Chapter 3

When the bell sounded again, Qiao Ling instinctively tried to locate its source. Meanwhile, the chatter around her gradually subsided, and the crowd fell into silence. 

In the row ahead of her, a middle-aged man snapped open his folding fan with a swish and gave it a few random waves. Just then, an official stepped onto the stage. 

He wore the uniform of a seventh-rank officer. His lips moved as he spoke, but the oppressive heat distorted his words into a faint buzzing sound that barely reached Qiao Ling’s ears, as if it were the hum of flies. 

Not that Qiao Ling was paying much attention to him anyway. 

After all, everyone knew today’s event had only one focus—auctioning Miss Zhang. The audience wasn’t here to listen to the official’s announcements; they had long anticipated what would happen next. 

At that moment, the crowd’s attention shifted toward the east side of the stage, where several servants in blue robes held up a large umbrella. 

Beneath the umbrella sat a middle-aged man with a smug expression, sporting a small, upturned mustache. He leisurely arrived with his entourage, taking his seat only after the official began speaking. 

The servants placed two ice vats at his feet and used fans to waft the cold air toward him. With an air of superiority, he settled into a chair brought by his attendants, enjoying the exclusive comfort afforded to him. 

Qiao Ling overheard a woman sitting to her left grumble to her companion, “Since when did the Ministry fall to such disgrace? How dare an insignificant East Pavilion Chief Priest flaunt his arrogance like this?” 

Qiao Ling leaned slightly to the left, her mind filled with questions. 

“East Pavilion Chief Priest?” she wondered. “What kind of official is that?” 

On her right, a man scoffed, “So Du Chonggu is aligning himself with the Third Prince, huh? Favoring his lackeys and ignoring the rest of us!” 

Qiao Ling quickly turned to the right, even more confused. 

“Who’s this Du Chonggu?” 

The entire crowd seemed annoyed. 

They had spent most of the day waiting, only for this so-called East Pavilion Chief Priest to arrive late, accompanied by attendants and given a prime seat. If the Third Prince himself had come, that might be understandable, but this man was just a minor official. How could he act so outrageously? 

Yet, despite their frustration, no one dared openly question him or confront the Ministry about this apparent favoritism. 

The man in question, sensing the crowd’s dissatisfaction, sneered contemptuously as he scanned the room with a haughty gaze. 

Qiao Ling, though still uncertain who East Pavilion Chief Priest or Du Chonggu was, easily understood the man’s expression. 

She tightened her grip on her floral bundle, indignant. “What kind of attitude is that? Does he think he’s better than us?” 

The woman to her left, though a stranger, appreciated Qiao Ling’s solidarity and agreed immediately. “Exactly! Who does he think he is?” 

Qiao Ling hugged her bundle tighter. “We’ve been waiting all day, whether out here in the courtyard or on the upper floors. So why does he get to arrive late and ignore the rules by claiming his own private spot?” 

The man to her right, also a stranger, nodded approvingly. “Exactly! Who does he think he is?” 

Qiao Ling glared at the arrogant official and suddenly asked aloud, “Does Miss Zhang even know what kind of official this East Pavilion Chief Priest is? Or who Du Chonggu really is?” 

Both the woman and the man beside her were taken aback by the question, and after a moment of stunned silence, they burst out laughing. “What a waste of effort!” 

Feeling emboldened, Qiao Ling stood up and declared loudly, “I’ll buy Miss Zhang myself!” 

Gasps filled the room. 

The woman to her left, alarmed by Qiao Ling’s boldness, grabbed her arm. “Are you crazy? Sit down, quickly!” 

The man on her right, equally shocked, reached out to stop her, but halfway through, he hesitated and withdrew his hand. Instead, he whispered urgently, “What are you doing? Sit down now!” 

The East Pavilion Chief Priest glared at Qiao Ling with displeasure. 

But Qiao Ling stood her ground, holding her bundle as if cradling a docile hen. She looked fearlessly at the official on stage, who seemed just as stunned as everyone else. 

She asked, “Anyone who enters can participate in the auction, right?” 

The official, caught off guard, nodded instinctively. 

Satisfied, Qiao Ling declared once more, “Then I’ll buy her. I have the money!” 

The entire crowd stared, first at East Pavilion Chief Priest, then back at the fearless young woman who seemed undaunted by the situation.

