Liulichang in Changshunfang is a famous shopping place in Tianjing City.
Antiques, calligraphy and paintings, jades, ceramics, inscriptions and rubbings, almost everything.
Even funerary artifacts that are extremely remote in the collecting industry and are banned from exchange and trade by the imperial court can be found here.
Of course, you have to have regular customers to show you the way.
A faceless buyer can be generous no matter how generous he is.
The secrets of ancestral shops where underworld artifacts are hidden are generally not revealed.
“Antiques in prosperous times, gold in troubled times, the ancients will never deceive me.
The Jing Dynasty was peaceful for a period of time, and the nine sides of Liaodong were in a mess, with major disasters happening every year, but this famous city, Tianjing City, was extremely prosperous and lively."
Ji Yuan was dressed in Yunying robe and walking on the Qianmen Street of Liulichang.
It was like the captain of the anti-pornography brigade appeared in the club, looking particularly eye-catching.
Stall owners who are doing serious business are okay, they just say hello when they see them.
Those scammers who specialize in making fat sheep for slaughter by relying on their craft of forgery have something in their mind.
I was so frightened that I quickly packed up my bed and ran away in a hurry.
After wandering around for half an hour, Ji Yuan found nothing and said helplessly:
"Sure enough, it's not easy to pick up antiques... There are so many fakes, imitations, and imitations. No wonder people say that visiting Liulichang is like digging for gold in the sand."
He walked into a tea shop along the street and ordered a bowl of herbal tea for two cents.
With the Emperor's Dao Diagram, he can sense the Dao Yun on his own.
Which one is genuine and which one is fake can be seen at a glance.
"It makes sense if you think about it carefully. The front gate of Liulichang, Dengshikou, and the City God's Temple in the west are connected by three main streets.
There is an endless stream of merchants every day, and every stall and shop is raided one after another.
Even if there was gold in the gravel, it would have been picked up long ago."
The herbal tea entered his stomach and he felt a pleasant sensation. Ji Yuan exhaled a breath of turbid air.
I was thinking about going to the famous Yuntingzhai, Deyiju and Huaiyin Pavilion.
It's just that the antiques displayed by these time-honored brands that have been in business for decades or hundreds of years are by no means cheap.
No wealthy businessman or powerful prince could take it.
"Xiao Langjun, if you want to find vintage goods worth collecting, you have to go to Dengshikou and Chenghuang Temple. The former is a street selling antiques, calligraphy, paintings, and jade seals, and the latter is..."
The tea shop owner had nothing to do and took the initiative to chat.
But after talking about it, the voice stopped suddenly, as if he was talking about some taboo topic.
"Boss, will you continue? I'm listening."
Ji Yuan held the rough porcelain tea bowl and chuckled.
"Young Master, you are on errands in the Zhenfu Department. You should know that you can eat randomly, but you can't say certain things randomly.
The little old man was talking too much just now, and the young man just pretended not to hear."
The tea shop owner said sarcastically.
"Why are you afraid that I will arrest you? According to the laws of the Jing Dynasty, ordinary people will not be punished for their words. You don't know this?
Heed my advice, instead of enshrining Buddha statues at home, it is better to buy a copy of the Great Edict compiled by a saint."
Ji Yuan chuckled.
"I bought it, I bought it! It is said that the "Da Gao" written by the saint can be placed at home to ward off evil spirits, and it is much more effective than the peach wood swords and water talismans of Taoist monks."
The tea shop owner felt a chill in his heart and laughed twice.
He looked left and right and saw no one around.
Then he continued what he had just said:
"There are three local snakes in the area of Liulichang. The second young master Rong from Yun Tingzhai has the best eyesight. Whether the antiques, calligraphy and paintings are true or false cannot be escaped by a pair of discerning eyes;
Mr. Xu, who lives proudly, has jade, porcelain, pottery, ironware... there is nothing he doesn't understand;
Finally, there is the Buddha of the Chenghuang Temple. Half of the ten pawnshops in Tianjing City belong to him.
Those who rob graves, dig up graves, thieves and thieves, and sell the red goods and yellow goods in their hands are most willing to follow the path of Buddha."
Ji Yuan put down his tea bowl and asked with a smile:
"Aren't you afraid of violating taboos by telling these inside stories about the industry?"
The tea shop owner seemed to be very sincere and simply replied:
"What's the taboo? There are a lot of fakes in Liulichang, but there are also a lot of genuine ones.
Among the high-ranking officials in the imperial court, who doesn’t like to collect calligraphy, paintings, and jade articles?
Last year, when Liang Guogong celebrated his 70th birthday, the thousand-mile mountain and river scenery carved from a single piece of five-color stone was created by the Rong family of Yun Tingzhai.
There is a two-person-high coral tree in the Korean palace, which Mr. Xu Xu personally sent to him.
As for Lord Buddha, hey, Mr. Song, the Song Commander from Nanzhen Fusi went to the City God’s Temple yesterday.”
It seems to be a gray area with official tacit approval.
Ji Yuan knew in his heart that the so-called local snakes in Liulichang should all have their own backers.
Even if there was a stupid person who went to report it, there probably wouldn't be any news.
He took out fifty coins and lined them up on the table, and said softly:
"I believe the boss can also see that I am Beizhen Fusi Yitiqi. I don't have much silver in my pocket. I like old things and usually play with them to relieve my boredom.
