Chapter 189: A Bountiful Harvest

There were seven or eight pieces of various sizes, some finished products and some whole tusks. Lin Sicheng only picked the two largest whole tusks: one top-grade African Blood Ivory and one secondary-grade Pink Ivory (which had died of natural causes).

It did not look like much, but it weighed just over 140 kilograms. Crucially, the certificates from the three departments—Customs, Industry and Commerce, and Taxation—were all complete.

Lin Sicheng clapped his hands in satisfaction: "Secretary Gao, name your price!"

"Fifty thousand (per kilogram)!"

Lin Sicheng, however, shook his head: "That price is wrong. That is the European and American price; domestically, you have to give at least a forty percent discount!"

So knowledgeable?

Gao Jing thought for a moment, looked at Zhao Xiuneng, who was holding his card and turning it over in his hand, and simply gritted her teeth, dropping to the bottom line: "Fifty percent off, twenty-five thousand... Teacher Lin, it cannot go any lower!"

This price was acceptable, even about twenty percent lower than the market price.

Lin Sicheng nodded: "General Manager Zhao, swipe the card!"

Zhao Xiuneng did not hesitate in the slightest.

Fang Jingxian, however, was a bit confused: that was over three million, not three hundred, nor three thousand. Zhao Xiuneng paid on the spot without a hint of hesitation?

What if he lost money?

After swiping the card, they exchanged an unconscious glance. Seeing Fang Jingxian's eyes slightly fixed and filled with a few traces of suspicion, Zhao Xiuneng pondered for a moment and then smiled.

He could roughly guess what this woman was suspicious about, but if one asked him how these two tusks would make money, he certainly would not know.

But he believed that if Lin Sicheng said it would make money, then it would definitely make money.

Thinking further, what did Lin Sicheng's teacher, Professor Wang, do? It was possible he had tipped Lin Sicheng off about something, so how could Zhao Xiuneng hesitate?

Not to mention, General Manager Zhao's wild guessing and mental filling-in of the blanks had already come infinitely close to the truth...

Watching Gao Jing have her subordinates pack up the ivory, Lin Sicheng pointed to the remaining boxes:

"Secretary Gao, open them all up and let's take a look!"

Gao Jing had the same intention.

Since the other party had both money and a sharp eye, there was no need to squeeze things out bit by bit.

She nodded and pointed to the largest crate. A man picked up a crowbar, and with a "creak," the lid fell off in response.

Suddenly, a flash of red light reflected into their eyes.

Lin Sicheng stood up subconsciously, Zhao Xiuneng followed closely behind, his pupils unable to stop from shrinking.

Bronze?

And one of the twelve ritual vessels, a Copper Fu?

It was no exaggeration to say that if this were a piece from the Shang or Zhou dynasties, just from the two glances he and Lin Sicheng had taken, they would have been hauled in for questioning for several days.

But when he saw the "Confucian Temple" mark in the center of the Copper Fu, along with the brocade-ground phoenix bird patterns on both sides, Zhao Xiuneng breathed a sigh of relief.

It had nothing to do with the Shang or Zhou dynasties, and it likely had no connection to the Han or Tang dynasties either; at most, it was from the Song, Yuan, Ming, or Qing periods.

It was indeed a ritual vessel for sacrifices, but not a grand vessel placed in ancestral temples or altars of soil and grain; rather, it was a ritual object from a Confucian Temple.

After looking around, aside from the "Confucian Temple" decorative pattern, there were no inscriptions, so Zhao Xiuneng could not judge exactly which dynasty it belonged to or which place it came from.

After taking two glances, he followed quietly behind Lin Sicheng.

Lin Sicheng first tapped, then scraped at the rust on the surface: "Any vessels (bronze) cast from the Hongwu to Xuande eras were primarily made of bronze (a copper-tin alloy)... The alloy composition was unstable, the hardness was relatively low, and it was prone to corrosion..."

"After the Xuande era, it gradually became popular to use brass (a copper-zinc alloy), which has high hardness, a bright luster, and is easier to prevent rust... just like this vessel!"

Lin Sicheng tapped it two more times and delivered the final verdict: "It should have been cast around the Chenghua era!"

