Chapter 283: Putting One's Heart at Ease

One Gongwang Mansion, half the history of the Qing Dynasty.

Built during the peak of the Qing Dynasty, it perished after the empire's curtain fell. The Gongwang Mansion witnessed the entire process of the Qing Dynasty from its zenith to its collapse, and it itself declined rapidly along with the fall of the dynasty. In the end, it met a fate of bankruptcy and the destruction of the family.

Since the founding of the nation, every leader has made important instructions regarding the relocation and restoration of the Gongwang Mansion, aiming to restore it to its original appearance as much as possible, not to show the public how wealthy He Shen and Yixin were, how extravagant the Qing nobility were, or how obsessed the remnants of the Republic of China were.

Rather, it is to respect history, understand history, analyze history, summarize history, and remember history.

Is a Gongwang Mansion not also a monument of warning?

It is even more a historical treasure house that gathers Qing Dynasty architectural craftsmanship, humanistic thought, cultural art, and scientific technology.

Looking at it now, apart from the exquisite materials, the level of skill feels just so-so. But placed in the Qing Dynasty, every part of this place highlights the peak power of the combination of ancient craftsman wisdom and scientific technology.

For example, the Daxilou:

Three stories high, over ten meters tall, with an area of nearly seven hundred square meters, it can accommodate over two hundred people.

Yet there is not a single pillar in the middle; the entire structure is connected by Mortise and Tenon, without using a single iron nail.

Nine water vats were buried under the stage, which can form a low-frequency resonance system, allowing the actor's original voice to be transmitted to any position within the theater. One could even stand twenty meters outside the building and still hear it clearly.

At that time, this was a miracle.

Another example is the Phoenix and Seal colored paintings in Ledaotang and Duofuxuan, preserved from the Qianlong era, with a gold purity of 6% and a thickness of only one micron.

There is also the natural amplifier in the back garden composed of Taihu Stone with a 31% porosity; two people whispering mouth-to-ear can be heard clearly by a third person standing thirty meters away.

Even more so, the Qingwang Kesi Python Robe with up to one hundred and ten weft threads per centimeter, and the Golden Silk Nanmu Wood Wood Pillar with a bending strength reaching 38MPa after being processed by secret methods... and so on.

Some of these crafts, even if placed in modern times, would make engineers scratch their heads, let alone relying purely on manual labor in ancient times?

Unfortunately, most were destroyed during the war years, and what remains today is less than one in ten.

Zhang Jindong smiled self-deprecatingly: "In 1990, the mansion garden was renovated and officially opened to the public. Once, the director took us to hold an on-site meeting in the garden and happened to hear tourists discussing: 'Such a large mansion, how come there isn't even a single Cultural Relic?'"

"Although it was an unintentional remark, the stimulation to us was extraordinary: just by strolling through the garden, what history can the common people understand, and what warning effect can it have?"

"But at that time, from top to bottom, no one was wealthy, and funds were limited, so we could only focus on restoring the main buildings first. Later, we discussed internally: 'Why don't we try to find a way ourselves?' To put it bluntly, it was one word: 'Scavenge!'"

"Panjiayuan, Liulichang, antique markets in every province and city, as well as museums and exhibition institutions everywhere—as long as there was any Information related to the lost Cultural Relics of the Gongwang Mansion, we would make a trip."

"Basically, travel expenses and room and board were all covered by ourselves. Every month after running around, many Researchers couldn't even afford vegetables, implicating their whole families in eating steamed buns for a month, but they never complained..."

"At that time, learning that we were collecting Cultural Relics to save funds, not only did our wages not increase for six or seven years, but we also frequently subsidized the costs ourselves. The Beijing Customs donated more than ten thousand Cultural Relics confiscated from the 1980s to the present to the Gongwang Mansion."

"It was also from that time that donations from all walks of life grew explosively. After the famous Redology expert Mr. Zhou Ruchang passed away, his family donated more than thirty thousand of Mr. Zhou's manuscripts and Letters to the Gongwang Mansion."

"Among them, there was also the famous calligrapher, Mr. Yuzhan, son of the Little Prince Gong, Puwei. He returned to Beijing in 1980 and made a living by selling calligraphy, never being wealthy. But as soon as he scavenged any treasure, he would send it to the Gongwang Mansion. In his heart, it seemed that these Cultural Relics only truly returned home when they were sent back to the Gongwang Mansion..."

Zhang Jindong spoke eloquently, and Lin Sicheng looked moved.

If told to modern young people, many would feel unable to understand: is there really anyone in the world who is selfless and willing to contribute?

