and nodded, saying, "Your Highness is right, I was narrow-minded."
He reached out and patted his younger brother's shoulder reassuringly. "Second Highness says so, you should do your job well."
Fu Yunlang turned his head outside, not wanting to pay attention to his brother.
A wounded heart is not so easily soothed, and besides, he couldn't care less about that now; the auction of the clock had already begun.
Xiao Lingyan set the starting price for the clock at ten thousand taels of silver.
Upon hearing the price, Fu Yunlang almost wanted to give the Fifth Prince a big hug.
Compared to his elder brother who constantly criticized and suppressed him, he felt that he and the Fifth Prince were brothers, the kind who were very, very close.