After saying this, Du Wei was in a cold sweat, and Zach's face turned pale.
After a long time, Du Wei let out a long sigh: "Okay, things have become like this, and we can only go on according to His Highness's wishes."
He said he was helpless, but he couldn't help but think to himself: This thing is weird, why does Prince Chen have to ask me to do it? He forced me into a corner and asked me to be the leader and take pictures of the teacher.
This is certainly a way to deal with the provocation of the temple, but in terms of selection, His Highness thinks too highly of me. Why not let Count Villa or Camisillo do this kind of thing to stand out?
This guy is here to do it? But I was chosen to stand on the cusp of such a storm...
It was just these thoughts that were difficult to express to little Zach. Du Wei calmed down and then asked little Zach to go out and arrange today's important auction.
In fact, things like auctions may not exist in the Roland Continent. For example, the kind of bidding in the slave market is the prototype of the auction. But what Du Wei taught Zac to create is exactly the same as the auction house he knew in his previous life.
Business, just systematize and scale it up.
Before noon, seventeen or eighteen luxurious carriages were already parked in the open space outside. Many nobles from wealthy families had already arrived. Even the attendants of wealthy families outside the door numbered nearly a hundred people.
The Tulip family's auction house is doing very well. In this shop where Du Wei started, a two-story building has been opened up, with a hall in the middle and a circle of elegant stepped seats arranged around it.
On the top second floor, there is also a circle of VIP rooms.
The monthly auction house has become an important event among the wealthy circles of the Imperial Capital. Anyone who can attend the Tulip family's auction house, who is either rich or noble in the Imperial Capital, can buy a ticket to participate in the auction.
It has been regarded as a symbol of entering the upper class society of the imperial capital.
As for the seven or eight VIP rooms upstairs, they have been booked with huge sums of money all year round, leaving only one or two for temporary rental.
In the VIP room upstairs, there are the most comfortable sofas and free wine. It is condescending. Naturally, the aura is different. More importantly, there are several benefits: Anyone with this kind of VIP status has become the imperial capital.
It can be said that it is the status symbol of the first-class figures in the powerful circle to have a long-term reserved VIP room at the Tulip family's auction house. Except for the most popular political figures or the recognized powerful wealthy families... ordinary outbreaks
Household, you can't buy it even if you have money.
Moreover, little Zach is very good at doing business. When the dozen or so VIP rooms were auctioned, he held an auction with the benefit of Du Wei. The ownership of these dozen VIP rooms has already made the Tulip family famous.
Made a huge profit.
In addition, after obtaining the VIP status, people from the auction house will provide free information and origins of various auction items every month, and even create exquisite albums to display the rare and precious items newly arrived every month.
, they all came to the door to notify the VIPs in advance...a series of practices that completely copied the methods of treating VIP members of top brands that Du Wei knew in his previous life.
This not only enhanced the aura of these distinguished guests, but also naturally made the Tulip family's auction house popular among the people. Later, almost every auction was sold out and it was hard to get a ticket.
Obviously, there has been a lot of buzz in the imperial capital about today's "lot". So today's auction naturally attracted more people.
Little Zach had already gone out to prepare. Then when Du Wei was invited to the auction house, dozens of people were already sitting in the huge auction site.
Du Wei took a cursory glance and found that almost all the first- and second-rate aristocratic families with some status in the imperial capital had arrived. According to the rules here, tickets for the auction house can only allow one person to enter, so these aristocratic gentlemen's
The attendants and servants stayed outside. In the huge hall, when Du Wei walked in, he inevitably attracted a lot of attention. Most people here knew Du Wei, and even if they had never met Du Wei, they all guessed him.
identity.
A few of them wanted to come over and get close to each other, but when they saw the cold expression on the Tulip Duke's face and the slight frown on his face, he knew that the Duke was probably in a bad mood, so they didn't dare to come up and cause trouble.
In addition to the Pope's promised decree that is currently making waves in the city, the original items in today's auction are also considered rare goods, especially several of them were made by several skilled craftsmen in Du Wei's shop, using
Several pieces of valuable jewelry were polished by the Warcraft cores trafficked from the north. Therefore, among the people present, there were also several noble ladies from wealthy families.
