lovenovelstory Chapter 520 Female Slave
Chapter 520 Female Slave
Manager Zhao placed the guqin on the high platform, the sound a few decibels lower than before, with a hint of regret.
"Esteemed guests, this is an unnamed ancient zither, with a starting price of one hundred taels. Each bid must be at least ten taels higher."
The lobby was quiet for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"This broken zither? A hundred taels? Nobody would want it for ten taels!" A bearded man shouted, drawing another round of laughter from the crowd.
A scholar in a blue robe shook his head and sighed. "What a pity, what a pity. No matter how good the tone is, it can't be played anymore if it's cracked like this."
A woman in brocade robes covered her mouth with a round fan and chuckled softly. "Would you buy it for a hundred taels to use as firewood?"
Manager Zhao's face was rather grim, but he couldn't say anything and could only stand on the stage and wait.
He knew the zither wasn't worth a hundred taels, but that was the shopkeeper's bottom price, and he couldn't change it.
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly twice on the armrest. "One hundred taels."
His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.
The lobby fell silent for a moment, and everyone's eyes turned to the private room on the second floor.
They couldn't see Qin Mu's face, only the half-open window and the moon-white figure behind the curtains.
Manager Zhao's eyes suddenly lit up, his voice trembling slightly with excitement. "This young master has offered one hundred taels! Is there anyone offering a higher price?"
No one speaks.
No one would be willing to spend a hundred taels of silver to buy a broken zither.
Manager Zhao raised his gavel and struck it down. "One hundred taels, once! One hundred taels, twice! One hundred taels, three times! Sold!"
The mallet fell with a crisp sound.
Manager Zhao quickly had the guqin wrapped up, then personally carried it to Qin Mu's private room.
Qin Mu took the wooden box, opened it, and took out the ancient zither.
The instrument is very heavy, and although the lacquer is mottled, it feels warm and smooth to the touch, like jade.
His fingers lightly traced the body of the instrument, touching the deep cracks, and his brow furrowed slightly.
"What a pity."
He put the guqin back into the wooden box, closed the lid, and set it aside.
Halfway through the auction, Manager Zhao stepped onto the platform again, his smile deepening and carrying a mysterious air of suspense.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the next item up for auction is somewhat special."
He clapped his hands, and two guards emerged from behind the screen, escorting a woman out.
The woman wore a light purple gauze dress, with delicate gold chains on her wrists and ankles that jingled with each step she took.
Her hair was dark brown, slightly wavy, and cascaded down her shoulders to her waist like a waterfall.
Her eyes were deep-set, and her pupils were amber, gleaming like honey in the candlelight.
She has a high, straight nose, full lips, and a healthy wheat-colored complexion, quite different from women from the Central Plains.
She stood on the high platform, head bowed, eyelashes trembling slightly, like two startled butterflies.
Her fingers clenched tightly in her sleeves, her knuckles turning white, and she looked like a flower uprooted, trembling in this unfamiliar soil.
Manager Zhao's voice rose a few decibels, carrying the enthusiasm unique to selling goods.
"This young lady comes from the Western Regions. She is eighteen years old, skilled in singing and dancing, can play the pipa, recite poetry, and speak the Central Plains language. Starting price: five hundred taels! Each bid must be at least fifty taels higher!"
The lobby erupted in chaos.
All eyes were on the woman, from her exotic face to her slender waist to the gold chain on her bare ankles.
Some people swallowed hard, some stared blankly, some whispered among themselves, and some had already started raising their placards.
"Five hundred and fifty taels!" A fat, big-eared merchant raised his hand, his eyes narrowed into slits.
"Six hundred taels!" A young man in a brocade robe waved a folding fan, a confident smile on his lips.
"Six hundred and fifty taels!" A burly-bearded江湖客 (jianghu kè kè, a wandering swordsman) stood up, his voice rough.
The price soared, from 500 taels to 800 taels, and then from 800 taels to 1,000 taels.
The atmosphere in the lobby grew increasingly lively, like a pot of porridge bubbling and boiling.
The woman stood on the high platform, head bowed, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Her lips were pressed tightly together, and her eyes were red-rimmed, but she gritted her teeth and didn't let the tears fall.
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, propped his chin on one hand, and stared at the woman for a long time.
The smile remained on his lips, revealing no emotion.
Jian Lai stood behind him, his gaze falling on the woman, his brows furrowing slightly.
"Young master, this woman is from the Western Regions. Judging from her appearance and attire, she should be a noblewoman from some small kingdom in the Western Regions."
His voice was very soft, and only Qin Mu could hear it.
Qin Mu nodded, tapping his fingers lightly twice on the armrest. "Five thousand five hundred taels."
His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.
The lobby fell silent instantly, and everyone's eyes turned to the private room on the second floor.