I’m not looking for the work of a famous artist, nor am I looking for an amazing origin, but I’d like to ask if there is any reliable way to recommend?”
The tea shop owner had a smile on his face, thinking he was a wise man, and introduced:
"Xiao Langjun, you asked the right person. For old objects, there are usually two ways to get them.
First, the prices of newly unearthed tomb objects can’t be determined. Some are ridiculously expensive, while others are cheap. It just depends on the quality and origin. Just go through the front door and go to the Chenghuang Temple in the west. Don’t go into the red shop. You have to look for it.
black shop;
The second is the rough stones excavated from deep mountains and old forests. There are some that have been cut open for hundreds or even thousands of years. But the gambling nature is too heavy. It is common to lose everything or become rich in one night. Usually it is the court.
Master, this is a place where dignitaries go, and you can’t stand it, young man."
Ji Yuan thought for a moment, thanked him, stood up and left.
He had seen many people like tea shop owners in his previous life.
What he relies on is his sharp eyesight and what he earns is tea money.
"I'm just wearing a cloud eagle robe today. If I change into casual clothes, the situation should be different."
Ji Yuan smiled. This kind of tea shop asking for information was no different from the taxi driver in his previous life who used to pull people and introduce clubs to out-of-town passengers.
If he were a fat sheep, he would probably be led into some shady shop and slaughtered.
"The world of Jianghu has something in common throughout the ages."
Ji Yuan touched the fifteen taels of silver in his arms and decided to try his luck at the Chenghuang Temple in the west.
The tea shop owner is right when he says that stone gambling is not a game that ordinary people can afford.
After passing through more than a dozen calligraphy and painting stalls and antique shops, Ji Yuan was attracted by a lively scene before he reached the Chenghuang Temple.
I saw the entrance of the famous Yun Ting Zhai crowded with people, and a middle-aged man in a brocade robe stood tall, with a red sandalwood writing case in front of him.
The man unfolded a scroll of ancient paintings and said loudly:
"Everyone, this guest said that this painting, 'The Skeleton Bodhisattva's Night Banquet of Bliss,' is an authentic work of a stone that was sunk by ghosts and immortals a hundred and fifty years ago, and he hopes to have Yun Tingzhai make an appraisal.
I happen to be free today, so I will talk about it in front of the old and young gentlemen.
You see, this painting is absurd and eclectic, and outlines the demonic charm of the Bone Bodhisattva, which is horrifying. The many ghosts and monsters underneath are all alike, and each one is lifelike. It is indeed a rare painting...
Imitation!"
The onlookers listened with great interest, but they didn't expect that Yun Tingzhai's Rong Ershao actually said it was a fake?
There was an uproar!
Among them, the most distressed and thumping person was the businessman who spent 370 taels of silver to buy this painting.
He cursed angrily with a Lingnan accent:
"You are a thief who has killed a thousand people and dared to use fake paintings to deceive you. Don't let me see you again! Otherwise, you will have to skin and bones to vent your hatred!"
Everyone in Liulichang knows Rong Ershao's ability to appraise treasures.
Since he has given a fake evaluation, it is tantamount to making a judgment, and there is no need to have any illusions.
At this time, a voice suddenly sounded from the passers-by watching the excitement:
"How can Ershao Rong judge that this is a forgery?"
The handsome middle-aged man smiled slightly and said confidently:
"It is known to the world that Shen Haishi is good at demons and monsters. The three best masterpieces handed down from generation to generation are "The Skeleton Bodhisattva's Bliss Night Banquet", "Beauty's Painted Skin" and "A Chinese Ghost Story".
They are all filled with gloomy air and strong demonic atmosphere. They are generally only used for collection and cannot be used to house houses for fear of scaring people and attracting unclean things.
Therefore, it is difficult to determine the value of Shen Haishi's paintings.
This imitation scroll has exquisite brushwork and can almost look real. He is an expert. But he overlooked one thing. Shen Haishi is not only good at painting, he is also a master of seal cutting!
Each painting will leave a unique famous seal, shaped like a cloud pattern, which is the essence of Taoist talismans and is extremely difficult for outsiders to imitate."
After finishing his long speech, the middle-aged man known as "Rong Ershao" raised his hand and pointed to the place where the seal was left at the bottom of the painting.
Sure enough, it is not at all consistent with the characteristics mentioned before.
Everyone was suddenly stunned and admired Young Master Rong's sharp eyesight.
"In Evian Tingzhai's opinion, how much is this forgery worth?"
That clear voice came again.
“There is a huge difference between a genuine product and a fake.
If it is an authentic work, it can probably be sold for five or six hundred taels of silver. If it is a forgery... ten taels is also a high price."
Second Young Master Rong frowned slightly and glanced downwards, discovering a young Tiqiu wearing a cloud eagle robe.
Isn’t it a praising excuse?
The fun came and went quickly.
Being deceived and misled is nothing new in Liulichang.
Antiques is such a business. If you don't have enough skills, you can only be slaughtered as a fat sheep.
The Lingnan businessman who thought he was unlucky was carrying counterfeit goods. As soon as he walked out of Qianmen Street, he was stopped by Ji Yuan:
"Brother, please stay. I want to buy this painting."