Chapter 375: The Seventh Under Heaven

Liu Anda stared at Lin Sicheng for a long time: "You are Wang Qi Zhi's student?"

"Yes, Professor Liu!"

"Surname Lin, called Lin Sicheng, attending university at Xida?"

"Yes, I just graduated this year and am currently a graduate student under Professor Wang!"

"Is that so?" Liu Anda smiled kindly: "How old are you this year?"

"Twenty-two!"

"Tsk tsk, so young!"

The two exchanged questions and answers, while the eyes of those nearby all turned to look at them in unison.

Who, Lin Sicheng?

The first time this name was heard was during the eleventh month of last year. Wang Qi Zhi and Ji Wangshu came to the Forbidden City, saying they wanted to borrow reference materials on the restoration of Blue and White Porcelain.

Because the arrival was too sudden, there had been no prior communication, let alone an application submitted to the higher-level departments. Furthermore, what they were borrowing were technical materials unique to the Forbidden City,

and which had not yet been registered for patents, so the museum leadership naturally could not agree.

But Wang Qi Zhi spoke without a shred of shame: It was fine not to lend them, as it would save his student from independently researching restoration techniques more mature and advanced than those of the Forbidden City, only to be accused of stealing them from the Forbidden City.

At the time, the museum leadership was both angry and amused, thinking Wang Qi Zhi was unhappy and intentionally speaking in irony.

But subsequently, Wang Qi Zhi produced a newly restored Chenghua Sea Cloud Dragon Pattern Large Jar, along with photographs of the broken vessel before restoration.

At that moment, whether it was the leadership or the Experts, everyone was stunned into silence.

The expert looks at the technique, the layman looks at the spectacle; one didn't need to be very knowledgeable—even an Intern could see how severely damaged the Blue and White Large Jar in the photo was, how great the difficulty of restoration was, and how high the degree of recovery was after the restoration.

What's more, there were national-treasure-level Experts like Wu Xingchang and Wang Liying, who had painstakingly studied for half a lifetime and were more familiar with touching porcelain than touching their own hands.

They could tell at a glance that the large jar used the "Shadowless Repair," "Blue and White Five Waters," and "Three-Stage Firing" restoration techniques that only the Forbidden City possessed.

They wouldn't dare say it was better than what they could repair, but the technique and craftsmanship were higher than most of the students under their own hands.

The problem was: these techniques were all secret, non-disseminated arts of the Forbidden City; where did Wang Qi Zhi's student learn them?

Wang Qi Zhi spoke quite logically, saying it was his student's family heritage; the grandfather was a famous Cultural Relics Protection professor at Xida and an expert in porcelain.

Having someone to teach was one aspect, but the key was that his student was naturally gifted and had loved studying it since childhood. Plus, with good luck, he met him, a famous teacher, and after finding a few porcelain restoration materials from the Forbidden City that weren't considered very confidential, his student learned them on his own.

At the time, everyone scoffed at this.

So-called technical confidentiality was only relative; at the very least, the restoration formulas and key data for Blue and White Porcelain were completely shared within the Forbidden City.

For example, the students of several ceramic Experts, and even more so the Researchers at the Forbidden City's Ceramic Research Institute. Among such people, if there weren't a hundred who knew the core data, there were eighty. If it were that easy to learn, the Forbidden City would be full of ancient ceramic restoration Experts.

It required someone to teach carefully, someone to guide hand-in-hand, and even more, it required day after day, year after year of accumulated experience.

And one wasn't necessarily guaranteed to learn it well; most could only be called "competent" rather than "refined," so Wang Qi Zhi's so-called self-study from materials seemed like a joke to the Experts.

But Wang Qi Zhi was adamant, saying that borrowing the materials was a ruse, and he just wanted a few old Experts to take a look and see if his student's craftsmanship could qualify for a World Heritage Application or something similar.

The craftsmanship was, of course, beyond reproach, but the policy for World Heritage Application had just been introduced, and the Experts didn't understand it very well either. By the time they asked about his student again, Wang Qi Zhi had already run off, and the matter was left unsettled.

It was also that time that a group of old Experts formed an impression of the name Lin Sicheng. Of course, at the time, most of the Experts suspected that Wang Qi Zhi was just bragging.

Then, about another month passed, and Wang Qi Zhi came again.

This time it was even more outrageous: he actually wanted to borrow the Forbidden City's Chixia Cup, and even went so far as to want to perform an Isotope Comparison.

