Chapter 3

Brothers who opened this, if you think it's good, then bookmark it. Even if the word count is not much now, it's still worth keeping. Click to add to your bookshelf; it's a simple action but a great support for Fengshen.

Thank you to Brother Shili Changfeng for the tip.

Due to his special abilities, Han Kongque has an excellent memory, so he remembers many things that others can't. Although he had never heard of "Yilüe" before, he had seen the medical cases recorded in it.

Han Kongque has a photographic memory. Just a quick flip through the book, and he remembered a lot of its contents, something Chen Qian could never imagine.

Not only him, but even his neighbors who have known him for ten years and his closer family members, none of them knew about his photographic memory. The only one who knew lost his memory and forgot everything about him and his abilities.

So, Han Kongque's height and build always reminded people that he was just a big, simple-minded person. Even if they didn't call him a fool, they would still think he was a brute with a simple mind and strong body.

No one could imagine that beneath this appearance, he had a sharp and perceptive mind.

If he read through the entire "Yilüe," he would memorize it as thoroughly as the Han family genealogy. Although the book is written in traditional characters, which are not much different from modern ones, Han Kongque could understand it completely.

The two books Chen Qian took out both have some history, especially this "Yilüe." Regardless of whether it was copied by Zhang Zhi, the content recorded in it is very valuable for research.

Han Kongque likes some folk remedies, so he once specifically looked for ancient books on this topic. This allowed him to remember many medical cases from ancient and modern times, even though most of them were not practical. However, he still liked them because of his exceptional memory.

Although he knew the prescriptions were not practical and dared not use them, he still memorized many ancient medical texts. Because of this, he knew about a book called "Wuwei Medical Bamboo Slips," which recorded similar content to "Yilüe." However, the "Wuwei Medical Bamboo Slips" were made of bamboo and were incomplete, so the recorded content was limited.

In November 1972, in Gansu Province, Wuwei, a tomb from the early Eastern Han Dynasty was excavated, and 92 medical bamboo slips were found. The format was to first describe the symptoms and then list the prescriptions for treating the disease.

In addition to herbal remedies, it also involved acupuncture. Due to the damage and loss of the bamboo slips, the "Wuwei Medical Bamboo Slips" were not very useful, but they still had some value for studying traditional Chinese medicine and characters.

However, this "Yilüe" is different. It is recorded on paper and bound into a book, with no pages missing or damaged. Except for the cover, all the other pages are white, thin and even, soft, and resilient.

Han Kongque has a photographic memory, so his knowledge is extensive. As long as he can access the knowledge, he will remember it. The paper-making process is one of the things he knows, as it is essential for appraising calligraphy and paintings.

Han Kongque analyzed the fiber structure of the paper and found that the raw materials were hemp, grass, and tree bark. When held up to the sun, the strong light revealed clear screen lines.

The paper surface was relatively smooth, with signs of secondary processing. The plant fibers used had characteristics similar to Cai Lun's paper, matching the relevant historical records.

Especially similar to the "Fulongping Paper," Han Kongque believed this was from the Eastern Han Dynasty, around the same time as the "Fulongping Paper," both made with Cai Lun's paper.

In September 1987, the Lanzhou City Museum discovered three circular ink-stained paper pieces in a bronze mirror pouch in a Han Dynasty brick tomb on Longweishan Mountain in Fulongping, Gansu Province. These were called the "Fulongping Paper."

These are some of the earliest ink-stained papers found in China and are physical evidence of Cai Lun's paper. They are now preserved in the Lanzhou City Museum and are classified as first-class national cultural relics. The three "Fulongping Paper" pieces, with a diameter of 17.5 cm, are stored in a bronze mirror.

Although Han Kongque had never seen the real Cai Lun paper, the production process of Cai Lun paper and the characteristics of the "Fulongping Paper" in his memory reminded him that this "Yilüe" was written on Cai Lun paper.

If the seal at the end of "Yilüe" is indeed Po Liuhang Chang's, then this "Yilüe" is a genuine antique, over 1,800 years old.

Such an item is not just an ancient book or a rare edition; it is a national treasure. Just the three points Han Kongque analyzed make it more than worthy of being a first-class national treasure.

First, it is a physical witness to Cai Lun's paper, with a history of 1,800 years.

Second, it is a genuine work by Zhang Zhi, even though it is not his cursive script, but his regular script, which is also rare.

