Chapter 149: The Reverse Boot

The curtains were slowly drawn open, and sunlight filtered in.

Hao Jun held a flashlight in one hand and a magnifying glass in the other, his eyes unblinking.

The more he looked, the stranger his expression became.

Having been immersed in this trade for twenty years, his appraisal skills might be slightly inferior to Lin Sicheng's. But could he really fail to tell if the rust was washed on with chemicals?

Therefore, if he had seen it, he certainly would not have let Chen Yangyan buy it.

As if guessing what he was thinking, Chen Yangyan sighed: "These two pieces were both acquired the day before the day before yesterday!"

Hao Jun was taken aback, stunned into silence: Lin Sicheng estimated it for you as two months ago. You, on the other hand, managed to push it all the way to two days ago?

Hao Jun examined it over and over again, then paused: "Pure and clean in serving the sovereign, resenting the hidden and obscure, not revealing. Shining with profound grace to bestow blessings, cautious in manifesting loyalty to receive joy... Junior Brother, this is an epitaph, right?"

"Correct!" Lin Sicheng nodded. "Bestowed by the Han Dynasty Emperor!"

What the hell?

Hao Jun was startled, his eyebrows arching: He hadn't seen the Heavenly Son Inkstone, but he had actually encountered a mirror bestowed by the Emperor?

But in the Han Dynasty, only after an official of two thousand shi (above the rank of Commandery Governor) died would the Emperor bestow an epitaph.

He frowned: "If you had to summarize it, what does it mean?"

Lin Sicheng was concise: "Respect!"

Hao Jun's eyelids couldn't stop twitching: A single-character epitaph must belong to a Marquis, one of the Three Excellencies, or one of the Nine Ministers.

And it wasn't absolute; during the Western Han Dynasty, most Marquises and high officials still received double-character epitaphs: for example, Xiao He was posthumously titled Wenzhong, Zhang Liang was Wencheng, and Huo Qubing was Jingheng.

Only those with outstanding merits, far exceeding the other ministers of the court, would be granted a single-character epitaph: for example, Cao Shen was titled Yi, and Wei Qing was titled Lie!

The key point was that bestowed epitaphs were never repeated.

Therefore, this "Respect" only represented a high-ranking minister from the Western Han Dynasty who had immense merit and an excellent reputation.

Hao Jun tried hard to recall, but he couldn't think of it.

"Who?"

Lin Sicheng paused: "Zhang Anshi!"

Suddenly, it wasn't just Hao Jun's eyelids twitching; even his heart began to race: Secretariat Director (similar to Vice-Chancellor) during the reign of Emperor Wu, Minister of the Imperial Household (one of the Nine Ministers) during the reign of Emperor Zhao, Grand Marshal (one of the Three Excellencies) during the reign of Emperor Xuan, and General-in-Chief after Huo Guang... the Fu Ping Marquis of the Great Han, Zhang Anshi.

Two days ago, Guan Xingmin had specifically called him: Testing confirmed that the Jade Wenming and the funerary records Lin Sicheng bought were indeed from the Western Han Dynasty. Therefore, the Municipal Bureau speculated that Zhang Anshi's tomb had likely been looted.

He had even asked Hao Jun to help keep an eye out for any related items appearing on the market, and to notify him immediately if any were discovered.

And now, only a few days later, one had popped up here at Chen Yangyan's place?

And it was so close to here, just over ten kilometers away—could it be that it was just dug up, washed, and sold to Chen Yangyan?

Hao Jun suddenly looked up: "General Manager Chen, you bought this?"

"It was a gift, from a local coal merchant in Xijing, surnamed Wang, you wouldn't know him..." Chen Yangyan paused slightly. "He said that including the Jade Pig Dragon, it only cost a little over a million in total!"

Buying a mirror of a Great Han Marquis plus a Jade Pig Dragon for a million was like picking it up for free.

But the problem was, it was a gift? Two pieces at once, and both were problematic?

Chen Yangyan had connections, but most were in Yulin. He had money, but the fear was that someone would think he had too much of it.

Eating dumplings without soy sauce, the places the sun shines on are not necessarily all full of light...

Hao Jun frowned, "General Manager Chen, to be honest: the nature of this item is even more serious than the Jade Pig Dragon."

If it were just the Jade Pig Dragon, it would be relatively easy to handle: after all, it was an item from another province (Hongshan Culture is in Liaoning and Inner Mongolia), so the influence wouldn't be as great, and the local authorities would place less importance on it. Just donate it to a city-level museum and get a receipt.

