Chapter 199: More Than Just Three Million

Lin Sicheng casually spread the scroll out onto the coffee table.

"Miss Wang, would you like to take a look at this one?"

The woman gave a bitter smile: "Teacher Lin, is there still a need to look?"

"It's already opened, might as well take a look!"

Lin Sicheng was indeed quite casual; he didn't even pick up a Magnifying Glass, just took a careless glance.

After scanning it roughly twice, he straightened his back.

Hao Jun also leaned in.

He had already seen all four items Wang Mingxing brought; except for the Taihu Stone, this was the only one he was certain had issues, so he was exceptionally firm: "This is a forgery!"

Lin Sicheng was noncommittal, neither nodding nor making a sound.

Seeing him like this, Ye Anning immediately became interested and picked up the Magnifying Glass to examine it carefully.

Then, she pointed at the seals and colophons on the left and right: "Lin Sicheng, are these two sides added later?"

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Seems like it!"

Thinking he was just responding offhandedly, Ye Anning didn't pay it any mind.

Because the traces were very obvious: the two sides—specifically the "Zile Xuan" seal on the right, and the two pieces containing the two colophon seals on the left—were clearly added later, and then the seams were touched up with pigment.

But over the years, the pigment had faded, and one could see the traces of the later additions with a little attention. One could also see that the paper color of the three spots was slightly different: the two sides were slightly lighter, and the middle was slightly darker.

Therefore, the paper on both sides with the colophon seals was clearly added later.

This included the inscription at the end of the scroll—the two sentences "In the autumn of the Renyin year of Yongle, on the night of the full moon" and "Respectfully inscribed by Shen Du of Huating"—which also had obvious differences from the script in the main body.

So, this was a "transplanted" forgery, a case of "moving colophons and swapping seals."

However, it was a good imitation; at least the materials were period-accurate, and the mounting was meticulous.

It was Ming Dynasty palace Sajin Paper imitating the Mingren Hall Paper of the Yuan Dynasty; the Gold Foil flakes were relatively large, dotted like snowflakes, also known as Pianjin Paper.

The ink paste was "oil vermilion" inherited from the Song and Yuan periods; compared to the mid-to-late Ming and Qing Dynasties, the cinnabar particles were slightly coarser and the purity lower. Because it oxidized easily, the seal color appeared dark red and had a slight oil-seeping phenomenon.

The ink was also early Ming Dynasty Jiaosong Ink, black with a hint of gray, with extremely heavy glue content. The roller and mounting were the same, typical of the early Great Ming style.

The calligraphy was also written very well: graceful and dignified, with rigorous structure, as neat as could be, and as standardized as could be.

History calls it Taige Style, Guange Style, also known as Zhuangyuan Script.

In the Ming Dynasty, whether it was central institutions like the Imperial Secretariat, or local levels like provinces, prefectures, and counties, as well as palace documents, imperial examinations, diplomatic letters, and so on, all used this script.

If one speaks of the best, Shen Du was number one.

During the Hongwu reign, he failed the examinations. After the Ming Chengzu ascended the throne, he issued an edict to select skilled calligraphers; Shen Du was selected and served as a Hanlin Academy Compiler.

Because his regular script was written extremely well and was highly appreciated by Chengzu, he served as an attendant in the side hall. All imperial jade books, foreign diplomatic letters, sacrificial texts, and important Imperial Edicts of that time were written by him.

Zhu Di praised him as "the Wang Xizhi of our dynasty," so by the time the Ming Xuanzong ascended the throne, he had reached the rank of Hanlin Academy Lecturer. Counting through the past few thousand years, he is definitely a model of "entering officialdom through calligraphy."

He left behind many ink traces, the most famous being the world-renowned Yongle Great Bell, as well as the regular script inscriptions on porcelain and bronze sacrificial vessels from the Yongle and Xuande periods, namely "Made in the Yongle Year of the Great Ming" and "Made in the Xuande Year of the Great Ming." As long as it was an official imperial tribute vessel, if it had an inscription, it was inevitably his Taige Style.

