Chapter 26

Dong Lao revealed the item he had brought, which was a string of court beads.

Court beads were a type of accessory worn with Qing Dynasty ceremonial attire, hanging around the neck and down to the chest. There were a total of 108 beads, with a larger bead inserted every 27 beads, making a total of four larger beads, known as "dividing beads." The type of beads and the color of the cord varied according to the rank and status of the wearer.

Generally speaking, court beads could be made of materials such as pearls, amber, coral, jade, and honeycomb. It seemed that the string of court beads Dong Lao had brought was made of pearls.

At first, Zhang Tianyuan did not use the earth qi or the six-character mantra to examine the court beads, so he could not tell if they were genuine. However, he had read books on the subject, so when the court beads were placed on display, he already had an answer in mind.

He lowered his head and wrote his answer on a piece of paper, then waited for the others to appraise the item.

Jia Zhengjing was much more serious, carefully examining the court beads for a long time and touching them several times before finally writing down his answer.

Dong Lao laughed and said, "Actually, today's appraisal is a bit unfair to Tianyuan, Miss Xiao Liu, and Master Jia. How about this: you only need to determine if the item is genuine, while we few not only need to determine its authenticity but also explain its origin and history. This would be fair."

"Yes, that makes sense. Otherwise, it would look like we are bullying the younger generation," Old Li agreed, stroking his beard.

Except for Dong Lao, who did not write down his answer, the others all wrote down their own answers.

Just as they were about to reveal their answers, Zhang Tianyuan spoke up, smiling. "Why don't Mr. Xiao, Mr. Murong, and Old Li hold back your answers for now? You are all true experts, and identifying this item would be easy for you. If you reveal your answers, it won't be interesting. Why don't we let the three of us young people analyze it first?"

Zhang Tianyuan was not a fool. He knew that Jia Zhengjing had a crush on Liu Mengxun and had once humiliated him outside the Hundred Arts Workshop. For Jia Zhengjing, that might be in the past, but for Zhang Tianyuan, it was a grudge he remembered. He was definitely not as wealthy as Jia Zhengjing, but in terms of appraising antiques and knowledge, he believed he was far superior. Therefore, he wanted to make Jia Zhengjing lose face in this matter.

The experts also agreed. The so-called appraisal meeting was just a gimmick. Generally, the appraisals of Dong Lao, Old Li, Mr. Xiao, and Mr. Murong would not differ much, unless it was an extremely difficult item. However, today's items were relatively common, and the purpose was purely for fun. It would be more interesting to focus on the final "Shangyangtai" and the gemstone appraisal.

"Alright, let's do it as Tianyuan suggested. I think Miss Xiao Liu doesn't need to reveal her answer either. Let the two young men have a showdown," Old Li, who had never liked Jia Zhengjing, added, pushing the matter further.

Liu Mengxun, upon hearing this, thought it was not appropriate for her to join in, so she nodded in agreement and put away her answer.

Thus, what was supposed to be a group appraisal turned into a showdown between Zhang Tianyuan and Jia Zhengjing.

Jia Zhengjing looked down on Zhang Tianyuan and was also jealous and resentful of him. He wanted to teach Zhang Tianyuan a lesson, especially after seeing how close Zhang Tianyuan and Liu Mengxun had been earlier.

Hearing Zhang Tianyuan and Old Li, he sneered inwardly, "Brat, you really are asking for it. If you want to embarrass yourself, I'll let you."

He was quite confident, having learned a lot about appraising antiques from his business in vintage clothing. He felt that while he might not be able to match the four experts, he could definitely handle Zhang Tianyuan.

Xu Gang, standing nearby, gave Zhang Tianyuan a thumbs up. He had complete faith in his good friend, knowing that Zhang Tianyuan would not do anything without being sure. Jia Zhengjing was in for a big surprise today.

"Let's reveal our answers together!" Jia Zhengjing said confidently.

Zhang Tianyuan nodded, and they both revealed their answers simultaneously.

"Oh? Interesting. One says it's genuine, the other says it's fake. You didn't disappoint us, hahaha," Dong Lao laughed meaningfully.

Zhang Tianyuan had written "fake," while Jia Zhengjing had written "genuine." This difference naturally required an explanation.

Jia Zhengjing gave Zhang Tianyuan a contemptuous look, clearly thinking, "You're going to lose, this string of court beads is definitely made of pearls!"

His confidence came from his experience in vintage clothing, where he often dealt with items embedded with pearls and other gemstones. He believed he could identify this without any problem.

If it were something else, he might have hesitated, but for this, he was absolutely confident.

Jia Zhengjing proudly began his explanation: "As the saying goes, 'pearls and gems,' the luster is the soul of pearls. Pearls without luster or with little luster lack the spirit."

He glanced at Liu Mengxun, noticing a smile in her eyes, which made him even more enthusiastic. However, he might not have realized that her smile had a deeper meaning.

"Look at the luster. Place the pearls on a white soft cloth to see the smooth and gentle luster they emit. When viewed against the light, good pearls will show a rich and varied rainbow of colors, with a metallic-like surface that can even reflect a person's pupils. The brightest ones are classified as A-grade, and the slightly less bright ones as B-grade."

"Master Jia, what grade do you think these pearls are?" Zhang Tianyuan asked, feigning ignorance.

To catch a fish, you have to let it taste the bait first. Otherwise, how can you catch it?

"These pearls, I just checked, reflect light very brightly, sharply, and evenly, with a mirror-like surface and clear reflections. They are definitely A-grade luster, no doubt about it!"

"Oh... I see, so they are quite valuable?" Zhang Tianyuan asked again.

Jia Zhengjing looked at Zhang Tianyuan with disdain, thinking, "A poor man is always thinking about money."

He continued proudly, "These pearls not only have excellent luster but are also perfectly round! As the saying goes, 'a little more round, a little more valuable.' The rounder the pearls, the more beautiful they are, which fits Chinese aesthetic preferences. Large, perfectly round pearls have the beauty of a full moon. Combined with the luster, they create a dreamy beauty. So, I estimate this string of court beads to be worth 300,000 yuan."

"Cough, Master Jia, are you sure this item is worth 300,000 yuan?" Mr. Murong coughed and asked.

He had intended to warn Jia Zhengjing, but Zhang Tianyuan interjected, "This is an antique, isn't it worth more than 300,000 yuan?"

He had already planned to make Jia Zhengjing look foolish and would not miss this opportunity.

Mr. Murong could no longer give a warning. His previous comment had already violated the rules and caused dissatisfaction from Dong Lao and Old Li. If he said more, it might ruin the event.

He hoped Jia Zhengjing would be smart enough to understand his hint.

However, Jia Zhengjing did not listen to him and instead listened to Zhang Tianyuan. His envy and resentment towards Zhang Tianyuan had slightly distorted his thinking.

Afraid that his estimate was too low, he added 200,000 yuan.

"Considering this is a Qing Dynasty item and the pearls are top-grade white pearls with very full grains, 500,000 yuan is a reasonable price," Jia Zhengjing said, gritting his teeth.