I practiced magic in the Three Kingdoms

Zhen Yan couldn't help but praise: "This is a good thing!"

The Wuji Zhen family runs various industries in Jizhou. After years of training, the children of the family naturally have good business acumen and are well aware of what kind of business can make money.

Zhen Yan analyzed it immediately and found that, unlike jade, colored glaze can be produced by oneself. In this way, as long as the corresponding technology is mastered, a steady stream of income can be generated, which is a long-term and continuous trickle. This is the real way to manage a household.

Therefore, Zhen Yan immediately turned to She Yuan for help, hoping that he could introduce a few craftsmen who knew how to make colored glaze. Money was definitely not a problem, and he would reward them handsomely after the task was completed.

Sheyuan just smiled and shook his head without agreeing.

Zhen Yan was puzzled: "Brother Wenxiong, do you have any difficulties?"

Sheyuan smiled and said, "It's not that I'm in trouble, but I at least call you a friend, I can't just watch you jump into the fire pit, right?"

After hearing this, Zhen Yan became even more confused: "How do you interpret this?"

She Yuan pointed at the shopkeeper Zhang who was not far away and explained to Zhen Yan: "Did you see that man? He is the shopkeeper of Luoyang Qianzhen Pavilion. More than 70% of the craftsmen who know how to make colored glaze are his people. The rest are also in the palace. In the past, no matter how much money you spent, you couldn't hire anyone."

Zhen Yan's mind moved, and he understood what Sheyuan meant. He immediately raised his eyebrows and said, "I couldn't invite him before, so I can now?"

"Of course you can, but why? You have no relationship with Manager Zhang, why do you want to be buried with him? Can't you see that he has a miserable face?"

Sheyuan's words were harsh, even a little mean.

But the three were not surprised when they heard it. After all, She Yuan was also a member of an aristocratic family. It would be ridiculous for a child of an aristocratic family to have a good impression of someone from Zhang Rang's line, one of the Ten Attendants.

Although Zhang Rang is dead now, and Manager Zhang has changed his allegiance and joined a new master, but after all, his surname is Zhang.
Although She Yuan's words were impolite, the meaning behind them was still for the good of the Zhen family. He didn't want to see Zhen Yan and Zhen Yao fall into the trap.

Zhen Yan was not very familiar with the business of buying and selling colored glass, so he quickly asked She Yuan, "Do you mean that this business can no longer be done?"

After all, the Fufeng She family is a famous family in the Three Prefectures, and it happens to have a workshop producing colored glaze under its umbrella. Therefore, She Yuan is no stranger to this industry. Now that he wants to make friends with the Zhen family, he naturally has to answer Zhen Yan's doubts.

Sheyuan took the colored glaze ring in his hand, played with it casually, and then said with emotion: "In fact, in the early Warring States period, in order to pursue the effect of imitating jade, the craftsmen who produced colored glaze pursued opaque colored glaze, such as the one in my hand."

At this point, Sheyuan changed the subject: "However, Zhang Sai's mission to the Western Regions opened up the jade road, and a large amount of Hetian jade from the west greatly satisfied the people's demand for jade. Therefore, in terms of colored glaze, people began to no longer pursue the texture of jade, but instead pursue the crystal clear and transparent feeling."

Although the market changes slowly, Fufeng Sheshi, who has its own glass industry, can naturally feel the overall trend.

After all, it is easy to analyze which type of glass sells better by just checking the account books.

She Yuan played with the sky-blue imitation jade colored glass in his hand and sighed: "This colored glass pendant in my hand was made by the craftsmen of Fufeng She's family. In fact, in recent years, colored glass craftsmen in the three auxiliary areas have been pursuing more crystal clear products, and even our Fufeng She's family is working towards this direction."

Once you know the trend, you can only follow it.

When Zhen Yan heard this, he broke out in a cold sweat: "I heard that the so-called glass developed under the order of Qi Hou is like the purest crystal, transparent and flawless. Could it be that..."

Sheyuan nodded: "Yes, if this rumor is true, then ordinary colored glass will have difficulty competing with it. Even if someone still wants to buy it, it will be difficult to sell it at a high price like in the past."