It is no exaggeration to say that when Wang Qi Zhi said this, he almost got beaten up.

The Palace Museum had many Cultural Relics, and many that could be called treasures of the museum, but the national treasures that were regarded as rare wonders and kept secret from the public were truly only those few.

Wang Qi Zhi, however, opened his mouth and wanted to borrow one to study, and opened it again to request sampling for comparison?

The so-called sampling meant drilling holes; they couldn't fathom where Wang Qi Zhi found the nerve to say such things.

Then, a group of old Experts began rolling up their sleeves, and only then did Wang Qi Zhi say: his student had managed to acquire one, and he really just wanted to compare them.

He didn't intend to actually take a sample, just wanted to soak it in medicinal wine to analyze it and see if the effects were the same.

Of course, no one believed him, not even a single word. Furthermore, this item could not be lent out, and it was even more impossible to let him soak it in any medicinal wine.

Then, the museum leadership and the old Experts scolded Wang Qi Zhi and chased him away.

But a few days later, Wang Qi Zhi entrusted someone to deliver a test report on yellow wine. Only then did the old Experts realize that Wang Qi Zhi didn't seem to be lying?

Because all the components in that report were exactly the same as the components of the medicinal wine soaked in the Forbidden City's Chixia Cup.

But the one in the Forbidden City was still sitting safely in the Forbidden City, so where did Wang Qi Zhi's one come from?

By the time they went to look for Wang Qi Zhi again, Wang Qi Zhi had already returned to Xijing.

Then came the third time, around the time of the New Year, but this time it wasn't Wang Qi Zhi who came, but Ye Anning.

When the little girl was only twelve or thirteen, she would follow Ji Wangshu to play in the Forbidden City. Not to mention how smart she was, she was pretty and had a sweet mouth; none of the Researchers in the Forbidden City, regardless of age or gender, didn't like her.

To tell the truth, her popularity was ten times that of Wang Qi Zhi.

After arriving, she visited the familiar old Experts one by one, and only then did Ye Anning explain her purpose: her uncle's student had acquired a few items and asked her to bring them to the Forbidden City to request that the old Experts re-appraise them.

Upon asking, it turned out that up to now, Wang Qi Zhi had only taken this one disciple, the same one he mentioned last time who had acquired a Chixia Cup. Consequently, many retired old Experts heard the news and came.

When the items were brought out, the Experts praised them in unison: other things aside, this eye for antiques was definitely sufficient.

A Jiaqing Famille Rose Imperial Kiln porcelain vase, a Jiaqing-era "Zhanjing Studio" gold-red colored Bowl—these two were Return-flow Porcelain. Although the Forbidden City didn't have exact matches, there were dozens of pairs of items from the same period, same grade, and same kiln, so they weren't particularly rare.

And a piece of Shen Du's "Li Gonglin Painting Return to the Fields Inscription." The Forbidden City not only had Shen Du Authentic Works, but quite a few, so it also wasn't considered rare.

But what was rare was the provenance of this item: it was an imperial-decreed transfer of inscription, an imperial-decreed change of seal, and what was changed was the original author's own handwritten inscription and seal; the Forbidden City truly did not have this type of work.

When asked about the provenance, it was said that the seller was in a hurry for money and had gone to several antique companies and auction houses, but no matter the appraiser, they all treated it as a fake.

But this was not strange: the inscription and the colophon, the Seal Mark, and the painting heart did not use the same type of paper, and even the dating didn't match; it was normal for it to be treated as a later imitation fake.

And those who collect have always believed in one truth: even if ninety-nine places are correct, if there is a question about just one place, it is one hundred percent fake.

So, the strange part came: on what basis did Wang Qi Zhi's student conclude that this piece was one of the few recorded in historical materials—those that were soaked in water due to poor storage when the painting Treasury was in disrepair during the Yingzong era, and which Wang Zhen was then ordered by imperial decree to transfer the inscriptions for?

Ye Anning explained that Wang Qi Zhi's student had a relatively deep foundation in history and knew various historical materials by heart.

But the Experts still didn't believe it: "Painting Academy Records" (a catalog of Calligraphy and Painting compiled by the Ming Dynasty inner court) and "Shiqu Baoji" were not such important historical notes; except for those who professionally appraised calligraphy and painting, others wouldn't even look at them.

Furthermore, even if one studies, it is impossible to memorize everything in one's brain; at most, one just has a vague impression. When it is needed, one knows how to look it up and where to look it up.

