Old Master Su was already seated inside, engaged in conversation with several people. Upon seeing Elder Yan enter, he immediately chuckled, "See, I was right. He couldn't resist coming in."

"Since you knew, then bring everything out," Elder Yan said with a smile. "I can appraise it for you free of charge, lest you mistake glass for pearls without even knowing."

Of course, such remarks were only safe to utter in private; saying them openly would offend many. After all, those presenting gifts were sincerely offering their well wishes to Old Master Su. As for the authenticity of the gifts, the givers certainly wouldn't present fakes, but if one misjudged or was deceived, that was another matter entirely.

Furthermore, knowing Elder Yan’s temperament, Old Master Su wasn't offended in the least, but rather laughed, "You’re clearly just eager to see things for yourself, yet you dress it up with a whole speech. Aren't you tired?"

"I call that being well-reasoned."

Elder Yan puffed out his beard, then smiled, "Well, have you finished compiling the gift list?"

Taking inventory of the congratulatory gifts was a perfectly normal procedure, and compiling a list was standard practice. This applied not just to wealthy magnates but to ordinary folks as well.

In this part of China, the exchange of favors and social obligations—li shang wang lai—was deeply ingrained. Despite the flood of gifts Old Master Su was currently receiving, he would eventually have to reciprocate them. At that time, the gift list would serve as a reference. To be so concerned with social etiquette while simultaneously calculating things so precisely was, in truth, quite contradictory.

But everyone had grown accustomed to it; nobody found it strange.

"Still compiling," Old Master Su replied casually, then handed over the piece of tortoiseshell scale he was holding. He smiled, "Here, take a look at this piece first to satisfy your curiosity."

"Elder Yan, take a good look, this is the genuine article," Hao Baolai said with a laugh, reminding him as if worried.

"I don't need you to tell me; I can see for myself."

Elder Yan snorted. He took the tortoiseshell scale and began to examine it closely.

At the same time, Wang Guan noticed a door beside this room leading to a spacious hall. Through the slightly ajar door, he could see a group of people busy cataloging the presents.

Indeed, the well-wishers had sent quite a few gifts, occupying nearly one-third of the space in the large hall. Unfortunately, a curtain blocked the view, making it impossible to see clearly.

"It truly is an auspicious sign," Elder Yan exclaimed after a moment, then added with a hint of bewilderment, "However, this item is a bit peculiar."

Hearing this, everyone froze. Hao Baolai was particularly shocked and hurried to say, "Elder Yan, you can’t frighten me. I’m timid; I can’t handle shocks." If Elder Yan declared the item fake, he would lose all face.

"The item is genuine tortoiseshell, and the markings are naturally formed. What are you worried about?"

Elder Yan grumbled, "I’m just wondering. Judging by the texture—hard yet retaining a softness—it seems to have been steeped in water for quite some time before being pulled out and dried just now."

When Wang Guan and the others heard this, admiration involuntarily surfaced in their eyes. They knew the item's origin; it had indeed been washed ashore by the sea, exactly as Elder Yan had deduced. They admitted they lacked such sharp discernment.

"It’s real, that’s good, that it’s real," Hao Baolai sighed softly, immediately raising his thumb and laughing, "Elder Yan is truly formidable, piercing the mystery with a single word."

"Stop flattering me," Elder Yan chuckled, though his expression held a trace of regret. "It’s a pity the polishing technique is very ordinary. And because the scale soaked in water for too long, there aren't enough clear marks left for us to pinpoint the exact date of its formation."

"But I can be certain of one thing," Elder Yan mused for a moment, then smiled and said, "The scale is plate-sized, and the markings inside are so dense, it indicates the tortoise was at least a thousand years old."

"A thousand-year-old tortoise shell."

In an instant, not only was Hao Baolai delighted, but the others erupted in renewed awe. Although tortoises could live up to fifteen hundred years, their shells were so precious that they were constantly hunted, drastically reducing their numbers. Nowadays, even a hundred-year-old tortoise was likely rare, let alone a thousand-year-old one—that was practically a legendary creature.

Unsurprisingly, under Elder Yan’s estimation, the value of the tortoiseshell scale increased by another twenty to thirty percent.

For Hao Baolai, the more precious the item, the better. Moreover, an item like this, presented appropriately for the occasion, could never be returned, so he felt completely secure.

In fact, upon hearing Elder Yan’s appraisal, Old Master Su sighed, hesitated as if he wanted to say something more, but ultimately could only shake his head helplessly, "Baolai, this item is too valuable… Remember, let this be the last time!"

"Old Master Su, next time we might not have such good luck," Hao Baolai replied with a wry smile.

"Old Master…"

Just as Old Master Su was about to speak, a middle-aged man scurried in from the hall beside them, seemingly needing to report something. Upon seeing Elder Yan, he became visibly delighted. "Elder Yan is here too? That’s truly excellent."

"What’s the matter, making such a fuss?" Elder Yan asked, slightly perplexed.

"Old Master," the middle-aged man reported, "There’s a gift inside... how should I put it? Should I bring it out for you to see?"

"Is the item fake?" Elder Yan asked directly and simply, voicing the confusion everyone felt.

