As Shopkeeper Tan turned around, everyone naturally found it a bit strange, assuming he had forgotten something.

However, as soon as Shopkeeper Tan returned, he broke into a broad smile.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I just recalled that besides the Tian Yan inkstone, my shop houses another item that I believe might interest you.” “What is it?” Elder Xing inquired curiously.

“Is it related to Mr.

Dongpo?” “Indeed it is.” Shopkeeper Tan nodded solemnly and whispered, “The item is the Huangzhou Cold Food Observance Poem Scroll.” “What?” For a moment, everyone froze, their first reaction being to shake their heads in disbelief.

After all, it was common knowledge that the authentic Cold Food Observance Poem Scroll was housed in the National Palace Museum in Taipei.

Now, Shopkeeper Tan claiming to possess such an item—who would believe it?

“Of course, it is certainly not the original manuscript,” Sensing the doubt in their expressions, Shopkeeper Tan quickly added, “What I have is a replica, but it is no ordinary replica.” That made more sense!

Everyone nodded slightly, and Elder Tian also grew a bit curious.

“Whose replica is it?” This was a characteristic of ancient Chinese literati; for any famous painting or calligraphy piece, imitations were inevitable.

Authentic works were rare, so obtaining a superior transcription was a worthy alternative.

“That, I will keep as a secret for now.” Meanwhile, Shopkeeper Tan said with a genial smile, “Please, come into my shop to see for yourselves.

Since the item is rather precious, it’s not convenient to move it around.” This was also reasonable, so the group raised no objections, paid their bills, and followed Shopkeeper Tan.

Of course, the ‘group’ here definitely did not include Fourth Brother or Li Gui.

Though they wished to follow, they felt it inappropriate or lacked the nerve, so they could only watch as the others departed.

A short while later.

The group arrived at Shopkeeper Tan’s establishment.

The large sign above the entrance possessed a certain ancient charm.

They stepped inside to look around and found the shop quite spacious; even with seven or eight people crowding in, it didn't feel cramped.

Furthermore, a private room for honored guests had been set aside on the second floor.

After ushering everyone into this room, Shopkeeper Tan began serving tea and pouring water.

After a few minutes of attending to them, he excused himself and withdrew.

Soon after, Shopkeeper Tan returned, holding two items.

One was a box, and the other was another scroll.

The box was set aside; everyone was clearly more interested in the scroll.

The Huangzhou Cold Food Observance Poem Scroll, which should actually be called the Cold Food Observance Poem Scroll, was created during the third year of Su Dongpo’s exile in Huangzhou, a time when he felt spiritually isolated and deeply frustrated.

Thus, he penned two poems to express the distress within his heart.

After the manuscript was created, it passed through several hands before reaching Zhang Hao, the magistrate of Yong'an County.

Because Zhang Hao was acquainted with Huang Tingjian, one of the Four Scholars of the Su School, he seized an opportunity to take the manuscript to visit Huang Tingjian.

Upon seeing the manuscript, Huang Tingjian was deeply moved.

Recalling Su Dongpo, who had been exiled to the South Sea, he could not contain his excitement and added an inscription (a bá wén) to the manuscript.

Zhang Hao treasured this as if it were a priceless jewel.

By combining the inscription and the poem manuscript, they formed the eternally famous Huangzhou Cold Food Observance Poem Scroll, a union of perfect artistry.

Therefore, the preciousness of the Cold Food Observance Poem Scroll is not solely due to Su Dongpo’s unrestrained running script, but also the exquisite calligraphy of Huang Tingjian’s inscription.

The combination of the two calligraphies naturally resulted in an effect greater than the sum of its parts.

Ever since the Huangzhou Cold Food Observance Poem Scroll appeared, it has received immense acclaim throughout the ages.

Subsequently, people ranked Su Dongpo’s Cold Food Observance Poem Scroll alongside Wang Xizhi’s Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Poems and Yan Zhenqing’s Eulogy for My Nephew, collectively referring to them as the Three Great Running Scripts of the World.

Alternatively, the Cold Food Observance Poem Scroll alone is sometimes called the Third Great Running Script of the World, which illustrates its elevated status in Chinese calligraphy.

