บท 105: Taking Medicine or Finding a Bargain (Part Two)
"Fang Yi, Elder Yu has already declared it a fake; you should refrain from speaking..."
Man Jun inwardly lamented as he forcefully tugged at Fang Yi from behind. Today, he felt thoroughly harmed by Fang Yi, having squandered money on something worthless, and now he had also offended Yu Xuan, a revered figure in the industry. This incident would likely spread like wildfire the moment they stepped out of the hotel.
"Brother Man, as the saying goes, 'Without discernment, there is no clarity; without examination, there is no understanding.' We are merely discussing this, and Elder Yu would not hold it against you..."
Ignoring the surrounding voices of skepticism, Fang Yi turned his gaze toward Yu Xuan and said, "Elder Yu, I have previously examined some Daoist texts from the Tang Dynasty, and the paper used in those is yellowed, resembling that of this 'Yongle Dadian.' I would still like to ask you to take another look..."
"Daoist texts from the Tang Dynasty? Young man, that statement is rather bold..."
"Indeed, the literary works from the Song Dynasty are scarce, let alone those from the Tang Dynasty..."
"How could the paper from the Tang Dynasty compare with that of the Ming Dynasty? This young man clearly lacks understanding of collectibles..."
As Fang Yi's words faded, the surrounding clamor of criticism grew louder. Even Man Jun's face displayed displeasure; Fang Yi's remarks were mere blunders, and one might mistakenly believe they stemmed from Man Jun's own teachings.
"It truly is from the Tang Dynasty; I merely mentioned similarities, not exact replicas..."
Fang Yi found himself at a loss for words in response to the crowd's accusations. His master indeed possessed a few Daoist texts from the Tang Dynasty, but the old priest had requested that Fang Yi place those scriptures in his coffin for burial before he passed.
"Daoism was highly esteemed during the Tang Dynasty, and the texts left behind were quite precious..."
Upon hearing Fang Yi's words, Yu Xuan appeared momentarily taken aback. The well-preserved ancient texts are predominantly Buddhist or Daoist scriptures, yet they are exceedingly rare among the populace, typically housed within major temples and Daoist monasteries in the country.
"Wasn't Buddhism revered during the Tang Dynasty? Didn't Tang Xuanzang belong to that era?" At that moment, a faint voice emerged from the crowd.
"Ha! Tang Xuanzang was indeed from the Tang Dynasty, but does that mean the dynasty exclusively revered Buddhism?" Fang Yi chuckled and replied, "From Tang Gaozu Li Yuan to the last emperor of the Tang, aside from the period of Wu Zetian, when Buddhism faced suppression, Daoism was predominantly honored..."
While Fang Yi may not surpass these individuals in knowledge of antiques, he was well-versed in the history of Daoism. In discussions of Daoist doctrine, he could easily outshine them all.
"Is that true?" The person who had previously expressed doubt now inquired, seemingly intrigued by Fang Yi's confidence.
"Fang Yi is correct; the Tang Dynasty indeed held Daoism in high regard..."
Yu Xuan glanced at the individual and said, "You can verify this for yourself; the Tang Dynasty was an era where Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism coalesced. Essentially, one could say the emperor favored Daoism, governance relied on Confucianism, and the populace gravitated toward Buddhism, yet Daoism undeniably flourished..."
"Very well, Fang Yi is right; I shall take another look..."
Yu Xuan now recognized that his previous approach to the appraisal had been somewhat hasty. Ordinarily, after examining the cover page, he would continue to assess the content, yet he had prematurely reached a conclusion.
"You stubborn fool, why must you be so obstinate?" Man Jun shook his head in exasperation as he glanced at Fang Yi. Today had already been a significant embarrassment, and he hadn't anticipated Fang Yi would persist; it seemed his face would be entirely tarnished here.
"Eh?"
As Yu Xuan flipped through the first three pages of the 'Yongle Dadian,' his expression remained neutral. However, upon reaching the fourth page, his demeanor shifted dramatically, and he abruptly seized the magnifying glass that had been resting on the table.
"What... how... is this possible?"
Yu Xuan murmured softly, his eyes nearly glued to the magnifying glass, his countenance growing exceptionally serious as he meticulously scrutinized the text on the page, reading it word by word.
"What on earth is happening?"
"Could it truly be real? How is that possible?"
