Chapter 274: Zheng Banqiao's Authentic Work?

The Liangma River shimmered, and the air was filled with a hint of early autumn coolness.

The phone buzzed, and Lin Sicheng answered it casually:

"Department Head Wu, the meeting passed? Thank you, Department Head Wu..."

"Ah, you want to visit? Don't worry, leader, we will certainly handle the reception work well..."

"There's another coordination meeting the day after tomorrow? Good, I will attend on time... Alright, goodbye, Department Head Wu..."

After saying only a few words, he hung up the phone, and Wang Qi Zhi turned his head: "Department Head Wu Hui?"

"Yes, he said the meeting was held yesterday afternoon. The meeting decided: the Cultural Relics Bureau will preside, coordinate local Archaeology Team units for a joint excavation, and simultaneously organize Experts for on-site guidance. However, the original exploration unit will still serve as the core..."

The original exploration unit—doesn't that refer to the Archaeology Team that Lin Sicheng organized temporarily before?

Wang Qi Zhi nodded: So many people fussing for so long, wasn't it all for this?

It could be considered that no accidents occurred.

"And the Artifact Research?"

"No plans yet; they said they would wait until the Cultural Relics Research Institute and the Forbidden City Pottery Research Institute finish visiting the Research Center and the laboratory before deciding."

Wang Qi Zhi was unconcerned: He wasn't afraid of them visiting; he was only afraid they wouldn't come.

Once they see the Research Center and the laboratory, even if he couldn't say every Expert would be convinced, at least no one would question their research capabilities again.

In this way, it could be considered that Lin Sicheng's initial expectations had been met.

Wang Qi Zhi breathed a sigh of relief: "Should we notify them in advance to prepare early?"

Lin Sicheng thought for a moment, then shook his head.

This is a formal academic visit, and the Cultural Relics Bureau will certainly send a letter to the school. As for the Research Center or the laboratory, whether they visit or not, the daily work must be done; there is nothing to prepare.

As for Professor Huang, Director Tian, and Team Leader Gao, it doesn't matter if they are notified or not. But one cannot rule out the possibility of news leaking out to Shanxi. To avoid unnecessary trouble, it is better not to notify them at all.

The teacher and student muttered a few words, and three cars stopped in the parking lot. Four large characters on the roof came into view: Kunlun Hotel.

The bellhop opened the car door, and the group entered the lobby.

Looking at the directory sign, Lin Sicheng took a glance.

Casting Dreams Together, Moving Toward the World: Xiling Seal Art Society 2008 Beijing Special Art Auction.

"A special auction?" Lin Sicheng raised his head, "Cousin Ye, didn't you say this was the Xiling spring auction?"

Ye Anning's eyes flickered: "I... I remembered wrong!"

Lin Sicheng let out a "ha": You were afraid that if you told me, I wouldn't come.

Because relatively speaking, the lots in a special auction are much fewer than in the spring and autumn seasons, and the quality is much worse. If one were to make a special trip to Beijing, it certainly wouldn't be worth it.

But if one happened to run into it, one would certainly come to take a look. Just like this time: just passing by, and there was enough time.

A greeter came to lead the way, and the group went up to the second floor.

Two to the south and two to the north, four exhibition halls, noisy and crowded.

Today is the last day of the preview period, and there are exceptionally many people. Wang Qi Zhi looked around: "Calligraphy and Painting, Ancient Books, Stationery and Seal Carving, Famous Western Paintings, Contemporary Art and Sculpture... which room shall we go to?"

"Let's look at Calligraphy and Painting first!" Zhao Xiuneng recalled, "I looked at the catalog yesterday; there are quite a few works by famous masters in this special auction!"

"Yes, yes~" Ye Anning nodded vigorously, "Let's look at Calligraphy and Painting!"

Lin Sicheng was indifferent, but Wang Qi Zhi glared at her.

Why do you think she insisted on dragging Lin Sicheng to see some auction? Because during the Poly spring auction, she volunteered to go to Shanxi for acquisitions. As a result, she just spent her time tagging along behind Lin Sicheng and didn't complete her task.

If she fails again at the autumn auction, will she still be able to work as a Consultant Assistant?

