Chapter 280 True Seal, Fake Seal

Holding the seal, the two men looked at each other in bewilderment.

On the first day of the preview, Shan Guoqiang and Lü Chenglong visited and toured all four exhibition areas.

Although they don't remember it now, the two of them are very suspicious: did they glance at it once or twice when they passed by?

If so, and given that the seal was laid flat at the time, they would likely have looked at the inscription.

Or what if the inscription on the Taiwan label wasn't misspelled, and it wasn't some nonsensical "取云" (Qu Yun) but "丛云" (Cong Yun)?

Lin Sicheng didn't even get a chance; those two had already snatched it away.

If you don't believe me, go to the Palace Museum and ask: how many experts don't know about Emperor Qianlong's famous Congyun Pavilion?

Besides, the two of them had worked at the Forbidden City for decades.

But by a twist of fate, this seal was not only mixed in with three very ordinary seals, but it was also upside down. Even more astonishingly, the inscription on the label was misspelled!

Upon closer inspection: "Taking clouds, what is that?" Naturally, they missed it...

For a moment, the two felt it was both absurd and unbelievable: this was the Xiling Seal Society, which had a longer history than the Palace Museum.

Let's look at the character "印" in the name: it started with metal and stone carving, has been passed down for over a hundred years, and has produced many famous masters. How could such a professional institution make such a basic mistake?

It's no exaggeration to say that if word got out, it would make everyone in the industry laugh their heads off.

After a long moment of stunned silence, Shan Guoqiang sighed: "Xiao Lin, how did you find out?"

Lin Sicheng succinctly stated: "Ingenious, elegant, subtle, and ancient!"

Dan Guoqiang paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered something his teacher, Xu Bangda, had said:

Where did Suzhou craftsmanship come from?

During the Ming Dynasty, literati from Jiangnan carved jade, incorporating calligraphy and painting into seal script, resulting in exquisite and freehand works.

Where did the craftsmanship of the Qianlong era come from?

Suzhou craftsmanship is ingenious, Yangzhou craftsmanship is elegant, Mughal artifacts are thin, and the style of Song and Ming dynasty bronze and stone inscriptions is ancient; each style has its own strengths.

To summarize the jade carving style of this Vermilion Bird seal: isn't it just skillful, elegant, thin, and antique?

In other words, Lin Sicheng first deduced from the carving of the Vermilion Bird that it might be a work of the Qianlong Emperor of the Imperial Household Department, and then had the staff take it out for a look. Only then did he discover that the inscription was not "taking clouds" but "cluster of clouds".

Therefore, his oversight was both ingenious and perfectly logical.

But that's not the point; it's the four words he just said. To say that this was Lin Sicheng's own summary of his experiences, Shan Guoqiang would never believe it: how old is he?

The key point is that it's so similar to the teacher's summary, almost word for word.

A strange glint flashed in Shan Guoqiang's eyes: "Xiao Lin, I remember you shouldn't have met the gentleman before?"

Lin Sicheng shook his head: "Never seen it before!"

"Who taught you that?"

Lin Sicheng sighed inwardly: Who else but you could have taught him?

Although he became a disciple of Mr. Xu, Mr. Xu was already 99 years old when he became a disciple, so he dared not disturb him too much and would only ask him a few questions when he saw him occasionally.

Most of the time, it was this senior brother who passed on the skills on behalf of his master. In other words, Lin Sicheng's skills in calligraphy, painting, and seal carving were all taught by Shan Guoqiang.

Even that day at the Academy of Arts and Sciences, the moment Lin Sicheng saw Shan Guoqiang, his fingers trembled uncontrollably: this was because he had been beaten too many times, and it had become a conditioned reflex in his subconscious, even carrying over into this life...

Feeling a pang of admiration, Lin Sicheng suddenly had a brilliant idea: "It was taught by my master's wife!"

Dan Guoqiang was stunned, then exclaimed, "Lin Sicheng, what nonsense are you talking about?"

I didn't mention which gentleman it was, so how did you know I was talking about Mr. Xu?

"Taught by the master's wife"?

It's not that I'm looking down on people as a senior, but Shan Wangshu, let alone teaching her apprentices, has she even figured out those four words herself?

Dan Guoqiang didn't press further. He smiled meaningfully and returned the seal: "Time is a bit tight. When you come back from Xi'an, come with me. I'll take you to have your teacher take a look, and then we'll compare the two of us..."

