Chapter Twelve: The Subjugation of Mount Kongo

  Chu Chen saw everyone's anxious appearance and smiled: "Let's eat first, there's no way to do it in this place."

  Everyone thought it was right, so they hastily finished dinner and came to Wu Shu's store.

  Chu Chen picked up the Buddha statue that had been placed aside earlier, put it on the counter, and gently wiped it with a cloth. He then pointed out the location of the seam to everyone, and they all used magnifying glasses to observe it carefully, marveling at the exquisite craftsmanship, which was so fine that it seemed seamless.

  Wu Shu put down the magnifying glass and said to Chu Chen, "Xiao Chen, you indeed observed very carefully. Tell me what you were thinking at that time?"

  Chu Chen can't say now that he was discovered because of his special ability, so he spoke out the reason he had thought of earlier.

  "I accidentally discovered this Buddha statue, and at first glance, I was a bit disappointed. But after thinking about it again, I realized that there were some problems with it. Previously, Uncle Zhao had told me that the Li family used to be not only Jin merchants but also a scholarly family, and they also had some involvement in antiques, so they shouldn't have asked for such an ordinary Buddha statue."

  "Even if someone in the family had believed in Buddhism and brought back this Buddha statue, how could there be no incense marks at all? So I guessed that this Buddha statue must have some hidden story behind it, which is why I found this seam."

  The actual situation is almost the same as what Chu Chen said. When Li Dage's grandfather had someone make this Buddha statue, he hadn't even revealed its secret before suddenly suffering a stroke and passing away.

  Later, Old Man Li also suspected that there might be some problem with it, but maybe it was just luck, and by today, he hadn't even noticed that gap, so Chu Chen got a good deal.

  Uncle Wu listened and said with relief: "Alright, it makes sense. As I said, picking up leaks is also a technical job. Xiaochun, you must remember that in our antique business, we need to think more and move our brains well, so that we can maximize the truth and eliminate the false. Now, let's take a look at what's inside this Buddha statue."

  After finishing speaking, Wu Shu took out a three or four inch long scraper and gently scraped along the seam. When he had scraped to the head and tail of the seam, he began to scrape lightly in the horizontal direction. After about ten minutes, the surface layer covering the seam was peeled off.

  At this time, the back of the Buddha statue can be clearly seen, with a rectangular wooden board inlaid. However, after everyone saw it, they were stunned, because the gap was extremely small, and even if you took a fine needle, it might not be inserted. How could this inlaid wooden board be taken out?

  Everyone was at a loss, and they couldn't force it, for fear of damaging the treasure inside, which would be a great loss. It's like entering a treasure mountain and returning empty-handed.

  Chu Chen saw this, not giving up, took out a magnifying glass and looked at the seam again. At this time, waiting to be killed was not his style. When he saw a position one inch from the bottom on the right side, he suddenly found a difference.

  "Huh?"

  Chu Chen let out a soft "hmm" and picked up the scraper beside him, gently scraping away at that spot. Before long, he had scraped out a small hole, which was only one centimeter away from the gap. Perhaps Wu Shu had scraped off a bit more earlier, and now there was no longer the same sense of helplessness as before.

  Zhao Xueyi saw this and excitedly said: "There is, there is, this should be the mechanism."

  Wu Shu hastily rummaged through the box and found a needle of roughly the same size. Chu Chen took it, lightly pierced the small hole, and soon encountered some resistance. With a slight force, there was a soft "click" sound, and the wooden board popped out, falling into Chu Chen's hand.

  "It's truly a divine skill, I didn't expect that the mechanism back then could be made so intricately, unfortunately this craftsmanship is almost lost."

  This mechanism is indeed extraordinary, an ancient Chinese complex concealment technique that few people know how to make, and even fewer are aware of its existence. It has a very vivid name: "Tummy Chamber".

  The current belly is still relatively simple, and there is a more complex one. The small hole is like a lock that can only be opened with a corresponding type of needle, and inside there are also destructive devices. If forced to open it, the objects inside will self-destruct.

  After removing the wooden board, a thick layer of cotton was stuffed inside. This layer of cotton was to prevent the exhibits inside from making any noise. After clearing out the cotton, there were two brocade bags inside.

  One of the brocade bags seemed to have two items inside, Chu Chen opened the brocade bag and carefully poured out the contents. Upon closer inspection, they were shocked to find that it was two gold ingots.

  Zhu Dafu took the two gold ingots and examined them carefully. The gold ingots were engraved with "Xin", "Tian", "Qiu Tian Bao", "Zu Chi" and double happiness characters, which were very exquisite. He smiled and said: "Great, these are two one-tael gold ingots from the late Qing dynasty to the early Republic of China period. The quality is excellent, just these two items have earned more than ten times the profit."

  After finishing speaking, Zhu Dafu handed over two gold ingots for Wu Shu and others to watch. After the two of them had a look, they also nodded their heads in delight.

  Chu Chen was also very happy at this time, in that case, more than half of the rent had been settled, but he also felt a little strange in his heart, why did the heterochromia not react to Jin Ingots? Unable to understand, he prepared to open another brocade bag, at this time he was full of expectations for this brocade bag, you know that the breath inside was very sufficient.