It just so happened that she was passing through Beijing this time, so she wanted to pull Lin Sicheng over to help her take a look and see if they could get lucky: for example, if something fails to sell at Xiling this time but is actually quite good, Ye Anning could take the opportunity to pull it into the Poly autumn auction.

Don't say it, there are many such things; basically, every auction has them.

After checking their guest passes, the group entered the hall.

The place was quite large, but there were even more items: in the middle were square display cases, on both sides were upright cases, and even the partition walls in the middle were covered with Calligraphy and Painting.

Calligraphy rubbings, couplets, fan faces, poetry, Ancient Painting, manuscripts, Registration Book pages, and even drafts of Calligraphy and Painting.

There were also many people, bustling and noisy.

Just after entering the door, Ye Anning pulled Lin Sicheng's sleeve and came to the display case in the very center.

But there were too many people, and they couldn't squeeze in.

Lin Sicheng craned his neck, but the area in front of the display case was packed tight; he couldn't even catch a glimpse.

"What is it!"

Ye Anning looked mysterious: "I won't tell you yet; I'll give you a surprise in a moment!"

"A painting you drew?"

"What are you talking about?"

Ye Anning pursed her lips and rolled her eyes at him.

Just as someone left, Ye Anning pulled his sleeve and squeezed in.

Lin Sicheng took a look, his expression strange.

Impressive, Imperial Brush by Qianlong?

There was a card underneath:

Hongli (1711-1799) Seven-character couplet in running script.

Silk couplet.

Made in 1748.

Text: The mist comes with the air, the forest is far; the tide rises and falls, the waves rush into the deep sea.

Inscription: Qianlong, the month of Qinghe in the Wuchen year, written at the beginning of the month. Imperial Brush.

Seal Mark: Qian (red) Long (red)

Looking at the valuation again, RMB 380,000–450,000.

Lin Sicheng sighed inwardly: If it were an authentic work, would over 300,000 be enough to buy a piece of calligraphy?

Ye Anning looked expectant: "How is it?"

Lin Sicheng studied it for a good while: "You want to bid?"

"I don't collect things, do I?" Ye Anning lowered her voice, "I'm letting you pick up a bargain!"

Lin Sicheng smiled.

At first glance: Good heavens, a Qianlong Imperial Treasure? Looking at the price again, one is sure to gasp: only 300,000 to 400,000?

Naturally, the thought of picking up a bargain would arise.

But don't be surprised; such situations happen every year. Major auction houses at home and abroad auction nearly a thousand pieces of Imperial Brush works by Qianlong every year. Sometimes, the valuation is even just over 100,000.

The reason: too many forgeries.

According to statistics from the Palace Museum, there are over 40,000 authentic calligraphy and painting works left by Qianlong in his lifetime that are verifiable. The imitations from the late Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China are more than ten times that number.

Setting aside the imitations, just looking at these 40,000-plus authentic works: over 70 percent were ghostwritten by scholar-officials of the Hanlin Academy.

Forty thousand plus thirty thousand, how much is that?

The point is, Qianlong's brushwork and painting skills were only average; the calligraphy was stylized running script, the painting style was flat and straight, and the Craftsman quality was too heavy.

To put it bluntly: there is no personal character, and it is extremely easy for scholar-officials to imitate the brushwork. But because Tribute Paper and Tribute Ink were used, and it was created during the Qianlong period, the difficulty of modern authentication has skyrocketed.

Therefore, even if the paper is correct, the ink is correct, and the seals are correct, unless it is recorded in the "Shiqu Baoji," or is a major historical subject verifiable as Qianlong's own hand, or bears top-tier collector seals from later masters, all others are classified as ghostwritten.

These three types account for less than five-thousandths of all Qianlong's works, and 90 percent of these are treasured by major museum institutions. Those circulating among the public number less than a thousand.

Like this one before us, it is the kind outside of those three, which is why it is priced at 300,000 to 400,000.

In fact, true insiders mostly know this situation; sometimes when they see the quality is good, they will bid on one or two pieces. But the bids are generally not high, and basically will not exceed the highest valuation.

But the fear is encountering an outsider or a semi-insider who thinks they have picked up a bargain. Once such a person is encountered, if the consignor doesn't hire a shill to drive up the price, they would be doing a disservice to the opportunity of the God of Wealth coming to their door.

While pondering, Lin Sicheng took two more looks: "You can bid, but don't exceed 600,000!"