For example, Sheng Guoan, and even more so, Liu Anda.

Of course, the items were truly authentic, so naturally, the experts' impression of Lin Sicheng deepened by a notch.

Another month or so passed, roughly around the time after the New Year, when Wang Qi Zhi came again. This time, it was a family of three; besides him, there were Ji Wangshu and Ye Anning.

After paying New Year's greetings to the old experts, Wang Qi Zhi took out two portrait paintings and asked the experts to appraise them.

One was of Yongzheng, and one was of Qianlong.

Both were copies; to be honest, from an artistic perspective, the copying could only be considered average.

Likewise, there are many in the Forbidden City, and there is no lack of works by famous masters: Giuseppe Castiglione, Jiao Bingzhen, and Leng Mei.

But they couldn't help that the copies were lifelike, and more importantly: even if they existed, they only existed in the Forbidden City, while they were extremely rare outside.

The experts did not doubt at all whether these two paintings could be sold, or whether they could be sold for a high price.

After appraising the paintings, they asked about the Rhino Horn Cup, but Wang Qi Zhi started to hedge: saying that the report was based on his testing with an ancestral Angong Niuhuang Pill.

The more evasive he was, the more suspicious the experts became: his student might have really found a Rhino Horn Cup similar to the Wanli Chixia Cup.

But the experts expressed understanding: an innocent man may be guilty of a crime by possessing a treasure; anyone who obtained such a rare treasure would keep their mouth shut.

After that, Wang Qi Zhi kept quiet for nearly half a year, and when he came to the Forbidden City again, it was already summer.

This time, he specifically gave advance notice, and knowing there were rare things to see, the group gathered very completely this time.

Like those sitting here today, many who didn't come today also arrived.

Then, Wang Qi Zhi took out a Poetry Porcelain Pillow, saying it was local porcelain his student found in Shanxi, and he specifically brought it to the Forbidden City to compare.

At the time, many people were still puzzled: there is no famous porcelain in Shanxi, what can you compare by bringing it to the Forbidden City?

But subsequently, several ancient ceramic experts discovered something wrong: what Wang Qi Zhi brought was not just a porcelain pillow, but also exploration records,

excavation reports, and various analysis and testing data.

The point was that two of them were downloaded from the Forbidden City's official website. Comparing the composition and the traces of firing techniques, it was identical to the one his student discovered.

What does this explain? It explains that the several Child Pillows stored in the Forbidden City and always studied as Ding Kiln porcelain were all fired in Shanxi.

By comparison, this could only be considered secondary; the key was: Song Dynasty Hutian Kiln Shadow Blue Porcelain, Yuan Dynasty Egg White Glaze—

Ming Dynasty Thin-body Porcelain, Dehua White.

The subject of Hutian Kiln Shadow Blue Porcelain has been studied in Jingdezhen for nearly ten years, right? There hasn't been any major movement. Suddenly, they produced such a big result?

The problem is, this time the movement had nothing to do with Jingdezhen or the Jiangxi Ceramic Research Institute, but inexplicably took a turn and ended up in Shanxi, which is eight hundred poles away?

Even more bizarre is the unit and Person in Charge that discovered and hosted this project: Wang Qi Zhi's student, and the Research Center named after him.

Before, Wang Qi Zhi hadn't mentioned it, and Ye Anning had also mentioned it. Everyone thought it was just a studio within a regular university.

But seeing those commission letters from the departments of Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces, this was clearly a cross-provincial scientific research institution integrating archaeology and exploration.

The key also lies in this subject: covering Jiangxi, Shanxi, Fujian, and the five dynasties of Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing, and even the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln, Shanxi New Kiln, and Fujian Dehua Kiln.

Involving such a wide scope, such a long span, and the types of craftsmanship and technology included, it can be said: half of the lineage of Imperial Porcelain and famous porcelain craftsmanship after the Song Dynasty can be found in this one subject.

How many such large projects can be found in the whole country?

Only then did the experts half-believe that Wang Qi Zhi might not have been bragging: this student of his is truly gifted and self-taught.

Because picking up leaks and appraising can be bragged about and artificially hyped, but scientific research cannot be faked in the slightest: if you know, you know; if you don't, you don't.

Especially this subject this time: this is a pioneering research discovery; even if he wanted to self-study, there would be nowhere to learn it.