Of course, there are also some people who have strange thoughts. Knowing that the Tulip Duke has returned to the imperial capital, they have plotted against Du Wei. They guess that the Duke will probably come to the auction site today and simply sell all his daughters.
I brought it with me. I just hope that I can meet Du Wei here, and maybe I can become a good friend of the Tulip Duke and hug this big tree from now on.
And more people came here with the intention to find out the news. After all, the abnormal behavior of the temple this time has also made people panic in the circle of powerful people. It would be good to come here to see how the head of the family, Duke Tulip, reacts.
Now that he has arrived at the auction site, Du Wei doesn't say anything more. All the questions and worries in his mind have been put away at this moment. His mood is calm and his eyes are full of perseverance.
In fact, this has always been Du Wei's character. Although he seems to be a bit smart and cunning, he often likes to take the wrong approach when encountering problems, likes to take shortcuts and opportunistically, and is used to planning and calculating everything first.
However, if things really come to a head and he is forced into a corner, the naturally hidden toughness in his character will burst out. Du Wei is such a person. If there are seven or eight ways to go in front of him,
, he will think carefully, analyze, and calculate meticulously. But if you force him to give him a way and not give him a choice, then he actually does not lack the courage to go all the way.
At this moment, Du Wei felt resolute. Since there was only one choice in front of him, he had no choice but to give it his best, and there was no need to think about other distracting thoughts.
With Du Wei's thoughts in mind, his face naturally showed a bit of indifference and resoluteness. As he walked in, the few people next to him who wanted to say hello seemed to dare not speak. He only felt that the young Duke seemed to be exuding an odor.
The cold is coming. After all, the magician's character is moody. No one wants to be troublesome at this time.
Du Wei walked all the way to the back and climbed up the gorgeous spiral staircase to the second floor. In the VIP boxes, several old acquaintances had already arrived. Naturally, the first ones to bear the brunt were Count Villa and the German.
Lanshan Warcraft.
Count Villa has been a member of the resolute Prince Chen faction since the coup, and later took over the royal family's industry and became its agent. He is naturally powerful. And the Delan Mountain Warcraft is the leading weapons dealer on the mainland.
The influence network has tentacles all over the military and the Imperial Finance Office, and they are also popular people in front of Prince Chen. With the status of these two people, they naturally have the status of VIPs of this auction house. And there are several other people sitting in the boxes.
, they are all top-notch wealthy families in the imperial capital.
Seeing Du Wei coming up, Count Villa stood up first to say hello. The Delan Mountain monster also walked out of the box with a smile. Du Wei couldn't keep a straight face towards these two people, so he smiled and chatted with them for a while.
However, I was a little grateful to Count Villa last night, but now I can't help but feel a little angry: these guys have known about the auction for a long time. But yesterday they pretended to be deaf and dumb in front of me and didn't say a word! Although
Du Wei knew that this must be Prince Chen's instruction, but he still couldn't help but feel a little resentful.
Count Villa and Delan Mountain Warcraft are both old people who have been in this circle for most of their lives. Although Du Wei doesn't say it, his expressions can't help but reveal some clues. These two people know what Du Wei is thinking.
Count Villa smiled bitterly and said in a low voice: "Duwei, I know you may be a little dissatisfied with us now. This matter is also an order from His Highness, and we should not disobey it. Well... I sent someone there early this morning.
Where did you send the invitation? I want to invite you to the banquet tonight so that I can apologize to you in person."
Next to him, De Lanshan said something similar. Only then did Du Wei understand why he had received so many invitations early this morning.
He was not a petty person originally. Since the other party said so, he couldn't show his anger on his face and smiled. "You two are my good friends. No need to say this, in my heart
I understand. It’s just that…well, His Highness Chen’s move really gave me a headache.”
The two old foxes smiled dryly and did not dare to talk about Prince Chen. The Delan Mountain monster muttered: "Your Highness always does things with deep meaning, and this time is certainly no exception. As ministers, we only need to do as we are told.
That’s it.”
Du Wei naturally knew that this was a shirk, and also knew that these two old foxes were unwilling to take any responsibility, so he smiled and invited the two of them into the box.
