Chapter 273: Visiting and Inspecting

The old Dean recounted the sequence of events, speaking in an understated tone.

Deputy Director Ma looked at the documents in his hands, his expression dazed.

The news had come too suddenly, so suddenly that it felt unreal.

Before this, Deputy Director Ma had already mentally prepared himself to be disciplined, or even dismissed from his post...

After a long moment of astonishment, he looked up: "Lin Sicheng gave this? But Professor Wang and Northwest University, they actually didn't stop him?"

"Why would they stop him?"

The old Dean was exceptionally calm, "The main body of the research is still Xida, and the owner of the project results is still Lin Sicheng. They are just letting us attach our name to it; what loss do they have?"

"The thesis will be published as it should, the journal will print it as it should, and not a single name of Xida or Lin Sicheng will be missing; it will just be a few days later. It is nothing more than adding the prefix of the 'Cultural Relics Research Institute', but the influence will not decrease; on the contrary, it will be higher."

"Most importantly, not only can we help them maximize the benefits of applying the results, but we also help them save more than a year or two of time. It is equivalent to a win-win-win for all three parties; why would Northwest University not agree?"

Ma Qinglin realized this belatedly.

Strictly speaking, BTA Technology only accounts for a very small proportion in the field of metal corrosion inhibition. Moreover, more than sixty percent is concentrated in the field of archaeological research applications.

If it followed the normal development: Lin Sicheng would first publish a thesis, Xida would report it upward, it would be reviewed level by level, evaluated level by level, and only then could they apply for a patent, and then complete the certification and registration.

After registration, they would still have to apply to formulate the "Scientific Research Results Application Standards," which would first have to be reported to the province, and only after the provincial department's review was qualified could it be reported to the Bureau, and then experts would be organized for acceptance and evaluation.

By the time these procedures were finished, Xida and Lin Sicheng would be able to authorize the application units. From start to finish, it would take at least two to three years.

But giving it to the Cultural Relics Research Institute... well, to be precise, giving it to the Cultural Relics Bureau: the one reporting is them, the one reviewing is them, and the one formulating the standards is them. How much effort does this save?

Of course, verification, review, evaluation, and application standards, etc., will certainly not be missing. But more than sixty percent of the intermediate links can be reduced. If Deputy Director Ma follows up closely, it is entirely possible to shorten this process to three to four months.

And compared to this, these are only secondary; the key lies in: this is technology, not a product. Others do not need to buy it from you; if they know the formula, they can prepare it themselves.

Even more crucially, those who can apply this technology are all provincial and municipal archaeological and cultural heritage institutions. Even if you know others are infringing, even if you go to court one by one, and even if you can win in the end, what about the time and cost?

It is even an unknown whether it can be executed effectively.

But giving it to the Cultural Relics Bureau is different: you dare to infringe on the research results of your superior competent department? Do you not want to have a good future anymore?

Believe it or not, the transfer fee won't need a single discount, and each unit will pay faster than the last?

And no matter how shameless the Cultural Relics Research Institute is, they wouldn't return kindness with ingratitude, harbor crooked thoughts to embezzle this money; they would certainly transfer every cent to Xida...

Thinking secretly, Deputy Director Ma let out an "Eh": "This doesn't quite seem like... Professor Wang's style?"

"Can Wang Qi Zhi calculate this finely? He doesn't know the cost of firewood and rice without managing a household; give him eighty, and he dares to spend one hundred and twenty for you..."

Then that is Lin Sicheng?

This kid is not bad, at least better than himself: he knows how to do the math!

Deputy Director Ma knew clearly: he also belongs to the type the old Dean mentioned, the kind who, if given eighty, dares to spend one hundred and twenty...

"The kid is quite smart, knowing how to maximize the benefits. But for us, this is like sending charcoal in snowy weather..."

The old Dean paused slightly and tapped the table again, "I will retire at the end of the year; don't count on this favor being repaid by me!"

Deputy Director Ma nodded solemnly: "Old Dean, I understand!"

"As long as you understand!"

The old Dean sighed again, "You should know now why he clearly handed the full set of data to me, yet still gave you a research direction on the 'Photocatalytic Passivation Mechanism' as if it were a free gift?"

Deputy Director Ma was stunned for a moment, then fell silent.

