In the Ming Dynasty 1498, my restaurant connects two worlds.

A further search of Tang Bohu's life trajectory: ...In the autumn of the eleventh year of the Hongzhi reign, he passed the Nanjing provincial examination with the highest score...The following year, he passed the imperial examination in the capital and ranked third...

"Ha! So the one who broke the deadlock was here all along; it all came so easily!"

"Xu Zhenqing assisted me in changing Tang Bohu's fate, which indirectly changed my own life trajectory as well! At the very least, it extended my life by ten years."

"I would treat such a person of destiny as an honored guest; I would even treat him as the most honored guest."

Satisfied, Song Xiaoyi was about to put down her phone and go downstairs when the phone rang.

"Hello, Teacher Chen, good afternoon."

"Xiao Yi, Teacher Chen is getting straight to the point. I'd like to ask, where did the blue and white porcelain used at the banquet at your Song family's old house that night come from?"

"Are you asking about that? Some of them were from the old house's warehouse. Since they weren't all there, I personally went to the market to select and match some of them."

"Oh, I see. Where are you now? Could you come over and take a look at the inscription on the bottom? An expert who attended the banquet with me the other day said that the tableware looks like blue and white porcelain from the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty. He even called to ask the dean to take a look and to get a sample from you for machine testing."

Wow! This Teacher Chen is really straightforward, he doesn't mince words at all, but I like it.

"Sure, when do you want to come? I'll be waiting for you at the old house."

"Okay, let's set off now, it'll be there in about half an hour."

It seems like today is truly a day of double celebration! Everyone should have a drink tonight.

Before Teacher Chen arrives, I can prepare a few of my signature dishes.

Half an hour later, Xiao Yi, who had just returned to the Song family mansion in the modern era and put away the porcelain, heard a knock on the door. He ran to open it and found three people outside: Dean Teng, Chen Tanqiu, and a middle-aged man he didn't recognize.

"Xiao Yi, this is Professor Yu, a porcelain research expert from our museum."

"Dean Teng, Professor Chen, Professor Yu, welcome!" Song Xiaoyi greeted them as he opened the door and led them into the courtyard. "These few broken bowls shouldn't warrant such a busy dean coming all the way here, right?"

"Hey, to be honest, I didn't want to come at first, but Master Shui from Shanxi called me specifically to ask me to be careful. I thought, it's not surprising that Xiao Guan misjudged, but it's interesting that Master Shui is also unsure."

"Alright, please come in, all three of you."

"Please have a seat, I'll go to the kitchen and bring it over."

"It's too much trouble to move it around. If it's genuine, we'll regret it if it gets broken. If you don't mind, we'll go with you."

"What's there to mind? I keep our kitchen very clean, you're welcome to see it."

"Haha, then hurry up."

"That's all, feel free to look around." Song Xiaoyi led the three to the kitchen in the backyard, pointed to the neat rows of bowls and plates on the dish rack, and then casually turned on the light.

"Professor Yu, take a look at this bowl and this plate. Xiao Guan and Elder Shui specifically asked me to bring them."

Professor Yu first picked up a small bowl, examining and caressing it for a while before carefully setting it down. He then picked up a plate, continuing to caress it, even pressing it against his face to feel its warmth and smoothness. After a moment's thought, he said, "The body is delicate, the glaze is rich and lustrous, and the cobalt blue is elegant—all characteristics of mid-Ming Dynasty Jingdezhen imperial kilns. Especially the base mark; even the genuine Chenghua piece exhibited in our porcelain museum can't match the warmth and smoothness of this!"

"Old Yu, you mean... this could actually be true?"

"I wouldn't dare to say with 100% certainty, but based on my experience, I'm at least 90% sure."

Professor Yu's "90% certainty" was like a giant hand that grabbed Dean Teng by the neck before he could speak. Dean Teng opened his mouth but did not make a sound, his eyes staring straight at the large expanse of blue and white porcelain tableware in front of him.

