Chapter 2, Gao Qiu

Liu Wuji nodded slightly, remaining silent

As for coincidences, Wu Haogu was also quite skeptical. The population within the city of Kaifeng during the Northern Song Dynasty was always over one million. What a great fortune it would be to encounter "General Gao" among a million people

At that moment, someone suddenly shouted: "Wu Dalang, why are you still here?"

In the Northern Song Dynasty, the market for calligraphy and painting was flooded with counterfeits, with their numbers exceeding those of genuine works by a hundredfold. According to Mi Fu, one of the Four Masters of the Song Dynasty, in his "History of Painting," it is recorded that "there are two genuine works by Li Cheng, while three hundred counterfeits exist," and "one or two genuine works by Wu Daozi can be found, yet three hundred counterfeits are present"

Liu Wuji responded and stepped forward to take down the easel, while Gao Qiu carefully picked up the charcoal drawing that was affixed to the wooden board, following Liu Wuji as they walked towards Panlou Street

During the Northern Song Dynasty, commerce flourished, leading to a proliferation of private seals (unlicensed), while official seals were relatively scarce. However, the calligraphy and painting officials in the Kaifeng Prefecture were particularly remarkable, as they were not only responsible for purchasing calligraphy and paintings for the imperial court, royal palaces, and government offices, but also tasked with participating in the appraisal of the calligraphy and paintings held in the imperial collection, which was a significant responsibility

Thank you, Xiao Yi, I will return now

The Wu family has indeed been harmed by others, and the damage is quite significant

Xiao Diwu is engaged in activities at the Panlou Street market

Moreover, being a calligraphy and painting official is not something that can be achieved merely through connections; it is a profession that relies on one's discernment and skill. Therefore, those who can become calligraphy and painting officials are all esteemed figures in the calligraphy and painting industry of Kaifeng. On ordinary days, countless wealthy patrons offer substantial sums to have them appraise their works, yet it is inevitable that mistakes in judgment will occur.

Or perhaps it is merely a chance encounter

Pan Lou is located to the east of the Imperial Palace and to the west of Sangjia Wazi. It is the closest among the 72 official inns of Kaifeng Prefecture (inns that can brew and sell liquor) to the Imperial Palace. As a result, it has become a frequent gathering place for high-ranking officials and dignitaries, who are also the main buyers of cultural artifacts, calligraphy, and paintings.

"Xiao Yige" is a colloquial term used in the marketplace, similar to how "Wu Dalang" is referred to in the tales of Wu Haogu. During the Northern Song Dynasty, families with significant wealth were often addressed with the prefix "Da" or "Yi". Due to the homophonic nature of "Yi" and "Yi", "Xiao Yi" would thus be referred to as "Xiao Yi".

During the day, many food stalls are set up in front of these "curio" shops, selling items such as sheep heads, tripe, kidneys, milk products, honey pastries, sand dumplings, fragrant candies, and honey-glazed sculptures. As these stalls are located along the street, their customers are primarily commoners who make a living or are enjoying leisure activities in the areas of Panlou Street, Moxing Street, and Sangjia Wazi, thus the prices are naturally affordable and the quality is good

Due to possessing a particularly eloquent tongue and being of a similar age to Wu Haogu, as well as having some knowledge of calligraphy, painting, and cultural artifacts, he became quite familiar with Wu Haogu before the soul exchange. Under Wu Haogu's guidance, he often undertook errands and gathered information for the Wu family, earning a meager living through hard work, and occasionally managed to bring in some small business to earn a little commission

Wu Haogu hurriedly exchanged pleasantries with Gao Qiu, then left the teahouse and quickly approached ahead.

Liu Wuji and Wu Haogu, both being the eldest sons in their families, are thus referred to as Liu Xiaoyi and Wu Dalang respectively

"How could this be?" Gao Qiu asked with great interest, "The paintings and calligraphy purchased from the palace are not very expensive, at most a few thousand to ten thousand coins. If they are forgeries, the purchase price would be at most a thousand coins. Wouldn't a calligraphy and painting official be able to bear such a loss?"

Liu Wuji stopped in his tracks and turned around. He saw Gao Qiu standing next to the strange easel of Wu Haogu, waving at him. He hurried over and cupped his hands in greeting, asking, "Is there something you need, my lord?"

