Chapter 46

"Because……"

Qi Xiang composed himself and spoke calmly, "At first, I thought this painting might be a revealed painting, so I was hesitant. However, the attitudes of the elders made me think of another possibility."

An old man with sparse eyebrows moved slightly and asked, "What possibility?"

"Is there any other possibility?" others whispered, completely puzzled and confused.

"Don't make noise, listen to what he has to say."

Under the warning of some people, the others fell silent and listened quietly.

"I suddenly remembered that Ren Bonian was a professional painter," Qi Xiang said slowly. "All professional painters have a common trait."

"What common trait?" Old Sun asked with interest, his eyes growing brighter.

"Clear pricing..." Qi Xiang said with a smile. "Professional painters are never ashamed to talk about money, after all, they make a living by selling paintings. The value of each painting is clearly marked."

"This is especially evident in Zheng Banqiao and Qi Baishi. Their personally written fees are still widely discussed today."

Qi Xiang gave an example, "Without a doubt, Ren Bonian was the same. The price of his paintings, the cost of a fan, there must be a standard market price, no haggling allowed."

"Hmm, that's true, no mistake," Old Sun asked again, "But, what does this market price have to do with the authenticity of the painting?"

The others nodded unconsciously, finding Qi Xiang's words vague and hard to understand.

"Of course it's related," Qi Xiang said confidently. "As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Ren Bonian was a great painter, and his paintings are worth the price, everyone agrees."

"However, as I mentioned earlier, in Ren Bonian's later years, he suffered from lung disease and rarely painted, usually his daughter did the work for him."

Qi Xiang's eyes sparkled with wisdom, "In this situation, if someone found out that the painting they paid a lot of money for was not actually painted by Ren Bonian, what do you think would happen?"

"This..."

The group looked at each other, some pondering, others confused.

After a moment, someone whispered, "Would they confront him?"

"Or... return it?"

"Get him to paint another one..."

The group chattered, getting closer to the truth.

At this moment, Qi Xiang chuckled and said leisurely, "If it were me, confrontation and return would be inevitable. But a smart person who truly wants a painting might use a more clever method to recover their loss."

"For example..."

Qi Xiang paused and smiled, "For example, take the painting done by his daughter, along with a blank scroll that has already been mounted, directly to Ren Bonian's house to demand an explanation, then watch him paint a similar courtesan painting right in front of you."

"Finally, return home with two paintings, wouldn't that be even more profitable?"

Qi Xiang explained this hypothesis in detail, leaving the group speechless and thoroughly stunned.

"Right, why didn't I think of that."

Suddenly, someone clapped and said, "Why didn't I think of this? Historical records show that some people even brought pre-mounted blank scrolls to get paintings."

"This way, the painters, unable to resist the pressure, would paint on the spot, a good way to jump the queue."

With this reminder, the others also woke up and immediately understood.

The faint ink might not necessarily be due to the painting being revealed, but could also be because the painting was mounted before the ink was applied, forming layers, making it difficult for the ink to penetrate.

After careful consideration, Qi Xiang's judgment seemed reasonable and made sense.

Some people understood, while others felt a headache and turned back to ask, "Elders, is this young man right? Is this a genuine painting?"

At that moment, the elders all laughed, very happily.

"He's right."

Old Sun didn't keep them in suspense and said straightforwardly, "Yes, according to our research, we all agree that this painting is genuine. And the reason is the same as his analysis, we believe the painting was mounted before it was painted."

"Ah, ah, ah..."

In an instant, the crowd was in an uproar, some excited, some disappointed, a cacophony of voices.

The boss, Pang Da, hearing this, his face fell, his features twitching, feeling a bit of a sting.

Sometimes, what you fear comes to pass.

At this moment, someone teased, "Boss Pang, this young man has picked out ten forgeries, shouldn't you fulfill your promise and give him the prize?"

"Right, the prize, the prize!"

The crowd, always ready for a spectacle, immediately cheered and laughed.

"Alright, alright."

Pang Da quickly adjusted his attitude, trying to maintain a calm demeanor, "I keep my word. Since he has done it, he can take any painting from the second floor, no need to be polite."

