Chapter 38

When all the experts in calligraphy and painting gathered around, they all gazed at the *Lanting Xu* and marveled at it in amazement.

"This calligraphy is too beautiful, almost encompassing all the virtues of calligraphy. I can't imagine anyone other than the Sage of Calligraphy could have produced such a masterpiece!" Professor Li from Tsinghua University said.

"Yes, look at the brushstrokes, they emphasize the rise and fall, the precision and variation. The same stroke can be written in multiple ways, seemingly without rules yet following them, embodying strength within beauty. The structure emphasizes balance and openness, lively and varied, with no repetition of the same character, fully displaying the true form of the characters, embodying balance within asymmetry. The composition is well-spaced and naturally formed! It's too beautiful!" Professor Hao from the Cultural Relics Bureau exclaimed loudly.

"Look, what is this?" Gu Delong pointed to the edge of the xuan paper.

"This is a poem, someone else's poem, and there are the seals of the jade stamp and Li Shimin's private seal. My goodness, this is Li Shimin's handwriting!" Professor Hua exclaimed.

"Could it be that the legend is true?" Professor Hao rubbed his chin, his eyes sparkling with unusual excitement.

According to legend, Wang Xizhi cherished his "divinely inspired" work, the *Lanting Xu*, considering it a family treasure. It was passed down through generations until it reached his seventh-generation grandson, Zhiyong. Zhiyong became a monk in his youth and lived to be a hundred years old, passing it on to his disciple Biancai upon his death.

Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, was one of the emperors who loved calligraphy the most. Upon hearing that the *Lanting Xu* was in the possession of the monk Biancai, he ordered Xiao Yi to obtain it from the monk in Shanyin. From then on, he cherished it dearly and had it buried with him after his death.

Professor Hua carefully examined the poem and finally said, "Yes, it is indeed written by Emperor Taizong. The handwriting is almost identical to that in the *Jinci Ming*."

There are few genuine works of Emperor Taizong that have survived, only a few pieces like the *Jinci Ming* and the *Wenquan Ming*. Professor Hua had done extensive research on this.

Although Emperor Taizong was famous for his calligraphy, there was still a gap between his work and that of true calligraphy masters.

It is said that when Emperor Taizong was learning calligraphy from Yu Shinan, he could not write the character "ge" well. So, when practicing, he wrote the character "jian" and left the right side blank for Yu Shinan to fill in.

Yu Shinan completed the right side of the character "jian" with the character "ge," and Emperor Taizong was very satisfied, showing it to his ministers. The ministers, seeing that the emperor was showing off his work, dared not say it was unattractive and praised it unanimously.

Li Shimin, hearing the praise, was very pleased. When Wei Zheng arrived, he showed his work to him and asked, "How about it, isn't my calligraphy as good as Yu Shinan's now?"

Wei Zheng, known for his frankness, glanced at it and said, "Your Majesty, if compared to Yu Shinan, only the right side of the character 'ge' in 'jian' is decent!"

Because Emperor Taizong's handwriting had distinct characteristics, Professor Hua immediately recognized it. He did not know that Li Yi had copied it, only to prove the authenticity of this *Lanting Xu*.

Throughout history, many famous calligraphy works have been annotated and sealed by various people. Given Li Shimin's love for the *Lanting Xu*, it would be strange if he hadn't added his own touches.

"Mr. Li, although I am absolutely certain that this is a genuine work by Wang Xizhi, it is still necessary to conduct a test. May I take it for a carbon-14 test?" Professor Hua asked earnestly.

"Of course, to be honest, I didn't know if it was a copy either!" Li Yi nodded.

Professor Hua immediately took the work for testing. Not long after, he returned excitedly, saying, "The results are in, this is indeed a work from the Eastern Jin Dynasty! I believe it is a hundred percent an original by Wang Xizhi!"

Gu Delong also nodded, "At the very least, it is a self-copy by Wang Xizhi himself. There is no other possibility!"