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Thank you, Director Shan!"

Shan Guoqiang waved his hand: "It was just a small thing!"

The two exchanged questions and answers without any apparent abnormality, but Wang Qizhi, standing nearby, began to grumble: "Just this one seal, and we need to trouble Mr. Xu? He's already ninety-seven..."

In a flash, Lin Sicheng handed the seal to Ye Anning and put it into the box.

Lu Zhen, Lu Meng, and Teacher He should be a little further back.

They were a little far away and couldn't see very clearly, but they could at least make out that the seal Lin Sicheng had taken out was the one that Lu Zhen had deliberately used to inflate the price.

Although Director Shan didn't say anything—nothing about the seal, its origin, or whether it was a loss or a gain—they were observant and could read his expression: surprise, confusion, suspicion, and even a hint of disbelief.

They also have ears, and they heard Director Shan's "Eh!" very clearly: Cong Yun!

The two siblings were not very knowledgeable, but Teacher He was quite knowledgeable and professional. He also knew the origin of "Congyun".

Judging from the expressions of Director Shan and Director Lü, even a fool could guess the result: this kid spent 70,000 yuan to buy a Qianlong seal, and at the Xiling Seal Society's auction.

No wonder Director Shan was so surprised. Who would have thought that someone would find a Qianlong seal at the Xiling Seal Society's auction?

Believe it or not, if you tell anyone, people will spit in your face and say: "What kind of international joke are you talking about?"

But the problem is, it happened right before their eyes.

Suddenly, Lu Zhen's face turned pale and then red, filled with regret and annoyance.

This seal was viewed by four people together, right?

He even encouraged him at the time: "Brother, this is a no-reserve auction, the final price won't be much, you're sure to snag a bargain, don't miss it..."

Indeed, Lin Sicheng did not miss anything.

But why didn't I take a closer look when we were looking at them together?

During the intermission, when I went backstage to look at Han Yin, I didn't ask Teacher He to help me check on it.

If anyone had even glanced at it, this seal would never have ended up in Lin Sicheng's hands.

Even when the auction was just starting, he raised the price: Lin Sicheng could have gotten it for 20,000, but he managed to raise it to 70,000.

It's like watching a multi-million dollar investment slip through your fingers?

Compared to that, what bothered him the most was the identities of Ye Anning and Lin Sicheng.

One came from a distinguished family and had an extraordinary background; the other achieved fame at a young age and had a wide circle of friends. All because of a moment of foolishness, harming others without benefiting himself, and offending people so badly?

In an instant, Lu Zhen was filled with anger, frustration, and regret, wishing he could slap himself a few times...

Lu Meng's eyes darted around, shifting between Jing Suxin, Qin Ruozhi, Ye Anning, the mark on her hand, and Lin Sicheng.

Her mind was in complete turmoil: If she hadn't been prejudiced beforehand, and if Lu Zhen hadn't repeatedly reminded her to have less contact with Ye Anning, would her relationship with Ye Anning be as good as her relationship with Jing Suxin and Qin Ruozhi?

If she had considered their friendship yesterday and today and held back a little longer to prevent Lu Zhen from causing trouble, wouldn't the feud between them have been less intense?

You could even become friends with Lin Sicheng. In a pinch, you could ask him for help with authentication, or even ask him to introduce you to more professional people.

But what ifs are there?

After a moment's thought, Lu Meng bit her lip: "An Ning!"

Ye Anning smiled and said, "It's okay, you are you, and your brother is your brother!"

I'm worried it's my brother...

Lu Meng's face paled, and she was about to say something when Ye Anning pointed forward: "Let's talk after Lin Sicheng finishes his work!"

Why wait until Lin Sicheng finishes his work?

Suspicious, Lu Meng turned her head: Lin Sicheng took out his phone and opened a picture.

Then he handed it forward, saying, "Director Shan, would you like to take another look at this?"

Wang Qizhi was stunned for a moment, thinking to himself: Lin Sicheng is good, seize the opportunity and take advantage of the situation.

To be honest, Shan Guoqiang is a well-established expert, about the same age as your grandfather. And you, so incredibly rude, didn't even say "please"?

Dan Guoqiang didn't care at all.

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that the child was particularly pleasing to the eye, and he could also sense the subtle warmth emanating from Lin Sicheng.

But this was clearly only the second time the two had met?