  The pouch felt a bit soft to the touch, Chu Chen carefully poured out what was inside, and the first thing he saw was still a layer of cotton wool. After removing the cotton wool, an exceptionally exquisite jade pendant lay quietly on top.

  "Let me see!"

  Zhu Dafu hastily stepped forward, carefully took the jade plaque in his hand, and began to examine it closely with a magnifying glass.

  This is a jade plaque about five centimeters high, and judging from its carving technique, it should be a Zǐ Gāng plaque.

  Zi Gong, also known as Zi Gang, with the surname Lu, was a native of Jiangnan "Wu Men" and a famous jade carver active in Suzhou during the Ming Jiajing and Wanli periods. He is also one of the most renowned masters in Chinese jade carving history.

  The son of jade carving changed the vulgar and mundane atmosphere of Ming Dynasty jade, with exquisite jade materials and superb jade carving techniques, incorporating seal cutting, calligraphy and painting art into jade carving art, raising Chinese jade carving craftsmanship to a new artistic realm.

  Lu Ziguang created many exquisite and ingenious jade carvings throughout his life, among which a single jade hairpin was "worth 56 taels of gold", and the jade pendants he crafted were even more endearing.

  The newly created jade pendant is square or rectangular in shape, with a thick and sturdy body, similar to a plaque, so it's simply called "Zi Gang (Gang) Pai". The special charm of Zi Gang Pai lies in its unique shape, exquisite jade quality, and fine craftsmanship, which embodies the artistic style of Lu Zi Gang's jade carving.

  Zi Gongpai's artistry surpasses that of ordinary jade, and its price is higher. Once it appeared in the world, it was immediately loved by people from all walks of life, especially scholars and poets. It was often in short supply, forming a not-so-small wave of imitation. Not only did someone secretly imitate it during the Ming Dynasty, but even during the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, people competed to imitate it.

  Currently, many jade shops in Suzhou and Yangzhou are still imitating the Zi Gang brand, which still has a significant market share and many people have a special affection for it, showing the profound influence of the Zi Gang brand. After Ming Dynasty, there were jade brands called "Zi Gang style" but not made by Lu Zigang himself, to distinguish them from the "Zi Gang brand" personally crafted by Lu Zigang.

  The Zhudafu's hand-held child is a genuine Subor brand.

  This jade plaque is rectangular in shape, with a hole at the top end. The two sides of the hole are carved with the same pattern of coiled dragon, while the front side has a shallow relief carving of a landscape figure - a jade-faced scholar under a bamboo tree, reciting poetry and enjoying the moonlight, giving people a sense of "bamboo rain, pine wind, qin rhyme, tea smoke, wu moon, book sound". The other side is carved with a poem and signed.

  The whole piece of jade is exquisitely crafted, with fine and delicate carvings, elegant and refreshing. The figures depicted are vivid and lifelike. The poem on the back is flowing and dynamic, with a knife that can carve out the charm of brush and ink. Although it's not as good as Zi Gang, it's also close.

  This jade pendant is of extremely high quality, made from the very rare and precious Hetian white jade material. It has a crystal clear and pure white color, with a fine and smooth texture. The entire piece of jade is nearly flawless, making it a true masterpiece among masterpieces.

  After handing over the jade plaque to Zhao Xueyi, Zhu Dafu said with emotion: "This piece of Yuquan Jade, observing its glaze and other characteristics, should be a work from the Qianlong period. From its jade quality and carving craftsmanship, it should be a fine piece carefully carved for Qianlong."

  "This piece of Zigan badge, without mentioning its jade quality, just talking about the carving skills, is the best I've seen so far, except for Lu Zigan himself. What's even more precious is that this Zigan badge has a jade quality that is actually top-grade sheep fat white jade, making it all the more valuable. It's truly a rare and precious masterpiece."

  Everyone took turns admiring the jade pendant, and they were all amazed by its beauty. Although the jade pendant felt a bit rough due to not being handled for many years, it was still possible to see that with some more careful handling, it would be able to regain its original luster.

  At this time, Zhu Dafu smiled slyly at Chu Chen and said: "Little Chen, let's make a deal. How about letting Uncle Fu have this piece of land?"

  Chu Chen hadn't had time to respond when Zhao Xueyi jumped in and said, "Old Zhu, you're not being very generous, are you? You've already gotten a whole set of furniture today, so this Zi Gang brand should be mine."

  Zhu Dafu glared and said, "Get out of here, you kid! You've already made a fortune of over 100,000 yuan today, but you still want to compete with me. And at my age, don't you know how to show some respect for your elders?"

  Zhao Xueyi smiled and said: "When you meet a treasure that you like, who cares about so much?"

  Zhu Dafu clasped his fists together and begged: "Old Zhao, be kind and let me have it. If not, tomorrow I'll let you pick two items from my collection."

  Zhao Xueyi's heart moved and he said: "Really? Can I choose everything?"

  Zhu Dafu said with a pained expression: "Let's discuss this later, as long as it doesn't exceed 30 million."