Chapter 7, Section 24: The Emperor's Incognito Visit (3)

  Li Chen saw Liu Xie ask, his heart chilled, and muttered: "Two hundred coins!"

  "Two hundred coins?" Liu Xie was shocked. Although he wasn't quite clear what two hundred coins could buy, he still had a gut feeling that this number was a bit too small.

  Li Chen hastily said: "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. The national treasury is really empty. The soldiers' military pay needs to be issued, the officials' salaries need to be paid, and with the new capital being built, palaces and temples need to be constructed. The national treasury really can't afford to spend too much money!"

  Liu Xie understood, it turned out that Cao Cao's economy was not optimistic either. Since he had come out, he would have to make the most of it and return home. He turned his head and saw the jade pendant hanging from his waist, suddenly having an idea, and asked: "Is there a pawnshop nearby?"

  Li Chen suddenly understood Liu Xie's meaning, and thought to himself, "A dignified emperor actually wants to pawn his personal belongings. It feels strange in my heart." He hastily said, "There is a pawnshop not far ahead!"

  Liu Xie entered the pawnshop and handed over the jade pendant across the counter. The old shopkeeper looked at it for a long time, then stretched out five fingers: "Five hundred coins!"

  "Five hundred?" Liu Xie was the first to shout out, and even Li Chen and Xiao Da felt that it was a bit too little. Liu Xie thought to himself, this is an imperial treasure, at the very least it should be worth ten thousand taels of silver. He hastily shook his head and said: "Fifty thousand!"

  "Five hundred thousand?" Xiao Er was stunned for half a day and said to Xiao Da: "Big brother, Young Master is being too unrealistic!"

  The old shopkeeper shouted: "Are you out of your mind? At most eight hundred coins!"

  Liu Xie didn't get angry, shaking his head and saying: "Old man, don't regret it!" After finishing speaking, he was about to take back the pendant. At this time, a middle-aged man walked out of the inner room, looking quite refined, wearing an official hat, a blue brocade robe, with a small eight-shaped beard, slightly displeased, saying: "Old Hu, what are you shouting? You should be polite to guests!" After finishing speaking, he walked up to Liu Xie and bowed his hands, saying: "The servant doesn't understand etiquette, please forgive this young master!"

  Liu Xie didn't even bother to respond, took back the jade pendant and was about to leave, but was stopped by the middle-aged man: "Young master, is this pendant what you're looking for?"

  Liu Xie thought to himself, this must be a valuable item. He originally didn't know how much the jade pendant was worth, he just made an estimate based on the old shopkeeper's reaction. Who knew that the old shopkeeper first said 500, and when Liu Xie didn't agree, he immediately added 300 more to make it 800. Liu Xie thought to himself, this pendant must be very valuable, so he nodded and said: "That's right, it's this jade pendant!" After saying that, he handed the pendant over to the middle-aged man.