Chapter 195: 【195】Mr. Tang, I am convinced_1
 

“This painting is obviously a fake at first glance. Does it even need to be appraised?”

“Indeed, it’s clear that this isn’t a work by Tang Bohu. Even an average appraiser could tell.”

“Tang Bohu’s ‘Lady Pictures’ are either fine and energetic with an air of elegance or brisk and resolute with square vigor. In any case, they are always filled with spirit. But this painting is very stiff.”

“True, the forgery techniques used on this painting are far too crude…”

With just a glance, everyone unanimously determined that the ‘Lady Picture’ was a counterfeit.

Zhang Jicheng also agreed with everyone else’s opinion.

Because the painting was so obviously fraudulent, it lacked Tang Bohu’s signature gracefulness and vivacity.

To put it bluntly, to present such an obvious forgery for their appraisal was an insult to them.

Xue Yingjie listened to everyone’s comments with a smile on his face.

It wasn’t until everyone had settled back into their seats that he turned to Tang Feng, “You’ve heard everyone’s opinion, now it’s your turn to appraise it.”

Unlike before, Tang Feng didn’t boast but took the painting and carefully examined it twice, taking nearly five or six minutes, and then slowly put it down.

“I’ve reached a conclusion.”

“Then announce your answer,” Xue Yingjie said, staring intently at him.

The curiosity was clear on the faces of everyone present.

Although this round of the competition was no longer about the outcome of the challenge.

They were still curious to hear what answer Tang Feng would give.

“This painting is indeed not by Tang Bohu…” Tang Feng began, pausing for a moment.

The crowd immediately started discussing.

“I knew it, it’s just a fake. Even an average appraiser could have identified it.”

“Mr. Tang has finally agreed with us for once, I thought he was going to say something different again.”

“Anyone with a little knowledge of traditional Chinese painting could see there’s something off about this painting.”

“This third round is a bit of a let-down, isn’t it?”

Everyone felt that the third round was too simple; wrapping it up like this felt anticlimactic.

But just then, Tang Feng continued, “Although this painting is not by Tang Bohu, it shouldn’t be labeled as a fake. More accurately, it’s a Qing Dynasty imitation.”

“Wow…”

This conclusion surprised everyone.

They had spent such a short time assessing the painting, and upon realizing it wasn’t done by Tang Bohu, they subconsciously assumed it was fake without considering the possibility of an imitation.

Now hearing Tang Feng mention it, they all became quite curious.

“A Qing Dynasty imitation? Are you sure?” Xue Yingjie looked at Tang Feng with interest.

“I’m very sure,” Tang Feng said with full confidence.

“Then tell us, who created this imitation?” Xue Yingjie pressed on.

The onlookers felt that he was being somewhat unreasonable.

Identifying it as a Qing Dynasty imitation was already remarkable.

There were so many artists during the Qing Dynasty, both famous and obscure— if not a thousand, then certainly hundreds.

Trying to single out the mimic from so many artists was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

It would require extreme familiarity with the mimicker’s style and techniques plus prolonged comparison to make an approximate judgment.

And Tang Feng had only observed the painting for five or six minutes; how could he possibly find the answer?

Xue Yingjie himself felt that he might have been a bit harsh, so he spoke up again, “Asking you for the specific person is indeed a bit unfair. It’s okay if you can’t guess, it doesn’t really matter…”

“The imitator is actually someone we all know,” Tang Feng interrupted before he could finish, “The person is… Qianlong.”

“Boom…”

The room erupted in murmurs upon his statement.

No one expected this answer.

The Qianlong Emperor self-styled as the “Old Man of the Ten Perfections.”

His greatest hobby was to stamp seals on the works of various famous calligraphers and painters, earning him the nickname “Seal Stamp Demon.”

He himself was extremely passionate about art.

In his lifetime, he wrote over forty thousand poems, over ten thousand pieces of calligraphy, as well as more than fourteen hundred paintings, a large number of which were imitations of earlier works.

However, this guy was a classic case of “keen but green.”

Out of his forty thousand poems, not a single one made it into elementary school textbooks.

The same goes for his calligraphy and paintings; very few have become enduring masterpieces.

Xue Yingjie was stunned for a moment, but soon recovered, “You’re saying this painting is by Qianlong? What evidence do you have?”

Everyone curiously turned towards Tang Feng, eager to hear his explanation.

Tang Feng slowly stood up, holding the painting in his hand, “It’s quite simple, the paper used for this painting is ‘White Deer Paper,’ which was exclusively used in the court.”

“Even if it was used in the court, that doesn’t necessarily mean it was Qianlong’s work,” Xue Yingjie countered.

“True, it could have been done by other emperors or princes, but…”

Tang Feng paused before continuing, “Compared to other Qing emperors, Qianlong’s artistic achievements are slightly higher, and his output more prolific.”

“Moreover, in this ‘Lady Picture’, it’s quite obvious that some of Lang Shining’s Western painting styles have been integrated. Everyone, look closely…”

Tang Feng pointed out the details on the painting and used a process of elimination to narrow down the possibilities.

In the end, only one answer remained.

The creator of this painting was—Qianlong.

After hearing his well-founded explanation, everyone was so astonished that they were speechless for a while.

“Clap!”

It was Pei Tianyuan who first broke the silence with a clap.

Then a wave of applause followed.

This young man’s mastery of antiquities had truly come into its own, matching and even surpassing them, enough to establish his own school.

Even more astonishing was his youth.

He was truly a genius among geniuses.

Given time, he was sure to achieve great things.

As long as Ya Garden could retain such talent, it was bound to rise with the wind.

Xue Yingjie shook his head with a wry smile, walked up to Tang Feng, and bowed deeply to the ground.

“Mr. Tang, I am convinced. From now on, you are the foremost among the young generation on Antique Street!”

Upon hearing his words, the crowd was again amazed.

Even Xue Yingjie had shown such respect; it seemed no one could stop this young man’s rise.

Antique Street might well be headed for a reshuffle.