Jinyi Town Mountains and Rivers

Chapter 198

The old shopkeeper Xu first took a diorama, and carefully checked the handwriting of the dispatch warrant.

After a long time, he said: "Lao Liu, once I gave a chicken blood stone to Mr. Huang's family in Dali Temple, and I saw a pair of calligraphy of Lord Yu in his house. This order for dispatching troops really looks like the handwriting of Lord Yu. Even if it is an imitation, the imitation is eight or nine points."

He Liudao: "Well, there have always been many masters who imitate handwriting and forgery in the capital."

The old shopkeeper Xu dipped some saliva in his right hand, and tapped on the troop dispatching warrant: "It won't disperse when it enters the water. This is genuine ribbed paper from Tongfu. I am a close friend with Boss Wang of Tongfu. He told me that Yu The papers of the palace are all promoted by Tongfu."

He Liu pointed to the two seals behind the dispatch order.One is the seal of the main hall of the Ministry of War, and the other is the seal of Prince Yu.He asked old shopkeeper Xu: "Look at the two seals on the dispatch warrant, are they real?"

The old shopkeeper Xu shook his head: "I can't tell the authenticity of the two big seals. Unless you bring the big seal of the Ministry of War and the big seal of the prince to me for comparison."

Old Hu said: "The seal letter is the authority. I'm afraid Zhang Butang and King Yu won't bring the seal to Duanguzhai."

Old shopkeeper Xu picked up a paper knife, carefully scraped off a trace of ink pad on the troop dispatch order, first put it in front of his nose and smelled it, then he rubbed the ink pad with his fingers, and put it on the tip of his tongue.

After tasting it, old shopkeeper Xu said: "Slightly sweet in bitterness, but also has a hint of fragrance. This should be the ink pad of Shuxiangzhai. The inkpad used in Yuwang's mansion has always been promoted by Shuxiangzhai."

He Liu asked: "Master, how can you conclude that this is the inkpad of Shuxiangzhai?"

The old shopkeeper Xu talked eloquently: "The whole capital city makes ink pads, but the ink pads of Shuxiangzhai are only filled with Tianzhu Fengchun incense. This spice has a special fragrance and is extremely expensive. Doctors pay attention to seeing, hearing, and asking, and we are in the antique shop. In addition to looking, smelling and asking about calligraphy and painting, the word 'taste' is added. Your master and I have a very good tongue, so you can't go wrong!"

He Liudao: "The ink pad is from King Yu's mansion, the paper is from King Yu's mansion, and the handwriting is from King Yu's own. If this troop transfer order is forged, then it is too real."

The old shopkeeper Xu stroked his beard: "Lao Liu, there are 360 ​​lines in the Ming Dynasty, and each line has its own rules. The craft of counterfeiting belongs to the list of the eight outer lines. The masters of counterfeiting in the past have a rule: that is, in the fake There must be a mark, in case someone takes a fake and ruins someone else's family."

He Liu nodded: "Master, you have taught me this before. I copied the house of Wan Anliang, the Minister of Rites, the year before last, and copied a copy of "A Picture of Shanghe During the Qingming Festival". That fake was marked by the forger. It is a fake. The mouth of the dice roll in the medium is open, but the mouth of the dice roll in the real one is closed."

Old Hu said from the side: "This warrant for dispatching troops must have been forged by Yan Song and his son by a master forger. In this way, if the forger has a conscience, he will definitely mark something on the warrant."

Old shopkeeper Xu picked up the troop transfer warrant and sniffed it: "Huh? That's weird."

He picked up the paper knife, scraped off some dried ink, put it in front of his nose, sniffed it, and tasted it again: "My God! This ink is..."

He Liu asked: "What is it?"

The old shopkeeper Xu said: "It turned out to be the ancient ink of Songyan, the empress of the Southern Tang Dynasty, Li Yu!"

He Liu has learned the art from old shopkeeper Xu for 20 years, so he naturally knows the value of Songyan Ancient Ink: "My God! Songyan Ancient Ink? That is priceless."

Old Hu asked: "I have heard of Li Yu. It is the king of subjugation who was bestowed to death by Zhao Kuangyin because of a poem."

He Liudao: "That's right. Li Yu is a romantic emperor, and he married Empress Da and Xiao Zhou who looked like gods. When Empress Xiao Zhou married into the court, it was said that she brought a piece of ancient pine smoke ink from her home as a dowry. Li Yu couldn't put it down. After being captured by Song Taizu, his song "Meeting Joy" was written in ancient pine ink."

The old shopkeeper Xu chanted casually: "Wuyan went up to the west building alone, and the moon was like a hook. The lonely phoenix tree is locked in the deep courtyard in autumn. The cutting is constant, and the reasoning is still chaotic. It's the sorrow of parting. Don't be the general feeling in my heart. Alas, Li Yu used that method Songyan Gumo wrote this poem. But in the end, he lost his life because of this poem."

Lao Hu was a little anxious: "You two, don't start with Yao, Shun and Yu Tang! Since this troop order was written in Songyan ancient ink, where is this Songyan ancient ink now?"

The old shopkeeper Xu stroked his beard: "After Li Yu's death, the Songyan ancient ink was taken away by the royal family of Zhao and Song. The Yuan people invaded south, and this treasure disappeared. Until five years ago, Songyan ancient ink appeared in the antique shop in the capital. It's a pity that most people in the antique shop think it is a fake. But I know that it is a real relic of Li Yu. The owner of the ancient ink used the method of "calling" to sell this ink at Boyaxuan. I bid 15 taels, but in the end, someone bought it at a high price of 23 taels."

He Liu explained to Lao Hu: "'Calling' is a way of selling things in antique shops. Buyers sit around together and ask each other for their prices. The one with the highest price wins."

Old Hu said: "My brother Xu, don't whet my appetite! You just say, who is the person who bought the ancient ink of pine tobacco?"

Old shopkeeper Xu said: "Zhou Zhoushou, have you heard of this man?"

Old Hu was puzzled: "Shou Zhou? Why is this person so familiar?"

He Liuyi slapped his head: "Don't be the master of Li Zipian, the eleventh elder of Jinyiwei, who is in the Qianmen line?"

The old shopkeeper Xu nodded: "That's him. Forgery and deceit, he is classified as the Qianmenhang in the eight outer circles. Zhou Yishou is the old head of the Qianmenhang in the capital!"

Old Hu was surprised and said: "Old Six, Old Eleven don't have anything to do with this troop transfer order?"

He Liudao: "It's hard to say. Although the old eleven is open-minded on the surface, he knows that he knows his face and doesn't know his heart. Anyway, Zhou Yi's house is in the capital. Let's go and take him, and we will know at the first trial."

Old Hu shook his head: "Didn't you just say that Zhou Yishou is the head of the fraud firm? He should be wanted. How can there be a house in the capital?"

He Liu smiled: "Zhou Yishou has washed his hands in the gold basin 15 years ago, and he no longer cheats. Besides, with Jin Yiwei's Master Eleven to clear up the management, Shuntian Mansion has long since withdrawn Zhou Yishou's case. He is now abiding by the law. of the common people."

The old shopkeeper Xu said: "Lao Liu is right. Sometimes I see antiques that I am not sure about, and I will go to the house owned by Zhou Yi in Maoxiu Alley to ask him for advice."

He Liudao: "His house is in Maoxiu Alley? Master, please come with us to find Zhou Yishou in Maoxiu Alley!"

The three of them came to Zhou's house in Maoxu alley, but saw two white lanterns hanging high outside Zhou's house.There was a loud cry in the courtyard: "My lord, why did you leave just like that!"

(End of this chapter)