"Indeed. Bizarre as it sounds, it is the truth," Wang Guan sighed lightly. "When I first saw it, I was extremely skeptical. If Director Wang hadn't sworn by it, I truly wouldn't have believed that the set was actually commissioned by Emperor Yongzheng himself."

"History can be believed, but not entirely. Who can truly know the truth behind what is real and what is fabricated, unless they lived through it?" Old Man Qian mused vaguely. "And sometimes, even when one experiences it firsthand, they are too close to the situation, enveloped in fog and clouds..."

After a quiet moment, Old Man Qian chuckled. "Everyone's here. Shall we have a round?"

"Sounds good."

Wang Guan nodded with a smile, tidied the nearby table slightly, and brought out the mahjong tiles.

It was once said that for a period in China, nine hundred million out of a billion people were playing mahjong, and the other hundred million were watching. Thus, even Beiye understood the rules of the game and happily joined in.

Of course, it was less about truly playing mahjong and more about seizing the opportunity to closely examine and appreciate the exquisiteness of each tile.

After playing a few hands, half-seriously and half-jokingly, as a form of leisurely entertainment, the sky began to darken. Prompted by Grandma Lü’s call, everyone cheerfully packed up the mahjong set and went to dinner in high spirits.

Pi Qiu Shi stayed overnight in the grand residence that evening. It wasn't until the next morning that Wang Guan saw him off.

Wang Guan didn't idle away the next day either. After greeting Old Man Qian, he took Beiye and leisurely made his way to the Shiyi Pavilion. After all, it was his own establishment; how could the owner not pay attention to it? Now that he was back in the capital, a visit was certainly in order.

Simultaneously, upon seeing their boss arrive, the shop assistants immediately rushed out to greet him. Wang Guan smiled faintly, gradually growing accustomed to his status, and casually inquired, "Where is the head shopkeeper?"

"The shopkeeper went out to acquire stock," one assistant explained, swiftly fetching water to make tea.

"Oh."

Wang Guan wasn't surprised; in fact, he was rather pleased. Cao Xiang being out sourcing goods indicated that business was going well enough to necessitate replenishing inventory.

During this brief exchange, Wang Guan also took the opportunity to survey the shop's displays. Compared to when the shop first opened, the items on the shelves were now far more numerous and complete.

Of course, put another way, the shop’s inventory was now a mix of genuine and fake pieces—more fakes than genuine articles. This was the general state of the entire trade, and Wang Guan had no intention of setting himself apart to become an enemy of the industry.

Generally speaking, the consequence of not following the crowd was either becoming a saint or meeting a very bitter end. Wang Guan weighed his own capabilities and felt the latter possibility was quite high.

After touring the shop for a moment, Wang Guan took Beiye to the second floor to check the accounts. This was advice from Old Man Qian: trust is not indulgence. For trust to last, one must do what needs to be done, bringing everything into the open, allowing the sunlight to cleanse it, leaving no room for shadows to breed.

Reviewing account books was inherently a tedious affair, but fortunately, with Beiye assisting him, the progress was much faster. The task was completed in just over an hour. The figures proved that Cao Xiang had not betrayed Wang Guan’s trust; the accounts were perfectly clean, without a single error.

Just then, an assistant suddenly ran upstairs, his face alight with excitement. "Boss, we have a visitor!"

"Hmm?"

Wang Guan paused, slightly puzzled. "And what of it? If a customer arrives, you entertain them properly. If he wants to buy something, bring it out for him. If he's truly sincere, perhaps lower the price a little."

"He's not here to buy, but to sell," the assistant quickly explained.

"Sell what? You look quite flustered," Wang Guan said, a smile returning as he asked.

The assistant was clearly someone familiar with antiques, and quite skilled at that. Having already seen the shop's anchor pieces, the Jingshan Shengji Tu and the Bronze Sparrow Terrace Tile Inkstone, ordinary items rarely impressed him. The fact that he was so excited now indicated the item was extraordinary.

"More than just good."

At this point, the assistant stopped keeping secrets. "It’s Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains by Huang Gongwang!"

"What?"

Wang Guan shot up from his seat instantly and quickly asked, "A copy? Whose?"

The original Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains had been split into two parts, housed separately on the mainland and in Taiwan. Therefore, anything circulating on the market could only be a copy or imitation from the Ming, Qing, or Republic periods.

"The gentleman says it's from the Qing Dynasty, but I couldn't tell myself," the assistant chuckled. "So I needed you to take a look, Boss."

"Let's go see,"

Without another word, Wang Guan headed straight for the VIP room.

Another assistant was already attending to the guest there. Seeing Wang Guan approach, he quickly smiled, "Boss, this is Mr. Jia, the one who wishes to sell the Dwelling in Fuchun Mountains."

Wang Guan glanced over and was momentarily surprised. The Mr. Jia the assistant mentioned was actually a young man, around twenty years old, wearing a delicate pair of glasses, appearing quite refined.

In truth, it wasn't just Wang Guan who was surprised; the other party was equally astonished.

