Chapter 63: Is Your Grandfather Also a Scammer?

Among these three items, the cheapest one should be the calligraphy scroll by Li Dongyang.

But no matter how cheap, he is a famous calligrapher in history, and furthermore a Chief Grand Secretary of a dynasty, so it must be worth at least over a million.

Next is the jade cup by Lu Zigang.

One was auctioned in 2011, and with the commission, it was about five million. Although the current antique trade is relatively cold, it must be at least two million even if it's less.

The one with the highest value is that Chengni Inkstone:

The inkstone is shaped like a fish, with the back of the inkstone lined with lotus leaves; the black and red contrast with each other, the lotus and fish shine together, the colors are bright and magnificent, and the richness and composure complement each other perfectly.

Turning the back of the inkstone over to look again, there is a line of regular script carved: "Bestow this plan upon your descendants, let it serve as a warning and an encouragement!"

Impressive; not only is it a palace inkstone, but it was also an Imperial Gift. Let's calculate conservatively: three million...

But after emptying all his pockets, he only had about a million. Being unable to afford it is secondary; the key is, for items worth over a million, how could they be so easy to sell?

Therefore, although the items are good, there is no need...

Subconsciously, Lin Sicheng looked at Wang Qi Zhi.

Professor Wang could certainly buy one, but the problem is, would the other party sell it?

Lin Sicheng thought for a moment: "Elder, can we discuss something?"

The old lady smiled: "Speak, child!"

He pointed at Wang Qi Zhi: "This is my teacher, who studied under the Ancient Bronze Zhang!"

The old lady squinted at Wang Qi Zhi's hands and curled her lips: "How many layers of paste have you smashed through?"

The meaning was that even after eight hundred attempts, Wang Qi Zhi didn't even count as a grand-disciple of the Ancient Bronze Zhang, so buying things was out of the question.

Lin Sicheng opened his mouth, then simply closed it.

The old lady smiled again and thumped her cane on the ground: "It doesn't matter if you can't afford those three; this one, you can definitely afford!"

Immediately, Zhao Xiuneng moved the tray over, bent his waist, and pulled another box out from under the coffee table.

He opened the lid, removed the sponge, peeled back three layers of soft cloth, and the box was divided into two.

One side was broken porcelain, and the other side was also broken porcelain.

But one half was yellow, and the other half was yellow amidst blue.

This purely yellow half was exactly the same as the bowl Wang Qi Zhi had just bought, as delicate as a sunflower, as yellow and bright as chicken fat; it was undoubtedly Hongzhi Jiao Yellow Glaze.

Although there was no dragon pattern, judging by eye, the original vessel was much larger than the bowl; even if it wasn't a jar, it was at least a vase.

Looking at the other half, it was typical Hongzhi Yellow-Ground Blue and White Porcelain: the glaze color was soft, the glaze layer was thick, and the blue had a grayish tint, presenting a unique jade-like texture.

Looking at the pattern: there was a dragon amidst flowers, the lines were delicate, the brushwork was free and easy, and it revealed a sense of casualness, no different from the bowl on the table.

Flipping it over, Lin Sicheng took out the base, and sure enough: Ming Hongzhi Reign Mark.

Hongzhi Jiao Yellow Glaze Pipa Vase, Hongzhi Flower-Pattern Dragon Large Jar?

The former was fine, especially the latter: the craftsmanship originated from Chenghua Doucai, hence it is called Hongzhi Doucai. Just based on this base and that dragon, these half-box of porcelain shards were worth twenty thousand.

If they could be pieced together, the value would be no less than Professor Wang's bowl.

Therefore, even if the porcelain shards in this box were not complete, he had to buy them.

After roughly looking through them and finding no signs of fakes mixed with the real, Lin Sicheng reached out his hand, preparing to ask for the price.

But as he rolled down his sleeves, he suddenly paused.

Hongzhi Jiao Yellow Glaze Pipa Vase, Hongzhi Flower-Pattern Dragon Large Jar, Hongzhi Jiao Yellow Glaze Bowl... where did so many Hongzhi Imperial items come from?

The key is, there wasn't a speck of burial stains, which means these three items had never been buried?

But that is not the point; the point is the condition... if nothing goes wrong, this inkstone is from the same era as the Pipa Vase, the dragon-pattern jar, and the bowl.

To be precise: they have always been together...

Looking at that calligraphy scroll again: Li Dongyang's "Mr. Muzhai is about to board the boat and sends a poem to express his feelings, written in the same rhyme"!

Who is Li Dongyang?

A Minister, Grand Secretary, and Academician of the Wenyuan Hall during the Hongzhi reign.

Mr. Muzhai was Zhuang Chang, who served as a Director in the Nanjing Ministry of Personnel during the Hongzhi reign; he was a fellow townsman of Li Dongyang and, moreover, a close friend.

Both were from Jiangsu, so how did the farewell poem Li Dongyang gave to Zhuang Chang end up in Shaanxi?

Lin Sicheng was not quite sure, but he knew: Zhuang Chang's daughter married the son of Li Jun, who was then the Provincial Administration Commissioner (Third Rank) of Shanxi, and Li Jun was from Qishan. After he died, he was buried at Fengminggang in Qishan, less than ten kilometers from here.

A blind guess: could this calligraphy scroll be part of the daughter-in-law's dowry?

