Upstairs in the Aristocrat’s Hall, the faint sound of stringed and wind instruments drifted down, seeming distant one moment and close the next, as if caught in a mist, like celestial music descending from the Ninth Heaven—ethereal and indistinct. Yet, it was precisely this ambiguity, this hazy, floating quality, that made it all the more captivating... This almost indescribable delicacy made every person holding an invitation feel exceptionally fortunate; regardless of the outcome of the auction or whether they acquired anything, this attendance alone was a reward!

As for those outside, lacking invitations but watching the spectacle, their envy gnawed at them. Such an elegant venue, such an aristocratic precinct! To be barred by the lack of a single piece of paper, a mere pass, preventing them from immersing themselves in that exquisite atmosphere—it was a monumental regret. No, they resolved, even if it costs a king's ransom later, I must obtain one of those passes. Absolutely, without fail... In the span of mere days, the asking price for an Aristocrat’s Hall invitation soared to a terrifying height, bringing about a situation of 'Luoyang paper costly' scarcity. This spectacle opened the eyes of the stout Mr. Tang, who had painstakingly funded the creation of these invitations, forcing him to look upon the resolute, unwavering high strategist, Lord Jun, with renewed, utterly reverent awe!

What is a business prodigy? This! He chastised himself; his own vision had been far too narrow!

In truth, even Lord Jun, sitting serenely as if fishing from a boat, had not anticipated such a sensation. This merely proved how many wealthy individuals resided in Tianxiang City, and how utterly insane the human impulse for social one-upmanship truly was... The sun shone down impartially.

All guests invited by the Aristocrat’s Hall arrived as bidden. In an instant, the main thoroughfare was choked with an unbroken line of extremely luxurious, top-tier carriages, bumper to bumper, vehicle pressed against vehicle. It was impossible to say which carriage was the most opulent; the view was an endless panorama of unrestrained wealth and extravagance. Every recipient of an invitation had deployed their finest conveyances, adorning them with every accessory that best proclaimed their noble status, sparing no expense.

Looking out, it was a veritable gathering of the titans of finance!

To use Mr. Tang’s apt analogy, these were no longer mere people; they were moving mountains of gold! A casual chunk of flesh falling from any one of them would sustain an ordinary family for generations... At the entrance stood four figures serving as greeters and PR: two refined, gentle young men in white and two pure, beautiful young women in white. After verifying the invitations held by the arriving guests, a simple gesture would summon a waiting young man, who would greet them with immense enthusiasm and usher them inside.

None of the faces belonging to the 'Three Great Families' named on the invitations appeared to oversee the entry; they simply arranged for servants to handle the reception. Yet, not a single person whose invitation was verified took offense; instead, they felt honored, distinguished, and proud.

This was, after all, the logical arrangement. If the three great families themselves had sent family members to receive guests, it would have diminished their own standing—utterly inappropriate!

Almost every guest walked with heads held high and an air of unflustered composure. Whether this was genuine or a meticulously crafted façade, they all strode with a deliberate, confident gait, pointedly glancing at the frantic, vein-popping crowds outside who lacked passes. They accepted the arrangements with studied restraint, moving gracefully inside until they vanished amidst the lush, verdant foliage.

Every single person who received an invitation arrived; there were absolutely no exceptions.

They came in an unending stream, yet each maintained a sense of self-importance. When the crowd thickened, these individuals, who usually bowed to no one, instead showed mutual deference to display their magnanimity.

Aristocrats, after all, must possess a certain aristocratic bearing, mustn't they? If they weren't somewhat generous and mild-mannered, how could they ever warrant the high distinction of the title 'Great Scholar' (Hong Ru)!!

In the Imperial Palace, laughter erupted. In this domain, the one person allowed to laugh so unrestrainedly within the palace walls had always been just one individual! Even the concubines and the Empress herself, mother of the realm, had to maintain propriety and could not indulge in such hearty mirth. Even the most favored princes and princesses had to mind their etiquette to avoid public censure. Considering this, the identity of the unrestrained laugher was self-evident!

His Majesty, the Emperor of the Tianxiang Empire, held a white stone, pondering the board, and laughed aloud: “!! This is a brilliant move, and the execution is unusually subtle and clever. I wonder who conceived of such a magnificent idea. I never imagined that in Tianxiang, there existed someone capable of turning clouds into rain and rain into clouds with such ease. Heh, excellent, truly excellent.” Opposite him sat a man whose age was impossible to discern. He was clad in snow-white robes, his figure straight and tall; even seated, his shoulders were broad and his back erect, exuding an imposing aura. His raven-black hair flowed down his back, and three strands of fine beard graced his chest, yet his face was utterly devoid of wrinkles, smoother and fairer than that of a young maiden.

