I was a conman in the Ming Dynasty.

Chapter 55 Charity Auction 1

Chapter 55 Charity Auction Part 1

Inside the main hall of Zuihualou, the gentry invited by Wang Wenzhou were chatting in twos and threes.

That evening, Wang Wenzhou held a charity auction at Zuihualou, inviting gentry, local tycoons, and merchants from Hanshan County. Almost everyone of note in Hanshan County was invited.

Unfortunately, the four talented scholars did not meet Wang Wenzhou's criteria for being invited, but their own fathers all came.

Ma Biao was a tall, strong man who looked nowhere near 50 years old. He was Ma Deyun's father and one of the most well-known local tycoons in Hanshan. He held the title of a martial arts graduate, and almost every gentry member in Hanshan County knew him.

"Brother Ma, you've arrived quite early." Yang Mu cupped his hands in greeting to Ma Biao.

"Greetings, Brother Yang!" Ma Biao cupped his hands in greeting and smiled.

Yang Mu leaned closer to Ma Biao and asked in a low voice, "What exactly is the purpose of this charity auction?"

Yang Mu was Yang Shan's father. The Four Great Talents were family friends, and their fathers also had a good relationship.

"This isn't the place to talk. Let's find a quieter place to discuss this."

Ma Biao looked around and saw Sun Ming and Lin Nan sitting at a table drinking tea. He tugged at Yang Mu to signal them, and the two of them went over and sat down.

"You two arrived quite early! I thought I was early, but I didn't expect you two to be sitting here drinking tea for so long," Ma Biao said with a smile.

Sun Ming and Lin Nan are the fathers of Sun Feng and Lin Qing, respectively.

Sun Ming poured tea and handed the cups to Ma Biao and Yang Mu, jokingly saying, "We were just saying that, given Old Ma's temper, he definitely wouldn't come. I was wondering why you came too?"

Ma Biao took a sip of tea and said irritably, "I just want to see just how shameless Wang Shazi really is. I also want to see just how many sycophantic people there are in Hanshan County."

Lin Nan said with a smile, "Old Ma, keep your voice down, it won't be good if this gets out!"

Yang Mu asked in confusion, "Gentlemen, what is the meaning of this?"

Ma Biao laughed loudly, "Brother Yang, you've just returned to Hanshan, there are some things you don't know. Didn't your precious son tell you? What kind of person is this Wang Shazi?"

Yang Mu had just returned to Hanshan yesterday after going out to do business. Today was his first time entering the county town. When he paid the town entrance tax, he was puzzled. Although the town entrance tax of one coin was not much, it seemed that everyone was eager to pay the tax and no one objected.

“You all know my son. What kind of people are those little rascals? Yesterday, my son just took some money from me, saying it was for investment tax invoices. What exactly is the purpose of this charity auction organized by the new Lord Wang?” Yang Mu shook his head.

"This tax invoice thing can't be explained in a short time. When you get home, you can ask your son about it." Ma Biao cursed and said, "This so-called charity auction is just a damn sham. That idiot Wang is using the name of charity to ask us for money."

“Wang the Fool isn’t foolish at all! I thought he was a fool at first, but now it seems he’s quite shrewd. He can take bribes openly and honestly, and he does it with a clear conscience. Even if you wanted to accuse him of embezzlement and bribery, you wouldn’t be able to find any evidence,” Lin Nan said with a wry smile.

"A mere county magistrate like him expects me to fawn over him with money? He's nothing but a grandson. If it weren't for his good family background and powerful grandfather, would someone like him even be a county magistrate? I'd rather tip a beggar than give this grandson a single penny!" Ma Biao said angrily.

"Brother Ma, don't be angry. Have some tea!" Sun Ming stood up, picked up the teapot, and filled it with tea.

Wang Wenzhou glanced at the table; it was almost time. Everyone who was supposed to be there had arrived, and the auction should begin.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the charity auction is officially starting tonight! First of all, on behalf of the elders of Hanshan, I would like to thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend this charity auction."

After Wang Wenzhou finished speaking, he bowed deeply and continued, "Tonight's auction mainly features some calligraphy and painting works. Some people may not know that I have established a charitable foundation, and all the funds raised from the auction will be invested in the foundation. The foundation's funds are mainly used to improve the lives of the people of Hanshan. For example, our first investment project is the free school lunch program. After the school is built, the foundation will pay for all the lunches of the children attending school."

Wang Wenzhou first explained how the foundation handles the proceeds from the auction. Then he said, "Now, please welcome Ms. Sheng Lan, the host of this auction."

As soon as Wang Wenzhou finished speaking, Sheng Lan slowly walked onto the auction stage.

"Ah!" A gasp of amazement rippled through the audience. Everyone present had frequented the Drunken Flower Pavilion before and had seen Sheng Lan before. They had never imagined that Sheng Lan's aura would change so drastically today, and that she would become so beautiful in just a few days.

Today, Sheng Lan wore a white, form-fitting cheongsam that accentuated her curves and showcased her figure perfectly. The cheongsam had a high slit that went all the way up to her upper thigh. As she walked, her long, white legs were on full display, which was quite alluring.

There was no qipao in the Ming Dynasty. The qipao is a product of the fusion of Manchu clothing and traditional Chinese clothing. The qipao that Sheng Lan is wearing was designed by Wang Wenzhou. Tonight, as Wang Wenzhou predicted, the effect on Sheng Lan was fantastic, leaving everyone in the audience stunned.

Sheng Lan gave Wang Wenzhou a meaningful look. She hadn't initially wanted to wear such a revealing dress. Now that she had someone else in her heart, she felt this dress was only for Wang Wenzhou to see. Wang Wenzhou, however, said, "What's there to be afraid of? They can only look; they can't touch it. A woman who can attract a man's attention should be happy for him."

"Ladies and gentlemen, please take a look at the first item up for auction tonight."

Sheng Lan waved, and two girls in policewoman uniforms came out, holding up a calligraphy and painting.

Sheng Lan explained, "This poem was written by Mr. Wang's ancestor, the first Earl of Xinjian, Mr. Yangming."

"The mind in its original state is neither good nor evil; the movement of the mind can be either good or evil. Knowing good and evil is conscience; doing good and eliminating evil is the investigation of things."

Sheng Lan read the poem aloud and then said, "Lord Wang guarantees with his integrity that this work was absolutely written by Mr. Yangming himself. The starting price for this work is 100 taels of silver. The minimum bid increment is 10 taels of silver. The highest bidder will own this work."

This calligraphy wasn't actually written by Wang Shouren at all; it was done by Wang Wenzhou, who tricked Wang Zhixin into imitating Wang Shouren's handwriting. Wang Wenzhou was taking up a post in another region; he wasn't a scholar or a connoisseur of calligraphy and painting. Why would he carry his ancestor's work with him?

It's an art auction after all, so there has to be some genuine items. Okay, even though the piece Wang Wenzhou presented as the opening piece was a forgery, as long as the Wang family admitted it was real, no one dared to say it was fake.

"120 taels!"

Old Zhang stood up and shouted. He was a die-hard fan of Wang Shouren, and upon seeing his idol's calligraphy, he immediately perked up; he had to take this piece home no matter what.

"150 taels!"

Old Cheng raised his hand and shouted. Although he wasn't a die-hard fan of Wang Shouren, he admired him greatly. He was originally a scholar who particularly loved calligraphy and painting. With Wang Wenzhou's testimony, the calligraphy was indeed an authentic work by Wang Shouren. He also wanted to take it home.