Witnessing Elder Yu's sudden change in attitude, the onlookers were left bewildered, especially as they observed Yu Xuan's lips moving and his expression transforming from solemnity to excitement, prompting a shared question among the crowd: could this edition of the 'Yongle Dadian' genuinely be authentic?
The atmosphere in the restaurant grew tense, with everyone holding their breath, fearful that any noise might disrupt Yu Xuan's assessment.
"Indeed, it is... truly!"
After what felt like an eternity, Yu Xuan finally lifted his head after thoroughly examining a dozen pages, his voice trembling as he declared, "This... this is a Ming edition of the 'Yongle Dadian,' and... based on my assessment, it... it is highly likely to be one of the original volumes from Zhu Di..."
"What? It's real?"
"It's the original edition? How can that be? I heard only one copy remains in the world!"
"Exactly! Even the reprints are rarely seen in the market; how could an original possibly surface?"
As soon as Yu Xuan's words fell, a cacophony erupted from the assembled crowd, with multiple voices rising in unison within the upscale hotel, drawing the attention of other diners.
"Brother Man, are original copies of the 'Yongle Dadian' really that scarce?" Hearing the commotion, Fang Yi tugged at the still-dazed Man Jun, who had been lost in thought ever since Elder Yu began speaking.
"Scarce? They are nearly extinct..."
Man Jun finally snapped back to reality after Fang Yi's nudge. According to historical records, the original copy of the 'Yongle Dadian' vanished after the death of Emperor Jiajing, with legends suggesting that Jiajing took the original into the Yongling tomb.
The original text compiled during the Yongle era consisted of only one volume, and all existing copies are transcriptions from the Jiajing period, often referred to as duplicates. However, the Yongle copies suffered catastrophic losses, not only due to palace fires but also from the ravages of war, with fewer than 800 volumes remaining today.
Last year, relevant scientific examination departments utilized modern remote sensing technology to investigate the Yongling tomb of Emperor Jiajing, confirming that the interior was entirely submerged in water, indicating that the original text of the 'Yongle Dadian' would never be seen by future generations.
Given these factors, it is needless to say that not only the original text of the 'Yongle Dadian' but even the copies from the Jiajing era have never circulated among the populace. Thus, should Yu Xuan verify that this indeed is the original 'Yongle Dadian,' it would send shockwaves through the academic community.
"Everyone, please quiet down; let us listen to Elder Yu..." A voice rose above the din.
"Elder Yu, the original copy of the 'Yongle Dadian' has long since disappeared; this cannot possibly be the original, can it?" Even with Yu Xuan's esteemed reputation as a leading expert in the field, he was now facing skepticism.
"The likelihood of it being the original is exceedingly high..."
Yu Xuan's excitement was palpable as he spoke, "Some may not be aware, but the original 'Yongle Dadian' was entirely handwritten, featuring the work of many renowned calligraphers from the Yongle era. The calligraphy in this edition happens to match that of one particular individual I am familiar with..."
Many present were aware of the details Yu Xuan mentioned; the 'Yongle Dadian' comprises over 370 million characters, all meticulously transcribed by scribes using official Ming dynasty script and the elegant style of the time. The landscapes and artifacts depicted within the text were rendered with exquisite detail.
This vast quantity of text would have required at least one complete transcription during compilation. Over two thousand individuals took five years to complete the initial draft, and after finalizing it, the clean copy was finished in less than two years, averaging around 500,000 characters per day. Among the calligraphers who produced the clean copy were many renowned artists from various regions.
"The calligraphy in this edition of the 'Yongle Dadian' is the quintessential Taige style. If I am not mistaken, it should have been penned by Shen Du, the founder of this style. His works are even featured in 'A Compendium of Ancient Chinese Calligraphy and Painting'..."
Yu Xuan, being not only a miscellaneous expert but also well-versed in ancient calligraphers, was very familiar with Shen Du, one of the two prominent calligraphers of the early Ming period. After careful examination, he confidently identified it as Shen Du's work.
"What... has Old Man Man truly stumbled upon a treasure or merely taken a gamble?"
Upon hearing Yu Xuan's preliminary assessment of this edition of the 'Yongle Dadian,' a thought emerged in the minds of all present, while Xie Qingyang stood there, his mouth agape in astonishment.
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