Unlimited Black Cards! A Mysterious and Wealthy Young Lady!

Jiang Wenxi wore a moon-white cheongsam with subtle patterns, the hem embroidered with delicate silver orchids. It was less domineering than the bright red one she wore at the auction, but more gentle, yet it still couldn't hide her powerful aura.

She nodded slightly, her tone polite: "I'm sorry to have troubled you, Mr. Su and Mr. Lin, to wait so long."

He raised his hand, gesturing for Jiang Yan to hand over the return gift. "It's just a small token of my appreciation, but I hope Elder Su will accept it."

Su Zhenbang took the sandalwood box, opened it, and found a set of Qing Dynasty blue and white lotus teacups inside. It was of equal quality to the lavish gift he had given, and even surpassed it in glaze. He was overjoyed and quickly thanked her, saying, "Miss Jiang, you are too kind. I really like this gift."

He increasingly felt that Jiang Wenxi was a reliable and trustworthy person to befriend.

Just as the group was exchanging pleasantries, Zhao Manqi walked over with the head of the Zhao family. She forced a smile on her face, but her eyes kept glancing at Jiang Wenxi with a hint of resentment and bitterness.

Lu Mingyuan, from a collateral branch of the Lu family, followed closely behind. His gaze swept over Jiang Wenxi with a hint of inquiry and calculation. He secretly exchanged a glance with Zhao Manqi, everything unspoken.

Jiang Wenxi took in all of this, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on her lips.

She knew that the real show at this private banquet was about to begin.

She had already made preparations to make all those who plotted against her suffer the consequences.

Su Zhenbang led Jiang Wenxi into the main hall, where an elegant tea ceremony had already been prepared. Lu Chengyu, the head of the Lu family, was chatting with Gu Jingchen. When they saw Jiang Wenxi enter, they both stood up and nodded in greeting, their attitudes becoming even more solemn than at the auction.

When Lu Chengyu's gaze fell on Jiang Wenxi, he couldn't hide a hint of inquiry—he had received news that Lu Mingyuan, a member of the collateral branch, had close ties with the Zhao family, and there might be something amiss at this private banquet. He had already witnessed the methods of this Miss Jiang at the auction, and he was secretly on guard.

As everyone took their seats, servants served tea. Amidst the fragrant aroma, Zhao Manqi suddenly stood up, took her teacup, and walked to Jiang Wenxi. A fake smile graced her face, but her tone was laced with sarcasm: "Miss Jiang, I was reckless at the auction a few days ago. I've come today to offer you a toast and apologize."

"I've always had a question in my mind: that Yuan Dynasty blue and white plum vase you photographed—while the glaze is excellent, the mark on the base seems a bit strange. I wonder if you would mind sharing it with everyone, so that we younger generations can learn how to identify it?"

The room fell silent instantly upon hearing this. Everyone could tell that Zhao Manqi wasn't apologizing at all; she clearly wanted to publicly question the authenticity of the plum vase and embarrass Jiang Wenxi.

Lu Mingyuan, from a collateral branch of the Lu family, immediately chimed in, setting down his teacup and saying, "Miss Zhao is right. Miss Jiang has a discerning eye for treasures. If she can broaden our horizons, the trip will be worthwhile. Besides, this plum vase is extremely valuable. If there's any discrepancy, wouldn't Miss Jiang suffer a huge loss?"

He deliberately emphasized "value" and "deviation," implying that Jiang Wenxi misjudged the product and bought a fake.

Su Zhenbang frowned slightly, wanting to speak up to smooth things over, but Jiang Wenxi raised her hand to stop him.

Jiang Wenxi slowly rose, took the teacup from Zhao Manqi, and lightly touched the cup with her fingertips. Her tone was calm but carried an air of authority: "Miss Zhao is very thoughtful. However, appraising antiques requires both a discerning eye and solid knowledge; it cannot be determined by mere conjecture. Since you wish to reward me, then so be it."

After saying that, he gestured for Jiang Yan to fetch the plum vase.

Before long, Jiang Yan returned carrying a sandalwood box and carefully took out a Yuan Dynasty blue and white plum vase, placing it on the table.

Under the spotlight, the lotus scroll pattern on the plum vase is delicately drawn, the glaze is lustrous like jade, and the inscription "Eleventh year of the Zhizheng reign of the Great Yuan Dynasty" on the base is clear and neat.