Before arriving, he had discreetly inquired around and learned that although Shiyi Pavilion was a newly opened shop, its standing seemed quite solid, at least possessing a good reputation within the collecting circle. That’s why he chose to transact here. He hadn't expected the owner of the shop to be so young; he hoped the young man’s discernment skills were up to par, lest they mistake a treasure for junk...

Naturally, Wang Guan couldn't know the other's concerns. After a moment of slight surprise, he immediately offered a warm greeting. "Hello, Mr. Jia. Welcome to Shiyi Pavilion."

"Hello, I am Jia Qin!"

The young man stepped forward to shake hands with Wang Guan, but the name he announced made Wang Guan pause again.

Jia Qin noticed the reaction, or perhaps, having experienced it many times, he was used to it. He gave a wry smile. "Yes, the 'Qin' from Cao Xueqin, not the 'Qin' meaning diligent."

"A very good name, rich in meaning," Wang Guan chuckled, handing over his business card.

Jia Qin took the card, glanced at it briefly, then tucked it away, and spoke frankly. "I know you. You are a rising star in the Beijing collecting circle, with very strong appraisal skills..."

"You flatter me," Wang Guan replied with a smile, his gaze shifting to the scroll resting on the table. He felt an immediate surge of excitement. "Is this the Dwelling in Fuchun Mountains?"

"It is," Jia Qin nodded. "A Qing Dynasty copy."

"May I examine it up close?"

Given permission, Wang Guan took out a pair of white gloves, put them on carefully, and gently picked up the scroll, slowly unrolling it for appreciation.

Speaking of Dwelling in Fuchun Mountains, one must mention its painter, Huang Gongwang. As one of the Four Masters of the Yuan Dynasty, Huang Gongwang was a prime example of success later in life. He started painting at thirty-one, and due to his difficult circumstances, only dedicated himself entirely to landscape painting around the age of fifty.

In his early years, he traveled extensively across famous mountains and rivers but developed a particular affection for the scenery of the Fuchun River, settling near its banks in his later years. He only began creating Dwelling in Fuchun Mountains when he was seventy-nine. To paint this work well, he tirelessly traveled back and forth along both banks of the Fuchun River, observing the wonders of shifting mists and clouds, and appreciating the beauty of the riverine fishing banks. He kept brush and paper with him, sketching whenever he encountered a beautiful scene.

It took him seven years, and only shortly before Huang Gongwang passed away was this monumental masterpiece finally completed. The entire painting is thirty-three centimeters wide and over six hundred and thirty centimeters long, vividly recreating the exquisite beauty of the Fuchun River landscape and perfectly capturing the vast, continuous scenery of Jiangnan. It is known as the 'Orchid Pavilion of Paintings.'

If the Lanting Xu holds its status in calligraphy, then Dwelling in Fuchun Mountains holds that status in painting. Such a divine work naturally garnered the highest praise from calligraphers, painters, collectors, and connoisseurs throughout the ages, who considered it a great honor even to glimpse the original.

However, the genuine article is not easily seen, as everyone tends to treasure their prized possessions, hiding them securely rather than advertising them widely. Under these circumstances, various versions of copies naturally came into existence.

Of course, even copied imitations are classified by level. As is commonly acknowledged now, the copy closest to the original is Zhang Hong’s imitation of Huang Gongwang’s Dwelling in Fuchun Mountains from the Ming Dynasty.

Zhang Hong was a central figure in the Wumen School of painting at the end of the Ming Dynasty, excelling in landscape painting and emphasizing sketching from life. Most importantly, when he copied the work, Dwelling in Fuchun Mountains was still a complete painting, and he was copying directly from the original. Consequently, his imitation is highly similar in form and considered among the most lifelike works.

Shen Zhou and Dong Qichang also copied Dwelling in Fuchun Mountains. Both were famous masters whose interpretations of such a divine piece would surely capture its essence. Therefore, their copies are considered the most spiritually resonant.

Unfortunately, whether it is Zhang Hong's imitation or the copies by Shen Zhou and Dong Qichang, those that have survived to the present day are mostly already claimed by illustrious owners—hidden in the Forbidden City, housed in regional museums, or acquired by major collectors through auctions, making them rarely seen by ordinary people.

What Wang Guan needed to ascertain now was the level of this Qing Dynasty copy before him. In other words, he needed to know if this was the masterpiece of a renowned master or merely the imitation of an ordinary scholar.

A master is a master not just because of their fame, but primarily because of their skill. Skill precedes fame; this causal relationship must not be inverted.

The masters of ancient times cannot be compared to modern celebrities; their works were genuinely exceptional, meaning their prices were certainly not cheap. As for the works of ordinary literati, their quality varied, requiring case-by-case analysis.

With thoughts swirling rapidly, Wang Guan gently unrolled a small portion of the painting. Since it was a scroll several hundred centimeters long, the table wasn't long enough to display the whole thing, but this small section was sufficient for his careful examination.

Despite depicting the scenery along the Fuchun River, what one saw upon opening Dwelling in Fuchun Mountains was not a landscape image, but dense inscriptions and colophons.

This was a common practice for ancient calligraphy and paintings: regardless of whether the original possessed inscriptions, later generations enjoyed adding their own text. As it passed down through the years, the colophons multiplied, sometimes even overshadowing the original artwork...