There is, and there always has been.

Why was there a saying in the nineties that "making missiles is not as good as selling tea eggs"? Why did Taiwan still mock us in 2020 for not being able to afford tea eggs?

Because the Experts really did set up stalls to sell tea eggs in order to make missiles. At that time, their wages were basically subsidized by themselves, and they really couldn't afford tea eggs...

Seeing him silent, Ye Anning's eyes brightened slightly, and she poked him with her finger.

Lin Sicheng understood what she wanted to express: Lin Sicheng, you are the same as them! Although you are a bit silly...

Asking himself, Lin Sicheng had always felt that he was actually a very selfish person, but when faced with matters of great principle and thousands of lives, he truly could not remain indifferent, cold, and heartless.

Even if it was very dangerous, Lin Sicheng still did what he had to do. Just like the sentence he often said: Some things, someone has to do them.

As a result, nothing happened?

Although he spent all the money he could use, in the end, it all went down the drain, but Lin Sicheng did not regret it at all: The wind blows the eggshell, wealth goes and the person is at peace.

Having done such a big thing, almost three months had passed, and he had never mentioned it to anyone. It wasn't until he went to an auction the day before yesterday and asked Zhao Xiuneng to borrow money that everyone realized something was wrong:

From the moment they met Lin Sicheng, he had been constantly picking up leaks and making money. In the words of Dan Wangshu: robbing a bank or running a printing press wouldn't be as fast as Lin Sicheng's speed of making money.

But suddenly, for a deposit of five hundred thousand, Lin Sicheng actually borrowed money?

Upon checking, his private account was cleaner than if a dog had licked it. Upon checking again, it had all been donated by Lin Sicheng.

Everyone couldn't figure it out: that was millions; even if you donated, you could have built a few Hope Primary Schools. As a result, Lin Sicheng bought all disaster relief supplies and sent them to Western Sichuan?

Wang Qi Zhi scolded him for having a hole in his brain: it was just a few rumors, and you dared to believe them and donate everything. If someone says in the future: "The earth is going to explode," will you stop living?

Lin Sicheng just smiled: no one knew that those rumors were released by him. Fortunately, they really became rumors?

Heaven bless, long live China...

Amidst the emotions, the group arrived at the Houzhaolou between the main courtyard of the Wangfu and the back garden.

Seen from the front, it looks like this:

Seen from the back, it looks like this.

It is over one hundred and sixty meters long from east to west, with secret rooms hidden in the middle of the walls. Regardless of whether they are bright or dark, there are ninety-nine and a half rooms, built in imitation of the Forbidden City's "nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine and a half rooms."

At first glance, it looks like a prison, but in fact, this is He Shen's treasure building.

In unofficial history, the rumors that billions of taels of silver and millions of treasures were confiscated from He Shen's mansion came from these Houzhaolou.

Of course, there wasn't that much, but there was still a lot: even if they were stored in cabinets, how many treasures would there be to fill these ninety-nine and a half rooms?

It is estimated that even He Shen himself didn't know exactly how many there were. To facilitate classification, the window shapes on the second floor of each treasure house were different. What is known now: horseshoe-shaped windows stored silver ingots, circular windows stored Jade, fan-shaped windows stored Calligraphy and Painting, and square windows stored porcelain.

As for what was stored in the rest, there is no evidence to verify. Today, it is still used to store treasures, all of which are Cultural Relics collected by the Museum.

Zhang Jindong picked a few important rooms and took Lin Sicheng to see them:

"Although the Cultural Relics belonging to the Wangfu back then are rare, most of the Cultural Relics collected over the years conform to the Wangfu regulations or are related to the history of the Wangfu. If they do not conform, they are used to exchange with other exhibition institutions."

"To this day, there are more than four thousand Qing Dynasty Cultural Relics and more than seven thousand Republic of China Cultural Relics in the Wangfu. In the past three months, we have re-inventoried and classified them, and we plan to exhibit representative Cultural Relics next week and officially open to the public!"

"Look at these few pieces: the Kangxi Lang Kiln Red Vase and the Qianlong Jade Auspicious Dragon Lid Bottle. These two pieces were both Imperial Gifts from Emperor Qianlong when the Tenth Princess married Fengshen Yinde."

"The former was donated by the Beijing Customs, and the latter was scavenged from Guangzhou by Researcher Zhou from the museum in 1994. At that time, it only cost four thousand yuan, but on the way back, he was targeted. In order to protect this Jade bottle, Researcher Zhou almost died on the train..."

Lin Sicheng narrowed his eyes, glanced at the Lang Kiln Red Vase, and his gaze fell on the Jade bottle.