One thousand five hundred taels, a direct increase of five hundred taels—this is an extremely rare display of generosity at Jubaoge's auctions.
The fat, big-eared businessman froze, forgetting to put down the sign he was holding halfway up.
The young man who was waving his folding fan froze on his face, and stopped waving the fan.
The burly, bearded wanderer opened his mouth and made a "ho" sound from his throat, as if someone had grabbed his neck.
Manager Zhao's eyes suddenly lit up, his voice trembling slightly with excitement. "This young master has offered 1,500 taels! Is there anyone offering a higher bid?"
No one speaks.
Buying a foreign woman for 1,500 taels of silver is not something everyone can afford. Even if they could afford it, they might not be willing to part with it.
Manager Zhao looked around, waited a moment, and then raised the wooden mallet.
"Fifteen hundred taels, once! Fifteen hundred taels, twice! Fifteen hundred taels, three times! Sold!"
The mallet fell with a crisp sound.
The woman suddenly raised her head and looked towards the private room on the second floor.
She couldn't see Qin Mu's face, only the half-open window and the moon-white figure behind the curtains.
Her lips trembled violently; she wanted to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.
The two guards led the woman away.
She walked very slowly, her steps unsteady, as if she were walking on cotton.
The tinkling of the gold chain gradually faded away, disappearing behind the screen.
Manager Zhao wiped the sweat from his brow, his face beaming with smiles. "Ladies and gentlemen, the next item for auction is a painting..."
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the view outside the window, and tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest twice.
Jiang Zhaoyue sat beside him, glanced at him, and said nothing.
Xu Fenghua sat in the corner, head down, her expression unreadable.
Yunluan stood at the door, her hand on the hilt of her sword, her gaze sharp as a knife, sweeping across every corner.
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the screen, and tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest twice.
Jianlai stood behind him, his gaze fixed on the screen, his brows slightly furrowed.
"Young master, this woman's origins are unknown. A woman from the Western Regions, appearing in the northern border, and being auctioned off as a slave, is unusual in itself."
Qin Mu nodded without saying anything.
He tapped his fingers twice more on the armrest, making a "tap-tap" sound.
Yunluan stood at the doorway, her hand on the hilt of her sword, her gaze sharp as a knife. "I'll have someone investigate her background."
Qin Mu shook his head. "No need. I know what I'm doing."
Before long, a guard led the woman to the door of the private room.
She didn't come in; she just stood outside the threshold, head down, not daring to look at anyone.
The gold chain jingled on her ankle like an off-key tune.
She wore a light purple gauze dress, which was almost transparent in the candlelight, revealing her snow-white skin underneath.
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, looking at her with a calm, unwavering gaze.
His gaze swept over them from top to bottom, as if he were examining a piece of merchandise rather than a person.
"Come in."
Mingyue's body trembled slightly. She stepped over the threshold, walked to the center of the private room, and stopped.
She lowered her head even further, almost touching her chest.
Her fingers were clenched tightly in her sleeves, her knuckles turning white, and she looked like a fallen leaf swaying in the wind.
Qin Mu did not offer her a seat, nor did he have anyone pour her tea.
He simply leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest twice, the sound neither too loud nor too soft.
"name."
Mingyue's lips trembled slightly, her voice soft and trembling with barely suppressed emotion. "My name is Mingyue."
Qin Mu's lips curled slightly upwards, but the curve contained no smile, only a faint, condescending scrutiny. "What's your surname?"
Mingyue shook her head, her voice even softer. "This concubine... has no surname."
Qin Mu nodded, his gaze moving from her face to the gold chain on her ankle, then back to her face. "Where are you from?"
Mingyue's eyelashes trembled slightly, like two startled butterflies. "I...I am from the Western Regions. From the Kingdom of Loulan in the Western Regions."
Qin Mu's eyes flickered slightly. "Loulan? Loulan is tens of thousands of miles away. How did you end up here?"
Mingyue's lips tightened even more, her fingers clenched tightly inside her sleeve, her nails digging into her palms.
Her eyes were red and tears were welling up, but she held them back tightly.
"I...I was captured. Loulan was destroyed, and I was captured by the enemy army and sold here."
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on her face for a long time.
His fingers tapped lightly twice on the armrest, making a "tap-tap" sound.
The voice was calm and unhurried, yet it made Mingyue's heart beat faster and faster, and a fine layer of cold sweat seeped out from her back.
What can you do?
Mingyue took a deep breath and gradually suppressed her surging emotions.
Her voice was hoarse, but it was a bit more steady than before.
"I can dance, play the pipa, recite poetry, and also... I can serve people."
When she said the last few words, her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, and her face was burning hot.
Qin Mu smiled faintly, a smile that carried an indescribable meaning.
"Serving people? How do you serve them?"
Mingyue's face turned even redder, so red it looked like it was about to bleed.