Transmigrated as a Cannon Fodder Wife A in Ancient Times - Chapter 30

Chapter 30

“Qing Lan, that’s a nice name,” Xiao Nanyan nodded and smiled, “Let’s go, I already had someone prepare the carriage, and it’s about time to head over now.”

“Okay,” Wei Lan nodded and followed behind Xiao Nanyan.

When the two reached the entrance, Wei Lan saw the carriage parked at the door and hesitated for a moment before speaking, “Are we two riding in one carriage?”

Wei Lan herself didn’t mind, but she remembered that Xiao Nanyan was a Kunze, and in ancient times, Kunze were probably cautious about sharing a carriage with a Qianyuan, right? After all, they were outside, not like when they were at Yuya Pavilion.

Xiao Nanyan, however, didn’t care much and smiled, “You’re worried about that? I’m not that particular.”

“That’s good then,” Wei Lan replied and followed Xiao Nanyan into the carriage.

Outside, guards would escort them, and another carriage followed behind, specifically used to transport the items Xiao Nanyan planned to sell later, including the jade carvings Wei Lan had sold to her last time.

In about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Wei Lan and the others arrived at Mingyue Tower, the largest restaurant in Panyang City, where poetry gatherings and banquets were usually held.

Wei Lan stayed by Xiao Nanyan’s side. As soon as they got off the carriage, many people at the entrance of Mingyue Tower cast curious glances at Wei Lan. The reason was simple: Wei Lan’s appearance was too strange. Half her face was covered by a silver mask, and she wore a large cloak with a hood that concealed most of her head, making it impossible to discern her figure, let alone her appearance.

“Hey, who’s that person in the black cloak?” someone asked.

“No idea, never heard of such a person, and she’s following Xiao Nanyan,” another replied.

“Could it be Xiao Nanyan’s guard? She looks all mysterious, not like a carver,” someone speculated.

“I don’t think so either, but this jade appreciation competition is exciting. Liu Bingkun and Huo Feng are both here. I wonder who’ll take the top spot this time?” another person said.

“Tch, that’s hard to say. Let’s go inside and grab a spot, or we won’t get a good one,” someone urged.

The bustling crowd gradually entered Mingyue Tower. The restaurant wasn’t running a charity—private rooms cost fifty taels of silver, a table on the second floor had a seating fee of ten taels, the first floor was cheaper at five taels per table, while shared tables for individual guests cost 200 wen per person, and standing tickets were 100 wen each.

Mingyue Tower made money wherever it could, but there was no helping it. Jade carving was just that popular in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Despite the high prices, these spots were booked early, and even the standing tickets sold out completely.

Some commoners spent four or five days’ wages just to stand and catch a glimpse of Panyang City’s top carvers, whose works sold for thousands or tens of thousands of taels.

Wei Lan followed Xiao Nanyan through a side entrance for distinguished guests. Xiao Nanyan, being wealthy, had reserved the best private room on the second floor well in advance and led Wei Lan there.

Once inside the private room, Xiao Nanyan instructed the servants to prepare drinks and had the three jade pieces they brought displayed on wooden trays, covered with red cloth, for the upcoming auction.

Wei Lan took off her hood and sipped some tea. When she looked up, she noticed the small fox carving she had made hanging around Xiao Nanyan’s neck.

Wei Lan pointed at the small fox on Xiao Nanyan’s neck, “Why are you wearing that?”

“Hmm, it matches my dress today nicely, doesn’t it?” Xiao Nanyan smiled and asked.

“Oh, no big deal, but that piece of jasper isn’t of great quality. If you like foxes, I’ll carve you one with better jade and give it to you,” Wei Lan said. Xiao Nanyan was the first person in this world willing to buy jade from her and could be considered a friend. Giving a friend a small gift wasn’t a big deal.

“Great, I’ll be waiting then,” Xiao Nanyan didn’t refuse. Since she and Wei Lan were long-term partners, refusing would seem distant.

Xiao Nanyan had the maids fan them and ordered Mingyue Tower’s famous cold dessert, a milk and fruit parfait, made with crushed ice mixed into milk and various seasonal fruits. On a hot day, eating a bowl of it was both cool and refreshing.

Soon, the people in the upstairs private rooms arrived. A servant came to ask if Yuya Pavilion had any carvers participating in the upcoming carving competition.

Xiao Nanyan handed the matter to Qi Jin, who told the servant Wei Lan’s name and wrote it down on paper.

Of course, not just anyone could compete. Carvers needed the backing of a jade shop or influential figure in the city. Ordinary market carvers weren’t qualified to participate.

