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"Hmm?" Elder Zhang was naturally puzzled by Wang Guan’s refusal of his goodwill. "Didn't you say you were overwhelmed with choices? I'm offering to help you now out of kindness, why are you reluctant? Are you suspecting I'm trying to trick you?" "Elder Zhang, you worry too much."

Wang Guan chuckled, "I just feel like since no one is rushing us, why be in a hurry to leave? The process of comparing before buying is, in itself, a rare pleasure."

"Heh, that's true," Elder Zhang suddenly realized, then burst into laughter. "Then suit yourself. But you are absolutely right; having come to such a treasure trove, it would indeed be a great disservice to ourselves if we didn't look around carefully."

"Uncle-Grandpa."

Just then, Zhang Qing showed a hint of displeasure. It was one thing for Wang Guan, but how could he, a direct relative, encourage such delay?

"What did I say that was wrong?" Elder Zhang grumbled. "You people don't know how to appreciate these things; you just stack them up high all day long. It’s like hiding pearls in the dark. If we don't get to rummage through them soon, they'll probably be eaten by worms."

Of course, this was said in jest. In reality, the security measures in this attic were formidable, and the environment was comparable to that of major museums. The indoor temperature could be set, humidity added during hot spells, or high heat applied for drying when the climate was cool and damp. Furthermore, these were basic functions; there were numerous other facilities designed to ensure the scrolls on the third floor remained in pristine condition.

However, regarding Elder Zhang’s "willful quarreling," Zhang Qing could only offer a helpless, wry smile, daring not to offer any rebuttal. After all, he was an elder; whatever he said went.

"Don't worry, it won't take too long. I'll definitely choose something before evening," Wang Guan said casually at this moment. "After all, I don't have much spare time; I still need to go back for the festival."

Hearing Wang Guan say this, Zhang Qing felt much more at ease and even proactively explained the situation to him. Although most items here were calligraphy and paintings, there were also some miscellaneous objects like jade and porcelain, stored in different chests and cabinets. Under Zhang Qing’s guidance, Wang Guan grasped the general layout, meaning he no longer needed to hover around offering constant commentary. Discovering things himself would yield a greater sense of achievement.

Starting with the nearest cabinets, he began viewing them one by one. Every cabinet held a different surprise. After a long while, Wang Guan had to admit that this place truly deserved the name 'treasure trove'; the richness of the collection and the exquisiteness of the artifacts were staggering, perhaps surpassing some provincial museums. What made Wang Guan most indignant was that so many treasures were essentially being given away, costing him practically no money. As Elder Zhang had said, Dragon Tiger Mountain was a sacred site for Taoism, rendering these worldly objects useless to them. But they couldn't stop the influx of devotees! A single donation from each believer was enough to fill over a dozen large chests. Envy, jealousy, and hatred! Wang Guan sighed inwardly. He somewhat understood Fang Mingsheng's feelings on the second floor; there truly was an impulse to carry everything here home.

"What a waste of heavenly resources," with every piece he examined, Wang Guan's resentment grew. Finally, he couldn't help but sigh, "What a loss. A complete loss."

"What loss?" Elder Zhang asked, slightly confused.

"It’s a loss to only pick one item," Wang Guan stated frankly. "If I had known, I should have asked for ten or eight pieces."

Zhang Qing was quick on the uptake and immediately laughed, "If Resident Wang could leave behind that Zitan Yin Chen Mu bead, then forget ten or eight pieces—we wouldn't even let you move an entire chest."

"Then I'm losing out even more," Wang Guan pouted, and continued his viewing.

However, after looking at things for too long, he began to feel fatigued. He even made a mistake during authentication, which Elder Zhang corrected.

"If you're tired, take a rest," Elder Zhang wasn't annoyed, just smiling. "It's getting late. After seeing so much, you should have a sense of which item you like best, or which one holds the highest value. Decide quickly, pick one, and then we can go out to eat."

"Oh." Wang Guan glanced at his phone and realized, without noticing, that the sky was now turning into the early evening glow—Hua Deng Chu Shang (when lamps are lit). Having looked for four or five hours, it was no wonder his eyes felt a bit dry. He nodded in agreement with Elder Zhang’s suggestion but immediately became distressed, "There are too many good things; I want every single one, it’s hard to part with any of them."

"A swift decision cuts the Gordian knot; just pick the most valuable one," Elder Zhang indicated with a smile. "The Fisherman painting by Wu Zhen, the Plum Blossom Daoist, one of the Four Masters of the Yuan Dynasty, possesses a feeling of serene, wild elegance; it's a rare masterpiece and certainly not cheap. Why not take that one?"

The Four Masters of the Yuan Dynasty is a collective term for four representative landscape painters of the Yuan Dynasty. There are two common groupings: one referring to Zhao Mengfu, Wu Zhen, Huang Gongwang, and Wang Meng; the second referring to Huang Gongwang, Wang Meng, Ni Zan, and Wu Zhen. There is also a grouping of the Six Masters of the Yuan, including Zhao Mengfu, Gao Kegong, Huang Gongwang, Wu Zhen, Ni Zan, and Wang Meng. Regardless of whether it is four or six, Wu Zhen is consistently named, illustrating his influence. Naturally, the price of his works would not be low.

"Let me consider a bit longer," Wang Guan hesitated this time. "Wu Zhen particularly loved painting Fisherman subjects, so there are quite a few works like that, and many have survived."