Ye Anning was stunned: "Ah?"

Does that mean... this is ghostwritten?

She lowered her head to look carefully, and looked for a long time.

Lin Sicheng reminded her again: "Qian Weicheng!"

Ye Anning suddenly realized: No wonder she couldn't tell?

Qian Weicheng was the top scholar of the tenth year of Qianlong, a calligrapher, and ghostwrote for Qianlong for half his life.

If one were to rank the scholar-officials who ghostwrote for Qianlong, his calligraphy and painting teacher Dong Bangda (Minister of the Ministry of Works during the Qianlong period) would rank first, and Qian Weicheng would rank second.

Therefore, he was highly favored by Qianlong, serving successively as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Ministry of Works, and Ministry of Justice, as well as Education Commissioner of Zhejiang. After his death, Qianlong bestowed upon him the title of Minister and the posthumous name Wenmin.

At the same time, Qian Weicheng was also a calligrapher and painter of the mid-Qing period. In the "Shiqu Baoji," the collection catalog of Qianlong, more than 160 works by Qian Weicheng were included, which shows the degree of Emperor Qianlong's appreciation for Qian Weicheng's works.

Based on this, plus the bonus of his status as a "top scholar" and "high official," as well as these two authentic Qianlong seals, Lin Sicheng's valuation of 600,000 for this pair of couplets is not high.

After taking a few more looks, Ye Anning took out a pen and recorded it in her small notebook.

After noting it down in a few strokes, she pointed to the side: "Lin Sicheng, do you want to look at this one?"

Lin Sicheng glanced at it, not knowing what to say: Kangxi Imperial Treasure?

Compared with Qianlong, the works left by Kangxi are slightly fewer: setting aside later forgeries, there are over 20,000 works with authentic seals.

Most of these 20,000-plus works are calligraphy, and those ghostwritten by scholar-officials are as high as over 85 percent, more than double that of Qianlong's ghostwritten calligraphy works, with five or six hundred pieces auctioned every year.

And the vast majority have valuations and transaction prices below one million. The reason is very simple: there is too much ghostwriting, and Kangxi's handwriting imitated the Dong Style of Dong Qichang, which is dignified and steady, but pedantic and lacking in character, making it easier for scholar-officials to imitate, and the difficulty of later authentication is extremely high.

Therefore, like Qianlong: those without authoritative records, unrelated to historical events, and with average mounting specifications are all regarded as ghostwritten.

Looking at this piece again, the silk is correct: Gold Tracing cloud and dragon pattern red silk specially provided for the emperor to splash ink and write in the Qing Dynasty.

The ink is correct: Imperial Tribute Hui Ink.

The seals are also correct: Yuanjian Zhai (intaglio), Kangxi Chenhan (relief), Chiji Qingyan (relief), all of which are Kangxi's calligraphy and painting seals.

Even the ink paste is correct: cinnabar + mugwort fiber + Pearl Powder, specially provided for imperial use.

But the calligraphy is not correct. At least Lin Sicheng can tell that this piece is definitely ghostwritten.

Looking at the valuation again: 500,000–800,000.

Lin Sicheng looked again: "Ghostwritten by Shen Quan, but you can bid if it's under a million!"

Ye Anning was stunned and leaned down abruptly: Ghostwritten again?

Qian Weicheng was a top scholar, while Shen Quan was the third-place winner. Although his official rank did not reach as high as Qian Weicheng's, Shen Quan's artistic value and historical influence were only higher, not lower.

His character was upright, he dared to remonstrate directly, he was honest as an official, and he was skilled in calligraphy and loved the Dong Style exclusively, so he was highly appreciated by Kangxi.

Historical records state that when Li Guangdi responded to the emperor, the emperor said: "When I first learned calligraphy, the father of Zongjing (Shen Zongjing, then Minister of the Court of Imperial Entertainments), Quan (Shen Quan), was actually serving, and he often pointed out gains and losses. To this day, every time I write, I cannot help but think of Quan's diligence."

"Whenever there were imperial steles, palace screens, or maxims for the throne, I would order him (Shen Quan) to write them. Or I would write in large characters myself and order him to write the title afterwards..."

This is one point; the second is that whether it is the silk, the seals, or the mounting, this piece is slightly better than the one by Qianlong, so doubling the price is not very high.

