Wang Guan’s few questions momentarily stumped Yu Feibai, but he quickly recovered and immediately asked, "If you say that, does it mean you know about these situations?"

"I can't say I know, but I have a general suspicion."

Feeling the timing was right, Wang Guan stopped being coy and laughed directly, "Don't you think the background information of the first Master Zhu bears a strong resemblance to a certain person?"

"Who?" Yu Feibai pondered but couldn't figure it out.

"Zhu Da!"

Wang Guan spoke a name, but Yu Feibai didn't react, frowning, "Who?"

Seeing Yu Feibai still didn't understand, Wang Guan explained swiftly and clearly, "I'm talking about Bada Shanren, Zhu Da!"

"What?"

In an instant, Yu Feibai felt greatly surprised, "No way? Bada Shanren was a great painter; I never heard he made ceramics."

"Just because you haven't heard of it doesn't mean he couldn't do it," Wang Guan chuckled. "Actually, if you research Bada Shanren's life, you'll know he was a descendant of Zhu Quan, the Prince of Ning, the sixteenth son of Emperor Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty. After the Prince of Ning was enfeoffed in Nanchang, his descendants lived in various parts of Nanchang, divided into eight branches. Bada Shanren was the seventh-generation descendant of the Prince of Yiyang."

"Nanchang isn't that far from the Porcelain Capital; if he set his mind to it, learning this craft wouldn't have been difficult."

As he spoke, Wang Guan recalled, "I remember some historical documents mentioning that Bada Shanren lived a life alternating between monk and Daoist, mainly not for religious belief, but to escape persecution of the Ming imperial family by the Manchu nobles of the Qing Dynasty. Thus, he often had to feign madness and obscurity to conceal and preserve himself."

"Even so, he didn't feel safe and often traveled everywhere. Every time he went out, he would be gone for three to five months before returning home. Where exactly he went, no one could say."

Wang Guan provided examples to illustrate his point, then affirmed, "So, I believe Bada Shanren is highly suspect and is almost certainly the first Master Zhu. Of course, I'm not just guessing; there is physical evidence."

"What physical evidence?" Yu Feibai eagerly asked, "That painting?"

"Not the painting."

At that moment, Wang Guan smiled, "Did you forget that when we were in the Porcelain Capital, I found Master Zhu's abandoned workshop? Among the things there was a notebook, presumably written by Master Zhu himself. If we compare the handwriting in that notebook with Bada Shanren’s calligraphy, we can easily reach a conclusion."

"Hmm, that does make sense." Hearing this, Yu Feibai immediately turned, "Old Qian, do you think Wang Guan is right?"

"He is."

At this point, Old Qian no longer evaded the issue and simply nodded in agreement, then smiled heartily, "Did you already have this thought when you unearthed the notebook? It's rare that you held back until now to say it."

"It was just a guess."

Wang Guan was also somewhat pleased at this moment, then explained, "At first, I didn't connect it to this. But one day, while researching Bada Shanren, I saw the name Zhu Da, along with his life story, and couldn't help but make the connection. Since I wasn't certain, I didn't feel comfortable spreading rumors recklessly."

"It wasn't until a few days ago, when I felt Old Qian seemed very focused on Bada Shanren's calligraphy and paintings, and then remembered Master Zhu's notebook, that I became somewhat certain..."

After explaining, Wang Guan was also very curious, "Old Qian, are Zhu Da and Master Zhu truly the same person?"

"Didn't you just list many reasons? Why are you uncertain now?" Old Qian was in a good mood and smiled gently, "Since the evidence is conclusive, why doubt it further?"

"It's not doubt, it's just that it's a bit... unexpected."

At that moment, Wang Guan sighed softly, "For no reason, who would think that two people were actually one. One is a world-renowned master painter, and the other is a master in firing counterfeit porcelain—they seem utterly unrelated."

"Who says they are unrelated?" Old Qian shook his head. "You explained it quite clearly: he had the opportunity and the motive, and he perfectly fit the profile. If it wasn't him, who else could it be? Moreover, it should be easier for a painter to switch to firing ceramics than for others. After all, when depicting patterns on porcelain, he wouldn't need to trouble anyone else; he could handle it himself."

"That's true."

Yu Feibai next to him nodded repeatedly, yet remained quite astonished.

Because he had never imagined that Master Zhu was actually a historically famous figure; it was completely subversive. This was likely why Old Qian and the others, even if they knew Master Zhu's background, never publicized it widely, to avoid damaging the good image of Bada Shanren in many people's minds.

One must know that Bada Shanren was no ordinary figure; he was a great painter who influenced the art world for hundreds of years, with countless fans. Anyone who tried to smear him would face public condemnation.

Even if it wasn't smearing, but merely stating the truth, it wouldn't work, because there are still irrational fans in the world...

Perhaps based on this, Old Qian chose to conceal it.

"It happened hundreds of years ago; there's no need to bring up old scores."