As Lin Sicheng pondered this, he zoomed in on the image. Shan Guoqiang glanced at it and subconsciously narrowed his eyes.

It's a half-square seal, or more accurately, a seal with the seam across the edge.

But Shan Guoqiang had seen this half-seal, and so had Lü Chenglong.

It can be said that at least two or three thousand cultural relics in the Forbidden City are stamped with this half-square seal: Guardian.

The seal reads: Guardian of Cultural Relics. This was a seal used by the famous painter, epigrapher, and appraiser Mr. Wu Hufan when he served on the Shanghai Cultural Relics Appraisal and Acquisition Committee to officially allocate cultural relics.

To put it simply: any cultural relic transferred from Shanghai to cultural relic institutions in various provinces will inevitably have this seal on the edge or across the seam.

Conversely, if any artifact outside also bears this seal, then it's 100% certain that the item originated from an official institution.

Anyway, after so many years of doing forensic work, Shan Guoqiang and Lü Chenglong have never been seen outside.

Surprised, Lin Sicheng shrunk the image a little and pointed to a small, barely noticeable mark on the squirrel's back: "There's another one here: 'Appreciation of Mirror Pond'!"

Shan Guoqiang examined it carefully: "Does it have the seal of the Forbidden City?"

"No!"

That's good.

As long as it didn't originate from the Forbidden City, it's fine.

The two felt relieved, but then felt something was off: on the first day of the preview, they had focused on the calligraphy and seal engraving exhibition hall, and they didn't seem to have seen this painting before.

Xu Gu is no nobody, and besides, squirrels are his specialty. Anyone who's seen them will definitely remember them...

"Sister Anning asked around, and it should have been delivered the day before the auction!" Lin Sicheng lowered his voice. "This painting also failed to sell last year at Xiling!"

The two suddenly realized: a sniper shot?

How much did you pay for the film?

Lin Sicheng gestured: "Eighty thousand!"

Dan Guoqiang sighed: "Just based on this half of the seal, this squirrel painting is worth at least seven or eight hundred thousand."

After looking at it more closely, he finally understood why the auctioneer had secretly slipped the painting in.

At first glance: the paper is not right, the ink is not right, it looks fake no matter how you look at it.

Actually, both are correct. So, Lin Sicheng deserved to have gotten away with it…

Just then, Lin Sicheng blinked his eyes and asked, "Director Shan, would it be appropriate for me to visit the old gentleman and ask him to appraise this painting?"

Why would I need to ask a teacher for their opinion?

Wait, something's not right!

In fact, even the seal we just saw doesn't need the teacher's appraisal at all.

It's simply that Wang Qizhi is too boastful, Lin Sicheng is too capable, and the old gentlemen are too curious, constantly mentioning that they must meet him if they have the chance.

Director Shan was just trying to curry favor with the teacher.

But it seems Lin Sicheng also wants to curry favor?

Because Mr. Wu Hufan was Mr. Xu's mentor. Although there are many cultural relics with this seal in the Palace Museum, there are none outside the palace. The teacher had not seen them for many years.

"Okay, bring it with you!" Shan Guoqiang nodded, slightly suspicious. "And then?"

Then?

There's definitely a next part, but I can't tell you.

After a moment's thought, Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "I greatly admire him and wanted to pay him a visit!"

Just a casual visit?

Shan Guoqiang suspected that the kid wasn't telling the truth.

Just as he was wondering, Lin Sicheng tugged at his phone: "Director Shan, there's this too!"

Shan Guoqiang glanced at it: Zheng Banqiao's seven-character quatrain?

The characters are fine, and the signature and seal are also fine.

The paper is fine too.

At first glance, it looks quite old, but this is precisely the characteristic of Yangzhou paper with a textured surface: the longer it is preserved, the grayer the paper becomes.

Looking at it again, the ink seems a bit new, but it's still fine: this is Zheng Banqiao's own ink, made from soot scraped from the walls of old chimneys. It's extremely oily, doesn't get damp or fade, and ages slowly.

The problem is that Shan Guoqiang also has no recollection of the painting.

Upon careful recollection, he suddenly remembered: that day, when he and Lü Chenglong went to the calligraphy and painting hall, they encountered a group of reporters conducting an interview, and the topic of the interview was Zheng Banqiao's works.

But that was a painting, not calligraphy, and besides, he had seen the item before and knew there was something wrong with it, so he didn't pay much attention to it at the time.

Where did this one come from?