Ye Anning recorded it in her notebook again.

Several people continued to look down, but the more they looked, the more strange Lin Sicheng's expression became.

A seven-character couplet in running script by Liu Yong:

Imperial Gift Gold Tracing wax paper, Imperial Gift Hui Ink, and Imperial Gift gold paste (ink paste).

And it was preserved extremely well, as fresh as new.

But there is no need to doubt: it was imitated by later generations.

It was roughly created during the Jiaqing-Daoguang Period, so the valuation is not high: 100,000–120,000.

There was also a seven-character couplet in running script by Zuo Zongtang, with a slightly higher valuation of 110,000.

There was also a seven-character couplet in running script by Ji Xiaolan, with the same valuation as the previous one, also 110,000.

After that, there was an eight-character couplet in regular script by Li Hongzhang, slightly lower in price: estimated at 80,000.

There was also a "Longevity" character scroll by Ceng Guofan, estimated at only 30,000.

In all honesty, if they were authentic, whether it was the work of Grand Guardian Zuo, Grand Secretary Li, Governor-General Ceng, or Scholar Ji, the price would have to be tripled or quadrupled at least.

So, it is better to just look.

Moving further down, there was a seven-character poem in cursive script by Xian Prince (Aisin Gioro Fushou, grandson of Huang Taiji, son of Haoge, the first generation Xian Prince of the Qing Dynasty), a seven-character poem in running script by Cheng Prince (Aisin Gioro Yongxing, Qianlong's eleventh son), and the "Ode to Boundless Longevity" respectfully presented by Heng Prince Yinqi (Kangxi's fifth son) during Kangxi's fifty-fifth birthday.

Works by imperial descendants like these were everywhere, and the estimates were not high: from tens of thousands to over a hundred thousand.

There were also many by famous masters: "Wealth and Prosperity" (peonies) by Yun Shouping (one of the Six Masters of the Early Qing (including the Qing Four Wangs), a famous flower-and-bird painter of the late Ming and early Qing), "Three Autumn Osmanthus Seeds" by Weng Tonghe, an eight-character couplet in Wei script by Zhao Zhiqian (a late Qing calligrapher, as famous as Wu Changshuo and Ren Bonian), and a Landscape Album by Huang Yi (a famous painter and seal carver of the mid-Qing period).

These few items had slightly higher estimates, generally between 300,000 and 600,000; the key was that they were all authentic.

Strictly speaking, the antique market in 2008 had only just stepped into an upward trend, and the works of these individuals would all see varying degrees of appreciation in the future.

Like this peony painting by Yun Shouping, the structure is neat, the coloring is vivid, and the brushwork is subtle yet bright and concise. It is not only his most proficient flower-and-bird painting but also a mature work from his middle to late years.

Looking at the price, the estimate is only 300,000 to 400,000; in two years at most, it could double. If kept for a few more years, until around 2013, it would be worth at least two or three million.

Placed in the present, it is only worth 300,000 to 400,000; if one were to buy it, it wouldn't count as picking up a bargain, at most it would be considered an investment.

But to increase seven or eight times in five years, this profit is already quite considerable. Although it cannot compare to the speed of making money from research projects or restoring ancient porcelain, compared to investing in real estate or the energy industry, this is a windfall...

In a flash, Lin Sicheng took another look, confirmed it was correct, and then straightened his back: "Teacher, Zhao Shixiong, this peony painting is quite good. Should we make a note of it and try to bid on it when the time comes?"

Wang Qi Zhi did not know much about painting and asked directly: "How much can we earn?"

Lin Sicheng was straightforward: "In about two to three years, it can double!"

"Earn 300,000 in three years?" Wang Qi Zhi curled his lips: "That's not even as much as the bonus the school gave the laboratory?"

Lin Sicheng was choked up and left speechless.

Because of the two projects, Copper Origin and BTA, the school awarded a total of 500,000. Wang Qi Zhi made the decision: 100,000 was kept as a reserve fund, 100,000 was distributed to Zhu Kaiping and the team members, and the remaining 300,000 was all given to Lin Sicheng.

The problem is, it is impossible for the school to give so much bonus every year.

Of course, if one looks at it from another angle: only earning 100,000 a year, Wang Qi Zhi indeed looked down on it a bit.

