With the item in hand, Li Chonglou had a judgment.
He knew Shi Jianming was intentionally making things difficult for him with this item. Antiques were like people; one could know the heart from the object. Li Chonglou had spent his life immersed in antiques, and no one in the world surpassed him. How could he not see through Shi Jianming's petty thoughts?
“A jade vase pours into the ritual vessel, its liquid like golden fat.” Li Chonglou, with his fingers, rubbed this irregularly shaped carving, no larger than two thumbs. This yellow carving seemed to be condensed from oil, smooth and fine.
“Stop showing off your literary talent and just tell me what this is and which dynasty it's from,” Shi Jianming said with disdain upon seeing this. He was a master of Tianhuang stone. Of course, he knew the poem Li Chonglou recited; it was from a collection by Bai Juyi, titled "Sixteen Poems in the Style of Tao Yuanming's Country Verses." One of them praised Tianyu. Unfortunately, Li Chonglou's recitation was highly inappropriate at that moment, immediately giving Shi Jianming a clear understanding. This so-called junior fellow disciple Lin Ying was clearly half-baked.
“The formation of Tianhuang dong is incredibly complex and slow. Only in soft and clear subterranean soil might it, through molecular action, gather to turn the stone into a mass of golden, oily pulp,” Li Chonglou continued his appraisal as if he hadn’t heard Shi Jianming. “But it’s a pity, a great pity.”
“No matter how well it’s made to resemble it, this is not Tianhuang dong!”
“You, a respected Tianhuang stone master, have stooped to playing with quartz jade.”
“And you bring it out to embarrass yourself. I feel sorry for your lack of taste.”
“Coupled with the patina from three months ago and the vigorous knife work, even the most lifelike imitation is merely superficial.”
“Jade reflects the person; Mr. Shi, your eyesight is not good.”
As he spoke, the carving slipped from Li Chonglou’s hand, propelled by an invisible force, sliding directly in front of Shi Jianming.
At Li Chonglou's words, Shi Jianming's expression froze, the contempt in his eyes vanishing completely, replaced by shock. This carving was indeed not Tianhuang, he knew that clearly. However, it was the finest quality Huanglong jade, its quartz crystals invisible to the naked eye, only discoverable under a microscope. Combined with masterful craftsmanship and high-tech processing, it had fooled not only laymen but even him, who had studied Tianhuang for half his life. He had been deceived when he first saw it. Thus, he had kept it with him as a reminder. Today, he had brought it out specifically to put Li Chonglou in an awkward position. According to the rules, Li Chonglou was not allowed to perform destructive authentication, only visual inspection. But he… It was impossible. No one could discern it so meticulously using only their eyes. Shi Jianming's heart was churning. Could he truly be Lin Ying’s junior disciple? Otherwise, how could he possess such insight?
“Young man, don’t be too arrogant. What do you mean Mr. Shi’s eyesight is not good?” Seeing Shi Jianming remain silent, Old Liang was the first to express his indignation, snorting, “You’re just bragging here.”
“Even the most skilled experts make mistakes sometimes. Do you dare guarantee you’ll never be fooled?” The antique world is full of wonders and oddities, especially in the past decade with the explosion of the market economy and its complete entanglement with profit. In this environment, counterfeiting is rampant. Moreover, high-end counterfeits are tailor-made for skilled appraisers. Many veteran masters have suffered Waterloo because of them. Old Liang had seen Shi Jianming’s carving before and naturally knew its origin. He had also been fooled the first time he saw it. He hadn't expected Li Chonglou to discern its truth at a glance, which was like slapping his own face! Therefore, he chimed in to support Shi Jianming and put Li Chonglou down. Xiao Yun, as an onlooker, remained silent. Firstly, she was an outsider, and secondly, they were all her friends and guests, making it difficult to take sides. Since Lin Ying had sent Li Chonglou, she had to be prepared for him to be suppressed and targeted. After all, the purpose of his coming was to convince Shi Jianming wholeheartedly and then assist the Xiao family.
“Only mediocre people see the world with rigid thinking,” Li Chonglou smiled. “Excuse me, I have never been fooled.”
“And I won’t be fooled in the future!”
“Antiques require talent.”
Arrogant! Arrogant to the heavens! With a single sentence, Shi Jianming and the two old men simultaneously changed their expressions. Li Chonglou even dared to speak such words, acting utterly lawless. What did he mean antiques require talent? Wasn't that a veiled insult, calling the three of them useless?
“Kid, being young and arrogant isn’t frightening, but your ignorance is!” Old Han couldn’t help himself and slammed the table, standing up.
“Don’t you believe me? You can test me then,” Li Chonglou leaned back in his chair, extremely relaxed, his face filled with teasing. He wasn’t looking down on these three people; they were simply beneath his notice. Others’ arrogance stemmed from ignorance. His arrogance was based on fact. Mentored by Lin Zhendong, he immediately learned the most genuine and core aspects of the trade. Although he couldn’t identify many antiques in the early stages, he had never mistaken a fake for a real one. Later, after delving into history and culture, he never made a mistake again. Therefore, his words were spoken confidently, without any exaggeration. If the three of them perceived it as arrogance, what did it matter to him? The antique trade relied on insight and knowledge reserves. Relying on mere words could only fool outsiders. Since these three were hostile towards him from the start, deliberately making things difficult, and even acting like seasoned experts, why not let them witness what truly sharp eyes looked like! Moreover, he was here to help Xiao Yun. The method was not important; the result was. They didn't believe him? Then he would make them believe!
