"Regarding your father's master, how much do you know?" Old Man Qian asked quietly at the same time, "Did your father ever tell you anything about his master?" "……No."

Yao Jing hesitated for a moment, then truthfully stated, "Father only told me that the teacher who taught him ceramics was named He Wei; he didn't elaborate further."

"That's normal, because there are some things he couldn't tell you."

Old Man Qian sighed softly, "Actually, your father was He Wei's true successor. And to protect your father, He Wei even ruthlessly expelled him from the sect, leading everyone to overlook him."

"What do you mean?" Yao Jing was even more confused, while Wang Guan and Yu Feibai seemed thoughtful.

"That was a story from over twenty years ago," Old Man Qian lapsed into memory, saying lightly, "Back then, in the antiques circle, there was a man known as Mr. Zhu the Elder. The imitation antique porcelain he produced was extraordinarily skilled; it could fool even experts, and very few could spot the flaws…" "That person was your father's master, He Wei. Due to a momentary greed, he walked down a path of no return."

As he spoke, Old Man Qian was filled with emotion, "But before the scandal broke, he seemed to realize what he was doing was wrong and arranged a contingency. That contingency was your father."

"My father?" Yao Jing’s expression shifted slightly, appearing rather unnatural.

"Yes, your father," Old Man Qian nodded. "Last year, works attributed to Mr. Zhu the Elder reappeared on the market, causing suspicion and panic among everyone. The initial reaction was that there must have been a survivor from twenty years ago."

"But the case back then was handled meticulously; everyone investigated thoroughly but found nothing. Perhaps the so-called survivor is just our wishful thinking."

At this point, Old Man Qian sighed softly, "Until not long ago. We found traces of your cousin, and through him, we learned your father’s name. Only then did we re-examine the old case files and finally understood the connection between your father and He Wei."

Yao Jing became somewhat tense, "Are you saying my father was involved in that incident back then?"

"Perhaps he was, perhaps he wasn't," Old Man Qian's answer was ambiguous. Then, amidst the puzzled glances of the others, he explained softly, "With a clear lead, the investigation naturally became easier. After digging through materials and questioning those involved in the original case, we finally found the answer."

"It turns out your father was a technical backbone at the kiln factory back then, and one of He Wei's apprentices. But two years before the Mr. Zhu the Elder case erupted, for some unknown reason, he angered He Wei, who unceremoniously fired him from the factory and severed their master-disciple relationship."

At this point, Old Man Qian was deeply moved, "If we calculate the timeline, that period coincides precisely with when Mr. Zhu the Elder’s works were exposed, alerting experts in the industry."

In an instant, everyone understood Old Man Qian's meaning, or rather, understood the reason why He Wei dismissed Yao Yuan and severed ties. The root cause was to protect this apprentice, the one who inherited his craft.

In traditional trades, the master-disciple relationship is certainly not as transient as in modern industries; it can truly be described as being like a father and a mentor. Perhaps He Wei knew clearly that seeking illicit gain by passing off fakes could not last forever, so he arranged a backup plan. Of course, this backup plan wasn't relying on his son to avenge him or strike back at society. Rather, it was the hope that this craft could be passed down without interruption.

Clearly, He Wei's judgment was not mistaken. After the scandal broke, he committed suicide decisively. Old Man Qian and the others, though saddened, brought the responsible parties to justice but did not dig deeper, naturally overlooking Yao Yuan. As for Yao Yuan, he was discerning enough to know that He Wei's fate was not anyone else's fault, so he harbored no thoughts of revenge. Instead, he diligently studied Mr. Zhu the Elder’s techniques, mastering the ultimate essence of imitation porcelain. However, a knot remained in his heart, so while he replicated many rare and famous porcelains, he kept them only for his own pleasure, never displaying them. He passed away three years ago, and if not for Meng Jian’s greed bringing Mr. Zhu the Elder’s works back into the light, perhaps no one would ever have known that such an earth-shattering master of imitation porcelain was hidden here.

Everyone agreed with Old Man Qian’s deduction, feeling a sense of melancholy contemplation. In their view, the skill of Mr. Zhu the Elder was not the terrifying part; the terrifying part was human nature. Insatiable desire inevitably spawns endless troubles.

"Is this true?" At this moment, Yao Jing’s expression was incredibly complex, a mixture of shock and bewilderment, "Father never told me."

"He didn't tell you because he didn't want you burdened by the past," Old Man Qian said with a kind smile, "Clearly, you have inherited Mr. Zhu the Elder’s technique, but due to inexperience, you are still lacking in refinement."

"Mm," Yao Jing nodded softly, offering no denial.

