Da Ming: The system granted me immortality; I clock in every day.

Gu Yannian looked at the circle of merchants craning their necks around him, as if he were telling a street joke.

"What you may not know is that the late Emperor Zhengtong was extremely considerate of the country's needs during his reign. In the eighth year of Zhengtong's reign, the late Emperor issued an imperial edict."

"For all the mounting of paintings and calligraphy in the palace, and for the drafting of imperial edicts, such expensive pure mulberry bark Xuan paper must not be used."

"In order to please the emperor, the Imperial Household Department purchased a batch of cheap paper mixed with straw and waste hemp from paper mills around Shuntian Prefecture."

Gu Yannian picked up the teacup beside him and slowly took a sip.

"That cheap paper, though it can be written on, is rather rough and will turn slightly yellow over the years. Young Master Yan, since this painting was bestowed by the emperor in the ninth year of the Zhengtong reign, why is the Xuan paper used for mounting it the most expensive pure mulberry bark paper from Wang Liuji?"

"The late emperor wouldn't even use such fine paper for his own official documents, yet he would be willing to use it to reward a mere Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices?"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding merchants immediately began to whisper among themselves.

Although they were not in the capital, they learned about it from the official gazettes and rumors over the years.

Emperor Zhengtong was an extremely stingy emperor who relied on abacuses.

What this old man Gu said did make some sense.

Yan Shikuan's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure, closed his folding fan, and angrily rebuked:

"Nonsense! You're just a lazy bum from Jiangnan, what would you know about the inner workings of the palace! This matter of paper is nothing but your wild fabrication!"

"The imperial seal is right here on the painting; do you still dare to deny it? Do you know what the crime is of criticizing an imperial gift!"

Yan Shih-kuan pointed to the bright red seal in the lower right corner of the painting.

The inscription on it clearly reads "Treasure Viewed by the Emperor in the Imperial Court," and the ink is vividly red.

Gu Yannian looked at the seal, his smile widening.

That smile carried a hint of nostalgia for the old days.

"This imperial seal is carved quite well."

Gu Yannian leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed on the mark.

"The strokes are vigorous and the layout is well-organized, clearly the work of a master."

Yan Shikuan raised his head smugly: "Now that you know it's true, why don't you quickly apologize to this young master!"

"I haven't finished speaking yet."

Gu Yannian sighed, straightened up, and looked at Yan Shikuan as if he were looking at a clown.

"Young Master Yan, this seal you carved is too perfect. So perfect that there isn't even a single flaw."

Yan Shih-kuan was stunned for a moment, then burst into a tirade of curses.

"Old man, have you gone mad? A perfectly carved seal has become a fake?"

Gu Yannian stood with his hands behind his back, his voice echoing clearly in the hall.

"In the spring of the fifth year of the Zhengtong reign, the late emperor was in the Wenhua Hall auditing the annual revenue of the imperial granary. He was furious because the customs tax accounts submitted by the Ministry of Revenue were inaccurate."

Gu Yannian slowly recounted that long-forgotten past, as if he were standing in that grand hall at that time.

"In a fit of rage, the late emperor grabbed a jade seal from his desk and slammed it onto the account book. The seal bounced off the account book and landed on the gold bricks of the Wenhua Hall."

Gu Yannian stretched out his finger and drew a corner in the air.

"That jade seal is the very one that was originally displayed by the Emperor. The heavy fall caused a small chip to break off from the lower left corner of the seal."

The lobby was completely silent.

Everyone held their breath, listening to this royal anecdote that could be described as a secret.

Gu Yannian walked to the octagonal table and pressed his index finger heavily on the mark in the lower right corner of the painting.

"Since then, any imperial edict, painting or calligraphy bearing this seal will always have a tiny bit missing from the lower left corner of the red ink border."

"And the marks on your painting, Young Master Yan, are sharp at all four corners and perfectly square. This can only mean one thing."

Gu Yannian looked directly into Yan Shikuan's panicked eyes and pronounced the verdict word by word.