Afterward, he picked up some rust flakes from the bottom of the box and rubbed them with his fingernails, "Red Rust (cuprous oxide), Lime Rust (a mixture of Copper Oxide and basic copper carbonate), localized exfoliation..."

"It should have been unearthed in an alkaline desert region... hmm, either Yulin or Gansu... It hasn't been unearthed for more than ten years, so General Manager Fang, just look at it, but don't bother collecting it..."

One reason was that there were too many: every time a new emperor ascended the throne, the local regions would recast a batch. Some relatively wealthy areas with a strong scholarly atmosphere, such as the Jiangnan region, would also recast a batch for the third-year imperial examinations, so a great many survived to this day.

Furthermore, these were at most ritual vessels from a prefecture-level Confucian Temple, and it was even possible they were items unearthed from a county-level Confucian Temple site; in terms of historical and cultural value, they were actually only average.

If one were to estimate the price, this piece would top out at one or two hundred thousand at most.

Moreover, it was Raw Pit Goods; there was little profit to be made, but the sentencing would be heavy.

Therefore, Lin Sicheng was concise: it was best not to buy it.

Yet, Gao Jing could not summon a single thought of resentment.

She could not even count how many experts and Appraisers had looked at this item. And which one of them hadn't looked again and again, tapped and tapped, and thought and thought? It was not just one or two who had to cram at the last minute and check materials on the spot.

This Teacher Lin just tapped it and looked at the rust, yet he pointed out the excavation site and even which year it was dug up for her clearly.

If she had still had some doubts before, this one piece of Bronze made her completely understand: the kid in front of her, who didn't even have many whiskers, was a master.

But that was secondary; the key was Fang Jingxian's attitude: when she first saw the item, a light had appeared in the depths of her eyes. She was eager to move, itching to try, and was just a step away from asking the price and trading immediately.

But when Lin Sicheng said to forget about collecting it, Fang Jingxian's gaze dimmed instantly.

Did that mean it was really just going to be left at that?

No... are you stupid? If he doesn't let you buy it, you won't buy it? Besides, after he leaves, can't you sneak back and buy it?

But no matter how Secretary Gao signaled with her eyes, Fang Jingxian did not even lift her eyelids.

If it were before, she might have changed her mind: a fool is someone who doesn't make money when they can; why not wait until Lin Sicheng left and then sneak back to buy it?

But having witnessed the scene that morning, and seeing Zhao Xiuneng following behind Lin Sicheng, step for step, obeying every word, the long-dormant thoughts in General Manager Fang's heart became active again.

Even Zhao Xiuneng could humble himself; what did a small shrimp like her have to be reserved about?

He was definitely a golden thigh, and definitely not easy to hug, but if she didn't try to hug it, how would she know she couldn't?

Therefore, not to mention how much she liked it, at the very least, she could not make him feel disgusted.

The first step: be obedient...

Secretly changing her mind, she also stood up and followed behind Lin Sicheng.

Lin Sicheng and Zhao Xiuneng were discussing a Broken Bell; the vessel shape was not large, and the material and rust color were similar to the Copper Fu they had looked at earlier, so it was estimated they were dug up together, but unfortunately, only half remained.

After taking two rough glances, Fang Jingxian looked to the side, saw a piece of Bronze, felt it was quite pleasing to the eye, and subconsciously picked it up.

To be honest, she entered this line of work entirely by coincidence, and her talent is limited. She just relied on being socially adept to scrape together some wealth. As for her appraisal ability, it is just average.

After watching for a long while, once Lin Sicheng and Zhao Xiuneng stopped talking, Fang Jingxian pushed it forward: "Teacher Lin, how is this piece?"

Turning back to look, Lin Sicheng was startled for a moment: A Gilded Bronze Jue?

It had a handle on one side, a wide spout (rim), a round belly, and three conical legs at the bottom.

The entire body was gilded, and the cup body featured relief carving of a Beast-faced Taotie Pattern, with eyebrows curled upward, long horns in a meander shape, whiskers and manes meticulously detailed, and an Intaglio Square Thunder Pattern as the ground.

At first glance, the vessel shape was thick and heavy, archaic and elegant, with a dignified and solemn form. Looking closer, the craftsmanship was exquisite, the patterns were clear and beautiful, the lines were sharp, and it faintly revealed a royal demeanor.