Meanwhile, Wang Guan’s eyes lit up, reminding him of the vase he saw at Old Master Su’s birthday celebration. That vase bore Mr. Zhu the Elder’s mark, but its flaw was obvious. Back then, he wondered why "Mr. Zhu the Elder" would make such a low-level mistake. Now it seemed the mistake wasn't made by "Mr. Zhu the Elder," but by Yao Jing’s inexperience, her inability to fully grasp and control the technique. That was why sometimes Yao Jing could fire semi-finished products with obvious flaws, like the longevity peach vase, but other times, she could produce masterworks like the Yongle Blue and White Shou Bird Plate.

"Your technique needs improvement," Old Man Qian suddenly asked, "Would you like to see the notes left behind by your grand-master?"

"What?" In that instant, not only Yao Jing but also Yu Feibai and the others were somewhat confused. Only Wang Guan looked thoughtful, feeling like Old Man Qian was attempting to lure away a young girl.

"Your father only managed to take Mr. Zhu the Elder’s core technology back then. He surely couldn't take all the related auxiliary materials, which is why it took him a decade or two to master the essence of the technique," Old Man Qian explained now. "But before your grand-master passed away, he entrusted all his materials to us, including his decades of accumulated experience in the trade. If you study these materials, I guarantee you can master the techniques within five years and become the youngest master of imitation porcelain."

"As expected…" Wang Guan nodded slightly, understanding Old Man Qian’s intention. The idea of preventing future trouble was clear: since Yao Jing possessed Mr. Zhu the Elder's technique, she might become the next Mr. Zhu the Elder. To eliminate potential risks, "recruitment" was the best strategy.

"No!" However, unexpectedly, Yao Jing refused, "I don't want to become an imitation master." Amidst the astonished gazes of the group, Yao Jing declared with great spirit, "Imitation has no future. I want to innovate, like Tang Ying, to create my own porcelain kiln, and every piece I fire will bear my own label."

"Ah!" At this moment, everyone was utterly surprised, never expecting such great ambition, or perhaps dream, to be hidden within the frail and quiet young girl. Thinking about it, Yao Jing citing Tang Ying as an example was understandable. After all, Tang Ying started with imitation, but he wasn't merely copying; he was innovating within imitation. On the foundation of imitation, he continuously developed various new types. It was precisely because the porcelain he fired was so beloved that the name Tang Kiln arose. One recalled that during Tang Ying's tenure as the Porcelain Governor and Ceramic Official, the Jingdezhen kilns and workshops were countless, but later generations largely ignored them, remembering only the Tang Kiln. In the common perception, only porcelain supervised by Tang Ying was considered the fine ware of that era; the rest was expendable, not worth remembering.

However, Old Man Qian was even more delighted by Yao Jing's ambition. Merely imitating would inevitably lead down the same path as Mr. Zhu the Elder, but aspiring to innovate was different; it showed she had the drive to break limitations and would not repeat past mistakes. Of course, ideas alone were insufficient; further guidance was necessary.

"Wanting to innovate is a good thing…" Old Man Qian smiled appropriately, "But you must also admit that Tang Ying’s success was due not only to his talent but also to the contributions of the masters at the Jingdezhen kilns. Back then, to learn the art of porcelain firing, he humbled himself to eat and live with the kiln masters, exchanging knowledge and learning, which led to the achievements we admire."

"Working in isolation leads nowhere." As he spoke, Old Man Qian turned and gestured, "Wang Guan, help me call Brother Hou."

"Uh?" Wang Guan was somewhat bewildered but complied. A moment later, the call connected. Old Man Qian spoke a few soft words and then immediately hung up. A while later, a text message arrived. Old Man Qian didn't look at it but handed it to Yao Jing, signaling her to view it privately.

Yao Jing, naturally a bit confused, opened the message. At first glance, her expression changed, filled with surprise, joy, and disbelief, "...Are these real?"

"Of course," Old Man Qian nodded with a light smile. "If you don't believe it, you can go see for yourself."

"What is it?" Yu Feibai suddenly felt curious, wanting to lean closer to look. But Yao Jing put her phone away and then stated solemnly, "If this is real, I will certainly go see."

"Good," Old Man Qian nodded, his smile warm and gentle. "Someone will come in a couple of days to formally invite you to depart."

"Mm," Yao Jing sounded expectant, then hesitated before asking, "Old man, what about my cousin…"

"Your cousin is doing well," Old Man Qian replied gently, "But since he did wrong, he must face some lessons. Don't worry, we won't make things difficult for him; as long as he shows repentance, he will be out soon enough."

With Old Man Qian’s words concluding the matter, the affair of Mr. Zhu the Elder could be considered successfully resolved. After staying in Kaifeng for half a day, Wang Guan and the others returned to the capital, each with different feelings, but everyone felt significantly lighter, as if a great weight had been lifted……〖Book Net∷Fast Update∷No Pop-ups∷Pure Text∷www.〗RT