Chapter 215 Imperial Seal
Zhao Xiuneng specializes in porcelain, while Hao Jun specializes in miscellaneous items. They are not ignorant of calligraphy and painting, but rather not skilled in them.
Even this "lack of expertise" is only relative to Lin Sicheng.
The reason for the misjudgment was mainly due to the influence of Lin Sicheng: Lin Sicheng glanced at it several times from beginning to end, without even taking a minute.
So the two of them just glanced at it quickly. They felt that the painting was very ordinary, the mounting materials were ordinary pine wood and common Xuan paper, and the color had already started to fade from the fumes, so they assumed that the painting was just average.
And to be honest, even now, if you look at it without considering the paper, ink, and paint, the painting is still just average.
But the question is, is this really a matter of whether the imitation is good or bad, or how high the artistic level is?
If a painting of unknown origin and artist is imitated from the imperial palace, what about the others?
The group of people remained silent, watching Lin Sicheng open the pouch and take things out one by one.
Three paintings, three seals, a book on physiognomy, and an incense burner. A total of eight items, scattered sparsely on the desk.
Then, he unfolded the painting "Changchun Zhenren" and typed away on the computer.
A group of people gathered around and examined it carefully.
It is still a copy, and the signature is still Fan Zheng. Overall, the artistic level is higher than that of "Sharpening the Sword", and it is also better preserved.
Upon closer inspection, the mounting materials this time are much better: the back is made of Luowen raw Xuan paper, the top and bottom are made of Suzhou-made lake-colored silk, and the scroll ends are made of sandalwood. Although it does not reach the level of the imperial palace, it is at least of the level of an official merchant.
Looking at the painting again, Hao Jun and Zhao Xiuneng exchanged bewildered glances: It was tribute paper, tribute ink, and tribute pigments again?
This means that the painting was also copied in the palace.
But this one wasn't stained with smoke, so how come I didn't notice it back then?
Just as she was wondering what to say, Ye Anning exclaimed, "Eh? Master He Changchun... Master Changchun?"
"And this Taoist title... it sounds familiar?"
Zhao Xiuneng paused for a moment: "Taoist Jing said that this painting depicts Qiu Chuji, the leader of the Quanzhen School!"
It's definitely not Qiu Chuji.
Ye Anning didn't respond, but raised her head and tried hard to remember: "And this painting, it seems like I've seen it somewhere before?"
You've seen it for sure: the original painting that was copied is now kept in the Palace Museum.
Ye Anning felt the Taoist name sounded familiar because the Taoist name bestowed upon Emperor Qianlong by Emperor Yongzheng was "Changchun Jushi" (Layman of Everlasting Spring), and Fan Daoren called him "Zhenren" (True Man) to show his respect.
As for finding the paintings familiar: the Palace Museum houses tens of thousands of paintings, and it's impossible for Ye Anning to remember every single one. If she has a vague recollection of them or feels she's seen them before, then she has a good memory.
Lin Sicheng smiled and turned the computer screen away.
A group of people moved forward, but after just one glance, a series of hissing sounds erupted, like snakes flicking their tongues: "Hiss," "Hiss," "Hiss," "Hiss," "Hiss," "Hiss"...
Wearing a winter court hat, a black dragon collar, and the dragon robe of the Ming Emperor... who is this?
The inscription next to it reads: "Auspicious day in the eighth month of the first year of Qianlong's reign."
This is a portrait of Emperor Qianlong's ascension to the throne... No need to guess, it is definitely a realistic portrait painted by Giuseppe Castiglione.
Looking at another picture, seven or eight people all widened their eyes.
Is the male Taoist priest leaning against the tree the same person as the one in the portrait of Emperor Qianlong?
Looking closer, it looks more and more like it...
Just as he was stunned, Lin Sicheng clicked the mouse, and the image on the screen changed to an almost identical one.
The clothing, composition, and scenery are exactly the same; even the lines, rendering, and coloring are identical.
The only difference is that the male Taoist priest in the painting is slightly different.
Then look at the inscription on the computer screen: "Yinzhen Enjoying Life - Riding a Raft to Immortality"!
