Chapter 92: This King Says The Price

After purchasing some furs, Shen Yian led Ye Liyan to the fifth floor of the Thousand Gold Pavilion.

His purpose was simple and direct: to introduce Ye Liyan to Shi Hong.

In the future, if Ye Liyan came to shop at the Thousand Gold Pavilion alone and encountered a situation similar to the Zhao siblings, he hoped Shi Hong would act decisively as the pavilion master should.

His King of Chu’s household wouldn’t bully others without reason, but they also wouldn’t allow outsiders to bully them.

“Greetings to His Highness the King of Chu.”

“Greetings to Her Highness the Princess Consort.”

“Your presence truly brings honor to our humble establishment!”

While Shen Yian was sipping tea, Shi Hong came out with a face full of smiles. With these two arriving together, some things didn’t need to be said for him to understand.

Even though Shi Hong had seen many beautiful women in his years of experience, just one glance at the King of Chu’s consort left him stunned by her otherworldly beauty.

“I’ve long heard that the Princess Consort’s beauty could topple nations, that she’s virtuous and beautiful, comparable to the Four Beauties of Tianwu City. But now that I see her, I find those rumors to be inaccurate and improper. How can ordinary women compare to such a heavenly being as the Princess Consort?”

“Pavilion Master Shi, you flatter me,” Ye Liyan replied politely and gracefully, unaffected by such exaggerated praise.

“Pavilion Master Shi, have any treasures arrived at the Thousand Gold Pavilion recently? Perhaps you could introduce them to me,” Shen Yian asked with a smile, taking a sip of tea.

Hearing this, Shi Hong was delighted, immediately understanding that business was coming.

“Your Highness, we indeed have two new treasures recently, though I’m not sure if they’ll meet your standards.”

“Bring them out for me to see.”

“Certainly, Your Highness. Please wait a moment.” Shi Hong turned and signalled with his eyes for the fifth floor manager to follow him to fetch the items.

In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, the screen in the VIP room was drawn back, and the sound of wooden wheels rolling on the floor could be heard.

Hearing this, both Shen Yian and Ye Liyan looked over curiously.

“Your Highness, Princess Consort, thank you for your patience,” Shi Hong walked in front, with two shop assistants pushing a wooden cart covered with a black cloth close behind.

“Is it alive?” Shen Yian was a little surprised.

“Hahaha, it turns out that nothing can be hidden from Your Highness.”

“To be honest, Your Highness, I had planned to use this little one as the highlight of next month’s auction. But if Your Highness is interested today, I’m willing to choose another item for the auction’s finale.” Shi Hong reached out and pulled off the black cloth.

The sudden bright light made the snow-white creature in the iron cage instinctively curl up into a ball, whimpering continuously, evoking a sense of pity in observers.

Ye Liyan’s eyes lit up when she saw the small creature in the cage. She felt an inexplicable urge to reach out and pet it, but she quickly shifted her gaze elsewhere and hooked her fingers tightly around her sleeves.

Liyan, you must control your desires and not lose composure. 

You’re now the King of Chu’s consort. 

You represent the King of Chu’s household when you’re out. 

You absolutely cannot embarrass your husband!

But it’s really so cute, I want to pet it so much!

Shen Yian noticed Ye Liyan’s conflicted expression and smiled. Indeed, cute things held a great attraction for most women.

“Pavilion Master Shi, what is this little one called? What kind of creature is it?”

The snow-white creature was curled up, but couldn’t hide the unusual features that set it apart from ordinary beasts. For example, the two particularly noticeable white horns on its head, and while it had four paws on the ground, it also had a pair of small white wings on its back.

At first glance, Shen Yian thought it might be an unusual breed of lamb, but upon closer inspection, he realized it wasn’t. From its paws to its fur, it seemed more like a lion or tiger. 

Combined with its unusual features, it could be determined to be some kind of innate mythical beast or an spiritually evolved creature.

“Your Highness, this creature is called a Fubai. It’s an auspicious beast. We purchased it from a fisherman on the southeast coast. According to the fisherman, on the day he went fishing, he had extremely good luck. Every net was full of big fish, but when he pulled up the last net, he unexpectedly caught this little one.”

“On the way back from the fishing boat, the weather suddenly changed, and a fierce storm with strong winds and heavy rain arrived, putting the fully loaded boat at risk of capsizing. Just as all hope seemed to have lost, Fubai woke up and let out a loud roar to the sky, and instantly, the dark clouds dispersed, and the wind and rain stopped…”

Shi Hong vividly told the story, occasionally adding gestures, and Ye Liyan was completely absorbed in the tale.

Shen Yian put down the teacup and gave Shi Hong’s story a brief summary: The name and story are made up. This is an auspicious beast that can bring blessings and ward off evil spirits. Your Highness, please spend a lot of money to buy it!

Good things can be sold at a high price, and with a good story, the price can be doubled without any issue.

He also admired the guys in Thousand Gold Pavilion who specialized in writing stories. Even if they didn’t work in the Thousand Gold Pavilion in the future, they would definitely make a lot of money by becoming an author in the world.

At first glance, the small white beast looked like the mythical White Tiger from legends.

However, the aura it emitted was only slightly stronger than that of a three- or four-month-old puppy, and it didn’t give off any unusual feelings. There was no special power within its body, so it could be kept as a good luck charm in the palace.

“It doesn’t seem to have anything special about it,” Shen Yian said nonchalantly.

Shi Hong was taken aback, and he subconsciously looked at Ye Liyan, who remained seated, with a calm expression and a pair of blue eyes that didn’t show any excitement.

“Master Shi, I have a question.” Shen Yian said.

“Please ask, Your Highness.”

“Can it spit fire or water?”

“Uh, no…”

“Can it summon the wind and rain?”

“No…”

“Can it be ridden?”

“No…” Shi Hong wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and smiled awkwardly.

“Then how do you prove it’s an auspicious beast, Lord Shi? In my opinion, it’s just an ordinary white puppy that’s a bit unusual-looking.”

Shen Yian smiled faintly and shook his head.

“I dare not deceive Your Highness! This beast is truly an auspicious one that can bring good fortune!”

“Oh? How do you prove it?”

Shi Hong was speechless. How could he prove such an illusory thing? It would be better to spit fire and water.

“Master Shi, were you deceived by that fisherman and now you are trying to deceive me?”

Shen Yian’s smile grew, and his eyes seemed to gleam with a cold light as he tapped his fingers on the armrest.

‘Tap, tap, tap.’ Each tap seemed to strike Shi Hong’s heart, filling him with pressure.

“I am extremely terrified and would never dare to deceive Your Highness!”

Shi Hong broke out in a cold sweat. Even without his noble status, Shen Yian was not someone he could afford to offend. If Shen Yian reported his dissatisfaction to the head office, he might lose his position as a pavilion lord.

“Forget it. This little beast looks quite interesting. It would be nice to buy it back and raise it as a puppy. Master Shi, please name a price.” The knocking sound stopped abruptly, and Shen Yian spoke slowly.

Shi Hong hesitated, unsure of how to respond.

“Since Master Shi is unwilling to name a price, I’ll do it myself!”

“Ten taels of silver, and deliver it to the palace.”