I offer my Mid-Autumn Festival blessings once more, and I sincerely hope you might return the favor with a few moon tickets in response. Harmony and mutual good fortune are the essence of a happy and fulfilling life.

“I’m just guessing.”

At this moment, Wang Guan chuckled lightly, “If this were truly an authentic piece by Dong Qichang, how could it possibly be jammed into a box with works by a slew of minor masters? Like draws like; precious items like an authentic Dong Qichang would either be stored separately or alongside other treasures to be considered reasonable.”

While his words carried a certain logic, they failed to satisfy Elder Zhang. “You’re splitting hairs. Be serious. What is it about this painting that makes you think it’s a fake?”

“It’s incredibly obvious.”

Wang Guan shrugged. “The modern master of painting, Li Keran, once said that Bada Shanren and Dong Qichang used ink with extreme clarity, almost like the moon—a realm he himself could never attain in his lifetime. While that statement might contain a touch of modesty, it illustrates the characteristic of Dong Qichang’s painting: his ink work leans towards the fresh and elegant.”

“However, the brushwork and ink on this piece are rather heavy; it’s clearly a copy at first glance. More likely, it’s a copy from the late Qing or early Republic period. I lean towards it being from the Republican era, primarily because the paper quality is quite fine; it doesn't resemble paper made in traditional workshops, but rather paper produced by machinery.”

Wang Guan commented with absolute certainty, “Once you grasp these two points, there’s no need to examine the rest in detail; we can definitively conclude this is a forgery.”

“Good, very good.”

Elder Zhang praised him appropriately. “Not bad, you have truly made significant progress.”

“Compared to you, Elder, I’m still far behind.”

Wang Guan smiled humbly and asked with curiosity, “Elder Zhang, what work do you have there?”

“Mine?”

Elder Zhang raised his hand, immediately grinning with satisfaction. “It’s a good thing, a genuine treasure. Thanks to you, I finally managed to get my hands on it.”

“Then stop holding out on me! Tell me quickly, which master’s work is this?” Wang Guan was naturally intrigued, knowing that anything catching Elder Zhang’s eye couldn't be ordinary.

However, Elder Zhang shook his head and laughed. “It’s not a master’s work, strictly speaking, only a masterpiece of great value.”

“How so?” Wang Guan became even more curious.

“Look for yourself.”

As he spoke, Elder Zhang extended the scroll in his hand. Wang Guan accepted it without ceremony, laying it carefully across the flat surface of a cabinet to admire it.

“Along the River During the Qingming Festival?”

At first glance, Wang Guan was slightly stunned.

One must remember that as one of the ten great surviving masterpieces of Chinese painting, the fame of Along the River During the Qingming Festival is perhaps even greater than that of Huang Gongwang’s Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains. The reason might be that Zhang Zeduan’s painting was completed earlier, and its title is easier for people to remember.

Regardless, the authentic Along the River During the Qingming Festival by Zhang Zeduan of the Northern Song Dynasty, currently housed in the Palace Museum, is unparalleled as a genre painting that captures the breadth and richness of social life in ancient times, possessing profound meaning and immense evocative power.

The painting conceals anxieties about potential underlying issues in contemporary society, intertwining the conflict between the boat and the bridge, and the tension between the civil and military officials on the bridge, to form the visual centerpiece of the entire scroll. By depicting scenes like the dangerous moment at the boat and bridge, it profoundly reveals the social ills of that era, marking one of the most significant strokes in the history of ancient Chinese art.

Of course, Wang Guan had always felt that Zhang Zeduan’s style was realistic—he simply painted what he saw. As for any sense of foreboding, perhaps Zhang Zeduan never intended any such thing. It might purely be later commentators applying hindsight.

For some inexplicable reason, certain people in modern times always like to analyze the poems, essays, and writings of the ancients according to their own interpretations. They never stop to consider: since you haven't even met the author, by what right do you assume your analysis reflects their original thoughts?

The human heart is inscrutable, let alone separated by hundreds or thousands of years, widening the generational gap considerably. In Wang Guan’s view, much of the thought of the ancients has been misinterpreted by later generations. The most famous example is certainly The Analects; over two thousand years, countless people have taken passages out of context, imposing their own ideas onto Confucius, forcing the old man to carry many unwarranted burdens.

Zhang Zeduan’s Along the River During the Qingming Festival is similar. While later generations might analyze many hidden dangers within the painting, those insights might not have been what Zhang Zeduan intended when painting it; it’s all speculation based on facts that have since transpired.

Furthermore, since the authentic work is housed in the Palace Museum, this painting before them is undoubtedly a copy.

“Elder Zhang,”

After examining it for a couple of glances, Wang Guan asked curiously, “Is this a Ming version or a Qing version?”

It’s worth mentioning here that Qingming Shanghe (Qingming Riverside Scene) is actually a subject for painting. It is only because Zhang Zeduan’s version became so famous that whenever one mentions Qingming Shanghe, people automatically assume it refers to his masterpiece. However, this is a biased and incomplete view that cannot serve as the standard.

In reality, any long scroll painting on the theme of a ‘Qingming Riverside Scene’ can also be called a Qingming Shanghe Tu.

But following the appearance of the Northern Song Dynasty scroll by Zhang Zeduan, especially since the Ming and Qing dynasties, the painting world has seen generations of followers. Hundreds of scrolls on the Qingming Shanghe theme, spanning Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing eras, have survived and are distributed in public and private collections worldwide.

