“This brat is too arrogant. Even now, he’s still tough-mouthed. That pair of seals to me is just ordinary.”
“Disrespecting Master Zhu is asking for humiliation. Master Zhu has been dominating the cultural and museum circles of Chang'an for years; how can a mere nobody compare?”
“Li Chonglou? Where have I heard this name before…”
…
Li Chonglou’s few words stirred up a wave of controversy throughout the venue.
Countless people cast disdainful glances at him.
It was understandable. In the antique and cultural relics business, it all came down to seniority and experience.
Li Chonglou was not well-known, a world away from Zhu Qiliang, so naturally, no one took him seriously.
Besides, who in the antique collecting world would not trust their own judgment?
Everyone thought their own skill was on par with a master’s.
Why would the rectangular seals, which no one favored, be considered good items?
Just because Li Chonglou bid a high price?
Utterly ridiculous.
No one believed that so many pairs of eyes were inferior to Li Chonglou’s single pair.
All things considered, Li Chonglou was just humiliating himself.
“Brat, you really won’t shed a tear until you see the coffin. Those rectangular seals are indeed interesting, but even I can’t discern their true nature. What story are you trying to spin?” Zhu Qiliang’s old face flushed, but hearing most people siding with him, he couldn’t help but show a triumphant expression.
His condescending attitude made Li Chonglou nauseous.
“I don’t blame you for being blind with age and unable to discern their true nature,” Li Chonglou chuckled. “But to be so presumptuous and judgmental without proper sight is a joke!”
As Li Chonglou held the seals, he became even more certain of his own perception.
It was not surprising that a master like Zhu Qiliang, praised by everyone, could not recognize their origin.
In fact, Li Chonglou was more curious about how Ji Ling had managed to recognize them.
However, since Zhu Qiliang wanted to make him look bad, he certainly wouldn’t sit idly by.
He might as well use these seals to probe Ji Ling’s identity.
“Nonsense! Even the museum doesn’t think it’s anything special. How can you expect to twist the truth?” Zhu Qiliang was surprised by Li Chonglou’s stubbornness.
He had effectively allied himself with the Chang'an Museum.
Saying that, he turned to the host and asked, “Come on, tell this kid what the deal is with those rectangular seals?”
As a local of Chang'an, he was well-acquainted with the museum’s senior management.
He naturally knew the host, who was also a senior official.
“This… To be honest, Teacher Zhu, the museum hasn’t figured out the origin of these two rectangular seals either. We only know they were sold to the museum by a farmer.” The host looked troubled.
Although the seals were made of excellent material, top-grade Shoushan stone, based on the material alone, they could never be worth tens of millions, even a million would be difficult.
Furthermore, there were no inscriptions, unlike normal seals. The seal faces were carved with "San Wu" and "Ri Jing Yun Shen."
With no clues, even several experts from the museum working together couldn’t determine their origin.
So, even if he wanted to help Zhu Qiliang, he lacked the confidence.
“Since you want to know the origin of these rectangular seals, I can teach you!” After the host finished speaking, Li Chonglou chuckled, adopting a superior posture.
Didn’t Zhu Qiliang need to use his master’s title to suppress juniors?
In terms of seniority, why should he fear someone surnamed Zhu?
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you; today, he would let him properly taste the feeling of being suppressed by power.
“You…” Zhu Qiliang’s face turned ashen.
“What ‘you’?” Li Chonglou didn’t give him a chance to speak. “Pay attention to the lesson.”
“The material used for these seals is top-grade Shoushan stone. This type of stone was mostly used by royalty; ordinary citizens could hardly even see it,” Li Chonglou spoke eloquently. “Judging by the carving technique, it should be from the Qing Dynasty.”
“I believe you can all see these two points, otherwise, you wouldn’t have competed with me for them.”
“However, when appraising seals, the most important aspect is the inscription. The inscriptions on these seals are very special; they neither reveal a name nor an official position.”
“Instead, they are two puzzling phrases.”
“But if you truly can’t understand them, you should go back and study history properly. Otherwise, you are simply ignorant!”
Li Chonglou paused for a few seconds at this point, scanning the crowd. As expected, most people exchanged bewildered glances, clueless.
However, the disdain they had previously shown had largely disappeared.
It was replaced by confusion.
At the scene, only Lu Xuan and Ji Ling looked at him with admiration.
Even Zhu Qiliang’s eyelids twitched violently.
It was true, as Li Chonglou said, he could tell the era and that the seals should belong to royalty.
But that was useless; without knowing the true owner, the value could not be determined.
Even so, he couldn’t lose face to Li Chonglou.
He braced himself and shouted, “What’s the use of you saying this? The royal family wasn’t just the Emperor; there were also princes, dukes, princesses, and imperial offspring.”
“Their status differs, and so does the value. It’s vastly different.”
“Based on these two mysterious phrases, you can make a judgment?”
He felt Li Chonglou was merely blustering, with little substance.
No matter how much he talked, today he would still be a laughingstock.
“I said you are ignorant, and you still deny it!” Li Chonglou, seeing that the time was ripe, sneered, “The ‘San Wu’ on one of the seals is not a ‘three-no-product’.”
“Instead, it’s a phrase from the Book of Rites, representing ‘three negations and nine affirmations,’ meaning to govern the nation and the world with the utmost virtue of the three negations.”
“And ‘Ri Jing Yun Shen’ on the other seal speaks of the sun rising and clouds dispersing, a clear and bright sky, implying a clear and transparent political landscape for the nation and the world.”
