“A thousand-year imperial capital, the Holy City of Huaxia, the source of civilization, the heart of the world. The nexus of the Silk Road and the Grand Canal, the City of Peonies, a city of mountains and rivers. Three dynasties forged creation, the elegant spirit of the Wei and Jin, the mighty grandeur of the Han and Tang, the literary essence of the Song…”

At this very moment, Guan Yang murmured in a voice thick with emotion, as if reciting an incantation: “Situated between the Luo and He rivers, residing at the center of all under heaven, it possesses the honest, immense spirit of the Central Plains earth, alongside the charming, flowing quality of the southern water country. Since the dawn of creation, from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors onward, Luoyang, with its grand beauty shaped by heaven and earth, became a divine capital envied by both men and gods.”

“Clap, clap!”

Wang Guan applauded enthusiastically, sighing, “A magnificent Ode to the Divine Capital of Luoyang! I never knew Brother Guan possessed such literary talent.”

“Ahem!”

No matter how thick Guan Yang’s skin was, he dared not claim someone else’s city slogan as his own. After nodding vaguely, he immediately changed the subject: “Merchant Wang, how is Brother Cao San doing now?”

“Very well. He’s closed several major deals. Just the commission money alone is enough for him to buy a house in the capital,” Wang Guan chuckled lightly. “Don’t you usually keep in touch with him?”

“Uh… been a bit busy lately.” Guan Yang managed an awkward smile, then realized his predicament: wasn't he supposed to be probing for information, yet he was the one being questioned?

Just as Guan Yang grew cautious, Old Man He Liu also returned to the hall, carrying a small leather suitcase. Instantly, everyone’s gaze fixed on the case, their faces alight with curiosity.

Curiosity is inherent in human nature; no one is immune.

Seeing their focused gazes, Old Man He Liu puffed up with a little pride. He set the small suitcase on a nearby table, then slowly and deliberately unlocked the delicate combination lock, deliberately pausing for a moment before finally opening the case.

In that instant, everyone’s eyes were drawn into the box. There wasn't much inside, perhaps only three or five items. However, the shape of each object was quite peculiar, or rather, they were things not commonly seen.

At first glance, everyone felt a touch of surprise. What lay inside were bronze artifacts that the state prohibited from buying or selling.

Of course, these were certainly not large items like bronze ding cauldrons—those were national treasures. Even if Old Man He Liu possessed the audacity to deal in them, he absolutely wouldn't pull them out in front of Wang Guan and the others, who were still relative strangers. In reality, these were smaller objects, laid out neatly and orderly within the case, yet still captivating everyone’s attention.

It must be said, as an aside, that even though the state has regulations banning the circulation of bronze relics in the market, some auction houses have put bronzes up for sale in recent years, albeit without daring to widely advertise them. Treasures like dings or zun vases would certainly not dare appear, but smaller trinkets such as jue cups, hu pots, gu goblets, or spearheads were being auctioned off with great caution.

This wasn't just happening at smaller venues; even major auction houses occasionally engaged in this practice. This was essentially testing the waters, gauging the state's tolerance limit on such matters. In the private sphere among the populace, regulatory oversight was even harder to achieve. Since these were private transactions, no action was taken unless a complaint was filed—no need for excessive worry.

Therefore, when Old Man He Liu took out several bronze pieces, everyone was merely surprised, not shocked.

“If you’re interested, feel free to come and take a look.”

At Old Man He Liu’s invitation, the others walked over with genuine interest to examine the bronze artifacts. Yu Feibai was the least reserved, immediately picking up a bronze jue cup for closer inspection.

The jue cup was originally a vessel used for drinking wine in ancient times. Generally, only nobility had the right to use the jue for feasting, which is why, over time, the title of nobility itself became known as a jue rank (Jue Wei). The title itself revealed how precious the ancient jue was—it belonged to the category of bronze ritual vessels, carrying profound symbolism.

However, after the Qin and Han dynasties, with the vigorous development of ceramic craftsmanship, emperors, high officials, and even common folk clearly began to favor vessels made of pottery. The bronze jue gradually disappeared from daily life.

Of course, this doesn't mean the jue vanished entirely from the historical stage thereafter.

In fact, the jue existed at least until before the Qing Dynasty. However, this later jue was no longer a utilitarian object but had evolved into a purely ritualistic one. During court sacrifices, several jue cups would typically be displayed with wine to offer to Heaven—this was an ancient ritual followed by the feudal dynasties until it was finally abolished after the founding of New China.

As far as Wang Guan knew, emperors of every dynasty after the Qin and Han appreciated items like the jue cup. At least the Qing emperors commissioned craftsmen to replicate many exquisite jue vessels in an antique style. Genuine pieces that survived to the present day commanded high prices on the market and were always targets for fierce competition among the wealthy tycoons.

Yet, the jue cup Yu Feibai was examining was clearly from before the Qin and Han periods. Setting aside its shape, it was imbued with an ancient, rustic charm: three pointed legs supported a round body, while the top flared out into a small boat shape, narrow at one end and wide at the other. The narrow end was for pouring wine, and the wide end was for drinking. This small structure perfectly showcased the ingenious thinking of the ancients.

