Chapter 520

Huang Lan was somewhat bewildered:

Lu Zhen said that Lin Sicheng's relationship with Director Sheng of the Forbidden City was very, very good.

As for herself, it was just her luck that she had invited Director Sheng's student.

How was she supposed to appraise this now?

The key was, even if these two dared to appraise it, did she dare to believe them?

Suddenly, Huang Lan hesitated, her face full of conflict.

Lin Sicheng watched and wanted to laugh.

Liu Yiling was the same, feeling both awkward and hesitant, unsure for a moment whether it was better to appraise it or not.

If she didn't appraise it, she had already made an agreement with Huang Lan; money was a small matter, but she had given her word, and she couldn't just go back on it.

Otherwise, who would dare to seek her out in the future?

If she did appraise it, she was afraid of Lin Sicheng misunderstanding.

Liu Yiling worked at the Forbidden City, and she knew very well that there were far more experts in the Forbidden City who had a super good impression of Lin Sicheng than just her teacher. For example, Director Tian had praised Lin Sicheng to the heavens.

Or take the several retired old experts who still held immense influence; they praised Lin Sicheng whenever he was mentioned.

The key was that Lin Sicheng was currently collaborating with the Artifact Research institute on a project, and several leaders, including the Dean, held Lin Sicheng in high regard. It meant the two of them would soon be colleagues, and they would see each other constantly; if they became enemies, how would they get along?

As for calling the real fake, or the good bad... that was impossible.

Liu Yiling had her own professional ethics; she would rather not appraise it.

Sun Qichen, however, did not know these things, nor did he have so many scruples; his mind was currently filled with the scene from last autumn when Lin Sicheng had left him unable to step down at his teacher's house.

Seeing Liu Yiling hesitating, he assumed she was afraid of offending Lin Sicheng, so Sun Qichen tried his best to persuade her:

"Senior Sister Liu, it's not easy to come out here; no matter what, we have to take a look."

The implication was that Teacher Huang had paid money.

Experts also need to eat; since they have this skill, earning some extra money is nothing to be ashamed of.

Experts must also value their reputation; you cannot go back on your word and treat what you've said like a fart.

Seeing what they were thinking at a glance, Lin Sicheng didn't mind:

"Teacher Liu, since you're here, take a look. Even if you don't look, Teacher Huang will just find someone else to look."

"Actually, no matter who she finds to look, it won't have any impact on me. Besides, even if you give a conclusion, Teacher Huang might not necessarily accept it." Liu Yiling understood instantly: seeing how familiar they were, even if Teacher Huang dared to let her appraise it, whether she would dare to believe it was another question.

Huang Lan also understood, and she glared at Lin Sicheng: Why is this kid so annoying?

Cursing in her heart, she hurriedly squeezed out a smile: "Teacher Liu, don't listen to his nonsense; as long as it's the conclusion you give, I will definitely accept it." Sun Qichen also chimed in from the side: "Senior Sister, take a look. You and I have both experienced Teacher Lin's eye for detail, so I imagine there won't be any surprises. But this is a rare opportunity; it's a perfect chance to learn from Teacher Lin..."

If he had changed "learn" to "seek advice," it might have been more appropriate. Liu Yiling also understood Sun Qichen's meaning: just because he was strong once doesn't mean he's strong every time; Senior Sister, what are you afraid of him for?

But Liu Yiling knew: Lin Sicheng was truly strong, and strong in every aspect.

But since he didn't care at all, it meant the result was not surprising to him: the painting had no value.

Turning these thoughts over, Liu Yiling smiled: "Teacher Lin, I'm showing off before an expert, please don't laugh at me. If there's anything I see incorrectly, please give me some pointers..." Lin Sicheng was very humble: "Teacher Liu, you are too kind!"

As they spoke, the group arrived at the table, and the Assistant opened the case and took out the tools.

Liu Yiling's preparations were very simple: just a High-intensity Flashlight, a Magnifying Glass, and an Ultraviolet Flashlight.

Sun Qichen, however, had prepared a great deal: in addition to those three items, there was a Portable Microscope, a Micro Colorimeter, and a Fiber Detector.