Old Qian explained, "Besides, what Master Zhu did back then, although somewhat improper, generally did not threaten the development of the entire industry. Unlike the Master Zhu from twenty-odd years ago, who completely betrayed the original intentions of the first Master Zhu and became obsessed with money."

"Exactly, that's right." Yu Feibai deeply agreed, "The first Master Zhu back then was tricking the Manchu-Qing nobility, so he was naturally righteous. But the previous, or current Master Zhu, was tricking his own people, which is absolutely unforgivable."

"Speaking of which."

At the same time, Yu Feibai was very curious, "Old Qian, was the previous Master Zhu really that He Wei?"

"Yes."

Although Old Qian had some hesitation, he ultimately nodded in admission, "It was him..."

"As expected."

Judging by Old Qian's expression, Yu Feibai knew there must be many inside stories to uncover. He smiled slyly, "Old Qian, since everything is out in the open, don't hide anything else. Tell us, what is the background of this He Wei?"

"Background?"

Old Qian pondered for a moment, took a sip of the clear tea, and then nodded, "He did have some background, and quite a significant one at that. He was the person in charge of the Porcelain Capital Kiln factory back then. Do you think that's a big enough background?"

"The person in charge of the Porcelain Capital Kiln factory!"

For a moment, Yu Feibai was also astonished, "His background is indeed significant, and he must have had good treatment. So what caused him to become Master Zhu and leave behind such a notorious reputation?"

"Greed!" Old Qian sighed softly, "A human heart is never satisfied; desire is endless."

Wang Guan and Yu Feibai were perceptive enough to notice a distinct undertone in Old Qian’s sigh. They didn't rush to ask more questions but waited for Old Qian to elaborate himself.

"Not only that, but he was also a friend we had known for many years."

After a moment of silence, Old Qian continued, "Until the matter was exposed, we were unwilling to believe that Master Zhu was actually him. It was an unfortunate, undeniable fact."

"...When he found us coming for him, he didn't hide it; he directly admitted he was Master Zhu."

As he spoke, Old Qian fell into reminiscence, "According to his own explanation, he accidentally discovered the secret formula left behind by the first Master Zhu. After researching it, he finally succeeded in recreating it. His initial intention was merely to create antiques that would shock the world and promote the kiln factory's reputation."

"However, when he produced the first batch of imitation antique ceramics, an overseas rich merchant happened to visit. Upon seeing the items, the merchant mistook them for genuine antique porcelain and was willing to pay a high price. At that time, he hesitated somewhat, but under the merchant's insistence, he half-reluctantly agreed."

Old Qian sighed, "Afterward, he felt guilty and intended to return the money and tell the merchant that the items were reproductions he had fired himself. However, to his surprise, the merchant completely refused to believe him, thinking he was regretting letting go of the items and was trying to back out. As a result, he not only failed to get the money back but ended up taking home several thousand yuan more."

"The ancients said it well: a thousand-mile dike collapses from an ant colony."

At this point, Old Qian looked wistful, "The merchant took the items back, made a profit on the resale, and then became fixated on him, frequently coming back to ask if he had any more of those antique ceramics. Over time, he became annoyed by the persistent pestering and ended up telling the whole story, even firing a batch of imitation antiques right in front of the merchant, thinking the merchant would finally give up and be ready to accept the refund."

"However, the merchant, while astonished, conceived a malicious idea and took this batch of imitation antiques from him. He returned soon after, stacking banknotes into a bed-like pile to signify his payment. At that time, the reform and opening-up had just begun, and the domestic economy was just starting. He had never seen so much money, so he became tempted, lost his way, and naturally fell into corruption..."

At this moment, Old Qian’s expression was blank: "Under the merchant's guidance, the two secretly gathered people to research and reproduce precious ceramics from various dynasties. From then on, they couldn't stop, sinking deeper and deeper, setting themselves on a path of no return... After the incident was exposed and everything was explained, the next morning, everyone discovered he had committed suicide in prison."

Hearing this, Wang Guan and Yu Feibai also sighed silently. Although Old Qian recounted it plainly, his mood must have been grim, as, to some extent, He Wei’s suicide was connected to them. It was no wonder Old Qian’s face changed when he heard He Wei's name a few days ago.

Of course, it couldn't be said that Old Qian and the others were entirely at fault, even if they had inadvertently driven their friend to his death. One must realize that while Heaven's wrath may sometimes be avoided, self-inflicted ruin is inescapable. He Wei's tragedy was not caused by Old Qian and the others acting righteously in the name of justice, but by his own avarice that doomed him.

After a while, Wang Guan comforted him, "Old Qian, since the matter is past, dwelling on it further is useless. By the way, has it been determined now whether that Mr. Yao was a remnant from that time?"

"Right, and what about that merchant? Has he been brought to justice?" Yu Feibai quickly followed up.

Human greed requires a catalyst to sprout. Undoubtedly, that merchant was one of the main factors that induced He Wei to stray onto the wrong path. Otherwise, He Wei might have become a world-renowned artistic master...