If we can cooperate once, we can cooperate a second time. Deputy Director Ma, we have a long road ahead, let's keep the water flowing... That is what Lin Sicheng means.

To put it bluntly: to prevent the Cultural Relics Research Institute or Deputy Director Ma from acting unethically, this is showing his muscles in advance.

Thinking of this, Ma Qinglin could neither laugh nor cry: "No... even if there is no foundation for cooperation, we wouldn't be that base, would we?"

"This is called taking precautions: just because we don't do it doesn't mean others won't."

The old Dean gloated, "It's what they call 'a fall into the pit, a gain in your wit'; this kid was screwed over in Shanxi!"

"Ah?" Deputy Director Ma was stunned for a moment, "Shanxi, Hejin Kiln?"

"Right, just what he talked about this morning: he had just finished finding the kiln site when he was kicked out..."

This logic isn't right, is it? Since he was kicked out, why is he still working so hard?

Hmm, that doesn't seem right either: what he is researching now is not just one Hejin Kiln...

The more Deputy Director Ma thought about it, the more wrong it felt: he has researched to this extent, how could the subsequent excavation and research possibly be without him?

Instinctively, his heart skipped a beat, and Deputy Director Ma observed a three-minute silence for his colleagues in Shanxi.

"That's roughly it, get ready, meeting!"

The old Dean looked at his watch and pointed to the documents, "If no one brings it up later, you bring it up!"

Deputy Director Ma understood immediately: "Okay, Dean!"

As long as it is an academic meeting, it is basically held at the Wenbo Building, so the Bureau leaders all have spare offices here.

The three people turned around the tea table and sat in a circle on the sofa. Sun Jiamu spoke unhurriedly, Liu Shuxian listened very attentively, while Wu Hui was fiddling with the tea set on the side.

The water boiled with a "gurgle," and Wu Hui brewed a pot and poured a cup for each person.

Liu Shuxian took the Tea Cup and sighed again: "This kid has something!"

More than just something, isn't it too much?

Asking himself, if he were leading the team, could he find all six kiln sites within four months?

Let alone researching the craftsmanship and technology of over a dozen types of famous porcelain thoroughly and proving their correlation?

No matter how Sun Jiamu thought about it, it felt like a fantasy.

"Then what is his point of appeal?" Director Liu sipped his tea, "Going to such great lengths, he must be aiming for something, right?"

"Restoring the craftsmanship of Luan Bai Yu Ci, which is the Northern Song Dynasty Hutian Kiln Shadow Blue Porcelain!"

Wu Hui put down the tea cup, walked over, and opened the box, "Department Head, you look at this first!"

Liu Shuxian was stunned for a moment, and Sun Jiamu was also stunned for a moment:

Four cups, each one thinner than the last, each one more translucent than the last.

The body is fine and clean, the glaze color is clear and lustrous, like jade.

Now, comparing them with the Shadow Blue Porcelain Cultural Relics in the collections of the Palace Museum and the National Museum of China, what are the differences?

In fact, does the imitation porcelain feel even better?

Wu Hui pointed and said, "This is the fourth kiln Lin Sicheng fired before coming to Beijing. According to him, compared to the Hutian Kiln Shadow Blue Porcelain in the exhibition hall, there is still a gap. The similarity is at most ninety percent..."

"First is the mechanism of the glaze color: the main coloring element of Shadow Blue Porcelain is iron, and the interference of trace elements is very low. But these pieces not only have the beryllium, titanium, and manganese of the Hejin Kiln Fine White Porcelain added, but also trace amounts of cobalt..."

"Secondly, if observed with the naked eye, the glaze color is basically the same. But if optical testing is performed, one will find errors in the crystalline phase... Lin Sicheng claims this is caused by the difference in the details of the anorthite microcrystals precipitated on the glaze surface."

"To put it simply: it lacks the specific firing curve of the original porcelain, that is, core data such as phased temperature control, kiln atmosphere, and the secondary crystallization rate during the cooling process..."

"These points cannot be deduced through standard sample analysis; one must excavate the site and refer to the kiln composition, analyze ash residue, kiln sweat, and other remains..."

Wu Hui spoke eloquently, and Liu Shuxian nodded repeatedly, though his eyes were fixed tightly on the four cups on the table.

