But what is that black wooden box made of, and what type of wooden box is it? What caught Li Mo's attention was definitely not something ordinary, and several antique shop owners gathered around him out of curiosity.
"Professor Li, although there are many cracks on the surface of this wooden box, judging from the thick patina, it seems to be very old. Can you tell the age?"
"These cracks feel a bit strange. They don't look like natural cracks. Instead, they look like they were caused by damage."
Li Mo took a closer look and gently stroked the lines with his fingers. After a while, he said: "This is lacquerware from the Tang Dynasty. The emphasis on inlay decoration is the main feature of the lacquerware of the Tang Dynasty. Especially in terms of gold and silver flat strips and mother-of-pearl inlays, It has developed and improved even more than that of the Han Dynasty. The gold and silver flat stripping technique of the Tang Dynasty inherited the tradition of lacquerware with gold and silver foil patterns inlaid in the Han Dynasty, but the carvings were more precise and detailed. This actually benefited from the development level of gold and silver craftsmanship in the Tang Dynasty. high."
"These cracks actually have a very obvious arrangement. The original gold and silver inlays have been dug out at some point, so there are so many cracks left. It is such a pity. There are very few lacquerwares from the Tang Dynasty that have been passed down. , it’s not easy to find one, but it’s still a defective product.”
Li Mo sounded very regretful. If the gold and silver inlays on the surface of the lacquerware had not been removed, the value of the lacquerware would have been very high. Two to three million would definitely be fine. But if it was really in good condition, then in all likelihood it would not have ended up in Gu Yunxuan's store, and would have been taken away by someone who was interested.
"It's really Tang Dynasty lacquerware. What a pity."
"If the lacquerware's gold and silver decorations were still there, it would be considered a treasure in my shop. Now it's just a tableware, not worth a penny."
"Professor Li, those five people just wanted to extort money. Should you call the police directly or give them a chance?"
"As long as those people succeed once, I guess they will use their brains to attack others in the future."
Several bosses talked about it, saying that 200,000 yuan was nothing to Li Mo, but for those of them who were in the antique shop business, it was definitely a piece of fat.
Li Mo just had a faint smile on his lips, and then opened the box. There was Huang Jin inside, and he could feel the soft and silky texture when he touched it. He took out Huang Jin and revealed a wooden board underneath.
"Zhou Yang, bring me a screwdriver."
"okay."
Several antique shop owners in the surrounding area looked at each other. Could it be that this defective lacquerware from the Tang Dynasty was not Li Mo's ultimate goal? Is there any hidden pattern at the bottom of the defective lacquerware?
Zhou Yang also had a look of expectation on his face. If he could really find something hidden, he would be able to let out the sullen breath just now.
Li Mo carefully pried the bottom plate, and it took a while to pry it up. Several people stretched their heads over to take a look. Sure enough, there was a layer of yellow brocade at the bottom of the lacquerware. No wonder the height of the lacquerware for storing calligraphy and paintings was higher than ordinary ones. It turned out that there was a hidden compartment under the bottom layer.
Carefully open the Huang Jin, revealing another calligraphy and painting inside.
"There really is a hidden treasure, Professor Li, please open it and see whose work it is?"
"This lacquerware is from the Tang Dynasty, and it contains an ancient calligraphy and painting from the Ming Dynasty. The calligraphy and painting on the lower layer may be from the Tang Dynasty. If it was passed down by a famous person, then this time it was picked up. ”
"Hurry up, I'm really anxious."
Under their urging, Li Mo slowly opened the calligraphy and painting, which was a cursive calligraphy work. Taken as a whole, this calligraphy work is about 80 centimeters long and 30 centimeters vertical. The whole work is written in a very grand style, and there are many wild cursive calligraphy techniques, giving it the feeling of a cursive sage.
Li Mo recognized it for a while and whispered softly: "Since Jinbai loves wine, what can the wine master do? He must have a Tao like Zhuo Ru, and don't have to fight for a Tao. The god of drunkenness is passed on to the chosen one, Taibai."
There are three people's inscriptions and postscripts at the back of the work, one of which is a postscript written by Song Ke. Li Mo recognized it for a while, and found that some of the fonts were not very clear. The approximate meaning is: Li Banxian's calligraphy is powerful and elegant, and his strokes are measured, etc. At the end is Soochow Songke and his seal.
The second one is Shen Du's inscription and postscript, which is written in regular script and writes: Taibai's authentic works are rare in ancient and modern times. Looking at this book, I dare not forget that it is inscribed by Chen Bi in Huating. Next, there are two lines of small characters, which read: Taibaicao Sage, the only work in the world, Yu Shijinghua has a view of it.
The third one is Wang Duo's running script inscription and postscript, which roughly means: Taibai's calligraphy is transcendent and free.
Gu Yunxuan was quiet. After a while, Li Mo said softly: "This is a masterpiece of cursive script written by Li Bai, the poet of the Tang Dynasty."
