Chapter 216 is not worth mentioning.

"This...this...this..."

Shang Yan stammered, her tongue swirling in her mouth, uttering "this" several times before finally managing to utter two incoherent words: "Yongzheng?"

No one spoke; the air seemed frozen.

Hao Jun held the seal in his hand and stared at it for a long time.

If no one had pointed it out, it would have been fine, but once that layer of paper was lifted, everything became clear: the engraving of this seal, even if it wasn't made in the imperial palace, was still an official production.

After pondering for a while, he raised it again: "Junior Brother Lin, where was it engraved?"

Lin Sicheng thought for a moment: "There were only two places in the Qing Dynasty that made seals: the Seal Casting Bureau of the Ministry of Rites and the Jade Workshop of the Imperial Household Department. But this seal is no more than four-tenths of an inch wide and no more than three-tenths of an inch high. The inscription has no rank or title, so it is definitely not from the Seal Casting Bureau!"

"Looking at the carving, the lines are smooth and delicate, the curved surfaces are rounded and smooth, the tiger-shaped knob uses the low relief technique to highlight the main pattern, and then combines shallow relief and high relief to create a layered effect. The shape is exquisite, the body is delicate, and the incised lines are repeatedly polished... typical of the jade craftsmanship of the Qing Dynasty's Imperial Household Department."

Zhao Xiuneng gasped: "The Imperial Seal?"

It's not that exaggerated.

Lin Sicheng shook his head and pointed to the tiger-shaped knob on it. "Senior Brother Zhao, look at the knob: since it's a tiger-taming seal, it must represent a military position. This seal must have been made after the 51st year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, when Yinzhen was the Minister of the Imperial Guard and in charge of the Imperial Guards... At that time, Yinzhen had only recently been promoted to Prince Yong, so it's at most a prince's personal seal..."

"hehe……"

Hao Jun smiled insincerely: "Even if it's a seal, it's still a seal from when the emperor was a prince!"

Lin Sicheng said it wasn't an imperial seal, but only according to the Qing Dynasty's etiquette system. But for private collectors, it was an imperial seal.

Because Yongzheng was once an emperor.

Putting all that aside and disregarding everything else, let's just talk about how expensive it is.

There is no record of Yongzheng's seal circulating among the general public, nor is there any record of its trading. However, a horizontal comparison can be made: In 2003, at a Sotheby's Hong Kong auction, the "Bamboo Unraveling the Heart of Emptiness" seal, which Qianlong used when he was a prince, sold for 3.7 million.

In 2005, at Christie's Japan auction, the "Jingshe Classic" written by Emperor Qianlong when he was a prince sold for 5.2 million.

Although those two pieces are much larger and made of better material, both being Hetian white jade, let me just say this:

Emperor Qianlong was known as a seal-collecting fanatic, with over 1,800 documented seals. Of these, between 200 and 500 are still circulating in the market.

But Emperor Yongzheng had none...

Even if this piece of food is only the size of a fingernail, Hao Jun dared to eat it after spending four million.

In an instant, his eyes lit up, and he was about to ask, "Are you selling?" when Wang Qizhi glanced at him.

Hao Jun paused for a moment, then swallowed his words.

That's true, Lin Sicheng's head wasn't kicked by a donkey, was it?

I got carried away and lost my composure: as a friend, I shouldn't have asked such a question.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, he looked around and copied the last copy of "The Divine Physiognomist of Liuzhuang" into his hand.

He had intended to cover up his embarrassment, but as he casually flipped through the pages, he froze again:

"The Divine Physiognomy of Liuzhuang... or is it the Wuying Hall edition?"

This book is no ordinary book: the Siku Quanshu (Complete Library of the Four Treasuries) includes four classics on physiognomy, and "Liuzhuang Shenxiang" is one of them, and the only one that was personally selected by Emperor Qianlong for inclusion.

He muttered to himself, then flipped open the cover again: Tsk, so many chapters?

Big and small, round and square, twenty or thirty pieces of paper in total, not big on both sides, covered densely.

“Guizhen, Tingyun Pavilion, Laiyu Mountain Man, Baopu, Yangzhuo Pavilion… Hmm, Qinghe Sanren? It seems to have been passed down from Daoist Fan?”

Hao Jun kept identifying the objects, muttering to himself. But as he watched, he suddenly stopped.

