C9 The Last Book

If Wu Wanli is renowned as a stamp appraisal expert, then Zhao Changjiang, as the director of the National Palace Museum, certainly has his own area of expertise, which happens to be ancient and rare books.

Zhao Changjiang had been engrossed in examining a stamp featuring a double horizontal line when Chu Jun's sudden kick to a wooden box in the corner caught his attention.

There's a saying, "A wolf travels a thousand miles for food," and true to his professional instincts, Zhao Changjiang felt compelled to approach upon seeing the old and ancient books. These were indeed genuine ancient texts, though their conditions varied, with most in a state of disrepair. Despite their modest market value, their preservation significance was immense. After a careful examination, Zhao Changjiang was left utterly stunned.

"Gloves, give me the gloves!" he called out, his voice shaking as he gestured towards the gloves Wu Wanli had used earlier for stamp appraisal.

"Here you go!" Wu Wanli, who had been mostly silent—his task being solely to appraise the red revenue stamp with the double horizontal line—wasn't particularly interested in whether the Chu family would sell it to the museum. Seeing Zhao Changjiang point to his toolbox, he promptly passed the gloves over. At that moment, Shen Zhaoqiang approached.

"My goodness! An incomplete Song dynasty edition of 'Wenyuan Yinghua'—if this is authentic... Wait, Old Zhao, where would you even find a Song edition nowadays?" Although Shen Zhaoqiang was the director of the Stamp Museum and not exclusively focused on stamps, he had knowledge of other areas as well.

As he came up to Zhao Changjiang, Shen Zhaoqiang paused, a wry smile on his face. "Isn't the Song edition of 'Wenyuan Yinghua' supposed to be fourteen volumes and one hundred and forty scrolls? Thirteen volumes are in the National Library, and wasn't the last one auctioned off to a foreigner last year?"

Hearing this, Zhao Changjiang gave a slight shake of his head. "Old Shen, you're not aware. Last year at the Guardian Auction, that volume was indeed snapped up by someone from Malaysia. But that was just the auction house's hype—they claimed those ten scrolls were the last extant copies to drive up the price. In reality, that's not the case!"

Zhao Changjiang had already donned his white gloves and was delicately flipping through the pages. "Last year, I attended a seminar on organizing ancient texts and heard a rumor. Apparently, in the ninth year of the Republic of China, Mr. Fu Zaixiang saw scrolls number 271 to 280 at Liu Qirui's residence in Bao Ying!"

"Come take a look at the beginning of these scrolls, and hand me that magnifying glass!" Zhao Changjiang requested, examining the text closely. "See if these are indeed scrolls 271 to 280?"

"Wow, it really is!" Shen Zhaoqiang peered over, scrutinizing the pages as Zhao Changjiang turned them, nodding in agreement. "Old Zhao, is this Liu Qirui the same one who became a scholar in the thirtieth year of Emperor Guangxu?"

"Yes, that's him. Liu Qirui served as a minister in the Qing court and was tasked with organizing the Imperial archives during the reign of Emperor Xuantong. He exploited that opportunity to smuggle out many books, and it's rumored that 'The Classic of Excellence' was among them. To think it would surface right before our eyes!"

Overcome with excitement, Zhao Changjiang's arms shook uncontrollably. Fearing he might damage the ancient tome, he carefully set it aside. "Mr. Chu, I can now confirm that all these ancient books in your home are genuine. Do you know their provenance?"

"Well, to tell you the truth, I'm not quite sure myself. My son was the one who found them," Chu Yunhe replied, a hint of apprehension in his voice as he glanced at Chu Jun.

"These were left by my late grandfather. I'm not sure of their origins either. I just stumbled upon them today while rummaging around. My grandfather never mentioned they were of any value," Chu Jun said with a shrug, confident that there would be no discrepancies since his grandfather had long since passed.

"So it is! But this chest of books is truly a treasure. Those stamps, with the couplets, might also have been smuggled out of the palace by Liu Qirui, tucked away inside the pages. It's astounding to even consider!" Zhao Changjiang mused, his mind racing with the possible journey this chest of books had undertaken.

"This... Dean Zhao, I have to admit, I'm still in the dark about this 'Wenyuan Yinghua' you mentioned. Could you enlighten me?" Chu Yunhe asked, his face brimming with anticipation. Regardless of his ignorance about the item, he sensed it was something extraordinary and potentially very valuable.

"Well, that's quite a tale," Zhao Changjiang began. "'Wenyuan Yinghua' is one of the Northern Song Dynasty's four grand compilations. It's been a reference for the Qing Dynasty's 'Complete Tang Poems', 'Complete Tang Prose', and even the 'Complete Library in Four Sections'!"

Zhao Changjiang had much more to share, but realizing Chu Yunhe might not grasp the complexities, he pivoted. "The details are quite technical, so I'll spare you. But here's something you might find interesting: last year, a volume of 'Wenyuan Yinghua' went up for auction. The ten-volume set sold for 1.2 million yuan."

"So, are you suggesting this is the last surviving volume?" Chu Jun's eyes sparkled as he leaned in, his high school status giving him a pass for his unabashed curiosity. "Dean Zhao, are you looking to acquire it as well? For how much?"

Chu Jun grinned, noting Zhao Changjiang's initial excitement now tinged with embarrassment. It was clear he was facing a dilemma.

Indeed, Zhao Changjiang was intent on securing the ten volumes of 'Wenyuan Yinghua'. Whether they ended up in the National Museum of China or the National Library, he felt compelled to act. He couldn't bear to see this last discovered volume auctioned off to a foreign entity like the one last year.

Yet, funding was a significant hurdle. The Chu Family was already dissatisfied with an eight million yuan offer for a rare stamp; they'd likely balk at a lower price for this unique and incomplete volume. Furthermore, his earlier assumption that a guaranteed university spot would sway the Chu Family had been swiftly rejected by the son.

Glancing at Shen Zhaoqiang, his old friend was equally at a loss. Ownership was clear, and despite the presence of two police officers, outright theft was not an option.

"Let me do this—I'll place a call and consult with my superiors," Zhao Changjiang concluded. Despite being the esteemed director of the Imperial Palace Museum, he too answered to higher authorities.

Most museums across the nation fall under the purview of the National Cultural Relics Bureau, and the Imperial Palace Museum is no exception. Its primary funding comes from special allocations by the central government, supplemented by the significant revenue generated from the museum's admission fees.

Despite the substantial income from ticket sales, the expert preservation of the museum's collection requires a hefty financial commitment. Confronted with the valuable stamps and rare ancient books before him, Zhao Changjiang had no choice but to seek guidance from his superiors.

Chu Yunhe ushered Zhao Changjiang into his study and gently closed the door behind them. A hush fell over the room, and the faint sounds from within the study prompted everyone to listen intently.

After more than forty minutes, the study door swung open. Zhao Changjiang emerged, his face flushed with excitement, and made a beeline for Chu Yunhe. "Mr. Chu, we're prepared to offer nine million yuan for the red-printed stamp with the small circle, and three million for the fragmented 'Wenyuan Yinghua.' That's a total of twelve million yuan. What are your thoughts?"

"Twelve million yuan!" echoed Chu Yunhe, his gaze instinctively shifting to Chu Jun at the side. As if on cue, all eyes in the room followed, turning Chu Jun into the center of attention.