Chapter 371: Authentic works of Li Bai! Du Fu! Wang Xizhi! A Sensation Across the Internet! (2)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Absolutely not!” Luo Feng interjected, his voice laced with caution. He hadn’t intended to dampen their buoyant spirits, but their assumptions were far from accurate.
“Is it not?”
“Indeed, it’s not.”
At his response, disappointment visibly rippled through the crowd. A youth, anxiety etched on his face, questioned, “Are you certain it isn’t?”
“I am,” Luo Feng affirmed, squatting down to inspect the calligraphic piece.
Suddenly, a system notification rang out:
[Ding! Tang Dynasty! Valued at 100 million!]
One hundred million?
A flicker of confusion crossed Luo Feng’s face. This evaluation did not indicate an authentic Li Bai piece, for such a work would command a higher price.
A flicker of confusion crossed Luo Feng’s face. This evaluation did not indicate an authentic Li Bai piece, for such a work would command a higher price.
Yet, if it were not an original, what justified such a lofty valuation?
“Examine the signature and seal more closely,” Luo Feng suggested, directing their attention towards the inscription.
“Zi Mei?” Zhang Shao Wei questioned, squinting his eyes.
“Yes, authentic Li Bai works are exceedingly rare, even from his era. The few that have survived the ravages of time are treasured. Authentic pieces are out there, perhaps tucked away, unappreciated in someone’s home!”
“But,” Luo Feng continued, “despite not being a Li Bai original, this piece is still quite valuable. ”
“You might not be familiar with Zi Mei, but I am sure you’ve heard of Du Fu, haven’t you?”
“Du Fu?” Zhang Shao Wei blinked, momentarily caught off guard. “Yes, I know him. Isn’t Zi Mei his courtesy name?” “Indeed, it is,” Luo Feng confirmed.
“Could this be an authentic Du Fu piece then?”
“But that’s implausible. Isn’t ‘Approaching Wine’ attributed to Li Bai?”
“Are we rewriting history here?”
“I won’t believe it unless Du Fu himself can confirm!”
The crowd spiraled into a frenzy of disbelief and wild speculation.
“Mr. Luo, could it be possible that Du Fu copied Li Bail s poetry?” someone inquired, breaking through the clamor.
With a warm smile, Luo Feng responded, “It appears so! While this indeed is Li
Bai’s poem, it is also an authentic transcription by Du Fu!”
“Du Fu idolized Li Bai from a young age. It would not be out of character for him to transcribe Li Bai’s work!”
Luo Feng’s elucidation seemed to pacify even the most obstinate skeptics.
“This calligraphic piece could be seen as Du Fu’s masterpiece. There is none other like it in existence,” Luo Feng revealed.
“I’m off to hunt for other treasures!” the young man announced, undeterred by the revelation.
Despite his zealous search, no other Du Fu originals surfaced.
Luo Feng chuckled. Artifacts like these were not commonplace; finding one was akin to unearthing a hidden gem. Even notoriously corrupt officials like Yuan Zai and Liu Jin probably did not possess many. Collecting such rarities often came down to sheer luck.
An air of regret hung in the atmosphere. If Du Fu’s transcription had been of his own work, it could have fetched a monumental price. Instead, he had opted to copy Li Bail s piece. Why had he not left behind an original?
“Professor Zhang, Professor Gu, Mr. Luo, there’s a tombstone over there. Shall we investigate?” A worker called out, catching their attention. “A tombstone?” Luo Feng echoed, curiosity piqued. Soon, they ventured towards the tombstone.
It lay inside a box, facing upwards.
“Amazing, this is an authentic Li Bai work!” Luo Feng exclaimed, his surprise palpable.
“What? An authentic Li Bai piece?” Gu Santong quickly bent down to inspect it more closely.
This was a stele of black stone, adorned with white inscriptions.
Inscribed upon it was Li Bails famed “Xia Ke Xing”!
“Isn’t this a tombstone?”
“Could it be another original Li Bai piece?”
“It seems more like a simple stone stele!”
Luo Feng turned to them, “You should all know that many distinguished Tang Dynasty poets loved to inscribe poems on stone walls, especially in picturesque areas. Practically anything could serve as their canvas.”
“No wonder there are so few Li Bai and Du Fu pieces in those scenic areas.