Zhao Xiuneng glanced at him and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Mr. Zhao, look at this..." Hao Jun pointed, "This nine-fold seal script, what does it mean... Joyful benevolence, right?"

"Yes, it's about doing good deeds!"

Zhao Xiuneng also muttered along, and then his pupils contracted slightly.

At first glance, it's quite ordinary. Its artistic conception isn't even as lofty as the preceding "Returning to Truth" or "Embracing Simplicity." If a hundred people came, ninety-nine would just treat it as a casual impression, glancing over it without a second thought.

Having just seen portraits of the two emperors and the princely seal of Emperor Yongzheng, anyone with even a basic understanding of Qing Dynasty history will immediately think of the Leshan Hall, where Emperor Qianlong studied when he was a prince, upon seeing the book "Leshan".

Hao Jun had never been there, nor had Zhao Xiuneng, so they didn't know exactly where it was located. But they at least knew that Emperor Qianlong's most prized collection of poems and essays, "Leshantang Ji," was created at Leshantang.

Rongbaozhai once auctioned two volumes of Imperial Household Printed Books, which were stamped with this same seal. Zhao Xiuneng also saw Qing Dynasty palace collection calligraphy and paintings stamped with the "Leshan" Hall seal, which were also stamped with this same seal.

Look closely again, try harder to recall: exactly the same...

The two continued searching, going back and forth twice, and then simultaneously pointed to "Peach Blossom Village" next to "Joyful Kindness".

At first glance, the meaning is quite ordinary. If you look at ten literati from the Ming and Qing dynasties, at least three or four of them would have such a seal. It's not even as nice-sounding as the earlier "Tingyun Pavilion" or "Yangzhuo Pavilion".

The problem is, judging from the carving technique and the style of the seal, it is no different from that "Joyful Benevolence" seal.

Comparing these two seals with the previous one, "Yuanming Jushi," we can see that their structures are more orderly, their lines are more refined, and their fonts are more rigorous.

This is clearly "Qianlong craftsmanship" from the peak period of the Imperial Household Department's jade-making...

The two exchanged a glance, then looked up at Lin Sicheng: "This one is from Emperor Qianlong's collection?"

"Emperor Qianlong established his heir relatively early, but he was granted the title of prince relatively late. This collection of books can be considered his collection from when he was a prince..."

Lin Sicheng nodded and pointed to "Le Shan": "There were originally two places. One was in the Yuanmingyuan Garden, which was completed at the end of the Kangxi era. It was bestowed upon Qianlong in the fourth year of the Yongzheng era. Yongzheng personally inscribed the plaque, naming the garden 'Taohuawu' and the hall 'Le Shan'..."

Emperor Qianlong studied here and wrote the "Collection of Leshan Hall". After ascending the throne, he expanded the area and renamed Taohuawu to "Wuling Spring Scenery", which became one of the forty scenic spots of Yuanmingyuan Garden..."

"Another one is the Qianxi Second Palace in the Forbidden City. When Qianlong was still Hongli, Yongzheng bestowed it upon him for his marriage and personally inscribed the plaque 'Leshan Hall'. After Qianlong ascended the throne, it was renamed Chonghua Palace..."

The group looked at each other, implying that neither Peach Blossom Village nor Leshan Hall existed for more than seven or eight years.

With all these changes, who can remember it unless they've specifically studied it?

Including this "Leshan" (乐善), if it weren't for the fact that Qianlong's "Leshantang Collection" (乐善堂集) was so famous and had so many printed editions, Hao Jun and Zhao Xiuneng would never have remembered it at all.

But Lin Sicheng remembered it perfectly, in great detail.

Secretly surprised, Hao Jun turned the title page.

The engraving is excellent, the font is clear, the structure is neat, and the spacing is just right. The only drawback is that there are too many handwritten annotations: the tiny characters are like ants, and they are even denser than the original.

After taking a closer look and flipping through the pages, Hao Jun felt something was off and flipped them back over.

There were five or six different handwritings, the rest were all in regular script, written neatly and with a rigorous structure, showing respect and humility.

Only one person wrote in semi-cursive script?

The handwriting is quite good, elegant and graceful, rounded and vigorous. But it also feels extremely unrestrained and casual.

The key point is that the more Hao Jun looked at the words, the more familiar they seemed.

Subconsciously, he flipped through the pages again, and every few pages there would be a few paragraphs. Hao Jun marked on the table as he read.

After flipping through more than a dozen pages, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he looked up abruptly, his face twitching slightly.