"Thank you for your advice, Brother Wenxiong. If you hadn't spoken the truth directly, I would have really fallen into the trap."

Thinking back now, Zhen Yan still felt a little scared. If he hadn't met Sheyuan today, he might have been dragged into investing in Liuli.

Losing some money is nothing, but I am afraid of wasting time and energy.

The four of them were chatting, and because of this incident, their relationship became much closer and they began to call each other brothers.

The auction then officially began. This new bidding method seemed very novel to many people.

Gu Sheyuan and Huangfu Jianshou, who had just arrived from Chang'an, knew nothing about this bidding method.

Zhen Yan and Zhen Yao had been in Luoyang for quite some time, so they smiled and explained to the two of them: "The so-called auction is actually singing and selling. It was first started by Zuiyuelou. If a customer wants an Oiran to sing with him, he has to bid, and the highest bidder wins."

Zhen Yao also said: "The rules are simple. During the auction, you can bid freely. If you fail to bid after three rounds, you can no longer bid. The item will go to the person with the highest bid."

Sheyuan was so smart that he realized that this method seemed simple but was actually full of mysteries. He immediately laughed and said, "The person who designed this method is really good. He knows the dark side of human nature and deliberately stirs up disputes. I'm afraid that in the end, the bidding will be more like fighting each other than buying things."

After hearing this, Zhen Yan couldn't help but give a thumbs up: "As expected of Brother Wenxiong, you are really quick-witted and can see the key to this at a glance."

Zhen Yao also interrupted and said, "That's right. Every day, a large number of rich and powerful children gather in Zuiyue Tower. They spend a lot of money just to show off their reputation. The scene is really spectacular."

Zuiyue Tower, Fuman Tower and Sheyuan couldn't help but wonder, these places might all be Wang Jing's properties?
From the time, it can be seen that they all appeared after Wang Jing entered Luoyang.

Moreover, their style of doing things is completely different from that of ordinary businesses.

Not to mention Fumanlou, which seems to be an ordinary jewelry store. But why didn't Wang Jing give the glass that he had spent 100 million yuan to anyone else, but let Fumanlou sell it?

The trick here is not that simple if you just think about it.

Afterwards, the auction officially began. Lai Fu, the head manager of Fumanlou, came on stage in person and lifted the curtain without saying a word.

There was a flash of white light, and everyone's eyes were almost blinded.

The crystal clear glass reflects the sunlight, and the dazzling brilliance makes it difficult to look directly at it, but driven by curiosity, people try desperately to see it clearly.

Relief, two huge glass relief ornaments.

It was about half a meter high, crystal clear and flawless!

If it were placed in later generations, it would probably be a handicraft that could be purchased for a few thousand dollars at most. This is because of the excellent craftsmanship. The material itself is worthless and no one would even pick it up if it was dropped on the ground.

But in the feudal era of the Three Kingdoms when productivity was underdeveloped, such a huge glass relief would be worth a fortune!
Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed in a trance, their eyeballs wishing they could fly out of their sockets and stick to the two glass sculptures to see them clearly and vividly.

Shocking, really shocking!

She Yuan, who had been chatting with brothers Zhen Yan and Zhen Yao before, had now kept silent, because words were too pale and weak to describe his mood at the moment.

The brothers Zhen Yan and Zhen Yao were not much better: "Is this glass?"

The appearance of colored glaze already made them feel the magic of creation.

But compared to the glass in front of him, it was nothing at all. The gap between the two was even more huge.

Because Sheyuan had told the two brothers before that it is not difficult to burn colorful colored glass, because many skilled colored glass craftsmen can do it, it is nothing more than testing the formula. They are all in this line of work, so who doesn't have some unique skills?

On the contrary, no one can make glass that is colorless, pure as water, and crystal clear.

In this world, at least in the Central Plains, this kind of technology did not exist before!
Lai Fu, the head manager of Fumanlou, didn't say much nonsense, because the emergence of glass technology was shocking enough in itself.

Scarcity makes things valuable. Glass has just been manufactured and is only sold by Fumanlou in the world. Therefore, its price is naturally far higher than that of ordinary jade and treasures.