“These two phrases are the life and political aspirations that Emperor Kangxi pursued throughout his life; they are his motto!”
Hiss…
As these words were spoken, nearly half the audience gasped.
If this were the case, then these two pairs of green stone rectangular seals would be imperial seals used by Emperor Kangxi himself?
The value of Kangxi’s literary and artistic objects was terrifying.
If they were genuine, a mere ten million would be pocket change.
At any major auction house, they would likely start at a billion.
This…
“Impossible! Do you think you can fool so many experts here by just making up a story?” Zhu Qiliang’s face stiffened, his scalp tingling, but he still stubbornly insisted.
He couldn’t believe it, nor did he want to believe it.
If he believed Li Chonglou’s words, wouldn’t it be equivalent to rubbing his face on the ground?
Then he would become a laughingstock in the entire city of Chang'an.
How could such a humiliating matter be admitted voluntarily?
Not only him, but even the host’s expression changed.
If Li Chonglou’s words were true, then the museum would have suffered a huge loss this time.
And he would inevitably be held accountable.
Li Chonglou calmly added, “I suggest you check the ‘Kangxi Imperial Seals Compendium.’ It records this pair of seals, but the book is too obscure, and you probably don’t have the leisure to consult it.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Ling said crisply, “I can verify this. The ‘Kangxi Imperial Seals Compendium’ does indeed record this pair of seals.”
“Not a single word Mr. Li Chonglou said is false.”
“On the contrary, Master Zhu Qiliang’s words, that you are ignorant and short-sighted, are entirely accurate.”
Wow…
As these words were spoken, the entire venue erupted in an uproar.
Everyone showed expressions of shock.
If one person said it was fake, what about two people?
Besides, wasn’t there the Kangxi Imperial Seals Compendium? The vast Shu Hua Garden should contain this collection.
The host quickly ordered someone to find the dust-covered Kangxi Imperial Seals Compendium.
Upon opening it, his face changed drastically.
Indeed, it was not false at all!
Instantly, his limbs went weak, and he collapsed on the ground.
A treasure was lost… The esteemed Chang'an Museum had actually lost a treasure!
Lu Xuan looked at Li Chonglou with a shocked expression.
Although she had great trust in Li Chonglou’s judgment, she never expected this man to possess such skill.
He could casually identify the origin of something that so many experts at the Chang'an Museum couldn’t figure out.
This… what kind of insight and knowledge was this?
She had found a treasure! With Li Chonglou around, how could she worry about not finding a valuable gift to outshine Zhong Liang!
Zhu Qiliang and Zhong Liang’s hearts sank to the bottom simultaneously. With such an performance, how could they not know they had lost?
Li Chonglou had stumbled upon an incredible windfall for no reason!
This…
Today was destined to be a day of utter humiliation for him, ruining his reputation in his later years.
Thump!
Zhu Qiliang’s body went limp, and he sat down on the ground, his expression as if he had lost his parents.
The immense cognitive shock nearly made him faint on the spot; even so, he felt dizzy and saw black spots.
“Master Zhu…” Zhong Liang was startled and quickly helped him up.
“Lost, I actually lost to a young whippersnapper…” Zhu Qiliang muttered to himself, as if possessed.
Zhong Liang glared at Li Chonglou with hatred.
His gaze was venomous. With Li Chonglou obtaining this treasure, he seemed insignificant, even a bit laughable.
“Let’s go, this place is not suitable for lingering,” Ji Ling said, looking at the noisy, chaotic hall, a flicker of worry in her eyes.
Humans die for wealth, birds die for food.
While Li Chonglou revealing the value of these seals in public served as a deterrent, it also attracted countless coveters.
Chang'an was not her stronghold, after all. If there were robberies or other incidents, who could guarantee that the treasure wouldn’t be lost?
Li Chonglou, however, was not worried.
Xu Lie, by his side, though silent until now, was not idly slacking off.
Instead, he was constantly observing the surrounding environment and personnel. If he detected anything amiss, he would act immediately.
However, there was no need to tell the two women about this.
Li Chonglou also felt there was no need to stay any longer, so the four of them got out of Shu Hua Garden and got into Lu Xuan’s car.
Xu Lie sat in the passenger seat, Li Chonglou in the back, squeezed between the two women.
His nostrils were filled with a fragrant aroma.
Especially Ji Ling, her straight, black-stockinged long legs were simply divine.
However, Li Chonglou’s will was firm, and he quickly averted his gaze.
“Can you sell the seals to me now?” Ji Ling asked softly, her eyes flashing with surprise, gently brushing a strand of hair.
“First, tell me why you want these seals,” Li Chonglou replied evasively.
Although he had promised Ji Ling he would sell her one, he had to understand the reason.
Otherwise, he would be reluctant to casually sell a national treasure like this to her.
“It’s a long story. This car is not a place to discuss business. How about this… let’s find a coffee shop to talk in detail?” Ji Ling replied with a smile, her charming eyes rolling.
“You two go ahead. I’ll head back to the hotel first,” Lu Xuan said considerately, realizing Ji Ling had something she didn’t want her to know.
“Sister Xuan, the thing you wanted might not be a concern anymore,” Li Chonglou nodded and said. “Ji Ling, you can have the seals, but you need to trade them for an antique with a traceable provenance and a value no less than twenty million.”
He had to fulfill his promise to Lu Xuan.
Moreover, if Lu Xuan hadn’t called him to the exchange, how could he have stumbled upon such a great find?
“Deal!” Ji Ling agreed immediately without even thinking.