Why does it look so familiar?

Rongbaozhai specializes in calligraphy and paintings and has been rooted in Beijing for 300 years. The number of genuine Qianlong works that it has auctioned and authenticated is far more than just one.

Looking down again, it looks exactly like it.

After pondering for a while, Hao Jun moved his lips and said, "This is Emperor Qianlong's calligraphy!"

What is that?

Several people leaned forward suddenly.

But it was all for naught; apart from Ye Anning, no one else had ever seen what Qianlong's calligraphy looked like.

They all turned their heads again, but Lin Sicheng remained calm.

Then, turning the computer screen again, a picture of "Lüduan Jiqing" appeared on the screen.

"This is the earliest surviving authentic work by Emperor Qianlong. During this period, he mainly imitated Mi Fu and Dong Qichang, and mostly wrote in running script and semi-cursive script... The strokes are round and even, and the structure is graceful and smooth, but the characters are slightly slender and lack variation and charm..."

"In middle age, I focused on Zhao Mengfu's calligraphy, integrating the styles of Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi. My characters gradually became fuller and my style became more vigorous..."

Lin Sicheng spoke earnestly, but no one listened at all. Eight people, young and old, with sixteen eyes, wandered back and forth, sometimes looking at the book, sometimes at the screen.

Even Zhao Da and Zhao Er, who have the worst appreciation skills, can tell that the handwriting on the book and on the computer is from the same person.

A quick flip through revealed it to be a bound volume of three books, with occasional prominent annotations in running script and semi-cursive script.

Roughly calculated, even if it's not over a thousand words, it's at least seven or eight hundred.

This is even rarer, even rarer than Qianlong's seal.

We don't know how many treasures are in the Palace Museum, but the number of genuine works by Emperor Qianlong circulating among the people, including both calligraphy and paintings, is no more than thirty.

Let's add another item: Emperor Qianlong's calligraphy, Yinzhen's imperial seal, two portraits of emperors, and a double-crane incense burner... I wouldn't dare say ten are worth two million, but six or seven are easily worth two million.

Lin Sicheng only spent a fraction of the money?

Wang Qizhi's eyes gleamed as they swept over the incense burner, the portrait, the seal, and the "Liuzhuang Divine Physiognomy." Then, they landed on the faces of Hao Jun and Zhao Xiuneng.

Zhao Xiuneng remained calm and unconcerned, causing Hao Jun's face to flush red.

Wang Qizhi's eyes were sharp: These things were seen by the three of them together, right?

But what was the result?

Even just now, when Lin Sicheng took these things out, Hao Jun and Zhao Xiuneng were still suspicious: they knew Lin Sicheng had found a bargain, but they didn't know where the bargain was, or what was strange about each item.

But they can't be blamed: Lin Sicheng only looked at the eight items for half an hour from beginning to end. And at least ten minutes of that was acting.

On average, each item takes less than three minutes. Hao Jun and Zhao Xiuneng wanted to examine them more closely, but they also needed to have enough time.

To elaborate further, let's start with those three paintings: even if they were asked to evaluate them now, Hao Jun and Zhao Xiuneng would still confidently say: they are just average.

But who would have thought that this thing was actually a portrait of an emperor? It doesn't care whether the painting is good or not, but whether it looks like the emperor.

For example, Ye Anning spent more time at the Palace Museum and specialized in calligraphy and painting; she had seen both original works. And think about her reaction when she saw the paintings:

It's vaguely familiar... If even she feels this way, what about Hao Jun and Zhao Xiu Neng?

Then there are the seals of Emperor Yongzheng: one after another, they bear the names of Qinghe Sanren, Yiming Shanren, and Xuancheng Daoren... More than ten seals of various sizes are all Daoist seals. Which one isn't larger than this one, and which one isn't made of better material?

What's even more bizarre is that even according to the Longmen School's character chart, this side can still match it, so how can they identify it?

Then there's Emperor Qianlong's calligraphy: at first glance, it seems quite simple, as if it's just a matter of recognizing a thin layer of paper. As long as you recognize Qianlong's handwriting, you can deduce the origin of this item.

The problem is, you first have to determine that this thing is related to the palace. Secondly, you have to recognize the inconspicuous "Leshan" and the incomprehensible "Taohuawu" from a mess of miscellaneous seals before you can connect it with Emperor Qianlong.

