As the saying goes, there's no substitute for experience; Director Wang instantly grasped the crux of the matter, sensing that Wang Guan and the others' purpose for attending the auction must be more than simple, and he immediately began inquiring.

In a flash, Wang Guan and the others exchanged uneasy glances before a wry smile spread across all their faces simultaneously.

"Brother Pi, you tell him," Wang Guan shrugged. "The auction is over anyway; word will probably start circulating in a day or two, so there’s no need to keep it a secret anymore."

Pi Qiushe nodded gently, then chuckled, "Director Wang, you truly don't know about this?"

"Know about what?" Director Wang looked genuinely bewildered. "You all are aware that I've been entirely consumed with the touring exhibition for the Jiaowei Qin these past few weeks. I haven't had the mind to pay attention to anything else."

"That's true," Pi Qiushe agreed understandingly, then added with a knowing smile, "Then it’s quite unfortunate; you missed a monumental event."

"Stop dragging it out, what monumental event? Hurry up and tell me," Director Wang urged.

"The Tang Hou Xing Cong Tu," Pi Qiushe said with a light laugh. "That is, the painting Attendants of the Empress of the Tang Dynasty belonging to the great Republican-era collector, Mr. Zhang Heng, also known as Zhang Congyu."

"What!" Director Wang was startled, immediately unable to sit still. "Is that true or not?"

"Over ninety percent certainty," Pi Qiushe smiled. "The competition was fierce at the auction, with so many experts gathered—that speaks volumes about how highly the work is regarded."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner..."

Director Wang couldn't help but complain, "Ever since that painting was lost from Zhang Congyu's possession, its whereabouts overseas have been unknown. What the Palace Museum holds is merely a Republican-era copy. Now that the genuine article has resurfaced, we absolutely must acquire it back."

"The auction house appraised it at 1,500 Euros, and it ultimately sold for 3.75 million Euros," Wang Guan interjected with a slight smile. "Can the Palace Museum accept a price like that?"

"Yes," Director Wang hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "As long as the piece is truly exceptional, the price isn't the real issue."

It wasn't that Director Wang was being overconfident; after all, just over thirty million wasn't an amount the Palace Museum couldn't manage. Of course, there was a caveat: the item had to be of monumental significance and receive approval from higher leadership...

But now, it was too late. The auction was over, and Director Wang could only helplessly grumble that Wang Guan and the others deliberately withheld the news, hoping to snag a bargain for themselves.

Though it was largely true, Wang Guan felt the need to offer a defense: "We thought you already knew."

"Indeed," Pi Qiushe chuckled amiably. "You have far more connections and better access to intelligence than us. If you didn't hear any rumors, it must be because everyone felt you were already overburdened with the touring exhibition and didn't want to add to your worries."

"You only know how to say pleasant things..." Director Wang snorted. After a brief moment of regretful sighing, he asked seriously, "So, what is the current condition of the painting?"

"It’s quite aged, and the colors are very dim," Pi Qiushe began to describe. "However, Mr. Zhang Congyu’s connoisseur seals are quite distinct. There are also some inscriptions and colophons, but unfortunately, we were too far away to make them out clearly."

"The condition isn't good?" Director Wang paused, then sighed. "Truly, his greatness was due to Zhang Heng, and his downfall was also due to Zhang Heng."

"Director Wang, what do you mean by that?" Wang Guan and the others were somewhat confused as well.

Director Wang gently shook his head, then looked at Wang Guan and smiled faintly. "Speaking of which, Zhang Congyu shares some similarities with you. He became a great collector at a very young age. Early on, he inherited a collection of calligraphy and paintings, but after his grandfather passed away, he had to rely entirely on himself."

"At that time, antique dealers saw how young he was and how much money he had, so they tried to deceive him with fakes. Zhang Congyu was stubborn; he felt that even if he lost money, he couldn't lose face. So, he diligently honed his skills—buying, selling, making friends widely, comparing genuine pieces with forgeries. All his focus, combined with substantial wealth, allowed him to cultivate an eye like a torch."

Director Wang spoke eloquently: "After this period of intense trial, at the age of twenty, he was hired by the Palace Museum as an appraisal committee member."

"And relying on his immense financial power, profound artistic knowledge, rich experience, and keen eye, the young Zhang Congyu rose to rank among the foremost collectors of the Shanghai School. By the age of twenty-four, he stood alongside masters like Wu Hufan and Zhang Daqian, establishing the Yunhuizhai, a private collection of treasured artifacts and paintings, making it one of the Four Great Studios of Shanghai collecting."

At this point, Director Wang’s gaze held a touch of yearning. "According to some of Zhang Congyu's friends, during that time he exclusively collected masterpieces from the Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties, largely ignoring works from the Ming and Qing. His highest-tier collection included Zhou Fang's Nurturing Infants from the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Xuan’s Tang Hou Xing Cong Tu, and Yan Zhenqing’s Couplets of the Bamboo Mountain Hall—a period of incredible success."

"However, it is truly lamentable that due to the prevailing social atmosphere of the time, or perhaps Zhang Congyu’s early success led to an inevitable sense of arrogance, he frequently engaged in gambling, even losing an entire lane of property in a single night."

Director Wang shook his head and sighed, "As they say, nine out of ten gamblers lose. Within a few years, he was on the verge of bankruptcy, and most of his treasured collection had been sold off. Approaching the founding of the People's Republic, he was left with only a few items, such as Yan Zhenqing’s Couplets of the Bamboo Mountain Hall, Ouyang Xiu’s Burning Ai Postscript, and Qian Shunju’s Eight Flower Scroll from the early Yuan period."