"Please look, everyone. This pair of reliefs is made of glass. It is unique in the world. It was carefully carved by dozens of skilled craftsmen over a month. The left one is the Dragon City Flying General Picture, and the right one is the Sealing the Wolf and Juxu Picture. They record the heroic deeds of Generals Wei and Huo who drove the Xiongnu north and expanded the territory by thousands of miles!"

At any time, "first" is often the most valuable.

Although glass is a man-made product, like porcelain, as long as you can fire one, you can fire countless ones.

But the glass relief in front of me is obviously different.

Because they are number one!

And the first is value!
"The auction begins. The reserve price is 500,000 coins. Each bid increase must not be less than 100,000 coins."

So as soon as Lai Fu finished speaking, all the wealthy and powerful people in the auction venue became excited. Many people's eyes even became extremely fanatical. Without thinking, they started to raise their placards and bid: "One million!"

And this call directly doubled the reserve price. However, the doubled price did not scare away other competitors at all, but made them more eager.

"One million and one million!"

"1.2 million!"

"Two million!"

He directly raised the price by 800,000 yuan. Many people were curious about who could be so generous.

Then he took a closer look and found that it was Zhang Zhong, the chief manager of Qianzhen Pavilion. Although this person was not powerful or from a famous family, he was a distant relative of Zhang Rang, one of the Ten Eunuchs.

So many people, after knowing his identity, showed contempt on their faces: "Why did Fu Man Lou invite this filthy guy?"

"Haha, the chief shopkeeper of Qianzhen Pavilion is so majestic."

The status of the several dignitaries who made bids before might be a hundred times more noble than Zhang Zhong, but when it comes to the money they can use, they are probably far less than him.

Therefore, they are very unhappy at the moment and can only satisfy their urge to talk.

Zhang Zhong had a gloomy face throughout the whole process. Now he just wanted to buy the glass relief back, and then hoped to crack the technical secrets in it, otherwise his own industry would inevitably suffer a great blow.

Jade needs to be imported from the Western Regions, and the gem mines will eventually be exhausted, so the glass industry must not be abandoned.

With the support of Luoyang dignitaries such as the Zhong family, Zhang Zhong was not afraid of offending anyone, so he bid regardless of the consequences, not caring at all whether he would be hated by others.

Soon other children from aristocratic families followed suit, pushing the price up to six million coins!

This amount of money is more than enough to buy a position among the Nine Ministers, which has no real power.

Many of the dignitaries who made bids were outbid by Zhang Zhong. They hated him to the core but were helpless and could only let Zhang Zhong take the limelight.

"Six million dollars, is there anyone else who wants to bid?"

Lai Fu was shaking with excitement. After completing this order, he got a 2% commission and earned 120,000 yuan for free. He was so excited that he could hardly control the ecstasy in his heart!
But the price was so high that many people backed off.

After all, six million is too much money. Nowadays, the times are turbulent, and not everyone is willing to spend so much money on a toy.

She Yuan, who was watching from the side, smiled and suggested to the two brothers Zhen Yan and Zhen Yao: "If I were you two, I would definitely offer a higher price to buy such treasures."

After hearing this, Zhen Yan was puzzled: "Brother Wenxiong, why do you say that?"

Zhen Yao was also very puzzled: "Yes, although this glass is rare, it is just a toy after all, and it can be artificially manufactured. I believe there will be more and more of it in the future. Is it worth spending such a huge price?"

It is said that antiques are valuable in prosperous times, and gold is valuable in troubled times.

During the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period, copper coins were the hardest currency in the world. With money, you could support troops, buy food, and even use it to support heroes, make investments, and do lucrative business.

It’s better than buying two ornaments.

Sheyuan smiled calmly and patiently explained to the two brothers of the Zhen family: "You two, have you ever heard of the beauty given to the beauties and the sword given to the heroes?"

After this reminder, Zhen Yan was the first to react: "The Flying General of Dragon City, Fenglangjuxu?"

He is well-versed in classics, so how could he not know these two allusions?
Sheyuan nodded and smiled: "That's right, glass is a rare treasure, and it is engraved with such heroic deeds. Looking around the world, how many people are qualified to own this pair of reliefs?"

With She Yuan's guidance, Zhen Yan and Zhen Yao understood clearly that this was clearly asking them to spend a large sum of money, take pictures of the items, and then give them as a gift to Wang Jing.