Lin Sicheng didn't know why he had brought so many instruments.

If these tests were needed, wouldn't it be more convenient for Huang Lan to just send the painting to the Artron Center?

Not only was it closer, but the fees were also lower...

Following the same process, the two stood at the head and tail of the painting, starting by looking at the mounting.

Two assistants followed behind, each holding a pen and notebook, recording in real-time.

First the backing, then the roller, the silk borders, the ribbons, and finally the painting itself.

These were all fine, and not much different from the previous appraisal result from Teacher Chen:

An early Qing Dynasty imitation, the materials used were quite refined, and the mounting was also quite exquisite.

Then, the two began to look at the painting.

But after just one glance, both paused simultaneously and subconsciously looked at each other: why did it feel like the painting was just average?

Even, it felt a bit incongruous and nonsensical?

To tell the truth, a professional Appraiser only needs one look to see the general value of a painting. Given the artistic level displayed by this painting, there was no need to invite such high-level experts; anyone who understood painting could see it: it was a poor imitation, and the painting itself was even worse.

But Huang Lan had paid a bit too much, and coupled with the connection to Lin Sicheng, neither Liu Yiling nor Sun Qichen dared to be careless.

The two braced themselves, still one at the head and one at the tail, looking carefully and meticulously.

First looking at the inscription: Written in the middle of spring in the 37th year of Chenghua, Lin Liang.

Then looking at the colophon: Purchased at the Western Depot to compete for Lin Ying, this scroll is a true dragon, Xiang Yuanbian.

The brush carries Wind and Rain, opening the way for Baiyang, Dong Qichang.

Of course, there was no Xiang Yuanbian or Dong Qichang; this was the author copying from the original painting.

At first glance, the handwriting looked different, but if one looked closely, one could find traces of the same author between the lines.

The structure was quite neat, the lines of characters as straight as an abacus, the brushwork sweeping horizontally like an eagle drawing its wings.

But there were also many shortcomings: the center-tip hidden-head and protected-tail strokes, the center of gravity leaning to the right, the axis of the lines swaying like a drunkard riding a wall.

To say it was written poorly, that wasn't quite right. But it gave one a sense of weightlessness, as if the brush was held with a thousand catties of force, yet the strokes moved like Snake Movement.

It was as if the person had drunk too much alcohol and couldn't control the force of the brush; they clearly wanted to write with great strength, but it felt like they had written a few earthworms.

But looking at the structure of the characters and the flow of the lines, it revealed a few traces of decadence and wildness, with the flowing, connected strokes of a master.

In any case, it was very strange; to put it simply: it was like a child who had just started practicing calligraphy, holding the brush unsteadily, and the characters were written quite softly. But in occasional places, it revealed the seasoned intent of someone who had practiced for decades.

After studying it for a good while and truly having no clue, Liu Yiling skipped the inscription and colophon and turned to look at the painting.

But after looking for only a few moments, she furrowed her brows:

First, looking at the composition, just like the calligraphy from before, the Center is off-balance, as if the brushwork lacks weight, causing the proportions of the composition to feel noticeably unbalanced:

The ratio of light to heavy is discordant; the background scenery is too large, and the eagle and geese are too small.

The mountain mass tilts to the right and is abrupt, without any transition, as if it had fallen from the sky.

Looking next at the brush and ink: the brushwork is scattered, the lines are intermittent and trembling, appearing broken yet not broken, connected yet not connected, like worms eating through wood.

The texture strokes are short and hurried, with fragmented brushwork piled up; the structure is loose, as well as mechanical and stiff.

The shades of ink are discordant; where it should be heavy, it is not, and where it should be light, it is not.

What is most incomprehensible is the coloring: the mineral blue is applied like splashed paint, while the ochre is piled thick like mud, and the moss-green dots are smudged into clumps.

To be honest, this is no longer just poor coloring; it is completely out of control.

Not to mention famous masters, even a street artist with the slightest bit of proficiency could not possibly make such low-level mistakes.

What's more, this is a Ming Imitation. Liu Yiling cannot fathom it; since it was copied from a painting, how could it end up looking like this?