Hearing this, Wang Guan and the others couldn't help but shake their heads, their sense of sorrow evident on their faces.

"Zhang Xuan’s Tang Hou Xing Cong Tu was lost under those circumstances. Rumor has it that it was taken overseas and disappeared for over half a century. Now, it has finally reappeared."

Director Wang lamented for a while before abruptly changing the subject: "Of course, every loss brings a gain. After losing his fortune, Zhang Congyu was able to focus entirely on artifact appreciation. After the founding of the nation, he made tremendous contributions to the cultural relics cause of New China, becoming a first-rate expert in artifacts. The Palace Museum still holds the documentation he compiled back then; you should feel free to borrow it if you are interested."

The others might not have noticed, but Wang Guan couldn't help but feel that Director Wang’s words were directed at him—that he was indirectly urging Wang Guan to 'spend his entire fortune' like Zhang Congyu, focus solely on research, and become a great authority sooner.

Of course, he might just be overthinking it. In any case, Wang Guan decided not to engage on that specific topic.

"So, one could say that fortune and misfortune are intertwined,"

At that moment, Mr. Feng said with a smile, "It's like me—I suffered a theft yesterday, and today I helped solve a major conspiracy targeting the Liangyicang. You could say that fortune leans on misfortune; good luck naturally follows disaster."

"That's not entirely wrong,"

Director Wang nodded. "There is certainly an element of turning disaster into good fortune, of meeting calamity with auspiciousness."

Believe it or not, it was merely an effort to bring some positive energy. The others seized the opportunity to congratulate Mr. Feng, which put him in a cheerful and pleasant mood.

"No, it's the other way around."

A moment later, Mr. Feng immediately shook his head. "It should be me thanking you all..."

"Mr. Feng, no need for more thanks," Wang Guan said with a smile. "Your thanking me and my thanking you is pointless. How about something more practical? For instance, we attended an auction early this morning and haven't eaten yet. You wouldn't just be treating us to tea, would you?"

"Indeed, that was my oversight," Mr. Feng laughed heartily, immediately rising to invite everyone to the dining hall.

There is no need to elaborate on the luxury of the luncheon; it was undoubtedly the highest standard. The array of famous dishes and fine wines whetted the appetites of Wang Guan and the others, and they ate and drank heartily, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

The ancient etiquette from two millennia ago—where one should neither talk while eating nor eat while talking—has become mere empty words in modern times. On the contrary, the dining table now served as a bond for fostering camaraderie. After a few glasses of wine, the atmosphere grew increasingly lively.

"Director Wang..."

Just then, fueled by a slight buzz from the wine, Wang Guan suddenly sketched a few lines on the tabletop. They looked like characters, but they were distinctly different from standard Han characters.

Wang Guan recalled the symbols as he drew them, then asked humbly, "Director Wang, do you recognize what this is?"

"Hm?"

Director Wang leaned in for a closer look and was immediately astonished. "This is Manchu script! You study this area as well?"

It wasn't surprising that Director Wang was astonished. Ever since the Xinhai Revolution, new ideologies erupted everywhere. Some even proposed the radical idea of completely abolishing Han characters. Even a script that had been inherited for thousands of years faced a momentary threat of abandonment, let alone Manchu script.

In short, people felt that Manchu script could be swept into the dustbin of history. Even the Manchu people themselves no longer valued it, much less others—they wouldn't even bother to glance at it.

The historical, complex, and subtle reasons for this need not be detailed here. Suffice it to say that in just a few decades, Manchu script, like the scripts of countless other minority groups, had been pushed to the brink of extinction, to the point where it was difficult to find a few people nationwide who could read or write it.

"But you have good luck,"

At this point, Director Wang also displayed a bit of pride. "In my earlier years, while researching the inscriptions on Palace Museum plaques, I did look through some materials, and I can still recognize a few commonly used Manchu characters."

Wang Guan was naturally pleased and quickly asked for guidance.

"Let me see," Director Wang looked down, pondered for a long moment, then his face lit up with joy. "I remember now. It seems to be the two characters for Hoshō (Hòshuò)."

"Hoshō—that word isn't simple," Even someone as knowledgeable as Wang Guan, though having little understanding of Qing culture, knew from Qing court dramas that anyone prefixed with Hoshō was undoubtedly a major figure.

"Of course,"

Director Wang nodded and explained, "Hoshō in the Manchu language means 'a side' or 'a realm.' In the early Qing, there were the Eight Hoshō Beile, meaning the chiefs of eight tribes. The first rank of enfeoffment for the imperial clan was Hoshō Qīnwáng—what the common folk often call the 'Iron-Cap Prince,' which was hereditary and perpetual. Only the Emperor's sons and brothers were eligible to receive such a title, and the number was limited. Looking across the nearly three centuries of the Qing Dynasty, only twelve Hoshō Qīnwáng were ever enfeoffed."

"Ah, I understand. Thank you for the guidance, Director Wang," Wang Guan said, having learned something new, his face thoughtful.

"You are welcome."

Director Wang waved his hand, a touch of curiosity entering his expression. "But why are you asking about this out of the blue?"

"Heh heh, nothing much. I just happened to see these two characters by chance and realized I didn't recognize them, so I took the opportunity to ask," Wang Guan said with a slight smile, clearly not telling the whole truth.