He looked at him strangely: "Was this also submitted for auction at the last minute?"

“No!” Lin Sicheng shook his head. “But it’s placed next to that orchid and bamboo painting!”

Shan Guoqiang was stunned: The orchid and bamboo painting, isn't that the one the reporter interviewed about?

That means that when he and Lao Lü were strolling around, the painting happened to be blocked, so the two of them didn't see it.

For a moment, Shan Guoqiang didn't know what to say.

He graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in the 1960s, then studied under a highly skilled master, and spent half his life researching calligraphy, painting and seal carving at the Palace Museum. Could all his skills have been just boasting?

If he had just glanced at it, how could this calligraphy have ended up in Lin Sicheng's hands?

So, putting aside his insight, experience, and ability, let's just talk about this kid's luck...

Subconsciously, Shan Guoqiang and Lü Chenglong exchanged a glance: the Forbidden City was a bit eerie, so they actually believed in it...

Looking directly into his eyes, Lin Sicheng zoomed in on the photo: "Director Shan, take another look at this. Should we bring this calligraphy piece along as well?"

What is this?

Huh, another steel stamp?

Upon closer inspection, Shan Guoqiang's eyelids twitched involuntarily: a floral window seal.

Other appraisers would be baffled: What is this thing?

For example, Lü Chenglong.

Only Xu Bangda's students could recognize the seal at a glance, and knew its origin and meaning.

In the 1950s, when Mr. Wu Hufan was working at the Shanghai Cultural Relics Appraisal and Acquisition Committee, he also served as an advisor to the Suzhou Cultural Relics Appraisal and Preservation Committee.

Because he couldn't be in two places at once, the people in Suzhou could only send the cultural relics to Shanghai on a regular basis, or invite him to Suzhou for appraisal on a regular basis.

Mr. Wu had two steel stamps made for the windows, one without any patterns, representing the highest quality, and the other with a monogram, representing the next lowest quality. After each appraisal, he would stamp the stamps on the windows.

Nearly half of the calligraphy, paintings, and ancient books in the Suzhou Museum's collection bear these two seals. If you compare them, the probability of seeing this seal on the outside is much lower than that of the "Guardian of Cultural Relics" seal mentioned earlier.

More importantly, Mr. Wu's home was ransacked back then, and no personal belongings survived. Even if there were any, they are all in major museums.

He didn't even have a grave until the 1990s, when his descendants and several disciples, including Mr. Xu, erected a cenotaph for him in Suzhou.

Therefore, even just two seals are enough for Mr. Xu to remember his mentor and have no more worries.

After staring at it for a long time, Shan Guoqiang raised his head, looking suspicious: The problem is, apart from Mr. Wu's disciples, like himself, no one else knows the origin of this seal, let alone where it is or what its purpose is.

How did Lin Sicheng find out?

Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "I have read Mr. Wu's 'Records of Wu's Calligraphy and Painting' and 'Selected Seals of Bao Dong Studio,' and both books contain records of these two seals!"

Shan Guoqiang immediately understood: These two monographs were records of Mr. Wu's family's collection of works accumulated over generations and his own works during the period of investigation around 1957. One book recorded calligraphy and painting, and the other recorded seals.

But it's basically just a diary entry; who has time to read that?

Furthermore, simply knowing the origin of these two seals is far from enough. Without sufficient research and hard work, how can we determine their authenticity, or who carved them?

If you gave this to Shan Guoqiang, his first thought would definitely be: Is this a later imitation that was added to this calligraphy?

Knowing what he was suspicious about, Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "Director Shan, if I said I've read a lot of paintings, calligraphy, and epigraphic records, you'd definitely laugh at me for bragging!"

Haha... No matter how much you brag, can you out-brag of Wang Qizhi?

Shan Guoqiang waved his hand: "It's alright, go ahead and say it!"

“Okay, Director Shan, I have read Mr. Wu Dacheng’s compilations, including “The Seal Collection of the Sixteen Golden Talismans Studio,” “The Record of Auspicious Bronze Inscriptions Seen and Collected by Hengxuan,” “Selected Ancient Seals of Qianxi Studio,” “The Analects in Seal Script,” “Supplement to the Ancient Script of Shuowen Jiezi,” “Illustrated Study of Ancient Jade,” “Study of Weights and Measures,” “Collection of Ancient Records from Kezhai Studio,” “Collection of Poems and Prose from Kezhai Studio,” and “Explanation of Ancient Characters”…

"There are also Mr. Shen Shuyong's 'Catalogue of Han Stone Classics Collection' and 'Postscript to Han Stone Classics Collection,' and his co-edited 'Continued Record of Visiting Steles Around the World' with Zhao Zhiqian. As well as Mr. Fan Zuyin's 'Illustrated Explanation of Pangulou Yi Vessels,' 'Pangxizhai Series,' and 'Gongshuntang Series,' etc..."