To be honest, if Lin Sicheng hadn't pointed it out, even if Hao Jun thought about it for another eighty years, he would never have guessed that it was Emperor Qianlong's calligraphy.

And then there's that incense burner: it's just made of common wrought bronze, decorated with two cranes, bordered with waves and auspicious clouds, and bearing the mark of a hermit named Pochen. Its shape is also quite strange. No matter who you show it to, they would think it's a Taoist incense burner, at most one that has been passed down for a long time.

Unless it's sent to the Palace Museum, no matter where it's sent, if you tell the experts that this is an incense burner used by Emperor Yongzheng when he was practicing Taoism, do you believe they'll spit in your face?

What, Layman Pochen... Are you kidding me?

If Emperor Yongzheng had used this Taoist name, would it not have been recorded in historical books?

There were indeed records at the time, but three days after Yongzheng's death, they were all burned to the ground by Qianlong...

There's also Peach Blossom Village and Double Crane Studio, which only existed for five or six years. It's been almost three hundred years since the name was changed. Who can remember them so clearly?

Therefore, it wasn't that Hao Jun and Zhao Xiun lacked insight, nor that they lacked experience; rather, it was that Lin Sicheng was simply too extraordinary...

They were stunned and speechless.

After a long while, Wang Qizhi let out a deep breath: "How did something like this end up in the hands of a Taoist priest?"

He paused several times, nodding repeatedly.

At this point, it's not difficult to determine whether it's genuine or fake; you can identify the paper, ink, ink paste composition, and Qianlong's handwriting.

But besides authenticity, to maximize profits, one must also consider whether the provenance is traceable and its origin.

And don't underestimate these two points: In 2009, Zhu Yun, a farmer from Henan, took his family's heirloom, a genuine work of Emperor Qianlong, "Songyang Hanbai Tu", to an appraisal program that became popular all over the country. In the end, it was identified as a fake by expert Liu Yan and bought away for seventeen.

Another year passed, and the Poly Auction in Beijing sold a total of 87.36 million yuan at its autumn auction.

Afterwards, everyone said the experts were too greedy and Zhu Yun was too honest. But many people don't know that before appearing on the show, Zhu Yun consulted no fewer than ten experts, but each time the appraisal result was just two words: fake!

Why, you ask?

In 2009, when everyone was still using a candybar phone, how many experts had actually seen an authentic Qianlong painting?

Upon closer inspection, apart from Qianlong's own ten seals, there isn't even a single collector's seal. Would you dare say this is an authentic work by Qianlong?

Upon further inquiry, it was revealed that the item came from... a family heirloom?

hehe……

Let alone 170,000, the two brothers tried to sell it for four or five years, and no one wanted it for 70,000. That's why it sold so quickly in the end.

Looking at "Liuzhuang Divine Physiognomy" from another angle: there are quite a few seals, and even more annotations, almost equivalent to connoisseurship inscriptions. But the question is, are they all by Taoist priests?

Since no one would even know, it would be better not to stamp it with any seal or write a single extra word. That's why Lin Sicheng said it was a waste of resources and a squandering of precious things when he first saw it.

If you want to sell it for a high price now, you have to find out where it came from...

Lin Sicheng thought for a moment: "The only records about Fan Qinghe are a few lines in local chronicles. I don't know if there are any records in the Palace Museum's historical materials, but I guess it's hard to find."

Because on the third day after Yongzheng's death, Qianlong ordered the destruction of all altars and alchemy rooms in the palace. He also ordered the burning of all materials related to Yongzheng's Taoist practices, alchemy, and elixirs, and issued a gag order…”

"Of course, it's just difficult to investigate, but we did find some clues!"

Lin Sicheng pointed around: "A prince's seal, an imperial calligraphy, and an imperial portrait... There's only one possibility for taking these things out of the palace: they were bestowed by the emperor! But the question is, with such great imperial favor, how could they possibly be unknown in history?"

"Let me just say this: Fan Qinghe was able to enter the palace, so there must have been an imperial edict summoning him, and the local government must have kept records. Even if all the palace records were burned by Emperor Qianlong, the local histories of Gansu must have recorded them, so it's impossible that they can't be found... But the problem is, is it really true that they can't be found?"

"Therefore, I suspect that after Qinghe Daoren left the palace, he may have changed his name, or perhaps he wasn't even from Lanzhou at all. However, since it's relatively far from the capital and quite remote, he went to Gansu... The reason isn't hard to guess: he was afraid that Emperor Qianlong would be fickle and settle scores later..."

