511: Chapter 511 Ayim's Fear

"First of all..."

Zhang Qian intentionally drew out the last word, his tone appearing exceptionally solemn.

"How could such a treasure be exchanged for common things like gold and silver? We only want grain."

Zhao Fusu made such an arrangement specifically to empty out the Kingdom of Loulan's grain reserves.

"Grain?"

A-yi-mu's squinted eyes snapped wide open, an expression of disbelief crossing his face. After a momentary daze, he burst into a hearty laugh.

"No problem, no problem!"

He nodded repeatedly while laughing, agreeing immediately.

"The grain in my cellar is piled up like a small mountain; I was just worrying about having no use for it!"

He spread his hands, his face full of indifference. "No problem, this isn't a problem at all."

As he spoke, his fat and restless hand reached out impatiently toward the Glass Horse, looking as if he were determined to take it away right then and there.

"Wait..."

Zhang Qian was quick to react, reaching out to catch A-yi-mu's restless hand. He still wore a smile, but his words brooked no argument. "This treasure will not be sold to you alone, Master. In three days, our Trading House will hold an auction. We invite you to attend then."

A-yi-mu's expression instantly soured. He frowned deeply, a flash of displeasure in his eyes. "Manager Zhang, we are old friends..."

His tone carried a hint of complaint and dissatisfaction, clearly unhappy with Zhang Qian's approach.

"It is precisely because we are friends that I specifically let you have a first look, Master."

Zhang Qian interrupted him with a smile, a glint of cunning in his eyes.

"At that time, it will go to the highest bidder. It all depends on everyone's sincerity."

"Fine."

A-yi-mu sighed helplessly. Though his heart was filled with anger, he couldn't take it out on Zhang Qian.

He knew in his heart that while Zhang Qian seemed easy enough to deal with, the problem was the increasingly powerful Great Qin standing behind him.

Great Qin's speed of rise in recent years had made the entire Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions tremble.

Great Qin had first relied on its powerful military force to defeat the Xiongnu, who had long occupied the Western Regions, completely expelling their influence from the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions.

When the details of the battles reached the Kingdom of Loulan, no one was not horrified.

The Xiongnu knights, whom they viewed as unstoppable, were defenseless against the Qin Army. Once the heavenly thunder sounded, the Xiongnu people retreated in defeat, abandoning their armor and weapons.

Next, Great Qin's ambitions were not satisfied with this; they quickly annexed the Southern Xiongnu and the vast Hexi Corridor region, their power surging like a tide to the borders of the Kingdom of Loulan.

Today's Great Qin was like a towering mountain, pressing down on the Kingdom of Loulan until it could barely breathe.

A-yi-mu knew well that before Great Qin, the Kingdom of Loulan was as tiny as an ant; one wrong move and it could be easily crushed.

So even though he was dissatisfied, he could only endure it, not daring to take any extreme action against Zhang Qian.

Meanwhile, in the next room, Zhao Fusu heard everything clearly and could not suppress his urge to laugh.

He bit his lip hard, trying to suppress the laughter that was about to burst out, yet his shoulders still couldn't help but tremble slightly.

This Zhang Qian's heart was truly black.

Although the Glass Horse was exquisitely crafted, its production cost was far more than a single coin, but it hadn't reached the exaggerated level of A-yi-mu's perception.

What "foremost of jade wares" or "National Treasure of Great Qin!"

This was far too exaggerated.

However, it was precisely because of this exaggerated description that A-yi-mu's interest and desire were successfully piqued.

Seeing A-yi-mu's anxious and helpless state, Zhao Fusu found it truly amusing and looked forward to the auction, which would surely be even more exciting.