Could it be a Ming Dynasty Engraved Flower Marquis Jue Cup?

Taking it into his hands, Lin Sicheng looked it over again, then asked the price—only 150,000?

Suddenly, the look in Lin Sicheng's eyes became strange.

Many things had been moved out, including a Fu, a Zhong, and even two bronze Zun. Lin Sicheng had been in high spirits, discussing things with Zhao Xiuneng as they looked, and he really hadn't noticed this small Jue cup.

But it is no exaggeration to say that this Jue is more expensive than all the bronze wares he and Zhao Xiuneng had looked at combined: an Imperial Gift Marquis Jue Cup from the Great Ming.

Although neither the Great Ming Collected Statutes nor the Great Ming Veritable Records explicitly record that bronze Jue were bestowed when Ming Dynasty titles were granted, there are many unearthed physical examples:

For instance, the tomb of Duke of Wei Xu Da in Nanjing, the tomb of Duke of Cao Li Wenzhong, the family tomb of Duke of Qian Mu Ying in Yunnan, and the tomb of Marquis of Ji'an Lu Zhongxiang.

Among them were Dukes, Marquises, as well as Earls and imperial in-laws; without exception, all had bronze Jue buried with them.

Depending on the rank of the nobility, the size, dimensions, craftsmanship, and patterns all differed. Like this one, the Jue is one foot tall, externally decorated with carved Taotie flowers; it is a typical Great Ming Engraved Flower Marquis Jue Cup.

The rust layer is very thick, mixed with blue and green; nine times out of ten, it was unearthed in the south, or more precisely: Nanjing. From this, it can be inferred that it was likely acquired by Miao Taiyue by chance.

The patina is also extremely thick and definitely authentic; even without papers or certificates, it wouldn't be confiscated as contraband.

After looking at it carefully once more, Lin Sicheng raised his head again and looked at Fang Jingxian: selling it for only 250,000 means Miao Taiyue doesn't know the origin of this item either. Looking at Fang Jingxian's expression, she probably just bought it on a whim.

If one finds a reliable appraisal institution to issue a certificate and then finds a larger auction house, it would be worth at least over a million.

If one is lucky enough to find the provenance, it could increase by at least half, or even double.

So, General Manager Fang really didn't bring him here for nothing today...

Not knowing what Lin Sicheng meant, she just felt his gaze was quite strange. Just as she was confused, Lin Sicheng pushed it forward: "General Manager Fang, buy it!"

As he said this, he even blinked.

Fang Jingxian was stunned at first, then overjoyed: Could this blink be Lin Sicheng flirting with her?

She tried hard to suppress her joy and took out her card in a crisp, efficient manner.

Zhao Xiuneng leaned over to take a peek and exchanged a look with Lin Sicheng.

The two had worked together for so long that they had developed some tacit understanding; Lin Sicheng gave a slight nod, and he knew this woman had picked up a bargain.

Suddenly, his hands became itchy too.

Regardless of whether he could understand it or not, as long as he found it pleasing to the eye, he would pick it up and ask.

But for every piece he picked up, Lin Sicheng would shake his head; he picked up another, and Lin Sicheng shook his head again.

It wasn't that the items were wrong, but the origins were wrong: not only was each one more obscure and rarer than the last, but five or six out of ten were Raw Pit Goods. In other words, they were all leftovers.

But this is normal: Miao Taiyue is a big dealer after all; with his connections, the ones that are easier to identify and easier to handle don't stay in his hands.

Two big men were specifically opening crates, one after another; when they pried open two crates of porcelain, Lin Sicheng's eyes paused: all Export Porcelain?

Although they were all small items like cups, bowls, and dishes, they were Five Flowers and Eight Gates: blue and white, Wucai, Famille Verte, as well as Kraak Porcelain (with Chinese patterns in the center and European/American patterns on the outside) and Mandarin Porcelain (depicting the lives of Qing Dynasty officials).

Official Kiln pieces were rare, and mostly from after the Jiaqing period. Most were from Folk Kilns: Hutian (Jingdezhen), Shiwan Kiln Kiln (Guangdong), Dehua (Fujian), and the Jianshui Kiln in Yunnan to the south.

