Chapter 215: Imperial Seal

Zhao Xiuneng specializes in porcelain, and Hao Jun specializes in miscellaneous items. They are simply not experts in calligraphy and painting, not that they don't understand them.

Even this "not an expert" is only relative to Lin Sicheng.

The reason they misjudged it was mainly due to Lin Sicheng's influence: from beginning to end, Lin Sicheng only scanned it a few times, not even taking a minute.

So the two of them just took a cursory glance. They felt the painting was very ordinary, the mounting materials were ordinary pine wood and common folk Xuan paper, and it was already starting to fade from smoke, so they assumed the painting was just average.

And to be honest, even looking at it now, setting aside the paper, ink, and pigments, the painting is still average.

But the question is, is this a matter of whether the imitation is good or how high the artistic standard is?

A painting of unknown origin and unknown creator, yet imitated from the Imperial Palace—what about the others?

A group of people stood in silence, watching Lin Sicheng open the carrying case and take things out one by one.

Three paintings, three seals, one book of physiognomy, and one Incense Burner. A total of eight items in all, scattered across the office desk.

Afterward, he unfolded the "Changchun Zhenren" painting and tapped away on the computer.

The group gathered around to look carefully.

It was still an imitation, the signature was still Fan Zheng, and overall, the artistic standard was higher than that "Sword-Sharpening Picture," and it was better preserved.

Looking closer, the mounting materials this time were much better: the backing was Raw Xuan Paper, the top and bottom borders were Suzhou-made lake-colored silk, and the scroll ends were Red Sandalwood. Although it didn't reach the level of the Imperial Palace, it was at least at the level of officials and merchants.

Looking at the painting core again, Hao Jun and Zhao Xiuneng looked at each other: Tribute Paper, Tribute Ink, and Tribute colors (pigments) again?

What does that mean? It means this painting was also imitated inside the Imperial Palace.

But this one wasn't smoked; why didn't they see it at the time?

Just as they didn't know what to say, Ye Anning let out an "Oh": "Congratulating Changchun Zhenren... Changchun Zhenren?"

"And this Daoist name, it sounds a bit familiar?"

Zhao Xiuneng was stunned for a moment: "The Daoist Jing said that what is painted on this is the Quanzhen Sect leader Qiu Chuji!"

It is definitely not Qiu Chuji.

Ye Anning didn't respond; she lifted her head and tried hard to recall: "And this painting, I seem to have seen it somewhere?"

If you've seen it, then that's right: the original of the imitation is now hidden in the Forbidden City.

Ye Anning felt the Daoist name was familiar because the Daoist name Yongzheng bestowed upon Qianlong was "Changchun Jushi," and the Daoist Fan, to show respect, called him "Zhenren."

As for feeling the painting was familiar: the Forbidden City houses tens of thousands of paintings; it is impossible for Ye Anning to remember every single one. To have a vague impression and feel she had seen it, one would have to praise her for having a good memory.

Lin Sicheng smiled and turned the computer screen around.

The group leaned forward, but after just one look, like a snake flicking its tongue, a series of gasps sounded: "Hiss," "Hiss," "Hiss," "Hiss," "Hiss"...

Wearing a winter court hat, a black dragon collar around the neck, dressed in a bright yellow Dragon Robe... who is this?

There was an inscription on the side: An auspicious day in the eighth month of the first year of Qianlong.

This is a portrait of Qianlong's enthronement... no need to guess, it is definitely a realistic portrait painted by Giuseppe Castiglione.

Looking at the other painting, seven or eight people opened their eyes wide in unison.

The male Daoist leaning against the tree—isn't he the same person as the one in the Qianlong portrait?

Looking closer, the more they looked, the more alike it seemed, the more they looked, the more alike it seemed...

Just as they were stunned, Lin Sicheng clicked the mouse, the image on the screen changed, and it switched to one that was almost identical.

Identical clothing, identical composition, identical scenery, and even the lines, Rendering, and coloring were exactly the same.

There was only one point: the male Daoist in the painting was slightly different.

Looking at the inscription on the computer painting: "Yinzhen's Leisurely Life: Riding a Raft to Immortality"!

Even if you brought a primary school student over, they could see it: the one on the table was imitated based on the one on the computer. The only difference was replacing the young Yongzheng with the young Qianlong.