Putting oneself in their shoes, who wouldn't be curious about such a talent?

Fortunately, they finally saw the person.

While thinking secretly, more than a dozen pairs of eyes were fixed on Lin Sicheng's face.

He was indeed very young, with not even a few hairs on his chin, and his face was so tender it seemed like it could be pinched to produce water. Anyone who saw him would think he was a college student who had just graduated.

But as the old saying goes: one cannot judge a person by their appearance, just as one cannot measure the sea with a bucket—

Suddenly, a group of old experts became excited: "Little Lin, did you really find a Chixia Cup?"

Lin Sicheng smiled modestly: "Teacher Jin, it's just an ordinary Rhino Horn Cup, far worse than the Chixia Cup. My teacher and I checked the materials and made some inferences; it should be a replica made by some vassal Wangfu in Shandong during the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty."

"It has a little medicinal effect, but it is negligible. According to my teacher, it needs to be added to rice wine with three to four Angong Niuhuang Pills, and it must be in a specific environment and at a specific temperature to achieve the medicinal effect of the Chixia Cup—"

In an instant, at least half of the people felt relieved: just as they said, how could such a supreme treasure be picked up so easily?

The other half were half-believing and half-doubting: the so-called wealth should not be exposed; as long as one isn't missing a screw in their head, who would shout to the world after picking up a treasure?

But everyone knew their limits and no one asked further.

Wang Liying smiled: "Where did you learn the technique for that Chenghua Blue and White you repaired?"

Lin Sicheng's attitude remained respectful: "Professor Wang, I took a master; the old lady's husband's surname was Zhao, and her father-in-law was Zhao Yishou from the Crafts Office in the late Qing Dynasty!"

Upon hearing Zhao Yishou, several old experts suddenly realized: this person was the head of the Miscellaneous Works Office (specializing in restoration) of the Imperial Household Department in the late Qing Dynasty.

The head of the office.

The so-called Miscellaneous Works Office was a department established after the Xianfeng Emperor to reduce expenses in the palace by concentrating all the restoration stalls of the Crafts Office into one place. No matter what the broken object was—porcelain, bronze, jade, or even calligraphy and painting—as long as it could be repaired, it was all sent to the Miscellaneous Works Office.

The head of the office was the head of the stall; Zhao Yishou was the last one. After Puyi abdicated, he was driven back to his ancestral home. These materials are all recorded in the "Qing Palace Work Files".

Being able to be a manager, his craftsmanship was naturally impeccable, and he would naturally know how to repair blue and white porcelain. Even the Mrs. Zhao that Lin Sicheng mentioned was not an unknown person; the old experts in the Forbidden City had all heard of her.

But knowing how to repair is one thing, and how well one repairs is another. As far as the experts knew, neither Zhao Yishou nor Mrs. Zhao's craftsmanship should have reached the level of repairing a Chenghua Large Jar to the point of being indistinguishable from the real thing.

More importantly, Lin Sicheng has been apprenticed for less than a year, right?

Having only studied for a year, he could repair Blue and White Porcelain to this extent; the level of shock was no less than what Wang Qi Zhi said: he casually found some materials, and his student casually self-studied and learned it—

Several old experts exchanged glances and sighed secretly: the young man is quite clever.

Of course, those who aren't clever can't enter this line of work; those who are too honest and too simple-minded won't go far.

The reason is simple: before repairing, you must first know how to appraise—

The old lady smiled and pointed to the coffee table: "Are these items all things you picked up?"

"Yes, Professor Wang!" Lin Sicheng remained humble, "It's just a bit of good luck!"

Then, Lin Sicheng recounted the process of the Huashan painting, the Double Crane Furnace, and the Three Imperial Seals.

Although he spoke in a straightforward, unadorned manner, those sitting there were all sharp, and they grasped the key points immediately:

The Huashan painting was picked up at Daiyuexuan?

That iron seal was picked up on the spot at the Poly company after they refused to appraise it.

Qianlong's Congyun Seal was even more incredible—picked up as a bargain at a Xiling auction?

The most ordinary origins were the Double Crane Furnace and Yongzheng's "Dweller of the Yuanming Garden," including the two imperial portraits Wang Qi Zhi had previously brought to the Forbidden City for comparison; they were all bought from a fake Daoist.

But so-called "ordinary" is relative: although Lin Sicheng didn't mention it, everyone could basically guess that the fake Daoist was 100% an antique dealer with a family background in the trade.