Such a treasured piece of calligraphy would inevitably garner numerous imitations throughout various dynasties.

According to what Wang Guan knew, Lin Zexu, famous for the Humen opium destruction at the end of the Qing Dynasty, had copied the Cold Food Observance Poem Scroll.

However, it was not in the form of a scroll but as four long hanging panels.

There were countless other replicated versions, likely too many to list.

After all, during that era, even the Emperor was a fan of Su Dongpo, let alone after his death when his admirers spread far and wide, forming a pervasive cultural trend.

Under such circumstances, it was almost unthinkable for literati and scholars across the Southern Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties not to have attempted to copy the Cold Food Observance Poem Scroll if they wished to hold their heads high in society.

So, the existence of a copy of the Cold Food Observance Poem Scroll was not surprising; the crucial factor was the identity of the artist behind the copy.

If it were merely the work of an ordinary scholar, it would be worth very little.

If, however, it came from the hand of a master, its price would naturally be substantial.

Under the expectant gaze of the crowd, Wang Guan didn't need to move.

Shopkeeper Tan himself untied the scroll’s cord and carefully unrolled the entire piece, inviting the others to admire it.

As everyone leaned in to examine it, they knew at a glance that it was not the original.

Because images of the authentic manuscript were widely circulated, anyone with even a slight familiarity with the Cold Food Observance Poem Scroll knew that the opening of the original scroll did not feature Su Dongpo’s two poems, but the four characters Xuetang Yuyun (Remnants of the Snow Hall).

This section has its own term: the Yinshou (Foreword).

The Yinshou is somewhat akin to a table of contents in a book, often featuring an inscription by a famous person.

The Yinshou for the Cold Food Observance Poem Scroll was personally inscribed by Emperor Qianlong, written on a base of superior imitation Song-dynasty kesi (tapestry silk), where he penned the four characters Xuetang Yuyun.

Xuetang, or Snow Hall, was Su Dongpo’s study.

When he was exiled to Huangzhou, he lived on a slope east of the city.

From then on, he referred to himself as the Layman of Dongpo and inscribed the four characters Dongpo Xuetang above his study door.

Many of Su Dongpo’s works from the Huangzhou period were completed in the Xuetang, including the two Cold Food Observance Poems; thus, the phrase Xuetang Yuyun was quite fitting.

Of course, that was the feature of the original manuscript.

This current scroll was clearly a replica.

It lacked the Yinshou and, moreover, did not include the inscriptions by Dong Qichang or Emperor Qianlong.

Upon closer inspection, everyone realized this Cold Food Observance Poem Scroll was actually composed of just two parts: One part was Su Dongpo’s two Cold Food Observance Poems, and the other was Huang Tingjian’s inscription.

These two sections constituted the most essential and valuable components of the Cold Food Observance Poem Scroll.

For a replica, having these two parts was more than sufficient.

The crowd continued their scrutiny, focusing intently on the area of the signature.

Since they already knew it was a copy, it must surely bear the name of the person who did the copying—that was the critical detail.

“Shi’an Liu Yong!” Elder Tian exclaimed in surprise after a quick look.

“It’s a work by the Heavy Ink Grand Secretary, Liu Wenqing.” “It truly is Liu Yong’s work.” Wang Guan looked closer and saw a seal near the signature.

The characters on the seal read Riguang Feng Daoren (Daoist of the Sun-Gazing Peak), which preliminarily confirmed that this was Liu Yong’s transcription.

Speaking of Liu Yong, perhaps not many people knew him well by that name.

But mention his sobriquets, and everyone would likely have an instant realization.

Liu Yong, courtesy name Chongru, styled himself as Shi’an, Qingyuan, Riguang Feng Daoren, among others.

He was born into a family of high officials.

His grandfather, Liu Qi, passed the jinshi examination in the 24th year of Kangxi’s reign and served as the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Sichuan.

His father, Liu Tongxun, passed the jinshi in the second year of Yongzheng’s reign and rose to Grand Secretary of the Hall of Literary Diligence.

Liu Yong’s own achievements were also considerable: he passed the jinshi in the 16th year of Qianlong’s reign and rose to Grand Secretary of the Hall of Benevolence and Moderation, concurrently serving as Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince.