With each book mentioned, Shan Guoqiang's heart skipped a beat: This kid is something else.

Wu Dacheng was the grandfather of Mr. Wu Hufan. He was also a famous calligrapher, painter, epigrapher, paleographer, appraiser, collector, and a national hero in the late Qing Dynasty.

In the tenth year of the Guangxu Emperor's reign, during the Gapsin Coup in Korea, Wu Dacheng, holding the rank of a third-grade official, went to Jilin to survey the border with the Russian envoy, re-erected the "Tu" character marker, and fought to reclaim the occupied land of Hunchun Heidingzi and the navigation rights at the mouth of the Tumen River.

In the twelfth year of the Guangxu Emperor's reign, he was promoted to Governor of Guangdong and opposed the transfer of Macau to Portuguese jurisdiction. In the eighteenth year of the Guangxu Emperor's reign (1892), he was appointed Governor of Hunan. During the First Sino-Japanese War, he volunteered to lead the Hunan Army out of Shanhaiguan to resist the enemy, but was defeated and dismissed from office, never to be employed again.

Shen Shuyong was Wu Dacheng's father-in-law and Wu Hufan's maternal grandfather, and held the official position of Secretary of the Grand Secretariat. He was also a famous epigrapher and bibliophile in the late Qing Dynasty.

Pan Zuyin was Wu Hufan's uncle-in-law. From the Xianfeng to the Guangxu reigns, he served successively as Left Vice Censor-in-Chief, Minister of Justice, Minister of War, and Minister of Works. He presided over the imperial examinations several times and served in the Southern Study for nearly forty years. He was also an epigrapher, calligrapher, and bibliophile.

The fact that Wu Hufan was able to possess tens of thousands of treasures and was hailed as "Shanghai's foremost collector and appraiser" was not only due to his own efforts, but also to the accumulation and influence of generations.

But on the other hand: if Lin Sicheng read all of them, even just flipping through a page or two of each book, does that count as having read them?

Shan Guoqiang had no doubt about Lin Sicheng's appraisal ability: without some skill and discerning eye, it would be impossible to find bargains at such a large auction, let alone three items.

It's impossible for him to have thoroughly studied all of these works. His age is a factor...

That's one reason. The other is: it's just a first meeting, why give such a heavy gift to the teacher?

What was that saying again?

"After meeting the gentleman, what are you planning to do?" He asked suspiciously.

What should we do?

If I say I want to be your junior brother, will I get beaten up?

Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "I'm just paying a visit to listen to his teachings!"

impossible!

This kid is dishonest.

Dan Guoqiang thought for a moment: "Do you want the teacher to teach you some secret techniques?"

Lin Sicheng shook his head.

What could be taught, Director Shan had already taught in his previous life; the rest was just a matter of time and accumulation. Lin Sicheng simply wanted to pay a visit.

It wasn't just Mr. Xu, but also Mrs. Wang, Mr. Geng (Geng Baochang, a leading expert in porcelain appraisal and restoration), Mr. Li (Li Jiufang, former director of the Palace Museum's exhibition department, an expert in jade, lacquerware, enamelware, and miscellaneous items)... and so on.

Without the careful guidance of these seniors from his previous life, and without the generous teachings of his senior brothers like Director Shan, how could he possibly be showing off like this in front of others?

"No, not at all!" After a moment's thought, Lin Sicheng smiled again. "You have inherited Mr. Xu's mantle. If I want to learn anything, I will definitely ask you for guidance first!"

Tsk, I love hearing that.

"Okay, take them with you. Also, bring a few of those cups you just restored, so Uncle Geng and Uncle Wang can see them. Oh, and your teacher's dog bowl too, Uncle Li keeps nagging about it..."

Shan Guoqiang explained one by one: "Even if you force them to accept it, they won't take it. But if it can give them something new and make them happy, that's good too!"

"good!"

Then, Shan Guoqiang took out his phone and said, "Here, let's write down this number. Call us anytime if anything happens."

