Chapter 70 Reversal

The statement was made.

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

All eyes turned to Xie Nanzhi at the same time.

"Who is this guy? How dare he say that the items being auctioned are fake?"

"Exactly. The items that make it into the auction have all been appraised by top experts. Isn't she questioning the experts?"

"She seems to be Guo Shao's female companion. I don't know what Guo Shao was thinking, bringing a woman like this. It's so embarrassing."

Many people were discussing it, but Xie Nanzhi remained calm. She stared at the painting and reiterated, "This painting is fake."

Immediately, Xie Yuanyang, who was sitting diagonally behind, stood up to prove his innocence, "Xie Nanzhi, you are lying. This 'White Bird' painting is my father's treasured collection of many years. You grew up in the Xie family, so you must know this."

Xie Wanli was a collector, and his study contained many antique paintings, which Xie Nanzhi naturally knew about since she had grown up in the Xie family.

Of course, Xie Nanzhi had seen the "White Bird" painting before, but it was only because she had seen the original that she was certain that the painting on display was a fake.

If this painting is fake, then the previous charity donations were probably also misleading.

Xie Nanzhi was still thinking about how to expose Xie Wanli's hypocrisy, and now, a perfect opportunity has been presented to her.

You can't blame her for that.

With Xie Yuanyang around, Xie Xiyan wouldn't be the one to stick her neck out. She just added fuel to the fire, "Nanzhi, I know you have a problem with us, but you can't just spout nonsense in front of everyone and say that the charity auction items donated by Dad are fake."

Xie Yuanyang was furious. He just couldn't understand how the cute little girl from when she was little had turned into this.

Just because Xiyan was found? Jealousy changed her beyond recognition?

Xie Yuanyang glared at Xie Nanzhi, "Xie Nanzhi, you must publicly apologize to the Xie family for what happened today, or we will definitely pursue this to the end."

Xie Nanzhi wore a champagne-colored backless dress, the fitted design highlighting her slender waistline. She looked at Xie Yuanyang calmly and said, "Why should I apologize? The people who should apologize are your Xie family."

Xie Yuanyang gritted his teeth, "Xie Nanzhi, you are simply incorrigible."

Xie Nanzhi merely curled her thin lips into a cool smile, and then, amidst the crowd's doubts, she lifted her skirt and walked onto the stage.

She stood before the painting "White Birds," examining every detail. "As everyone knows, Liu Xizhi was most skilled at painting birds. His birds were lifelike, with a good balance of density and sparseness, and a harmonious interplay of light and dark ink, each with its own unique expression. His most classic technique was the 'broken ink method,' which involves adding a little dark ink to the light ink on the wings while the ink is still wet, creating distinct layers in the feathers. However, this forgery clearly only copied the form, not the spirit, and the broken ink method was not used on the feathers."

Besides, this forgery has a major flaw: the careless choice of paper. Liu Xizhi was a Song Dynasty painter, and Xuan paper at that time consisted only of bark, not straw. It wasn't until the Xuande reign of the Ming Dynasty that Xuan paper production began to be supervised by the imperial court, resulting in 'Xuande paper,' the paper used in this painting. How could a Song Dynasty painter use paper produced only during the Xuande reign?

Xie Nanzhi's words left everyone speechless.

Those who had just mocked her fell silent. In addition, a man who had studied Xuan paper also stepped forward to the stage.

He looked at it again and again, and finally concluded, "This is indeed Xuande paper."

The middle-aged man, wearing glasses, looked at Xie Nanzhi with surprise and delight. "I didn't expect you to be so capable at such a young age. You were able to tell there was something wrong with the paper while sitting in the audience from so far away. I admire you."

Then I heard someone say, "Isn't he Master Xu? A descendant of Xu Nantian?"

"It's him. He was on 'Hundred Schools Interview'. I happened to watch that episode. He is an intangible cultural heritage inheritor of the traditional Xuan paper making technique."

"Master Xu said it's Xuande paper, so it can't be fake."

"Could this painting really be a fake?"

"It's probably a fake. After all, the Song Dynasty was still in existence when Liu Xizhi died. He couldn't have traveled back in time to the Ming Dynasty to paint, could he?"

With the style of the story reversed, Xie Yuanyang became the target of public criticism.

Hearing the increasing doubts around him, Xie Yuanyang clenched his fists.

Impossible. My father is such a noble person, how could he possibly put a fake item up for charity auction? It must be Xie Nanzhi who conspired with this so-called master to set a trap.

Xie Yuanyang's eyes reddened with anger. He pointed at Xie Nanzhi and said, "Xie Nanzhi, do you think you can turn black into white by finding a swindler to team up with? Let me tell you, it's impossible."

Xie Nanzhi looked at Xie Yuanyang, a hint of sarcasm in her eyes. "If you still refuse to believe this painting is a fake, then there's only one last option. Even I can tell it's fake, so surely professionals can too. Do you dare to have an expert authenticate it in front of everyone?"

Xie Yuanyang said confidently, "What's there to be afraid of? I have nothing to hide. I'm going to expose your conspiracy in front of everyone."

Since neither of them had any objections, the only option left was to find an expert.

Xie Yuanyang didn't trust her, so Xie Nanzhi suggested that he find an expert to help him.

Xie Yuanyang is quite capable in some areas, so it wouldn't be difficult for him to invite an expert in calligraphy and painting appraisal. The expert arrived at the scene in less than half an hour.

After the experts greeted Xie Yuanyang, they went on stage to appraise the painting "White Birds". He examined it closely with a magnifying glass and a not-so-good expression appeared on his face.

The expert put away his testing tools, gave Xie Yuanyang a deep look, and hesitated to speak.

Xie Yuanyang was an impatient man and urged, "Tell me quickly, is this painting a fake or not?"

The expert took a deep breath and said slowly, "This painting, 'White Birds,' does have problems. The technique and the paper are not quite right. It should be an old forgery."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xie Yuanyang's pupils dilated sharply.

It turned out to be exactly the same as what Xie Nanzhi said. He could question Xie Nanzhi and Master Xu, but this expert was someone he had found, and was very authoritative. Even if Xie Yuanyang wanted to question him, he couldn't.

Xie Yuanyang subconsciously looked at Xie Nanzhi, his eyes filled with indescribable shock.

This result was within Xie Nanzhi's expectations. She calmly looked at Xie Yuanyang and asked, "Young Master Xie, do you have anything else to say now?"

Now that things have come to this, Xie Yuanyang has no way to defend himself.

His face darkened, and he frowned amidst the pointing fingers and whispers of those around him. "It was our Xie family's oversight. We will definitely admit it. Once I get back and find out the truth, I will give everyone here an explanation."

Xie Nanzhi said in a deep voice, "I hope Young Master Xie will keep his word."

Xie Yuanyang's gaze lingered on her for a moment before he turned and strode away from the auction hall.

The last item was a fake and would definitely be disqualified from the auction. Just when everyone thought the auction was over, the auctioneer on stage suddenly announced, "Because this item does not meet the auction requirements, and just now, a kind-hearted person has agreed to provide another item to ensure the smooth running of this charity auction, let's have our hostesses bring the last item to the stage."

Perhaps it was the little incident that just happened that made this item so eye-catching.

Then the auctioneer announced with great enthusiasm, "The last item up for auction is our Heart of the Ocean."