So, isn't this a Qianlong Portrait?

How rare is it?

It can be said like this: there are seventy-two documented Qianlong Portraits in existence, sixty-nine of which are treasured in the Forbidden City, Yonghe Temple, and Potala Palace.

The remaining three are abroad: two in the British Museum and one in the Freer Gallery of Art.

There are none in private collections, whether domestic or foreign, whether by famous masters or anonymous artists.

The key is that for this type of work, there is no need to look at artistic standards or artistic conception; you just look at whether it looks like the person.

Look again, does it look like him?

I wouldn't say one hundred percent, but at least seventy or eighty percent.

But it's not that the Daoist Fan didn't paint well; it's that the former is a realistic portrait, which has only one requirement: to be as accurate as possible.

The latter is a meticulous narrative painting with Daoist cultivation themes, which must retain a certain amount of artistic processing.

Conversely, no matter how many are in the Forbidden City, they can't be taken out for auction, and the three abroad are even more out of the question. In this way, isn't this the only Qianlong Portrait circulating among the public?

Hao Jun's eyes glowed: if he were given this painting, he could open a special "Imperial Portrait" auction. From now on, as the General Manager of Rongbaozhai, even if the Heavenly King himself came, he couldn't be replaced...

Suddenly, his breathing became heavy. Just as Hao Jun moved his lips, Lin Sicheng waved his hand: "Senior Brother Hao, don't be in such a hurry..."

As he spoke, he opened the last painting, the one of riding a raft to immortality, and tapped on the keyboard.

Several people looked over in unison, not knowing what to say.

On the table: "Yinzhen's Leisurely Life: Riding a Raft to Immortality"!

On the computer screen: Forbidden City collection, "Yongzheng Portrait."

It was even more similar than the two Qianlong ones. The only difference: in the painting, the Daoist-robed Yongzheng is fifty years old. On the computer, the Yongzheng wearing a peacock feather and holding a golden lingzhi is forty years old.

There are even fewer of these; regardless of domestic or foreign, there are only seventeen in total. Similarly, there are none in private collections.

Does that mean this is the eighteenth Yongzheng Portrait?

As for the price... it has never circulated on the market, who the hell would dare to appraise it?

In an instant, Hao Jun's lips trembled. Just as he was about to say something, Lin Sicheng smiled: "Senior Brother Hao, I will definitely allow you to have one in the end, but wait until I finish speaking!"

Afterward, he took out that Incense Burner:

"The *Veritable Records of the Qing* records: When Shang (Yongzheng) was Prince Yong, he searched widely for high-minded scholars and styled himself 'Lay Buddhist Yuanming'... The *Draft History of Qing* also records: (In the 40th year of Kangxi) (Yongzheng) took elixirs and refined cinnabar at his private residence..."

"Including the *Collection of the Princely Mansion* (a collection of essays from Yongzheng's time as an imperial prince) and the *Recorded Sayings of Lay Buddhist Yuanming* (Yongzheng's own compiled insights on Daoist cultivation), both contain detailed records: roughly starting from the age of twenty-two or twenty-three, Emperor Yongzheng began practicing Daoism, and he continued until he passed away..."

"But in the early period, because Emperor Kangxi did not have much interest in Daoism, calling it 'illusory and without substance' and 'mostly people who are idle and have no clothes or food,' Yongzheng practiced very discreetly."

"After ascending the throne, because he was busy with government affairs, he practiced intermittently. It was not until Yongzheng's eighth year when he fell gravely ill, and hundreds of imperial physicians in the Forbidden City were at their wits' end, that he was cured by the Daoist Priest Jia Shifang, whom Li Wei had found; after that, Yongzheng became unstoppable..."

"The *Archives of Living Records* (archives of the Zaozuochang) record: From the eighth year of Yongzheng, Yongzheng set up altars (for praying for blessings, performing fasts and offerings, and reporting to Heaven) in places like the Qianqing Palace, Yangxin Hall, Chengrui Pavilion, Qin'an Hall, and Yonghe Temple, and publicly issued an edict to the governors of all provinces to 'seek out people with exquisite medical skills and mastery of elixirs to come to Beijing,' after which they were centrally arranged to live in the Qianqiu Pavilion in the back garden..."

