Chapter 613: How Much Is It Appropriate to Auction For?

But it is not over yet; there is more to follow, all the way to the twenty-third piece:

Thousands of peaks and gullies, dense with medicinal herbs; dangerous terrain is not for the sake of mere planning. The beauty of mountains and rivers is never fixed; their marvelous utility ultimately depends on human strategy.

In the photograph, this is the intersection of the Matian River Valley, the location of the Eighth Route Army Frontline Headquarters and the CPC Central Northern Bureau from 1940 to 1942—

Still the same point as before: one painting might be a coincidence, but could twenty-four paintings and twenty-four poems all be coincidences?

Seeing this, the guests in the room were no longer just curious and inquisitive; they were not only shocked but also unable to comprehend: how could these paintings and these poems align with a Revolutionary Base from three hundred years later?

It is not just the terrain and topography; the key is the utility: including two headquarters and the Command Center of the Eighth Route Army—could it be that three hundred years ago, someone already knew this place was the most suitable for stationing troops and devising strategy?

If it wasn't a modern person who traveled back three hundred years, then it couldn't have been calculated through divination, could it?

While they were still astonished, the screen flickered and switched to a live feed: the camera was aimed at a table, showing three books.

*Taihang Twenty-Four Hidden Strongholds Album*, *Taihang Mountain Revolutionary Base Album*, and *Jiyang Outline*.

Lin Sicheng picked up the microphone: "Respected teachers, let me first state my first inference: the album is a military map, and the medical book is a codebook. Based on these twenty-four marginal notes, I have roughly deciphered them. Because time is limited, I will not elaborate here—"

"Of course, this is just my personal speculation. As for whether it is correct, it requires further verification and, even more, testing by more authoritative institutions—"

"Let's first address the question you are all most curious about: why can a military map painted three hundred years ago, disguised as a Landscape Pattern album, correspond to a Revolutionary Base from three hundred years later, and fit perfectly?"

"First, let me say this: the album is a realistic landscape, almost a one-to-one reproduction of the topography, and these terrains and landforms have existed for hundreds of years."

Some of them, such as canyons, mountain passes, mountain hollows, cliff walls, and ancient mountain paths, have basically not changed for hundreds of years. Even if there were flash floods, they would only slightly change the volume of the pebbles on the riverbanks, not the major skeletal structure of the mountains and rivers."

"As for things like forest belts and major vegetation, because of logging and growth, the changes are relatively large. But the main species are still the same:"

"Pines are still pines, cypresses are still cypresses, poria are still poria, vitex are still vitex (purple shrubs), and bush clover are still bush clover (blue shrubs)—"

"Some even existed much earlier: for example, the numerous narrow, winding secret paths in the Taihang Mountain, as well as the flanking paths around the passes; these were all trodden out by mountain folk gathering herbs and traveling merchants transporting goods over thousands of years. The roads rely on mountain fissures and ridges; as long as the mountain structure does not change, the general direction of the small paths will not disappear."

"Therefore, it is not strange that the scenery painted three hundred years ago is the same as the photos today—"

"Including the fact that the twenty-four paintings can match the locations of the base, and even the exact positions of the Command Center of the Revolutionary Base, it is actually not strange either—"

Lin Sicheng paused, his voice slightly higher: "Let me state my second inference: these twenty-four strongholds were likewise behind-enemy-lines base strongholds three hundred years ago—"

"If you ask me which troops they were, I really couldn't say, because there were too many; they can only be collectively referred to as the anti-Qing righteous armies of the late Ming Dynasty."

"The most famous is the former Ming Dynasty Datong Commander-in-Chief Jiang Xiang. He first surrendered to the Qing, then rose up in Datong against the Qing in the fifth year of the Shunzhi reign. The entire Shanxi province responded, and anti-Qing righteous men everywhere rose up one after another. After Jiang Xiang was defeated, a large number of his remnants retreated into the deep Taihang Mountains to build strongholds and hold their ground."

