Chapter 440 – Why Don’t You Just Go Rob It? (Part 4)
The people present, except for Feng Jin who managed to keep his composure, were startled. Qi Guanrang and Xu Ke reacted so over-the-top that Xu Ke nearly choked on his red date and white fungus soup, clutching his chest and coughing.
“What? Thirty thousand guan?”
Once Xu Ke coughed enough to recover, his voice suddenly shot up, his finger trembling as he pointed at the cup.
A wasteful, utter waste!
He knew all too well how much wealth their Lord had.
Where did the other party dig up thirty thousand guan to buy such a flashy yet impractical item?
As the housekeeper in charge of the county’s internal affairs, Xu Ke was so furious he almost fainted, completely forgetting that Jiang Pengji didn’t have that much silver in the first place.
Not to mention misappropriating it; even if she mortgaged the entire Xiangyang County, it was unlikely she could scrape together that much silver.
The so-called thirty thousand guan was merely something she said to tease the three of them.
Who knew they would take it seriously?
Qi Guanrang and Feng Jin were the first to react, looking sternly at the beaming Jiang Pengji.
“Our Lord is not one to indulge in pleasures. How could she possibly waste thirty thousand guan on such trinkets? Don’t tease Jin like that…”
Even though Feng Jin hailed from the Feng family, he wouldn’t splurge thirty thousand guan on a collection, not because he couldn’t afford it, but simply because he was more practical.
“Tsk, you three really can’t handle a little teasing. When Director Meng and Director Luo come later, don’t spill the beans on me.”
Having such a playful Lord made the three of them quite exhausted.
“These items were created last night when we were firing the blue bricks. The quality is all over the place; those that aren’t excellent glass were initially going to be destroyed. But thinking of how hard you three work, I saved a set for the administrative hall,” Jiang Pengji said, flashing a toothy grin, pride written all over her face. “So, what do you think? Is it worth thirty thousand guan?”
Thirty thousand guan?
Why not just go rob a bank?
Xu Ke was livid, thinking their Lord might finally be acting with some restraint. Who knew she was still as outrageous as ever?
Feng Jin adjusted his mindset, diligently inspecting the item in his hand. After some deliberation, he finally spoke slowly.
“This item is rare in the world, a masterpiece that is truly skillfully crafted. Its quality is unprecedented. If it falls into the hands of someone knowledgeable, thirty thousand guan would indeed be worth it… it’s just… Jin doesn’t know how much silver, manpower, and time go into producing it…”
Thirty thousand guan? Wealthy big spenders chase after fame, so they would definitely fork over the cash, even happily snatching it up.
But in this day and age, who would waste so much silver on a set of luxury goods for enjoyment?
While Feng Jin shared his thoughts, Jiang Pengji sipped her red date and white fungus soup, feeling more confident.
“I already said it was made while firing the blue bricks. How can you say it requires so much silver, manpower, and time?” Jiang Pengji chuckled, “Huaiyu’s insight is spot on; after all, he is the second son of a scholar family. If you claim it’s worth thirty thousand guan, I feel completely at ease. With good operations, we won’t even worry about it selling—just worried it’ll be in short supply, with people queuing up to buy!”
Feng Jin and the others were frozen in place, and when they finally understood Jiang Pengji’s words, their expressions turned to shock.
“My Lord, you… are you implying that we sell them and exchange for thirty thousand guan?!”
Jiang Pengji casually replied, “No, these cups are for you to drink tea from. Drinking tea from clay bowls always leaves a muddy taste.”
Jiang Pengji not only wanted to make glass products but also dreamed of creating porcelain that would typically be found in a history museum.
However, she was still researching it with her live-stream audience and would need some time before starting production.
Seeing the three strategists looking dumbfounded, Jiang Pengji shamelessly added, “Your Lord cares for his subordinates; how could I let you be shortchanged? The several batches of glass tea sets from the brick kiln are the ones we’ll sell. Even if I play with mud, it’s different from the average person; I can make it come out unique… not thirty thousand guan, maybe three hundred thousand guan, even more.”
She wanted to see who would dare mock her for just playing with mud.
If she doesn’t play with mud, how would the blue bricks of Xiangyang County come from?
How did the glass in the brick kiln come to be?
Though Jiang Pengji didn’t show a proud expression, her eyebrows had slightly lifted more than usual.
The shock the group received was too overwhelming for them to notice this subtle change, but the viewers in the live stream were sharp enough to catch it.
[How many updates today?]: Tsk tsk, you all see, the host’s tail is sticking up in pride!
[I don’t know]: If you hadn’t pointed it out, I wouldn’t have noticed that detail. Now that I look, the host’s tail isn’t just sticking up; it practically wants to fly up to the ninth cloud!
[Maybe it’s egg custard]: The host’s proud little look is a bit annoying, but why do I think it’s so cute?
[Don’t speak nonsense]: Sigh, since that’s the case, I’ll quietly feel sorry for the foolish idiots about to be swindled.
What do we mean by foolish idiots?
Dumb, rich, and quick to come!
Jiang Pengji set her sights on the three tribes of Beijiang and marked this place as the first stop for money-pitting.
Despite Beijiang’s people constantly fantasizing about their strength, arrogantly looking down on Dongqing, they secretly hold things from the Central Plains in high esteem, eager to buy them, even elevating them to fashion. A classic case of stubborn mouths but earnest bodies.
In Beijiang, noble ladies and girls take pride in collecting treasures from the Central Plains; items that might only sell for one or two guan in the Central Plains could easily fetch ten times the price in the three tribes of Beijiang. Without such profit margins, who would dare brave the treacherous roads to do business in Beijiang?
Xu Ke and the others were so stunned by Jiang Pengji’s lofty words they even forgot how to speak.
Feng Jin was the first to regain his composure, stating seriously, “Then the method of producing this must be tightly protected.”
“Don’t worry, no one from the brick kiln will leave until we’ve made enough money.” Jiang Pengji had already thought out handling methods for this, knowing that rarity makes value; once it becomes common, it’s worthless.
Whoever dares cut off her source of income, she will cut off their descendants!
Xu Ke looked as if he were in a dream, taking a while before he found his voice again.
“My Lord, these things… how much did they cost to make?”
“Just a few coins since they were made alongside the bricks?” Jiang Pengji replied uncertainly.
Everyone fell into a stupefying silence.
Things that cost just a few coins… selling for thirty thousand guan… doesn’t it weigh on your conscience?
Xu Ke instinctively raised his hand to rub his chest.
The money goes to them, why should his conscience hurt?
Not only didn’t it hurt, it was lively and jumping.
In unison, the three shouted, “Great generosity!”
[Host V]: Once this batch of glass is sold, the government office in Xiangyang County will have money for salaries!
Jiang Pengji’s words detonated like a bombshell, leaving the live stream audience completely stunned.
Wait—what did the host just say?
Salaries?
The viewers in the live stream were still immersed in Jiang Pengji’s shamelessness, not expecting she could be this unashamed.
[Hawthorn Sticks]: No way, you’ve exploited them to work crazily without paying them a salary from start to finish?
