Chapter 39

Gudelong carefully examined the jade seal, noticing that one corner was missing.

In the late Western Han Dynasty, Wang Mang usurped power. At that time, the emperor was young, and the jade seal was in the hands of the Empress Dowager. Wang Mang sent his brother Wang Shun to demand it, but the Empress Dowager angrily scolded him and even threw the jade seal at him, causing it to fall to the ground and break one corner.

Gudelong then looked at the shoulder of the jade seal, where he saw a line of clerical script: "The Great Wei received the Han's imperial seal."

During the Three Kingdoms era, Cao Pi, the son of Cao Cao, usurped the throne, and Emperor Xian of Han was forced to "abdicate." Cao Pi had the words carved to prove that he was not a usurper, but it only made things worse.

Gudelong then looked at the right side of the jade seal, where he saw four large characters: "Heaven's Mandate to the Shi Clan."

After Sima Yan, the grandson of Sima Yi, unified the country, his son, Emperor Huai of Jin, Sima Chi, was captured by the Xiongnu and became a wine server for Emperor Liu Cong of the Xiongnu. Later, the Jie person Shi Le unified Central China, and the imperial seal fell into his hands. The four characters "Heaven's Mandate to the Shi Clan" were carved by him.

Shi Le was the emperor with the lowest social status in history. In his youth, he was a slave and could not read. It was truly amusing that an illiterate emperor would carve words on the jade seal.

Shi Le carved "Heaven's Mandate to the Shi Clan," but his family suffered a tragic fate. After his death, his only son was killed by his trusted nephew, who became the tyrant Shi Hu. After Shi Hu's death, the country fell into chaos, and the entire Jie clan, including the Shi family, was almost exterminated by Ran Min, Shi Hu's adopted grandson.

As Gudelong repeatedly examined this precious jade, this legendary imperial seal, he felt that it was a living history of China, recording thousands of years of civilization, social turmoil, and the passage of time. If all the antiques of China were ranked, this would undoubtedly be the first, unshakable!

Even if all the antiques in the world were ranked together, it would be hard to find one more valuable than this!

This is a true national treasure, a truly priceless jade!

"This thing is too precious, I can't make a decision alone. Let everyone take a look!" Gudelong said in a trembling voice.

In his career in the antique industry, this was the first time he had been so excited, and he would never be as excited as he was today!

The other experts also had serious expressions, carefully examining the jade seal. If they confirmed that this was the imperial seal, it would certainly cause a huge stir!

The imperial jade seal, a symbol of supreme power for thousands of years, the emperor's token!

Time passed slowly, and none of the experts dared to make a definitive statement. The final conclusion could only be "suspected"!

Because it was too important, no expert dared to make a direct judgment!

It must be thoroughly studied, relevant historical records must be found, and all the authoritative experts in the country must be gathered to discuss it before a conclusion can be reached. This matter cannot be rushed!

"Um, Director Tan, if everyone can't reach a conclusion, can I still exhibit and sell this jade seal at the exhibition?" Li Yi asked.

Before Tan Mingcheng could answer, Gudelong interjected, "We can't immediately conclude that it is the imperial seal, but after carbon-14 testing, we can determine that it is an ancient jade and an ancient seal, so it should be considered an antique and can certainly be displayed. However, we can't set a predicted price for it, because if it is the imperial seal, it is a priceless treasure!"

"That's good, I was worried it wouldn't sell today!" Li Yi chuckled.

"What, you want to sell it?" Gudelong was greatly surprised.

"Yes, I'm short on cash recently, and I need to sell all these things, not keeping any!" Li Yi said with a smile.

"Heaven, not keeping any? Are you going to sell these Ru porcelain pieces too?" Tan Mingcheng asked.

"Of course." Li Yi nodded.

Tan Mingcheng said, "Mr. Li, for the ordinary items in this exhibition, all experts will give a rough estimate and mark it on the display stand. If you encounter a visitor with a purchase intention, as long as both parties reach an agreement, they can freely buy and sell. However, for particularly valuable items that you still want to sell, we plan to hold an auction after the exhibition. Are you interested in putting your items up for auction?"

Gudelong said, "This auction is the highlight of the exhibition. If you want to get a good price for your collection, it's better to participate in the auction. Ordinary items don't have the right to participate in the auction!"

Li Yi said, "If that's the case, that's even better. I have a few more antiques..."

"Ah, more?" Everyone was surprised.

Li Yi's subsequent antiques, although they didn't shatter the glasses of the experts like the previous ones, were still very valuable, making Tan Mingcheng's eyes sparkle.

At the end of the appraisal, Tan Mingcheng strongly invited Li Yi to put all the antiques he brought to the auction, promising to sell them for a good price.

Li Yi smiled and agreed, then pulled Lin Ruxue, who was still in shock, to prepare to place his items on the pre-arranged display stand.

"Wait a moment!" Tan Mingcheng called out to Li Yi.

"What's wrong?" Li Yi asked.

"You don't need to go to that display stand. Your antiques are so precious, how can they not be in the central area? The largest display stand tonight belongs to you, and no one can outshine you! Xiao Liao, rearrange the central area, clear the central position for Mr. Li, and move everyone else out one circle!" Tan Mingcheng said urgently.

With the director's order, the staff immediately made emergency adjustments.

Originally, the central area had four rows of display cabinets arranged in a square, with a central area for rest, where a few sofas were placed.

Now, the four rows of display cabinets were all moved outward, and a bright red carpet was laid in the center. The staff then used exquisite cabinets to form a circle on the carpet, creating a dedicated central display stand for Li Yi!

This was the center of the central area, the most prominent position in the entire exhibition!

Li Yi's exhibits were actually not many, and placing them in a circle of luxurious display cabinets was a waste.

But Tan Mingcheng had a method. He used many exquisite trays, placing each of Li Yi's antiques on a tray. Just the set of Ru porcelain tea ware alone filled five large trays. The wide space and white lining of the trays made the sky-blue porcelain tea bowls even more dazzling and charming, truly the leader of Song porcelain!

Placing the trays in the crystal bulletproof glass cabinets, Tan Mingcheng still felt unsatisfied. He asked the staff to bring more lights. Instantly, Li Yi's display cabinet was brightly lit, twice as bright as the other participants' display cabinets, making it the undisputed star!

"Isn't this a bit much?" Li Yi smiled.

"Not at all, not at all. The success of tonight's exhibition depends entirely on you! Xiao Liu, bring more colored lights, and Xiao Zhang, bring red flags to place around it!"

Since Tan Mingcheng was willing to work, Li Yi didn't stop him and sat on the sofa in the middle of the display cabinet with Lin Ruxue.

"Auntie, I remember your classmate was coming to see us. Tell me, can he afford my antiques?" Li Yi asked with a smile.

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