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"Nice piece, isn't it?"

Seeing Yu Feibai examining the object intently, Fang Mingsheng immediately reached out and handed it over, then chuckled, "Take a look. I think this might be from the Spring and Autumn period."

It should be noted that although the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States periods are often grouped together, for certain artifacts, the Spring and Autumn is distinct from the Warring States—they were two different eras, and the styles of objects varied.

When Fang Mingsheng suggested the jade bi was from the Spring and Autumn period, it implied the object possessed stylistic characteristics of that time.

Of course, this was only Fang Mingsheng's assessment. Yu Feibai certainly wouldn't be swayed by that preconception. He undoubtedly had his own insights into what period the jade bi truly belonged to.

With this thought in mind, Yu Feibai steadily accepted the jade bi and began to weigh and observe it. The circular jade disc measured over ten centimeters in diameter and about one centimeter thick, making it relatively thin. Adorning the surface were exquisite patterns, etched using a technique that combined broad and fine intaglio lines.

Yu Feibai examined it closely. The patterns resembled entwined dragons and snakes; their limbs were thin and long, like serpentine bodies, shown in a cross-coiled arrangement. The lines were naturally fluid, the modeling graceful. By modern terminology, this would be classified as a dragon-patterned bi.

In ancient times, jade was used for the Six Ritual Objects, employed to venerate Heaven, Earth, and the Four Cardinal Directions; the plain, dark green bi was used to honor Heaven. The ancients believed Heaven was round and the Earth square; the bi honored Heaven because the sky is round, and the jade disc was circular, a perfect match. Furthermore, the inclusion of dragon motifs suggests that the belief in the divine dragon bringing clouds and rain to the heavens had already emerged during that era.

Regardless of the specifics, if such an item could be verified as genuine, its value would certainly be considerable.

"Well?"

A moment later, Wang Gong inquired. Regarding the appraisal of jade, without resorting to cheating, he didn't believe he was significantly superior to Yu Feibai. On the contrary, Yu Feibai had been involved with jade for over a decade; his connoisseurship was likely a cut above his own. If even Yu Feibai confirmed the jade bi was authentic, then the item was almost certainly the real deal, and there would be no need for Wang Gong to scrutinize it further.

"Hmm... hard to say. Let me study it a bit more."

However, Yu Feibai, usually known for his forthrightness, hesitated this time, showing a degree of deliberation.

"Is there an issue?"

Wang Guan frowned slightly and asked softly, "Not optimistic about it?"

"It's not that I'm not optimistic. It's that I can't precisely identify the jade material," Yu Feibai scratched his head. "The piece has been buried for a long time; the color has become somewhat pallid, and there are black spots from mineralization (qinse). It’s difficult to judge the origin of the jade."

"I thought it was some major problem; turns out it’s just a trivial detail," Wang Guan shook his head. "The origin of the jade is only a few possibilities: either Nanyang jade, frontier jade, or Xiuyan jade. Failing that, it's local material. No matter which one, as long as it's an authentic Spring and Autumn or Warring States piece, why get hung up on its provenance?"

"Besides, we are in Henan Province, which has Nanyang Dushan Jade. Or perhaps the piece is simply Dushan jade from Nanyang," Wang Guan added casually. "No need to delve deeply into such minor details; the crucial thing is whether the item is period-appropriate."

"It should be ancient jade," Yu Feibai murmured. "The mineralization colors are very natural; they don't look faked. Especially the black spots, they have completely permeated the jade. And there are signs of halo diffusion—that’s something that can’t be fabricated."

"Mmm."

Wang Guan took the jade bi and observed it carefully for a moment. He agreed with Yu Feibai’s assessment and then smiled, "Spring and Autumn bi discs were relatively thin. Warring States bi, while also not overly thick, featured richer and more complex decorative motifs, sometimes even incorporating pierced carving. Comparatively speaking, this dragon-patterned bi is rather plain, which explains why Boss Fang determined it to be from the Spring and Autumn period."

"So, I was right?" Fang Mingsheng sounded somewhat pleased.

"Indeed, this thing is..."

Wang Guan was about to nod in confirmation when a rough shout suddenly came from outside: "Sixth Brother, are you there?"

The booming voice instantly drew everyone's attention, and they looked toward the door. A young man with a somewhat rough bearing walked in and paused, slightly startled, upon seeing the group in the hall.

In an instant, the newcomer composed himself and quickly forced a smile. "Sixth Brother, you look busy. Please continue; I'll just go to the backyard to grab what I need. We can talk later if anything comes up."

As he spoke, the man turned to leave. He arrived quickly and departed just as fast.

At that moment, Old He Six chuckled and explained, "That’s just a friend of mine; he’s a bit impulsive, please don't mind him. By the way, what do you think of this jade bi? Not to brag, but this piece is genuinely excellent—completely intact, no signs of nicks or cracks, and the patterns are incredibly clear, showing no evidence of wind erosion or blurring. It truly merits being called a fine piece..."

The quality of the object didn't depend on He Six's boasting. Fang Mingsheng, in fact, treated his words as background noise, paying no mind, focusing instead on the appraisal results from Wang Guan and Yu Feibai.

"...It's acceptable. Worth considering buying."