Strictly speaking, these other Qingming Shanghe Tu are not necessarily forgeries; it’s just that people customarily use Zhang Zeduan’s work as the benchmark, labeling other versions as copies.

“It’s neither a Ming version nor a Qing version.”

At the same time, Elder Zhang smiled, “Mine is a Yuan version.”

“No way!”

Wang Guan exclaimed in amazement, “That’s an exceedingly rare treasure!”

The average person might assume that the Yuan Dynasty, ruled by the Mongols over the Central Plains, did not foster a flourishing culture. It is also widely known that the Mongol aristocracy was not particularly enthusiastic about Han culture and did not fully assimilate. Therefore, they might suppose that cultural education was neglected during this period, leading to inferior works.

Yet, this speculation is entirely contrary to reality. Despite lasting less than a century, the Yuan Dynasty produced an endless stream of outstanding calligraphy and painting masterpieces. Especially today, top-tier works by the Four Masters of the Yuan often fetch prices exceeding a hundred million at auction, valued far higher than works from the Southern Song—only masters of the Northern Song can rival them.

The reason might be a kind of reversal stemming from extremity. Because the Yuan nobility did not prioritize Han culture, most literati failed to gain official appointments. Barred from political action, they channeled their passions entirely into poetry, calligraphy, and painting. Thus, under this environment, famous names like Zhao Mengfu and Huang Gongwang emerged like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

Then, as the Yuan Dynasty drew to a close and the early Ming began, a period of turmoil created a cultural gap. Moreover, the Ming government highly valued scholars; with established career paths opening up, they were too busy studying the Four Books and Five Classics to devote much time to painting. Consequently, in the early Ming Dynasty, few household names comparable to the great masters are widely known.

It wasn’t until the mid-Ming, when the economy boomed and people sought spiritual and cultural pursuits, that the fertile ground gave rise to great masters like the Four Masters of Wu School, Xu Wei, and Dong Qichang.

In summary, the historical context determines the foundation of the culture. It’s similar to the present day: societal affluence has indeed spurred the rise of many so-called ‘masters’ and ‘famous artists.’ The question is, these ‘masters’ and ‘famous artists’ have yet to withstand the test of history. At least fifty years must pass before we can definitively determine who is a genuine master and who is merely hype-inflated dross.

Elder Zhang’s painting has clearly stood the test of time; that it has survived from the Yuan Dynasty to the modern era is not just a matter of luck, but more importantly, the painting must be excellent, otherwise, no one would have taken such care to preserve and collect it.

“Although it is a Yuan version, the scene depicted is actually from the Southern Song.”

At this point, Elder Zhang smiled slightly. “This was painted after the fall of Jiangnan, under the oppressive rule of the Mongol aristocracy. A certain scholar, feeling disheartened and yet daring not openly resist, chose to paint an Along the River During the Qingming Festival to mourn the life he once knew.”

“Mmm.”

Wang Guan scrutinized it carefully, wholly agreeing with Elder Zhang’s deduction.

If the painting depicted the Yuan Dynasty, Mongol aristocrats would certainly appear. However, looking over the entire scroll, the style is clearly that of the Southern Song, especially the layout of the city and the attire of the market folk. Particularly, the powerful figures riding horses and in sedan chairs all exhibit typical Han features.

Yet, where the artist’s seal or inscription would normally be, there is a Yuan era reign mark. This fact fully confirms Elder Zhang’s speculation. The painter must have been a former official of the previous dynasty, serving in enemy territory but loyal in heart. Furthermore, the brushwork is incredibly meticulous, and the expressions of the figures are vivid and varied, each one distinct.

A style and technique like this instantly reveal that the painter possessed extraordinary artistic accomplishments.

“What a pity, it only has the date mark but no signature,” Wang Guan sighed, shaking his head. “An anonymous work somewhat affects its price.”

Note that this only affects the price, not the inherent value.

The fame of the author merely dictates the price; it cannot determine the true value. What truly determines the value of a work is its intrinsic quality. If the quality is poor, even a painting by Tang Bohu would not command a particularly high price. Conversely, if the work is of superior quality, even without a signature, someone will still be willing to spend a great sum to acquire and cherish it.

Paintings from imperial collections frequently appear at auction. Even without signatures, they have fetched sky-high prices exceeding one hundred million. This illustrates that the quality of the work is the crucial factor.

“Who would dare leave their name on something mourning a former dynasty?”

Elder Zhang chuckled at this juncture. “You know as well as I do that during dynasties ruled by foreign invaders, literary persecution was often at its most severe. Only if the author wished for total annihilation would they dare to leave their name on such a painting.”

“That’s true.” Wang Guan agreed wholeheartedly. Modern times might only involve censorship or blocking information, but in ancient times, it meant immediate confiscation of property and extermination of the entire clan.

“I have selected my item, what about you?” Elder Zhang asked with a smile. “Are you planning to take only this copy of Dong Qichang, or have you chosen something else?”

“How could that be,” Wang Guan denied without hesitation. “You, Elder, already have your target and can claim it directly. I, however, need to compare options and can’t rush the process.”

“That is true,” Elder Zhang nodded slightly, then smiled, “In that case, would you like me to point you in the right direction?”

“No need…”

Unexpectedly, Wang Guan refused. (To be continued)