Liu Wuji shook his head and said: "The esteemed official is unaware that this time the palace is simultaneously withdrawing seven pieces of calligraphy and paintings, totaling over fifty thousand strings of cash. Moreover, both Officer Wu and Wu Dalang have been captured and imprisoned in the Kaifeng Prefecture jail. This Dalang was only released a little over ten days ago..."

At this thought, Wu Haogu still respectfully cupped his hands towards the future "High Commander Gao" and reported his own name.

Liu Wuji glanced at Wu Haogu's back, gently shook his head, let out a soft sigh, and was just about to follow when he heard someone behind him say: "This young Taoist priest, please wait."

"There is nothing to the counterfeit." Liu Wuji also said, "Then, Wu Dalang's father was originally an official in charge of calligraphy and painting."

Wu Haogu thought carefully again. Gao Qiu had just mentioned that he was a minor official under the command of a certain "Governor Wang." The "Governor Wang" he referred to should be Wang Shen, the Duke of the Imperial Family, who is known for his artistic achievements but has had a lifetime of misfortune in the officialdom as the Governor of Dengzhou.

Gao... ... Qiu? He, he is actually the Grand Commandant Gao Qiu

Gao Qiu said: "Wu Xiaoge forgot his easel, it would be better to return it to him."

Little Yi, what is the matter?

As a minor official under Wang Shen, and having also served in the residence of Su Shi, Gao Qiu naturally would not consider the forgery of famous paintings and calligraphy to be a crime

Having spoken, he immediately left.

"Counterfeit?" Gao Qiu chuckled and said, "What do I care about that."

Known as "Wu Dalang," Wu Haogu could only smile bitterly in his heart. Looking back, he saw a Daoist dressed in traditional attire, with a green hibiscus flower tucked at his temple. The slightly shorter, fair-faced young Daoist was hastily walking along the street, and from a distance, he shouted at Wu Haogu, appearing very anxious.

Currently, there are no items available, and the number of people wanting these items has increased significantly, which is troublesome...! ... It is truly becoming more and more serious!

Liu Wuji said: "Esteemed official, I am Liu Wuji."

Upon hearing this, Wu Haogu immediately gritted his teeth

At this time on a weekday, Liu Wuji should be looking for a place to have dinner at Panlou Street Market

Of course, those who desire the treasures are certainly not Gao Qiu himself...! ... The treasures of the world are meant for those with virtue to possess

Thus, the street east of Panlou, known as Panlou Street, has become a gathering place for antique shops, calligraphy and painting stores, as well as shops selling pearls, silk, and medicinal herbs. Additionally, there are several falconry shops in the southern part of the street, specializing in the trade of hawks and birds. However, these shops selling cultural artifacts, calligraphy, paintings, and birds do not operate from morning until night; instead, they open for business only in the early morning and late evening.

Moreover, the imperial family of the Song Dynasty was not particularly wealthy. Most of the time, their finances were closely monitored by the civil officials, who were cautious about spending. Therefore, the funds available for collecting were quite limited, making it difficult to afford expensive treasures. Items costing several thousand to tens of thousands of strings of cash were already considered exorbitant for the palace.

The current Gao Qiu is far from being a "man of virtue," while his unfortunate master Wang Shen is notoriously fond of calligraphy and painting. Even though Wang Shen is no longer fortunate, he is still a prince consort from a family of military nobility, a person whom merchants like Wu Haogu cannot afford to offend

A string of coins refers to a collection of coins threaded together, with each string theoretically containing 1,000 copper coins. However, during the Northern Song Dynasty, there was a "coin shortage," resulting in each string containing only 770 copper coins. At that time, the price of rice in Kaifeng was approximately 60 to 90 copper coins per dou. If we calculate using the median, one string of coins is equivalent to about ten dou of rice

A few hundred coins may indeed be a substantial sum for the common folk, but for the Wu family, who run a painting studio at the Panlou street market and still hold the official seal of the calligraphy and painting bureau, it is hardly considered a significant amount of money

However, the matter involves the palace... Liu Wuji shook his head repeatedly, "The amount to be refunded is too much for the Wu family to produce at once."