One stone stirred up a thousand waves, and several antique shop owners were immediately shocked. The majestic cursive calligraphy work in front of them turned out to be the work of Li Bai, the famous poet in history. This was simply shocking to them.
"Judging from the three inscriptions and postscripts, Song Ke was a calligrapher in the early Ming Dynasty, Shen Du was a calligrapher in the mid-Ming Dynasty, and the third person Wang Duo was a calligrapher in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Judging from their inscriptions and postscripts, It can be seen from the words how amazed the three of them are at the calligraphy works of the banished immortal Li Bai."
Li Mo looked at the watch again: "Using brocade to decorate paintings and calligraphy in a majestic style was a watch decoration technique in the Tang Dynasty. This calligraphy and painting should be correct, it is the masterpiece of the relegated immortal Li Bai."
Zhou Yang asked excitedly: "Mr. Li, how much is this masterpiece of relegating the immortal Li Bai worth?"
Li Mo turned to look at him and smiled: "So far, the only calligraphy work that has been recognized as Li Bai's original work is only one, called "Tie on the Balcony". It also has the seal and inscriptions of the madman Qianlong, as well as inscriptions and inscriptions from other celebrities. , it is definitely passed down in an orderly manner. During the war, a patriotic businessman exchanged more than 400 courtyard houses in Kyoto for the "Palace on the Upper Balcony", which was later donated to the country. It is now collected in the Palace Museum and is recognized as ' Grade A' is the best among national treasures."
"Now that Banished Immortal's second masterpiece "Wine Love Letter" has been released, how much do you think it is worth? The key is that even if someone offers more money, I won't care."
Zhou Yang was stunned for a moment, it was definitely a priceless treasure.
"Professor Li, can you let me take a photo? Don't worry, I won't turn on the flash." Boss Wang asked eagerly.
"That's right, Professor Li, we can each take one photo. Today we witnessed with our own eyes the birth of the masterpiece that banished the immortal. From now on, we will be praised in the industry."
"The calligraphy works of the poet Li Bai are so rare. Tomorrow the entire antique circle will know that Professor Li picked up a masterpiece in Gu Yunxuan, the magical capital."
Li Mo shrugged: "It's okay to take pictures, but can you please let me calm down for a while first?"
"No problem, let's communicate on a small scale first."
Several bosses took out their mobile phones and took a few photos, then said goodbye to Li Mo and left. They were probably rushing to show off to the people in the circle, although they were not the ones to discover Li Bai's masterpiece.
Li Mo rolled up the calligraphy work "Love Wine Tie" and put it back into the lacquer box, then looked at Zhou Yang and said: "Stop business, close the door, and eat."
"okay."
With six generous portions of braised vegetables, the four clerks and Li Mo sat around the round table and began to slowly drink together. Of course, Li Mo was mostly answering questions.
In less than twenty minutes, a nearby hotel delivered the four dishes Li Mo ordered.
"Mr. Li, we toast you."
"They are all my own family, no matter how respectful or disrespectful, sit down and drink slowly. Besides, Zhou Yang also knows my drinking capacity. This beer can only be two or three glasses at most, just for fun. Everyone eat more food and go back early after dinner rest."
The five of them chatted while eating, and it ended around seven o'clock in the evening. The antique shop next door is brightly lit and business is booming, but today Gu Yunxuan went overseas early.
"Mr. Li, will you come over tomorrow?"
"I'll come over if nothing happens. If I don't come over, I'll give you a call and let you know."
Seeing that the other clerks had left, Li Mo took out 50,000 in cash from his bag and put it on the table with a smile: "This is the wedding gift I will give you. Don't push it around with me. Take it." On."
"Mr. Li, this is absolutely impossible." Zhou Yang's wife was embarrassed to take it and waved her hands repeatedly. On the contrary, Zhou Yang smiled and said, "Daughter-in-law, Mr. Li treats us as his own, so just keep the gift money."
"oh."
Li Mo patted Zhou Yang on the shoulder and said: "Gu Yunxuan is good at all kinds of high imitation porcelain, but not good at appraising calligraphy and paintings. If you encounter something like today in the future, you must be more cautious."
"Mr. Li, I will remember your words."
"Then I'll leave first. You two should rest early."
The two of them live in the dormitory in the backyard of Gu Yunxuan, which makes it very convenient for them to go to and from work.
Li Mo was walking on the antique street with his bag on his back and the defective lacquerware from the Tang Dynasty under his left arm. At night, there are more tourists here, the lights are bright, the noise is boiling, and the aroma of all kinds of delicious food fills the hot air.
"Mr. Li? Are you Mr. Li, the little boss?"
When Li Mo heard the news, he saw a familiar old man looking at him eagerly, with a bit of surprise on his face.
"Uncle Wang, I haven't seen you for many years. Are you still in this area?"
"It's been almost three years, little boss, you really haven't changed at all."
This old man was really the one who collected rags around here. Later, Li Mo gave him a little help, and his son's leg also had money for treatment. Now he has basically recovered like a normal person, and his life has been turned upside down.