The knob was carved with an auspicious dragon, coiled in the middle, head held high and roaring, with a majestic expression. The neck of the bottle was decorated with beast-head handles holding rings, echoing the auspicious dragon from afar. At first glance, a kind of primitive and mysterious Qi was faintly moving.

The bottle body is divided into two layers; the upper features Kui dragon and scroll patterns, the lower layer consists of two opposing taotie patterns, and the sides of the bottle are carved with beast-face patterns. The overall design is ingenious, the carving technique is exquisite, and the lines are smooth and natural, full of a vivid and lively spirit.

This piece, even if placed in the National Museum of China or the Forbidden City, is a national treasure beyond reproach.

"Look at this pair of plates again; these were part of the dowry when the Ten Princess married: they were commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor to the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln, and they bear the 'Jialetang (the rear hall of the middle route of the Gongwang Mansion, the bedroom of the Ten Princess during the Qianlong era)' mark, a Dragon and Phoenix Pattern Joy Character Plate."

"This was in 2003, the year the Wangfu management office was established, when the office leadership picked it up from the Panjiayuan ghost market. Because it was too new, the stall owner thought it was a replica, so it only cost fifty yuan at the time; it counts as a major bargain."

Lin Sicheng looked carefully: a pair of Dragon and Phoenix Auspicious Hundred Flower Pattern Joy Character Jialetang plates; if this pair went to auction, it would start at at least one million.

Continuing to look down, the number of cultural relics originally belonging to the old Wangfu collection was limited; the rest were either collected from various places, confiscated by the Beijing Customs, donated by people from all walks of life, picked up by researchers in the museum from the antique market, or even exchanged from elsewhere using cultural relics from other dynasties.

Porcelain, jade, bronze, calligraphy and painting, ancient books—all kinds, a dazzling array.

Finally, Zhang Jindong opened two storerooms.

With a casual glance, Lin Sicheng was stunned: on the shelves by the walls were porcelain, in the boxes in the middle of the floor was porcelain, and in the cabinets all around was still porcelain.

Plates, dishes, bowls, cups, bowls, cups, bottles, vases, jars... as long as it was a vessel shape that existed in the Qing Dynasty, nothing was missing here. The key was that none of them were in good condition.

Calculating, there were at least seven or eight hundred pieces here, if not a thousand.

Zhang Jindong sighed: "These are damaged pieces collected from the 1980s to the present, mostly old collections from the Qing Palace and porcelain used by the Wangfu. But don't laugh at us: if it's architectural restoration, the museum is definitely fine, but porcelain restoration is indeed our weakness!"

"Top restoration experts in porcelain are basically concentrated in the Forbidden City and Jingdezhen. But you also understand that the damaged pieces needing restoration in those two places are dozens or hundreds of times ours... There's no way, we can only seek outside help. We've looked for many, but it has always been unsatisfactory..."

"It's also a coincidence; last year, when collecting cultural relics in Xijing, Bai Wan happened to meet you and happened to see the Greasy White Bowl you were halfway through restoring. Later, through An Ning and Professor Wang, we learned that Teacher Lin is self-taught and your restoration technique has reached a level comparable to the experts in the Forbidden City."

"So from that time on, we planned to see if we could ask Teacher Lin to help. But knowing you were always busy, we didn't want to disturb you... This time it was also a coincidence that we met at the auction, so we took the opportunity to invite you to come and take a look..."

Zhang Jindong paused, "I know Teacher Lin is busy, having to keep an eye on laboratory projects and assist the Cultural Relics Bureau in excavating porcelain kiln ruins in Shanxi. So, whenever you have free time, could you help restore a few pieces? Of course, the cost is negotiable!"

Lin Sicheng suddenly realized: no wonder, for just a folk kiln bowl that was half-patched, why would Leader Zhang be willing to spend over a hundred thousand?

It was just to build a good relationship in advance.

He also understood what Leader Zhang meant by "porcelain restoration is their weakness": since the restoration of the Gongwang Mansion began in the 1960s, the restoration goal had been the architectural complex.

Because the Gongwang Mansion only had buildings left, the internal organizational structure and the invited experts were also mainly focused on architecture. Including later research directions, they remained focused on researching the Qing Dynasty system and late Qing political decryption.

Without cultural relics, there was naturally no need to consider personnel allocation in this area. As the saying goes, there is a specialty in every trade; it was impossible to let experts who restore murals and pavilions go to repair porcelain.

