My house's electrical wiring dates back to the Tang Dynasty.

Damn it, I got this from Li Shimin, and you're saying it's a fake?

"Attorney Huang, this isn't a matter of your expertise, is it?" Li Mingbo said, looking at the other party.

Huang Wentao understood Li Mingbo's meaning and chuckled, saying, "Excuse me, Mr. Li, I am a lawyer, but I still have basic common sense."

"I just looked it up online. Gu Kaizhi lived during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, from 348 to 409 AD, which is 1,600 years ago. Look at this painting, it's only about 200 to 300 years old."

As Huang Wentao spoke, he handed his phone to Li Mingbo and said, "Moreover, this 'Autumn River and Clear Peaks' painting is only mentioned in Du Fu's 'Song of the Newly Painted Landscape Screen by Liu Shaofu of Fengxian.' No one in later generations has ever seen it. It is said that Su Dongpo once saw the original, but there is no record of anyone seeing it afterward."

"Let's talk about this painting, 'Chang'an Carriages and Figures,' by Zhan Ziqian. It's been 1,400 years since the Sui Dynasty. Moreover, according to the 'Xuanhe Painting Catalogue' from the Northern Song Dynasty, it was looted and destroyed by the Jin army during the Jingkang Incident and has not survived at all."

Huang Wentao showed Li Mingbo the AI ​​feature on his phone.

Li Mingbo didn't know how to refute it for a moment.

How the hell am I supposed to refute this? I'm telling you, I just took it from Li Shimin's hand.

It would be strange if they didn't send me to a mental hospital.

"However, even if it's a later imitation, it's still an antique," Huang Wentao said, looking at Li Mingbo. "How about this, I know an expert in ancient paintings. If you have no objections, I'll ask him to take a look at it for us?"

"Could he be a Palace Museum expert?"

"That's right. Mr. Li is over eighty years old and is an authoritative expert in the field of ancient Chinese painting authentication."

Palace Museum expert?

Isn't this like letting a lamb into the tiger's den or inviting a wolf into the house?

Li Mingbo was at a loss for what to do.

"Let's not talk about whether it's real or fake. Let's just assume it's real. I want to buy and sell it legally. What does that mean from a legal perspective?" What do you mean by assuming it's real? It was real to begin with, okay?

"We can only sell to various national museums, but we can help you negotiate a higher compensation rate from 3% to 7-10%," Huang Wentao said.

"How much is the compensation?"

"The compensation depends on the grade of the cultural relic. First, the ownership of the cultural relic needs to be confirmed, and it needs to be registered and assessed by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. The assessment value is 10% for first-grade cultural relics, 8% for second-grade cultural relics, and 5% for third-grade cultural relics," Huang Wentao said.

"The compensation includes museum/government compensation and personal income tax deductions."

Huang Wentao said.

How much do you charge?

"Let's assume it's an authentic work for now. If we classify it as a first-class cultural relic, it's roughly," Huang Wentao calculated on his phone, and finally said, "285 million."

"So expensive!" Li Mingbo was shocked when he heard the price of 285 million.

"It's not expensive anymore. How about I round it down to 280 million?" Huang Wentao said to Li Mingbo. "We also have a lot of work to do. We need to confirm the ownership of the cultural relics, build a chain of inheritance, coordinate with the designated institutions of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage for appraisal and rating, design a combination of tax deductions and government rewards, and negotiate with museums to help you get the highest possible compensation, among other things."

"Here's what we'll do. I don't have any money on hand, so I can only deduct it from your compensation. If we don't reach an agreement, you won't receive a single penny. If you agree, I'll let you handle it."

"Okay." Huang Wentao nodded. "Then, shall I ask Old Li to come over and take a look?"

"Okay," Li Mingbo said.

That's all we can do.

The amount of money is secondary; the main thing is safety.

"Okay, Mr. Li, we'll sign the contract after you've reviewed it," Huang Wentao said happily.

Although he had many doubts, even if it wasn't an original, it was a high-quality forgery.

"Hello, Grandpa Li, this is Huang Wentao." Huang Wentao said with a smile as the call connected.

"What business do you have, kid? I don't have any legal matters here," Old Li said.

"Grandpa Li, I have a client who has a painting called 'Autumn River and Clear Peaks' by Gu Kaizhi. Could you please take a look at it?"