Otherwise, where would he have gotten the portraits of Yongzheng and Qianlong?

Setting that aside, just look at the first two seals and the Huashan painting: Daiyuexuan is a century-old brand, and Xiling and Poly are top-tier auction houses in the country.

For an ordinary collector, being able to pick up one genuine item at a not-too-high price would be enough to brag about for years. Picking up a small bargain would definitely be enough to brag about for half a lifetime.

Lin Sicheng, on the other hand, not only picks up bargains every time, but every time he does, it's an imperial seal?

Subconsciously, several old Experts exchanged glances: The young man is not only clever but also humble enough to know how to hide his light and make a fortune in silence.

There is no need to compare him with others, just compare him with his teacher: If it were Wang Qi Zhi, he would want the whole world to know—

Secretly sighing with emotion, He Jiutian pointed to the basin-shaped object that hadn't been unwrapped yet: "When your teacher came the first time, he mentioned that you had picked up a dog basin, which was actually an Enamel Sunflower Plate from the Daozuo Hall of Prince Yi's Wangfu during the Yongzheng era.

He also said it was broken beyond repair at the time, and no one wanted it even if it were thrown on the street. Then you took it back to school, and he watched you personally repair the base, repair the body, and then apply the glaze—it could be called a divine technique!"

"I mentioned a few times that he should bring you along the next time he comes to Beijing so we could meet you, but he said you were extremely busy and had no time to come to Beijing. I always thought he was fobbing us off, until I saw the Poetry Porcelain Pillow and realized you were truly busy—"

As he spoke, He Jiutian laughed again: "This piece should be it, right?"

Lin Sicheng nodded with a smile: "Yes, Professor He, this piece is the Sunflower-mouth Plate!"

At his mention, several Experts remembered: That's right, this kid also knows how to apply enamel?

And if they remembered correctly, it was even earlier than the time he restored the Chenghua Large Jar?

Compared to that, picking up a Yongzheng Enamelware as a dog basin is no longer considered strange. What is strange is: Lin Sicheng not only knows how to apply enamel, but also knows the "Six Point Six Burn."

Because this is harder to learn than restoring porcelain: Porcelain appeared early, has a long history, and covers a wide range; basically every province was firing it, so naturally, there are many people researching it.

But enamelware didn't enter China until the mid-Ming Dynasty, and it was only for royal use. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, only the official workshops in Beijing produced it, and the technology was never passed down to the common people.

Not only are there few people who know it, but they are basically all concentrated in Beijing; who could Lin Sicheng have learned from?

Wang Qi Zhi knows how, but at best he can apply it three times and burn it three times—

While secretly pondering, Lin Sicheng unwrapped the packaging. Just as he removed the last layer of foam, He Jiutian snatched it into his hands.

And at the first glance, he was stunned: Is it really six-fill six-burn?

The key lies in the fact that this is not simply filling six times and burning six times, but having to mix six types of Coloring Glaze, and under high-temperature oxidation, make the six types of glaze applied sequentially match the color and texture of the original Glaze Layer perfectly through a gradient effect.

As the saying goes, a miss is as good as a mile: a difference of one or two degrees in the furnace temperature each time can lead to a difference of over ten degrees in the color system.

The more critical part lies in: one cannot destroy the original Glaze Layer because the temperature is too high. Furthermore, one must avoid the cracking of the body or Explosive Glaze that could be caused by differences in expansion.

It can be said that even in the Forbidden City, those who have this skill and can succeed in one go do not exceed the number of fingers on one hand—

After looking at it for a long while, He Jiutian sighed and exchanged glances with Xu Gaolan.

The old lady understood in an instant, recalling the last time Wang Qi Zhi came to the Forbidden City, which was the time of the Poetry Porcelain Pillow.

At that time, the two of them had joked with Wang Qi Zhi: "Qi Zhi, have you ever thought about changing your student to a better environment?"

"Look, isn't our Forbidden City quite good?"

"You are familiar with it, and Shan Wanshu is even more familiar. After coming here, he can choose any Expert or professor in the institute he wants to follow, and he can enter any department or office he likes—"

In fact, they were not joking; they just spoke their true thoughts as if they were jokes. Wang Qi Zhi also knew that the two old Experts were not joking.

But now, looking at this enamel basin and recalling that Chenghua Large Jar: such a student, no matter which teacher he changed to, would probably feel a sense of powerlessness.

Because there is nothing left to teach!

