Qu Yuan may not have been the first to compose poetry to voice his aspirations, but he is certainly an outstanding representative. After all, in those days, there were others whose writings were excellent, such as Song Yu.

Song Yu was also a ci and fu poet of about the same era as Qu Yuan. His Fu on the Lustfulness of Dengtu Zi fully demonstrated to later generations what it meant to possess unparalleled eloquence, to the extent that Dengtu Zi became synonymous with lechery. However, unlike Qu Yuan, who gained fame through patriotism, Song Yu, despite his brilliant writing, earned his place in history through his handsomeness.

After all, when ancient handsome men are mentioned, Pan An and Song Yu must be included. Perhaps because they were too handsome, many people overlooked their inherent talents, leading many to be entirely unaware that Song Yu's scholarship in ci and fu was in no way inferior to Qu Yuan's.

It’s just that Song Yu’s writing was too ornate. Although it contained aspects of concern for the nation and its people, these were not emphasized enough, making them easy to overlook. In this situation, many people likely concluded he was merely “using charm to win favor,” naturally resulting in lower regard for him.

This is understandable. Take Jing Ke as an example: even without the great feat of attempting to assassinate the King of Qin, he could have been famous throughout the world on the strength of the Song of Yishui alone. According to historical records, when Jing Ke was about to set off on his mission for Crown Prince Dan of Yan to assassinate the Qin King, Dan held a farewell ceremony for him by the Yishui River. Gao Jianli played the zhù, and Jing Ke sang mournfully: The wind whistles bleakly across the Yishui, the brave warrior departs, never to return.

The song was so tragic and powerful that the listeners’ eyes bulged, and their hair stood on end beneath their caps. When the song concluded, Jing Ke let out a long sigh toward the sky, and astonishingly, a seven-colored rainbow appeared overhead. Gao Jianli seized the moment and shifted the tune, making the music even more impassioned. Jing Ke then continued his tragic ballad: Plunging into the tiger's lair, entering the dragon’s palace; looking up at the heavens, breathing out a sigh that forms a white rainbow.

The Song of Yishui, with its first line lamenting the coldness of the Yishui River, painted a desolate and heroic atmosphere. The second line was filled with a sense of resolute sacrifice. Knowing he was going to his death with no expectation of return, he proceeded resolutely, without a backward glance. Here, the act of composing poetry to voice one's aspirations was embodied perfectly, making it no wonder it became a classic.

It’s no wonder some people claim that for pre-Qin literature, studying only Laozi, Zhuangzi, Confucius, Mencius, plus Qu Yuan and Jing Ke, is sufficient. This statement is certainly biased, yet it contains a kernel of truth.

Take Qu Yuan’s Nine Songs as an example. Although he compiled and refined the folk songs used in ancestral rites, during the refinement process, he embedded much of his personal sentiment. Later generations can fully deduce his state of mind while writing these pieces based on his experiences.

It also needs to be noted that this particular scroll of the Nine Songs painting was executed using the baimiao (plain-outline) technique for figure depiction. Speaking of which, this was the second time Wang Guan had seen such a long, large-scale baimiao painting, following the Saints' Deeds of Confucius scroll. Especially striking was the identity of the artist, which immediately energized him.

“This is Li Longmian’s Nine Songs scroll.”

In that instant, it wasn't just Wang Guan who noticed the inscription; Elder Zhou and the others naturally also spotted it. For a moment, every face showed an expression mixed with surprise and delight.

Li Longmian was the famous painter Li Gonglin of the Northern Song Dynasty, whose sobriquet was Dragon Sleeper (Longmian Jushi), hence the later common name Li Longmian.

According to historical and literary records, Li Gonglin came from a prestigious lineage. His family possessed numerous ancient artifacts, famous paintings, and calligraphy samples. He was deeply knowledgeable from a young age, keen on appreciating antiques and discerning authenticity, and familiar with rare scripts. He could date and identify ritual bronzes (zhong ding zun yi) from the Xia and Shang dynasties based on their inscriptions. In other words, Li Gonglin was also a renowned expert authenticator in history. It was because of this skill that he once personally authenticated the Imperial Seal of China (Chuanguo Yuxi).

