The announcement literally floored the entire kingdom. Auctioned the women in the harem? And what the h.e.l.l were job interviews?

They soon learned about the latter when about a thousand servants and eunuchs were forcibly herded out of the palace under the stern eye of Yi Hai and the palace guards. The empress dowager had antic.i.p.ated any objections or the possibility of looting by putting the palace under strict martial law. Guards were posted in the kitchen, the store rooms for supplies and the palace's treasures, and other buildings inside the large compound.

Luckily, the order for their job termination came so sudden that the servants and eunuchs were kicked out of the palace grounds before they even realized what was happening. Yi Hai then ordered a palace lockdown, posting guards at the gates and only letting those with legitimate business with the palace to enter.

The empress dowager struck at such lightning speed the ruling families were caught unawares. They didn't even have time to plan a response before the prime minister and his daughter were put in jail and the rest of the ministers placed under house arrest.

The impending auction rattled the collective teeth of the ruling families. Majority of the women in the harem were their daughters and sisters and to see them sold off like slaves on a block was not only infuriating but an insult to their dignity. They couldn't even plead to the emperor since the palace was closed and on lockdown. And they'd rather hollow out their own chests than beg that offensive wh.o.r.e who caused all of this for leniency.

The relations.h.i.+p between the ruling families and the imperial court had ceased to be smooth sailing after Gu Fang showed his utter disdain for them by choosing the son he fathered by his maid as his heir rather than the child of his consort, who was the daughter of a duke.

It could be said that Gu Fang's disdain for his social cla.s.s started when he accidentally impregnated his maid. He didn't say anything to anybody about what had happened but he knew it had been ****. He was drunk and the girl, Wei Ling, had cried and fought him bitterly. She was only fourteen years old.

Gu Fang was the product of his privileged background but his grandparents on his mother's family had been adamant about teaching him one thing: you do not take away something that the other person values. It was obviously an ironic saying since his grandparents were vicious hunters but he had lived with that code since he was young and it stuck with him throughout his adulthood.

He thought he had forgotten what it meant until Wei Ling, who had refused all his presents and the t.i.tle he had wanted to give her. He later learned from one of the eunuchs that she had been betrothed to her childhood sweetheart, who later joined the army when Wei Ling broke the engagement. Wei Ling discovered she was pregnant but refused to tell her sweetheart the truth. She later died giving birth to Gu Fang's child, brokenhearted and destroyed. By him, Gu Fang, the emperor of Yuqui.

What he did to Wei Ling sobered Gu Fang up. His child, Gu Sheng, enabled him to become the much better man he would later become. But it had cost him something, that incident with Wei Ling. He told his mother he wanted to dissolve the harem. His mother didn't even bat an eyelash. The old empress dowager, however, was much more sophisticated than her son. Unlike him, she perceived the trouble his reign would have if the harem was disbanded. The harem had a very unique and special role in reining in the greed of the ruling cla.s.s. It enabled the king to pretend to share his power with them and enabled them to pretend they have the power to take down the king when they wanted to.

But Gu Fang threatened to disrupt this balance by disbanding the harem. Mother and son had a serious talk. Gu Fang, for the first time after the **** happened, told his mother the truth. The empress dowager didn't say anything, just put her hand on her son's broad shoulder in silent comfort. But she was adamant that the harem not be dissolved. So Mo Chuo entered the harem and was given the t.i.tle royal concubine more for political compromise than anything else.

Meanwhile, Gu Fang, who was well aware of the s.e.xual history of the newest member of his harem, visited Mo Chuo only once. It was such a distasteful experience, he never called on any of his women to ever serve him again. After that, his mind turned to war and the harem languished for lack of attention.

And now, not only was the harem being disbanded, its inhabitants were also being sold off in a public auction no less, presided over by that foreign-born wh.o.r.e who should have been dead, gleefully bringing this dishonor to them as clearly as a slap on the face.

The announcement for the auction was for ten the following morning. As early as six, however, the crowd was close to bursting in the square where the auction will take place. Presiding over it was auctioneers Ming He and Sons, who were unwillingly pressed into doing so by a private message sent to them by the empress dowager. Refuse or Ming He's daughter, who holds a low position in the harem, will be sold off to a wh.o.r.e house. There really was nothing to say after a threat like that.

Fifteen minutes to ten, the carriages that carried the empress dowager and the emperor arrived. Yi Hai and about one thousand palace guards surrounded them. The onlookers gasped when the empress dowager got off the car and they finally saw her face.

She was very young and tall for a girl. Her face was white and her eyes black. Although she was dressed richly, the style of her clothes was a bit weird. She was wearing a red flowing robe that reached the ground. What made it different was that the robe was cinched on the waist yet opened from the waist down, exposing the long legs encased in a pair of slim pants made in a more rougher and stiffer material than the robe.