"Including the charcoal, mineral silver, sulfur, black lead, and other alchemy materials purchased by the Imperial Household Department, all have detailed records... And the place for alchemy was set up at the Kuoran Dagong in the Old Summer Palace..."

"This is one of the twenty-four scenes of the Old Summer Palace; legend has it that when it was built, two cranes perched here, so it is also called the Shuanghe Studio. Therefore, all vessels used for offerings, alchemy, and display were inscribed with 'Shuanghe'..."

Lin Sicheng pointed to the belly of the Incense Burner and then flipped it over: "It was also that year that Yongzheng changed his Daoist title from 'Lay Buddhist Yuanming' to 'Lay Buddhist Pochen,' meaning 'shedding one's mortal shell' and 'Nirvana breaking through the dust'..."

Several people were stunned and speechless, staring fixedly at the two flying cranes on the belly of the Incense Burner and the mark on the bottom: Lay Buddhist Pochen.

Everyone knew that Yongzheng revered Daoism and practiced alchemy, and there were quite a few who knew the inference that historians made regarding Yongzheng's sudden death—that it was nine times out of ten caused by lead and mercury poisoning from excessive consumption of elixirs, including Wang Qi Zhi, Shang Yan, Hao Jun, and Zhao Xiuneng.

But it lasted less than six years in total, and afterwards, Qianlong issued a gag order; documents were burned, and objects were smashed. So, how many people could know the cause, the detailed process, or even where he prayed for blessings, where he practiced alchemy, where the Daoist priests lived, and what the characteristics of the cultivation and display vessels in each place were, and so on and so forth?

Ye Anning should know some, but she spent ten whole years in the Forbidden City following Dan Wangshu. As for Lin Sicheng, until now, he had never even seen which way the gates of the Forbidden City faced.

So, he deserved to pick up a bargain...

The office was unusually quiet; several people stared at the Incense Burner and the two paintings, their hearts feeling complex and inexplicable.

After a long while, Wang Qi Zhi let out a breath: "What about the rest?"

Lin Sicheng picked up the Hetian Jade seal of *Clear River Hermit*: "This is the founding master of Daoist Priest Jing, Fan Qinghe, the tenth-generation successor of the Quanzhen Sect Longmen Sect. His original name was Fan Zheng, courtesy name Zhengze. The *Lanzhou Prefecture Gazetteer* states of him: His family had ten thousand taels of gold, yet he abandoned it to study the Dao... and was proficient in internal alchemy, I Ching, Physiognomy, medicine, calligraphy, and painting..."

"How he arrived in Beijing is unknown, and when he entered the palace is also unknown, but he must have been deeply favored by Yongzheng and Qianlong... Looking at the brushwork and painting skill of these few pieces, they are only at a medium-to-high level. Yet in the end, he was able to bring out so many things, so I estimate that Fan Qinghe's medical skills must have been very high..."

Did this even need estimating?

How many court painters were there in the Qing Dynasty? At that time, masters like Giuseppe Castiglione, Jiao Bingzhen, and Leng Mei were in their prime; how would it ever be a Daoist priest's turn to paint portraits for two emperors?

The *Veritable Records of the Qing* records it even more clearly; Qianlong issued a gag order as soon as he ascended the throne and drove the group of Daoist priests who refined elixirs for Yongzheng out of the palace:

"The Imperial Father (Yongzheng), in his spare time from ten thousand affairs, heard of the talk of furnace fire cultivation from the outside. The Imperial Heart knew deeply that it was false and merely wished to test and observe the technique... Thus, he placed Zhang Taixu, Wang Dingqian, and others in the vacant land of the West Garden. The Imperial Heart viewed them as one would actors; he never listened to a single word from them, nor did he use a single medicine of theirs... Now, I shall drive them out and have each return to their native place."

"They usually do not keep to their duties, are arrogant and perverse, confuse the world and deceive the people, and have violated the Discipline Inspection Commission... If they fabricate claims of having spoken a single word or sentence before the late Emperor (Yongzheng), once investigated and heard, they shall be strictly arrested and investigated, and immediately executed according to the law..."

Qing historians base their inference that Yongzheng died suddenly from lead and mercury poisoning due to excessive elixir consumption on this. But Fan Qinghe was able to bring the Emperor's portraits out of the palace and was even granted an Incense Burner by Yongzheng; one can see how great the Imperial Favor was, right?