"Thank you for reminding!"

The two brothers immediately clasped their fists and saluted.

Sheyuan waved his hands but did not take credit for it: "No need to be like that, I just simply don't like Zhang Zhong."

On the other side, Lai Fu had already started hammering: "Six million for the first time! Six million for the second time! Is there anyone else who wants to bid? This is the first pair of glass reliefs in history. It is extremely valuable. If you miss this opportunity, you may never have another chance in the future."

Just when everyone thought that everything was settled and the treasure would belong to Zhang Zhong.

A clear voice suddenly sounded: "Ten million!"

Ten million!

When these words were spoken, the whole audience was shocked and turned their eyes to the source of the sound.

Many people were even more surprised: "Who is this person? How can he be so extravagant?"

"Zhang Zhong has been humiliated. Now it's time to watch something interesting."

Someone recognized the identities of Zhen Yan and Zhen Yao: "Wuji Zhen family? Rumor has it that the Zhen family is the richest in Hebei and the most powerful in Jizhou. I thought it was not true, but I didn't expect them to be so wealthy. I'm afraid no one in Luoyang can compare to them."

When it comes to the powerful and wealthy, Luoyang is naturally the best in the world. After all, it is the center of the imperial dynasty, the foot of the emperor, and the best place. Naturally, it is a place with rich cultural heritage and outstanding people.

But Jizhou, the largest province in the world, is the truly richest place in the world. The number of rich people and the total wealth there are far greater than that in Luoyang.

The Zhen family is so well-known in Jizhou, and its financial strength is evident.

"Ten million!"

Lai Fu, the shopkeeper who presided over the auction, felt like he had a hard time breathing. His blood seemed to be burning and steaming, making his old face red. "Ten million yuan! This gentleman bids ten million yuan. Does anyone else want to bid?"

What a ghost!
Many people were confused. How much can you do with 10 million yuan?
Is it necessary to buy a toy?

Even Zhang Zhong had a gloomy face. He stared at Zhen Yan's face, memorizing his appearance so well that he wished he could eat him alive.

However, Zhen Yan was not at all nervous. After all, the Zhen family was a prominent family in Jizhou, and they had connections in Luoyang City.

Just a mere Zhang Zhong, is he really going to cause trouble for Wuji Zhen family?
Unless the aristocratic families behind Zhang Zhong are willing to step forward to defend Qianzhen Pavilion, it will be impossible for Zhang Zhong to take revenge on the Zhen family.

But is Zhen Yan afraid of being retaliated against?

After Sheyuan's advice and reminders, Zhen Yan has now made up his mind to curry favor with Wang Jing. As long as he succeeds, it will be easy for the Zhen family to gain a foothold in Luoyang!
Seeing that no one was bidding any more, Lai Fu began to bang the hammer in his hand frantically: "Ten million for the first time, ten million for the second time, no one else is bidding any more? Ten million, deal!"

After three rings, there is no going back.

Everyone was completely shocked by the transaction price. It was 10 million coins. According to the prices at the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period, the market price of an acre of high-quality fertile farmland was only about 10,000 coins.

Ten million yuan is equivalent to a thousand acres of fertile land!

In Luoyang city, a luxurious mansion only costs about one million coins. Ten million coins can buy more than ten of them!

The Zhen family spent so much money to buy the pair of reliefs, and their wealth surprised everyone. If things went as expected, the Zhen family's reputation would probably spread throughout Luoyang in no time.

Lai Fu personally asked Zhen Yan and Zhen Yao to come on stage: "Congratulations, both of you. From now on, this treasure belongs to you."

The glass relief in front of you is indeed the work of a famous artist. It is so beautiful that it is hard to look away.

This kind of treasure is unparalleled in the world!
Because of Zhen Yan's offer, Lai Fu made 200,000 yuan from this auction alone, so he served them attentively and tried his best to please them: "Although the auction is over, since Fu Man Lou dares to claim to have a hundred treasures, there must be many other treasures. If you two have time, you might as well stay and take a look."

Lai Fu thought the Zhen brothers in front of him were wealthy merchants from Jizhou. (End of this chapter)