Soon after, the servants on the first floor welcomed another guest, accompanied by official soldiers. He went straight to the second floor and sat in the central seat.

Wei Lan glanced over and asked, “Who’s that?”

“He’s Lu Feng, the city lord of Panyang City and the final judge of this jade appreciation competition. Since all sides want their carver to take the top spot and no one yields to the others, they invited the city lord to judge. He’s upright, loves jade, and won’t favor any side. You can rest assured,” Xiao Nanyan explained.

Wei Lan nodded, “That’s good.”

Since it was a competition, it needed absolute fairness. If everyone just praised the already famous, there’d be no point for others to compete.

Soon, a gong rang from the stage below. A friendly-looking shopkeeper bowed to the crowd and said loudly, “Thank you all for coming to this year’s jade appreciation competition. This time, we have not only new carvers but also Panyang City’s renowned carvers, Liu Bingkun and Huo Feng. We guarantee you’ll feast your eyes today.”

“Let’s not waste words. We’ll start with the first event. Each jade shop will present three carved pieces, each with a base price. You can bid once the auction begins.”

The cheerful shopkeeper had a servant strike the gong again, “The auction begins now. The first shop is Feiyu Pavilion, and their first auction item is Zhou Fangdu’s landscape jade display piece.”

A sturdy servant carried a wooden tray, first circling the first floor, then heading to the second, mainly showing it to those who could afford tables or private rooms.

When he reached Wei Lan’s area, she went out to take a look.

Zhou Fangdu’s landscape carving was made of white jade, with a decent overall shape, but the carving technique was too rigid. The mountains, rivers, flowers, and birds were carved stiffly, and Wei Lan didn’t like such conventional pieces.

When she returned to the private room, Xiao Nanyan smiled and asked, “What do you think?”

“The raw jade stone is decent, but the carver’s skill is lacking. The lines aren’t fluid, and the overall look is too rigid,” Wei Lan said.

These flaws were just what Wei Lan noticed at a glance. If she examined it closely, she’d likely find more.

“Not bad. Many carvers have these flaws, but you can listen to the bidding for this landscape piece later,” Xiao Nanyan said.

Dealing with jade daily, Xiao Nanyan knew what made a good piece. That was why, when she met Wei Lan, she was eager to recruit her, especially since Wei Lan hadn’t found a shop to partner with at the time.

The servant carefully carried the tray back to the first floor. The round-faced shopkeeper bowed to the crowd with a smile, “Everyone, this landscape display piece has a base price of five hundred taels of silver.”

Wei Lan’s eyes widened, “Five hundred taels for that?”

That was equivalent to 500,000 in modern money. Wei Lan thought the piece, aside from its decent raw stone, had no notable merits, and the price was absurdly high.

Xiao Nanyan laughed at her reaction, “You’re better than him, so you think it’s subpar. But he’s already better than many carvers. Keep watching.”

Sure enough, bidding started from a private room on the first floor.

“Five hundred fifty taels,” someone called.

“Young Master Cao bids five hundred fifty taels. Any higher bids?” the shopkeeper asked with a smile.

“Seven hundred taels,” another bid came.

“Master Li bids seven hundred taels. Anyone higher than seven hundred?” the shopkeeper asked.

“One thousand taels!” came a bid from the private room next to Wei Lan’s.

The shopkeeper cheerfully announced, “Young Master Zhou bids one thousand taels. Any higher?”

Wei Lan listened to the rising bids outside, baffled. At that level, it could sell for so much? It was probably tied to the carver’s fame, which far outstripped his skill.

“One thousand five hundred taels,” came a bid from another private room on the second floor.

“Young Master Feng bids one thousand five hundred taels. Any higher?” The round-faced shopkeeper repeated a few times before continuing, “Congratulations to Young Master Feng for winning this landscape jade display piece.”

Cheers and applause filled the room. Soon, the second auction item came up—a jadeite plaque depicting a fish leaping over a dragon gate. The shopkeeper had the servant carry the tray around the first and second floors for everyone to see the plaque clearly.

Curious, Wei Lan went out to look when the servant came by.

The jadeite was very translucent, with excellent quality, a glass-type white-base stone. But the carving was utterly ordinary. Wei Lan felt it was a pity—such fine jadeite, and they only carved it with a few strokes, and it wasn’t even attractive.

If she had carved it, she would have made such beautiful jadeite exquisitely detailed.

Wei Lan sighed, shook her head, and returned to the private room.

Seeing her sigh, Xiao Nanyan asked, “What’s wrong? How’s this one?”