During the Song Dynasty, each industry had its own regulations, and the calligraphy and painting industry was no exception. There were established rules on how to refund when counterfeit works were discovered and what to do in case of errors in appraisal. Moreover, these regulations were quite beneficial for both calligraphy and painting officials and merchants. After all, these rules were originally set by themselves

Thank you for the reminder, esteemed sir

On the road, Gao Qiu inquired, "I am Gao Qiu, may I ask the young lord's surname and full name?"

The person is named Liu Wuji, a candidate Taoist without credentials. He previously practiced "cultivating immortality" in a small Taoist temple outside Kaifeng. Three years ago, he entered Kaifeng City and has been mingling around the areas of Panlou Street and Moxing Street. His activities include fortune-telling, ghost-catching, talisman drawing, feng shui consultation, selling medicine, and engaging in private calligraphy and painting.

Although merchants during the Song Dynasty generally upheld integrity and counterfeit goods were relatively rare in most industries, the market for antiques, books, and paintings was an exception. Similar to the situation in later art markets where forgeries are mixed in, there were also very serious instances of forgery in the trading of books, paintings, and antiques in Kaifeng during the Northern Song Dynasty

Gao Qiu inquired: "Brother Liu, what exactly happened at the Wu family's painting studio?"

Therefore, the appearance of Gao Qiu is likely not a good thing for Wu Haogu in the present, and nine times out of ten it is also for that worthless treasure

The involvement of these literati and scholars has also led to a situation where the Northern Song government is largely indifferent to the forgery of calligraphy and painting, as most of the forgers are educated individuals, some of whom hold official positions (for instance, Mi Fu was an official and also a prominent artist from a military family). The victims of these deceptions are mostly wealthy merchants, which makes it less worthwhile to pursue investigations.

Mi Fu, who wrote extensively about various incidents and methods of forgery in "The History of Painting," was himself a master forger. He often borrowed paintings and calligraphy from friends, made copies at home, and returned the copies while keeping the originals, thereby earning a notorious reputation. There were countless Northern Song literati and scholars like Mi Fu who engaged in forgery and deception.

Liu Wuji, who had no family in Kaifeng Prefecture, mostly had his dinner at the snack stalls on Panlou Street. During the Northern Song Dynasty, the habit of having three meals a day had begun to spread in the big cities, although the meal times were different from those of later generations. Typically, there was one meal at noon, one in the evening, and another late-night snack after nightfall

After dinner, Liu Wuji would usually go to Panlou Street to gather information or run errands for the Wu family. However, today, Liu Wuji rushed to Maxing Street without even having dinner, clearly indicating that there was an urgent matter at hand

Gao Qiu's master, Wang Shen, was also a master of forgery. Mi Fu revealed in "The History of Calligraphy" that he had personally witnessed Wang Shen dyeing and aging his copy of Wang Xianzhi's "Egrets" and then attaching his own postscript to it. He also mentioned that Wang Shen had copied the work of Yu Shinan, aged it, and made it appear as if it had been inscribed by the nobles.

At this moment, Gao Qiu's expression changed, "So someone is trying to frame the Wu family!"

Liu Wuji said anxiously: "Dalang, there has been another incident at your family's painting studio. Just now, while I was looking for something to eat on Panlou Street, I saw that Zhao San Heizi and his men were heading towards the Wu family's painting studio, claiming they were going to seek justice for a friend who mistakenly bought something from your family. Aren't you going to hurry back?"

Wu Haogu was taken aback upon hearing this name: Is he the golden thigh that heaven has bestowed upon me

The official agent refers to the licensed agents certified by the government (such as economic agents and intermediaries), who are responsible for purchasing goods on behalf of the government (which also carries a somewhat coercive connotation). They also manage market order and are considered the elite within the agent industry

Wang Shen himself is not fortunate; what is his subordinate but a mere golden thigh? At best, it is just a seedling of a golden thigh

Gao Qiu nodded with a smile, seemingly wishing to continue the conversation with Wu Haogu.

This is nothing at all. Gao Qiu, however, was completely unconcerned, chuckling as he said, "It is certainly not easy to forge, but it is even more difficult to identify a forgery. Even the most experienced experts can occasionally be deceived; one should simply follow the established practices."

Sold a counterfeit