"Next is Wang Yongqiang, who was originally a Regional Commander of the Ming Dynasty Yan'an Camp. He served the Great Shun and the Qing court successively. After surrendering to the Qing, he was stationed in Yansui, Shaanbei. Later, he responded to Jiang Xiang, raised his banner in Shaanbei, and styled himself Pacification General-in-Chief."

"He was later besieged by Wu Sangui and Li Guohan. After Wang Yongqiang was defeated, he hanged himself at Shipu River. His subordinate Ping De led the remnants across the Yellow River and retreated into the Taihang Mountain to build strongholds and hold their ground—"

"Besides them, there were Wang Xianming of Jiaoshan, Shanxi; Zhao Er of Hebei Jingxing; Zhang Wugui of Zhengding; Yu Yin of Lu'an; and Han Zhaoxuan of Southern Shanxi—after these righteous armies failed, most of them fled into the Taihang Mountain."

"This means that these canyons, passes, hollows, riverbanks, cliffs, and ancient mountain paths had already been verified by predecessors: which ones could be used for stealthy crossings, which for ambushes, which for transporting grain and supplies, which for hiding troops, and which could bypass checkpoints to launch surprise attacks—"

"This means that whether it was the anti-Qing righteous army, the anti-Japanese Eighth Route Army, or the behind-enemy-lines Guerrilla, to establish a hidden base behind enemy lines, they could only prioritize this type of terrain. Since predecessors had already done the screening, why couldn't the revolutionary martyrs select the best of the best?"

Lin Sicheng pointed to the *Taihang Mountain Revolutionary Base Album*: "Let me provide two more data points: in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, there were hundreds of righteous army groups active in and around the Taihang Mountain, with numbers ranging from hundreds to tens of thousands. By this calculation, were there only twenty-four hidden strongholds in the Taihang Mountain three hundred years ago? I think multiplying by five might not even be enough—"

"And the Jin-Ji-Lu-Yu Border Region had seven hundred thousand people at its peak and over fifty thousand at its lowest. Taking a median value, if we count the standing army plus the Guerrilla and behind-enemy-lines personnel as two hundred thousand, how many strongholds should there be in the Taihang Mountain and its surroundings?"

"Therefore, it is not that these twenty-four paintings are bizarre, but that the most critical twenty-four locations were selected from the best of the best,"

"There were more strongholds in the Revolutionary Base, over three hundred in total. If compared, these twenty-four paintings do not even account for one-tenth—so, this is not a coincidence, but an inevitability—"

Lin Sicheng paused: "It is often said that the essence of Cultural Relics and antiques is telling a story. I think this is not wrong:"

"Because Cultural Relics are the material carriers left behind by history, bearing the emotions, encounters, and chapters of an era of a generation. There are countless moving stories, and even more, the ideals, persistence, suffering, and choices of countless sages."

"So I think: this is the most valuable and meaningful part of these twenty-four paintings and six Medical Books. It even far exceeds the author himself—"

Lin Sicheng's emotions were exceptionally full, and his tone was exceptionally heavy, causing many guests to empathize, and for a moment, they were filled with deep emotion:"

The Eighth Route Army during the War of Resistance was bitter, but the righteous army during the anti-Qing period was even more bitter—"

Of course, some people felt that his tone was set too high, his words were too lofty, and the emotional rendering was somewhat fake."

Some even felt it was a bit nonsensical: we are here to attend an auction, and you are telling us a red legend?"

Only a few people sighed at the very first moment: this kid has paved the way for so long, has the meat of the play finally arrived?"

Undoubtedly, whether it is the album or the hand-copied Medical Book, they must have come from the hands of a master. But Lin Sicheng said: the value of the Medical Book and the album far exceeds the author himself, so how high should this set be auctioned for?"

So, you think he is singing a high tune and showing loyalty?"

Wrong, he wants you to pay more!"

Zhang Zongxian and Sheng Guoan looked at each other: this kid is not only smart, but his methods are also high, and his mouth is also good at speaking."

The key is that he really understands."