Looking at Zhao Xiuneng again, he was looking around, unimpressed; it seems he didn't think much of it either.

Lin Sicheng pointed at Zhao Da: "Boheng, you record it. If you don't have money, ask to borrow it from me!"

"Alright, Master!" Zhao Da honestly recorded it in his notebook.

Moving further ahead, they saw "Hibiscus and Mandarin Ducks" by Jiang Tingxi (a famous painter of the Qing Dynasty, a high-ranking official during the Kangxi and Yongzheng eras, known at the time as "Left Yu (Zhang Yanyu) and Right Xi"), with an estimate of only 60,000 to 80,000.

In five years at most, this painting would increase at least twenty times.

Lin Sicheng pointed: "Zhongan, you record it!"

"Alright, Master!"

Zhao Er also took out a pen and honestly recorded it in his small notebook.

Walking further ahead, they reached the cabinet, and Lin Sicheng paused.

The Qing Four Wangs?

A "Landscape Pattern" in imitation of Yellow River Shanqiao by Wang Yuanqi, and two works by Wang Hui: "Water Village" and "Snow Accumulation on Wu Mountain".

These pieces were all authentic, and all were large-scale, so the estimates were not low; all three were between 2.5 million and 3.5 million.

Placed in the present, the prices of the first two were about the same. In his memory, after roughly three or four years, they could almost double.

The last one, it is estimated, could rise even higher.

First look at the painting: the composition is rigorous, the distant mountains and near slopes are arranged appropriately, the ink and color are naturally integrated, and a vast and profound aura leaps off the paper.

Just looking at the composition and brush intent, one could conclude it was a mature work from his later years. Both in terms of condition and artistic conception, it was much higher than the previous two. If Lin Sicheng were to estimate a price, it would be at least over four million.

This is one point; the second is the inscription and colophon below:

Inscription one, the author Guan Lun, a famous poet of the early Qing Dynasty. Before entering officialdom, he was known together with Wang Shidan (the top scholar of the 42nd year of Kangxi), Gong Hongli (the 18th place in the second rank of the palace examination in the 45th year of Kangxi), and Jiang Tingxi as the "Four Talents of Jiangzuo". During the Yongzheng era, he served as a Director of the Ministry of Justice.

Inscription two, Chen Hao, a famous scholar of the late Qing Dynasty, skilled in poetry, prose, and calligraphy, and adept at painting landscapes. Contemporaries rated him as the head of Zhejiang painters after Xi Gang and Huang Yi. From the Tongzhi to the Guangxu eras, he served as an official in Hubei for twenty years, always as a County Magistrate.

Inscription three, Xu Zonghao, a famous modern calligrapher, painter, and collector. In November 1952, he was hired as a member of the Central Research Institute of Culture and History. He served as a Consultant for the Oriental Painting Association, a Consultant for the Beijing Cultural Relics Exhibition Hall, and Vice Chairman of the China Calligraphy Research Society.

He once collaborated with Qi Baishi, Yu Feian, Wang Shensheng, Hu Peiheng, Pu Yizhai, Pu Xuezhai, and Guan Songfang to create a scroll painting titled "Universal Celebration," which was gifted to Chairman Mao.

Inscription four: Zhu Kequan, served as a County Magistrate in Hubei, skilled in landscapes and flowers.

Inscription five: Wu Xiceng, a famous modern Chinese landscape painter whose works hang in the Great Hall of the People. He served as the Deputy Director of the Beijing Painting Academy and a representative to the Third National People's Congress; he was also the painting mentor of Mr. Qi Gong.

Inscription six: Zhang Boju, everyone in the collecting circle knows: the greatest collector of the Republic of China era, and also the biggest dealer of Cultural Relics. Of course, he also protected many Cultural Relics.

Inscription seven: Pan Su, wife of Zhang Boju.

Inscription eight: Tao Xinru, from Wujin, Jiangsu. A famous female painter of the Republic of China era, and Pan Su's painting teacher.

Inscription nine: Hui Tongxiao, a famous modern Chinese painter, member of the China Artists Association, and former Dean of the Beijing Painting Academy.

These were the ones that left inscriptions and stamped seals; there were also those who only left seals without inscriptions: Gao Peilan, a late Qing official.

