This rule set is very specific and must be adhered to strictly. I will translate the provided Chinese text into English following all your detailed instructions.
But these rules were perfect for Ye Fan.
If it were purely a comparison of appraisal, Ye Fan felt he had no opponent in Jiangnan.
Even if a Grade 1 appraiser came, Ye Fan wouldn't yield to them. The only one he needed to be wary of was President Wei of the Antiques Association.
However, after so many days here, this President Wei still hadn't returned, which disappointed Ye Fan to some extent.
Aside from President Wei, Ye Fan didn't need to fear anyone.
This wasn't him being arrogant, but him truly having the capital for it.
In the face of absolute strength, all bluster was a paper tiger.
A smile appeared on Ye Fan's face, and he said to Elder Lei, "As expected of Jiangnan, such user-friendly rules, it's truly wonderful."
Elder Lei smiled wryly, looking at Ye Fan's excited expression, he felt helpless.
This fellow never feared any supposed competition; in fact, the more competition there was, the more excited he became.
After all, in terms of appraisal, very few people were his match.
The rules in Jiangnan were akin to indirectly gifting something to Ye Fan.
Recalling his thoughts, Elder Lei asked again, "What exactly was the item you traded with Feng Xiao yesterday?"
This was his main purpose for coming today. Last night, upon hearing that Ye Fan had exchanged a bronze dragon for Xiao Ran Ge with Feng Xiao, Elder Lei had been furious.
A bronze dragon! It had never appeared on the market; this was the pinnacle of national treasures. To think it was so easily traded away by Ye Fan, how could he not be angry?
Therefore, he had eagerly come to Xiao Ran Ge this morning to question Ye Fan.
Seeing Elder Lei's anxious expression, Ye Fan smiled slightly and then turned to a corner of the room.
There, a wooden chest was placed casually.
Ye Fan opened the chest and took out a bronze dragon.
Its craftsmanship was exquisite and lifelike; even the dragon whiskers and scales were clearly visible.
"Is this the bronze dragon?"
After a brief glance, Elder Lei's face was filled with disbelief.
"This item is clearly a fake, why was Elder Wu mistaken? Is Elder Wu also working for you?"
At this moment, Elder Lei's eyes were filled with suspicion, and his doubts about Ye Fan grew.
He knew Ye Fan was strong, but he hadn't expected him to be so powerful that even Elder Wu had become his subordinate.
Ye Fan quickly shook his head, "Elder Wu is a Grade 1 appraiser, how could I possibly have that ability?"
Elder Lei was even more perplexed. Since Elder Wu wasn't working for Ye Fan, how could he have made such a mistake with his abilities?
Knowing Elder Lei's confusion, Ye Fan curved his lips into a cold smile.
He pointed to the inscriptions on the bronze dragon.
"Elder Lei, do you recognize these characters?"
Ye Fan's question made Elder Lei pause. He then noticed the peculiar, almost scribbled characters on the dragon.
Although he was also a Grade 1 appraiser, and a comprehensive one at that, his knowledge of ancient scripts was limited. After all, researching ancient scripts required a great deal of effort, and Elder Lei did not have that much time.
He shook his head helplessly, "I do not recognize these characters. However, they seem to resemble pictographs and should be from before the Qin Dynasty."
Even though he didn't recognize them, he had been in the field for many years and had some understanding.
Ye Fan nodded, "As expected of Elder Lei, truly knowledgeable."
He flattered the old man.
"These characters are called Great Seal Script (Dazhuan), and they are the script used in the pre-Qin period. Before the First Emperor unified the six states, Great Seal Script was the standard script used in the Qin state. However, Great Seal Script was difficult to write, with many strokes and overly obvious symbolic meanings. Therefore, after the unification of the six states and the establishment of a unified empire, it was decided to abolish Great Seal Script and unify the nation under Small Seal Script (Xiaozhuan). Great Seal Script subsequently exited the stage of history. Nowadays, it is only seen in a few archaeological discoveries. With the burning of books and burying of scholars, even bamboo slips containing Great Seal Script as burial items are becoming increasingly rare."
At this point, Ye Fan couldn't help but sigh, his face full of regret.
China's civilization was five thousand years old, but the burning of books and burying of scholars was an immense loss to Chinese history and culture. Countless precious ancient texts were turned to ashes.
Elder Lei also sighed deeply, "Indeed, so many pre-Qin ancient texts and cultural heritage have vanished without a trace due to that fatal blow. This remains an unresolved knot in the hearts of us antique practitioners."
Getting back to the point, Ye Fan smiled, "Very few examples of Great Seal Script have survived, and even fewer people know it. Elder Wu is one of them. He recognizes Great Seal Script, though not perfectly. He knows many of the characters. I took advantage of his expertise in this area and specifically crafted this batch of bronze dragons, inscribed with Great Seal Script."
Ye Fan revealed a sly smile.
"Originally, Elder Wu did not believe these bronze dragons were genuine. After all, thousands of years ago, dragon motifs were not so lifelike. This is why dragon patterns on artifacts unearthed from that period were simple four-legged beasts. Including dragon talismans and tiger talismans, they were all simple dragon-shaped patterns. But when Elder Wu saw the Great Seal Script on them, his doubts were instantly dispelled because he firmly believed that very few modern people were proficient in Great Seal Script. Even if they were proficient, they could not have perfectly replicated the script and strokes of the pre-Qin period."
"Therefore, he was convinced that this was an item from the pre-Qin period. Moreover, a dragon with such exquisite craftsmanship is unparalleled; this is a priceless treasure, the ultimate national treasure, the most precious of rare items. Perhaps, it was a case of 'a leaf blocking the view'."
Upon hearing Ye Fan's explanation, Elder Lei also sighed deeply, never imagining that a distinguished Grade 1 appraiser could fall into Ye Fan's trap due to his extensive knowledge.
It had to be said that Ye Fan's mind was exceptionally deep. He had perfectly designed everything to exploit Elder Wu's personality, leaving no room for resistance.
And yet, he was only twenty years old; his mind was truly formidable.
Ye Fan observed Elder Lei's reaction but didn't offer further explanations. Elder Lei had already made some guesses, so he let the old man continue his conjectures.
"Regarding the three items in my possession, I request Elder Lei to issue appraisal certificates. These items will be my capital in confronting the Feng family."
Ye Fan looked up at Elder Lei and said calmly.
Elder Lei had no objections. The fakes Ye Fan had used to compete with Feng Xiao previously were indeed of very high quality, and calling them treasures was no exaggeration.
And now, Ye Fan had proven to everyone that they were not fakes. Therefore, issuing appraisal certificates under the name of the Antiques Association was not difficult.
Immediately, Elder Lei contacted his subordinates, and soon, three appraisal certificates were placed before Ye Fan.
With these three appraisal certificates, Ye Fan could finally openly contend with the Feng family.