It would be a pity not to work in auctions—"

Amidst the sighs, someone in the middle raised their hand: "General Manager Lin, who painted the paintings, and who copied the medical books?"

The crowd realized: no matter how much is said, one still has to see the real thing."

The reason why antiques are expensive is indeed due to the addition of historical and cultural value, but they also need the premium of scholars and celebrities."

Especially for Calligraphy and Painting Cultural Relics, the value attribute of the latter is much higher than the former. Even if the experience of these two items is bizarre and has a story, without the celebrity effect, it is equivalent to a person with only half a leg, roughly equivalent to being crippled."

Lin Sicheng did not speak, just clicked the mouse."

It was not that he was deliberately being mysterious, but that for some things, you have to let them see and ponder for themselves."

What they think of themselves is the most credible."

Several new photos appeared on the screen, some were colored and ink Landscape Pattern, others were calligraphy and copybooks."

First look at the paintings: there is very little texture stroke, lines serve as the skeleton, the ink color is mainly dry and light, with dark ink used occasionally to dot the trees."

The coloring is light, elegant, and restrained, the style is majestic and vast, the composition is sparse and simple, and the artistic conception is desolate and lonely."

If compared, whether it is the composition and layout, the brush and ink lines, or even the artistic style, it is exactly the same as the *Twenty-Four Hidden Strongholds Album*."

Then look at the calligraphy works: there are regular script, clerical script, as well as running script and cursive script."

The regular and clerical scripts are simple, thick, and honest, with strong bone strength, square and hard turns, and an open momentum."

The running and cursive scripts are continuous and intertwined, with a magnificent momentum, round, vigorous, and heavy, with a clear seal script aura."

If one must evaluate them: the brush carries the spirit of metal and stone, the lines are simple, thick, and vigorous, with no signs of superficiality or beauty, only a dignified bone structure. Between the lines, it is full of unyielding iron bones."

Anyone who has studied calligraphy can determine that these calligraphic works and the previously mentioned hand-copied *Jiyang Outline* all came from the same hand.

The key lies in the viewing colophons and appraisal seals on the calligraphy and painting works:

There is the "Bitter Iron Joy" vermilion seal of Wu Changshuo (a Republic of China epigrapher and famous painter, founder of the Xiling Seal Art Society), as well as the "Inscription Heart Peerless Item" vermilion square seal of Wu Hufan (a giant of Republic of China appraisal and a collector).

There are even more colophons and appraisal seals inscribed by modern and contemporary masters and collectors such as Zhao Zhengkai, Qi Gong, Cheng Shifa, and Shen Yinmo.

Going further back, there are also the seals of Republic of China Grand President Xu Shichang, Wang Wei High Official Liang Hongzhi, Zhang Xueliang, Sun Ke, and others.

Going even further back, there are the colophons and seals of Late Qing Senior Official Qi Yuzao, Daoguang-era calligraphy master Bao Shichen, and early Qing Great Confucians Gu Yanwu, Huang Zongxi, and Wang Fuzhi.

There are even more famous ones: "Imperial Inspection Treasure of Qianlong," "Imperial Study Inspection Treasure" (Qianlong appraisal seal), "Sanxitang Fine Appraisal Seal" (Qianlong appraisal seal), and *Shiqu Baoji*.

It is a pity there are only seals, no poems.

Going further down, there are specific collection institutions: the Palace Museum, the Taipei Palace Museum, the Shanxi Museum, and the Tianjin Museum.

The key also lies in that seal representing the author: "Seal of Fu Shan."

Including both calligraphy and painting, there are over ten pieces in total, with over a hundred transmission and appraisal seals. There are studio seals, hall seals, and even name seals.

But the original author's seal is only this one: simple, upright, and exactly the same as the style of the works.

Seeing this name, everyone was stunned for a moment: some were surprised, some were suspicious, but most had a look of sudden realization: So it was Fu Shan?

If the author is this person, it seems everything can be explained.

Fu Shan was originally named Dingchen, with the courtesy name Qingzhu, later changed to Qingzhu. He was born into a scholarly family in Taiyuan; his grandfather and father were all Great Confucians.

