"It's definitely a fake," Yu Feibai swore with absolute certainty at that moment. "The piece is too flawless; you simply can't find a single flaw. Based on my experience, something this perfect is highly likely to be... ahem, likely the work of a master forger."

"Feibai, don't speak carelessly without evidence," Elder Qian's expression sobered, a hint of doubt in his eyes. After all, he hadn't examined the piece up close yet and couldn't judge its authenticity, assuming Yu Feibai had spotted some subtle clue and was hinting for him to reveal it.

"Evidence? Of course, I have evidence..." At this, Yu Feibai clapped Wang Guan on the shoulder. "You go first!"

"Huh?" Wang Guan was momentarily stunned, then suddenly understood, a wry smile spreading across his face. "So you were just guessing wildly, weren't you?"

"What guessing? This is intuition," Yu Feibai whispered. "Besides, I have grounds for it. Think about it: Mr. Zhu the Elder loves to replicate prized porcelain. Last time it was the Yongle blue-and-white charger, and now a Xuande blue-and-white cricket jar—it's entirely possible. Moreover, the Xuande cricket jar is a unique piece! How could he coincidentally obtain one, and one he only got recently at that..."

It had to be admitted that although Yu Feibai's argument bordered on sophistry, it held a sliver of logic.

Of course, the most significant factor was that after encountering so many pieces by Mr. Zhu the Elder, Yu Feibai had become overly cautious, developing a jittery feeling whenever he saw a truly precious piece of porcelain, immediately suspecting it was a fake.

It was a sickness of suspicion that needed curing!

Conversely, however, this reality underscored the severe impact of Mr. Zhu the Elder's forgeries. If even an expert like Yu Feibai was anxious and suspicious, there was no need to mention others. If the truth leaked out, the entire industry would undoubtedly suffer a massive shock. Markets that had taken decades of strenuous effort to recover might instantly revert to square one, leading to countless bankruptcies...

It was precisely because of this potential outcome that Elder Qian and the others had decided to keep the matter quiet, lest there be no chance of salvaging the situation.

However, matters required prioritization. Mr. Zhu the Elder's business was crucial, but it wasn't an immediate catastrophe. Yu Feibai claiming Elder Kong's jar was a fake, however, was more pressing and could easily cause an open confrontation.

Fortunately, given his advanced age, Elder Kong, no matter how anxious he felt, maintained his composure and even managed a smile. "Since you have evidence, I am eager to hear your expert assessment."

"Let me take a look first..." Wang Guan nodded, then quietly added, "Just be prepared to apologize profusely later, or Elder Qian will surely chew you out."

"That depends on you, then," Yu Feibai said, maintaining an outward calm, though inwardly he regretted his impulsiveness and careless words. Indeed, one should always think things through before acting, lest one become trapped in an untenable situation. When one speaks carelessly, those who know might dismiss it as bluntness, but strangers would naturally assume a lack of manners.

While Yu Feibai was self-reflecting, Wang Guan began his examination of the blue-and-white cricket jar. Unlike Yu Feibai, he focused first on the decoration. The lid featured a vine pattern with three fruits (one large, two small) intertwined among lush leaves. The body showed two clusters of vines, each bearing four fruits, totaling eight. The leaves obscured the view slightly, presenting a picture of abundant yield and vibrant life.

Furthermore, the color of the fruits and foliage confirmed Elder Chang’s description: the fruit motifs should be painted with Sumaliqing cobalt, where the pigment pooled thickly would form dark brown spots, reflecting a tin-like luster under certain light, crystallizing in a triangular pattern. In contrast, the stems and leaves used domestic blue pigment, exhibiting a shade of blue tinged with gray, creating a soft, ink-wash-like diffusion effect.

"Well?" Yu Feibai pressed with a hint of expectation.

"I don't see anything unusual," Wang Guan shook his head gently. "No particular trace stands out."

"No way! I actually guessed correctly for once, and I was wrong?" Yu Feibai’s eyes widened, disbelief etched on his face. "Look again carefully; don't miss anything."

"Then I'll study it further."

Wang Guan readily complied, moving on to examine the jar's body. After a moment, he sighed. "Feibai, you know that every characteristic of this jar aligns with Xuande blue-and-white. Why hypothesize it’s a fake?"

"What? This is real?" Yu Feibai blinked, suddenly feeling as if he had just shot himself in the foot.

"It appears so," Wang Guan nodded. "If you don't believe me, you can let Elder Qian look at it again."

"Elder Qian..." At this, Yu Feibai could no longer hold back. Like a drowning man grasping at the last piece of straw, he looked pitifully toward Elder Qian, hoping for some measure of support.

"You, with your uncontrolled tongue. When will you ever moderate your impulsive nature?" Elder Qian shook his head, accepted the blue-and-white cricket jar handed over by Wang Guan, and began a careful examination.

After a long silence, Elder Qian murmured, stroking the glaze with his finger, then thoughtfully said, "Elder Chang, Wang Guan, you are mistaken."

"What?"

In an instant, everyone was astonished, but Yu Feibai was overjoyed, laughing heartily. "I knew there had to be something wrong with it! I must say, sometimes my intuition is remarkably accurate..."