Sun Jiamu was even more stunned, as if struck dumb.

They had seen the restoration of ancient porcelain crafts and the imitation of famous ancient porcelain before: the Palace Museum Ceramics Research Institute, the Cultural Relics Research Institute, Jingdezhen University, and the Jingdezhen Ceramics Research Institute were all similar institutions.

There were even more in the second tier, such as various Provincial Museums.

He had also seen the finished imitation products, such as Ru Porcelain: the Palace Museum, Jingdezhen, the Ru Prefecture Ceramics Research Institute, and the Hebei Museum had all produced imitations.

But he had truly never seen anyone imitate this quickly. Even as Wu Hui said: it was not a one-hundred-percent restoration, it was still a bit off, at most ninety percent.

Still taking Ru Porcelain as an example: in 1987, some Ru Porcelain shards, as well as agate veins and raw glaze clay, were discovered at the Baofeng Qingliang Temple (the Northern Song Dynasty Ru Official Kiln site), and the Hebei Museum officially cracked the formula for the Ru Porcelain body and glaze.

But it was not until 2004 that the Hebei Museum basically achieved stable glaze color, bringing the similarity to over ninety percent.

And how long did Lin Sicheng take?

Four months?

Or perhaps, one month?

"The formula is easy to talk about; it's nothing more than following the pattern, deducing based on test results, and then finding suitable porcelain clay, or mixing it if it can't be found... But what about the solid-state reaction (glaze layer crystallization) and fire control technology?"

The more Liu Shuxian thought about it, the more incredible he found it. "Without knowing the specific structure of the kiln, one can only rely on guessing. But it's impossible to hit ninety percent after only four or five test firings, right?"

It is no exaggeration: the probability of success is lower than spending two yuan and winning five million.

If one were to say Lin Sicheng was just lucky, then why bother with research? Wouldn't buying a lottery ticket be better?

Wu Hui was concise: "He copied it!"

What?

Department Head Liu looked strange: "How did he copy it?"

The Hejin Kiln hasn't been excavated, and the Song Dynasty Hutian Shadow Blue Porcelain kiln site was long ago destroyed completely by the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Where could he have copied it from?

Wu Hui sighed: If I say that Lin Sicheng not only copied blindly but also threw things together randomly, and did so right in front of me, will the Department Head curse?

"Although the Hejin Kiln hasn't been excavated and the Hutian Shadow Blue Kiln no longer exists, the Ming Dynasty Sweet White Glaze, the Dehua white from the Ming and Qing periods, and the Qing Dynasty Thin-body Porcelain sites are preserved quite completely. Lin Sicheng deduced things based on the kiln structures of these porcelains and simulated models for the Hejin Kiln and the Shadow Blue Porcelain kiln..."

Wu Hui spoke in a flat, narrative tone, but to Department Head Liu and Sun Jiamu, it sounded like a myth: they had never heard of piecing together several types of kilns to deduce the kiln structure of a newly discovered porcelain.

After a long while, Liu Shuxian turned back: "Old Sun, have you ever seen research done this way?"

Sun Jiamu shook his head like a rattle-drum: let alone seen it, he hadn't even heard of it.

The Gourd Kiln is used for Sweet White Glaze, the Step Kiln was used for Dehua white in the Ming Dynasty, the Chicken Cage Kiln was used in the Qing Dynasty, and the Qing Dynasty Thin-body Porcelain used the Town Kiln (Egg-shaped Kiln)... To put it bluntly, these types are not the same thing at all.

The shapes are different, the sizes are different, and the internal structures are even more different.

Of course, there must be a connection, otherwise, the same type of porcelain couldn't be fired. But the problem is, there are so many constituent factors, who knows which part causes the connection?

So, even if you are copying, what can you copy? Not to mention piecing it together randomly?

Instinctively, Department Head Liu became particularly curious about the model Lin Sicheng had simulated, as described by Wu Hui: "What does the kiln he created look like?"

"It's very strange!" Wu Hui gestured, "Double Fire Chamber, double smoke chambers, long smoke flues... built against a mountain, but not a cave-style kiln; instead, it's a pit dug into the ground..."

Department Head Liu tried to imagine it, but had no clue.