His posthumous title was Wenqing, which is why he was sometimes called Liu Wenqing.

Of course, the above were his scholarly titles.

In reality, this man also had a common nickname, or perhaps a slightly malicious colloquial title.

Perhaps due to excessive reading, or perhaps due to old age, his back was slightly hunched.

In Beijing vernacular, he would have been called Luoguo’er (hunchback).

Thus, while names like Liu Yong, Chongru, or Shi’an might not be familiar to the general public, everyone knew the famous Chancellor Liu Luoguo.

It could be said that throughout Qianlong’s entire sixty-year reign, among the officials serving under the Emperor, perhaps only three names could be recalled instantly.

The first two were undoubtedly the sharp-tongued Ji Xiaolan (Ji Dianyudai) and his nemesis Heshen (He Daren).

The third was likely this Liu Luoguo.

Fuk'ang'an and others would rank lower.

Among these figures, Ji Xiaolan and Liu Yong had the best reputations among the populace and had performed many tangible services for the people, which is why their stories were continuously circulated and dramatized.

However, compared to the literary achievements of Ji Xiaolan, Liu Yong’s calligraphy seemed to stand a notch higher.

During the Qianlong era, the calligraphic world was dominated by the Four Great Masters: Weng, Liang, Wang, and Liu, with Liu Yong considered to have reached the pinnacle of their artistic achievements.

Most importantly, Liu Yong excelled in running script.

He initially studied Zhao Mengfu, then Dong Qichang, and in his middle years, he studied Sui Dynasty's Zhiyong and Song Dynasty's Su Shi, assimilating the strengths of various masters to forge his own distinct style.

This meant that Liu Yong possessed the capability, the motivation, and certainly the opportunity to copy the Cold Food Observance Poem Scroll.

Everyone understood the capability and motivation, but some couldn't grasp what ‘opportunity’ meant and couldn't help but ask.

“The opportunity I speak of is that as a high official in the Qianlong court, Liu Yong would have had access to the authentic Cold Food Observance Poem Scroll,” Elder Tian explained with a smile.

“The provenance of the Cold Food Observance Poem Scroll is well-documented.

After the manuscript was acquired by Zhang Hao and made into a scroll, it remained in the Zhang family’s possession, passed down through generations even after the fall of the Northern Song when the family migrated south.

It remained a treasured heirloom until the end of the Southern Song, when it entered the Yuan Dynasty’s imperial collection.” “Then, as the Yuan Dynasty fell and the Ming rose, the item continued its journey, staying in Dong Qichang’s hands for a period.

It was even collected by Nalan Xingde, the poet of ‘If life were only as it was at first glance,’ in the early Qing.

However, this master of poetry and lyrics, whom Wang Guowei praised as the finest of the Qing period, seemed to cherish the object too much; he left no inscribed commentary, only a few collection seals.” Elder Tian shook his head slightly.

“After that, the Cold Food Observance Poem Scroll entered the Qing Palace collection, falling into the hands of Emperor Qianlong.

In contrast, Qianlong, an emperor who fancied himself a connoisseur of elegance, not only composed poems on it but also stamped it with a dense array of seals.

Moreover, as if afraid others wouldn't notice, he inscribed his own notes right between the calligraphy of the two great masters, Su and Huang.” “Of course, that is the situation with the original manuscript,” Elder Tian chuckled, “This replica looks much cleaner, more orderly, and more pleasing to the eye.” At this moment, everyone else understood the meaning of ‘opportunity.’ After all, once the Cold Food Observance Poem Scroll was housed in the Qing Palace, ordinary people would certainly have few chances to appreciate it.

This was likely the case not only during Qianlong’s reign but in other periods as well.

Even though the Cold Food Observance Poem Scroll had circulated for nearly a thousand years, not everyone had the chance to view it up close.

Most people saw a copy, or a copy of a copy of a copy.

Separated by many layers, it was bound to differ from the original.

However, Liu Yong was different.

As a relatively famous civil official and a celebrated calligrapher, his chances of viewing the authentic manuscript would certainly be much greater than those of the average person… (To be continued)