Historical records state that in the third year of the Shaosheng era of the Song Dynasty, a commoner from Chengyang County named Duan Yi obtained an ancient jade seal, claiming he unearthed it while renovating his house in Liu Yin Village, Henan Prefecture, noting that it shone with a light that filled the room. In the fourth year, he presented it to the court, and an imperial decree ordered the Ministry of Rites, the Censorate, and others to examine it. Li Gonglin was among the examining officials, and it was ultimately his judgment that declared the object to be the genuine Imperial Seal.

Of course, Li Gonglin’s status as a master authenticator is not as famous as his status as a master painter. He was diligent throughout his life, producing countless works. He excelled in every genre: figures, historical scenes, Buddhist and Taoist subjects, courtly ladies, landscapes, horses and saddles, beasts, and huā-niǎo (flowers and birds)—nothing was beyond his skill, and nothing was done inadequately.

Most importantly, his baimiao drawings captured the essence of Wu Daozi. His brushstrokes swept away cosmetic enhancements, employing light ink and delicate lines, resulting in an elegant, transcendent style later hailed as the ultimate artistic technique under heaven.

One must understand that in Chinese painting techniques, line drawing (xianmiao) is one of the most distinctive methods. The baimiao style, which depicts objects purely through lines and varying shades of ink, can be considered the highest and purest stage of xianmiao development. Li Gonglin’s baimiao technique became the standard model for later generations learning to paint, like the head of a school of dragons, passed down for hundreds upon hundreds of years.

People felt that Li Gonglin was able to synthesize the strengths of many masters, achieving perfection, modeling nature, innovating boldly, and establishing his own style, leading later generations to revere him as the foremost master hand and the patriarch of a hundred generations. Some even believed that while Wu Daozi’s technique was once considered unsurpassed throughout history, after Li Gonglin achieved mastery, Wu Daozi could no longer claim sole supremacy.

To receive such praise reveals the profound skill of Li Gonglin’s art. One can thus imagine that if this Nine Songs scroll truly originated from Li Gonglin’s brush, the item would absolutely be considered a treasure beyond compare.

“That’s right, it must be an authentic piece by Li Longmian.”

At the same time, one expert, barely containing his excitement, commented carefully: “Look, the entire painting relies primarily on the baimiao technique outlined purely with lines. The brushwork is remarkably aged yet clean, vigorous, graceful, and powerful. The outlines are concise and free-flowing, possessing an ancient simplicity that makes the figures all the more vivid and expressive, brimming with a kind of decorative beauty.”

“Following the portrait of Qu Yuan, the images of Donghuang Taiyi, the Lord of the Clouds, the Lord of Xiang, and the Lady of Xiang are depicted sequentially according to the narrative of the original Nine Songs poems. The brushwork shows that the artist skillfully varied the length, winding, straightness, and curvature of the lines, allowing them to flow smoothly like clouds and water, imbuing each figure with its distinct charisma.”

As he spoke, the expert praised it ceaselessly: “Truly worthy of a great master’s hand, marvelous beyond description.”

“Don’t rush to a final diagnosis.”

In contrast, Elder Zhou remained calmer: “The stylistic technique of the brushwork is only one basis for judgment. Don’t forget that besides Li Longmian, the Yuan Dynasty painter Zhang Wo also possessed this ability.”

“Yi Zhi is correct.”

At this point, someone nearby agreed: “Zhang Wo modeled himself after Li Longmian, inheriting his elegant and fluid style, and became famous for his baimiao figures. Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, his line drawing technique has been held up as the paragon of the Iron Wire outline (Tiexianmiao) among the Eighteen Figure Drawing Techniques, earning him the reputation of being the only one after Li Longmian, absolutely peerless in his time. Most importantly, the Nine Songs scroll is also his representative masterpiece.”