"And then?"

"Then, when going to exchange standard samples, he had his Partner borrow research data on Yongle Sweet White Glaze from the Jingdezhen Ceramics Research Institute, and also had Wang Qi Zhi borrow research data on Ming Dynasty Eggshell Cups and Chenghua Doucai from the Palace Museum."

"Afterwards, he scraped some process data on Dehua White Gauze Porcelain and Dehua White Paper Porcelain from websites, synthesized it all, and started test firing..."

Suddenly, four eyes widened.

Synthesizing process data from various famous porcelains to imitate ancient porcelain?

I recognize these characters individually, but put together... what the hell is this?

That's right, the Jingdezhen Ceramics Research Institute is indeed restoring the Sweet White Glaze process, but they have just broken through the raw material formula; things like light-transmitting texture and kiln firing control have only just begun. What's the use of borrowing that?

Even if the Palace Museum is wealthy, it's impossible for them to do composition analysis on Eggshell Cups or Chenghua Doucai; they only do some visual research, such as appearance and coloring.

At most, they add some speculation, such as fire control processes or glaze-forming factors; even if they lent you the data, you wouldn't be able to use it.

Dehua white thin-body porcelain has indeed undergone systematic craft restoration research, but they took a different path: semi-restoration, semi-innovation.

To put it bluntly: the so-called White Gauze Porcelain and White Paper Porcelain are all modern craft porcelains. What's the use of scraping that data?

Let alone synthesizing these data together to do some kind of imitation firing?

Liu Shuxian dared to guarantee: nine times out of ten, you'd fire a kiln full of slag.

Even if you could fire a finished product, what you'd get would be a mess.

"It is indeed a mess!"

Wu Hui nodded, took out a cup, and poured some tea into it, "This is what Lin Sicheng fired the first time!"

Glancing at it, Department Head Liu and Sun Jiamu were both stunned.

Thin as paper, dense as fat, moist as jade, yet translucent as ice?

Both moist and translucent?

Clearly two opposite visual sensations, yet they could be embodied in the same object?

Look closely again: regardless of the body, glaze, or coloration, what difference is there compared to those four cups beside it?

It is nothing more than being a bit greener and having no patterns.

Even, to the naked eye, the sensory perception is better than those four...

After looking for a long time, Sun Jiamu raised his head: "The first kiln?"

Wu Hui nodded: "The first kiln!"

"No... his core data and fire control craft were all cobbled together randomly, how could it be fired into this?"

Not to mention Sun Jiamu couldn't figure it out, even Wu Hui himself couldn't figure it out.

But the problem is, whether it was Lin Sicheng researching those borrowed data or scraping theses from the internet, Wu Hui was there the whole time.

When Lin Sicheng relied solely on imagination to piece together several kiln structures and fabricated a furnace type never seen before, Wu Hui was also there.

Even, he helped out a bit and offered some opinions.

And then, the "four-unlike" that was fired out reached a quality that was astonishing?

The two were experts after all, but thinking of what Wu Hui said earlier about Lin Sicheng's process of random mixing and matching, Department Head Liu and Sun Jiamu felt as if they had seen a ghost: can ancient porcelain craft restoration be done like this?

But as long-time partners for many years, the two would not suspect Wu Hui of lying.

Besides, he and Lin Sicheng had no family or personal ties, and it would be exposed with a single poke, so there was simply no need...

Feeling stunned, Liu Shuxian stared at the cup and examined it for a long time.

Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes: "This cup, why is it so strange? It seems to resemble all the types you just mentioned?"

"It really does resemble them all, otherwise why call it a 'four-unlike'?"

Wu Hui nodded, "If you look at the glaze accumulation, it is shadowy and indistinct, appearing and disappearing, which exactly matches the characteristics of Shadow Blue Porcelain."

"Look at the rim of the body, it is nearly translucent, showing shadows when lit, yet it is as warm and moist as jade, giving one a gentle and sweet-clean feeling... even the Yongle Sweet White Glaze in the exhibition hall is only at this level."

"Look at the cup wall, the body is as thin as a cicada's wing, transparent against the light, and the water patterns outside the cup are clearly visible, which happens to combine the body structure and optical characteristics of the Chenghua Doucai, Three Autumn, and Chicken Cup."

