Chapter 41: It Is Better Not to Let Him Know

Having made prior arrangements, the receptionist led them directly to the reception room.

No sooner had they entered than Wang Youwei, the nephew, hooked his arm around Wang Qizhi’s and began to boast:

"Uncle, you wouldn't believe it. It was a dog bowl! Dirty, foul-smelling, you wouldn't even want to throw it in the trash..."

"But a quick rinse, *swish*, and it turns into an antique? Sister Anning actually said it’s worth at least several hundred thousand..."

"The kicker is, the guy who had it didn't look much older than me..."

Wang Qizhi paused, confused. "What was that? A dog bowl?"

His older brother had only mentioned finding a piece of cloisonné and asked him to come take a look; Wang Qizhi had no idea what the item actually was or where it had come from.

"Yes, a dog bowl!" Wang Qihua sighed. "It was covered in dog food and feces. It was completely caked inside and out—you could smell the stench through the car window. At the time, I was wondering: the young man looked sharp and was dressed well; how could someone who could afford a dog not even afford a bowl for it? But then he wiped it with a cloth, and the blue porcelain peeked through... It wasn't until Anning explained it that we realized it was cloisonné."

Wang Qizhi listened, stunned. He had heard countless stories of people "picking up" treasures over the years, but a treasure found in a dog bowl was a first.

"Where is it?"

"We arrived a bit early, so we sent Huaizhi and Anning to inquire about it!"

As he spoke, the door opened, and the two nieces walked in together.

Wang Qizhi pointed at them. "Call your mother; I’m not handling this for you!"

Ye Anning scoffed, "It’s fine. Tomorrow I’ll just grab a bowl and a stick and stand at the west gate of the university..."

"Are you trying to threaten me? You dare?"

As the uncle and niece bickered, Hao Jun followed closely behind, trailed by a sales clerk holding the bowl.

Perhaps because of the enclosed space, as soon as the soft cloth was removed, a pungent odor wafted out. Wang Qizhi exclaimed in surprise: it really was a dog bowl?

After a brief introduction, he got straight to the point. Wang Qizhi immediately pulled out his high-powered magnifying glass, working with incredible speed.

"The copper base is very thin, and the overall design leans toward simplicity and beauty. It should be post-Kangxi..."

"The filigree lines are fine and uniform, consistent in thickness. The technical requirements are even more stringent than in the Kangxi period..."

"The base blue glaze is composed of *huiqing* and *shiqing*, the waterweed leaves are lake green, and the fish tails are light pink. The latter two are domestic enamel materials newly invented during the Yongzheng era... This bowl must be from the Yongzheng period, nine times out of ten from the early years!"

Wang Qizhi paused, looking skeptical. "But it doesn't quite look like the work of the Imperial Workshop, does it?"

Ye Anning blinked. "Why?"

"There are too many pinholes in the glaze, which shows the glazing process wasn't fully mature yet."

"The patterns on the bottom are too three-dimensional, carrying a heavy influence of the Western painting styles left over from the Kangxi era..."

"The composition is overly delicate, and the overall effect is bloated and cluttered..."

Wang Qizhi chuckled. "Given Yongzheng’s personality and his fanatical obsession with enamelware, if the Imperial Workshop had fired something like this, he would have slammed the bowl right into the face of the head of the Imperial Household Department..."

Ye Anning froze, remembering what Lin Sicheng had said on the side of the road: *Kangxi and Qianlong ruled for 121 years combined, ten times longer than Yongzheng. Yet, the total imperial edicts issued regarding enamelware during their reigns don't even add up to half of what Yongzheng issued in his twelve years. You can see how obsessed he was. If the Imperial Workshop had produced such enamelware, the head of the Imperial Household Department might as well have quit...*

It wasn't just similar; it was exactly the same sentiment! She sighed and flipped the bowl over.

"Wait, 'Daocuo'... the Daocuo Chamber?" Wang Qizhi’s eyes lit up. "This is a trial piece from Prince Yi’s residence!"

Everyone in the room was stunned.

Hao Jun was bewildered. Being outclassed by Lin Sicheng was one thing, but where did this man come from? Wang Qihua and Ye Anning were equally shocked. Their third uncle had been interested in this field since he was a child, studied it in university, and had been working in the industry for nearly a decade; his expertise was exceptionally high. They weren't surprised that he could identify the mark with a glance.

But that young man was only around twenty. Where did he accumulate such experience and hone such an eye?

The key was, what kind of state was this bowl in when they found it?

Wang Qizhi still found it hard to believe. "Was it really a dog bowl?"

"The dog was lying right under our car, how could it be fake?"

"You can tell by the smell; it’s seeped into the material."

"He really is only in his early twenties. Standing next to Youwei, you couldn't tell who was older."

"And he knows the 'Draft History of Qing' and the 'Qing Palace Archives' by heart!"

Hearing the last sentence, Wang Qizhi was startled again. "That's unlikely, isn't it?"

But then again, who knows? Like Lin Sicheng—wasn't he also in his early twenties? It felt like this city of Xijing was a strange place...

Out of pure curiosity, he didn't dwell on it further. Wang Qizhi put away his magnifying glass. "Manager, name your price!"

"Eight hundred thousand, with a 17% commission!"

"Under a million—the price is fair. Write up the receipt!"

Wang Qizhi made the final decision. He stared at the bottom of the bowl and sighed, "Brother, it’s a pity. The main motif is these two fish, but most of the glaze on them has fallen off. Otherwise, it would be worth far more than eight hundred thousand..."

Wang Qihua also felt it was a shame. "Third brother, can this glaze be repaired?"

"Of course, but you need a master of glaze restoration. For example, Teacher Yang Shiqi or Teacher Cheng Qun from the Palace Museum... There is actually one at Xijing University. He used to be the vice dean of our college, but unfortunately, he’s retired..."

Wang Qizhi thought for a moment. "However, his grandson hasn't graduated yet and is still in our college. I’ll ask him later to see if I can get him to take on the job."

Hao Jun, who was watching the clerk write the receipt, froze. A vice dean of a college at Xijing University who is an expert in porcelain restoration—if this isn't Professor Lin, then who could it be? And his grandson is still studying at Xijing University?

Subconsciously, he looked at the cloisonné bowl on the table and then back at Wang Qizhi. While the antique circle wasn't large, this was too much of a coincidence.

Just as he was marveling at the strangeness of it all, Wang Qizhi took out his phone, scrolled through his contacts, and dialed:

"When you get to school tomorrow, find some time to come to my office... What? You're injured?"

"Lin Sicheng, don't give me that nonsense... Tell me which hospital you're at; I'll come see you."

"What? You don't need to be hospitalized? If you don't need to be hospitalized, why aren't you coming to class?"

"Tomorrow, if you don't come to see me, I'm coming to find you..."

Hao Jun’s eyes went wide, and he didn't dare to make a sound. Judging by that tone, they were more than just acquaintances. If Wang Qizhi decided to say, "Lin Sicheng, eight hundred thousand is too high, lower it for me," would Lin Sicheng dare to refuse?

Once the receipt was written, Wang Qihua swiped his card.

The bowl was packed into a box, and Hao Jun saw the group out of the shop. Watching the two cars pull out of the lot, he took out his phone and hesitated.

If this Professor Wang sees that bowl tomorrow and realizes Lin Sicheng wasn't the least bit shocked, he might think: *So, you knew all along that the one who bought the bowl yesterday was me?*

*And what, were you afraid I’d haggle, so you didn't even dare to mention it on the phone?*

Forget it. It’s better if he doesn't know.