Lin Sicheng nodded and also took out his phone.

Wang Qizhi found it increasingly strange.

Shan Guoqiang was known for his cold demeanor and extremely traditional ways. He believed his entire life in the adage, "You won't learn anything without scolding, and you won't amount to anything without beatings." Whether they were his subordinates or his students, everyone felt uneasy around him.

But why is he so amiable when he sees Lin Sicheng?

Then there's Lin Sicheng. As Shan Wangshu said, "This child is good in every way, except he's too polite." Even after spending a year with him as his teacher, he never failed to show the respect due to the occasion.

Why can you be so casual when you meet Shan Guoqiang?

It felt like these two had known each other for a long time; there wasn't a hint of awkwardness between them...

In a flash, the two finished writing down the phone number and said goodbye to each other.

But as soon as I turned around, a figure darted out from the aisle.

Lu Zhen held the box, his face beaming with smiles: "Director Shan, could you please take a look at it for me?"

Dan Guoqiang was suspicious: This person had been standing at the back the whole time, and he had previously thought he was Lin Sicheng's friend.

But when he saw the tortoise-shaped seal in the box, he was taken aback at first, and then he remembered.

The bidding paddle that picked up this seal seems to have competed with Lin Sicheng for the Vermilion Bird Seal... Wait, that's not right. If it was just an auction, why did they stop bidding after only reaching 70,000?

Shan Guoqiang suddenly realized: This person was just trying to inflate prices and annoy people, so what kind of friend is he?

Suddenly, his face turned cold: "I can't watch!"

Lu Zhen persisted: "Director Shan, please help me out, name your price!"

Dan Guoqiang scoffed: "If he wanted to make money, with his position as the head of the Palace Museum's exhibition department and an expert in calligraphy, painting, and epigraphy, he could earn millions a day."

But it still keeps making a lot of noise?

He waved his hand: "Make way!"

Lu Zhen's face stiffened, and hesitantly stepped aside.

Just as the group was about to leave, Ye Anning tugged at Lin Sicheng's arm: "Lin Sicheng, why don't you take a look!"

Suddenly, everyone stopped in their tracks.

Sure enough, Cousin Ye is still the same Cousin Ye, never holding back her revenge.

In a flash, Lin Sicheng looked at the experts from the Palace Museum: "Director Shan, during the preview, did any of you see this seal?"

Shan Guoqiang paused for a moment, then said, "Yes, Lao Lü and I watched it!"

"Director Shan, did you and Director Lü say something like, 'The Forbidden City also has such a place'?"

Shan Guoqiang and Lü Chenglong exchanged a glance: Huh, this kid can tell fortunes?

Looking at the expressions of the two, Lin Sicheng thought to himself, "Just as I thought."

So why did this seal, which has no origin, skyrocket in price to over a million?

The case is now solved: the two were recognized while examining the seal, and their whispered conversation was even overheard.

As a result, it caused a huge misunderstanding...

While thinking to herself, Ye Anning nudged him with her fingertip again: "Lu Meng is my classmate, could you help me take a look at her?"

Lin Sicheng: Hehehe...

Cousin Ye, you won't be satisfied until you see Young Master Lu stamping his feet and beating his chest, regretting it to the point of despair, right?

He sighed, glanced at the seal, then at the three people, and finally looked at Teacher He: "What is your surname, teacher?"

Teacher He paused for a moment, then said, "No need for formalities, my surname is He!"

"Teacher He is an expert and should know that the difficulty with metal seals lies not in looking at them, but in breaking them!"

How can you make a judgment without looking?

Teacher He didn't understand for a moment: "How do you make a judgment?"

"Here's what you're going to do, Teacher He, take a thread, thread it through the nose button, and suspend it!"

Teacher He's heart skipped a beat, and he had a bad feeling: What does this mean? Is this seal wrong?

But what kind of method is it to suspend it with silk thread?

Teacher He was puzzled, but the others were in a similar situation, including Zhao Xiuneng, Hao Jun, and Zhao Xiuxian.

Dan Guoqiang and Wang Qizhi's eyes lit up, and they secretly praised him: No wonder Lin Sicheng was able to pick up so many bargains.

It's not hard to come up with this idea; both Shan Guoqiang and Wang Qizhi could think of it. What's rare is this quick thinking.

Lü Chenglong followed closely behind, clapping his hands: "This method is good, much more convenient than any instrument."