And unlike other women who dress their hair in elaborate styles, the empress dowager simply chose to bind her long length of black hair with a red ribbon threaded through the rich locks in a beautiful criss-cross pattern. She was breathtaking and the crowd's eyes were continuously glued to her even when she took her place in a dais erected besides the platform.

Gu Sheng, who looked pale and somewhat unnerved by the presence of the crowd, took his seat beside her. The empress dowager held his hand, the warmth of her skin seeming to calm him.

At exactly ten, Ming He, a small thin man with a goatee, welcomed the crowd and gave a little speech. Then the auction started.

First on the block was a woman of about twenty. She was dressed elaborately, with jewels in her hair and she looked somewhat pretty yet scared. She kept darting angry looks at the unsmiling people on the dais, her eyes shooting hatred at both of them.

"I bid five taels of silver for the young miss," a middle-aged man who looked like a farmer started the ball rolling by calling out his bid. Ming He almost groaned out loud. The young woman was the daughter of the minister of agriculture who wasn't able to leave his house because the emperor placed him under house arrest. How dare this upstart who looked like he couldn't afford to buy a mattress bid for this socially reputable young woman? This was unthinkable, Ming He raged in silence.

"Five taels of silver?" Ming He said scornfully. "Are you insane? That's not even enough to buy a meal at an expensive restaurant."

"I'm not buying an expensive meal. I'm buying the leavings of a dead man, even if he was an emperor," the man pointed out. "Why should I offer more money for a used tire?"

Ming He's face darkened. He was about to snap back an answer when another man shouted.

"Seven taels of silver for the miss!"

"Ten!"

"Fifteen!"

"Twenty!"

"Thirty!"

The words rang out louder one after the other. Ming He's face was now blackened with rage. His gaze veered towards the dais. The empress dowager had a bored look on her face. The emperor's eyes were closed as if he was asleep. Ming He realized he was on his own, presiding over a raucous and out of control exercise designed to humiliate the families.

"Five thousand taels of silver!" suddenly, a strong and angry voice overrode the clamor.

Ming He looked towards the direction of the voice and saw a young man dressed in blue robes with his right hand raised up. The young woman on the platform suddenly gave a tearful sniff, her eyes locking with that of the young man. Ming He finally recognized him. The elder son of the minister of agriculture and the young lady's brother.

Before Ming He could say anything, another voice was heard above the tumult.

"Ten thousand."

Everybody's head whipped towards the speaker. It was an older man with graying hair. He sat on a tree trunk, lazily looking at the crowd beneath his feet.

The young man stared at his rival, a storm of anger in his eyes.

"Thirty thousand!" he shouted angrily.

"One hundred thousand taels of silver," the old man countered with a smile.

The crowd gasped. One hundred thousand taels of silver for a woman who not only had lost her bloom but her virginity as well. Was this old man an idiot? The lady's brother, on the other hand, blanched, his panicked eyes turning to the man standing silently beside him. The young man tried to say something but the other man angrily cut him off. The young man's expression turned ugly. He turned to Ming He and yelled defiantly:

"Five hundred thousand taels of silver!"

The crowd went wild.

It was well known all over town that the minister of agriculture was indebted to his wife's family for his high position in court. His father-in-law was not gentry but an ordinary merchant who worked hard all his life until he achieved great success in his business. Besides owning the city's most popular restaurant, his company also supplies fresh fruits and vegetables at the palace, which was the reason why his son-in-law got the minister job in the first place.

This merchant, however, had no love for his son-in-law. He got him the job because he wanted him out of his hair. Not only was the man an opportunist, he was also a womanizer. Not even a year after he married the rich merchant's daughter, he took a concubine and impregnated her even before he impregnated his legal wife. The merchant couldn't do anything except watch his daughter waste away, sad but still infatuated with her trash of a husband.

The daughter got pregnant but suffered a miscarriage. Meanwhile, the concubine again got pregnant and gave the son-in-law another child, his heir. The merchant's daughter, weakened by her pregnancy and apologetic about disappointing her husband, agreed to adopt the concubine's two b.a.s.t.a.r.d children as her own, basically giving away her rights to be the mother of her husband's future legal heirs. Luckily for her, she did not get pregnant again. The two kids grew up close to their real mother but contemptuous of their father's wife whose name allowed many doors to open for them.

When the concubine's daughter was sixteen, she entered the harem. The merchant's son-in-law was ecstatic, thinking of great things to happen. Perhaps a royal t.i.tle for his daughter and the crown prince t.i.tle for his grandson? Sadly, Gu Fang didn't even know this daughter's name. He f.u.c.ked her once or twice when he had the urge but she was so stupid and so ridiculously vacuous he lost interest and forgot about her, especially after he met Wei Ling.

And now the illegitimate son of this much despised son-in-law was making a fool of himself, bidding hundreds of thousands of silver taels to buy back his foolish sister. And who's going to pay for all this nonsense one might ask?