At least for those accustomed to modern cups, such an exquisitely crafted ancient jue was a true drinking vessel. Drinking from such an item not only allowed one to connect with history but, more importantly, satisfied everyone’s desire for novelty.

Yes, simply put: novelty.

One should realize that ancient vessels passed down through time represent a process of evolution. If something proved inconvenient, it was naturally eliminated during the transmission process. This was the historical selection of the great river washing away the sand. The cups and pots presented today might not be the most beautiful or refined, but they were certainly the most convenient and practical items.

Therefore, ancient objects can serve as collectibles, ornamental pieces, or even fine gifts, but they can never reclaim their place on the stage of daily use. This is an irreversible trend that no one can alter. To put it bluntly, if such a reversal were possible, it would have happened over the last two millennia; there would be no need to wait until now.

“It looks like it was dug up recently.”

After examining it for a moment, Yu Feibai casually put the jue cup down and leaned toward Wang Guan, whispering, “Though there isn't much mineral crust (qin), there’s still a fresh scent of earth.”

“Is that so?”

Wang Guan smiled and also lowered his voice, “Perhaps not as you think.”

“Hmm?” Yu Feibai frowned upon hearing this. “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean, if you think it was dug up recently, it might be real. But shouldn't you worry that it was just buried a few years ago and dug up again now?” Wang Guan reminded him, pointing out a common forgery technique in the current market.

Some masters of replication are extremely patient. They bury a batch of items in the ground every six months, and only dig them up after two or three years. They operate like this, burying one batch while digging up another, creating a continuous production line.

“Don’t you think his courtyard is a bit too large?” Wang Guan chuckled lightly. “When we walked in just now, I noticed the soil in the corner looked disturbed…”

Yu Feibai’s expression shifted instantly, and he couldn't help but curse under his breath, “Damn forgers.”

Of course, although he was cursing, Yu Feibai wasn't shouting; it was still within the realm of a hushed whisper, but the anger was quite palpable. However, whether his anger was directed at He Liu’s forgery or at his own misjudgment was another matter entirely.

“It might not all be fakes,” Wang Guan murmured thoughtfully. “At least that bronze spearhead (ge tou) looks like the real deal.”

“Hmph. Spearheads, axe heads, and spear points like that are dug up in huge quantities; they aren't worth much,” Yu Feibai dismissed with disdain. Even a spearhead in excellent condition, even one bearing inscriptions, would fetch at most twenty or thirty thousand—a small sum that he certainly wouldn't care about.

“What about that bianzhong (set of bells)?”

Tang Qinghua, standing nearby, had overheard their hushed conversation. She suddenly pointed to an object in the case and asked softly, “That item should be a bianzhong, right? I saw something similar in the Palace Museum.”

The two looked over and immediately nodded slightly, confirming the object was indeed a set of chime bells.

The bianzhong was also a ritual object from the pre-Qin period. In ancient times, ritual (li) and music (yue) were inseparable. In Confucius's words, the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods were a dark, chaotic time when the rites had collapsed and music had gone astray. The feudal lords were engaged in conflict almost daily; there was no sustained peace.

But it must also be acknowledged that during this special era of broken rituals and music, a star-studded constellation of talents erupted forth like a spring. These military strategists, politicians, philosophers, and literary figures—their actions and words have influenced China for two to three thousand years and are likely to continue influencing it until the demise of Chinese civilization.

To put it plainly, the origins and foundations of Chinese civilization were gradually established during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Chaos breeds heroes; between states and between people, all manner of ideas, good and bad, clashed intensely. This not only sparked brilliant sparks but also fused together, ultimately establishing the mainstream cultural values of the Chinese nation for millennia.

Getting sidetracked, the bronze bianzhong was also a highly valuable item. The most famous is undoubtedly the Marquis Yi of Zeng’s set of bells. Unlike other single excavated bells, the Marquis Yi set was complete and perfectly preserved, with a full musical scale, naturally revered by the world as a peerless treasure.

In comparison, the bell before them looked rather shabby. Its flat, oval body was covered inside and out with verdigris, appearing mottled and worn; its condition was poor.

Just then, Old Man He Liu noticed the three examining the bell set. He immediately took the item out separately and said with a smile, “This is a Warring States period bianzhong. Look, there are characters inscribed on it.”

Inscriptions cast or engraved on bronze artifacts are generally called Jinwen (Bronze Script) and are highly valuable for research. Given that two items are of comparable quality, an inscribed bronze is certainly more valuable than one without writing. As for the content of the Jinwen, it usually fell into several categories: commemorating ancestors, recording merits and rewards, covenants between feudal lords, dowry items, and dedications praying for blessings, fortune, longevity, and a long life.

Of course, the most basic inscriptions indicated the supervising government office and the names of the artisans. Unfortunately, none of them were very familiar with the script from before the Qin and Han dynasties, and no matter how closely they looked, they couldn't decipher the meaning of the characters on the bell.

“Only two or three characters,” Yu Feibai speculated. “Maybe the names of the artisans, or perhaps the name of the feudal state…”