Hearing this, many people looked at Qi Xiang enviously, with various feelings.

"Tsk, tsk, he's made a fortune."

"Which painting to choose..."

"Of course, the most valuable one."

The crowd whispered and discussed, in their view, it was obvious and there was no need to hesitate.

At the same time, someone sneered, "Who doesn't know to take the most valuable one? The question is, which one on the second floor is the most valuable?"

"This..." someone opened his mouth to speak but suddenly choked, unable to say.

That's right~

The value or price of paintings is hard to define precisely. Market prices are always changing, fluctuating.

Last year's price may not be the same this year. It could appreciate or depreciate.

This market fluctuation is hard to predict.

Of course, compared to market prices, the temperament of collectors is even harder to predict.

Some collectors are very fond of a particular painter's work and will pay a high price without considering the market value when they encounter it.

But for things they don't like, they won't even bother to quote a price.

This contrast and uncertainty is a variable.

There are so many works on the second floor, gathered from dozens of famous artists. Everyone has their own aesthetic, and it's hard to reach a consensus with so many people.

If someone says a painting is the most valuable, someone else will immediately scoff, thinking they lack taste, leading to a heated debate. The spacious hall quickly becomes as noisy as a market.

An old man frowned slightly, disliking the noisy environment, and said, "Everyone, please calm down..."

Respected masters stepping in, the crowd naturally quieted down, listening respectfully.

"Your arguments are meaningless," the old man said directly, waving his hand, "Let's hear what the main person thinks."

The crowd realized and felt a bit embarrassed. Indeed, Qi Xiang hadn't even spoken yet, and they were making a fuss. Truly, the emperor isn't worried, but the eunuch is...

However, soon, someone couldn't help but recommend, "Young man, consider the pine and bamboo painting by Zheng Banqiao. It's really excellent, a representative work by Zheng Banqiao, very valuable!"

"Don't listen to him... Listen to me... Tang Bohu's paintings are the most valuable!"

"Tang Bohu's paintings also vary in quality... Not all ancient paintings are necessarily valuable. Modern masters' works, like Li Keran's, are always highly priced in the market..."

"Guanshan Yue's 'High Mountain Red Plum,' a classic red theme, with deep meaning..."

The crowd, with good intentions, recommended various works, each with their own aesthetic, actively promoting the works as if they were selling products in their store.

Pang Da, listening to this, his eyes twitched, his face turning sour.

The works they recommended could be considered treasures among the second-floor paintings. Almost every piece was one he had paid a high price for.

"These people are all troublemakers, sharp-eyed thieves..." Pang Da cursed in his heart, but was helpless.

"Thank you, thank you..."

Qi Xiang smiled and nodded, showing his appreciation for the crowd's good intentions. Then he turned, walked to Pang Da's side, and said with a smile, "Mr. Pang, can we talk in private?"

"Uh?" Pang Da was taken aback, naturally a bit puzzled. But after thinking about it, he didn't refuse.

The two then moved away from the crowd, quickly finding a corner.

"What do you want to talk about?" Pang Da asked, on guard.

Qi Xiang smiled and whispered, "Mr. Pang, can you fulfill the prize you promised?"

"Ah?" Pang Da was stunned, he had never expected Qi Xiang to ask this.

"I'm a bit short on cash recently and need some money..." Qi Xiang said a bit shyly, "Anyway, I would probably sell the prize. Since that's the case, why not just give me the money directly? What do you think?"

Pang Da's eyes darted around, his gaze flickering, "Which painting did you choose?"

"Actually, I think Guanshan Yue's 'High Mountain Red Plum' is really excellent..." Qi Xiang said with a smile, "After all, Guanshan Yue is a representative of the Lingnan School, and 'High Mountain Red Plum' is one of his specialties, the market price should be high."

Pang Da's heart suddenly tightened upon hearing this.

Then, Qi Xiang continued, "But later, I thought, Zheng Banqiao's 'Pine and Bamboo' is also quite good. If I were to choose, I would definitely pick this one. What do you think?"

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