The Chief priest of Dongge stood up as well, narrowing his eyes as he studied Qiao Ling for a moment. Suddenly, he smiled. 

With a courteous bow, he said, “Wang Qun, official wine master of the East Pavilion from the King of Lu’s residence, greets the young lady.” 

Qiao Ling responded with a casual “Oh. I’m fine.” 

Wang Qun was momentarily thrown off by her blunt reply. 

He had initially treated her politely because she seemed unfamiliar, and he couldn’t figure out her background. But now, seeing that she lacked even the most basic social etiquette, his wariness dissipated, though he held back from speaking rudely. 

He offered a veiled threat, saying, “I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. Before I left the prince’s residence, His Highness gave strict orders to ensure his wishes were fulfilled. As the saying goes, ‘If entrusted with a task, one must carry it out faithfully.’ Especially since I’m acting on behalf of the King of Lu, it would be best if the young lady could show kindness and not interfere with my duties.” 

“Cut the nonsense!” Qiao Ling snapped. “Isn’t the auction just about whoever pays the highest price?” 

Wang Qun was stumped again, his expression darkening. 

“Young lady,” he said slowly, “I am here on behalf of the King of Lu.” 

Qiao Ling rolled her eyes, annoyed. “You’ve said that so many times already!” 

This time, Wang Qun was genuinely startled. 

He leaned closer, lowering his voice with a menacing tone. “Are you certain you want to compete with the King of Lu?” 

The woman next to Qiao Ling urgently tugged at her sleeve, whispering, “The King of Lu is not someone to mess with! If you offend him, there will be serious consequences!” 

Qiao Ling was taken aback. “Huh? Then why were you saying all those things earlier?” 

The woman sighed, exasperated. “We were just venting! We didn’t expect you to actually stand up!” 

Meanwhile, the man on Qiao Ling’s other side discreetly shuffled away from her. Still, out of some sense of solidarity for their earlier gossip, he whispered, “Just apologize and sit down. Pride isn’t worth much.” 

Qiao Ling was shocked again. “Why are you chickening out too?” 

The man pretended not to know her, turning his head to the side nonchalantly. 

All around, people began casting curious glances at her, their expressions mixed with amusement and disbelief. Yet, Qiao Ling stood her ground, tilting her chin defiantly. 

“What’s so special about the Third Prince? Do you know who my husband is?” 

The man and woman next to her leaned closer, curious, and the rest of the audience pricked up their ears as well. Even Wang Qun, despite his arrogance, held his breath, intrigued by her bold claim. 

With pride written all over her face, Qiao Ling announced, “Let me tell you: my husband is none other than Jiang Mai, also known as Jiang Hongdu, the Duke of Yue!” 

A low murmur spread through the crowd. 

“The Duke of Yue?” 

“Is she really Jiang Hongdu’s wife?” 

“I heard the Duke’s household…” 

Expressions grew more complex as whispers filled the air. 

Wang Qun’s eyebrow twitched slightly as he glanced at Qiao Ling with subtle disdain. “Even if that’s true,” he said coldly, “it’s unlikely that the young lady has any real authority over the Duke’s affairs.” 

Qiao Ling sneered. “None of your business!” 

Wang Qun’s expression darkened further. 

Finally, the bidding began. 

The starting price wasn’t high—just one hundred taels. Given Miss Zhang’s renowned status, the amount seemed rather modest. 

However, with two determined parties competing, the price quickly soared. 

Five hundred taels, eight hundred, one thousand, two thousand… 

In the blink of an eye, the bid reached five thousand taels. 

Wang Qun only carried two promissory notes, each worth a thousand taels. When he set out from the prince’s residence, he had thought even the second note would be unnecessary. 

Who would dare compete with the King of Lu? 

No one would willingly oppose a notorious prince known for his ruthless ways. 

But now, Wang Qun wasn’t so sure anymore. 

Surely that foolish woman wouldn’t keep bidding… right? 

Sweat began to gather on his back. 

Though the King of Lu was wealthy, spending too much money just to save face would reflect poorly on Wang Qun’s competence. If the prince felt humiliated because things didn’t go smoothly, Wang Qun knew his temper was not to be taken lightly. 

But if he backed down now, the prince’s household would suffer an even greater humiliation. 