"Look at the whole: light, beautiful, bright as glass, with a greenish and lustrous glaze, isn't it exactly the same as the Dehua white thin-body porcelain of the Ming and Qing dynasties?"

Every time he mentioned a point, Liu Shuxian's eyes would brighten, and then he would nod.

Sun Jiamu's expression was both surprised and strange: saying it was a "four-unlike," yet in the end, it became like all four?

Not to mention how high the similarity with Shadow Blue Porcelain was, just this point alone was enough to call Lin Sicheng a talent.

Liu Shuxian straightened his back: "Old Wu, how high is the simulation of this one?"

"Not high, but very balanced!"

Very balanced, what does that mean?

At first glance, Liu Shuxian didn't quite understand, but after a moment of thought, he suddenly realized: since it resembles all four types of porcelain, doesn't it mean it must possess a bit of the characteristics of each?

Wu Hui nodded: "The raw material formula is closer to Shadow Blue Porcelain, the light-transmitting texture is closer to Sweet White Glaze, and the physical and optical structure is closer to the Eggshell Cup and Doucai."

"But the overall coloration is closer to Dehua white... especially the Onion Root White of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties; if observed only with the naked eye, there is basically no difference between the two..."

"A total of three pieces were fired in the first kiln. Besides this cup, which has slightly more glaze accumulation, there was also a bowl. Those two pieces were used for analysis and testing; I didn't memorize the specific data, but the similarity of each item to the various ancient porcelains was roughly around 67%—73%!"

Liu Shuxian's eyes shimmered with brilliance: what is the concept of a seventy percent data ratio?

It can be said: Lin Sicheng has already restored more than half of the craft for these four types of porcelain. He has basically broken through the raw material formula, chemical composition, mechanical structure, glaze setting, and even crystal formation.

What hasn't been broken through is just the Reduction Flame curve, segmented temperature control, and slow-cooling solid phase.

To put it plainly, it is just missing one fire control technique.

As long as the Northern Song Dynasty Hejin Kiln Fine White Porcelain site is uncovered, Lin Sicheng will be able to deduce the structure of the Hutian Kiln Shadow Blue Porcelain furnace. Because it has been verified that the two crafts have a hereditary relationship and are from the same period, the kiln types for the two porcelains will not change much.

As for the remaining three, Lin Sicheng doesn't even need to deduce: with Wang Qi Zhi's connections and ability, getting the relevant core information from Jingdezhen is not that difficult, right?

It means that for the three porcelain crafts of Sweet White Glaze, Doucai body, and Dehua white thin-body porcelain, it is only a matter of time before Lin Sicheng restores them.

Relatively speaking, even if craft restoration does not account for a high proportion of archaeological work, it is enough to make Liu Shuxian shocked.

Because these crafts were all pieced together by Lin Sicheng in a way that was nearly like random copying and cobbling.

Setting aside the identities of leaders and experts, or even if a few experts were pulled over from the Forbidden City, the National Museum of China, or the Cultural Relics Research Institute, who wouldn't be shocked upon hearing this?

And no one can figure it out, because this simply cannot be explained by science...

"Shadow Blue Porcelain, Sweet White Glaze, and even Chenghua Doucai?"

Sun Jiamu seemed lost in thought, "If Jingdezhen knew, they would probably regret it until they vomited blood!"

Lending data to Lin Sicheng, changing standard samples—does this mean the bullets the opponents finally used to attack them were all provided by themselves?

Wu Hui shook his head: "Not necessarily!"

Having spent so much time together, he also had some understanding of Lin Sicheng: towards partners, friends, or those who have helped him, Lin Sicheng is not just broad-minded, but generous.

Even towards those he is cooperating with for the first time, he expresses goodwill as much as possible.

Just like when he first arrived in Shanxi, Lin Sicheng paid out of his own pocket, spent his own favors, and organized both an exploration team and a testing group. He found two or three kiln sites that could rewrite history and fill local gaps, yet did Lin Sicheng ever complain to the local authorities or show off his merits once?

Take this trip to Beijing for example, he transferred the BTA research results to the Cultural Relics Research Institute in the form of "commissioned packaging" and "leasing."

