The strongest high school student in Japan

To be honest, he was a little disappointed, but when he thought about it carefully, it was normal for the other party to send his daughter away. If Asana was present now, it would be a bit awkward... Maybe it would take this meeting to decide whether to continue meeting in the future.

From his warm smile, he couldn't tell what he thought of him, and he didn't even know whether he was admired or hated. He hated this state. But since he was already here, there was nothing to say.

But how should I answer this question? It doesn't seem right to say that I'm disappointed, but it doesn't seem right to say that I don't care at all...

"I came here just to visit you. It's certainly a pleasant surprise to see Asana. Even if she is not at home today, it's enough to see you." In the end, he chose a stable answer.

"I'm about to become an old man, what's so good about me?" Izumo Yangyou couldn't help laughing, "Don't be so reserved. If my wife were here, it wouldn't be a problem for us to be a little old-fashioned. Now that she's not here, let's try to be more relaxed--"

Infected by the other person's smile, Mogami Jun couldn't help but laugh.

"If you want to say what's worth seeing here, or if you want to say what I'm proud of, it's probably only my collection. You've come here today, and it would be too boring for you to just chat with me. I'll take you to visit my collection, so that your trip won't be in vain..." After laughing for a while, Izumo Yangyou suddenly said.

Eh...what does this mean?

Mogami Jun couldn't help but glance at his father, seeking his advice, but his father still had a blank expression on his face, just nodded slightly, as if asking him to obey his opinion.

8

Is this a good sign? After all, being willing to take people to visit one's private collection is at least a recognition to some extent... he thought.

Anyway, since he was already here, he might as well follow the host's wishes. Although he had no interest in collecting art, it was still much more interesting than having to keep exchanging polite words with a middle-aged man.

So, Izumo Yosuke left Mogami Kiyoshi in the living room, and then took Mogami Jun to visit various places in the house, explaining to him the specific details of a certain collection and the time and method of acquiring it.

It can be seen that Izumo Yosuke is indeed quite obsessed with this hobby. When he introduced it to Jun Mogami, he talked nonstop. Jun Mogami even suspected that he was called over because Izumo Yosuke was lonely due to the lack of tourists at home.

However, the time was not unbearable. I have to say that Izumo Yangyou was very elegant and knowledgeable in art and antique collections. He was also very humorous in his conversation, which made people feel very happy.

If you stand next to him, it is hard to feel the aura and pressure. He looks more like a university professor than the head of a big family.

Jun Mogami recalled that the chairman once commented on the Izumo family with disdain, saying that "people in their family are pretty good as friends." This was probably what he meant.

Izumo Yosuke does not have that kind of arrogant and oppressive aura, and naturally he does not have the courage to force people to obey him. No wonder the previous generation was worried about his children when he died, and simply put all the money in a trust bank for the next generation. He must have been disappointed with his heirs before he died.

Before he knew it, Mogami Jun followed Izumo Yosuke into his study, where there was a desk and all kinds of writing tools, ink, paper and inkstone, which instantly changed the style of the Western-style house.

Although the contrast is drastic, the room is also quite elegantly furnished. There are quite a lot of calligraphy and ink paintings hanging on the walls, which must be valuable collections.

However, Jun Mogami's attention was attracted by something on the desk.

There were two seals in the middle of the desk. They seemed to be carved from Shoushan stone and were a delicate and translucent light yellow color.

However, Mogami Jun was not concerned about the seals themselves. He did notice the words engraved on the sides of the two seals.

There are two sentences engraved on the seals, both in pure Chinese characters - "Made by Chou Cun Tatsuyako in response to the order of Duke Jietang in the early spring of Bingyin year" and "Made by Chou Cun Tatsuyako in imitation of ancient style in October of Bingyin year of Taisho year".

For some reason, Jun Mogami always felt something was strange, so his eyes stayed there.

He himself didn't know what was wrong with him. Normally, he wouldn't care about such small items. After all, no matter how precious they were, they were just toys.

"You really have good taste." Izumo Yosuke noticed where Mogami Jun was looking and couldn't help laughing. "That is a masterpiece by the famous seal engraver Tatsuhiko Choson during the Taisho period. Now I am using it to make a personal seal for myself."