Wang Qun calmly dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief, then turned to a clerk from the Ministry of Rites standing nearby. “Surely participants in the auction must prove they can actually pay the amount they bid? What if someone shouts an outrageous price but can’t follow through? That would be making a mockery of both the King of Lu and the Ministry.” 

The clerk hesitated, caught in a dilemma. 

Offending the King of Lu would be unwise, but causing friction with the Duke of Yue’s household wasn’t a good idea either. 

Even if no one could confirm whether Qiao Ling was truly the Duke’s wife, the safest course of action was to treat her as such unless proven otherwise. 

However, Wang Qun’s point wasn’t without merit. If she couldn’t pay the amount she bid, it would indeed create trouble. 

As the clerk hesitated, the audience suddenly buzzed with low murmurs. Several maidservants in blue robes descended from the upper floor, each carrying an envelope. They walked straight toward Qiao Ling. 

Qiao Ling looked up as one of the maidservants knelt slightly and spoke in a gentle voice, “My master says that if the lady finds herself short of funds, she may use what is here.” 

With that, the maidservant offered the envelope with both hands. 

The other maidservants made similar statements, each presenting an envelope to Qiao Ling. 

Without asking who their master was, Qiao Ling casually pinched one of the envelopes. Before she could say anything, another official from the Taichang Temple hurried over and handed her several silver notes, saying, “Miss Zhang has savings of three thousand taels and wishes to offer them to the lady.”

Qiao Ling received the envelopes with composure and calmly put them away. 

From the moment the first maidservant appeared, Wang Qun’s forced calmness began to crack. By the time the news that Miss Zhang had 3,000 taels of savings spread, it was as if he had been riddled with holes. 

Gritting his teeth, he asked his attendant, “Wasn’t the Zhang family’s property confiscated? Where did she get so much money?” 

The attendant whispered, “Although she was implicated, she had already split from the Zhang family household. When the Zhang family was punished, her personal savings and property weren’t confiscated.” 

The initial bid of 5,000 taels, plus the 3,000 taels from Zhang Yuying, amounted to a total of 8,000 taels. And that wasn’t even counting the envelopes from earlier… 

Wang Qun glanced cautiously at the upper floor of the Moon-Drinking Pavilion, his expression growing apprehensive. 

Those maidservants had come from up there. 

Anyone who could occupy a private room on that floor was either a senior official, a noble of the highest rank, or perhaps even someone of royal lineage—someone on the same level as the King of Lu himself! 

Though these people might not want to directly offend the prince, they were more than willing to help someone else oppose him when the opportunity arose. 

Given these circumstances, should he continue bidding? 

Whatever the prince could offer, these people could easily match. 

And with more contributors on their side, they could bear the financial burden far more easily than the King of Lu. 

Wang Qun hesitated, and in the end, he backed down. 

The Taichang Temple standing nearby noticed Wang Qun’s fading resolve and understood his decision. He made no further mention of verifying whether the young lady could actually produce 5,000 taels. Instead, with a quick glance at the auctioneer, he gave a slight nod. 

The hammer fell, and the auction was concluded. 

Someone stepped forward to guide Qiao Ling through the necessary paperwork and, more importantly, the payment process. 

Returning the unused envelopes to the maidservants, Qiao Ling said, “Thank you.” 

The maidservants smiled and curtsied. “You’re too kind.” 

With the same grace they had arrived with, they turned and glided back upstairs. 

Many in the crowd watched their retreating figures in silence. 

… 

The paperwork was processed smoothly, and everything proceeded without a hitch. 

A quarter of an hour later, Qiao Ling and Zhang Yuying appeared at the entrance. 

Zhang Yuying naturally took the floral cloth bundle from Qiao Ling’s hands and, like all the capital’s maidservants, lowered her head slightly as she followed behind her mistress. 

Looking around, she asked curiously, “Where is our carriage, my lady?” 

Qiao Ling was just as puzzled. “Our what?” 

Caught off guard, Zhang Yuying blinked in confusion before hesitantly replying, “…The carriage?” 

Qiao Ling clicked her tongue. “A carriage? That’s a rare luxury! Not everyone has one, you know!” 

Zhang Yuying was stunned. “Then… how did you get here, my lady?” 

With her hands clasped behind her back, Qiao Ling strutted proudly, like a victorious fighting rooster. “I walked, of course!” 

Zhang Yuying: “…”