Of course, one could hire outside help, but don't even think about the good ones: not to mention how many damaged pieces have been newly discovered in the Forbidden City in recent years, just the porcelain destroyed when the Eight-Nation Alliance burned the Old Summer Palace amounted to over a million shards.

Preliminary estimates suggest that the restored finished pieces would be around thirty to fifty thousand. Just these alone, the experts in the Forbidden City couldn't finish patching them in another ten years, so where would they have the time to run outside and help other museums?

Jingdezhen is even worse: this month they discover an imperial kiln from this dynasty, next month they discover an imperial kiln from that dynasty; the speed of excavating damaged pieces is several times the speed of restoration.

Otherwise, there are the major ceramics research institutes, such as the Cultural Relics Research Institute and the Ceramics Research Institute. But to be honest, with the meager resources they have, they have to use all their strength just to complete the research projects tendered by the institute every year.

As for the major museums with better restoration techniques, such as those in Henan, Hebei, Hunan, and Zhejiang, any that are relatively professional have imperial kiln ruins within their provinces. Likewise, they can't even finish their own work, let alone help others?

And Zhang Jindong didn't dare to invite those with lower levels. Because these seven or eight hundred damaged pieces are either imperial tribute porcelain or porcelain used by the Wangfu. If the craftsmanship isn't enough, they won't just fail to patch them well; they will ruin them.

In a flash of thought, Lin Sicheng picked up a restored Famille Rose cup.

Looking at the craftsmanship, it should belong to the Jiaqing period. Looking at the bottom mark, sure enough: blue and white double-frame square mark, Qieyi Hall.

This is the hall name mark exclusive to the Qing Prince Mansion after the Jiaqing Emperor bestowed the Ten Princess Mansion to his younger brother Yonglin and renamed it the Qing Prince Mansion; it was used until the Xianfeng period, when the Qing Prince Mansion was changed to the Gongwang Mansion.

Looking at the soil stains, this cup should have been dug out from the ground during the construction of the Wangfu.

The item is certainly authentic, but the restoration craftsmanship feels a bit familiar?

After a glance or two, Lin Sicheng picked up a pine-pattern blue and white bowl.

At first glance, the patching is only average, but for exhibition restoration, this craftsmanship is already quite good.

Just like Zhao Da, Zhao Er, and Li Zhen, they are still far from reaching this level of restoration.

After looking at it for two more seconds, Lin Sicheng looked suspicious: "The craftsmanship of Baishan Studio in Beijing?"

Zhang Jindong and Bai Wan were shocked: has Lin Sicheng's eye for detail reached such a terrifying level?

This is not dating, nor is it authenticating, but identifying restoration technique.

There are hundreds of shops in Beijing that can repair porcelain; he can know whose shop repaired it just by looking at it?

Seeing the couple looking as if they were stunned, Lin Sicheng explained: "The boss of Baishan Studio is surnamed Zhao, Zhao Xiuxian. His elder brother Zhao Xiuneng is a partner of the Research Center. His two sons are currently following me to learn the craft..."

Lin Sicheng pointed to the cup and the bowl again: "This should be the craftsmanship of Zhao Shixiong Xiuneng..."

Zhang Jindong suddenly realized.

This was sent to Baishan Studio for repair five or six years ago, and only five or six pieces were repaired. Zhang Jindong felt that the high cost was secondary; the key was that the craftsmanship was average.

It's not that it's bad; among the people, this craftsmanship is already considered top-tier. But if compared with the experts in the Forbidden City and Jingdezhen, such craftsmanship really cannot compare, so they haven't cooperated since.

Previously, he had only met Zhao Xiuxian and had not met Zhao Xiuneng. Although he knew Lin Sicheng's partner was surnamed Zhao, he hadn't connected them.

Zhang Jindong didn't feel embarrassed to say more, just nodded, and Lin Sicheng could roughly guess.

His own craftsmanship must be slightly better than Zhao Xiuneng's, but Lin Sicheng felt that if he wanted to do long-term business and open up the situation in Beijing, this was the best opportunity. So, it's better to verify the goods first.

He looked around and carefully selected a few pieces:

A lid of a bean-green glazed bowl with the "Shedetang" mark. This hall is on the Jiuzhou Qingyan Island in the Old Summer Palace and was the bedroom of the Daoguang and Xianfeng Emperors.

A "Changchun Tongqing" clear blue glazed lidded jar; the lid is lost, only the jar remains. Legend has it that this mark is a custom porcelain mark for the Tongzhi wedding; whether it is true or not can no longer be verified, but it is indeed an Imperial Palace Ware mark.