Qin Zhongwen, a modern painter. He served as a professor at the Peking University School of Arts, the Jinghua Fine Arts Academy, and the Peking Art School; after the liberation, he served as a painter and committee member of the Beijing Painting Academy. He is the author of "History of Chinese Painting".

Cai Shisong, a scholar who passed the highest imperial examination of the 16th year of Jiaqing, appointed as a Compiler. In the 13th year of Daoguang, he was promoted from Fenglu Circuit to Anhui Provincial Judge, changed to Governor of Shuntian Prefecture in the 15th year of Daoguang, and later served as Junior Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Stud.

In total, twelve people: some from the early Qing, some from the mid-Qing, and some from the late Qing, including the Republic of China and modern times. There were calligraphers and painters, officials, and no shortage of collectors and appraisers. And every single one of them was not a nobody.

What is called a well-documented provenance?

This is it.

For example, the imperial brushes of Qianlong and Kangxi seen earlier; if those two had so many inscriptions and seals, let alone 500,000, 600,000, or 800,000, people would fight over them even at ten million.

Lin Sicheng estimated that the value of this painting would at least double on the basis of four million.

Worth eight or nine million, with an estimate of only over two million; after getting it, one could earn three or four times the amount on the spot.

This is what is called picking up a bargain.

However, having said that, this is Beijing: famous masters gather here, and experts are everywhere. Anyone who comes by could recognize these inscriptions and seals and then deduce the value of this painting.

But what if?

With a thought, Lin Sicheng signaled and made a gesture.

Ye Anning understood instantly and wrote in her notebook: Wang Hui, "Snow Accumulation on Mount Wu", six million.

After noting it down, the group moved further down, but they hadn't walked many steps when Zhao Xiuneng stopped and pointed.

Lin Sicheng took a careful look: a "Poetry, Calligraphy, and Painting Scroll" by Shitao.

There was much poetry and little painting; the one-square-foot painting surface was barely enough to make a fan face.

The painting was also extremely simple: two clusters of dry branches and a dozen or so cold plum blossoms.

Yet there was a great deal of poetry, with both inscriptions and postscripts, totaling seven or eight pieces.

There were also many seals, eleven in total, varying in size. There were both Shitao's own seals and later collector's seals.

They were basically all from famous figures: "Daoist of Qing", which is Li Ruiqing, a poet, educator, artist, and calligrapher of the late Qing and early Republic of China. During the Guangxu era, he served as the Education Commissioner of Jiangning and the Provincial Administration Commission of Jiangsu.

Xiang Dicong, a member of the China Alliance, served as a senior Consultant to the Sichuan Provincial Government during the Republic of China, and was a professor in the Department of Chinese at the Sichuan University School of Liberal Arts, as well as a professor and department head in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Sichuan University School of Engineering. In the 1950s, he served as a Researcher at the Shanghai Institute of Culture and History.

"Small Seal of the Master of the Stone Banquet Room"—because it appeared rarely, few people knew of this seal, but its owner was extremely famous: Yang Zhaojun, a seal carver and collector during the Republic of China, who, along with Qi Baishi and Yi Da'an, was known as one of the "Three Iron Pens of Hunan".

Tang Yun, this person was even more famous; during his lifetime, he served as the Dean and Honorary Dean of the Shanghai National Art Academy. He was also the Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Artists Association and an appraisal committee member for the Shanghai Museum.

In a few years, his works would be included in the "List of Deceased Famous Calligraphers and Painters After 1911 Whose Works Are Restricted from Export," prohibiting them from leaving the country.

Looking at the price again: 1.5 million to 1.8 million; Lin Sicheng shook his head directly.

Because the painting was too simple, bordering on sloppy, and even somewhat perfunctory.

Even if this were indeed an authentic work by Shitao, and the collectors were all famous figures, and the postscript even explicitly mentioned that it was mounted by Zhang Daqian, it was not worth that much.

This was after Xiang Dicong inscribed a poem and attached a Water Immortal painting: "To the right are the ink plum and Water Immortal painted by Master Shitao, along with his own inscribed poems, totaling three pieces. Brother Daqian mounted them into a scroll and asked for an inscription, so I composed this to interpret the Water Immortal piece."

Therefore, not all authentic works by famous masters are valuable, even if they have a well-documented provenance.

Seeing Zhao Da and Zhao Er's eyes light up, eager to act, Lin Sicheng gave a warning: "Don't get greedy!"