It would have been better if he hadn't clapped; the moment he did, Teacher He was even more bewildered.

The method has been given, there's no need to waste any more time, and the group filed out.

Teacher He frowned, looking completely puzzled.

He really couldn't understand why hanging a seal with a silk thread could tell if it was correct.

After a long pause, Lu Zhen whispered a suggestion: "Teacher He, why don't we give it a try first?"

"That's true!"

Whether it works or not, let's give it a try and see.

The brother and sister untied the ribbon used to bind the seal box, took out a thread, and tied it to the seal knob.

He lifted it up again, and the bronze seal swayed and bounced a few times.

Lu Zhen looked closely, but to be honest, with his experience and ability to judge, he couldn't see anything.

At first, Teacher He didn't think anything was wrong. Until the copper button slowly came to a stop and remained motionless.

Looking at the square, perfectly aligned copper button suspended in mid-air, Teacher He was taken aback, and a thought flashed through his mind.

Then, his expression changed.

Even if Lu Zhen was slow-witted, she knew what that expression meant, and her heart skipped a beat: "Teacher He...?"

Teacher He didn't say anything, but tied it up again and hung it up again.

But it was all in vain. He tried to hang it two or three times, but no matter how he tried, the small seal remained perfectly square and upright.

Seemingly incredulous, Teacher He stared intently at the bronze seal.

After a long silence, he sighed, "The seal is fake... This is... a machine-cast product!"

"Impossible!" Lu Zhen was stunned. "Teacher He, you saw it too. Many people were arguing with me, including several experts in the Beijing epigraphy circle!"

Teacher He sighed, seemingly lost in thought: "Try to recall what Lin Sicheng just said..."

What did Lin Sicheng say?

I remember now: Director Shan, when you were looking at this seal, didn't you say something like, "There's a similar one in the Forbidden City"?

Suddenly, Lu Zhen's face turned ashen, and his features contorted in shock.

The more he thought about it, the angrier and more regretful he became. He gritted his teeth and kicked out, yelling, "My million..."

With a loud crash, a chair flew off.

Hearing the commotion inside, Ye Anning felt an indescribable sense of exhilaration, like eating ice cream under the scorching sun in the middle of summer.

She raised her finger again and poked Lin Sicheng: "Why use silk thread to suspend it?"

"Because it's fast, otherwise it would have to go through the machine, and the machine's power wouldn't be enough!"

Ye Anning thought about it for a while, but still couldn't figure it out.

Lin Sicheng succinctly stated: "If there are air bubbles in the print, it will be misaligned!"

All ancient bronze artifacts inevitably contain air bubbles inside, which causes the center of gravity to shift. No matter which angle you hang it from, the seal will be off-center.

However, if it is a modern machine-cast product, it will definitely be solid, and the proportions and weight will be exactly the same on both sides.

Therefore, by simply hanging it with a thread, one can immediately tell whether it is real or fake.

A group of people suddenly realized: It's that simple?

Wang Qizhi sighed inwardly: It's like being separated by a thin layer of paper; once it's out in the open, everyone thinks it's simple.

But if you don't understand, what separates you from it isn't paper, but an iron wall.

As he was reminiscing, Chen Yangyan walked over and said, "Teacher Lin, could you part with that Vermilion Bird Seal? Name your price!"

He definitely has to sell this seal, because most of the six million he spent today was borrowed.

But we won't sell it now.

"Mr. Chen, could we postpone this for a few months?" Lin Sicheng pointed to Ye Anning. "During the Poly Spring Auction, my cousin Ye helped me out, so I didn't complete my task. I plan to give her this seal first, so I can hand it over at the Autumn Auction..."

Oh, Lin Sicheng didn't say that?

Ye Anning paused for a moment, then grinned.

You just tagged along and did nothing; what help did you offer?

How dare you laugh?

Wang Qizhi glared at her, then lowered his voice:

"Mr. Chen, you're thinking of giving XXX a gift for the National Day holiday, right? That's simple: have Lin Sicheng help you find one. It just needs to be expensive, genuine, and easy to resell... If you can't find one, have Lin Sicheng give you one, or Mr. Zhao can give you one too..."

Yes, the item must be genuine, expensive, and easy to resell...

Thinking of the items he had seen in the Lin Sicheng Center exhibition hall, Chen Yangyan felt relieved: "Thank you, Professor Wang!"