Just by looking at this crate, one could tell that Big Dealer Miao's connections were not just generally wide: he not only sold things out, but also collected them in.

Lin Sicheng took a rough look: "Take them out and let's see!"

Gao Jing nodded, and the two big men took them out one by one.

Lin Sicheng looked at each one as it was taken out, but basically, after one or two glances, he would set it aside.

Then he sighed inwardly: No wonder Big Dealer Miao couldn't even be bothered to change the base marks?

Whenever he saw something passable, the border decorations were all Western-style patterns: geometric patterns, coat-of-arms patterns, angel patterns. Otherwise, they were tulips, vine patterns, eagles, lions, or shields.

The rest were either from Folk Kilns or from after the Daoguang period. Whether it was the body or the Glaze Material, let alone the Yongzheng or Qianlong periods, they were several stories lower in quality than even the Jiaqing period.

The hall names were also a mess: the well-known ones included Beiqing and Yiyou, Canton Famille Rose (Thirteen Hongs), and those with English letters like Famille Rose (England). The ones he hadn't seen or were fakes included "Shende," "Zhixing," and "Youxian."

Therefore, Lin Sicheng couldn't even be bothered to ask the price.

Just like that, as he unpacked and looked, he paused slightly: How strange, a Jiaqing-Daoguang Period Official Kiln Famille Rose, Sima Guang smashing the vat?

It wasn't that they didn't exist, but they were rare: Qing Dynasty Official Kiln patterns mainly featured flowers and birds, scrolling flowers, and auspicious patterns; only in the mid-Kangxi period did blue and white and Wucai porcelain adopt themes like historical and theatrical stories,

such as warriors, fishermen/woodcutters/farmers/scholars, or the West Chamber.

But it was for a very short time, only about ten years or so. There were many in the folk sector, but they were mostly blue and white or Sancai.

Famille Rose was created in the late Kangxi period and flourished during the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods; there were figure themes, but they were mostly beauties, children at play, the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, or Magu offering longevity. Occasionally, one or two pieces would appear, but they were religious custom-made masterpieces, such as the Great Lama, or even Western biblical themes; historical themes were very rare.

But suddenly one appeared, even if it was Export Porcelain?

Lin Sicheng held it in his hand and examined it carefully:

The vessel shape was a standard Three Autumn Cup, a typical Jiaqing-Daoguang period colored-ground lotus-hooking Openwork Famille Rose technique, meaning turquoise, yellow, and Red Glaze as the base, with Landscape Pattern and figures painted inside.

The colored glaze was slightly uneven, and colored streaks were faintly visible, known at the time as "Langdang Glaze"; for example, it had regressed during the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods, but it was still beautiful.

The body was slightly thick but still delicate, with the rim and base both outlined in blue pigment.

It was extremely well-preserved, the surface was lustrous and moist, and a "thief's light" (new-looking sheen) was faintly visible.

The painting was also excellent, and the materials used were extremely particular, all being top-grade glaze material. Apart from the slightly thicker body and slightly murky glazing due to the regression in craftsmanship, if placed in the Jiaqing-Daoguang Period, this bowl would definitely belong to the finest among official kiln wares.

The item was definitely authentic; a Jiaqing-Daoguang Period official kiln Famille Rose after the Qianlong period, even if it was export porcelain with letter marks, was definitely a custom-made masterpiece.

Making a rough estimate, it was worth 300,000 to 400,000 without a problem.

Thinking to himself, Lin Sicheng turned it over to look at the mark, and two red characters came into his eyes: Zhanjing!

Hiss... a hall name mark?

But why does it feel somewhat familiar?

It is not an ordinary blue mark, but a red-ink regular script mark.

It is just two small regular script characters, but extremely neat; the strokes are of uniform thickness, and the lines of the outer mark are as straight as if drawn with a ruler.

The color is steady and dignified, even without scattering, dense without blurring, just as if it had been carved on.

Tilting it slightly, a golden light faintly appears... Gold-red color?

Lin Sicheng's pupils contracted slightly: How could this be Export Porcelain?

It is not that there were no red-ink porcelain pieces in the Qing Dynasty; there are many forged by the folk. It is also not that there are no gold-traced marks among Export Porcelain, but most are custom-made boutique pieces.