Calculating the age, Uncle Wang is about the same age as his grandfather. He is still riding an electric tricycle today, which is already piled with thick cardboard boxes. At this time, a man in his forties ran over with two bottles of mineral water and said, "Dad, drink some water."
"I don't have any eyesight at all. Give it to Mr. Li first."
The middle-aged man saw Li Mo standing aside and said excitedly: "Mr. Li, long time no see. Please drink some water."
"Hahaha, this is called fate. I just came out of Gu Yunxuan and drank a lot of water. Don't be polite to me. Haven't you changed your career to do anything else in these years?"
"Both of us, father and son, are already used to this business. Besides, we can earn a lot of money in this business. We can still earn hundreds of thousands a year. I would like to find something easier to do and let the old man take good care of himself. But he can’t sit still.”
"I'm not too old to move. Besides, your son and daughter are already old, so you have to earn some money for them. And your own life-long affairs, you can't stay single all your life. I'll move while I can, Earn more money. Anyway, being idle is idle. If you stay idle for a long time, you might get sick."
"It's enough to raise the two children. I won't consider other things." The middle-aged man was afraid that the old man would be unhappy again, so he quickly changed the subject and said, "Mr. Li, I just have something to tell you when I meet you."
"whats the matter?"
"Yesterday, a group of people appeared near here. From the accents, they are all from the Yunnan-Guizhou area. According to themselves, they have some good things in their possessions and have been thinking of ways to get rid of them. Because they have no connections, they find people like me. People who often hang around here ask around, and I don’t know where they are from or whether the things in their hands are legal, so I chatted for a few minutes. You have to tell the people in Gu Yunxuan’s store to avoid being tricked by them. "
Li Mo's brows moved slightly: "Are they five people? The oldest one is the topless one."
"Yes, that's them.
. Hey, Mr. Li, have you met them? "
"I had a fight with them before dinner."
"What, little boss, how many of them dare to behave in front of you?" Uncle Wang was not happy when he heard this. There are still people who dare to bully Li Mo. Isn't this asking for death?
"There wasn't any conflict. By the way, Brother Wang, do you know where they settled?"
"It's a coincidence that they live in a yard opposite us. The landlord said it was a short-term rental, so I rented it for seven days."
Li Mo smiled slightly: "Brother Wang, help me talk to them tomorrow to see if they have any other good things in their hands? If so, tell me that you know an archaeological expert from the University of Magic who can help them identify it. What kind of treasure is it? If you look for a buyer this way, you can have a clear idea of what it is, so that you won’t be fooled by the buyer and make less money.”
"This is easy, Mr. Li. Don't worry, I will definitely give you good news tomorrow. But is the archaeological expert from Magic University you are talking about your master, Mr. Liu?"
"No, my master has been staying in Kyoto recently and is another expert from the University of Magic. When the time comes, you can give me an accurate message and I will ask that expert to come forward."
"no problem."
The two exchanged messages and then separated.
Who are those five people?
Li Mo was thinking as he walked. After fighting against the five people in the afternoon, he doubted their origins. I thought it was really passed down from their ancestors, but after chatting with the Wang family and his son just now, I realized that they didn't just have an ancient artifact.
Although he hasn't seen the rest of the items yet, Li Mo has a vague feeling that the goods in their hands may really be all authentic antiques.
It seems that we can’t leave the Magic City tomorrow for the time being. Let’s wait and see.
Back at Yu Linglong Community, Li Mo took a hot shower and ate watermelon while making a video call on Mr. Qin's mobile phone. He was still awake. After calling the call, he saw him eating watermelon and said, "It's better to be young." Yeah, you’re still eating iced watermelon at this late hour, and you’re not afraid of getting upset. Tell me, are you looking for me at this late hour?”
Li Mo dug up a large piece of watermelon and said while eating it: "Grandpa Qin, I'm in the Magic City right now. I found a piece of calligraphy in the afternoon. You can guess which great master in history left the work." .”
"Come on, my brain has long been hard to use at my age. Don't be so pretentious, just say what you have to say directly."
Qin Lao really wanted to rush to him and punch him a few times to prevent him from getting too angry.
"A masterpiece of the banished immortal Li Bai, the cursive script "Love Wine Tie", has the inscriptions and postscripts left by three masters of calligraphy in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Judging from the momentum of the cursive script, the strokes and the decoration techniques of calligraphy and painting, it is definitely an authentic work of Li Bai's calligraphy. .”
Mr. Qin moved his body and couldn't sit still. He was very surprised and asked him again: "Xiao Mo, you mean the masterpiece of Li Bai, the poet of the Tang Dynasty? Are you sure and sure?"
"Grandpa, my appraisal is definitely correct. It is an authentic work by Li Bai. Currently, there is another masterpiece of his called "Tie on the Balcony" in the National Palace Museum in Kyoto. The one I have in my hand is the second one. How about it? Wait. How about I give it to you for appreciation first when I return to Kyoto?"