The man gazed at the chessboard in contemplation, remarking: “!” This move is indeed masterful. No matter how wonderful the wine produced by that person, even if it were the finest to be found between heaven and earth, it truly shouldn’t command a price of ten thousand taels per jar.

But by deploying this tactic, it inevitably incites the spirit of rivalry among the capital’s great clans. Not only will the wine sell for ten thousand taels, but likely for even more. It is indeed a fine scheme! However, Your Majesty spoke of 'turning clouds into rain and rain into clouds'—this person is still hardly qualified for such praise.”

“Is that all?” The Emperor smiled enigmatically, placing a stone, and chuckled lightly, “In my view... that is not the case!”

“Your meaning, Your Majesty?” the white-robed man asked, his eyes fixed on the board, seemingly unconcerned with the Emperor’s supreme station.

“In my opinion, the true brilliance of this maneuver lies less in the cleverness of the wine seller. More importantly, it is the depth of calculation, vastly exceeding common understanding, that truly leaves me astonished,” the Emperor said, gently stroking his beard. “This plan appears simple; once conceived, almost anyone could execute it. Yet, upon closer examination, that is far from the truth.”

“I am eager to hear more,” the white-robed man replied, raising a brow slightly, his gaze sharp with inquiry.

“To devise this plan, the primary requirement is to understand the human heart, to penetrate the weaknesses inherent in human nature; specifically, one must study and master the psychology of the wealthy and powerful families with absolute precision! The world values reputation; be it a hermit master, a poor scholar, or even a low-life thug or beggar—all crave it! Grasp this point, and you grasp the weakness of the human heart; with it, anyone can navigate the bureaucracy and stand firm in the royal court without falling! But, for this particular plan, this point is merely the foundation, a mere starting point.” The Emperor’s eyes held a flicker of apprehension mixed with admiration.

“This person must be a master who fully understands and perceives human nature!” The Emperor voiced his first conclusion.

“Secondly, once these people enter today, they will absolutely not leave empty-handed. And the sole item up for auction inside is wine. Therefore, no matter how base or foul the wine tastes, every family that enters will not depart without securing something. Moreover, they will bid high—in fact, no one will try to buy the wine cheaply. A mere few tens of thousands of silver taels is nothing they will truly begrudge; what they care about is their face!”

The Emperor’s lips curled into a sneer: “Because outside, there are countless people waiting who did not receive invitations, waiting either for a spectacle or for ridicule. No one who received an invitation and entered would dare lose face here, nor could they afford to. Thus, the method this person devised is tantamount to openly extracting silver from the pockets of these families, and every person is delighted to have the money taken, even vying for the opportunity! Spending tens or even hundreds of thousands of silver taels merely to gain prestige in the eyes of the capital’s elite—any sensible person would know how to choose that transaction!”

“This man can certainly be called an undisputed master of accumulating wealth! A pity he is only interested in superficial favors,” the Emperor concluded his second assessment.

The white-robed man opposite remained seated quietly, listening intently, his expression as placid as an undisturbed ancient well, offering no response.

“Thirdly, have you noticed the complete composition of this invitation list? If one examines it closely, one realizes that while this list captures nearly all the great families, there is a very interesting phenomenon regarding their strata. This list is incomplete!”

“Every industry has its competitors; similarly, families of wealth and status have their rivals! Moreover, they are often evenly matched against their rivals, which is what ensures the sustained prosperity of an industry. This is a balance I have struggled for years to maintain by altering decrees—neither allowing prices to soar so the populace starves, nor allowing them to plummet so merchants have no profit. Yet, this man’s list, whether intentionally or not, completely shatters the balance I have painstakingly cultivated over many years! And yet, not the slightest trace remains, leaving no ground for complaint, even if one wished to assign blame!”

Hearing this, confusion clouded the white-robed man’s eyes; he clearly failed to grasp the implication.

“Hmph!” The Emperor laughed. “Look here. In the capital’s salt trade, the Sun, Mu, and Zhao families are the most renowned, essentially forming a tripod. The Zhao family holds the greatest influence, slightly surpassing the other two. The Sun and Mu families, though weaker, frequently join forces to oppose the dominant Zhao clan, thus maintaining equilibrium among the three. In this list, however, only the Zhao family was invited; the other two are absent. In truth, everyone knows the other two families possess vast fortunes—why were they not invited? Yet, no one can fault the person in charge of the Aristocrat’s Hall, for he did invite the most representative of the salt merchants: the Zhao family!”

“And in several other lucrative, high-profit sectors, the exact same method was employed. Only the single most powerful and representative family was invited.” The Emperor’s worry deepened: “With such potent publicity fueling the situation, these historically competitive entities are now likely to see their conflicts rapidly escalate in a very short time! Those who received invitations grow increasingly arrogant, while those left out naturally feel indignation, the sting of exclusion, and a sense of inferiority. And then... chaos will ensue!”