Yuan Guoyao shook his head, his brows furrowed slightly, his words carrying an undeniable professionalism.
“Old Zhou, you’re making the same old mistake again. Where in the Tang Dynasty did they have such a sophisticated blue-and-white porcelain technique? The body, the glaze formula—it’s clearly wrong! In my opinion, this thing…”
He paused, seemingly considering his options.
The two men each held their own opinions, and neither could convince the other. In the end, all eyes fell on Xu Kuo, waiting for this "genius" to make the final judgment.
Xu Kuo already knew the answer. The system had already given him clear information the moment he first saw the porcelain vase: [Imitation of Tang Dynasty Blue and White Lotus Pattern Yuhuchun Vase (Song Dynasty Imitation), Value: Medium-grade collectible].
System-produced items are always top-notch... Oh no, this time it's a fake.
He smiled slightly, walked to the table, and did not start working immediately. Instead, he carefully circled the porcelain vase, his gaze sweeping over the mouth, body, and foot before finally settling on the delicate lotus scroll pattern.
"Brother Xu, what do you think? It's from the Tang Dynasty, right?" Zhou Changke asked expectantly.
Xu Kuo raised his head, met the two people's questioning gazes, and calmly uttered two words: "Fake."
"What?!" Zhou Changke almost jumped up, his voice changing tone.
"A fake?! Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Brother Xu, you...you must have misjudged it. The luster, the feel..."
You have to understand, he bought this for a huge sum of money. If it turned out to be a fake, the auction house would have to go out of business and would have to pack up and go bankrupt.
Moreover, this was something Yuan Guoyao intended to donate to the country, but now it seems that's no longer possible.
Yuan Guoyao was also taken aback, then his brows furrowed even more. Although he did not agree that it was from the Tang Dynasty, he certainly did not think it was a fake. He pondered and echoed.
“Young friend, a fake… I doubt it. This piece has a solid body, a rich glaze, and skillful painting. Although the craftsmanship is not in line with the Tang Dynasty, it is definitely not a modern imitation.”
This kid has quite the nerve, coming right off the bat and calling it a fake?
Is there some flaw that he didn't notice?
impossible!
Yuan Guoyao was very confident in his judgment. He was an expert in this field, so how could he be wrong?
Xu Kuo remained calm and composed despite the two men's questions.
He carefully picked up the porcelain bottle; it felt slightly heavy and warm to the touch.
He showed the bottom of the bottle to the two men, pointing to the exposed clay: "Mr. Yuan, Mr. Zhou, look at this clay."
The two leaned closer to examine it more closely.
Xu Kuo explained calmly and unhurriedly.
"Calling this item a 'fake' isn't entirely accurate. To be more precise, it's a 'reproduction.' Its shape and decoration do indeed imitate the style of the Yuhuchun vase and the lotus scroll pattern popular in the Tang Dynasty. Mr. Zhou is not mistaken about this; the category is correct."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Changke's expression softened slightly, but he remained puzzled.
If he's right about everything, then why does he say it's a fake?
Xu Kuo continued: "However, what Yuan Lao said is also correct. Its production process is not unique to the Tang Dynasty. Look at the blue color of this porcelain. Although it imitates the blue with purple undertones of Tang blue and white porcelain, the materials and firing techniques clearly have the characteristics of Song Dynasty Cizhou kiln system or Jizhou kiln system blue and white porcelain. In particular, the washing of the clay and the foot trimming techniques are closer to the Song Dynasty than the Tang Dynasty."
He paused, then concluded.
"Therefore, this porcelain vase is not from the Tang Dynasty itself, but a replica made by Song Dynasty craftsmen imitating the Tang style. In the collecting world, since it is not from the current dynasty and does not bear the original mark, it cannot be considered a 'genuine' piece, and calling it a 'fake' is not unreasonable."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Changke and Yuan Guoyao were both stunned, and then their faces simultaneously showed expressions of sudden realization!
"So that's how it is! The Song Dynasty imitated the Tang Dynasty!" Zhou Changke slapped his thigh, suddenly enlightened. "I said it looked like the Tang Dynasty, but something felt off! It turns out it was a later dynasty imitating the earlier one!"
Yuan Guoyao stared intently at Xu Kuo, his eyes practically overflowing with admiration.
"Impressive! Truly impressive! Young friend, you are so young yet possess such extraordinary knowledge! Not only can you distinguish between genuine and fake, but you can also date it with such precision, pointing out its 'antique imitation' nature! Old Zhou, you have truly introduced me to a master this time!"
At this moment, Yuan Guoyao completely acknowledged Xu Kuo. This explanation alone was enough to show Xu Kuo's skill. At least in the field of appraisal, Yuan Guoyao had never seen such a capable young man as Xu Kuo.
"Not at all, Mr. Yuan, you flatter me. I just guessed." Xu Kuo waved his hand modestly and carefully placed the porcelain bottle back on the table.
Xu Kuo breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, he had gotten through this ordeal.
Yuan Guoyao laughed heartily, his appreciation for Xu Kuo's attitude growing even stronger: "Young friend, there's no need for such modesty. By the way, I heard from Old Zhou that you came here specifically to see him today. Was it also about this 'old object'?"
He changed the subject, asking seemingly casually.
This question instantly pulled Xu Kuo back to reality from the atmosphere of appraising treasures.
He recalled the tense scene at the market, Wang Ming's approval document stamped with the red seal, and Secretary Wen's anxious and worried face. The amiable smile on his face gradually faded, and his expression became serious.
Honestly, he almost forgot about the important matter!
Wang Ming, that mad dog, is still outside waiting to bite someone!
Zhou Changke noticed the change in Xu Kuo's expression and quickly asked with concern, "Brother Xu, what's wrong? Have you run into some trouble? Tell me, in this small town, I still have some influence!" Judging from his expression, it didn't seem like a trivial matter.
Xu Kuo took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping between Zhou Changke and Yuan Guoyao before finally settling on Zhou Changke, and got straight to the point.
"Brother Zhou, Elder Yuan, to be honest, I've come here today with an important matter to ask of you. I'd like to ask you to help me... to introduce me to some important figures 'above' me."
A big shot "above"?
The atmosphere in the courtyard changed instantly after those words were spoken.
Zhou Changke's enthusiastic smile froze, replaced by a strange and awkward expression.
"Above"? Which "above" is he looking for?
This kid is too daring; this isn't a line you can just casually connect!
It should be noted that there are not many so-called important figures at the top; many of them are merely using others' power to intimidate others.
If Xu Kuo truly wanted to get in touch with really important figures, then his intentions would be quite intriguing.
Meanwhile, the admiration on Yuan Guoyao's face quickly faded, and his eyes became sharp and cautious again, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible vigilance and indifference.
He looked at Xu Kuo, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.
Hmph, has this kid finally shown his true colors?
All that talk about appraising treasures and being humble, it turns out his ultimate goal was to get in touch with Zhou Changke and pull strings.
Hmph, these young people nowadays are so quick-witted, they all want to get to the top in one step and take shortcuts!
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