Of course, coming to the Forbidden City doesn't necessarily mean coming to learn; one can exchange ideas, and even more so, pursue advanced studies. Not to mention anything else: what place has as many Cultural Relics as the Forbidden City, and as complete as the Forbidden City?

Both sides had communicated, and Sheng Guoan knew the situation: actually, Wang Qi Zhi also had this intention, and it was very strong.

It was just unfortunate that Wang Qi Zhi suddenly had something come up.

And such matters certainly weren't suitable to discuss only with Lin Sicheng; they could only wait for next time—

While secretly pondering, he changed the subject and unwrapped the last scroll: "The best is saved for last. Teachers, take a look at this final piece. If there are no problems, I will file an application to prepare to receive it into the institute!"

At first, the old Experts didn't pay much attention, thinking Sheng Guoan was just speaking out of habit, but upon hearing "prepare to file an application to receive it into the institute," several subconsciously paused.

Receive?

That means spending money to buy—

But how many Cultural Relics does the Forbidden City have?

There is no exact number yet, only rough data, approximately 1.9 million sets/pieces. This doesn't even count archival documents and Cultural Relics fragments. If added together, this number is at least tens of millions.

So, they can't even finish researching their own, how could they possibly "receive" more from the outside?

Unless this item is extremely rare, or has immense research value, or has even reached the level of a national treasure—

While secretly pondering, Sheng Guoan unwrapped the scroll.

When the double crane pattern and the "By the grace of the Emperor, the edict says" at the beginning of the scroll were revealed, more than ten pairs of eyes narrowed simultaneously: What is this, an Imperial Edict?

The Forbidden City doesn't seem to be lacking in Imperial Edicts?

If it is an Imperial Edict in the narrow sense, namely edicts and decrees, the Forbidden City has about five hundred pieces. If it is in the broad sense, such as imperial orders,

documents like edicts, and drafts, then there are even more, about five thousand volumes.

It feels like there is no need to specially receive one in?

Just as they were secretly pondering, the Imperial Edict was spread out bit by bit, revealing the main text.

Those with quicker reactions had already discovered something wrong: there were only Chinese characters, no Manchu—this is not an Imperial Edict from the Qing Dynasty.

Following that, as the characters became more numerous, everyone was stunned for a moment: "Wang Shi Gao Ming, Third Year of Hongzhi" — this is a Ming Dynasty Imperial Edict?

The key points are this scope, this length, and — five-colored silk?

Lin Sicheng continued in a straightforward manner, explaining the process, and Sheng Guoan added a few supplementary details.

The group of people remained silent, looking at one another.

There are indeed many Imperial Edicts in the Forbidden City, but this "many" refers only to the Qing Dynasty: because the Qing emperors abdicated automatically and there was no fighting in the Forbidden City, the Imperial Edicts left behind are naturally numerous.

There are also Imperial Edicts from the Ming Dynasty, but in the strict sense of the term, excluding paper drafts of edicts, there are only nineteen pieces.

Among them, three are the treasures of the institution: the Hongwu Linen Edict, the Empress Dowager Jiang Gold Book, and the Xu Da Iron Death-Exemption Voucher from the eighth year of Hongwu.

Of the remaining sixteen pieces, ten are ordinary plain silk edicts, and the remaining six are silk-woven edicts. As for those of the first rank and above, featuring double-crane patterns on the back and hidden dragon prints, there are only three.

One belonged to Zhang Juzheng, but that one had the name dug out by order of the Wanli Emperor, so it can only be considered a fragment. The one belonging to Wan Guifei was burned to less than half its size when Li Zicheng withdrew from Beijing, so it cannot even be considered a fragment.

The only complete one is: the Zhengde Fifth Year Qin Feudatory Edict, fully embroidered with nine-chapter patterns, the longest Ming Dynasty Imperial Edict currently in existence.

Adding the Hongwu Linen Edict, the Empress Dowager Jiang Gold Book, and the Xu Da Iron Death-Exemption Voucher, there are only four complete Ming Dynasty edicts.

But now, one has suddenly appeared?

If one had to rank them, wouldn't this one rank fifth in the world?

Oh, no, that's not right; one must also add two more: the "Respectfully Serving the Square Mound Edict" (by Song Huizong Zhao Ji) currently in the Liaoning Provincial Museum, and the "Reply to Yue Fei" in the Taipei Palace Museum.

Even so, this would still be seventh in the world —