The dozen or so boxes upstairs are lined up in a semi-open arc, similar to the layout of the VIP boxes on the second floor of the opera house in Du Wei's previous life. Because of this arrangement of arcs,
, people sitting in the box can also see people in other boxes on the left and right.
Duwei walked into a box that Zach had arranged for him. As soon as he sat down, he felt the eyes coming from the box next to him. He looked to the left and saw a man in a dress sitting in the box on the left.
A young aristocrat in gorgeous attire. He is wearing a dark black robe. A golden band around his waist is inlaid with several gems. The red collar style is also the most common style for aristocrats from the south.
It’s just that the people who came here today, who can sit in this VIP box, are all old guys in their forties or fifties like Count Villa and Delanshan. Except for Du Wei himself, it is rare to see such a young man
, couldn’t help but take a second look.
This young man's appearance is quite handsome, but his face is too pale and lacks blood, but it is the standard pale color that nobles dream of. However, his face still has a hint of blue in the white, which is obviously a normal color.
He was drunk and drunk. Although he looked good, the look in his eyes was relatively dim. What made Du Wei frown even more was that the face of this young man looked like he had some powder on it. Du Wei had always been interested in men.
It was very disgusting to do this kind of smearing of makeup. Although it was a custom in the aristocratic circle, he himself had never liked it. Seeing such a nice young man with smearing of makeup and powder on his face, and even his lips seemed to be covered with red lip gloss, he couldn't help but feel...
I felt a little sick in my heart.
And he saw that behind the young noble, there was a man about forty years old waiting on him. The middle-aged man looked smart and capable. He was dressed like a steward in a wealthy family.
.
Du Wei glanced at the young man and found that the other man was also looking at him. But what surprised Du Wei was that the young man looked at him with a vaguely unfriendly look. Du Wei was a little surprised.
Wei felt a little strange. When the young man noticed that Du Wei was looking at him, he immediately looked away.
However, with Du Wei's keen observation, when the other party hurriedly retracted his eyes, the gloomy look could not escape Du Wei's eyes.
With Du Wei's current status, title and power, he is very popular. In the circle of the imperial capital's powerful people, it is too late for everyone to flatter him. How come there are still people showing hostility to him? Moreover, this young man looks very strange. Du Wei asked himself that he has never seen it before.
Not to mention feuding.
Du Wei's heart moved, and he asked the attendant casually, pointing to the box next to him. This attendant was sent by Zac to serve Du Wei. He was very clever, and he immediately leaned forward and whispered: "
Your Majesty, this is the private room of the Marquis of Seine. A few months ago, the Marquis of Seine spent 40,000 gold coins to reserve this private room for half a year. On weekdays, the Marquis comes in person, but recently I heard that the Marquis of Seine has not been in good health for a long time.
Didn't come. Well, this young master must be the son of the Marquis of Seine, Master Dupont. The Marquis of Seine has three sons. This Master Dupont is the youngest son, but his mother is the Marquis of Seine's first wife, and she is from
He comes from a wealthy family. So although he is not the eldest son, he is very favored in the family."
Du Wei nodded.
The Marquis of Seine? Du Wei knows this name. It is said that the Marquis of Seine is somewhat related to the royal family, but it all happened more than a hundred years ago. It can be regarded as an ancient man with a long history in the imperial capital.
The wealthy family has always been smart in its political stance. It rarely gets involved in political struggles and adheres to the principle of staying out of the affairs. Therefore, it can be regarded as standing still for a hundred years. Moreover, the family is very rich, and the family has many properties in the southern part of the empire.
Moreover, in the early years when Augustine VI was in power and when planning to build the naval base, the Marquis of Seine donated a large amount of property. Therefore, he was appreciated by Emperor Augustine VI. Later, he took advantage of the naval expedition to the South Seas to make a lot of war wealth and business.
The business is quite big. Someone in the family once served as a senior logistics official in the navy. They also have territories in the south and have their own fleet. There are also high-ranking officials such as governors in the family.
Overall, it can be considered a first-class family.
It's just... the Senna family, I don't seem to have offended them.