But the Bronze Mirror was different: a Level One Grade A Cultural Relic, and one that had just been dug out of a Great Han Marquis's tomb next to a Western Han imperial mausoleum?

With just one tip-off call, the Public Security Bureau and the Cultural Relics Bureau could be at the door within ten minutes.

"I know, donate it!" Chen Yangyan nodded heavily. "But Professor Hao, I still need your help!"

It definitely had to be donated, but the problem was that the item was too sensitive; it wasn't even easy to donate.

The level of the recipient institution had to be high, and there had to be an acquaintance, otherwise, even if you tried to donate it, they wouldn't take it.

What, why not call the police?

Because even Chen Yangyan himself didn't know if there were other items like the Jade Pig Dragon, or even more like the Qingbai Mirror, in his home, or how many there were.

Therefore, he still had to find a way to donate it, preferably by finding someone with a high rank who could speak to the provincial-level cultural relics department, and register it in advance. But most of Chen Yangyan's connections were in Yulin; he truly didn't have such connections in the provincial capital, so he could only ask Hao Jun for help.

Hao Jun, however, remained silent.

To be honest, he only knew a few museums in the city, and he figured they wouldn't dare take it. As for the provincial level, he really hadn't dealt with them.

After thinking for a moment, Hao Jun looked at Lin Sicheng.

He didn't have the connections, but Lin Sicheng did.

That set of Xu Weili Documents was currently being kept at the Provincial Museum. And during this period, Lin Sicheng went there almost every day. In Wang Qizhi's words, he was just one step away from cutting a rooster's head and burning Yellow Paper with the section chiefs and group leaders at the Provincial Museum...

In a flash, he looked at Chen Yangyan again.

Chen Yangyan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized: This young man not only had a sharp eye, but his connections were even tougher... Professor Hao, that's what you mean, right?

He had plenty of money; as long as he could smooth things over, it would be fine...

He immediately misunderstood the intention: "Daoqing (son), put the things away. Daoling (daughter), brew some hot tea..."

After giving the instructions, Chen Yangyan reached out and took a bag from the compartment of the coffee table. Then he pulled the zipper and took things out one by one.

A pen, an inkpad, a seal, and a checkbook.

Hao Jun was stunned: I told you to open your mouth to ask for help, not to take out money.

You, on the other hand, were acting quite refined just a moment ago, and with this one move, your nouveau riche nature is fully exposed?

In his astonishment, Chen Yangyan had already opened the book and taken out the seal.

Hao Jun spoke without hesitation, with a "clunk": "I didn't ask you to offer money."

Chen Yangyan paused and looked up.

"Forget it, fill in thirty thousand. Ten thousand for appraising each item, I'll owe you a favor!" Hao Jun sighed. "General Manager Chen and I have a deep relationship, Junior Brother, please help him out!"

Lin Sicheng paused, but did not agree.

Because Hao Jun was anxious for a moment, or perhaps he had never experienced such a thing, he had not yet realized the severity of the situation: one piece could be donated, two pieces could also be donated, but what if there were more?

Including the Jade Wenming and the legacy documents, he had also notified Guan Xingmin first. Only after basically reaching a conclusion on the appraisal did he contact the Provincial Museum.

Take the previous Xu Weili Documents, the Rhino Horn Cup, and the Southern Song Lacquer Box for example; those pieces had been dug up for who knows how many years, and he had similarly notified Guan Xingmin to put them on record first, before contacting cultural and museum institutions.

It is not that one cannot pick up leaks, but one must first ensure they do not get themselves into trouble. It is not that one cannot donate, but sometimes when you want to donate, you have to see if others want it...

As these thoughts turned, Lin Sicheng sighed softly: "Senior Brother, is there still one more piece? Just those two writing desks you mentioned..."

Hao Jun was stunned for a moment: those two writing desks, they also have problems?

Just saying that he had been inviting him since before the eleventh, Lin Sicheng had never been able to find the time. Today he just mentioned it, and he agreed so quickly.

Could it be that as soon as he mentioned those two writing desks, Lin Sicheng guessed what they were?

"What is it?"

"I haven't seen the items yet, so it's not easy to draw a conclusion; I have to see them first!"

Hao Jun nodded vigorously and gestured again.

