Ye Fan's words were spot on, stunning everyone present. Elder Lu, in particular, widened his eyes.
This young man hadn't even touched the item, and this porcelain bottle had always been kept in the inner vault of the Heavenly King's Mansion. Apart from himself and the Mansion Lord, no one else had the chance to come into contact with it.
So, how did Ye Fan know such intricate details?
He even described the condition of the bottle's base with perfect clarity.
Not just him; Elder Lei, Elder Han, and Jiang Zhong's eyes were also wide with shock.
"Ye Fan, how did you know?"
Elder Han narrowed his eyes, his grim gaze seeming to pierce through Ye Fan.
"How I know is none of your business, Elder Han,"
Ye Fan scoffed, then looked at the others.
"As I said earlier, what I saw was the genuine bottle, and this one is a counterfeit, a replica. Therefore, I naturally know everything about this bottle."
Indeed, Ye Fan had been consistently emphasizing the original bottle's condition.
Could it be that this porcelain bottle was indeed a fake?
Elder Lu frowned deeply. "Nonsense! This porcelain bottle is the treasure of our Heavenly King's Mansion. It has been here for over a hundred years. How old are you, yet you claim to have seen the original bottle? This is utterly ridiculous."
Elder Lu was furious. While Ye Fan's knowledge unsettled him, he absolutely could not allow the Heavenly King's Mansion's reputation to be tarnished.
"Has it truly been in your Heavenly King's Mansion for a hundred years? I suspect Elder Lu is hiding something."
A faint smile played on Ye Fan's lips, a cunning smile that was enough to ignite anyone's anger.
Especially Elder Lu, seeing Ye Fan's triumphant expression, felt his rage burning even hotter.
At that moment, he wished he could devour Ye Fan alive.
"What? Did I hit a sore spot? Is Elder Lu lashing out in anger?"
Ye Fan sneered, his brow etched with disdain.
"Hmph, you still haven't explained why this dragon-eared bottle is a fake. Ye Fan, even if your words are sharp, if you cannot prove it's a fake, you have lost this competition."
Although Ye Fan had been targeting Elder Lu and speaking sarcastically, as Elder Lu said, Ye Fan had not yet explained why the dragon-eared bottle was a fake.
Ye Fan shrugged. "Since Elder Lu is so impatient, I will make you completely give up."
Saying this, Ye Fan walked to the side of the dragon-eared bottle. "Everyone, please look at the glaze of this dragon-eared bottle. It's sky blue with a bright sheen, giving it a lustrous, dazzling appearance. As everyone knows, the official kiln porcelain from the early Ming Dynasty generally had moderate colors, with quality being the most important factor. Because in the early Ming Dynasty, especially during the Hongwu era, quality was prioritized, while appearance was relatively less emphasized. Therefore, judging by the color, this item is not from the Hongwu era."
Ye Fan spoke with conviction, his words filled with certainty.
Hearing Ye Fan's words, Elder Lei and the others fell into thought.
After a moment, Elder Lei nodded. "What Ye Fan says is true. Items from the early Ming Dynasty's Hongwu era do indeed have this characteristic."
"Hmph, there are always exceptions. No one can guarantee that there were no porcelain pieces with bright colors during the Hongwu era. Using this as a basis is not enough to convince everyone."
Elder Lu was still quibbling.
Given his status, engaging in such a quibble was quite humiliating.
But at this point, he had no other option.
After all, if he truly lost, it would not only be Elder Lu's reputation at stake, but also the reputation of the Heavenly King's Mansion.
He could not afford to lose face, and the Heavenly King's Mansion certainly could not.
A hint of coldness crossed his face, and his gaze towards Ye Fan was filled with anger.
By nature, he would not have engaged in such pointless verbal sparring with Ye Fan.
But now, for the sake of face, he had no choice but to argue.
Seeing Elder Lu's stubborn demeanor, Ye Fan shook his head helplessly. This old man truly wouldn't believe it until he saw the coffin.
"It seems Elder Lu has decided to resist to the end. However, that's fine. The more reserved you act now, the more miserably you will lose later."
Ye Fan sneered, his face full of disdain.
He truly disdained Elder Lu's personality of clinging to pride and suffering for it.
Regardless, even for the sake of face, as a senior in the antiques circle, such behavior was utterly contemptible.
But Elder Lu stubbornly insisted, "What? Are you so sure I will lose? In my opinion, you are just putting on a show. If you truly had confidence in proving that my dragon-eared bottle is a fake, you wouldn't be babbling here. Ye Fan, I advise you to concede gracefully, lest you continue to embarrass yourself here."
No one expected that, even at this point, Elder Lu would still be quibbling and even resorting to mocking Ye Fan.
It had to be said, this old man's psychological resilience was truly formidable.
If it were someone else, they would have surrendered long ago when faced with such a situation.
But Elder Lu not only did not surrender but also dared to argue.
The difference between people lies precisely in this. Regardless, Elder Lu's stubborn quibbling was truly laughable.
Ye Fan looked at Elder Lu with a cold expression. "As expected of someone from the Heavenly King's Mansion, your skin is indeed unusually thick."
Ye Fan shook his head in resignation.
"Since that is the case, I will give you another piece of evidence."
Saying this, Ye Fan picked up the dragon-eared bottle.
Then, he used his finger to tap the bottle a few times with force.
*Ong~*
With each tap, the porcelain bottle emitted a dull sound. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
After several taps, a faint smile appeared on Ye Fan's face.
"Everyone, I believe I don't need to say any more, do I?"
A faint cold smile curved Ye Fan's lips, a smile brimming with confidence.
It had to be said, for Ye Fan, any treasure appraisal matter was trivial.
Hearing Ye Fan's words, Elder Lei spoke first.
"Official kiln items, due to their fine craftsmanship, have thin and uniform porcelain walls, without pooling or other phenomena. Therefore, the tapping sound of official kiln items will be very crisp and loud. However, this dragon-eared bottle emits a dull sound with a humming resonance, clearly indicating uneven thickness. Thus, it can be concluded that this dragon-eared bottle was definitely not fired by an official kiln."
Elder Lei was very cooperative, his words going straight to the point.
Hearing Elder Lei's words, Jiang Zhong beside him also nodded. "Since this porcelain was not fired by an official kiln, it cannot be a palace item from the Hongwu era. In that case, this item is a fake, without a doubt."
These two were on Ye Fan's side. If Ye Fan couldn't produce convincing evidence, they couldn't help him.
But once Ye Fan presented evidence, they would unhesitatingly step forward to support him.
Ye Fan smiled, a brilliant smile.
"I know Elder Lu might still argue that the authenticity cannot be determined solely from the sound. Why don't we scrape off the outer layer of this porcelain bottle and look inside? Then it will be clear."