It just so happened that the three seals on this scroll were all Shen Du's.

The first seal on the right, "Zile Xuan": Zile was his pseudonym, carved in standard Jade Chop Seal Script, and the seal was also a standard studio-name seal.

On the left, there were two colophon seals, one "Shen Du of Yunjian" and one "Among the Lecturers," indicating this was a work from Shen Du's later years.

Of course, if it were an authentic work. Unfortunately, it was not...

After looking at it carefully, Ye Anning began to decipher the content:

"'The high wind of Jingjie, admired for a hundred generations, his poems and rhapsodies are passed down in noble households, popular on everyone's lips... Now Doctor has depicted his image on Chengxintang Paper, painting his rhapsodies into a long scroll... rivaling Wu Daozi and Wang Mojie... Huh, is this a colophon on a painting?"

Ye Anning paused and recalled carefully. But she had no impression of this painting inscribed by Shen Du, nor of this "Doctor" mentioned in the rhapsodies.

After thinking for a long time without a clue, she pointed again: "Lin Sicheng, who is 'Doctor'?"

"Li Gonglin of the Northern Song Dynasty, a famous painter, collector, and connoisseur... He reached the rank of Imperial Censorate Inspector and Gentleman for Court Service... History says he was a close friend of Wang Anshi, Su Shi, Mi Fei, and Huang Tingjian...

Li Gonglin was good at painting figures, especially horses; Su Shi praised him: 'Longmian has a thousand steeds in his chest, not only painting the flesh but also the bones.' He was also skilled in Landscape Pattern; Wang Anshi claimed he deeply grasped the essence of Wu Daozi and the true transmission of Wang Wei..."

Ye Anning was a bit dazed: No... Lin Sicheng, you actually know this?

She looked again at the line on the scroll: Dongpo and Shangu praised it extremely highly and wrote poems in response...

Didn't Su Shi call himself the Layman of Dongpo, and didn't Huang Tingjian call himself the Daoist of Shangu?

Ye Anning certainly knew that, but to infer it from just this point, she truly couldn't do it...

"Then what painting is this colophon for?"

"Li Gonglin's painting of Return to the Fields!"

Return to the Fields... the fu by Tao Yuanming of the Jin Dynasty?

Ye Anning stared straight at the characters on the scroll: Beyond the paths of brush and ink, overflowing with the intimacy of what the eyes see... isn't this just painting according to the fu?

She felt she was so far behind Lin Sicheng; had she wasted five years of university and ten years of loitering in the Forbidden City?

Just as she was sighing, Lin Sicheng's fingers curled slightly, brushing over the scroll: "Miss Wang, may I venture to ask, what is the origin of this scroll?"

Wang Mingxing paused slightly: "A gift from a friend!"

"All three pieces?"

"All three pieces!"

As expected?

These three pieces were likely gifts given to Miss Wang's friend by someone seeking a favor.

The person receiving the gifts certainly held a high position, and the person giving them had put in plenty of effort, specifically choosing works with unclear provenance that were basically impossible to trace.

So, she must have guessed wrong before: this Miss Wang hadn't been swindled; including the Taihu Stone, all four pieces must have been gifts from her friend.

Lin Sicheng could even guess that her friend had likely been locked up. She must have been involved in some trouble herself, which was why she was restless and panicked.

Afraid of getting into trouble, or perhaps afraid that the gift-giver would come to demand them back, she was eager to sell them.

But such is human nature; no comment.

Lin Sicheng sighed inwardly, then looked up: "Miss Wang, are you selling this piece?"

In an instant, everyone present was stunned.

Including Hao Jun and Ye Anning: Wait... Lin Sicheng, this piece of calligraphy is a spliced work from a mountain-turning source, why are you buying it?

Looking down again: That's right, the Seal Mark and the colophon are all spliced.