He was no slouch either, being called one of the "Six Masters of the Early Qing." With Fu Shan as the core and Taiyuan as the center of activity, the six gathered scholars like Gu Yanwu, Huang Zongxi, and Wang Fuzhi to carry out research in phonology, epigraphy, and textual research, advocating for practical application and reflecting on Confucian doctrines.

The latter three were the founding ancestors of Qing learning (a general survey of Qing dynasty Confucian scholarship); if he had followed the rules, Fu Qingzhu's achievements would not have been lower than his father's or grandfather's, and might even have been higher than those three scholars.

But Fu Qingzhu chose another path: oppose the Qing and restore the Ming.

If one were to list the rebel leaders of the Qing dynasty, Fu Qingzhu might not dare claim first place, but he would certainly have a spot in the top ten.

When the Qing army entered the pass, Fu Qingzhu was unwilling to shave his hair and submit to the Qing court, so he became a monk under the Wufeng Mountain Daoist Guo Jingzhong, wore vermilion Daoist robes, and called himself the Zhu-Clad Daoist.

Besides being a Daoist, he was also a famous calligrapher, painter, and even a medical scientist of his time. Under the guise of seeking immortals, visiting landscapes, and gathering herbs to practice medicine, he traveled through the mountains and wilderness, avoiding government surveillance to contact remnants and potential rebel forces everywhere.

Fu Qingzhu traveled between Shanxi, Hebei, and Shaanxi for many years, and even traveled far to Henan and Jiangnan to seek out anti-Qing patriots; the Taihang Mountain was his base of operations.

It can be said: in the eight-hundred-mile Taihang Mountains, Fu Qingzhu wore out no fewer than a hundred pairs of shoes.

The most famous is the Zhu-Clad Daoist Case in the first year of Shunzhi: Southern Ming dispatched Song Qian (son of Southern Ming Commander-in-Chief Song Yuchun) to sneak into the north, contacting righteous men in Shanxi and Henan, planning to raise an army in the north to support the Southern Ming from the north.

Song Qian went north specifically to Taiyuan to meet Fu Qingzhu; Fu Qingzhu acted as the middleman, lobbying rebel forces in Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Hebei to rise up together. Later, the matter was leaked, Song Qian was arrested and implicated Fu Qingzhu, and Fu Qingzhu was immediately thrown into the Taiyuan prefectural prison.

Fu Qingzhu insisted that he only acknowledged Song Qian coming to his residence to seek an audience but refused his request, and did not participate in any conspiracy. In the end, because Song Qian was already dead, there was no proof, and coupled with officials testifying for him and the mediation and rescue of many friends, Fu Qingzhu was ruled innocent and released in the summer of the twelfth year of Shunzhi.

After being released from prison, Fu Qingzhu changed his name to "Zhenshan," continued to hide his tracks, and wandered in the Taihang Mountains.

If the rebel army lacked money, he raised money; if the rebel army lacked grain, he raised grain. From his thirties until before his death, for nearly half a century, Fu Qingzhu never stopped in his efforts to oppose the Qing.

For such a figure, drawing a military map disguised as a calligraphy and painting album, and then designing a codebook based on a medical book, is perfectly normal.

The key is that he is a recognized "Six Masters of the Early Qing" of the Qing dynasty, on par with the founding ancestors of Qing learning, Gu Yanwu, Huang Zongxi, and Wang Fuzhi. Moreover, he was the head of the "Six Masters."

He was not only a famous thinker of the late Ming and early Qing, but also a famous poet, painter, calligrapher, and even a medical scientist and man of letters.

The reason for deliberately emphasizing this point is that the set of items Lin Sicheng is preparing to auction: *Twenty-Four Hidden Strongholds Album* is a painting, *Jiyang Outline* is a medical book, the marginal notes are poems, and the hand-copied version is calligraphy.

This means that apart from the title of thinker, the remaining four have all been collected.

The key is that these two items align perfectly with the base areas during the War of Resistance, so how much money would be appropriate to auction them for?

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