Mr. Zhou leaned closer for a closer look, stroked his beard, and nodded: "This vase has a hard body, natural crackle glaze, and vigorous calligraphy in the inscription; it is undoubtedly genuine. Miss Zhao, you must have mistaken the inscription for something else, as you said it was strange."

Zhao Manqi's face paled, but she was still unwilling to give up. Pointing to the shoulder of the plum vase, she said, "But the lotus scroll pattern here has two fewer petals than any other plum vase from the same period. How could this be?"

Lu Mingyuan immediately chimed in, "In my opinion, this is probably a high-quality fake. It's been deliberately altered in the details to fool laymen."

The two worked together to try and solidify the claim that it was a "fake".

Jiang Wenxi chuckled softly, walked to the table, and gently stroked the shoulder of the plum vase with her fingertips: "Miss Zhao and Mr. Lu are indeed meticulous, but their knowledge of Yuan dynasty blue and white porcelain is still somewhat lacking. This vase was specially made by the official kiln in the late Yuan dynasty, fired to be presented to the imperial family. Due to a mistake made by the craftsmen at the time, it should have been destroyed, but it was secretly kept by palace servants and has been passed down to this day. This detail of missing two petals is its unique mark, and it is also the reason why its value far exceeds that of ordinary blue and white plum vases."

As she spoke, she gestured for Jiang Yan to take out another item: "This is a fragment of a Yuan Dynasty official kiln craftsman's notebook that I specially prepared. It clearly records the entire process of firing this plum vase, which can corroborate the plum vase."

Jiang Yan unfolded the yellowed pages, and the ancient Mongolian script and Chinese script records on them clearly confirmed Jiang Wenxi's statement.

Mr. Zhou took the tattered page and examined it closely, exclaiming excitedly, "It really is a genuine manuscript! Miss Jiang not only possesses a treasure, but she also found corroborating evidence; it's truly remarkable!"

Zhao Manqi and Lu Mingyuan turned deathly pale and stood there helplessly. They had originally intended to make things difficult for Jiang Wenxi, but instead, they had become the laughingstock of themselves.

At this moment, Lu Chengyu, from the main branch of the Lu family, suddenly stood up and looked at Lu Mingyuan with icy eyes: "Mingyuan, as a member of the Lu family, you pretend to know what you don't, and you even collude with outsiders to make things difficult for our distinguished guests, disgracing the Lu family!"

He had long been dissatisfied with the collusion between the collateral branches and the Zhao family, and now he took the opportunity to express his opinion while also doing Jiang Wenxi a favor.

Lu Mingyuan trembled and quickly explained, "Cousin, I didn't... It was Grandpa Zhao who told me..."

Before she could finish speaking, she was sternly interrupted by the Zhao family patriarch: "Stop talking nonsense!" The Zhao family patriarch's face was ashen. He knew that today's events were beyond redemption. If he continued to argue, it would only cause the Zhao family to lose face. He could only bite the bullet and step forward, bowing to Jiang Wenxi and apologizing: "Miss Jiang, it was my children's ignorance that caused them to offend you. I apologize to you here and hope that you will be magnanimous."

Jiang Wenxi glanced at him indifferently, her tone calm: "Mr. Zhao, you flatter me. I just advise the Zhao family not to have any more crooked thoughts in the future. The Treasure Appraisal Circle should speak with strength. Unorthodox methods will not last long."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over Lu Mingyuan, and added, "As for the Lu family's collateral branches, if they continue to covet what doesn't belong to them and collude with those with ulterior motives, it won't be as simple as just losing face."

Lu Chengyu immediately replied, "Miss Jiang, rest assured, the Lu family will thoroughly investigate this matter and give you an explanation. I will personally handle the matter of the collusion between the branch family and the Zhao family, and I will not tolerate it."

He turned to look at Lu Mingyuan and said coldly, "You get back now and await punishment according to family rules!"

Lu Mingyuan was in a sorry state and dared not say anything more. He lowered his head and hurriedly left the scene.

Zhao Manqi also wanted to slip away, but Jiang Wenxi stopped her: "Miss Zhao, please wait."

Jiang Wenxi walked up to her, her tone indifferent.