The same goes for Sun Qichen: he may be stubborn and unwilling to admit defeat, but he does have genuine skill.

Therefore, the more he looked, the more uncomfortable he felt. In the end, he truly could not hold back: "For such a fine painting, how could it be imitated into this state?" Liu Yiling did not know what to say.

The Forbidden City houses many of Lin Liang's paintings, over forty in total, with freehand flowers and birds being the most numerous among them.

With so many surviving works, there is much Artifact Research at the Forbidden City. Liu Yiling knows very well that Lin Liang's eagles and geese are unique: the eagle feathers are swept with the side of the brush, like carvings from a knife or axe. Then, light and dark inks are blended to express the layers of the feathers.

Afterward, dry brush strokes are used to quickly scrape, with flying white and withered brushwork on the surface of the mountain rocks and wild grass to manifest the desolate intent of the autumn Wind.

If it is an imitation, even if it doesn't reach ten-tenths of the original, it should at least be similar.

At the very least, the style should be unified.

But this painting is a hodgepodge: the mountain rocks are sparse and sharp, while the sky and earth are distant and faint. At times, the brush and ink are unrestrained and bold. At other times, the brush and ink are sharp and pointed, with a withered and raw style.

The lines are sometimes like a vajra pestle striking the ground, with force piercing through the back of the paper. At other times, they are like earthworms in mud, limp and powerless.

What is even more incomprehensible is that, clearly imitating a freehand Landscape Pattern, why would it use fine-brushwork?

It is as if the creator neither wanted to imitate Lin Liang's technique nor Lin Liang's intent, but instead wanted to use their own style to imitate an identical Eagle and Goose Painting.

But the result is having the ambition but lacking the ability. The techniques used are too varied and broad, the style is chaotic and unfixed, and in the end, it is an imitation that resembles nothing. If one were to evaluate it, it could be summarized in one sentence: trying to paint a tiger but ending up with a dog.

After thinking for a long time, Liu Yiling sighed: "It is not that it has no merits at all; at least one can tell that the creator's basic skills are not bad." Especially with the occasional stroke, one can vaguely see a few traces of a refined, ethereal, sparse, and distant quality.

Someone with this kind of artistic conception cannot be unknown. At the very least, it must be a mature artist who has painted for over a decade, possesses extremely seasoned brushwork, and has a very unique style.

So Liu Yiling and Sun Qichen cannot fathom why this one turned out like this.

If one must provide an explanation: it feels more like a work done with a free hand after getting drunk.

But then the problem arises: with such a large scale, it is impossible to complete in one go. It would take at least ten days or half a month, or perhaps even months. It is impossible that every time the creator painted, they were drunk, right?

While suspicious, she happened to meet Huang Lan's gaze, and Liu Yiling gave an apologetic smile: "Teacher Huang, I am sorry, I have failed to live up to your trust!" She did not state the answer directly, but it was no different from saying it: this painting is truly very mediocre.

Huang Lan forced a smile: "Teacher Liu, you are being too modest."

She was indeed very disappointed; she could at least tell whether Liu Yiling was just going through the motions or taking it seriously.

To be honest, these two looked at it even more carefully than the previous Teacher Chen.

Especially that Teacher Sun, who examined it inch by inch, wishing he could crawl into the painting.

But the painting is indeed not good; they could not go against their conscience and say it is good, could they?

Furthermore, it involves a lawsuit, and even a crime, so the two dared not be negligent.

"Thank you both for your hard work; please do not mind this small travel allowance!"

As she spoke, Huang Lan took out two Red Envelopes and handed them over.

Fearing that Huang Lan would misunderstand, Liu Yiling originally did not want to take them. But thinking that Sun Qichen had gone through the trouble of the trip and should not have made it in vain, she accepted them.

Huang Lan wanted to send a driver to take them, but Liu Yiling said there was no rush.

Since they had run into this, she certainly had to ask: what exactly caused the conflict between Huang Lan and Lin Sicheng?

She knows them both, and her relationship with both is quite good, so Liu Yiling was wondering if she could mediate in the middle.