At first thought, it seems like Lin Sicheng did it for the purpose of maximizing the benefits of the results, but believe it or not, if he transferred it to several other places, the offer would only be higher than the Cultural Relics Research Institute?

This style of conduct has a bit of Mencius's "abiding in benevolence and following righteousness." So unless the other party harms him, Lin Sicheng will never burn his bridges.

Nine times out of ten, he would still choose a cooperative approach...

Hearing that Lin Sicheng had transferred the "BTA Technology" to the Cultural Relics Research Institute, Liu Shuxian nodded repeatedly: "This kid is not bad: clear-headed, dares to think and act, he is a talent!"

That goes without saying.

Wu Hui and Sun Jiamu nodded in unison.

Just as they were thinking this, Liu Shuxian's phone rang, and his secretary sent a piece of Information: Department Head, the time is up.

Looking at his watch again: two-twenty.

The three people woke up as if from a dream: they had been busy bragging and sighing, and hadn't discussed the real business at all.

Liu Shuxian checked the materials for the meeting, and Wu Hui seized the time to seek the leader's opinion: "Department Head, you set the general direction first!"

Liu Shuxian pondered for a moment.

Five kiln sites have been surveyed, involving six dynasties and over a dozen types of famous porcelain craftsmanship; whether in terms of influence or representativeness, it has already reached the peak.

It is inevitable that the Cultural Relics Bureau will preside over and guide the project, coordinating with local institutions for the excavation. At the same time, it may also require the collaboration of the Palace Museum and the Cultural Relics Research Institute's Ceramics Research Institute.

How many people to send, what level of experts, and the focus of the guidance—all these must be decided at the meeting later.

However, the persons in charge of each department have all heard the lecture this morning, so they basically have an idea in their minds.

Secondly, how should this "Northwest University Research Center" and Lin Sicheng be arranged?

What, not let him participate?

Impossible.

The kiln sites were found by them, the clues were collected by them, the craftsmanship correlations were verified by them, and they even restored most of the craftsmanship techniques.

In the end, when it comes to the site excavation, if you don't let them participate, what role could you play, and what would be the point?

While contemplating, Liu Shuxian stood up and picked up a folder: "For the six large and small sites, it is certainly unrealistic to pull everyone from the Bureau. Later, you should first bring it up: the Bureau is responsible for guidance and organization, the main force for the excavation remains the original survey team as the core, with local institutions assisting. If no one objects, then draft a report!"

How could anyone object?

The department heads attending the afternoon meeting had basically all heard the morning lecture. They all knew: Lin Sicheng had already done most of the work.

How dark and jealous would one's heart have to be to kick someone out at the final stage?

Not to mention, the Bureau just owed him a massive favor... Huh?

Why didn't I think of it just now? Lin Sicheng transferred the BTA Recompounding Technology to the Cultural Relics Research Institute—did he actually have this layer of consideration?

Secretly marveling, Wu Hui reminded him again: "Department Head, what about the research aspect? How should that be arranged?"

Liu Shuxian thought for a while and sighed again: "It's reached this point, is there any need for further research?"

Wu Hui was stunned: Am I also suffering from being unable to see what is right under my nose?

The morning lecture was so clear; it was equivalent to Lin Sicheng having deduced all the craftsmanship chain correlations and possibilities. Even if some minor details were missed, it was better than nothing.

From Beijing to Shanxi, the journey is exhausting, wasting money, manpower, and equipment, with poor food and lodging—all for some unnutritious leftovers?

They are all national-level research institutions, and the experts are among the best in the archaeological field; surely their heads haven't been kicked by a donkey?

Wu Hui could even imagine that he wouldn't even need to bring it up later; someone would definitely propose: Since Northwest University has invested so much and the research is so thorough, why not see it through to the end?

In this way, it would be equivalent to everything meeting Lin Sicheng's expectations: the excavation is him, and the research is still him?

"If no one brings it up, then you bring it up. If no one objects, then draft the report as usual!"

Liu Shuxian paused slightly, "Of course, prepare for two possibilities, such as insufficient manpower or inadequate technical strength..."

Wu Hui nodded solemnly: "Leader, I understand!"

The two were talking as they arrived at the conference room.

Just as they stepped through the door, the clock's hands pointed to two-thirty.

