Twenty-five thousand taels
Even if the buyer isn't that kind of person, others who participated in the bidding will feel the same way. Then, unfavorable rumors about Zhao Ruxi will spread throughout the capital. Regardless of whether it was her fault or not, everyone will say she was too arrogant and conceited.
The Crown Prince and Jia Songlin, among others, already disliked Zhao Ruxi. Given this opportunity, they might just have someone stir up trouble.
But with Kang Shilin joining the group, the situation changed. People might say Zhao Ruxi is inferior to Zuo Qiusheng, but surely no one would dare say Kang Shilin is inferior to Zuo Qiusheng?
The greatest painter of the Great Jin is inferior to the greatest painter of the previous dynasty? Who would dare to say such a thing?
When the time comes, Kang Shilin will step forward and say that he is completely convinced of his apprentice's painting skills, and that he is very pleased and even proud that her painting price has surpassed his. All the rumors in the capital that are unfavorable to Zhao Ruxi will then fall apart.
In any case, Zhao Ruxi's paintings were not inferior to Kang Shilin's; on the contrary, they were better. Kang Shilin openly admitted this, which not only did not damage his reputation but also earned him praise. People said he was magnanimous and willing to mentor younger generations.
Kang Shilin waved his hand. "This isn't just your problem. You're my apprentice. If your skills and character are questioned or criticized, my reputation will suffer. Conversely, the more outstanding you are, the more proud I will be. It's a win-win situation."
He gestured to Kang Yannian and Wu Huaisi: "The same goes for you. If your paintings are better than mine, I'd be willing to lower the price, or even make more. I'm so old, what more could I ask for than for you younger generations to succeed?"
Kang Yannian and Wu Huaisi lowered their heads in shame.
As Kang Shilin's eldest son, Kang Yannian was naturally held in high regard by his father from a young age. Not only him, but also his brothers, children and grandchildren.
However, it seems that the Kang Family's talent for painting was not inherited at all. Among the dozen or so members of the family, not a single child or grandchild showed outstanding artistic talent. At least none of them could surpass the disciples that Kang Shilin had taken in.
Wu Huaisi is indeed talented, but he has spent less and less time painting in recent years. Firstly, he is busy with official duties and has no time; secondly, he thinks about the intrigues and power struggles in officialdom all day long, and his paintings have lost their spirit, so he can no longer create satisfactory works.
Kang Shilin then looked at Zhao Ruxi: "Zhiwei, don't feel guilty. Your master did this to save face. If I hadn't relayed the message to the Fifth Prince, and the painting hadn't fetched as much as yours at the auction, where would I put my face? It's good that it's like this now; at least I can comfort myself that I lowered the price myself, and it wasn't really worse than yours."
"Master, what are you saying?" Zhao Ruxi said reproachfully.
"Haha, that's the truth." Kang Shilin stroked his beard and laughed.
Wu Zong didn't want to get involved in this matter, so he pointed downstairs and changed the subject, saying, "Oh dear, it's already reached 21,500 taels of silver. Master, do you think it might break 25,000 taels?"
Before he finished speaking, a servant held up a sign. "Twenty-five thousand taels."
"Twenty-five thousand taels, twenty-five thousand taels already! Anyone else want to raise the price? Hurry up! Twenty-five thousand taels, twenty-five thousand taels..." Guan Wentao's highly persuasive words rang out, seemingly urging everyone to raise the price further.
The atmosphere of bidding, which is like being injected with adrenaline, can easily make people lose their minds. In addition, Guan Wentao's words seem to have a magical power; as soon as he shouted, the servants started running.
Three items have already been auctioned. As everyone knows, in situations like this, Guan Wentao won't bring down the gavel until there's absolutely no one else moving.
But having received a hint from someone, and seeing that people were still moving around, he suddenly quickened his pace. "Since no one is raising the price by 25,000 taels of silver, then 25,000 taels once, 25,000 taels twice, 25,000 taels three times, deal."
With that, he struck down with his hammer, and with a resounding "thud," Zhao Ruxi's painting was sold for a high price of 25,000 taels of silver.
The servants who were running around stopped and turned around to look in the direction of the private room questioningly.
There was a moment of silence. Everyone seemed a little bewildered by Guan Wentao's performance.
"What's going on? Why can't we raise the price?" someone asked in a low voice.
"Look at the sign you were holding up just now," the person next to him winked.
The person asking the question immediately turned to look at the servant who had been holding up the sign. The servant's hand was still raised, and the sign showed the number "Number Nine".
The person asking the question suddenly realized, "Oh, I see."
The Emperor is the supreme ruler. The only person qualified to use the number nine plaque is none other than Eunuch Xie, who represents the Emperor.
Since it was Eunuch Xie who made the bid, it was perfectly reasonable for the Fifth Prince to instruct the auctioneer to bring down the hammer immediately and prevent others from bidding.
Moreover, 25,000 taels of silver for a painting is really high. You have to know that Zuo Qiusheng's painting only sold for 16,700 taels of silver. This anonymous scholar's painting is almost 10,000 taels more expensive than Zuo Qiusheng's, so even if it's well-painted, it's still overpriced.
Seeing this situation from Zhao Ruxi's private room, Wu Zong said, "Junior Sister, this situation is most advantageous for you. The price can't go up any further, otherwise even with Master's intervention, you'll be put in the spotlight. It's best this way. If it really was the Emperor who won the bid, that would be even better. No one would dare to gossip about you, otherwise wouldn't it be said that the Emperor or Eunuch Xie made a mistake?"
Zhao Ruxi nodded and said, "Yes, I know."
In the central private room upstairs, Eunuch Xie asked, his face full of confusion, "What's going on? Why can't we take pictures anymore? What is the Fifth Prince doing?"
The number "Number Nine" wasn't drawn by him; it was directly assigned to him by Xiao Lingyan.
He also knew that he represented the Emperor. If he raised his placard at will, Xiao Lingyan and Guan Wentao would not be able to ignore it and would definitely have to take care of him.
Therefore, he was very cautious when bidding, only bidding on items he truly wanted. He didn't want to be favored, which would affect the Fifth Prince's business dealings and also damage the Emperor's reputation, making people think that the Emperor was using his status to oppress others and forcibly seize things.
After all, the name "Number Nine" makes it easy for people to guess who it represents.
The items photographed earlier—whether vases, clocks, or Zuo Qiusheng's paintings—were all in the palace. The palace's collection of Zuo Qiusheng's paintings was even better than the one being auctioned. Therefore, he did not make a move.
However, he was certain that the Emperor would like the painting he had just seen.
The emperor may have studied painting with Mister Kumu when he was young, or it may be a personal hobby. He likes to paint, and the palace has a large collection of paintings, many of which he bought through various channels.
Eunuch Xie thought the landscape painting was magnificent and that the Emperor would definitely like it. Therefore, as soon as the painting was put up for auction, Eunuch Xie had someone place a bid.
He had initially worried that Guan Wentao would immediately hammer down the hammer as soon as he made a bid. However, seeing that everything was going smoothly, Eunuch Xie became Gao Xing and began to enjoy the thrill of the auction. Unexpectedly, he still received preferential treatment in the end.