Even a primary school student could tell that this painting on the table is a copy of the one on the computer. The only difference is that the young Emperor Yongzheng has been replaced with the young Emperor Qianlong.
So, isn't this a portrait of Emperor Qianlong?
How rare is it?
It can be said that there are a total of 72 verifiable portraits of Emperor Qianlong, of which 69 are treasured in the Palace Museum, Yonghe Temple, and Potala Palace.
The remaining three are abroad: two in the British Museum and one in the Freer Gallery of Art in the United States.
There are no privately held pieces, whether from domestic or foreign sources, and whether by famous or anonymous artists.
The key point is that this type of work doesn't need to be judged by its artistic level, artistic conception, or charm; it's all about how similar it is to the original.
Look again, does it look like it?
I wouldn't say 100%, but at least 70-80%.
It's not that Fan Daoren didn't paint well, but rather that the former was a realistic portrait, which required only one thing: to be as lifelike as possible.
The latter is a meticulously painted narrative painting with colors on the theme of Taoist cultivation of immortality, which must retain a certain degree of artistic processing.
Conversely, no matter how many portraits the Palace Museum holds, it's impossible for them to be auctioned off, and the three overseas are out of the question. Therefore, wouldn't this one be the only Qianlong portrait circulating in private hands?
Hao Jun's eyes gleamed: If he got this painting, he could hold a special auction for "Imperial Portraits." And then, no matter who it was, he couldn't be replaced as manager of Rongbaozhai...
Suddenly, his breathing became heavy. Hao Jun had just begun to speak when Lin Sicheng waved his hand, "Senior Brother Hao, don't be in such a hurry..."
As he spoke, he opened the last picture, the one depicting a person riding a raft to become an immortal, and then typed on the keyboard.
The group of people all glanced at each other, unsure of what to say.
On the table: "Yongzheng Enjoying Life - Riding a Raft to Immortality"!
On the computer screen: A portrait of Emperor Yongzheng, a treasure from the Palace Museum.
It's even more similar than the two paintings by Emperor Qianlong. The only difference: in the painting, Emperor Yongzheng, dressed in Taoist robes, is fifty years old. On the computer, he wears a peacock feather and holds a golden linzhi (a type of ancient Chinese writing brush), and is forty years old.
There are even fewer of these; there are only seventeen in total, both domestically and internationally. Similarly, there are none in private hands.
So, this is the eighteenth portrait of Emperor Yongzheng?
As for the price... it hasn't even been circulating in the market, so who the hell would dare to estimate it?
For a moment, Hao Jun's lips trembled, and he was about to say something when Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "Senior Brother Hao, I will definitely grant you one in the end, but please wait until I finish speaking!"
Then, he took out the incense burner:
"The Veritable Records of the Qing Dynasty states: When Shang (Yongzheng) was Prince Yong, he sought out many virtuous scholars and called himself 'Yuanming Jushi' (the Hermit of Yuanming)... The Draft History of the Qing Dynasty also states: (In the 40th year of Kangxi's reign) (Yongzheng) allowed me to take elixirs and burn alchemical pills while I was still a prince..."
"Detailed records can be found in works such as the *Collection of Writings from the Prince's Residence* (a collection of writings from the Yongzheng Emperor's time as a prince) and the *Sayings of the Layman of Yuanming* (Yongzheng's own compilation of his Taoist insights): Emperor Yongzheng began practicing Taoism around the age of twenty-two or twenty-three and continued until his death..."
"However, in the early period, Emperor Kangxi was not very fond of Taoism, calling it 'illusory and unreal' and 'mostly for people who are poor, idle and lazy,' so Emperor Yongzheng practiced it very restrainedly."
"After ascending the throne, his reign was interrupted due to the busy political affairs. Until the eighth year of Yongzheng's reign, he fell seriously ill, and hundreds of imperial physicians were helpless. However, he was cured by the Taoist priest Jia Shifang, who was found by Li Wei. After that, Yongzheng was unstoppable..."