"Yes, who else but the Sage of Calligraphy could write such perfect calligraphy!" the other experts echoed in unison.

Upon hearing the experts' conclusions, Tan Mingcheng's face lit up, and he put his arm around Li Yi's shoulder, laughing heartily, "Mr. Li, you are truly remarkable to have such a treasure! This is a genuine rarity, truly an eye-opener!"

The local expert stepped forward, "Mr. Li, your calligraphy is a hundred times more valuable than Ru porcelain. Don't put it in a broken bag from the art market; even a slight scratch would be a significant loss!"

Li Yi smiled, "Thank you, all the experts. Before coming here, I didn't know if it was a copy either. Now, hearing everyone's opinions, I am reassured."

"My goodness, you really have a genuine work by Wang Xizhi! Didn't Xiaoting say you wrote it? How did it become a Wang?" Lin Ruxue whispered.

Li Yi whispered back, "Don't you know me? I live next door and my surname is Wang, so of course I wrote it!"

"Phew!" Lin Ruxue rolled her eyes, her heart beating faster.

Two sets of Ru porcelain and a genuine work by Wang Xizhi! How much would this be worth if sold? My goodness, it's unimaginable!

We've made it, this time we've really made it!

"Does Mr. Li have any other collections?" Gu Delong looked at Li Yi, his eyes full of anticipation.

Having seen the extraordinary beauty of the "rain over the sky after the clouds break" Ru porcelain and the genuine work of Wang Xizhi, Gu Delong felt that no matter what other treasures Li Yi might produce, he wouldn't be too surprised.

His surprise had already reached its limit and could not be further increased!

But when Li Yi took out the next item, Gu Delong realized he was way off. This item shocked him so much that he fell off his chair.

The other experts also dropped their glasses in shock!

How could such a treasure be produced?

"Mr. Li, are you joking? This is the most precious treasure of our Chinese nation, the one that has been treasured for five thousand years?"

Even Tan Mingcheng, who was not very knowledgeable about antiques, could not help but tremble all over, for Li Yi had just taken out the Heirloom Seal of the Realm!

"I don't know if it's real or not, it still needs to be authenticated by the experts," Li Yi smiled.

The Heirloom Seal of the Realm is a symbol of imperial power in China for five thousand years.

Initially, the Heirloom Seal was not a seal but a piece of jade, the famous "Heshi Bi," the jade that Qin Shi Huang wanted to exchange for fifteen cities!

Although Lin Xiangru returned the jade to Zhao, a famous story, after Qin Shi Huang unified the six states, this invaluable jade eventually fell into his hands.

With such a beautiful jade in hand, the emperor who unified the world naturally used it to make a seal. Only a seal made from this jade could match his status as the First Emperor of a thousand years!

The seal is four inches square, with a handle in the shape of five intertwined dragons. On the front, it is engraved with the eight characters "Receiving the Mandate of Heaven, Longevity and Eternal Prosperity," written by Li Si, as a symbol of "divine mandate and legitimate rule."

After the fall of the Qin Dynasty, the seal became the imperial seal of the Han Dynasty and was passed down through the Wei and Jin Dynasties, changing hands many times over two thousand years, until it disappeared at the end of the Five Dynasties period.

Throughout history, emperors have considered obtaining this seal a sign of divine favor, treating it as a precious treasure. Possessing it symbolized their "divine mandate," while losing it indicated the end of their reign. Any emperor who ascended the throne without this seal was mocked as a "white board emperor," lacking legitimacy and being looked down upon by the people.

Gu Delong wiped his hands repeatedly and took several deep breaths before picking up the jade seal in front of him.

At first glance, it was crystal clear and exquisitely beautiful, a rare gem indeed!

"The quality of this jade is truly unparalleled!"

"I have studied jade for many years and have never seen such a beautiful piece, not even a small one!"

"Yes, a piece of jade of this quality and size can only be the legendary Heshi Bi!"

The other experts also gathered around the jade seal, exclaiming in amazement.

———

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