Chapter 357: Chapter 228: Grudges and a Good Show

The two fine horses pulled the spacious carriage, the iron-clad wheels clacking over the smooth bluestone slabs, stopping at the entrance of Mandarin Duck Tower at Xingqing Square.

"Brother Bai, this is one of the top spots in Yihai Prefecture, with chefs specially hired from Celestial Water Prefecture, who once wielded the ladle in the inner sect of the Meridian Sword Sect, adept at medicinal cuisines and precious banquets."

He Jingfeng is now considered the acting head of the main branch, with He Lichang, having lost two sons, appearing increasingly aged and seldom making an appearance.

The various income and expenditures of the mansion are managed by this Seventh Young Master, essentially controlling the purse strings.

In the past, he lived a life of hawking and dog racing, indulging in pleasures and thus being mistaken for a flower-embroidered pillow.

Yet now, he manages affairs quite properly, in an orderly manner, with no visible faults to pick at.

He is not inferior to the second and fourth young masters who hurriedly returned.

"Brother Jingfeng, you have plenty of resources, while we live frugally day to day. Today’s opportunity is rare; we must take advantage and really feast."

Bai Qi jumped off the carriage, laughing freely.

"Brother Bai, trying to eat me into poverty might not be so easy."

He Jingfeng smiled; tonight, he did not bring Uncle Yang along.

Yihai Prefecture is not like the outskirts; those bold enough to provoke the main branch of the He Family are few and far between.

The Seventh Young Master of the He Family walked ahead to lead the way; as soon as the doorman saw his face, he hurriedly greeted him with a smile:

"Seventh Young Master! It’s been a while since you’ve visited; we’ve kept a private room upstairs just for you!"

He Jingfeng nodded slightly, stepping aside to let Bai Qi and Xu Zirong enter first, and then he said:

"Bring up a few types of dried fruits, some fresh fruits, a pot of Cloud Mist Tea from Hengsu Prefecture, and prepare a table of ’Nine Spirits Banquet’."

The servant understood:

"Alright! Esteemed guests, please head upstairs; I’ll have the kitchen prepare it right away!"

This Mandarin Duck Tower is four stories high, and from the private room, one can overlook most of Xingqing Square.

Bai Qi chose a room with a broad view, opened the window, and leaned against the side:

"Brother Jingfeng, I’ve heard that your He Family and the Antique Shop Lu Family don’t get along well, with occasional minor conflicts?"

The Lu Family?

Brother Bai sure holds a grudge.

He Jingfeng’s heart skipped, recalling how his father, He Lichang, proposed to add another chair, which was strongly opposed by the Zheng and Lu Families.

He carefully chose his words, speaking tactfully:

"He Family deals with pawning and pledged goods, with periodic redemption in emergency trades, frequently receiving antiquities.

The Lu Family handles appraisals and disputes, discerning authenticity as their trade.

Initially, the two families had decent relations; the previous elder of the Lu Family occasionally bought a few trinkets from our pawnshop, until Lu Zhongping took charge and the grudge began."

Bai Qi raised an eyebrow, showing interest in the gossip:

"Brother Jingfeng, do tell in detail."

He Jingfeng glanced at Xu Zirong from the Inheritance Hall, smiled wryly, and said:

"It’s no secret. Seven or eight years ago, He Family received an antiquity from the Dao Sang period, a funerary object, a Vermilion Bird Copper Lamp.

By rights, such ’untraceable goods’ aren’t usually accepted at our pawnshop. However, because we encountered the Lazily Taoist and received thirty Yellow Bud Grand Pills, we prospered, and so the old master set the rule that anything bearing the He Family plaque could be pawned in emergencies.

This was when a person had a seriously ill mother at home, and a family heirloom, a fine copper lamp, was pawned for three hundred taels, with a promise to redeem it within three months.

The Chao Feng checked the details, confirmed it wasn’t from a ’scheming rogue,’ so accepted it."

The so-called ’scheming rogue’ refers to those who intentionally tamper with items to swindle a pawnshop.

For instance, pawning a robe while sneaking in moths to chew holes, then making a scene upon redemption.

"The Lu Family was involved in grave robbing in the early days, amassing wealth, particularly Lu Zhongping, who loves collecting antiquities from the Dao Sang period. He somehow heard about the lamp and came knocking on our door."

He Jingfeng shook his head:

"According to trade rules, pawned items cannot be moved unless overdue, to avoid liability for damage. Father didn’t want to besmirch our reputation with dubious dealings, so he declined Lu Zhongping.

Yet the head of the Lu Family came again a few days later, saying a new master had arrived at Ronghua Studio and wanted to compete with our Chao Feng in appraisals and debates.

Father didn’t suspect anything and agreed to this private contest."

Appraisals and debates essentially come down to who is better at identifying treasures.

Typically, six items are laid out, four authentic and two fake.

Both parties assess the quality, comment on the appearance, and discuss the origin.

"The six items consisted of a porcelain bowl, a painting, a copper furnace, a seal, a fractured stele, and a gold cup.

Three items were provided by the He Family, and three by the Lu Family.

During the appraisal, there wasn’t much to say; the Old Chao Feng won, and the Lu Family’s head admitted defeat, losing three valuable items to the He Family.

Things should have ended there, but while drinking tea, the master from Ronghua Studio, who came with Lu Zhongping, remarked regretfully that his specialty was recognizing funerary objects and had never failed.

Father was caught off guard, so he let the master examine the Vermilion Bird Lamp, along with two other items."

He Jingfeng narrated smoothly, while Xu Zirong nibbled on dried fruits and listened, Bai Qi leaned on the armrest by the window, casually chiming in:

"Lu Zhongping used a counterfeit to swap for the Vermilion Bird Lamp he wanted, didn’t he?"

He Jingfeng was surprised:

"How did Brother Bai know?"

Bai Qi smirked; in the antique trade, appraisal is the inner strength, forgery is the external skill; to grow strong, one must master both.

The Lu Family’s head didn’t use an old trick; it was just a simple ’bait and switch.’

"Propose a contest, deliberately lose, then suggest another round, ultimately swapping the fake for the real... The Lu Family’s head is deep in thought, skilled in forgery, and even Chao Feng didn’t detect a trace.

If it weren’t for three months later, when that person came to redeem the family heirloom and claimed it was a counterfeit...