According to the "Work Records" (the archives of the Imperial Workshops), starting from the eighth year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, the emperor established altars (for prayer, fasting, and offerings to Heaven) in places such as the Qianqing Palace, Yangxin Hall, Chengrui Pavilion, Qin'an Hall, and Yonghe Palace. He also publicly ordered the governors-general of all provinces to "seek out people with superb medical skills and expertise in elixirs to come to the capital." Afterwards, they were all arranged to live together in the Qianqiu Pavilion in the rear garden...
"Detailed records are kept of the alchemical materials purchased by the Imperial Household Department, including charcoal, silver ore, sulfur, and lead... and the alchemical practice was conducted at the Kuoran Dagong Hall in the Yuanmingyuan Garden..."
This is one of the twenty-four scenic spots of the Yuanmingyuan Garden. Legend has it that when it was built, two cranes perched here, hence the name Shuanghezhai (Double Crane Studio). Therefore, all utensils used for offerings, alchemy, and display were inscribed with the name of two cranes…
Lin Sicheng pointed to the belly of the incense burner and then turned it over: "That same year, Emperor Yongzheng changed his Taoist name from 'Yuanming Jushi' to 'Pochen Jushi,' meaning 'rebirth' or 'rebirth from the dust'..."
The group was stunned and speechless, staring intently at the two flying cranes on the belly of the furnace and the inscription on the bottom: Po Chen Jushi (破尘居士).
It is well known that Emperor Yongzheng was a Taoist and alchemist. Many historians, including Wang Qizhi, Shang Yan, Hao Jun, and Zhao Xiuneng, believe that his sudden death was most likely caused by lead and mercury poisoning from an overdose of elixirs.
But the entire ordeal lasted less than six years, after which Emperor Qianlong issued a gag order, burning documents and smashing things. So how many people could possibly know the cause, the detailed events, even where they prayed for blessings, where they practiced alchemy, where the Taoist priests lived, and the characteristics of the various places where they practiced Taoism and the furnishings, etc.?
Ye Anning should know something, but she had spent a full ten years working at the Forbidden City with Shan Wangshu. As for Lin Sicheng, to this day, he had never even seen which way the gates of the Forbidden City faced.
So, he deserved to get a bargain...
The office was unusually quiet. Several people stared at the incense burner and two paintings, their hearts filled with complex emotions.
After a long pause, Wang Qizhi let out a sigh of relief: "What about the rest?"
Lin Sicheng picked up the Hetian jade inscription, "Qinghe Sanren": "This is Fan Qinghe, the founder of Master Jing's school, and the tenth generation successor of the Longmen School of Quanzhen Taoism. His original name was Fan Zheng, courtesy name Zhengze. The 'Lanzhou Prefecture Annals' states that he had amassed a fortune of ten thousand taels of gold, but abandoned it to study Taoism... He was also proficient in internal alchemy, the Book of Changes, physiognomy, medicine, calligraphy, and painting..."
"I don't know how he got to the capital, or when he entered the palace, but he must have been highly favored by Emperors Yongzheng and Qianlong... Judging from the brushwork and painting skills of these few works, they are only of average to above-average quality. Yet, he was able to bring out so many things in the end, so I estimate that Fan Qinghe's medical skills must be very high..."
Does this even need to be estimated?
There were so many court painters in the Qing Dynasty. At that time, masters such as Lang Shining, Jiao Bingzhen, and Leng Mei were in their prime. How could a Taoist priest possibly paint portraits of two emperors?
The Qing Dynasty's official records provide a clearer account: Emperor Qianlong issued a gag order immediately upon ascending the throne and expelled the Taoist priests who had been preparing elixirs for Emperor Yongzheng from the palace.
During a leisurely break from managing state affairs, my late father (Emperor Yongzheng) heard of a practice of alchemy using furnace fire. Knowing it to be false, he still wished to test the art… and thus placed Zhang Taixu, Wang Dinggan, and others in an unused area of the Western Garden. He regarded them as mere entertainers, never listening to a single word they uttered, nor using a single elixir from them… Now I hereby expel them, sending them back to their respective hometowns.”
"They are usually unruly, arrogant, and deceitful, misleading the world and the people, and violating the law... If they falsely claim to have uttered a single word before the late Emperor (Yongzheng), once this is discovered, they will be severely investigated and executed immediately..."