“Come, come, old man here hasn’t met anyone so arrogant in front of me in half my life.” Old Liang’s beard bristled with anger. He flicked his hand and removed a gold ring inlaid with cat’s eye, placing it before Li Chonglou. “Appraise it!”
Li Chonglou calmly picked up the ring and turned it over twice. Seeing that the carving on the ring was irregular and even somewhat distorted, he immediately had a sense of it. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and he slowly said, “The ‘Records of Pingzhou’ once documented that people from the border tribes all wore gems on their fingers, inlaid with gold and tin, according to their wealth, calling them finger rings. People from Jiaozhi valued them even more, with one ring being worth pure gold. The finest were called cat’s eyes, which are jade. Their light flickered as if alive, with no other peculiarity upon examination. The intention behind wearing them is unknown. Some are made from touching stones, dispelling poisons and insects, used as finger rings; when encountering poison, they heal immediately upon licking. These can indeed promote health.”
A lengthy passage of classical text flowed out of him. Xiao Yun listened, her beautiful eyes shimmering with admiration. In this society, countless people played with antiques, but very few truly understood them. They were all exceptional individuals deeply versed in the history and culture of successive dynasties. This Li Chonglou, who could casually cite literature she had never even heard of, made it seem effortless. Even Shi Jianming couldn't help but twitch his eyelids. He couldn't find any flaws. Old Liang's face twitched, turning pale and then flushed. Did this even need appraisal? This passage had already clearly explained the origin and history of his cat’s eye ring. This young man named Li Chonglou not only had terrifying insight but also unfathomable knowledge.
“Since Old Liang has tested you, I can’t fall behind,” Old Han chuckled upon seeing this and took out a bright yellow brocade pouch from his怀, handing it to Li Chonglou. Li Chonglou accepted it generously, gently opened the bag, and saw a jade pendant covered in black spots inside. The patina was lustrous, and the jade pendant depicted a dragon transforming theme. The base was Hetian white jade, but the surface was covered in large patches of ink color. After turning it over twice, he put the jade pendant back into the pouch. He said indifferently, “The ancients bought the box and returned the pearl, but you bought the pearl and returned the box.”
“This jade is a Ming Dynasty Dragon Transformation Pendant, and the ink color on it is artificially burnt black.”
“Its value is average.”
“However, this brocade pouch has a great origin!” Li Chonglou paused here. Old Han’s expression stiffened, and Shi Jianming frowned, asking, “What do you mean?” A mere brocade pouch, could it be more valuable than Ming jade?
“The material used to make this brocade pouch should be Kesi from the Qing Dynasty,” Li Chonglou replied confidently. “And it’s embroidered with the ‘Three Principles Sutra’.”
“Searching through all the Kesi motifs of the Qing Dynasty, only one item had this sutra embroidered on it.”
“That would be an item presented to the Qing court by a high monk from Tibet!”
“To use such a precious item to make a brocade pouch for a piece of Ming jade, it seems you are a patriotic person.”
Clap, clap, clap… Upon hearing this, Old Han instantly stood up, applauding thunderously. His expression was excited, as if he had met a kindred spirit. He repeatedly praised, “Marvelous, marvelous!”
“Young friend has eyes of insight and is quite arrogant, but you absolutely have the capital to be arrogant.”
“I am convinced, wholeheartedly convinced!” He had spent great effort in his younger days to obtain a piece of Kesi brocade embroidered with the ‘Three Principles Sutra’ and had specifically invited a master tailor from Suzhou to make this brocade pouch to collect this Ming Dynasty Dragon Pendant. In reality, the value of the brocade pouch, as Li Chonglou said, far exceeded that of the Dragon Pendant. But that was precisely how he wanted it.
“The Qing people ruined our Han Chinese homeland. After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, there was no more China, and it was only restored to tradition when our nation was founded.”
“From fish to dragon, leaping a thousand miles.”
“Qing Dynasty silk is only fit to hold Ming Dynasty jade!” Old Han became more emotional as he spoke, his old eyes tearing up, his sincerity evident. Seeing this, Li Chonglou roughly understood. This old man was rather interesting. He still held a trace of youthful defiance in his mind. At his age, it was rare and worthy of respect. For this reason, Old Han instantly became likable in Li Chonglou’s eyes. Old men might act like seasoned experts, but it was rare to still possess such a sincere heart.
“You have some ability. I don’t know when Lin Ying found such a junior disciple, but it seems Lin Zhendong has a successor,” Old Liang, feeling quite awkward, added perfunctorily, trying to salvage his dignity. After all, he was a generation older than Lin Zhendong. A grandson-level junior dared to humiliate him in public. He couldn’t suppress the anger in his chest. He was different from Old Han, who was an old mischievous fellow; he was an old pedant, a world of difference.
“Elder Liang, I admit defeat when I lose a bet. I accept that my skills are inferior,” Shi Jianming was straightforward. Although his face was filled with displeasure, he spoke gracefully, “Li Chonglou, you are indeed very good.”
“But at your age, excessive prominence attracts trouble.”
“A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind.”
“Didn’t Little Ying tell you?” While seemingly admiring Li Chonglou and advising him to hide his edge in the tone of an elder, Li Chonglou inwardly sneered. This person actually wanted to change him. What was advice? All advice was aimed at changing the other party, thereby manipulating them. Did he need to change? Of course, everything in the world was constantly changing, but he didn't need to change because of Shi Jianming's advice. Because his name was Li Chonglou. He was too lazy to explain and said indifferently, “My senior sister is not as idle as you, meddling in my affairs. Besides, even if I am arrogant, so what!”