Du Wei was thinking that this young master Du Pont peeked at Du Wei several times, but he only glanced at Du Wei quickly and immediately looked away. Du Wei felt a little unhappy and simply stared at him. The young master Du Pont panicked.
He quickly turned his head and avoided making any mistakes, not daring to make any mistakes. Du Wei was unyielding and kept staring at the young master Du Pont. The other man did not dare to look at Du Wei, so he could only forcefully turn his face away.
His expression became stiffer and stiffer, and his eyes gradually showed a hint of impatience.
On the other hand, the steward behind the young master saw Du Wei, bent down in a very friendly and respectful manner, and gave a distant salute.
At this moment, on the front stage of the auction house below, little Zach had already stepped onto the stage.
The manager under Du Wei also changed into a very formal and solemn black robe, making him look much more solemn. He also held a small gold hammer in his hand, walked up to the front desk, and coughed first.
Attracting the attention of everyone, he then opened his voice and loudly said: "Thank you for coming. This month's auction has officially begun. Now please be quiet."
After speaking, he bent down and bowed to the audience, and then walked behind a table on the stage.
In the past, Zach had only served as an auctioneer himself when the auction house was first established. After that, he trained several professional men to serve as auctioneers. He was happy to be lazy, but today is such an important occasion and such an important auction item.
, Zach did not dare to neglect. He changed his clothes, picked up the hammer, and personally came to preside over the auction.
Zach is now well-known in the elite circles of the imperial capital. Everyone knows that he is the representative of Duke Tulip in the imperial capital, and they all give him some respect. Seeing Zach announce the start, immediately, the following people
The noisy conversation disappeared.
"Everyone." Zach coughed, and then said solemnly: "Today's auction has officially begun. First of all, on behalf of the Tulip Auction House, I welcome all friends. Then, today's first item is..."
Zach began to introduce several items, which were nothing more than some expensive jewelry or luxury goods obtained with the magic core of Warcraft. The most expensive one was just a newly made "Paladin" worth 150,000 gold coins.
"Armor" only.
In the past, these things were naturally sought-after items. But today, Du Wei sat in the box upstairs and looked down. He could clearly see that everyone present looked unconcerned. There were only a few women.
The guests showed longing for those pieces of jewelry. Most of the people looked indifferent.
When Zach finally introduced the decree signed by the Pope, everyone looked solemn, and most of them straightened their necks and looked serious.
Then the auction begins.
The first few items of goods were carried out calmly and the scene was very calm, even due to the special circumstances today. It seemed that the people present were not very interested in the first few items of goods, and the transaction price was extremely low. Du Wei saw that
In my eyes, I couldn't help but feel a little bitter smile in my heart. It seemed that I didn't make much money from today's auction.
In less than one meal, the auction of the previous items was over, much faster than usual.
When it finally came to the last piece of the Pope's decree, Zach seemed a little nervous. He wiped his sweat, then coughed and said, "Everyone, let's move on to the last piece of today..." He seemed to be about to say
"Goods", just as the words came to my lips, I remembered to use the word "goods" to describe the Pope's decree. It seemed a bit disrespectful, so I had to change my words hastily. I didn't know how to describe it. I could only vaguely go on and continued:
"Everyone knows that His Majesty the Pope is kind and has compassion on the victims in the South. This decree has been promised by His Majesty the Pope, and all proceeds from the auction will be donated to the victims in the South. Let us first thank His Majesty the Pope for his gift.
With this compassionate heart, may the radiance of the goddess bless His Majesty the Pope."
Everyone quickly made a solemn expression.
When little Zach said this, he paused for a while, and the audience was silent for a moment, and then he continued: "Then...I will announce that according to the entrustment of the Temple of Light, the auction of this item of His Majesty the Pope's autograph has begun, because this item
This thing is a decree signed by His Majesty the Pope himself. This auction house has been confirmed by the temple. This thing... there is no low price, and there is no upper limit. The highest bidder will get it. Now... please bid."
After saying this last sentence, the whole audience fell into silence.
After a while, there were dozens of dignitaries present, but they all looked at each other, and no one spoke first. Everyone looked at the people in front and behind them with tentative eyes.
Du Wei saw this and couldn't help but sigh...