Could they have been plundered?” Gu Santong queried, a newfound
understanding dawning on him.
“Yes,” Luo Feng concurred with a rueful smile. “Such celebrities, if they simply inscribed something, there would be people protecting it initially. But during times of war, or even just moments of negligence, they could be stolen.”
Not a single Du Fu inscription has been found to date, let alone his authentic manuscripts. This had much to do with his overwhelming fame.
“This authentic Li Bai piece is truly a rare find! Look at the surroundings of this stele, it has been polished. It appears a large portion was chiseled out and then ground into a long strip,” Luo Feng noted, examining the edges of the stele, which bore significant signs of artificial polishing.
“This artifact must command a hefty price, correct?”
“It’s valuable, but not astronomical. Li Bai was a poet, not a master calligrapher.”
Though he expressed that.
But would museum professionals not faint at the sight of this rare treasure?
Such treasures, too numerous to envy, all belonged to Luo Feng now.
Unsurprisingly, when Wang Xianzhi’s authentic work, the son of Wang Xizhi, was unveiled, the streaming platform went into a frenzy.
Major calligraphy association VIPs were relentlessly sharing the stream.
Capitalizing on the first wave of traffic.
Evening was setting in, and many members of the calligraphy association were sharing a meal.
Upon hearing this news, their excitement was palpable.
“An authentic Wang Xianzhi? I wonder which museum will secure this piece? I must witness Wang Xizhi’s son’s work firsthand!”
“Hold on, I have a call to take!”
“What? The Autobiographical Essay? An authentic piece? The world’s best cursive script?”
Having ended the call, the calligraphy enthusiast turned to his companions, his eyes alight with excitement. “Huaisu’s Autobiographical Essay has surfaced…”
“Isn’t that piece currently held at Taiwan?”
“The one in Taiwan is clearly a copy, I mentioned it then, but they refused to concede. Now they have no choice but to, right?”
“That’s correct. Now that the original has emerged, how can the counterfeit continue to masquerade as the real deal?”
Before they could delve further into the conversation, the phone rang again.
“Du Fu’s original has surfaced as well? Impossible!”
The elder man answered the call, his disbelief evident, “Impossible, absolutely impossible, there has never been a Du Fu original on the market!”
A few minutes later, the elder man ended the call, his face flush with excitement, “It’s true! It’s a Li Bai poem transcribed by Du Fu, an authentic piece! ”
While they basked in their collective euphoria, another call came through.
“An original Li Bai work has surfaced…”
The elderly man nearly swooned from the overwhelming excitement.
After several minutes, he finally collected himself.
Everyone at the table was stunned into silence.
Several minutes later, the elder man finally managed to say, “Let’s contact Chairman Li!”
Within the span of half an hour, Chairman Li’s phone was incessantly ringing.
A constant barrage of calls.
Yes, he was the chairman of the Huaxia Calligraphy Association and a renowned calligrapher.
Half an hour ago, a friend informed him that Wang Xianzhi’s Mid-Autumn Tie had been discovered?
Then, twenty minutes ago, Huaisu’s world’s top cursive script had appeared? The one from Taiwan was a counterfeit?
Ten minutes ago, authentic works of Li Bai and Du Fu were unearthed.
Now, calligraphers and association members from all across the nation were virtually bombarding his phone.
At the moment, Chairman Li’s head was in a whirl.
He was at a loss as to what had transpired.
How did so many monumental calligraphic pieces surface overnight?
“Old Li, why don’t you visit Qinling and enjoy the spectacle?”
“Yes, if you don’t go, I will. I must see this world’s best cursive script up close!”
“If I could see an authentic Li Bai piece with my own eyes, my life would be fulfilled!”
Meanwhile, the calligraphy circle was in the throes of a seismic upheaval.
At the ancient tomb, authentic works of celebrated artists were being continuously unearthed.
Alongside Li Bai’s stele, there were steles from other poets.
The number of authentic pieces in this room had exceeded Luo Feng’s expectations.
“Little Luo, come here quickly!”
Suddenly, Gu Santong called out, his voice laden with excitement, his face was even pale.
He was intently gazing at a half-unfurled painting scroll.
“What’s wrong, Master Gu?” Luo Feng hastened over and looked down, his heart skipped a beat, “This is….the Orchid Pavilion Preface!”