Zhao Xiuneng glanced left and right and said, "If someone was expelled from the palace, even if it was a gift from the emperor, it should all be taken back."

"Brother Zhao, it's not necessarily that they were driven away; they might have resigned voluntarily! Because at that time, Emperor Qianlong didn't drive away all the Taoists recruited by Emperor Yongzheng; he only drove away those who practiced alchemy. Quite a few remained. For example, Lou Jinyuan..."

Lin Sicheng typed a few words on the keyboard, and several people gathered around.

Lou Jinyuan studied under Zhou Dajing, a Taoist priest at the Sanhua Temple on Longhu Mountain. In the fifth year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, he accompanied the Celestial Master Zhang Xilin to the capital to pay homage to the emperor. While on duty in the capital, he was assigned to perform rituals and also served as the emperor's physician.

In the eighth year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, the emperor bestowed upon Lou Jinyuan a couplet written in his own hand...

In the ninth year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, his illness persisted, so Lou Jinyuan was ordered to treat him, and he recovered. Lou Jinyuan was awarded the title of Fourth-Rank Official, Supervisor of Longhu Mountain, and Abbot of Qin'an Hall for his effective treatment of the Emperor.

In the first month of the twelfth year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, Lou Jinyuan was bestowed with an imperial plaque, a couplet written by the Emperor, and a poem composed by the Emperor…

On New Year's Day (the day Emperor Qianlong ascended the throne), Lou Jinyuan was granted the rank of third grade, and the honor extended to his grandfather, father, and family members...

In the first year of Qianlong's reign (the year after his ascension to the throne), an imperial edict was issued ordering Lou Jinyuan to take charge of the seals and administration of the Daolu Office in the capital, and to serve as the abbot of the Dongyue Temple and other places, while retaining his previous post.

In the third year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign, a couplet written by the emperor was bestowed upon Lou Jinyuan...

In the fifth year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign, he bestowed upon the emperor a poem composed by himself and a piece of calligraphy by

In the eighth year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign, the Great Bright Hall (a Qing Dynasty imperial Taoist temple) was granted permission to establish a branch of Taoism…

In the fifteenth year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign, he was bestowed the title of "Miaozheng Zhenren" and granted a golden tripod and jade incense burner. He concurrently served as the head of the Daolu Si (the highest institution in the Qing Dynasty responsible for Daoist affairs) and the supervisor of the Longhu Mountain…

Dozens of densely packed gifts were bestowed upon Lou Jinyuan from the fifth year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign until the forty-first year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign, when Lou Jinyuan passed away. For a period of forty-eight years, Lou Jinyuan's rewards never ceased.

There were imperial couplets, imperial poems, and imperial plaques... There were thirteen seals with inscriptions personally written by Emperors Yongzheng and Qianlong.

He also appointed Lou Jinyuan's father, grandfather, and family members to manage the Taoist sects throughout the land.

Even Longhu Mountain was under the jurisdiction of Lou Jinyuan at that time. He was a third-rank official, while the Righteous Celestial Master Zhang Yulong was only a fifth-rank official. Lou Jinyuan had to pay his respects when he saw Lou Jinyuan, which shows how much the emperor favored him.

The root cause was Lou Jinyuan's medical skills, which were exceptionally high. It's likely that it was because of Lou Jinyuan that Yongzheng lived two more years. Out of gratitude, Qianlong treated him with the utmost generosity.

Conversely, comparing them again, Fan Qinghe's pieces suddenly make much more sense.

Because Fan Qinghe also knew how to cure diseases, as clearly stated in historical records: Liu Yiming... suffered from a serious illness at the age of seventeen. For five years, he visited famous doctors in Shanxi, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, but none of the medicines could cure him... He met Fan Qinghe and his illness was cured.

It's possible that he spent six or seven years in the palace treating Yongzheng's illness. Out of gratitude, Yongzheng bestowed upon him the double-crane incense burner and the seal.

Moreover, he and Emperor Qianlong had a teacher-student relationship, as evidenced by the painting "Changchun Zhenren": "Respectfully presented by disciple Fan Zhengze to celebrate the birthday of Changchun Zhenren."

Compared to this, and compared to the great favor Lou Jinyuan received from the emperor and the abundance of his rewards, what's on the table is simply insignificant...