"No, no, no…"

The middle-aged man quickly shook his head. He was a professional connoisseur, tasked specifically with assessing the value and authenticity of the gifts. Among so many items, there were bound to be fakes. However, those had already been set aside separately and kept quiet to avoid embarrassing anyone.

"The item is real. It's a piece of Qing Dynasty official kiln porcelain, and it was explicitly marked as an imitation from the Guangxu reign. But our appraisal team feels it isn't an imitation; it looks like the real thing!" The middle-aged man’s expression was peculiar, tinged with pleasant surprise. "If proven genuine, the value of that piece could skyrocket several hundredfold."

Elder Yan's heart stirred, and he asked the crucial question, "Guangxu imitating which reign’s piece?"

"Imitating a Yongzheng-era Famille Rose Peach Motif Celestial Sphere Vase," the middle-aged man clarified. "It also has five bats accompanying it…"

Upon hearing this, Elder Yan immediately exclaimed, "Then what are you waiting for? Hurry up and bring the item out!"

The middle-aged man quickly glanced at Old Master Su. Seeing no objection, he immediately returned to the hall to retrieve the item, placing it carefully on the table.

At this moment, everyone peered over curiously. It was a classic celestial sphere porcelain vase: straight mouth slightly flared, short neck, perfectly rounded body, and a ring foot. The entire exterior and interior were covered in a white glaze, and on the body was painted a peach tree with lush foliage. Several branches laden with large, plump peaches drooped down.

The painted peaches were incredibly lifelike, full and rosy, appearing ready to burst. Additionally, five bats fluttered around, their colors interspersed with varying shades of the peach branches and leaves. The painting was exquisitely detailed and masterful—a true marvel.

"What a fine piece," Elder Yan murmured after observing it for a moment. He carefully lifted the celestial sphere vase to examine the base, revealing a six-character mark written in underglaze blue, regular script, "Made in the Yongzheng Reign of the Great Qing." The brushstrokes were distinct, and the cobalt pigment displayed a beautiful, clear hue.

After careful scrutiny, Elder Yan looked quite astonished. "This is an imitation?"

"Elder Yan, that is how it was marked on the gift list," the middle-aged man quickly explained. "But no matter how we look at it, it doesn't seem like an imitation; rather, it looks like genuine Yongzheng official kiln porcelain." If this was true, the Su family stood to gain immensely. The middle-aged man's face was full of envy; Yongzheng Famille Rose porcelain always commanded top prices at auctions, often running into the tens of millions per piece.

Meanwhile, Wang Guan, observing the vase nearby, suddenly looked thoughtful. "Elder Yan, I think I know why the giver believed the item was an imitation."

"What reason?" Elder Yan pressed, and the others turned their attention curiously.

"Look at the peaches on it," Wang Guan reminded them with a slight smile. "The number seems incorrect."

"What's wrong with it? Aren't there eight?" Elder Yan asked, confused, and proceeded to count. Counting, he too realized something was amiss. "Hmm, why are there nine peaches?"

At this point, some readers might not know the difference between eight peaches and nine peaches. However, based on extensive historical evidence, in general, porcelain pieces featuring peach motifs typically displayed eight peaches during the Yongzheng period and nine peaches during the Qianlong period—hence the saying, "Yongzheng eight, Qianlong nine."

As for why Emperor Yongzheng favored eight, that is less clear—perhaps he simply favored the auspicious number eight—but it is a documented fact. Therefore, seeing nine peaches on a celestial sphere vase purported to be from the Yongzheng period made Wang Guan and Elder Yan suspect something was amiss. Perhaps the person who gifted the vase felt the same way, leading them to label it an imitation.

Of course, since we said "in general," exceptions certainly existed.

"I recall that Yongzheng nine-peach motifs can be seen on Famille Rose celestial sphere vases, olive vases, or sometimes on plates with over-the-branch designs," Elder Yan mused. "Nine peaches don't prove anything definitively. The key lies in whether the vase's overall craftsmanship, the fencai palette, and the body clay match the characteristics of the Yongzheng period."

"Elder Yan, you are absolutely right," the middle-aged man quickly agreed, nodding. "Peaches symbolize longevity, and the five bats symbolize numerous blessings. Nine peaches and five bats implicitly convey the meaning of the 'Nine-Five Supreme,' which is precisely a clear testament!"

Elder Yan lifted the celestial sphere vase, weighing it slightly, and couldn't help but concede, "Whether it's a clear testament or not is hard to say right now, but this body and glaze—I can’t find any falsehood in them."

As everyone was gathered around the vase, Bei Ye, who was nearby, tugged at Wang Guan’s sleeve and whispered, "Would there be any markings carved inside this kind of vase?" She clearly remembered the sacrificial red celestial sphere vase she had seen in Jiangzhou, which turned out to be a forgery created by Mr. Zhu the Elder. Seeing an object of the same shape now naturally led her to such speculations.

"There couldn't be such a coincidence," Wang Guan chuckled, but then, a sudden thought struck him, and he quietly focused his gaze. At first glance, the celestial sphere vase showed no movement. Wang Guan's expression sank slightly, and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly—Mr. Zhu the Elder really was haunting him... (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to visit Qidian (.com) to cast recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.) No pop-up novel website www.RT