But this one is definitely not; it is genuine Official Kiln Tribute Porcelain.

Red-ink Tribute Porcelain must be for imperial use. Any gold-red color belongs either to the Emperor and Empress or to an Imperial Concubine.

The key is this "Zhanjing"...

After a moment of thought, a flash of light seemed to cross his mind: Old Summer Palace Zhanjing Studio?

Historical records state that after the Daoguang Emperor ascended the throne, he "favored only Concubine Quan," and for her, he built a sleeping palace in the outer palace, which was the Old Summer Palace Zhanjing Studio.

In the eleventh year of Daoguang, Concubine Quan gave birth to Yi Zhu (the Xianfeng Emperor), and she was later titled Empress Quan, becoming the only Empress's sleeping palace in an outer palace during the Qing Dynasty.

All the utensils used were not the common "Daoguang Year Made" imperial ware, but bore the "Zhanjing" hall mark.

But in 1860, the Eight-Nation Alliance burned everything clean with a fire. Even in the Forbidden City, not many remain; there are only six in total: one yellow-glazed bowl, one blue and white bowl with lotus patterns and powder box, and four Famille Rose flower-and-butterfly poem cups.

If it weren't for the gold-traced red-ink base mark, Lin Sicheng wouldn't have remembered.

He remained calm, set it aside, and picked up two more items at random. One was a Famille Verte Gourd Vase, and the other was a blue and white Phoenix Pattern Bowl.

Both were from Folk Kilns; the items were not particularly good, but they both had red-ink forged hall marks.

Setting them down, Lin Sicheng pointed casually: "Secretary Gao, how much?"

Gao Jing glanced at them, seemingly not remembering too well, and took out her phone to check: "The Gourd Vase is thirty thousand, the Phoenix Pattern Bowl is fifty thousand, the Three Autumn Cup is one hundred and forty thousand..."

Sure enough, she missed it: even though she saw this cup had the best quality, she only regarded it as ordinary Famille Rose Export Porcelain.

But a Famille Rose Official Kiln piece, an Old Summer Palace imperial item, and one used by an Empress—the "bugs" (features) were fully stacked.

Therefore, don't look at how it's not even as big as a goose egg; if this cup is less than two million, Lin Sicheng would dare to eat it...

He stretched out his hand, took the card from Zhao Xiuneng, and pushed it forward: "Swipe it!"

After swiping the card and having it wrapped up in a few moments, Lin Sicheng casually placed it together with the Jizhou appliqué vase from before.

It was natural and left no trace; even Zhao Xiuneng didn't notice and didn't even grow suspicious.

He still thought Lin Sicheng bought it to use as material for Artifact Research.

No one paid any attention, and they continued to look further.

Afterward, Zhao Xiuneng bought a Sunflower-mouth Plate by the famous Qing Dynasty light-Jiang artist Zhou Longsong, and Fang Jingxian also bought a piece of Ritual Jade from the late Qing Dynasty.

Both had gains and were quite satisfied.

Having looked through the basics, the time was approaching noon, and Lin Sicheng felt it was enough, so he politely declined Gao Jing's invitation to a banquet.

The three subordinates began to pack up, the secretary brewed tea again, and the few of them sat down to rest for a while.

Once familiar, twice experienced. Regardless of Miao Taiyue's identity or whether it was against the law, there were indeed many good things, and perhaps he would have to come again someday.

Lin Sicheng was in no hurry to leave and prepared to exchange a few polite words.

But just as he lifted the Tea Cup to his mouth, there was a "clatter" sound nearby.

Perhaps a subordinate wasn't paying attention; a box slid off the tea table, and more than a dozen bead strings, long and short, black and brown, scattered all over the floor.

Fortunately, they were all wooden strings, strung very securely, and the distance wasn't high, so they didn't break.

Gao Jing glared at the subordinate, and Lin Sicheng just took a casual glance.

They all turned their heads back, but he subconsciously paused, and his neck turned back again: the subordinate was picking them up one by one into the box, and had already picked up half.

Lin Sicheng stared at the man's feet and narrowed his eyes: Why does that string look a bit like Qinan?