Chen Yangyan's expression changed slightly.

If one piece had a problem, it could be called an accident. If it were two pieces, at most one would just be suspicious, but what if it were three?

Although those two writing desks were not sent by that General Manager Wang, they were introduced by him...

Damn it!

Chen Yangyan could no longer remain calm, and could not even bother to hide it; he called his secretary and driver to carry the two long desks up.

Both were very long, about two and a half meters, and about three centimeters thick, with symmetrical patterns: the surface was lacquered with clear lacquer, and Vermilion Bird lacquer was used to paint the Big Dipper and the Star Chart of the Twenty-Eight Mansions; next to the constellations were inscribed names such as "Jiao, Kang, Di."

Further down, the outlines of cloud patterns and the Four Spirits (Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise) were faintly visible.

The star points were connected by engraved lines, which were very deep, and the eyes and points representing the stars were also very deep. Lin Sicheng suspected that silver threads should have been used to connect the Star Chart, and Gemstones used to inlay the stars.

It is estimated that they were stolen by someone much earlier.

Lin Sicheng reached out and pointed: "Trouble the two of you, flip this one over!"

The secretary and the driver flipped one of them over, revealing the back, which was only lacquered with clear lacquer and had no Color Painting. There was no Star Chart, only the Big Dipper remained.

Looking at the material, it was clearly catalpa wood. Looking at the craftsmanship: it used the "Jiazhu Technique" (wrapping the wood core with hemp cloth before lacquering), with over twenty layers of lacquer, and a total thickness of only half a millimeter.

After looking carefully again, it was indeed correct, and Lin Sicheng nodded: "Senior Brother Hao, report the case!"

Hao Jun was suddenly stunned, and Chen Yangyan and his son and daughter were completely dumbfounded.

Lin Sicheng pointed at the wooden board: "Catalpa, the king of all woods... 'Book of Rites, Tan Gong I': The Emperor's coffin has four layers, the Marquis's coffin has three: one outer coffin, two catalpa coffins..."

"'Book of Han, Treatise on Rites': Star Coffin, the box of the Dipper. 'Miscellaneous Records of the Western Capital': (Star Coffin) has a Seven-Star Board placed below, and a Nine-Star Canopy covering the top... Come, the two of you, help me..."

The driver and the secretary flipped that piece back over, and Lin Sicheng pointed to the symmetrical Big Dipper and Star Chart: "This is the Seven-Star Board placed below, also known as the Star Raft Board... The Mawangdui Silk Texts 'Five Planets Divination' also records: the soul of the dead returns to the Big Dipper, the spirit returns to Gaoli, and then the Seven Stars and Twenty-Eight Mansions are used as the bottom of the coffin... 'Huainanzi' also records: the god of the Big Dipper has male and female, the male moves left, the female moves right, therefore they are also divided by gender..."

"So, these are not writing desks, but the bottom boards of two Western Han Dynasty coffins. According to 'Book of Rites, Tan Gong I' and 'Han Records': Paulownia is for Heaven, Catalpa is for Earth; even if the tomb owner is not a feudal lord, they are a Marquis... And they are symmetrical, so based on this, it is inferred that the deceased were a married couple."

Lin Sicheng pointed to the soil rust on top again: "Senior Brother Hao, I'll be blunt: the soil rust on these two Seven-Star Boards is no different from the rust on the Jade Wenming and the legacy documents I handed to Director Guan. Including the soil residue components of that Bronze Mirror from before, they should also be exactly the same as what is on here... So, I want to say, these are the coffin bottom boards of Zhang Anshi and his wife; do you believe it?"

After a slight pause, Lin Sicheng sighed: "Senior Brother Hao, you are an old hand; you definitely understand the 'Reverse Boot-Shedding' trick of the old society better than I do!"

Hao Jun's face changed instantly.

What is meant by Reverse Boot-Shedding?

Like a golden cicada shedding its shell, deceiving the heavens to cross the sea: the thieves prepare to commit a major crime, but fearing that the government will pursue them too closely afterwards, they separate a portion of the most representative stolen goods, selling them half-price or giving them away, to frame a powerful outsider.

The purpose is very simple: to delay time. By the time the government and the outsider have settled their score, the thieves have long since vanished.

It is also possible that once they have eaten their fill, or even overeaten, they will stop pursuing.

Of course, that refers to the old society...

Hao Jun gritted his teeth: "Old Chen, report the case!"