The jade stall owner arrived at the Treasure Pavilion just as the appraisal work was nearing its end.
After several rounds of examination, the appraisal experts all reached a consensus.
"This item is indeed genuine. Without a known provenance, I believe it can be valued at 700,000 Dragon Coins."
"I agree. The condition of this bracelet is also excellent. 700,000 Dragon Coins is entirely warranted," another appraiser seconded.
"Indeed. It's a pity we don't know if this bracelet originated from the imperial palace. If it did, its price would easily be over a million."
"Sev-seven hundred thousand?"
"Over a million if it's from the palace?!"
The stall owner was astonished.
Could such a B-grade jade bracelet be worth so much?
As the stall owner was reeling in shock, an apprentice from a nearby jade shop asked the same question.
His master, who had brought him along, nodded and then explained to him earnestly, "In the late Qing Dynasty, jade was not as particular about its texture and grading as it is now."
"Back then, the quality of jade was solely determined by the preferences of the imperial family."
"Therefore, the value of an ancient jade bracelet depended purely on its age and origin."
"The older it is, and the higher the status of the person who wore it, the more valuable the jade bracelet becomes."
"But it's only been a little over a hundred years since the late Qing Dynasty," the apprentice asked again.
His master shook his head. "It's different."
"Do you see its color?"
"It's green."
"The late Qing Dynasty was when Empress Dowager Cixi held power."
"At that time, Cixi favored green jade, so the jade sent as tribute from the Kingdom of Myanmar was specifically dyed green."
Seeing the apprentice looking somewhat enlightened, his master continued to explain, "Back then, to possess such a green jade bracelet, the owner must have been wealthy and noble."
"If this bracelet flowed out from an official's possession, it's even more likely to be a tribute item bestowed by Cixi herself!"
"Can such an artifact not be valuable?"
The apprentice suddenly understood. "So that's how it is!"
If the apprentice understood, the jade stall owner certainly did.
At this moment, he gritted his teeth, wishing he could break them all to turn back time.
He recalled that the old man in plain clothes's psychological price was only ten to twenty thousand yuan.
A profit of thirty times had slipped through his fingers like this. Who wouldn't regret it?
Meanwhile, on Qin Xuan's side, the appraisal was almost complete.
Chen Zhongping slowly walked up to him and the old man in plain clothes, smiling, "Mr. Qin, what do you think of the price of 700,000?"
Qin Xuan returned the smile. "I believe it's too low."
"Too low?" Chen Zhongping was taken aback.
"Is there something we haven't considered?"
Qin Xuan nodded. "To be honest, this bracelet was worn by Empress Dowager Cixi."
"If we are to estimate its value, it should be appraised as an imperial tribute item."
"Empress Dowager Cixi?!"
Chen Zhongping looked at Qin Xuan with a peculiar expression.
Based on Qin Xuan's previous behavior, he already knew that Qin Xuan was not the original owner of the bracelet.
How then had he discerned the problem that the original owner was unaware of and the appraisers couldn't identify?
Did he truly possess extraordinary insight?
Or was he simply making an exorbitant demand?
Just as Chen Zhongping was pondering, a familiar figure suddenly caught his eye.
"Old Ye, you've arrived at the perfect time!"
"Come quickly and give me your opinion."
He pulled Ye Shuliang, who had just entered, aside and quickly explained the situation.
Like Chen Zhongping, Ye Shuliang was also a collector with excellent appraisal skills.
More importantly, as his ancestors were related to the Empress Dowager, Ye Shuliang had profound research into late Qing imperial tributes.
Having a descendant of the Empress Dowager appraise his ancestor's belongings was incredibly fitting.
"Where is it?"
"Bring it here quickly, let me see."
Just as Chen Zhongping had expected.
Ye Shuliang was very excited upon hearing that there was a bracelet worn by Empress Dowager Cixi. He eagerly took the bracelet and examined it carefully. Only after several minutes did he slowly put it down.
Chen Zhongping asked expectantly, "How is it?"
Ye Shuliang replied, "No problem."
"This quality and carving style are indeed the type favored by the Empress Dowager."
"What about the price?" Chen Zhongping pressed.
"Within 1.5 million, I think it's worth considering."
Hiss!
Ye Shuliang's answer was not concealed.
The surrounding onlookers gasped in unison.
It was unbelievable that a B-grade bracelet could be sold at such a high price!
"Mr. Qin, you heard that. A fixed price of 1.5 million. What do you think?"
Chen Zhongping was direct and offered Qin Xuan the highest price recommended by Ye Shuliang.
Qin Xuan agreed immediately.
He had heard Ye Shuliang's appraisal and, combined with the rough estimates from the previous experts, he felt this price was entirely acceptable.
With the exchange of money and goods, Qin Xuan's first successful "撿漏" (jian lou - finding a treasure at a low price) transaction was completed.
What surprised Qin Xuan, however, was that after receiving the 70,000 Dragon Coins, the old man in plain clothes left alone.
No matter how Qin Xuan tried to persuade him, he refused to take any more money.
This sense of integrity deeply impressed Qin Xuan.
He thought to himself that if he met the old man again in the future, he would definitely find a way to help him.
After seeing the old man off, Qin Xuan decided to stay in the Treasure Pavilion.
It was said to be the richest place for antiques in Jiangcheng, so how could he not explore it thoroughly?
Soon, Qin Xuan used his inner voice to locate an oval-shaped blue and white porcelain jar.
Blue and white porcelain jar: I am a sea-horse patterned jar from the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty! Why is he only pricing me at 100,000? Does he look down on me?
Qin Xuan smiled slightly.
This blue and white jar was quite spirited.
Payment and pickup were seamless. Qin Xuan turned and handed the item back to the counter.
"Excuse me, I'd like to sell an antique."
"Isn't this the sea-horse patterned jar you just bought?"
The receptionist was confused.
"Yes," Qin Xuan admitted cheerfully.
"This sea-horse patterned jar is a blue and white porcelain piece from the Ming Dynasty. I wish to sell it to your store now. As for the price, please have your appraisal experts assess it."
"Ah?"
"Did we perhaps price it too low earlier?"
The receptionist's exclamation drew the attention of many customers again.
Those who had just watched Qin Xuan sell the bracelet had not left, so they quickly gathered around, eager to see if he would bring new surprises.
Before long, an appraiser announced with a dejected expression: The sea-horse patterned jar is an authentic blue and white porcelain piece from the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty. Its re-appraised value is 450,000 Dragon Coins.
This outcome immediately sparked heated discussion among the onlookers.
"Holy crap, he just made 1.4 million from reselling, and now another 300,000. What kind of divine luck is this?"
"Could it be that he's actually a highly professional antique appraisal master, specifically coming to the Treasure Pavilion to find bargains?"
"I think so. Otherwise, with luck like his, how much virtue must he have accumulated in his past life?"
For a time, everyone was frantically discussing whether Qin Xuan's "撿漏" relied on skill or luck.
And at this moment, his gaze fell upon a long piece of calligraphy.