Siheyuan: tomb robbing? I am serious about hunting.

Chapter 967 Ancient Tree

On the road of being a lawyer, Lu Yuan encountered setbacks and also experienced confusion. But he always believed that as long as there is justice in his heart and law in his hands, he will definitely find light in the darkness. And he will continue to walk firmly on this challenging road, and hold up a sky of fairness and justice for everyone who needs help.

The midsummer sun was scorching the bluestone pavement of Panjiayuan. Qin Zhao squatted in front of the stall, his fingers gently stroking a seemingly ordinary blue and white small bowl. The stall owner was a middle-aged man with a face full of flesh. He was squinting at him: "Young man, this is an authentic blue and white porcelain from a folk kiln in the Ming Dynasty. I'll give it to you at a discount of 8,000!" Qin Zhao's mouth corners slightly raised, he put down the bowl and stood up: "Boss, this bowl is imitated carefully, but it's a pity that the base is not made of the right material and the glaze is too new. If you want to say the age, it's only ten years at most." "What do you know!" The stall owner's face changed, "If you don't understand, don't talk nonsense, it will ruin my business!" At this moment, a crisp voice came: "This young man is right." Qin Zhao turned his head and saw a young woman in a light blue cheongsam. She was holding a magnifying glass in her hand and carefully observing another porcelain on the stall. "Boss, the things on your stall are probably fakes." The stall owner was angry and said: "You two little brats, are you teaming up to destroy my place?" He rolled up his sleeves and pretended to fight. "What's going on?" A shout came from outside the crowd. Several market managers squeezed into the crowd. Seeing this, the stall owner packed up and left, cursing. "Thank you for helping me out, girl." Qin Zhao bowed to the woman. The woman took off her sunglasses, revealing a pair of bright eyes: "My name is Lin Zhixia, from the Lin Family Antique Shop. I just saw that your skills in appraising treasures are very professional. I wonder who your teacher is?" Qin Zhao's eyes darkened: "I grew up in Panjiayuan since I was a child, and I learned a little from the seniors." In fact, his talent for appraising treasures comes from his father who has been missing for many years. In his memory, his father always held a yellowed ancient book and taught him to distinguish the authenticity of antiques, but when he was ten years old, his father suddenly disappeared, leaving only the mysterious ancient book. Lin Zhixia seemed to see that he was reluctant to say more, and did not ask: "In that case, are you interested in coming to our Lin Family Antique Shop? We are preparing for an antique auction recently and are short of manpower." Qin Zhao hesitated for a moment, but finally agreed. If he can get in touch with more antiques, he may be able to find clues about his father. Lin's antique shop is located in the most prosperous commercial street in Beijing. The shop is decorated in an antique style. Qin Zhao followed Lin Zhixia into the shop and was immediately attracted by the dazzling array of antiques. Bronzes from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, porcelains from the Tang and Song dynasties, and calligraphy and paintings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, each of which is priceless. "Are these the collections to be auctioned?" Qin Zhao asked. "Yes." Lin Zhixia nodded, "However, there are a few of them that we cannot confirm the authenticity and need further identification." She took out a brocade box from the safe and opened it carefully. Inside was a small Ru kiln brush washer with a sky-blue glaze as warm as jade. "This was sent by a mysterious seller. It is said to be a long-lost Ru kiln treasure from the Northern Song Dynasty." Qin Zhao held his breath and took a magnifying glass to observe carefully. The shape, glaze color, and crackle of the brush washer are very realistic, but when he saw the inscription on the bottom, his heart suddenly moved. He took out a miniature flashlight from his pocket and shone it on the inscription, only to see some irregular patterns faintly emerging on it. "This is..." Lin Zhixia came over. "A fake." Qin Zhao put down the flashlight. "The inscription on the Northern Song Dynasty Ru Kiln brush washer was engraved, but this one was forged using modern laser technology. Under certain light, you can see the traces of laser engraving." Lin Zhixia looked at him in surprise: "You even know this? I studied it for three days and didn't find any problems." Qin Zhao smiled and didn't explain. He has been particularly sensitive to light and texture since he was a child, which is also one of his unique methods of identifying treasures. However, things did not end there. The next day, the mysterious seller came to the door, followed by several burly men. "I heard that you said my brush washer is fake?" The seller's face was gloomy, "If you don't give me an explanation today, don't even think about opening this store!" Lin Zhixia was about to speak, but Qin Zhao took the lead: "We naturally have evidence." He took out the flashlight and showed the laser traces on the brush washer in front of everyone, "And, as far as I know, the real Northern Song Dynasty Ru Kiln brush washer should be in the Palace Museum." The seller's face changed, and he snorted coldly: "You are so cruel!" After that, he left with his people. This incident made Lin Zhixia look at Qin Zhao with new eyes, and also helped him gain a firm foothold in the Lin family antique shop. But he knew that this was just the beginning. In the antique industry, it is difficult to distinguish between the real and the fake. If you are not careful, you will fall into an irreparable situation. In the following days, Qin Zhao participated in the appraisal of many antiques. Once, they received a pair of gold and silver sachets from the Tang Dynasty. They were exquisitely crafted and had intricate patterns. They were rare treasures at first glance. But Qin Zhao found that the gilded layer on the sachets was a bit abnormal. "Zhixia, look at this gilded layer. The color is too bright and the thickness is uneven." Qin Zhao pointed at the sachet and said, "Although the gilding technology in the Tang Dynasty was developed, it would never be so perfect. I suspect that this is a modern imitation." Lin Zhixia frowned: "However, the material and shape of this pair of sachets are consistent with the characteristics of the Tang Dynasty, and there is also an expert's appraisal certificate." "Appraisal certificates can also be forged." Qin Zhao said, "We need further testing." They sent the sachets to a professional testing agency, and the results confirmed Qin Zhao's guess. This pair of sachets is indeed a modern imitation. The material used is a modern alloy, and the gilding is also chemically plated. This incident caused an uproar in the antique world. It turned out that this was a scam carefully planned by a counterfeiting gang. They specialize in counterfeiting precious antiques and then put them into the market through various channels. Qin Zhao's appraisal exposed their conspiracy. However, Qin Zhao's behavior also annoyed the counterfeiting gang. One night, he was attacked on his way home. Fortunately, Lin Zhixia was worried about him, secretly followed him, and called the police in time, which saved him from death. "Qin Zhao, you are too dangerous." Lin Zhixia said worriedly, "Those people can do anything, you'd better give up." Qin Zhao shook his head: "I can't give up. Before my father disappeared, he was investigating a huge antique counterfeiting group. I suspect that all this is related to them. I must find the truth and seek justice for my father."