Secondly, in the early Hongzhi years, Li Jun served as a Reader-in-waiting, later served as an Administration Vice Commissioner of Huguang, and repeatedly served as a Provincial Administration Commissioner of Shanxi, deeply trusted by Hongzhi. Does that mean the inkstone, the bowl, and the jar and vase in this box were all bestowed by Hongzhi?

The more he thought about it, the more he felt it was possible. Lin Sicheng blinked: "Is the elder's surname Li?"

"I don't have the surname Li!"

The old lady shook her head, "Don't worry, child, these things were all obtained by my father-in-law in exchange for land from the Li family... Before he returned to his hometown, he worked as a miscellaneous craftsman in the palace..."

Lin Sicheng was stunned: this old lady even had ancestral skills?

Including the three items in the tray, they were all genuine ancestral heirlooms.

Anyway, he shouldn't even think about it; he really couldn't afford them, he could only buy the porcelain shards.

He sighed and prepared to ask for the price, but the old lady waved her hand: "Don't be in a hurry, child, let me show you something else!"

As she spoke, the old lady reached under the stool, took out a small box the size of a palm, and opened it with trembling hands.

The moment the lid was lifted, Lin Sicheng's eyes narrowed sharply: another box of broken porcelain?

The piece on the very top was particularly eye-catching: a rooster with its head held high and feet planted, stretching its neck and crowing. Behind it, a tender yellow chick was flapping its wings.

What was just said?

Hongzhi Doucai originated from Chenghua Doucai, and in the blink of an eye, the old lady brought out a box?

Looking closely again: the glaze surface was lustrous, white with a hint of blue, and blue with a hint of gray. But the color did not appear dark; instead, it revealed a hint of jade-like texture.

Looking at it against the light: the glaze layer was thick and even, the luster was soft and subtle. If viewed from another angle: goose yellow slightly flashed green, apricot yellow flushed with crimson, and honey-wax transparent yellow.

The body is also extremely thin; through the porcelain shard, one can even see the flesh-pink color of a finger on the back.

The key is this chicken, and that base at the bottom of the box... it is fucking recognizable: the best among Ming Porcelain, exclusively for the Emperor, the Chenghua Doucai Chicken Cup.

It is no exaggeration; having lived two lifetimes, this is the first time Lin Sicheng has seen the real thing... even if it is a broken one.

Whether there are only seventeen in the world, Lin Sicheng is not entirely sure, but at least seven years later, the two hundred and eighty million that Liu Yiqian spent at the Hong Kong Sotheby's auction was not a bit fake.

Looking at the size of the box again, the porcelain shards inside are at least two... doesn't that equal two two-hundred-and-eighty-millions?

It is no exaggeration; if it were anyone else, the hand holding the box would already be shaking.

After looking for a long time, Lin Sicheng slowly exhaled and gently put it back.

The old lady closed the box, smiling, "Child, if you fix this for me, I will give you that trunk."

After a slight pause, she pointed to the tray: "Among those three items, you may choose another!"

Wang Qi Zhi's eyes bulged, and his eyelids twitched wildly: he was standing a bit further away and knew relatively little about porcelain, so he did not yet know what was in the box in Lin Sicheng's hands.

But he could at least recognize what those three items in the tray were. Especially that inkstone: an inkstone offered to the Ming court, an Imperial Gift from the Emperor.

Just to fix this box of broken porcelain, the old lady is actually willing to give those away? Then how valuable must the porcelain shards in this box be?

Lin Sicheng was slightly better, but even with his two lifetimes of experience, he could not help but gasp.

But what shocked him was not the old lady's boldness, but her wrist: no wonder she knew I couldn't afford it, yet she brought it out so openly? So, she wasn't selling things at all; she was baiting a fish to take the hook!

So, should I fix it or not?

To tell the truth: how many lifetimes does it take to encounter something like this? Never mind getting paid, even if he had to pay, Lin Sicheng would want to do it.

But there is one point: the logic doesn't hold up!

Lin Sicheng thought for a moment: "Old lady, why not send it to Beijing?"

For example, the Forbidden City.

"It's easy to send to Beijing, but what if it becomes public property?"

Haha... stolen out back then?

It has been over a hundred years, so it shouldn't be very likely, but it's hard to say...

"Old lady, the key is that I am too young, and I am afraid of ruining it for you."

"Child, feel free to fix it. My hands may shake a lot, but my eyes are still good!" The old lady tapped her cane, "You fix it, I'll watch!"

That is quite sensible, but as I said before, the logic is wrong.

Lin Sicheng nodded and smiled, "Old lady, actually, I also have a family craft: my grandfather was named Lin Zhangqing, a professor of Ceramics at Xida, and he studied under Li Guangde (whose father and grandfather both came from the Imperial Household Department's Zaozuochang, a master of late Qing Porcelain Restoration)... his skills were much higher than mine..."

"Child, you are talking nonsense again; Li Guangde never came to Xijing."

The old lady smiled and looked at his fingers, "Is your grandfather also a 'paste-pourer'? Then does he know how to mix lacquer for porcelain mending?"

Lin Sicheng froze, staring straight at the nail of his right thumb: it was just a tiny spot the size of a millet grain, blue-tinted green.

This was the sample he had mixed that day for those two fish; he had used an ancient method to mix some mending glue specifically for blue-and-white glaze. Then he told Li Zhen and Feng Lin to use the glue to stick it to the bottom of the basin after the sample cooled down.

But he only stuck such a tiny bit?

No wonder when he was at the door, the old lady asked: Child, are you a "paste-pourer"?