Under Fang Mingsheng’s questioning gaze, Wang Guan nodded casually, but his thoughts were already drifting away from the jade bi. It wasn't just him; even Yu Feibai next to him looked thoughtful, his expression turning more cautious. However, at that moment, everyone else in the hall was focused on the haggling between Fang Mingsheng and He Six, completely missing the strange looks on the two experts' faces.

After some compromise, Fang Mingsheng and He Six finally reached an agreement: money exchanged hands, and the jade bi was presented. It seemed like a happy outcome for both sides.

Of course, as a merchant, He Six wasn't satisfied with closing just one deal. After receiving the money, he eagerly urged them, "Gentlemen, besides the jade bi, I have many other good things. Why not take another look..."

"No need to look."

Just then, prompted by a subtle signal from Wang Guan, Yu Feibai spoke up lazily, "Your items are quite decent, but their presentation is too poor. Even if I bought them, I wouldn't have the nerve to show them off to others. We’ve seen and bought what we needed; shouldn't we be leaving now? Next stop, Du Fu Mausoleum. Let's go!"

At his prompting, the others naturally voiced no objection and rose to take their leave. He Six was somewhat disappointed but couldn't exactly force guests to stay. He could only watch them depart with eager eyes.

Once outside, Wang Guan and Yu Feibai began to whisper to each other.

"What do we do?"

"I don't know. Maybe we were too suspicious. But regardless, we should still call Old Hou and mention it, perhaps enhancing security over there. Better safe than sorry."

"Agreed. It’s better to have too much caution than too little."

After a brief exchange of opinions, Wang Guan stepped a few paces away, intending to pull out his phone to make the call, but he suddenly noticed movement behind them and changed his mind.

"What is it?" Yu Feibai asked, looking puzzled.

"It feels like someone is following us," Wang Guan frowned. "A figure just flickered in the rear."

"You can't be serious."

Yu Feibai instinctively glanced back but saw nothing. Naturally, he became skeptical. "No one is there. You must be overthinking things. Real life isn't a cop movie; where are there so many tailing spies?"

"Why are you two dawdling? Get in the car," Tang Qinghua called out from beside the vehicle.

"Coming," Wang Guan replied, then said softly, "Let's discuss it after we visit the Du Fu Mausoleum. It will be easier to explain everything in detail if we tell Old Hou in person."

"That works."

Yu Feibai nodded, and they both got into the car, heading toward the Du Fu Mausoleum.

The Du Fu Mausoleum, although within the broader area of Mount Mang, was actually quite far away. It was no longer under Luoyang's jurisdiction but situated in a small village about five miles east of the city of Gongyi. Backed by Mount Bijiashan and facing the East Siji River, it was indeed a place favored by mountains and water. The great Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu was interred here.

In the spring of the fifth year of the Dali era of Emperor Daizong of Tang, Du Fu left Shu and headed toward Hunan, falling ill and dying on the journey—dying away from home. Forty-three years later, his descendants finally transported his coffin back to Gong County and buried him on Mount Mang.

At that time, Du Fu was only a moderately famous poet, and largely considered a down-and-out scholar whose talent went unrecognized by the mainstream. Therefore, the scale of the tomb was certainly not grand—just a small mound with a small stone tablet nearby.

However, as time passed and Du Fu's stature grew to the height where his work shone brilliantly alongside Li Bai's, his burial site naturally underwent continuous expansion and renovation. By now, Du Fu's grave had evolved from a small mound into a mausoleum covering over thirty acres.

The layout of the mausoleum is rational, the environment pleasant, with the murmur of flowing river water. Climbing the-like (Crouching Dragon-like) ridge of Mount Mang, one encounters a garden of ancient architecture amidst the verdant pines and cypresses—this is the resting place of the Poet Sage, Du Fu.

Upon entering the mausoleum, everyone felt the serene and tranquil atmosphere and subconsciously fell silent, quietly appreciating the surrounding scenery. After spending a good half hour, the group followed the designated path and carefully viewed all the sights within the complex. Of course, they also paid their respects at Du Fu's grave, offering a small token of their sincerity.

When asked about their feelings upon leaving the mausoleum, everyone offered somewhat evasive answers, except for the candid Yu Feibai, who spoke bluntly: "Shabby. Terribly shabby."

"Du Fu is, after all, a world-class great poet, yet the ground where he is buried is less imposing than some memorial halls built by local governments," Yu Feibai shook his head. "Although I oppose extravagance and excessive development of famous figures' tombs and sites, this mausoleum is simply too small-minded."

Hearing this, the others were deeply affected and nodded in agreement.

"It's mainly because the location is somewhat remote, transportation isn't convenient, and visitor traffic isn't high; the recognition isn't widespread," Fang Mingsheng analyzed from a businessman's perspective. "No fame means no popularity. Everyone knows Du Fu's name, but few people know about the Du Fu Mausoleum."

"Exactly," Tang Qinghua concurred. "I only learned about this Du Fu Mausoleum because Boss Zheng mentioned it. In other words, this place is only relatively famous within the province. Others might know of it, but the local government hasn't utilized this natural advantage to build a cultural brand, wasting a great resource."

"That's exactly it." Fang Mingsheng nodded in deep agreement. The two businessmen immediately found common ground, enthusiastically directing the world and stating how they would manage the place if it were up to them...