516: Ayim, 51st VP

"Five thousand five hundred dan!"

The nobleman's voice carried a deliberately suppressed tremble.

Though he tried to sound firm, his slightly trembling fingertips betrayed his inner nervousness.

This was already the limit of what he could bear.

A-yi-mu saw all of this; his heart suddenly eased, followed by a surge of desperate determination.

He stood up abruptly, holding his bidding paddle high, his voice as steady as a bell: "Six thousand dan!"

This time, the nobleman wearing the Jeweled Crown hesitated completely.

He stared fixedly at the pair of wine cups, his eyes filled with struggle.

A-yi-mu held his breath on the side, pressing his hands together in prayer, silently hoping the other party wouldn't raise the price again.

This price had already emptied his family's coffers.

Time seemed to stretch out, every second feeling like a torment.

After a long time, the nobleman finally lowered his paddle slowly and let out a long sigh. A trace of resentment flashed in his eyes, but in the end, he admitted defeat.

A-yi-mu's tense body slumped instantly, a relieved and gratified smile appearing on his face as his breathing grew heavy.

"Six thousand dan once!"

Zhang Qian's voice rang out exceptionally loud in the silent hall, carrying a stirring power.

"Six thousand dan twice!"

"Six thousand dan three times!"

As the wooden gavel in his hand fell heavily with a dull thud, "Sold!"

A-yi-mu exhaled deeply, as if a thousand-pound weight had been lifted. A satisfied smile blossomed on his face, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothing out with the joy.

He straightened his robes and, with a slightly stumbling yet unmistakably triumphant gait, walked slowly toward the stage to claim the pair of Glass Wine Cups that had haunted his dreams.

The crowd below cast their gazes upon him, some with envy, some with jealousy.

Undoubtedly, A-yi-mu had become the most dazzling focus of this auction.

From the Glass Horse to the Crystal Wine Cups, he had secured both of the most high-profile items. To call him the MVP of the venue was no exaggeration.

Zhao Fusu watched all of this from a corner, his inner pride almost overflowing.

Just two glass items had actually auctioned for eleven thousand dan of grain!

One dan is one hundred and twenty jin, which means one million three hundred and twenty thousand jin of grain!

Transporting so much grain away from the Kingdom of Loulan would definitely significantly deplete the kingdom's grain reserves.

The auction continued, but A-yi-mu no longer had the strength to bid on the third item.

However, the nobleman who had been bidding against A-yi-mu for the Glass Wine Cups still held a large amount of grain.

He was full of confidence as he prepared to bid on the third item.

Zhang Qian said, "Before introducing this item, I would like to ask everyone: what kind of gifts have you given to your loved ones?"

As soon as these words were spoken, a small commotion broke out below the stage.

Some stroked their beards, a hint of reminiscence flashing in their eyes; some exchanged smiles with the female companions beside them, showing warmth; and some young nobles looked slightly embarrassed, seemingly racking their brains to remember what presentable items they had given.

"I once gave a Hetian Jade Bracelet; it was lustrous and translucent, and she liked it very much."

A middle-aged nobleman called out, his tone tinged with nostalgia.

"I gave Gold-thread Brocade and had a cloak made; everyone envied her when she wore it out."

Another nobleman chimed in, unwilling to be outdone, even puffing out his chest intentionally.

"Pearls, agates, gemstones... as long as it's a rare treasure, the lady in my manor never lacks for it."

Another nobleman showed off his wealth even more directly, drawing sidelong glances from those around him.

"Very well."

Zhang Qian nodded and asked, "Then, have you ever given light?"

"Huh?"

Zhang Qian's question caused the nobles at the auction to gape, looking at him with expressions of bewilderment.

They didn't understand what Zhang Qian meant. Was light something that could be given as a gift?!

Zhang Qian's words were simply challenging their very perception of reality.