“The jadeite raw stone is great, but honestly, the carving doesn’t do it justice,” Wei Lan said.

Xiao Nanyan laughed, “If you compare them to your skill, even Liu Bingkun and Huo Feng might not impress you. There probably aren’t many in the Great Zhou who could catch your eye.”

She wasn’t teasing Wei Lan but speaking the truth. Wei Lan lacked fame now, but once she gained it, no carver in the Great Zhou would match her.

Soon, the jadeite plaque was brought back to the stage on the first floor.

The smiling shopkeeper spoke again, “This is also a piece by Feiyu Pavilion’s Zhou Fangdu, with a base price of five thousand taels of silver. Bidding starts now.”

Murmurs rippled through the crowd.

“Five thousand taels?” someone exclaimed.

“Of course. Zhou Fangdu is one of the best young carvers in Panyang City these past few years, and with that jadeite’s quality, a high price makes sense,” another said.

“Yeah, I wonder who’ll win this plaque?” someone speculated.

As the crowd grew curious, bidding began from below.

“Five thousand five hundred taels,” someone called.

“Young Master Feng from the second floor bids five thousand five hundred taels. Any higher?” the shopkeeper asked.

“Seven thousand taels,” came a bid from the private room next to Wei Lan’s.

“Young Master Zhou bids seven thousand taels. Any higher?” the round-faced shopkeeper asked with a smile.

“Seven thousand five hundred taels,” another bid followed.

After several rounds of bidding, the plaque sold for ten thousand taels to Young Master Zhou, the bidder next to Wei Lan’s room.

Wei Lan couldn’t help but marvel—there were so many rich people. Ten thousand taels was equivalent to ten million in modern money.

“There are so many wealthy people in Panyang City,” Wei Lan couldn’t help but say, making Xiao Nanyan laugh.

“If we’re talking about the wealthiest, it has to be Miss Lu,” Xiao Nanyan said, glancing at Wei Lan.

Wei Lan nodded. Indeed, everything at the Lu Mansion, from food to clothing, was top-notch. Lu Zijin was truly a rich woman.

After the transaction was completed, the plump shopkeeper downstairs smiled and started the next deal. Each of the city’s famous jade shops had the right to bring three auction items for sale.

The next auctioned jade piece was from Zhuyu Tower, whose partnered carver was the renowned Huo Feng from Panyang City.

Huo Feng’s carvings were known for their fluid lines and lifelike depictions of landscapes and figures. His pieces were highly sought after in Panyang City, and his fame extended beyond, with buyers from the south.

The plump shopkeeper had a servant bring up a wooden tray, this time displaying a cyan jade pixiu handpiece. The piece was finely colored, with seven or eight pixiu carved around a cyan jade pillar.

“Everyone, take a good look. This pixiu handpiece was carved by Zhuyu Tower’s Huo Feng, with a starting bid of five thousand taels of silver,” the shopkeeper announced.

As soon as he finished, bidding began.

“Six thousand taels,” someone called.

“I bid seven thousand taels!” another shouted.

“Ten thousand taels!” Wei Lan noticed Young Master Zhou from the next private room bid ten thousand taels, but his bid was quickly surpassed.

“Eleven thousand taels,” another bid came.

In the end, the pixiu handpiece sold for twenty thousand taels to a wealthy merchant from out of town, who had come specifically for this auction.

Twenty thousand taels was equivalent to twenty million in modern money—a staggering sum. Wei Lan had seen the piece earlier. The raw stone was good, fine and smooth, likely polished by hand, but even so, the stone was worth at most a few dozen taels. Selling for this price was shocking and showed the Great Zhou’s fervor for jade.

“Huo Feng and Liu Bingkun are famous in the south, so this price isn’t surprising,” Xiao Nanyan said calmly, sipping her tea. She had no plans to buy jade in this setting, where emotions ran high, and bids could get out of hand, leading to overpaying.

Afterward, Huo Feng’s other two pieces sold for high prices as well.

Soon, the shopkeeper had a servant bring up another tray, this time displaying Wei Lan’s jasper landscape display piece.

“Next is a piece from Yuya Pavilion, carved by a new carver named Qing Lan. Everyone, please take a look at this piece,” the shopkeeper announced.

A servant beside him lifted the red cloth covering the jasper piece, revealing it to the crowd.

The crowd erupted in discussion.

“Why did Yuya Pavilion bring a newcomer? That’s boring,” someone said.

“Yeah, and jasper isn’t even valuable. Why bring a jasper piece? Aren’t they ruining their own reputation?” another remarked.