Although the calligraphy is very similar to the style of Shen Du, throughout the Ming Dynasty, or even the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were countless people who wrote well in the Taige Style, and there are plenty who wrote even more like Shen Du's style than Shen Du himself.

Therefore, this calligraphy is nine times out of ten an imitation.

Unless, it was imitated by a famous master?

Hao Jun's eyes revealed suspicion as he stared at the calligraphy scroll without blinking. But it was useless; his level of knowledge in Calligraphy and Painting was only average. If asked to name a few Ming Dynasty calligraphers, he could certainly do so.

But if asked who wrote the Taige Style well, he truly didn't know...

That Wang Mingxing perked up.

The Expert from the National Art Academy also said this calligraphy was a spliced piece: meaning the inscription and the seal were both Shen Du Authentic Work, but the content was spliced on later.

The appraisers from several major auction houses had similar opinions and wouldn't accept it at all.

Therefore, she had always thought it was a fake, not worth much money, and hadn't even asked Lin Sicheng to appraise it.

But for him to suddenly ask if the calligraphy was for sale, what did that mean?

The key was that his eyes were so sharp, and he knew so much. It even gave people the feeling that he was perhaps even more professional than that Expert?

It couldn't be that this was actually a work by a famous master, could it?

Suddenly, the woman's eyes lit up, and her heart couldn't stop skipping a beat: "Three million!"

Lin Sicheng was dumbfounded: Big sister, you're obsessed with three million, aren't you?

A Taihu Stone for three million, an imitation by Cha Shibiao sold for three million, a ghostwritten piece for Dong Qichang also sold for three million, and now this calligraphy is selling for three million too?

Lin Sicheng didn't speak, just sighed.

The item was certainly worth three million, but the premise was knowing its history, provenance, the intricacies within, and the events that had occurred.

It wasn't that Lin Sicheng was intentionally scamming her, nor was he bragging: apart from himself, or the Forbidden City, no matter where she took this thing, let alone three million, even thirty thousand would be a stretch.

Therefore, making money based on one's eye and knowledge is nothing to be ashamed of.

Seeing Lin Sicheng remain silent, the old Expert signaled wildly, then reached out and gestured a four.

Wang Mingxing had a flash of inspiration and blurted out: "Four million!"

The old Expert froze, nearly knocking his head on the coffee table: You really dare to ask for that much?

Although he didn't know who had imitated this, he at least knew: the core of the scroll, that middle part, regardless of the paper or the calligraphy, could not predate the Xuande and Zhengtong eras.

And counting through these two eras, apart from Shen Du, the famous people who excelled at the Taige Style could be counted on one hand: the Three Yangs, Shen Du's younger brother Shen Can, and Shen Du's son Shen Zao.

But it couldn't be the Three Yangs: as high-ranking ministers, they wouldn't go so far as to imitate the calligraphy of an Expository Academician. Furthermore, the style didn't match.

That left only his younger brother and his son.

Shen Can and Shen Du were collectively known as the Two Shens, and he served as Left Vice Minister of Dali Temple. Shen Du's son, Shen Zao, served as Vice Director of the Ministry of Rites.

Both of these men were considered calligraphers of the Ming Dynasty and held high official positions, but the records in historical documents were not even one-tenth of those of their elder brother.

Therefore, even if these were truly their authentic works, the market value wouldn't even reach one-tenth of Shen Du's, with two or three hundred thousand being the absolute limit.

Wang Mingxing certainly wasn't short of that little bit, so the old Expert's meaning was: since money can't buy what one loves, this young man is so direct, he clearly has a unique fondness for this calligraphy. Miss Wang, try it, sell all four pieces together and see if he wants them.

But Miss Wang misunderstood the intention and opened her mouth to ask for four million... the other party isn't a fool, is he?

He sighed and gestured in a circle: "If you want it, take all four pieces together!"

Lin Sicheng shook his head: "Then you keep them!"

The old Expert was stunned for a moment, and Wang Mingxing was also stunned.

"Then how much can you offer?"

Lin Sicheng didn't hesitate: "Five hundred thousand!"