"If these are all genuine blue and white porcelain pieces from the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty, this is simply... simply... I don't even know what words to use to describe it."

"Hey, this celadon plate! Made in the year of Gui Chou (1495 AD). There's only one Gui Chou year in the Ming Dynasty, which is 1495 AD, the eighth year of the Hongzhi reign! Could this be a mark from a folk kiln during the Hongzhi period?"

"Old Yu, take another look at the others. This matter needs to be handled carefully." Chen Tanqiu looked at Professor Yu, then turned to Dean Teng and continued, "If these complete sets of tableware are genuine Ming blue and white porcelain, then they are national treasures. I suggest we immediately initiate the national level-three cultural relic appraisal process."

"Initiate a Level 3 procedure? Invite senior experts from the Palace Museum and the National Museum of China to conduct a joint re-inspection?"

"Let's wait a bit. Xiao Yi, do you think we could take one set back for in-depth analysis?"

"Huh?" Song Xiaoyi was taken aback, a sly glint in his eyes, then he smiled and said, "No problem, you can choose, they'll be used as tableware here anyway. But Dean Teng, if this is really Ming blue and white porcelain, especially from the Chenghua period, don't confiscate it, it's a genuine heirloom passed down from our ancestors."

"...You used Ming Dynasty official kiln blue and white porcelain tableware passed down from your ancestors to serve food and rice?" Dean Teng's lips twitched. "If it turns out that they are all genuine, our banquet that day will be of the highest standard, even surpassing the state banquet."

"And this small celadon plate, the more I look at it, the more it resembles the real thing!"

"This time, Tian Si is really in trouble. He has to go through a whole set of procedures, including submitting supplementary reports and explanations. That'll keep him very busy."

"We didn't really pay attention that day; we were completely captivated by your amazing dishes."

"Well, we'll finish with a grand finale of 'Ode to the Splendor of the Six Dynasties' to blow the show away."

"Um... I really don't lose face."

Ultimately, Dean Teng and Professor Yu discussed the matter and decided to be cautious. They requested an escort vehicle to transport all the porcelain pieces back to the museum for machine testing and initiated the national level-three cultural relic appraisal procedure.

Song Xiaoyi generously and casually expressed his full trust in Dean Teng and Teacher Chen, simply taking inventory, taking photos, signing the handover document, and agreeing to let the Jinling Museum take away all the blue and white porcelain and celadon (from the kitchen).

Both parties signed a written agreement stipulating that if these are ultimately identified as Ming blue and white porcelain, they will contact museums in various regions to purchase them all at a price no lower than the median price in the art market.

After seeing them off around 5 p.m., Song Xiaoyi rushed back to the Song Mansion of the Ming Dynasty to prepare a welcoming banquet for Xu Zhenqing.

The four great scholars, Qiu Ying and his mother, plus Song Xiaoyi and Miaolan, made a total of eight people, who gathered together in a joyful atmosphere.

Halfway through the drinking session, Zhu Zhishan gradually entered a special state of "selflessness." Tang Bohu, struck by a sudden inspiration, called out, "Quickly, quickly, Miss Miaolan, go to the study to prepare! Little Shifu, come with her to grind the ink! Hurry, prepare it quickly, lest your master's inspiration vanishes in an instant!"

"Bohu, could this be the state of harmony between man and nature?"

"I wouldn't dare say it's a perfect harmony between humanity and nature, but I'm certain it's a flash of inspiration."

As they were talking, Zhu Zhishan rushed into the study barefoot, took the wolf-hair brush handed to him by his father, and wrote one sheet at a time with the speed and agility of a dragon. Miaolan quickly replaced it with another sheet, until the last stroke, "A man swears to serve his country, what regrets could he possibly have?" fell. Zhu Zhishan threw down the brush, let out a long sigh, and held the last sheet high, squinting as he examined it.

"It's done!" Zhu Zhishan laughed heartily. "If Du Fu were here, he would surely praise my unrestrained madness for these nine 'Preface to the Frontier' poems!"