"Duke Setsudoh..." Mogami Jun muttered to himself, and then he recalled some of the books he had read. "Matsukata Iwa?"

"Wow, amazing! There are still young people who know this!" Izumo Yosuke couldn't help but look at Mogami Jun in surprise, "Jun, you are really knowledgeable."

Mogami Jun felt a little ashamed. If he had not read some extracurricular readings on Japanese history, he probably would not have known who this man was - even though he had once been a duke.

To be precise, he knew the Duke because of his tragic experience.

Matsukata Iwao was the son of Matsukata Masayoshi, a leader of the Meiji Restoration. Matsukata Masayoshi was a great politician and financier of the Restoration era. He was born in Satsuma Domain and served as Prime Minister twice. He dominated Japan's finances for 1881 years from 22 and later became one of the Nine Elders.

He was conferred a title by the Japanese Emperor and then was promoted all the way to the top of the imperial aristocracy system, finally reaching the top of the imperial aristocracy system and becoming a duke. After his death in 1924, he passed the title of duke to his son Matsukata Iwao, who became the second generation Duke of Matsukata. He also gave himself the nickname "Settō".

At that time, in addition to a title, Matsukata Iwao also served as the chairman of the Japan Chinese Bank, and was quite famous for a time.

Unfortunately, the glorious days of the Matsukata family did not last long. Just three years later in 1927, due to the economic crisis and poor management, the Huazu Bank went bankrupt. Many aristocratic families suffered huge losses as a result, and Matsukata Iwao naturally bore the leadership responsibility.

What's even worse is that before the bank went bankrupt, Matsukata Iwao deliberately notified families with vested interests in the Matsukata family and asked them to withdraw the remaining money in the bank in advance, leaving the rest of the people with nothing.

Such a bad behavior angered the then Emperor Showa, who directly ordered the abolition of the Matsukata family's noble title and demoted them to commoners. Thus, a glorious and powerful family was deposed and fell into the mortal world.

"This seal belongs to the duke who was stripped of his title, right?" Mogami Jun couldn't help but confirm it.

"Yes, that unlucky guy—" Izumo Yosuke nodded happily.

Matsukata...Matsukata...

Jun Mogami suddenly understood why he had such a strange feeling.

"It is said that your wife's maiden name is Matsukata..." He suddenly looked at Izumo Yosuke. "Then..."

"Yes! Strictly speaking, she is still the descendant of the eldest branch of the Matsukata family—" Izumo Yosuke nodded.

Then, he smiled with relief, "Fortunately, their family was stripped of their titles by the Emperor, and the empire was defeated in the war. Otherwise, how could a commoner like me be qualified to marry the eldest daughter of the Duke's family... By the way, don't tell her this - hahahaha!"

=====================================

This seal really exists, it is not fictional... During the Meiji and Taisho periods, there were still many things preserved in Japanese Sinology, so Duke Matsukata Iwao gave himself the elegant name "Setodo" and asked a famous artist to carve such a seal.

However, the fact that it fell into the hands of the Izumo family is a fiction in the novel. After the Matsukata family fell, it was left outside and collected as a work of art...

205, evaluation

“Luckily, their family was stripped of their titles by the Emperor, and then the Empire was defeated in the war. Otherwise, a commoner like me would never have the qualifications to marry the eldest daughter of the Duke’s family… By the way, don’t tell her this—hahahaha!”

Although it was obvious that Izumo Yosuke was joking, Mogami Jun could easily hear the relief and complacency in his tone.

He had reason to be so fortunate, because after the Meiji Restoration, the imperial government specially issued the "Noble Family Order", which stipulated that all nobles who were granted titles were absolutely not allowed to marry commoners. If they violated the rules, they would lose their inheritance rights. So if the empire was still there and the Matsukata family had not been stripped of their titles and became commoners, then no matter how rich Izumo Yosuke's family was, it would be impossible for him to marry the eldest daughter of the Matsukata family.

Jun Mogami looked at the two seals on the desk again and reached out to touch them a few times.

Good stuff indeed.

