Transmigrated into a female county magistrate during a famine, leading her country to prosperity

Chapter 1242 Exorbitantly Priced Glasses

It was getting dark.

There is still one hour until the second midnight hour.

Shen Zheng suppressed her suspicions and irritation, and turned her gaze back to the hall.

Yunniang struck the jade chime again, looking at the competing items that had been sent off the stage, and smiled, "There aren't many competing items left... Distinguished guests, you must seize the opportunity! This next competing item will certainly not disappoint you. To be honest, when Yunniang saw this competing item, she wanted to have it for herself..."

To claim it as one's own?

Upon hearing this, everyone perked up and looked at the tray in the hands of the servant in blue.

Yunniang deliberately kept everyone in suspense: "Although I don't need this item now, my elders will definitely need it, and in the future... I should also be able to use it."

The two consecutive "can be used" statements piqued everyone's interest.

Even Shen Zheng secretly began to guess what this competing product was.

An object that can be used continuously...

For a moment, everyone was a little confused.

"Manager Yun, stop keeping us in suspense!" the people in the hall urged. "Just reveal the secret already!"

Yunniang smiled gently, and amidst the curious gazes of everyone, she slowly lifted a corner of the velvet cloth on the tray.

"what is that?"

"I seem to have never seen this before."

"...Transparent? Could it be an accessory?"

Looking at the small, transparent object on the plate that resembled neither a hairpin nor a toy, yet shimmered with iridescent colors, everyone was slightly puzzled.

Discussions arose, but Yunniang smiled faintly and remained silent.

Suddenly, a cry of surprise rang out from the hall: "Liuli? Crystal clear, shimmering with light... It's liuli, it's definitely liuli!"

"Liuli?!"

Immediately, a chorus of exclamations rose up, completely drowning out the melodious and graceful sounds of string and wind instruments.

"It's a glass mirror? It's so small! It's not even as big as my palm!"

"No, no, this thing is transparent, it's not a mirror, but..."

"Objective lens!"

"Yes! A glass objective lens! That's a glass objective lens!"

Immediately, most of the people in the hall stood up, craning their necks to look at the stage, trying to get a clearer view.

"You all guessed correctly!" This time, Yunniang personally picked up the tray and displayed it around the stage. "This item is indeed the glass eyeglasses that have become famous throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty in just a few months! I'm sure you distinguished guests have heard of it, right? This year, when the Empress Dowager celebrated her birthday, Lord Shen of Liuyang Prefecture presented these glass eyeglasses as a gift. Moreover, I've heard that the Empress Dowager is very fond of them, saying that they 'can relieve the suffering of blurred vision'."

As soon as these words came out, the whole place was in an uproar.

In the common people's eyes, anything associated with the royal family is considered a treasure!

Furthermore, they had already heard that during the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration, the man from Liuyang Prefecture had indeed presented a pair of glass spectacles as a gift...

Although no one knows who brought this item to bid, since it has already been put on display, it can be considered to be half innocent. So how could they not compete for it?

Almost instantly, someone couldn't sit still any longer: "Manager Yun, make an offer! I've suffered from poor eyesight for many years, and today, I must get this item into my possession!"

"Count me in! I'll also compete with you all!"

"My esteemed uncles and elders! My family elders are celebrating their birthdays soon, and I hope you will be able to part with this..."

"I can't part with it! Gentlemen, let's rely on our own abilities!"

Seeing the atmosphere reach an unprecedented peak, Yunniang smiled even more: "Distinguished guests! The starting bid for this item is 2,800 taels of silver, and each bid must be at least 100 taels higher. Bidding may begin!"

"Cough cough—" In the private room on the third floor, Shen Zheng choked on her tea and her vision went black.

A pair of reading glasses...starting bid 2,800 taels?

How dare Jubaoge?

Whoever takes the picture is getting ripped off.

Just then, the biggest sucker in the hall started bidding: "Three thousand taels!"

The second biggest sucker on the second floor followed closely behind: "Three thousand two hundred taels!"

The third-floor sucker, number three, wasn't about to back down: "Three thousand five hundred taels!"

They didn't just increase the price by a hundred taels at a time; they added two hundred or three hundred taels all at once...

Shen Zheng felt numb and even began to wonder where these reading glasses had come from.

Look at the style of those lenses; they weren't made by her. Instead, they look more like the shapes commonly made in the eastern and western workshops of the capital...

So... it was Liang Fu?

The thought only lingered for a moment before Shen Zheng banished it from her mind.

Liang Fucai would not set small gemstones on the temples of his glasses.

After thinking for a few moments, Shen Zheng concluded that the lenses of these reading glasses probably came from Dongxifang, but the frames were likely switched by a middleman.

As for who the real seller is, that remains unknown.

In the short time that Shen Zheng was pondering, the bid had already soared to four thousand five hundred taels.

Chen Zhikuan looked at Shen Zheng with eyes full of admiration: "Lord Shen, anything made by you is indeed extraordinary..."

Shen Zheng paused, then shook her head: "This item is not worth the price at all."

Let alone 2,800 taels, even 28 taels would have raised the value of the glasses.

Shen Zheng was telling the truth, but Chen Zhikuan thought she was being modest and gave her a knowing look.

"..." Shen Zheng had no choice but to promise, "After I get the Red Thorn Grass Liquid and return to my residence, I will send someone to deliver ten doses to you."

Chen Zhikuan stumbled, stammering, "You...you mustn't be joking with me..."

Shen Zheng was taken aback, then thought—was Xu Yunyan's life only worth ten pairs of glasses?

No.

"One hundred sets," Shen Zheng changed her answer.

Chen Zhikuan's knees buckled, and he immediately knelt beside Shen Zheng: "Lord Shen, you..."

"Five thousand five hundred taels!" Yunniang's excited voice came from downstairs: "Five thousand five hundred taels! Is there any other distinguished guest who would like to raise the price? Five thousand five hundred taels once! Five thousand five hundred taels twice..."

"Get up and talk." Shen Zheng gestured for Chen Zhikuan to get up, but Chen Zhikuan couldn't get up no matter what he heard from downstairs.

Five thousand five hundred taels for a pair.

So, if we calculate that one hundred sets, it would be...

Chen Zhikuan felt dizzy.

"Ding—" The jade chime rang out.

Ultimately, the pair of reading glasses was acquired by a guest in a private room on the second floor for 5,500 taels of silver.

Shen Zheng sighed inwardly and was about to get up when Hua Duo leaned closer and whispered, "Master, the person who won the glasses is the same educational official you saw before, surnamed Meng."

"Meng Hanshan?" Shen Zheng paused, "...This old man's family is so wealthy?"

Before I could think any further, the next competing item was carried onto the stage by the waiter.

Yunniang's gaze swept across the hall, finally settling on the third floor: "Distinguished guests, this competing item is rather special. Today... Yunniang also happened to hear a rumor related to it..."

Shen Zheng narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze slowly falling on the tray in the servant's hands.

coming.