After calculating everything, it all comes down to medical skills.

Therefore, just by virtue of that Incense Burner and those two paintings, even if Fan Qinghe hadn't left a single word in historical records, this seal could be called a treasure.

Lin Sicheng picked up the Field Yellow Stone seal of *Righteousness Hermit*: "Liu Yiming, original name Liu Wanzhou, a native of Pingyang, Shanxi, styled Righteousness, self-styled Unrestrained Hermit... His ancestors were Shanxi merchants, and the Liu family were powerful clans in Pingyang for generations... At seventeen, he fell gravely ill. Over five years, he visited famous doctors in the three provinces of Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Gansu, but no medicine could cure him..."

"Later, he went to Qiyun Mountain in Yuzhong and met Daoist Fan, who cured him in one month. Afterwards, Liu Yiming took Fan Qinghe as his master, inherited his entire mantle, and later founded the Zizai Sect, styling himself Free Daoist... So strictly speaking, Liu Yiming is the true founding master of Daoist Priest Jing..."

"Relatively speaking, Liu Yiming is more famous than Fan Qinghe: the *Lanzhou Prefecture Gazetteer*, the *Gaolan County Gazetteer*, and the Longmen Sect's *Huandan Rapid Shaking* all contain records: he was proficient in alchemy, I Ching, divination, physiognomy, medicine, calligraphy, painting, literature, and more; there was nothing he did not master, nothing he did not excel at..."

"He left behind many works: *Twelve Types of Daoist Books* (Essentials of Alchemy), *Travels of Subu* (Geography), *Secret Compendium of the Green Bag* (Divination Classic), *Explication of the True Meaning of the Zhou Yi*, *Commentary on the Yin Fu Jing* (Medicine), *Immortal Transmitted Prescriptions for Saving the World* (Medical Book), *Subu Physiognomy Classic* (Physiognomy), and so on and so forth... He can be called a genius among all-rounders..."

Saying "Free Perfected Person" or "Unrestrained Hermit" would certainly mean no one knows, and saying "Righteousness Hermit" would likely mean few know.

But once "Liu Yiming" was mentioned, Zhao Xiuneng suddenly realized: years ago, when the old lady was still in good health, she had even helped the Lanzhou Museum restore two of Liu Yiming's paintings.

Looking at this seal again, the two-inch square Field Yellow Stone alone is worth fifty or sixty thousand. Adding the three words "Liu Yiming," it would at least double in value.

Thinking secretly to himself, Zhao Xiuneng made up his mind to ask Lin Sicheng later; if he were to sell it, he would immediately make a call to Lanzhou.

At most, in three days, a buyer would come to the door.

"What about this one? Is it also a Daoist seal of Daoist Priest Jing's ancestor? But why is it so small..."

Wang Qi Zhi muttered as he picked up the last seal.

Lin Sicheng was just about to explain, but the words reached his lips and he swallowed them back.

It is no exaggeration at all; the moment he picked up the seal, Wang Qi Zhi was suddenly startled. Afterwards, his two eyeballs bulged out bit by bit, wishing they could be nailed onto the seal.

What is this... Lay Buddhist Yuanming?

What did Lin Sicheng say just now?

In the eighth year of Yongzheng, Yongzheng changed his Daoist title from "Lay Buddhist Yuanming" to "Lay Buddhist Pochen"... Had it even been an hour since he finished speaking?

Looking at the seal again, the material is merely Shoushan stone, but the key is the seal script and the engraving: standard Jade Chop Seal Script, even in thickness, hiding the sharpness without revealing it, as round and smooth as jade chopsticks.

The lines are firm and heavy, the composition is balanced and harmonious, the layout is appropriately spaced, and even the depth of the strokes is exactly the same... This is clearly the engraving style of the jade workshop of the Imperial Household Department.

So this seal, who else could it be?

Seeing him stunned and motionless, Shang Yan tilted her head and took a look. First, she was stunned, and then, as if she had seen a ghost, she jerked backward.

Hao Jun and Zhao Xiuneng were completely confused, thinking that no matter how good this thing was, could it be better than two imperial portraits?

Suspiciously, they also leaned in, and then, their eyes were as if they had gone blind.

What is this?

This damn thing is an Imperial Seal...