These two Shoushan stone seals are not shiny or dazzling, and the patterns and words engraved on them cannot be described as gorgeous. If we have to use a word to describe them, it should be "simple and crude".

The two words "simple and clumsy" can be said to be deeply influenced by Sinology. No wonder Matsukata Iwao, who was a duke at the time, was so satisfied with them and used them as his own private seal.

Although in terms of value, they certainly cannot be compared with those precious collected works of art, but this is actually the object that Moegi Jun likes most after visiting for so long.

Perhaps there is still a trace of soul left in my heart that will resonate with this kind of thing.

It’s a pity that Izumo Yangyou would never give this pair of seals to himself.

But if he became Asana's fiancé, he would probably be able to get them all if he put a little effort into it... This thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

Wait, am I only worth two seals? Mogami Jun quickly came to his senses and put this ridiculous thought aside.

In order to divert his attention, he began to think about another problem.

According to his memory from reading the materials at that time, Duke Matsukata Iwao was born in the 19s, was over 1927 years old in 17, and died in 1942. Mrs. Izumo looked to be about the same age as his mother, that is, in her early s.

So, in terms of time, there is a difference of more than a hundred years between the birth dates of Matsukata Iwao and Lady Izumo, so they should be at least the great-granddaughter's generation.

If this is the case, then Izumo Asana is the great-great-granddaughter of Duke Matsukata?

Mogami Jun recalled the time he spent with Asana.

No wonder she is so popular in the girls' school. It seems that she has many old connections on her mother's side.

It's hard for her to be so tolerant of Zhenyou who offended her...

"Jun? What are you thinking about?" Izumo Yosuke asked because he noticed that Mogami Jun was a little dazed.

"Ah, sorry, I was thinking about your daughter..." - Of course, Jun Mogami would never say such offensive words.

"Sorry, I was admiring the seal and was so engrossed that I didn't hear what you said. Please forgive me!" He quickly apologized to the other party.

"It doesn't matter. I'm so happy that you like my collection, how could I be angry about something like this?" Izumo Yangyou smiled and shook his head. "On the contrary, I'm very pleased. Young people nowadays don't know anything, but you can actually guess the origin of a seal from the engraving on it, and you even know such a long story. This is really rare and beyond my expectation. The person who introduced you said that you are quite outstanding. After seeing you today, I find that you are indeed extraordinary..."

Judging from the other person's eyes and tone, Mogami Jun felt that he was sincere and it was not just a polite remark.

"You're too kind." He lowered his head quickly and said modestly. "I just happened to have a little impression--"

Besides feeling embarrassed, he also felt a little proud. After all, everyone would be happy to be praised by their elders.

However, he also knew that the other party praised him because they shared his interests. Izumo Yosuke's greatest hobby in his life was collecting these cultural relics and artworks. Mogami Jun was able to understand a little bit about them, which made him feel that he had found a soulmate, so of course he would be happy.

"Forget it. The affairs of the Matsukata family are somewhat related to our family, so it would be disrespectful for us to keep talking about them. Now that you know the ins and outs of the seal, let's continue to look at other things--"

"Of course, please continue to teach me." Mogami Jun replied quickly.

Izumo Yosuke took Mogami Jun away from the desk and came to the wooden shelf next to it.

There are several Japanese swords placed on this wooden shelf. Although these swords are kept in scabbards, it can be seen from the patterns and decorations on the handles and scabbards that these swords are antiques of extraordinary value.

really!

He had heard from Umemiya Natsuki before that Asana's family had a collection of many famous swords from ancient times, but he didn't expect to see them today.

He was not obsessed with swords, but a person usually does not have many opportunities to come into contact with such works of art that cost millions of yen. Coupled with the instinctive love of men for weapons, he was actually eager to try it out, waiting for Izumo Yosuke to show him the sword - it would be even better if he had the chance to try the blade himself.

But to his surprise, Izumo Yosuke did not rush to take the knife from the shelf. Instead, he gestured for him to look at the wall.

Mogami Jun quickly looked up and found a scroll hanging on the wall behind the shelf with a poem written in cursive script on it.

The handwriting was in a flamboyant style, but it was still barely legible.