“Do you think this is a copy?”

No one suspected it was a fake; after all, everyone present were seasoned experts who could spot a forgery almost at a glance.

However, if it were a faithful replica (linmo), that would be another matter entirely. After all, one cannot deny that some meticulously copied works are so lifelike that even experts dare not claim their judgment is one hundred percent accurate.

This is an awkward fact for appraisers: they don't fear outright fakes as much as old, high-quality copies. This is because the patina of time naturally erases some flaws from old copies, creating difficulties for later authentication—it becomes ambiguous, hard to definitively judge as original or imitation.

“Old Chen, you go next.”

Just then, someone urged: “Hurry and examine them. Are there any issues with these seals and inscriptions?”

Specialization dictates that Expert Chen was dedicated specifically to the study of seals and inscriptions. He was profoundly knowledgeable in this area and was himself a master of stone carving and seal cutting.

Expert Chen taking charge was equivalent to having ten experts, not just two. A moment later, he reached a conclusion: “Correct, there are no issues with the seals and inscriptions. Not only are there Li Longmian’s own personal seals, but there are also the collection and appraisal seals of the Southern Song Imperial Household…”

Expert Chen then listed the provenance of each seal like reciting family treasures, tracing them from the Northern Song all the way to the Republic of China era, leaving no gaps. This ability truly astonished Wang Guan, filling him with admiration.

Subsequently, another person came forward to meticulously examine the paper of the painting, also concluding it was ancient Song Dynasty paper. The seals and the paper matched; next was the mounting. However, there seemed to be an issue with the mounting technique. According to expert analysis, the traces of the re-mounting seemed not to be a Song Dynasty technique, but rather resembled a Ming Dynasty method.

It was only after the expert studied it carefully that everyone realized it was a false alarm. The traces of restoration suggested that the work had sustained some damage by the Ming Dynasty, prompting the collector to commission a skilled artisan for re-mounting. Having discovered this detail, everyone formed their own judgment regarding the work’s authenticity.

After another ten minutes of scrutiny, they exchanged opinions and then nodded in unison.

“Eighty percent likely to be genuine.”

Eighty percent was enough; this was the habit of appraisers. No matter how confident they were, they always left room for maneuver. This way, if new evidence surfaced later that contradicted their conclusion, they would have an opportunity to revise it.

“Since that is the case, this painting can stay,” Wang Guan said with a smile, gesturing. Mr. Anderson naturally had no objection and immediately had the piece logged and recorded.

Having authenticated a national treasure, Elder Zhou and the others were delighted. But as another scroll was unfurled, they quickly composed themselves and continued to examine it closely.

At first glance, they saw a pure calligraphy model book, written entirely in cursive script (caoshu). Frankly, unless one has studied it, it is almost impossible for the average person to read cursive script.

Perhaps some think that cursive script is merely a jumble of scribbles with no inherent meaning.

This is certainly incorrect. If cursive script were truly just random scribbling, why would only a handful of great cursive masters have been revered throughout the ages?

The Han dynasties of China represented the initial stage of cursive script’s development. Initially, the style of the Seal Cursive (Zhangcao) was built upon the foundation of Clerical Script (Lishu). By the Wei and Jin periods, the brushwork became rich and full-bodied, with Wang Xizhi’s Bao Nu Tie being a typical example.

Yet the renowned Sage of Calligraphy, Wang Xizhi, when commenting on calligraphy from ancient times to his own, once said that his own work should contend with, or even surpass, that of Zhong Yao and Zhang Zhi (Zhong Yao, Zhang Zhi). However, Zhang Zhi’s cursive was so accomplished that the water used for his inkstone would turn black. He mused, If I were to immerse myself in this way, I might not lose out to Zhang Zhi’s cursive.

The phrase “might not” is conditional, suggesting Wang Xizhi himself felt that, regarding cursive script specifically, he was inferior to Zhang Zhi…

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