Of course, for connoisseurs, the colophon—the inscriptions and seals on a piece of work—is a vital source for researching its authenticity and certainly cannot be overlooked.

Right now, Wang Guan was studying the inscription. The first thing he saw was Huang Gongwang's ziji (own) colophon, a rather lengthy passage that briefly introduced the circumstances, hinting that this painting might incite covetousness, leading to forceful acquisition...

Speaking of which, Huang Gongwang truly possessed foresight, zhidao (knowing) the level of this painting. In the seven hundred years since its completion, countless legends have unfolded around this artwork, stories still widely recounted today.

Getting back to the main point, judging by the text of the inscription, the person who made this copy must also have been quite skilled. In Wang Guan’s view, the calligraphy was excellent; even if not by some famous master, it certainly belonged to a very high standard.

Following the inscription came the landscape itself. Peaks layered in emerald, pines and rocks standing elegantly tall, sandbars and village dwellings—the composition was balanced between density and sparsity, infinitely varied, truly capturing the scenery of the Fuchun River.

The reason for emphasizing this yidiǎn (point) is that some counterfeit works are purely fabrications.

Historically, such things never existed, yet the forger produced them anyway, stubbornly refusing to admit they were fake, even producing manufactured evidence to support their claims—it was truly exasperating.

So, never mind the work's authenticity for a moment; they showed great sincerity, maintaining a proper attitude, and diligently copying the original. This alone deserves affirmation.

Moreover, through these scenes of mountains and waters, Wang Guan could feel the beauty of profound mountains and lush vegetation. The first impression was excellent; he felt this painting was likely an ancient imitation, not a modern forgery.

In fact, there are many copies of the Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains made in modern times, and some possess extremely high quality, quite worthy of collection. However, if a modern work is artificially aged and then sold as an ancient piece, it can only be categorized as a first-rate fake.

But after studying it closely for a long time, Wang Guan found no signs of artificial aging on this piece. Furthermore, the colors were deep, archaic, and natural, suggesting that Jia Qin had not lied and that the painting was very likely a Qing Dynasty imitation.

After carefully reviewing the entire scroll, Wang Guan’s gaze fell upon the lower left corner. Generally, unless intentionally forged, even an imitation would bear the signature and seal of the copyist, clearly indicating that it was a reproduction.

Evidently, this work was the same; the copier not only inscribed the brush signature but also affixed a seal.

“Wumushanren…” At first glance, Wang Guan frowned, pondering carefully, for the appellation felt vaguely familiar.

Here, one must also lament a bad habit among ancient literati, especially those after the Song Dynasty, who constantly changed their minghao (literary names). At almost every different stage of life, they would adopt a new name.

Note that this refers to the hao (style name), not the given name. The ancient people clearly distinguished between the ming (given name), zi (courtesy name), and hao. The ming and zi usually remained unchanged, but the hao seemed to shift like clothing, changing frequently.

Take Zhang Daqian and Qi Baishi as examples; they used countless names throughout their lives. If one didn't research carefully, an ordinary person could never list them all. Of course, their intention in doing this was not merely to stand out, but primarily to prevent others from forging their works. Periodically updating a batch of new seals was equivalent to modern anti-counterfeiting marks.

In retrospect, this was somewhat understandable, yet it certainly made things difficult for later generations studying their works.

Regardless, Wang Guan had spent considerable effort memorizing the names and titles of masters throughout history, so after a moment of thought, a look of astonishment crossed his face: “One of the Four Wangs of the early Qing, Wang Hui.”

Wang Guan was quite confident in his memory. Coupled with it being a Qing Dynasty work bearing the mark of Wumushanren, he truly couldn't think of anyone else besides Wang Hui, one of the Four Wangs of the early Qing.

However, Wang Guan wasn't entirely certain, as Wang Hui also had quite a few style names: Yanke, Yanke Waishi, Gengyansanren, Wumushanren, Jianmen Qiaoke, Qinghuizhuren, Yushanren...

But these were not the crucial points. The key was that Wang Hui had indeed copied the Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains, and more importantly, his imitations were acknowledged by the world and considered extremely precious copies.

Why were they precious? There was a certain reason for that. The name Wang Hui, apart from those in specialized circles, probably wasn't known by the average person; he certainly didn't have the fame of Tang Bohu.

However, in the history of Chinese painting and calligraphy, Wang Hui was a towering figure leading an entire school of painting.

Born into a scholarly family, he loved painting as a child. Because his family was poor, he copied ancient paintings for art dealers to sell. Thus, he copied many famous Song and Yuan masterpieces, drawing lessons from various Song and Yuan masters, possessing profound skill in the appreciation and reproduction of ancient paintings. Many ancient paintings lost since the Song Dynasty often survive through his reproductions serving as extant drafts.

Having copied many famous works, Wang Hui gradually absorbed the strengths of various schools to develop his own unique style. His landscape paintings featured masterful brushwork and profound skill, earning him the contemporary title of "Number One Under Heaven." His style influenced the art world for several centuries, and he was revered as the ultimate synthesizer of traditional brushwork during the Qing Dynasty.