"This seal was privately copied by later generations from a seal catalogue created before the late emperor broke it!"

"This painting of yours is not a royal treasure at all; it's a fake!"

boom!

The second-floor private room of Songhelou Restaurant seemed to have been hit by a boulder, causing an instant uproar.

Manager Wang and the others suddenly realized what was going on, and then glared angrily at Yan Shikuan.

Using counterfeit imperial seals to swindle money?

This is not just fraud, it's downright a capital offense of deceiving the emperor!

Yan Shikuan's face turned ashen, his legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

He pointed at Gu Yannian, his fingers trembling violently.

"You...you're spouting nonsense! How could an old man like you know these secrets that even officials in the capital might not know!"

Gu Yannian dusted off his sleeves, his expression returning to its usual carefree and leisurely demeanor.

"I am but an old man who loves listening to storytelling and reading official gazettes."

Gu Yannian picked up a cup of leftover tea from the table and casually splashed it at his feet.

"Young Master Yan, although Suzhou Prefecture is far from the capital, the rules of the Ming Dynasty still apply. You are using this dangerous counterfeit imperial seal to swindle and deceive people."

"If the Imperial Guards hear even a whisper of this, your Yan family's mansion will probably be sealed off tomorrow."

Upon hearing the words "Jinyiwei" (Imperial Guards), Yan Shikuan's hair stood on end.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard of the Jingtai reign was even more ferocious than that of the Zhengtong reign.

Anyone involved in a case even remotely related to the royal family would inevitably face confiscation of their property and extermination of their entire clan.

He no longer cared about the five thousand taels of silver.

He grabbed the painting from the table and scrambled down the stairs.

Stumbling and staggering, he fled from Songhelou, not even bothering to pick up the folding fan that had fallen to the ground.

Watching Yan Shikuan's disheveled escape, the merchants on the second floor burst into laughter.

Shopkeeper Wang was so excited that his face turned red, and he bowed deeply to Gu Yannian.

"Brother Gu! You've saved our lives today! If we had really spent five thousand taels on this deadly fake, we'd be in deep trouble no matter what if it came to an investigation later!"

The other merchants also gathered around, expressing their gratitude profusely.

They all expressed their intention to set up a top-notch banquet at Songhelou Restaurant to properly thank this unassuming "Old Man Gu".

Gu Yannian smiled and waved his hand, declining everyone's warm invitation.

"You flatter me. I just happened to have read this strange story in a book of unofficial history, and I just casually mentioned it today, which has thrown this swindler off balance."

"Let's skip the banquet. I'm getting old and can't handle such rich food. If any of you have some fine Biluochun tea, please send two ounces to my courtyard another day. That will be my way of thanking you."

After saying that, Gu Yannian parted the crowd and walked leisurely downstairs.

Once outside Songhe Tower, the sky had completely cleared up.

The warm sunlight shone on the bluestone slabs, causing a thin layer of moisture to rise.

At the street corner, a vendor selling roasted chestnuts was diligently stirring chestnuts and black sand in an iron wok.

The sweet, caramelized aroma filled the air.

Gu Yannian stepped forward, took out a few copper coins, and bought a small paper packet of hot roasted chestnuts.

He peeled one open, put it in his mouth, and the chestnut was soft, sweet, and fragrant, leaving a lingering aroma on his lips and teeth.

"Though the landscape may change, the mindset remains the same."

"While that kid is struggling to make ends meet in the capital, I, an old man, have spare money here in Jiangnan to buy such sweet treats."

Gu Yannian tucked the remaining chestnuts into his bosom and tucked his hands into his sleeves.

Humming an unknown Jiangnan tune, I slowly blended into the bustling crowd.

This is the epitome of peaceful and serene life.

And the Jingtai Emperor, sitting in the Golden Palace facing a mountain of "Universal Gazetteer".

He's probably rubbing his aching wrist right now, silently reminiscing about the tutor who taught him about finance.