The few people were all stunned again: That high?

It couldn't be that it really was an imitation by Shen Can and Shen Zao?

Regardless of which of the two it was, for a piece of this size, two hundred and thirty thousand should be worth it. The rest, naturally, was the price for the real inscription and the real seal.

Conversely, if it were imitated by these two, it would naturally be easy to cut two seals and a colophon from other works left behind by Shen Du.

In a flash, the few of them looked again at the two very obvious spliced seams where the color was fading, and became even more certain.

But to sell, or not to sell?

After hesitating for a long time, seeing the old man's eyes shift slightly, the woman gritted her teeth: "Sell!"

Lin Sicheng nodded: Selling is fine.

But it wouldn't matter if she didn't sell: apart from himself, no one would offer such a high price. So even if she didn't sell today, she would eventually bring it over herself after some time...

Subsequently, Hao Jun called the finance department and brought over a standard Contract from Rongbaozhai. Including commission and taxes, Lin Sicheng paid an extra one hundred thousand.

Don't complain about the cost; as long as Lin Sicheng could state the provenance and confirm it was correct, Hao Jun had to stamp it with a guaranteed transaction Seal Mark for him.

The nature of it was exactly the same as an appraisal seal...

After signing in a few strokes, swiping the card, and issuing the receipt, the woman was reluctant to part with it.

I don't know if it was an illusion, but she always felt that she had sold it at a loss...

Sighing, she looked at the calligraphy scroll again: "Teacher Lin, whose authentic work is this!"

Lin Sicheng smiled and answered with a question: "Miss Wang, it's already sold, isn't it?"

And the contract was already signed.

He didn't want to cause trouble for himself, nor did he want to make things unpleasant for Miss Wang.

Knowing she wouldn't get an answer, Wang Mingxing simply gave up. The Assistant and the old Expert came over to help; one picked up the Taihu Stone, and the other packed away the remaining two long boxes.

Both sides shook hands and bid each other farewell.

Just as they reached the doorway, Wang Mingxing suddenly remembered: she had brought four items, and even the last one had reached a conclusion: nine times out of ten, it was the work of a famous master.

But only that Taihu Stone remained unclear?

The key was that General Manager Hao had a look of schadenfreude on his face. Even Lin Sicheng hadn't said a word after looking at it.

She always felt uneasy in her heart...

With this thought, the woman turned around and pointed at the box: "Teacher Lin, could you please take a look at this one as well?"

"Miss Wang, no need to look!"

The bargain picked up this time was not small, and this Miss Wang was relatively straightforward, so it didn't matter if he told her.

Lin Sicheng was concise and comprehensive, "Let me be blunt: in terms of antiques, this type of item has little value. But to each their own, you can try sending it to an auction house, but I estimate no one will accept it!"

After a slight pause, Lin Sicheng weighed his words again: "If I'm not mistaken, the matter concerning your friend should be related to this type of item. If it has been settled, you might as well meet with him; he should be able to tell you..."

The old man and the Assistant were completely confused and didn't understand, but Wang Mingxing's face suddenly turned pale, and her eyes bulged wildly.

What kind of trouble could her friend have? Of course, it meant he had gone inside...

The meaning of "settled" naturally referred to having been sentenced and being allowed to meet with family members...

But the problem was, how did Lin Sicheng know? He even knew it was because of the Taihu Stone that he went inside?

For a moment, she was both shocked and suspicious, wanting to speak but hesitating.

But after a long while, she ultimately didn't dare to ask: her friend had a tight lip and hadn't betrayed her. But she couldn't be loose-lipped herself...

The woman smiled with effort: "I don't understand what Teacher Lin is saying!"

Lin Sicheng nodded: stop while it's appropriate; if she doesn't understand, then she doesn't understand.

Seeing that he wouldn't speak again, the woman said thank you, and the three of them hurried away.

The door "clanged" and echoed in the room. Hao Jun and Ye Anning stared at Lin Sicheng, their expressions complex and inexplicable.