If the people who came here to take pictures of this thing today are loyal to the royal family, there is no doubt who would dare to buy this thing? Then, there must be people from the temple coming here to cause trouble.
finally……
"Fifty thousand gold coins."
The first person to speak was a man sitting in the back row of the seat below. Du Wei looked around and saw a tall and thin man in gorgeous clothes. However, judging from his appearance and hair color, he should be typical.
Southerner.
Du Wei winked at the attendant beside him. The attendant looked at him twice and whispered in Du Wei's ear: "Your Majesty the Duke... this person is very handsome. I have never seen him before. Well... it seems like today
It’s strange, there are a lot of strangers here.”
Du Wei said "hmm" and said, "Can strangers come in at will in our auction house?"
The attendant whispered: "Well, in the past, half of the seats were fixed, and some tickets were sold outside. Moreover, our auction is held once a month, and the tickets are often sold more than twenty days in advance.
Lost, and some are still on the market, with high prices on the black market. These strangers who came today probably bought the tickets on the market."
Du Wei nodded and stopped talking.
At this moment, the bidding has started below, starting from the first quotation. The price has skyrocketed, and soon rose to one million gold coins.
Du Wei was even more surprised when he saw it... Aren't these people afraid of death? Speculating on such a thing here is tantamount to going against the royal family! Are these people's heads dizzy?
However, Du Wei also noticed carefully that these people were calling prices here and there, and they often spoke with unfamiliar faces from outside. The powerful and wealthy locals in the imperial capital often remained silent and watched the situation develop.
When the price reached one million gold coins, the voices that continued to raise the price became much lower. Du Wei's heart moved and he understood the reason. Obviously, among these new faces below, there should be people sent by the temple.
Especially the identities of the guys with southern accents are even more suspicious.
Du Wei hesitated for a moment and was about to make a quote when he suddenly heard a voice coming from the corner where he was sitting: "One million and two hundred thousand."
Du Wei looked around and saw that this man was a standard big businessman from the imperial capital.
As soon as this person finished shouting, a man with a southern accent immediately shouted 1.5 million.
Then the businessman from the imperial capital closed his mouth, but raised his head and glanced upstairs. What surprised Du Wei was that the direction in which this man's eyes were drifting was in the direction of the box of Delan Mountain Warcraft and Count Villa.
Du Wei was frowning when there was a sudden knock on the door of the private room behind him. It was Earl Biya who sent his entourage to pass a few words to Du Wei. He only said: This thing cannot be bought by outsiders. As the direct descendants of His Highness Chen, we all
, naturally they have to share the worries of the regent. Count Villa and the Demonic Beast of Delan Mountain have contacted several dignitaries in the imperial capital and are planning to work together to take pictures of this thing here. They cannot let the people in the temple buy it. Take the opportunity.
Make a fuss.
Du Wei nodded. It seemed that neither Delanshan nor Bilia knew that they had obtained the secret order from Prince Chen, let alone that the things had already been taken away by someone sent by Prince Chen. They came to report to Du Wei
, in fact, it means one thing: to express one's stance to Du Wei. After all, among the direct descendants of Prince Chen present, Du Wei has the highest title and status, and the two of them also hinted that they would obey Du Wei.
Du Wei thought for a while and realized that this was what Villa and others meant to express their stance, and this move also clearly meant to express their loyalty to Prince Chen.
When he thought of this, he sighed, and then said softly: "Two million gold coins."
Although Du Wei's voice was not loud when he spoke, his voice from upstairs immediately spread throughout the whole place and everyone could hear it clearly.
In the distant box of Earl Villa and Delan Mountain Monster, they looked at Duwei from a distance. They both smiled and nodded.
Then Delanshan immediately sent someone to deliver a message to Du Wei, saying only: Since the Duke has taken action, they will shut up. If the Duke is not tight, Delanshan is willing to support him.
Good guy De Lanshan, he must have understood that what he did was under the order of Prince Chen.
Du Wei sighed.
When he shouted out two million gold coins, someone with a southern accent immediately yelled out two million and a half gold coins.
All the dignitaries in the imperial capital took a breath. The smart people all understood that this was the beginning of something bad!
