As soon as we got into the car, Yan Yuhe asked me, "Mr. Xiang, how are you preparing?"
I glanced at her and said, "Isn't today's competition about luck? No matter how well I prepare, it depends on the opponent."
She smiled and said, "That's true..."
After the car started, Yan Yuhe told me that she had people searching for someone to decipher the characters on the imperial map, and that she would have news in the next few days.
I didn't say much about this, just thanked her.
Although I stumbled upon Liu Zaixi by chance, I wouldn't refuse the Yan family's help if it was offered.
After all, having another option might lead to different discoveries.
The car drove out of the city, and after passing through a small road, we arrived at a farm.
The farm's large iron gate was open, and several cars were parked in the yard.
The houses on this farm were all made of wood, with no visible concrete or steel. The entire building had an antique charm.
After getting out of the car, Yan Yuhe led us inside. Many people had already arrived in the hall, mostly familiar faces I had seen in the past two days.
As I scanned the room, I spotted Zheng Shuxuan sitting next to Cao Yuan, the head of the Cao family. They were chatting and laughing, as if discussing something interesting.
Seeing this, I felt an indescribable gloom.
Sister Ying was no longer the Sister Ying I knew. She now had a new name and a completely different identity.
As I was lost in thought, Yan Yuhe gently called me, saying Yan Hongguang wanted to see me.
I snapped back to reality and saw Yan Hongguang sitting at a tea table not far away, drinking tea with a man of similar age.
When I reached the tea table, he gestured for me to sit.
I sat down, and he poured a cup of tea and placed it in front of me. Then, he looked towards Zheng Shuxuan and asked, "You're not unfamiliar with that woman, are you?"
Yan Hongguang had met Sister Ying in Guangling, so he naturally wouldn't forget her.
I feigned confusion and asked uncertainly, "Is that An Ying?"
Yan Hongguang smiled and said, "Her name is Zheng Shuxuan, the eldest daughter of the Zheng family in Qinnan..."
"How can that be?" I acted shocked.
"Yuhe told me you contacted her yesterday. Didn't you realize she wasn't An Ying at all?"
I glanced at Yan Yuhe, who naturally avoided my gaze. I said, "I did see her yesterday. I was also very surprised at the time, but we didn't say much to each other."
"I've already had people investigate. She's indeed not An Ying," Yan Hongguang said with a hint of helplessness. "I never imagined there could be such a resemblance in this world. Honestly, if I hadn't obtained conclusive evidence from the Zheng family, I would never have believed that woman belonged to the Zheng family."
I asked, "Is it possible that her true identity is Zheng Shuxuan, and she used a false identity in Guangling back then?"
Yan Hongguang grinned and said, "I thought so too, but I'm a bit confused. Why would someone from the Zheng family go to Guangling? And impersonate An Zhongyi's daughter..."
"Wasn't shopkeeper An one of your men, Uncle Yan? Didn't you ask him?" I asked.
Yan Hongguang replied, "I didn't have time to ask. Not long after he was brought back from Guangling to Guangbei, his condition worsened, and he has already been buried."
I was a little surprised. "Uncle Yan, what about the matters in Guangling..."
"What happened in Guangling is in the past, so there's nothing more to say. Whatever her purpose was in going to Guangling, it's no longer important."
Yan Hongguang then looked at me and said, "I asked you to come over because I wanted to ask for your opinion on entering the finals."
I smiled and replied, "I can't say for sure, but I will do my best."
"Doing your best is far from enough," Yan Hongguang said, then suddenly asked, "I heard Zhao Wei contacted you recently?"
I was a bit confused. How did he know about my meeting with Zhao Wei?
Was he perhaps monitoring me?
"Yes," I nodded. "This matter is also causing me a lot of trouble."
He smiled and said, "I know why Zhao Wei contacted you, but you don't need to worry. As long as you're in Guangbei, no one can force you to do anything you don't want to do."
"Uncle Yan means..."
Before I could finish, he said, "In recent years, many antiques from Guangbei have ended up overseas. Zhao Wei and his group, under the guise of making fakes, specialize in smuggling. The authorities have been keeping an eye on him, and it won't be long before they're all rounded up."
My heart sank. I hadn't expected Zhao Wei to not only forge and sell fakes but also smuggle antiques.
I had been thinking yesterday that if things got desperate, I might cooperate with him. Thankfully, I hadn't agreed hastily.
It seemed the antique circle in Guangbei was much deeper than in Guangling.
"Since you've become an external aid to our Yan family, don't hesitate to ask if there's anything you need help with," Yan Hongguang said with a smile. "As for Zhao Wei, try to minimize contact with him for now. If he contacts you again, just call me."
I nodded. From his words, I sensed a hint of threat.
Earlier, Yan Hongguang had said that "doing my best" for the appraisal competition wasn't enough. What did he mean by that?
Did he mean that if I didn't make it to the finals, he wouldn't bother with Zhao Wei contacting me?
And why did Yan Hongguang only mention it now, when he knew Zhao Wei had contacted me?
Yan Hongguang seemed to have sensed my confusion and said, "Xiao Fei, your arrival in Guangbei was unexpected. Logically, as I knew your father, I should help you when you seek my assistance. However, this time, the situation is different..."
"Uncle Yan, if there's anything I can do to help, please tell me," I said.
He sighed and said, "Do you remember the Guanggu Association I told you about before?"
I nodded.
"The Guanggu Association governs the rules of the entire antique circle in Guangbei. In essence, one cannot do business in antiques in Guangbei without going through the Guanggu Association."
I still nodded.
Yan Hongguang continued, "The Guanggu Association holds elections every three years, and this year is the third year..."
Upon hearing this, I realized something and couldn't help but ask, "Today's appraisal competition..."
"That's right!" Yan Hongguang took a deep breath. "This year's appraisal competition is related to the election of the Guanggu Association."
Now I understood!
My participation in the appraisal competition was beyond Yan Hongguang's expectations. He hadn't thought highly of me initially, so his attitude towards me was one of indifference.
When Yan Yuhe first tried to recruit me, she hadn't held much hope either. Now that I had reached the third round, I had become valuable. That's why Yan Hongguang called me over to say these things.
And regarding Zhao Wei contacting me, Yan Hongguang, knowing about it, chose to remain silent, waiting for this moment.
He wanted to use this as a bargaining chip!
He would help me deal with Zhao Wei and the imperial map, and in return, I needed to help him reach the finals...
Thinking of this, I suddenly recalled that the "Ladies in Waiting" painting I had appraised was fake. Was this news truly passed to Zhao Wei by someone he had placed at the appraisal competition?
Or was it that Yan Hongguang deliberately leaked this information to Zhao Wei and then allowed Zhao Wei to approach me?