Chapter 52

Yang Bo had not yet had the chance to take a good look at the room's decor when the man straightened up, turned around, and frowned at the group, "Old Wang, what do you mean by this?"

Old Wang's face showed a hint of embarrassment, "Old Yu, this is Mr. Liu Liangyu from Nanjing."

There was an unwritten rule in the industry: if one appraiser was invited to authenticate an item, it was unlikely that another would be sought to avoid conflicts of interest due to differing opinions. Wang Qingmin had originally invited them separately, and Yu Da was supposed to come a few days earlier, but he had been busy. Coincidentally, he arrived at the same time.

Liu Liangyu's expression did not change much, as if he was used to such situations.

Yu Da, who had likely heard of Liu Liangyu's reputation, relaxed a bit and nodded at him, "Hello!"

Liu Liangyu smiled, "Old Yu, why don't you take a look first, and we'll step aside?"

Yu Da thought this was a good idea, but he also knew that if he agreed, it would be seen as a lack of confidence and skill, making it hard for him to find work in the future. "Mr. Liu, let's do it together!" Yu Da invited, seemingly unconcerned.

"Alright." Liu Liangyu agreed and walked over.

Yang Bo did not step forward but found a chair to sit on. Seeing Wang Qingmin's smile, he understood that, regardless of the coincidence, Wang Qingmin must have played a role in the arrangement. After all, everyone had to call him before coming, and Wang Qingmin could have intercepted one of them.

However, since it did not concern him much, Yang Bo sat and waited until Yu Da and Liu Liangyu returned to their seats to drink tea and ponder. Only then did he step forward to take a closer look.

In the lower right corner of the painting, it read, "Moonlight Painting sent to Mr. Shu Tong for appreciation" and "Seventy-five-year-old Jin Nong." The seal read "Jin Ji."

Yang Bo found the painting familiar and suddenly remembered that this work, titled "Moonlight Painting," was the one in the Nanjing Museum.

Yang Bo looked closely and saw that the painting featured only a full moon, with its surface showing the undulating shadows and the outer edge radiating a spectrum of colors. In most works, the moon was a secondary element, but in this painting, it was the sole focus, which was rare in traditional Chinese art.

Since the Nanjing Museum already had the original, it was generally assumed that this painting was a copy. Was there even a need for further authentication?

Yang Bo glanced at Yu Da and Liu Liangyu, who were calmly seated. He smiled lightly; maintaining composure was also a skill.

The "Moonlight Painting" before him began to emit a faint glow, which converged above the painting, forming a halo. Yang Bo frowned; he had expected the halo to be thin, but it indicated that the painting was from the Qianlong era!

Yang Bo was surprised and looked at the inscription again, feeling puzzled.

"Mr. Yu, what do you think of this painting?" Liu Liangyu asked.

Yu Da pondered for a moment, "The Nanjing Museum has a 'Moonlight Painting.' This one looks identical, so it's likely a copy."

Yu Da did not elaborate, as artists rarely created identical works unless they were copies.

Wang Qingmin's expression turned sour, "Is it impossible for an artist to create two identical works? This painting has been passed down in my family for many years."

"The 'Moonlight Painting' is one of Jin Nong's masterpieces. His unique style, known as 'lacquer script,' combines regular and clerical scripts. The inscription on this painting has weak and soft strokes, suggesting it is a copy," Liu Liangyu explained.

Wang Qingmin stared at the painting, "This painting has been in my family for two or three hundred years. I've seen the one in the Nanjing Museum, and it does look similar, but is there any other possibility? Could Jin Nong have created two identical works?"

Yu Da looked at Wang Qingmin, "What other possibility could there be? You must understand that ancient artists were different from modern ones. They wouldn't create multiple copies to sell for profit! Some modern artists might do that if a work won an award, but ancient artists never did!"

"Your painting is most likely a copy. There's no other possibility. You might as well give up on that idea. The paper is yellowed, so it could be a Qing dynasty copy and still fetch a good price."

Yu Da spoke bluntly, leaving Wang Qingmin increasingly disappointed.

He turned to Liu Liangyu, "Mr. Liu, do you think there could be a special case?"

Liu Liangyu paused, "Does Mr. Yu have any other thoughts?"

"What did your ancestors do?" Yang Bo, who had been silent, asked, as if everyone had forgotten about him.

"This painting has been preserved, so your family must have been landlords," Yu Da interjected.

Yang Bo ignored him and asked, "Mr. Wang, do you know about your family's history?"

Wang Qingmin shook his head, "It's been so long, and we haven't kept a family genealogy. My family's wealth was accumulated during my grandfather's time, which was already the late Qing dynasty."

"Mr. Wang, could your ancestors have been friends with Jin Nong or worked for his family?" Yang Bo asked.

Wang Qingmin was taken aback, "Young man, what do you mean?"

"I think this painting could be genuine!" Yang Bo said, pointing at the painting, "Of course, it could also be a fake."

Yang Bo's words left the three men puzzled, unable to understand the contradiction.

"Little brother, don't speak if you don't understand! How can it be both genuine and fake?" Yu Da looked at Yang Bo.

Wang Qingmin, who had forgotten Yang Bo's name, echoed, "Yes, how can it be both genuine and fake?"

Liu Liangyu looked at Yang Bo but did not speak, curious about what he had discovered.

Yang Bo smiled and pointed at the "Moonlight Painting," "Have you noticed the alterations on the upper part of the painting?"

"Alterations?" Yang Bo's words piqued their curiosity.

Liu Liangyu looked at the spot Yang Bo indicated and saw several hasty strokes that seemed to cover up a mistake.

Wang Qingmin stared at it, "It does seem to be there."

"But what does that prove?" Yu Da asked, frowning.

"Jin Nong was one of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou and was already famous in his lifetime. If such a renowned artist created a flawed work in his later years, what do you think he would do?"

Yang Bo pointed at the altered area and smiled.