Who doesn't know Du Wei's identity? If it was a simple auction of something and the Tulip Duke opened his mouth, then no matter how rich others were, they would still give the Duke face and not continue to bid against the Duke.
But these southerners seemed to be well prepared and did not give Du Wei any face, which confirmed Du Wei's suspicion that these southerners were sent by the temple!
The drama in the temple is also interesting. The Pope writes such a decree and then sends his own people to buy it back.
The meaning here is very profound!
After all, the Pope personally presides over baptisms and serves as godfather. This kind of thing is tantamount to openly challenging the authority of the royal family. But such a promise cannot be made casually by the Pope, and can only be made in a high-sounding way such as "raising funds for disaster relief"
reasons.
The second step, the key is whose hands this promise falls into!
If... if it falls into the hands of a powerful careerist, then if this careerist gets this promise from the Pope, it means that he can get the Pope to personally preside over the baptism... This means that
Got the same treatment as royalty!
The most subtle thing is that "the Pope personally presides over the baptism" has been used as a sign of legitimacy for the succession of the throne for many years! It is regarded as sacred and noble!!
If the temple wants to use this to undermine the prestige of the royal family, the most effective and simple way is to find a way to get their own people to buy this thing back, and then deliberately arrange for a wealthy man with a low status to come and accept the baptism of the Pope. In this way
, everyone can't help but think: If any vulgar upstart can get the same treatment as the royal family, then this kind of ceremony dedicated to the legitimacy of the throne by the royal family... there is nothing sacred and noble at all.
Thinking more deeply... If a certain ambitious man gets this promise, then if a prince, such as Lu Gao of the Northwest Army, is personally baptized by the Pope, it will inevitably make people think: Then
Can it also be seen as: He has also obtained the highest divine legitimacy?
This kind of association, once opened, is very dangerous!
Du Wei sighed...
In less than a cup of tea, the price had already reached five million gold coins. Du Wei's heart naturally ached. His money did not come from the strong wind. No matter how high the final price was, he had to buy it.
Please hand over the money to the temple.
When the price reached eight million gold coins, there was finally no sound from below.
Du Wei felt a little uneasy in his heart... Is it that simple? The task was completed so easily? In this case, it would be too easy to destroy the temple's plan.
Sure enough! Before Du Wei finished his thoughts, he suddenly heard a clear and sweet female voice coming from the gate of the auction house. This voice was delicate and beautiful, but it had a somewhat holy flavor.
"I'm sorry to bother you. I know it's rude to be late, so I ask for your forgiveness."
Before he finished speaking, he saw the door of the auction house being pushed open, and then a woman in a long white dress slowly walked in. This woman was tall and slender, wearing a white dress, but she clearly looked like a priest in the temple.
Her long golden hair was spread down softly, and a snow-white cloak was draped behind her.
She stood at the door, and her eyes swept across the room, attracting everyone's attention. This woman sounded very young. Standing at the door, the clergyman's clothes on her body were vaguely...
She has a holy and noble taste. Although she does not have any luxurious jewelry on her body, her every move and every move is filled with a faint aura of nobility.
As soon as Du Wei heard this voice, his eyes immediately flashed with a hint of haze!
This is surprisingly the daughter of the late eldest prince, the holy princess who dedicated herself to the temple!
Her Royal Highness the Saint Princess walked in. Her eyes were clear and her face was covered with a layer of white gauze. Although her appearance could not be seen clearly, her eyes were as cold as the moon, and her figure was even more graceful and graceful.
As she walked, she was obviously very charming, but she carried a bit of a holy aura. This complex temperament was integrated into her body, making people feel attracted to her.
Seeing the arrival of the holy princess, Du Wei's heart immediately sank and he frowned tightly.
At this time, Du Wei suddenly heard Du Pont, the young master from the Marquis de Seine's family next to him. Suddenly, he let out a short cry. Du Wei turned around and saw a look of surprise on the face of this young master Du Pont.
Her eyes were full of fiery gaze, staring closely at the princess and saint below.
The female highness also seemed to raise her head and smiled at the young master. The young master's face turned red instantly, and suddenly as if he had received some kind of encouragement, he said loudly: "Ten million gold coins!"