As for Wang Hui's school of painting, it was the Yushan School, one of the main currents in Chinese painting. The school’s tenet was to venerate antiquity and copy the prevailing styles. It exerted immense influence during the Qing Dynasty, and Huang Gongwang was revered by the disciples of the Yushan School as the founding ancestor.

Under these circumstances, it was only natural for Wang Hui to copy Huang Gongwang's work. According to historical records, he copied the Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains three times, and because his imitations were incredibly lifelike, these reproductions were highly sought after.

Regarding the whereabouts of these three copies, there were no clear leads; it was only rumored that one had been lost overseas, while no one could account for the other two. He never imagined that one of them would appear right here.

Instantly, Wang Guan was a mixture of surprise and joy.

“Your eye is indeed good.”

At the same time, Jia Qin smiled faintly, “This is indeed a replica by Wang Hui. As an expert, you likely don't need me to elaborate on its value. Simply put, I’ve brought the item; are you buying it or not?”

“Heh heh, let me take another look,” Wang Guan chuckled, not rushing to a conclusion.

If the work was genuinely Wang Hui’s, he would certainly acquire it if the price were right. If it were a copy of a copy, then there would be no need to trouble himself.

With this thought, Wang Guan continued his appraisal, studying it repeatedly. Only after forming a preliminary judgment in his mind did he use his special ability for final confirmation. After all, the item was precious; there could be no slightest error, so he had to ensure absolute certainty.

At a glance, a shimmer of apricot-yellow divine light emerged in the air, confirming without a doubt that this was the genuine article.

Seeing this, Wang Guan smiled broadly and immediately nodded, “We’ll take it. We are in business; as long as Mr. Jia is willing to part with it, there’s no reason for us not to accept. But let’s be upfront about the price: it will definitely be lower than the market rate.”

“I understand that,” Jia Qin nodded slightly, holding up one finger: “Ten million.”

This price wasn't excessively high. One should know that at a major auction last year, a copy of Huang Gongwang’s Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains by Dong Qichang sold for as much as sixty million. For Wang Hui, the Sage of Painting in the Qing Dynasty, a price of ten million for his replica was hardly an outrageous demand.

“Too high,” Wang Guan immediately countered without hesitation, effectively cutting the price in half: “Five million.”

“Cutting the price so severely shows a lack of sincerity,” Jia Qin said with displeasure. “If I hadn't been introduced by an acquaintance who mentioned you are straightforward, I wouldn't have come here; I would have gone to Rongbaozhai instead.”

“Oh?” Hearing this, Wang Guan became curious. “Who introduced you?”

“Elder Chen.”

Jia Qin did not hide anything. “He said that although you are young, you don’t seek fame or fortune, and haven't picked up the bad habits of a conniving antique dealer. It seems he was mistaken.”

“Elder Chen?” Wang Guan was indeed slightly surprised, never expecting Elder Chen to be the referrer. However, this showed the importance of accumulating connections; sometimes, a single word from someone else could seal a major deal.

“Since you’re a friend of Elder Chen, you should have said so earlier.”

Then, Wang Guan smiled and proactively raised the offer: “Seven million. That’s the absolute bottom line. Even if you take it to Rongbaozhai, the price would likely be similar. Of course, if you’re not in a hurry, you could put it up for auction; you might get more money.”

“I’ll skip the auction; I don't have the leisure,” Jia Qin considered for a moment and immediately nodded, “Alright, we’ll do as you say.”

The deal was settled in a few words, but the actual transaction could not be rushed. The exchange of money for goods was fundamental, and there was also the signing of a transfer agreement to prevent Jia Qin from changing his mind later and causing complications.

However, Wang Guan didn't need to handle these trivial matters; the shop assistant was quick enough to prepare everything.

Soon after, Wang Guan and Jia Qin each signed two copies of the contract, retaining one each. Then Wang Guan completed the transfer, and the money was wired into Jia Qin’s bank account within minutes.

Receiving the confirmation text, Jia Qin nodded contentedly, then smiled, “You’re a good person. If you have sufficient funds available, you can visit my home tomorrow.”

As he spoke, Jia Qin provided his address and then left cheerily. Meanwhile, Wang Guan grew thoughtful, suddenly letting out a soft sigh, his expression somewhat melancholic.

“What’s wrong?” Bei Ye looked on, completely bewildered. “You just closed a big deal; you should be happy. Why are you sighing?”

“You wouldn’t understand...”

Wang Guan didn’t explain, then broke into a smile, “Never mind. It’s his business; no need to meddle. Let’s go. I got a fine piece; I need to go back and let Elder Qian appreciate it.”

Under Wang Guan’s guidance, Bei Ye asked no further questions. Accompanied by the assistant’s farewell, they left Shiyi Pavilion and soon returned to the grand residence.

Elder Qian was reading under the grape arbor at that time, reclined in a rocking chair, enjoying the cool shade—a picture of comfort. Hearing footsteps, he casually looked up and saw the scroll in Wang Guan’s hand. His eyes immediately lit up, and he sat upright, chuckling softly, “Well, well. Only went out for a moment, and you’ve brought back some treasure?”

“It is indeed a fine treasure,”

Wang Guan said with a grin, “I spent seven million on it, and I must ask you to take a look and see if this money was spent wisely or not.” (To be continued...) www.RT (No Pop-up Novel Website)