A Guangxu blue and white cup with dragon patterns and a "Xianfeng" marked "Frog on Lotus Leaf" Famille Rose Sunflower-mouth Plate.

They are all damaged pieces, but they are not too badly damaged; at least most of the parts are still there, and they can be assembled to over ninety percent.

The patterns are relatively simple, the sharpness is not damaged much, there are fewer places to patch colors, and it is much easier to patch than the Blue and White Large Jar.

Lin Sicheng gathered them together: "Leader Zhang, I will try to patch them first, and after they are patched, we will talk."

"Ah... patch them now?"

"Two o'clock in the afternoon, let's patch them right here!" Lin Sicheng nodded, "Our flight is the day after tomorrow afternoon, about two days, maybe I can't finish them all, but I'll patch as many as I can!"

Looking at the four damaged pieces on the table, Zhang Jindong was stunned: since when did the time unit for ancient porcelain restoration start being calculated in "days"?

At the very least, it's "weeks," or "months," or even "seasons."

While he was suspicious, he was suddenly startled again: wait, no?

For others, it would definitely take a long time, but for Lin Sicheng, maybe it really only takes a day or two.

Why is it that Lin Sicheng is only in his early twenties and just graduated from university, and the two only met for the first time at the auction, yet Zhang Jindong, who is more than twice his age, addresses Lin Sicheng as "Teacher Lin?"

Because Bai Wan knows Ye Anning, Zhang Jindong also knows Wang Qi Zhi, and the Gongwang Mansion is only two streets away from the Forbidden City.

As units directly under the Ministry of Culture, researchers from both houses often exchange ideas. Last November, Wang Qi Zhi carried a jar to the Forbidden City and bragged to the high heavens; it wasn't exactly a novel occurrence, was it?

Being able to restore a Ming Dynasty Blue and White Large Jar, and being able to make Geng Xiansheng (Geng Baochang, the Forbidden City's ceramic Appraisal Master and master of Artifact Restoration) praise it endlessly, it is not excessive for Zhang Jindong to address him as teacher.

And how long did Lin Sicheng take for that large jar?

It seems it was less than a week...

Zhang Jindong perked up: "Teacher Lin, whatever you need, I will go prepare it right now!"

"Just give me an Artifact Restoration room, and it would be best if you could find an Electric Kiln. I will have Zhao Shixiong bring the tools over; since several Assistants are here, I will call to notify them now..."

Zhang Jindong nodded incessantly, first calling the cafeteria to have lunch prepared, then notifying logistics.

Lin Sicheng also made a call, asking Zhao Xiuneng to bring a set of tools, and notified Li Zhen, Xiao Yuzhu, Zhao Da, and Zhao Er to come help.

Then, he called Wang Qi Zhi. Before Lin Sicheng could even finish speaking, the phone was hung up. And before fifteen minutes had passed, the man had already stormed into the Gongwang Mansion.

After exchanging pleasantries with Zhang Jindong, Wang Qi Zhi said with a playful expression: "Lin Sicheng, you really know how to take on work for yourself; what will you do if Leader Zhang doesn't let you leave?"

Zhang Jindong continued to pat his chest: "Professor Wang, rest assured, I wouldn't dream of returning kindness with ingratitude!"

After joking around for a bit and waiting a while longer, Zhao Da and Zhao Er each drove a car, bringing Zhao Xiuneng, Zhao Xiuxian, Li Zhen, and Xiao Yuzhu to the Wangfu.

After roughly hearing what had happened, Zhao Xiuxian felt both envious and apprehensive.

What he envied was: back then, he had racked his brains and used every ounce of his strength, yet he still couldn't catch the eye of the Gongwang Mansion, while Lin Sicheng just came for a stroll.

This is a large Museum directly under the Ministry of Culture, on the same Level One as the Forbidden City and the National Museum of China. As long as he can handle this order, Lin Sicheng's business in Beijing will be endless from now on.

What he was apprehensive about was: this was only his first time in Beijing, and without Wang Qi Zhi acting as a go-between, let alone him or his eldest brother making connections, the business had just fallen from the sky and landed right on top of Lin Sicheng's head?

Given time, Lin Sicheng's fame will only grow, and his abilities will only become stronger; he won't need to go through him or his eldest brother at all, and will be able to work on his own...

Brothers share the same heart; one look and he knew what the second brother was pondering, so Zhao Xiuneng gave him a subtle glare: worrying about nothing!

Having spent so long together, don't you know what kind of character Lin Sicheng has?

Besides, if you don't trust the eldest brother's judgment, you should at least trust our mother's judgment, right?

Put your heart at ease...