"The sword is like two dragons, and snowflakes shine on lotus. The brilliant light shines on the sky and earth, and thunder cannot break through. Once the golden box is gone, it will fly and sink without a trace. Feng Hu has been dead for a long time, so he hides his edge. The Wu River is ten thousand feet deep, and the Chu Mountains are a thousand layers away. The male and female will never be separated, and the gods will meet."

Mogami Jun understood at a glance that this poem was Li Bai's "Ancient Style - Sword and Two Dragons".

It seems appropriate to put it here.

It can be seen that Chu Yunyangyou cherishes this calligraphy very much, so he specially framed it and placed it in such a conspicuous position.

He looked at the calligraphy carefully and looked for the signature, but unfortunately the author did not sign it.

"What do you think of this calligraphy?" Izumo Yangyou asked with a smile.

Mogami Jun hesitated.

He did not have any in-depth research on calligraphy, but in his opinion, although the calligraphy was indeed very beautiful, it was just beautiful.

Free Skirt 9○09

Li Bai's poem is written in a very vigorous and magnificent style, so if it is to match the original poem, it must also be written with momentum, but that kind of momentum was not seen in his calligraphy.

To be honest, he even felt that the description of Princess Xia of Meigong was not as artistic as that of Princess Xia of Meigong.

If this was a work that Izumo Yosuke spent a lot of money to buy, then he felt that the other party probably made a loss.

But he didn't know how to answer the other party.

He felt that since he had been dealing with cultural relics and artworks for so many years, Izumo Yosuke's appreciation should be much higher than his own. He felt that good things might really have some outstanding features. If he said something derogatory, the other person might think he was vulgar and could not appreciate the subtleties of calligraphy.

Besides, if you pour cold water on your master when he is in high spirits, you might end up making him angry.

How to do?

"Do you like it?" Chu Yun Yangyou asked again, "To be honest, this is a treasure that I treasure very much. I have to stop and admire it from time to time."

Should I cater to him against my will?

Under Izumo Yosuke's questioning, Mogami Jun gritted his teeth and finally decided to speak his mind.

"Mr. Izumo, I think this calligraphy is indeed very beautiful, but it is still inferior to Li Bai's poems - at least I can't feel that kind of momentum." He replied in a low voice, "Although I don't know who the original author is, I think the technique is still lacking and may need to be improved."

"Oh?" The smile on Izumo Yosuke's face disappeared, "Is this how you evaluate my treasure?"

"This is just my personal opinion. My perspective is definitely not comparable to that of a professional like you. Please don't take it to heart." Mogami Jun quickly replied, "I don't mean to offend anyone. I just think I should be honest about what's on my mind."

Izumo Yosuke looked at him steadily, then suddenly burst into laughter again.

“Hahahaha, you’re so cautious… Actually, you’re right. In terms of quality, it’s really average, but I’m not lying to you. For me, it’s really an incomparable treasure.” He laughed and said, “Because it was written for me by my daughter.”

Ah, so this is what Asana wrote!

In this case, the lack of momentum is understandable.

To be honest, this was the first time he saw Asana's handwriting in person.

When she was in the girls' school, Asana said that her calligraphy was not as good as that of Minister Omi and Senior Umemiya, but judging from her words, her level was not low to begin with.

Mogami Jun quickly raised his head and looked at the words on the wall again, and suddenly felt that the words looked a little more beautiful.

The ancients said that if you love a house, you will love its dog too. It seems to be true.

Wait, what did Izumo Yosuke mean just now? Was he testing his taste and character?

Jun Mogami suddenly understood and looked at Izumo Yosuke again.

"Asana is a good child. She is very serious whether writing or doing other things. I am very happy to have such a daughter." After laughing for a while, Izumo Yosuke became serious again. "For me, watching her grow up little by little is an indescribable pleasure. I have done many ridiculous things in my life, but I don't want to make any mistakes with her. I hope you can understand."

Hey, hey, hey, at this age, you're already considering finding a son-in-law for your daughter. Do you still have the nerve to say that it's not ridiculous? Mogami Jun couldn't help but complain in his heart.