"It's a fake?" Elder Kong's expression grew somber. Status dictated the weight of an evaluation, and Elder Qian's authority, built over decades, was naturally incomparable to that of Yu Feibai or Wang Guan. Elder Qian’s casual remark carried far more weight than the thousands of words from the two younger men. Even Elder Chang initially considered where he might have been negligent rather than challenging Elder Qian.

"I didn't say it was a fake," Elder Qian chuckled lightly. "The style and characteristics are extremely distinct; it is not a forgery."

"Ah..."

Yu Feibai’s expression, which had been a mixture of joy and shock, instantly collapsed, especially since his triumphant mood had been snuffed out before it could fully bloom. The sharp swing between excitement and doubt left him momentarily speechless. After a pause, he protested, unwilling to concede, "Elder Qian, you just said they were mistaken, and now you say it isn't a fake. That seems contradictory."

"Or perhaps it's a reproduction? After all, even if it's not a counterfeit, it could still be a reproduction!" Yu Feibai tried to find a loophole, knowing there was a semantic difference between a reproduction and a forgery.

"Stop struggling. The clay body, the glaze, the craftsmanship—they all conform to the characteristics of the era. I can't find anything fake about it," Elder Qian delivered the final verdict. "This is undoubtedly an authentic piece. And for a vessel of this perfect condition to survive from the Xuande period is no small feat. Calling it a rare treasure is not an exaggeration."

"Brother Kong, congratulations," Elder Qian said sincerely. "You have acquired a priceless, unique treasure."

"Just luck, luck..." In truth, it wasn't just Yu Feibai who had experienced emotional peaks and valleys; Elder Kong’s reaction was similar. The initial dip in mood was replaced by elation through Elder Qian’s few sentences. This was the power of an authoritative appraiser—capable, to a degree, of manipulating a person's joy and sorrow.

"Lingxi," Elder Chang, however, could not remain composed. He felt troubled. "If you think it's genuine, why did you say Elder Wang and I were mistaken in our assessment?"

Indeed, this was a question. For a moment, everyone focused their attention, even Elder Kong feeling a pang of worry, fearing Elder Qian was withholding the truth out of consideration for his reputation.

"Your overall judgment was correct, but there were minor deviations in the details," Elder Qian smiled. "They are ultimately trivial footnotes; we can discuss them in detail later."

"No need, we can discuss it here," Elder Chang shook his head. "Right is right, and wrong is wrong. I may be stubborn, but I am not incapable of accepting criticism humbly."

Since even Elder Chang wasn't afraid of losing face, Wang Guan had no such reservations and directly asked for instruction. The others were also keenly interested and urged Elder Qian on.

Yielding to their requests, Elder Qian finally explained, "Your deduction that the blue-and-white glaze was a combination of domestic and imported cobalt is an incorrect inference."

"That point was wrong?" Instantly, everyone was surprised, yet it felt reasonable. After all, Elder Qian had stated the general judgment was right, only differing on the finer points.

"Explain to me how that deduction is flawed," Elder Chang certainly intended to argue his case. "This variation in color density, where the deeper blue is vibrant and shows tin-like reactions, must be Sumaliqing. As for the lighter shades... wait!"

At that moment, Elder Chang suddenly fell silent, immediately leaning closer to the Xuande blue-and-white cricket jar, touching and feeling it delicately. After a moment, he frowned. "The Fenshui technique?"

"What is the Fenshui technique?" Elder Chang seemed to grasp the implication, but Wang Guan was still confused and naturally sought clarification.

"The Fenshui technique, also called the Hūnshuǐ method, is a coloring process for glazes," Elder Qian explained with a smile. "The Sumaliqing used in the Yongle and Xuande periods varied between coarse and fine grains, and the coloring method created distinctions in shade. Because the fine-grained cobalt was rarer, it lacked crystallization spots when applied, and the color was lighter, closely resembling the domestic pigment. The two were easily confused."

"Furthermore, Yongle and Xuande blue-and-white porcelain pieces were often painted with small brushes, requiring constant dipping of the brush in cobalt pigment. This naturally resulted in clear variations in depth and shade from the start to the end of a stroke, a characteristic caused by the brushing method."

As he spoke, Elder Qian pointed to the blue-and-white cricket jar and continued his explanation. "This piece shows variations in glaze color density, which indeed makes it look like a combination of Sumaliqing and domestic pigment. However, if you look closely, you will discover that regardless of the shade's intensity, it is the same color material. Considering the characteristics of the color gradient change, I believe this should be colored using the Fenshui technique, rather than a mixture of two different cobalt materials."

"I see now." At this, everyone suddenly understood. While the logic was sound, the ability to discern it was the true skill. In any case, Elder Chang had nothing more to say, implicitly acknowledging his oversight.

But this was not the main point. The key issue was that Yu Feibai had guessed incorrectly, and under Elder Qian's stern gaze, he could only dutifully apologize.

"It’s fine, it’s fine!" Elder Kong was broad-minded and naturally unconcerned; in fact, he seemed somewhat moved... (To be continued) RS