The two brothers immediately withdrew their gaze.

The group continued to look forward, and when they walked up to a "Bamboo and Stone Painting", Lin Sicheng stopped his steps.

Zheng Xie, "Painting of Elegant Bamboo and Clear Stone".

The label on the stand had a long string of text:

Cataloged in: "Illustrated Catalog of Ancient Chinese Calligraphy and Painting", "Selected Ancient Chinese Calligraphy and Painting of Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing (Volume 5)", "Selected Paintings of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou", "Art of Zheng Banqiao's Calligraphy and Painting", "Chronicle of Zheng Banqiao", and "Research Series on Ming and Qing Chinese Painting Masters".

But looking at the estimate: 60,000 to 80,000?

Since when did Zheng Banqiao's works become so worthless?

When chatting with Cousin Ye earlier, it was mentioned: in 2006, "Painting of Elegant Bamboo", also a hanging scroll on paper, slightly larger than this one, about fourteen square feet, sold for 6.79 million at the China Guardian spring auction.

Only two years later, for the same subject matter and a piece not very different in content, it had dropped directly to a fraction of the price?

And it had been included in so many authoritative catalogs?

This was complete nonsense.

With a shift in thought, Lin Sicheng looked at the painting carefully: the bamboo leaves were dotted and washed with thick ink, and the bamboo stalks were outlined with light ink; the thickness and lightness were appropriate, creating an interesting contrast.

To be honest, it was painted quite well, with a novel composition and concise brushwork; although the strokes were few, the artistic conception was profound.

Looking at the calligraphy: it blended regular, clerical, running, and cursive scripts, with characters shaped like scattered stones on a street; it looked casual, but secretly contained a system.

There was only one point: the calligraphy and the painting were not very harmonious.

Looking at the bamboo stalks, they were as strong as steel whips; looking at the bamboo leaves, they were like swords drawn from their sheaths, fully displaying sharpness. But looking at the calligraphy: it was indeed messy, and it was indeed Zheng Banqiao's "Six-and-a-half Style", but it was too soft, far lacking the unique "slender strength and lofty isolation" and "heroic spirit reaching the clouds" found in Zheng Banqiao's works.

In plain language: it was a fake. The painting was imitated quite well, but the calligraphy was only average. With the foundation of the Xiling Seal Art Society, they shouldn't have failed to see that this was a fake.

It was likely that they gave the estimate of 60,000 to 80,000 because they saw the painting was imitated well...

Just as he was guessing wildly, Ye Anning poked him: "In 2003, it was sold by a well-known auction house for 2.6 million. The next year, it was sent to Christie's, but Christie's didn't want it, calling it a forgery. Later, it was sent to the Forbidden City, where it was appraised as a fake from the Guangxu era, and it was explicitly confirmed that the authentic work is at the Shanghai Museum..."

"The buyer made a scene for half a year, and the auction house only said they were coordinating with the consignor, but they kept coordinating with no results. I don't know if someone gave them the idea, but ever since then, whenever there is a large auction, the seller sends it for auction and even invites media interviews during the preview. At the same time, the price has dropped again and again, from over two million to this much now..."

The group of people listened as if hearing a story.

You won't refund it, right? I'll disgust you to death... The buyer thought exactly that, and did exactly that.

He had no intention of selling it at all; it was just to disgust people, so this price was just labeled randomly. And it was even being live-streamed; who would buy it?

Wang Qi Zhi had a strange expression: "Then how was it signed off on by the first house?"

"I don't know!" Ye Anning shook her head, "I heard several appraisers were arrested afterwards!"

Several... tsk, was it a collusive case?

Wang Qi Zhi lowered his voice: "Which house?"

Ye Anning spat out two words.

Lin Sicheng understood immediately: this house hadn't done this just once; they had done it before, would continue to do it in the future, and in later generations, they would be hammered to pieces by people.

But it wasn't strange; basically, every auction company had such phenomena, including the one right here, and the one where Ye Anning worked.

By comparison, the latter two were considered slightly better, at least not so blatant.

After a rough look, the group moved forward again. They hadn't passed many display cases when Lin Sicheng stopped again.

Zheng Banqiao again?

After taking two looks, his pupils shrank "snap": this piece, why did it look like an authentic work?