Here we go again?

They had both witnessed Lin Sicheng's methods of appraising people after appraising artifacts. But every time they saw it, they still felt incredibly shocked.

It just felt like Lin Sicheng was even more accurate than fortune-telling...

Hao Jun let out a sharp breath: "How did you know her friend was in trouble?"

"Watch Qi: red eyes and swollen lids, palpitations and anxiety, suspicion and fear, heart-thumping and Qi stagnation... This is melancholy syndrome. It shows she has gotten into trouble, leading to heat in the five centers, insomnia, and many dreams."

"Deficiency of both heart and spleen, phlegm-heat disturbing the heart, deficiency of heart and gallbladder Qi... This is emotional distress, internal injury from the seven emotions. It shows this trouble was likely caused by someone close to her, and then it implicated her... Then, based on that Taihu Stone and her psychological state of being eager to sell a few pieces of Calligraphy and Painting, I made a blind guess..."

Lin Sicheng, your guessing is good; one guess and that woman's face turned pale, with an expression like she'd seen a ghost?

Hao Jun twitched his lips, and after a long while, he sighed again: "Should we go to Beijing and set up a stall for you under the overpass?"

Lin Sicheng couldn't laugh or cry: "Senior Brother Hao, where are there still overpasses in Beijing now?"

That's true, they were torn down seventy or eighty years ago...

But being friends with someone like this really puts a lot of psychological pressure on you...

Hao Jun sighed, tapped the scroll, and changed the subject: "Who wrote this?"

Lin Sicheng was straightforward: "Shen Du!"

"Who?"

"Shen Du!"

Hao Jun was stunned, raising his head abruptly.

Of course, there was nothing wrong with his ears, and he had heard it clearly; he just couldn't quite believe it.

Even when Lin Sicheng offered five hundred thousand, he was still thinking, could this be someone from the Xuande or Zhengtong eras?

But he had never thought that the author of the imitation of the Shen Du Authentic Work was still Shen Du himself?

Looking down again: that's right, the spliced inscription and seal?

"It really is Shen Du!"

Lin Sicheng explained patiently, "The Painting Academy Records (compiled by the Ming Dynasty Imperial Household) record: In the Renyin year of the Yongle era (1422), Shen Du, Shen Can, and several Hanlin Academy Compilers were ordered by imperial decree to write colophons for many famous paintings in the Imperial Painting Academy... and this piece was among them!"

"By the third year of the Zhengtong era (Emperor Yingzong), the study under the Imperial Household Department collapsed due to Rain soaking after years of disrepair, and many Calligraphy and Painting works and colophons were soaked in water, and this piece was still among them."

"Afterward, Emperor Yingzong issued a decree to rewrite the inscriptions, but Wang Zhen saw that many only had the seals on both sides and the final signature soaked, so he ordered Shen Zao to bring Shen Du's posthumous works from the mansion, and then moved the signature... among them, this piece was still there."

After a slight pause, Lin Sicheng pointed to the scroll: "After that, the Painting Academy Records, Li Gonglin's painting of Tao Yuanming's Return to the Fields, and Shen Du's inscription were passed down to the Qing Dynasty together, and the matter of the moved signature was recorded in the Precious Collection of the Stone Moat..."

After that, during the Republic of China, the Painting Academy Records were lost, Li Gonglin's painting of Tao Yuanming's Return to the Fields was transported to Taiwan, but this inscription went missing..."

Lin Sicheng looked emotional: "I didn't expect it to suddenly pop up. And I didn't expect to be so lucky? Thanks, Senior Brother Hao, I'll treat you to something good later."

Hao Jun was stunned, and Ye Anning's eyes widened even further.

Doesn't that mean this is not only a Shen Du Authentic Work, but also a rare edition kept in the imperial collections of both the Ming and Qing dynasties, and collected in the Painting Academy Records and the Precious Collection of the Stone Moat?

So, it's worth far more than three million?

(End of this chapter)