"My lords and lady," the young man's companion strolled forward and bowed to Ming He, the emperor and the empress dowager. "I, Shao Biming, represent the interest of Merchant Wuo, whose daughter is married to this young man's father. Merchant Wuo sent me here to tell you that since he does not recognize this young man and his sister as his grandchildren, any transaction this young man might have in today's auction does not represent the will of Merchant Wuo. If this young man wins the bid to buy his sister back, please direct your request for payment to his father, He Chang and his concubine mother Na Na. My master Merchant Wuo is was.h.i.+ng his hands of this entire family, including his daughter Wuo Bao. That's all I have to say. I thank all my lords and lady for listening," Shao Biming respectfully bowed his head and prepared to leave.

"Shao Biming!" yelled the young man, his brows furrowed in anger. "I don't care what that old man says. He will buy back my sister or else. He can d.a.m.n well afford it!"

Shao Biming smiled.

"Of course Master Wuo can afford it but again, knowing him, he will ask you only one question."

"What?"

"What does it have to do with him?"

The young man gaped at him, not understanding what he meant.

"What do you mean what does it have to do with him? Of course, it's got something to do with him. This is a public humiliation. If the ruling cla.s.s hears about this...the family will be laughed out of Yuqui!"

"Your family maybe but not our Master Wuo's," Shao Biming's voice was silky smooth. "Master He Heng, how can it be Master Wuo's business when he doesn't even consider you his grandson? Your mother is concubine Na Na. Your father is He Chang. Can you see where the last name Wuo is in the names of these two people?"

He Heng's face flushed an ugly red.

"Precisely," Shao Biming beamed and bowed. "Now we understand each other. I'll go first, Master He."

The crowd's eyes followed his tall figure until it disappeared into the distance. Ming He looked at He Heng with sympathetic eyes.

"What now, young man?" he asked.

He Heng was furious, looking in the direction where Shao Biming disappeared.

"My bid stands," he said angrily. "Five hundred thousand taels of silver!"

"Your bid is rejected."

The voice came from the dais. The empress dowager didn't even turn her head.

"Ming He, proceed with the bidding. Start from the last thirty taels bid."

"But, your majesty." Ming He protested, his eyes darting towards the old man on the tree. He frowned. The old man was gone. He looked around the crowd. The old man was nowhere to be seen.

"Start with the thirty silver bid," the empress dowager's voice was implacable.

"No!" He Heng cried, looking at the empress dowager angrily. "My bid still stands. I am bidding five hundred thousand silver taels for my sister!"

"Oh? Merchant Wuo's representative just told us he will have nothing to do with your bid. Tell me, do you have five hundred thousand taels of silver to back your promises up?" the empress dowager finally turned her indifferent eyes towards him.

He Heng was silent, his face purple with anger. The empress dowager laughed.

"Ming He, proceed."

Ming He looked at the dowager empress then at He Heng. Without saying another word, he turned around and hurried back to the platform. He Heng's sister still stood in the center. The crowd had quietened again, antic.i.p.ating the thrill of the bid now that He Heng had been eliminated. As for the old man, n.o.body knew where he went. n.o.body cared.

"I bid thirty five taels of silver!"

"Thirty seven taels!"

"Forty taels!"

"Forty five!"

"Fifty!"

The bidding stopped.

"Fifty?" Ming He asked. "Fifty five? Any bid for fifty five? Fifty five? Once. Twice. Fifty wins. This lady goes to this gentleman for fifty taels of silver."

The finality in his words seemed to wake He Heng from a deep sleep. With a scream of rage, he jumped up the platform, took his sister's arm then dragged her down to escape. But he forgot the crowd, which was buoyed up by the small victory of winning a girl and a minister's b.a.s.t.a.r.d daughter at that.

When they realized what He Heng intended to do, the crowd roared in anger and chased after them. But the girl's new owner, the man who looked like a farmer, was faster. He moved to secure his property by blocking He Heng and the girl's escape. He gripped the girl's arm and pulled her to his side as He Heng unsheathed a small sword and tried stabbing the man with it. The man evaded the attack then took advantage of an opening by pulling a large fist and smas.h.i.+ng it down on He Heng's face. He Heng was knocked down on the ground, groaning in pain. He tried to open his eyes but fell back until he lost consciousness.

His sister burst into tears and became hysterical. The man simply stopped her sobbing and screaming by clipping her on the chin. She went out like a light, her body folding on the ground light as a feather.

"The d.a.m.n idiot tried to steal the property I won fair and square," the farmer told the crowd. "Somebody should teach this young man a lesson and lock him up."

All eyes turned to the emperor, who nodded indifferently at the guards. Five armed guards lifted the fallen He Heng from the ground and took him away. After paying his tab, the farmer hefted the unconscious body of the girl on his shoulder and walked away. Behind him on the platform, the next girl for auction was brought out. Not long after, the round of raucous bidding started again.