Third, the medical cases and techniques recorded in it are more comprehensive, complete, and systematic than those in the "Wuwei Medical Bamboo Slips." Some of the ancient medical techniques recorded in it are priceless, regardless of whether they are practical. Their research value is immeasurable.

Just from these three aspects, Han Kongque would not be at a loss no matter how much he paid for it, let alone the 1,500-year-old Han family genealogy.

From a time perspective, this "Yilüe" was collected by Po Liuhang Chang. When he received this medical book, it was already 300 years old, making it a treasure even then.

Otherwise, why would Po Liuhang Chang, a nobleman, collect such a book?

First, it is a medical book. Due to the poor medical conditions in ancient times, medical techniques were highly valued. Even a regular book was a treasure back then.

The second reason might be the four characters "Bo Ying Zeng Shu" at the end of "Yilüe." If Zhang Zhi was not famous, or if the person who received the book was not a friend of Zhang Zhi, Bo Ying would not have copied such a thick book to give away. Such a book was worth a fortune back then. For these reasons, this handwritten medical book was worthy of being collected by Po Liuhang Chang.

This is the most reasonable explanation. Otherwise, Po Liuhang Chang or his descendants would not have kept this "Yilüe" so carefully with their family genealogy.

Han Kongque thoroughly researched the origins of these two books and then pretended to put away his phone, saying, "I asked around, and these two books do have some collection value, but not much. How much do you want for them?"

Seeing Han Kongque's demeanor, the stall owners who noticed them were almost ready to pop their eyes out, especially Chen Qian. He had seen exceptional items before, but such an exceptional one was a first.

By saying they had collection value, wasn't Han Kongque clearly telling him that he liked the two books?

Encountering such a good customer, he had to sharpen his knife. It would be a shame to let such an opportunity pass.

The fat Liu and the others were also quite surprised. Did this little Han really find something good after all the effort he put in?

Han Kongque had lived on this street for ten years. Although he occasionally found some bargains and treasures, he never got his hands on truly valuable items, so he never became rich.

There are many smart people in the world, and truly valuable and hidden treasures are rare. Even if they were more common, with over 7 billion people in the world, it's not certain that Han Kongque would find them.

So, over the years, although Han Kongque found over a dozen genuine items, their value was not significant. The most valuable was worth only a few hundred thousand yuan, while the others were just small items worth a few thousand or a few hundred yuan. So, despite his extensive knowledge, he couldn't turn it into money.

"Brother, you seem to understand that this is a good thing. So, I'll treat you as a friend. Thirty thousand yuan, just thirty thousand, and it's yours." Chen Qian, seeing Han Kongque's barely concealed joy, changed his initial price of three thousand to thirty thousand.

This price is considered high for ancient books. Although there is a saying that "a page of Song Dynasty edition is worth a page of gold," he had never seen a Song Dynasty edition. If this book is really over a thousand years old, thirty thousand yuan is not expensive.

This was the highest price Chen Qian had set. He was hesitant after Han Kongque asked about a few key points and was about to sell it. But seeing Han Kongque's eager look, he directly quoted this price.

"Thirty thousand yuan?" Han Kongque touched the book, a bit reluctantly, and handed it back to Chen Qian.

Chen Qian was taken aback by Han Kongque's action. What was going on?

I quoted a price, and you should counteroffer.

Why are you not countering and just giving the book back?

"Sorry, boss, I can't afford it. I just wanted to buy something worth a thousand yuan for my boss. Is there anything worse here?" Han Kongque said in a very honest manner.

"Too good? Can't afford it?" Chen Qian's mouth twitched uncontrollably. Wasn't he just shooting himself in the foot?

It was already past ten, and since coming to the city, he hadn't made a single sale.

Not to mention getting rich, the daily expenses for food and accommodation were not small. If he continued like this, he wouldn't be able to survive here.

Finally, he met a good customer, but he scared him away. It seemed his persuasion skills had improved, but now was not the time to show off.

"How much do you have? I said I see you as a loyal person and want to be friends. Besides, this is something that concerns your future, so you can't be careless." Chen Qian thought for a moment and said.

Chen Qian couldn't bear to give up such a good customer, so he broke the taboo in the industry and started to lower the price himself, thinking that this fool wouldn't notice his eagerness to sell.