"No need to look, it's definitely fake." The old man made the decision without hesitation as soon as he heard that it was Gu Kaizhi's "Autumn River and Clear Peaks".

"I think it's quite old. The painting is really good. Are you home? Shall I come over now?" Huang Wentao said.

"Fine, come over here. Honestly, if it were anyone else, I would have cursed them out by now." The old man hung up the phone.

Huang Wentao hung up the phone, and the two drove to Old Li's house very quickly.

This is a two-section courtyard house.

It looks quite old.

The two got out of the car, went through the main gate, passed through the archway, and arrived at the courtyard.

There are pomegranate trees in the yard, as well as a large fish tank.

An old man lies in a rocking chair under the grapevines.

When the old man saw the two approaching, he got up from his recliner and walked towards the main hall in the center of the north side.

Huang Wentao and Li Mingbo followed.

We arrived at the main hall.

The interior is furnished in a simple and rustic style. On either side of the shrine in the center, there is a blue and white porcelain piece on a flower stand. The room is decorated with calligraphy and paintings, creating a strong cultural atmosphere.

"Hello, Mr. Li," Li Mingbo said respectfully.

"Take it out." Old Li said to Li Mingbo with displeasure, putting on a mask and taking out gloves while looking at Li Mingbo.

"Thank you for your trouble." Li Mingbo placed the two wooden boxes on the round table.

"Huh?" Old Li looked at the wooden box and exclaimed in surprise.

"Grandpa Li, what's wrong?" Huang Wentao asked curiously.

"This box is a fine piece of stuff, very good." The old man gently stroked the wooden box, looking at Huang Wentao with disdain. "It's top-grade sandalwood, and it's old material. Look at this patina, it's at least a hundred years old."

I've heard of Zitan (紫檀), but I don't know anything about it.

"Mr. Li, how much is this worth?" Li Mingbo asked.

The old man glanced at Li Mingbo with disdain, said nothing, and gently opened the box.

This is Gu Kaizhi's "Autumn River and Clear Peaks".

The elderly man, wearing a mask and holding a magnifying glass, examined the painting closely.

"Impossible, impossible," the old man muttered as he looked at it.

He was looking at it and muttering to himself.

Li Mingbo was also mentally prepared for this.

This is from Li Shimin's collection, a genuine work by Gu Kaizhi. You'd be a fool not to be shocked.

"Impossible, it's impossible for it to be preserved so well," the old man said as he looked at it.

Seeing the old man acting like he was possessed, Huang Wentao became somewhat excited and gestured to Li Mingbo to be quiet.

After a full half hour, the old man put away the magnifying glass, returned to his chair, and took off his mask.

Huang Wentao quickly went over to pour tea for the old man, asking as he did so, "Grandpa Li, how are you?"

"I'm not sure either!" The old man shook his head and sighed. "The painting is indeed a good one, but I'm not sure if it's an authentic work by Gu Kaizhi."

"The 'Autumn River and Clear Peaks' painting is only mentioned in Du Fu's poem 'Song of the Newly Painted Landscape Screen by Liu Shaofu of Fengxian.' No one has ever seen the original. However, the Palace Museum does have a copy of Gu Kaizhi's 'Nymph of the Luo River,' but that is a copy from the Northern Song Dynasty."

"Since it's not an original, it's difficult to compare it based on the artist's technique, however," the old man said.

Huang Wentao heard the old man's words and stared at him.

"The strange thing is that the canvas is indeed made of silk, and the warp and weft density is almost the same as that of the 'Nymph of the Luo River' painting from the Northern Song Dynasty. The pigments are also indeed ancient materials. But the only suspicious thing is the fabric. It looks too fresh. It looks only two or three hundred years old, not more than 1,600 years old."

"However, such a fine work, even if it is a later imitation, is still a high-quality imitation. It is indeed a rare national treasure-level cultural relic."

The old man sipped his tea and muttered to himself.

Li Mingbo knew about the era in which Gu Kaizhi lived.

The years 348-409 AD are now 1616 years.

I acquired it in the sixth year of the Zhenguan era, which is 633 AD, and it has only been two or three hundred years since then.

How can I solve this one remaining question?

You can't exactly tell the old man that you just took it back from Li Shimin, can you?

It would be strange if he believed it.

Even stories made up can't be made up like this; it's too unreliable.