The meeting proceeded as planned, with the main agenda: the Hejin Kiln Site excavation plan and the research on craftsmanship correlations.

As expected, it did not exceed Deputy Department Head Wu's expectations; Deputy Dean Ma was the first to propose:

The Bureau has limited manpower and many responsibilities; it can preside over and organize, and even send expert groups to guide. But the specific excavation should still be done in conjunction with local archaeological institutions.

At the same time, he proposed: Since the Archaeology Department (Wu Hui) and the Archaeology Management Division (Sun Jiamu) had both conducted field inspections and supervision, and had given high affirmation and evaluation to the original survey unit, why not follow the established precedent?

Then he mentioned: The Cultural Relics Research Institute will send people to accompany the team for inspection. If they find discrepancies between the field research and the content of the morning lecture, they will certainly reorganize the team to guide and conduct joint research with local institutions. Conversely, there is no need to waste resources.

Finally, he added jokingly: The current Hejin Kiln is not even as good as a chicken rib; it is more like a bun that has already been chewed over by someone else.

The words were blunt but true. The units that were originally curious and wanted to go along to watch the fun immediately backed out: If you can't even get a bite of hot food when eating leftovers, why go?

Wu Hui watched coldly from the sidelines, seeing it through to the end.

Including Sun Jiamu, who defined himself as a supporting act and intended to speak at a critical moment, he never got a word in from start to finish.

The two secretly sighed: Deputy Dean Ma is indeed still that Deputy Dean Ma; when there is something to be done, he really steps up...

Therefore, the discussion process was surprisingly smooth: unanimously passed!

At the end, just as the meeting was about to adjourn, Director Lv suddenly raised his hand: "Department Head Liu, can the Palace Museum Ceramics Research Institute participate in this excavation?"

Liu Shuxian was taken aback: "Of course!"

If one were to rank the national ancient ceramics research institutions, the Palace Museum Ceramics Research Institute is the undisputed first. Whether in terms of research capability, expert reserves, collections, or even research history and foundation, it is higher than the Cultural Relics Research Institute's Ceramics Research Institute.

If the Palace Museum isn't qualified, then who is?

Liu Shuxian signaled the Clerk, meaning for him to take notes. Then he turned back: "Director Lv, could you tell me the specific plan, such as which experts are going, what equipment is needed, and any other requirements, so I can have logistics prepare in advance!"

"Thank you, Department Head Liu. It's not that troublesome for now; we will follow along to take a look first. Just as Dean Wu said, if we find discrepancies or anything wrong, it won't be too late to organize personnel to research it then."

Lv Chenglong smiled, "We plan to first visit the Northwest University Cultural Relics Protection and Restoration Center, and then take a look at their process of tracing the origins of Hejin Porcelain and Shadow Blue Porcelain. If we could see the specific data and information, that would be even better..."

Liu Shuxian paused slightly and exchanged a look with Wu Hui. Unanimously, a strange look flashed in both of their eyes: So it was out of curiosity?

It's very normal; with Lin Sicheng's cheat-like operations, it would be strange not to be curious.

But they will definitely go full of expectations and return feeling deeply disappointed.

The survey process is still a bit better; although it is still shocking, at least there is evidence to follow and logic to rely on. But the craftsmanship tracing process is guaranteed to shock anyone who sees it.

For example: it's like an exam paper that is completely beyond the syllabus, with content that has never been studied, but Lin Sicheng guessed and pieced things together to get a perfect score?

It's even to the point where there is basically no process to speak of, just all answers...

In a flash, Liu Shuxian nodded: "Good, Director Lv, make a list after you go down and hand it to Xiao Hu!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ma Qinglin also raised his hand: "Department Head Liu, Director Ma, the Cultural Relics Research Institute also originally had an inspection plan. Since we are all taking the opportunity of this excavation, why not arrange it together."

Compared to that, the Cultural Relics Research Institute is even more curious than the Palace Museum:

With the same research direction and the same application field, the Xida Research Center only used half their time, and other costs were perhaps less than one-tenth, yet they left the Cultural Relics Research Institute a hundred thousand miles behind?

Reasonably and emotionally, they have to go to that laboratory of Wang Qi Zhi to take a look.

Liu Shuxian smiled: "Good!"