"That is true," Elder Zhang nodded. "The image of the fisherman originates from Zhuangzi and Qu Yuan, becoming an embodiment of the wise recluse—aloof, solitary, detached from the world, and laughing at worldly affairs. Wu Zhen was a man of the Yuan Dynasty, inherently principled and solitary, who never served in office nor associated with the powerful. Thus, he favored painting the fisherman to represent himself, and he adored the austerity and purity of the plum blossom, planting plum trees all around his residence and calling himself the Plum Blossom Daoist."

"But he was a great painter; even with the same theme, he could imbue different nuances into his work," Elder Zhang countered, then asked, "If you don't favor the Fisherman painting, which item has caught your eye?"

"I have taken a liking to a few things, but I find this particular calligraphy scroll rather unique," Wang Guan smiled lightly, taking out the item and handing it to Elder Zhang for inspection.

"Your eye is sharp!" Elder Zhang exclaimed upon first glance. "You managed to pull out Zhao Mengfu’s Autumn Deep Postscript! The preciousness of this piece truly is no less than Wu Zhen's Fisherman."

"That's not right." The scroll was already unfurled, and seeing Elder Zhang’s high appraisal, Fang Mingsheng also came over curiously to look. After examining it for a moment, he looked puzzled. "Elder Zhang, you say this is Zhao Mengfu's calligraphy scroll? But the opening and the signature belong to someone named Dao Sheng, and judging by the content, it reads like a letter written from a woman’s perspective."

In an instant, Wang Guan and Elder Zhang shared a smile.

"Boss Fang genuinely doesn't know who this Dao Sheng is?" Wang Guan chuckled slightly. "She is quite famous; she is a great talent comparable to Zhuo Wenjun or Li Qingzhao."

"Wait, I think I remember now," under Wang Guan's reminder, Fang Mingsheng suddenly realized, patted his forehead, and sighed, "Guan Daosheng, Zhao Mengfu's wife."

"Exactly, it is Guan Daosheng," Elder Zhang spoke with emotion. "It’s rather sad, isn't it? In ancient times, it was a patriarchal society that favored the virtue of female illiteracy. Under the heavy burden of social and ethical obligations—serving in-laws above, following one's husband in the middle, and educating children below—how many talented women were suppressed? That's why throughout five thousand years of Chinese history, the number of genuinely famous and well-known female talents can be counted on one's fingers."

This was a fact. Truly well-known women were scarce to begin with, and among them, those whose names immediately evoked the image of a talented woman were probably only Li Qingzhao, the Hermit of Yi'an. As for Hua Mulan or Mu Guiying, they were associated with female military service and had nothing to do with literary talent. Moreover, while Zhuo Wenjun was talented, her fame leaned more toward the pursuit of love; the impression of her pure talent was slightly thinner. And when Zhuo Wenjun is mentioned, it is almost always in conjunction with Sima Xiangru. However, most people probably don't know who Li Qingzhao’s husband was, do they? A husband being less famous than his wife—not just in ancient times, but in modern times, many men likely couldn't accept that, leading to certain divorce. Fortunately, Li Qingzhao's fame accumulated over hundreds of years of recitation. In her time, she was just a young, budding talent, deeply devoted to her husband Zhao Mingcheng. It was only after his death that she poured out her emotions, writing many moving poems that led to her later renown. But according to Elder Zhang’s assessment, Guan Daosheng’s talent was equal to Li Qingzhao’s.

"But marrying a great scholar like Zhao Mengfu was both Guan Daosheng’s fortune and her misfortune," Elder Zhang spoke slowly. "It was a fortune because, to be fair, thanks to Zhao Mengfu's fame, people became aware of his wife, who possessed both virtue and talent. The misfortune was that her talent did not have enough space to fully deploy under her husband's shadow, and thus was somewhat buried."

"You must know that compared to Li Qingzhao, Guan Daosheng was not only adept in poetry and prose but also excelled in calligraphy and painting. Her calligraphy style may have been influenced by her husband, bearing some resemblance to Zhao Mengfu's running regular script, but she was especially skilled in painting ink bamboo and plum blossoms, like Sunny Bamboo and New Shoots, which she pioneered."

At this point, Elder Zhang sighed, "However, because fewer of her paintings have circulated, the general assessment of her painting is not excessively high; they much prefer her calligraphy. Because the Yuan court enfeoffed Zhao Mengfu as the Duke of Wei, Guan Daosheng became the Duchess of Wei, commonly known as Madam Guan. Therefore, people habitually group her with the Eastern Jin female calligrapher Madam Wei of the Wei family, together naming them the Two Madams of Chinese Calligraphy History."

"I'm not very familiar with Madam Guan's calligraphy, but I do know her I-Nong Ci (Words of Mutual Love)," Wang Guan said, smiling and reciting at the same time: "You and I cling to each other, so much affection; where there is much affection, it is hot as fire. Take a piece of clay, mold a you, sculpt an me..."

"You are correct, it is precisely this I-Nong Ci that cemented Madam Guan’s historical standing," Elder Zhang sighed with a smile. "What a remarkable woman, unflinchingly loyal to her love; truly admirable."

"Madam Guan's talent needs no further discussion," Fang Mingsheng was still perplexed. "The problem is, this is clearly her calligraphy scroll, Elder Zhang, so why did you suggest it was done by Zhao Mengfu? Was it ghostwritten?"

"You are right, it was ghostwritten," Elder Zhang immediately nodded, praising, "This Autumn Deep Postscript, also known as The Letter Written on Behalf of Guan Daosheng, is identified by later scholars as a work written by Zhao Mengfu on her behalf. The entire postscript is in running script, totaling eighteen lines. The brushwork is solid, the structure slender, elegant, rounded, smooth, and vigorous—it is distinctly the hand of Zhao Mengfu..."