Based on this, Qing Dynasty historians deduced that Emperor Yongzheng died suddenly from lead and mercury poisoning due to an overdose of elixirs. However, the fact that Fan Qinghe was able to smuggle the emperor's portrait out of the palace and was even bestowed an incense burner by Emperor Yongzheng suggests the extent of his imperial favor.
After considering all the options, only medical skills remain.
Therefore, based on that incense burner and those two paintings alone, even if Fan Qinghe left not a single word in historical records, this seal can still be considered a treasure.
Lin Sicheng then picked up the Tianhuang stone inscription "Yiming Shanren": "Liu Yiming, whose real name is Liu Wanzhou, is from Pingyang, Shanxi. He is also known as Yiming and calls himself Supu Sanren... His ancestors were Shanxi merchants, and the Liu family has been a powerful family in Pingyang for generations... At the age of seventeen, he fell seriously ill. For five years, he visited famous doctors in Shanxi, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, but all medicines failed to cure him..."
"Later, he went to Qiyun Mountain in Yuzhong and met Daoist Fan, who cured him in a month. After that, Liu Yiming became a disciple of Fan Qinghe, inheriting his mantle and later founded the Zizai School, calling himself Daoist Zizai... So strictly speaking, Liu Yiming is the founder of the Jing Daoist school..."
"Comparatively speaking, Liu Yiming is more famous than Fan Qinghe: He is recorded in the 'Lanzhou Prefecture Annals,' the 'Gaolan County Annals,' and the Longmen School's 'Essentials of Rejuvenation': He is proficient in alchemy, divination, fortune telling, physiognomy, medicine, calligraphy, painting, and literature, and is skilled in everything..."
"He left behind a great many works: Twelve Daoist Books (Essentials of Daoist Alchemy), The Simple Journey (Geography), The Secret Compilation of the Green Bag (Divination Classic), The Elucidation of the Zhouyi, Commentary on the Yin Fu Jing (Medicine), The Immortal Transmission of the World (Medical Book), The Simple Physiognomy Classic (Physiognomy), and so on... He can be called a genius among geniuses..."
If you mention "Zizai Zhenren" or "Supu Sanren", no one will know them. If you mention "Yiming Shanren", probably not many people will know them either.
But when Zhao Xiuneng heard "Liu Yiming," he suddenly realized: Years ago, when the old lady was still in good health, she even helped the Lanzhou Museum replace two of Liu Yiming's paintings.
Looking at this seal, the two-inch square piece of Tianhuang stone alone is worth fifty or sixty thousand. Add the three characters "Liu Yiming," and the value will at least double.
After pondering it over, Zhao Xiu made up his mind to ask Lin Sicheng later. If he decided to take action, he would immediately call Lanzhou.
The buyer will come to our door in no more than three days.
"This is also the ancestral Dao seal of Daoist Jing? But why is it so small..."
Wang Qizhi muttered to himself as he picked up the last one.
Lin Sicheng was about to explain, but swallowed the words back down.
It's no exaggeration to say that the moment Wang Qizhi picked up the seal, he was suddenly stunned. Then, his eyes bulged outwards, as if he wanted to nail them to the seal.
What is this... Yuanming Jushi?
What did Lin Sicheng just say?
In the eighth year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, he changed his Taoist name from "Yuanming Jushi" to "Pochen Jushi"... Did he finish speaking in less than three minutes?
Looking at the seal again, the material is just Shoushan stone, but the key is the seal text and the carving: it is a standard jade chopstick seal script, with even thickness, concealed sharpness, and rounded like jade chopsticks.
The lines are strong and heavy, the composition is harmonious and balanced, the layout is well-spaced, and even the depth of the strokes is consistent... This is clearly the carving style of the jade workshop of the Imperial Workshop.
So who else could this seal belong to?
Seeing him standing there motionless, Shang Yan tilted her head and glanced at him. She was stunned for a moment, and then, as if she had seen a ghost, she suddenly leaned back.
Hao Jun and Zhao Xi were completely baffled, thinking that no matter how good this thing was, could it be better than two portraits of emperors?
Suspicious, I leaned closer, and then it was as if my eyes had gone blind.
What's this?
This is the Imperial Seal...
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