“Exactly. Other shops are dying to bring their top carvers, but Yuya Pavilion just throws in a newbie,” someone else complained.

The round-faced shopkeeper ignored the murmurs and continued with a smile, “This jasper piece, carved by Qing Lan, uses openwork carving techniques, with no black spots on the jasper.”

He directed the servant holding the tray, “Go, circle the floor so everyone can take a good look.”

“Yes,” the servant respectfully carried the tray, starting to walk through the crowd on the first floor. More murmurs arose.

“Wow, it’s carved so beautifully. Is this really jasper?” someone exclaimed.

“Exactly, there isn’t a single black spot. Is this even human? Who has the patience and skill to remove every black spot from jasper?” another said.

“And look, the layered mountains in this piece look so real,” someone noted.

“Yeah, Yuya Pavilion struck gold again!” another praised.

The nobles in the private rooms, initially uninterested in the newcomer Qing Lan, grew curious after hearing the crowd’s reactions and didn’t want to miss a good piece, so they came out to look.

Master Li closely examined the openwork carving and couldn’t resist wanting to touch it, but a servant stopped him, “Sorry, sir, jade carvings are for viewing only, not touching. Please understand.”

“It’s just too beautiful. I want it,” Master Li said, practically drooling. This landscape piece would look so prestigious on his study shelf.

The servants smiled and continued showing the tray for others to admire. They soon reached the second floor, where more dignitaries were. Many had initially dismissed Qing Lan, having never heard of her, but those at the tea tables outside gasped in awe after seeing it.

“Wow, is this really human-carved? It’s too beautiful,” someone said.

“Look at the smooth lines in the landscape, like it was carved in one stroke, and the intricate openwork patterns. You can’t do this without decades of skill,” another remarked.

“I knew Yuya Pavilion wouldn’t push a talentless carver out of nowhere. This new carver is incredible, worthy of Panyang City’s best jade shop,” someone praised.

Spurred by the praise from the casual seats, the jade-loving nobles in the private rooms couldn’t sit still. Since they were already here, it wouldn’t hurt to take a look.

For instance, Young Master Zhou, who had just bid from the private room next to Wei Lan’s, came out curiously. As the servant approached with the jade piece, his gaze fell on it, and he froze. Could a carving be this lifelike? The flowers and birds were vivid, the openwork mountains layered, far surpassing the other pieces.

Young Master Zhou’s eyes lit up, “I must have this. It’s too beautiful.”

He then asked the servant beside him, “Is Qing Lan here? I want to meet her.”

“Young Master, I’m not sure, but Yuya Pavilion’s boss brought a strange person with a masked face. It might be Qing Lan,” the servant replied.

“She’s a genius. I have to meet this carver,” Young Master Zhou said excitedly, wishing he could pay on the spot, but the servants had already moved on to show the piece to others.

Huo Feng and Zhuyu Tower’s Boss Wu naturally heard the commotion. Huo Feng smirked dismissively, “Just a newcomer. How could they carve something exceptional? Let’s go see.”

“Sure, let’s take a look, but I think the top spot in this jade competition is yours,” Boss Wu said with a smile.

“Not necessarily. Liu Bingkun is formidable, but I’ve been training hard for months. I won’t lose to him. As for the others, I don’t take them seriously,” Huo Feng said with a laugh.

Carvers of his level only collaborated with Zhuyu Tower and weren’t at their beck and call.

The two chatted and laughed as they left their private room, then saw the landscape piece on the wooden tray.

Huo Feng’s smile froze, “How is this possible? How could she do this?”

Boss Wu, who had dealt with jade for decades, immediately saw the piece’s uniqueness. The carver was extraordinary, with fluid lines, perfect composition, and intricate openwork. He almost couldn’t believe it was human-made.

“This, how is this possible?” Boss Wu exclaimed.

“Impossible, it can’t be. This technique requires decades of skill, but I’ve never heard of this Qing Lan. If she had such skill, she should’ve been famous in the Great Zhou already. I don’t believe it. This piece might not even be made by one person,” Huo Feng said, refusing to accept that someone could carve so perfectly. It was too terrifying.

“I agree. Maybe the lines were carved by one person skilled in lines, and the openwork by another. Different carvers excel in different techniques. Yuya Pavilion is probably playing tricks, using multiple carvers to create a perfect landscape piece,” Boss Wu said.

He, too, couldn’t believe one person could make such a piece. If it was true, this carver’s skill might rival the Great Zhou’s greatest, Gong Jinsheng. He didn’t want Yuya Pavilion to have such a carver, or other shops would be completely overshadowed.