Three

"Surname Chi?" Lü Guichen was taken aback and hurriedly got up

Is it acceptable to give it to an ordinary friend? After a long while, he raised his head

Does the young master like this jade cauldron? At six hundred and eighty gold coins, it is not considered expensive for this type of jade. The jade craftsman, an elderly man with graying hair, smiled at the young man examining the cauldron while dusting off the surface with a feather duster.

Indeed, it is a fine piece, a top-quality jade from Beimang Mountain, rare for its vibrant and translucent green, resembling the clarity of water. I do not mean to boast, but compared to this, the azure jade used in the sacrifices at Honglu Temple is merely a piece of lifeless jade. Young master, take a look at it in the light; it is solid yet not heavy, transparent yet not dispersed. The jade mine in Beimang Mountain has been exhausted, and in the future, acquiring such exquisite jade will likely be difficult even for those with wealth. The jade craftsman showed a hint of pride.

The jade artisan shook his head: "That is merely a game for the wealthy. For those who love jade, they may carry only a single piece with them. You appreciate its patterns and colors, perhaps even its flaws, which is why you remain devoted to it for a lifetime. Jade possesses a spirit; it resonates with a person's essence. If others praise a piece you purchased, do you truly like it? No matter how expensive the jade is, if you do not carry it with you, it holds no value."

This is it, this is the one!" Lü Guichen exclaimed with delight

Isn't there a possibility of some misunderstanding?" The jade craftsman smiled

He took out the jade ring from the box and was astonished to find that the vibrant green hue had quietly faded away. The entire jade ring was actually transparent, almost like crystal, with only a small, corn-sized spot of dark green, and wisps of emerald green spread out like mist into the surroundings, resembling a punctured snake's gallbladder dropped into a glass of clear water.

"Such fine jade, does it not belong to that pair of seals?" Lü Guichen looked at him in astonishment

Gold has a price, but jade is priceless. The jade craftsman smiled and said, "This piece of raw material comes from Lanzhou, which produces jadeite that is better than that from Wanzhou, but red jadeite is rare. The origin of this jade material is quite interesting; it was said to be originally white. Later, during the campaign against Jin in the north, treasures were plundered everywhere. The owner of this jade material was unwilling to part with it and ended up dying after colliding with the jade, which stained it red. The person who sold it to me said that if it were cut open, fresh blood would gush out. However, when I cut it, there was none, but the pattern does resemble that of blood-patterned jadeite. If I am not mistaken, it is the jade from the pit head of the Eight Pine Snow Storage Pit, and there are not many left now; it has been depleted.

The jade craftsman pondered for a moment and tapped his head, saying, "Oh, the one that the young master mentioned might still be here. Let me go and have a look."

"What about that seal?" The jade craftsman shook his head, "It is indeed a precious item, but the material of that dragon blood crystal ice stone is too pure, which diminishes its charm. If the young master likes it, I can part with it for three hundred gold zhu."

The jade can indeed hold the essence of a person, I have heard about it, is it true

"Jade ring? There used to be many of these, but a large merchant from the Apocalypse came to view the goods a few days ago and purchased quite a few. These small items are not displayed outside. What kind of ring is the young master looking for?"

"It is not ... ... it is not ... ..." The young man was in a panic, sweating profusely, "Outside ... ... someone is looking for the young master, saying that ... ... it is someone with the surname Chi, a ... ... a ... ... a significant figure!"

Lü Guichen, following his words, turned the jade ring in the sunlight. Strangely enough, as the ring spun, the green suddenly came to life, the vibrant and clear emerald hue alternately brightened and then subdued, at times resembling the color of a deep ancient pond, and at other times appearing completely colorless.

The jade craftsman nodded silently

Lü Guichen fell silent again, gently wiping the jade ring with a soft cloth, lost in thought as he gazed at it.

Oh?

"So expensive?" Lü Guichen was taken aback and then went on to scrutinize it carefully

I heard that the large shops in the city are auctioning jade materials, with some being worth several tens of thousands of gold coins

"Hmm," Lv Guichen nodded, "If it were made into a hook or a pendant, it might be worth something."

He tucked the Pixiu into his collar: "Young master, is this a token of your affection?"

It is merely a means to express longing. The old friend is no longer here, and by keeping his old jade belt close, you feel as if you are together with his spirit, which shows that you still remember him in your heart. Thus, jade is priceless, yet it is fundamentally just a stone, of no real value. The jade craftsman said lightly, "I will go to the back to tidy up; you may look around here by yourself. If you see anything you like, just call for me."

When he emerged from behind once again, he held a delicate lacquered wooden box in his hands. He invited Lü Guichen to sit in a corner of the shop. Lü Guichen knelt on a fine white bamboo mat and looked up to see a skylight, through which sunlight streamed down from the intricately carved window. The jade craftsman smiled as he opened the box, and for a moment, it seemed as if a green light overflowed from the box, casting a verdant hue on the jade craftsman's thin, bony fingers

That was a ring of emerald green set against deep crimson brocade, resembling a spring that had solidified, ready to flow at any moment.

Lü Guichen strolled among the exquisite jade artifacts, walking and stopping intermittently. The afternoon sunlight illuminated the floating dust, creating a warm and languid atmosphere. The sky-blue jade gui hung in front of the window, casting a translucent circular shadow, while the wine-red large jade sea surrounded him, requiring three steps to navigate around it. It truly contained wine, rippling with a myriad of clear reflections. A yellow jade parrot perched on a gilded stand, its cleverly crafted red beak holding a blueberry. Lü Guichen felt as though he was walking through waves of flowing light, with no substance surrounding him.

Lü Guichen fell silent, gently turning the jade ring in his hand. The green hue it refracted was ethereal and elusive, resembling a pool of azure water overflowing and flowing over a white bamboo basket

250 gold dirhams

The jade craftsman couldn't help but laugh at his serious demeanor: "I have truly never heard of a buyer who dislikes jade for being inexpensive. Although this piece of jade is good, the wealthy merchants from Tianqi do not appreciate it, as the material is too small, and the rings produced are too small, at most only fitting on a young girl's wrist. Once she grows up, it can no longer be worn. If it is worn as a necklace, it is considered too large, hence the price cannot be raised.

"... is the flag of the palace," the young attendant said nervously, "That one under the red flag seems to be General Chi Haonian, the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard!"

Yugong Xiaoxiao: "Although I am merely a jade polisher, I can tell that you, young master, are of great nobility. A person like you comes to purchase not just jade, but longing. No matter how fine the jade is, if it does not please you, it is merely a stone."

He ran a few steps outside, then turned around and bowed to the jade craftsman, saying: "Please help me keep this jade ring, I am willing to offer three hundred gold zhu."

"Love Token?" Lü Guichen was taken aback

"I have never seen it, but I heard from a friend that it is a jade ring with a glassy base, transparent, with only a small part being a deep emerald color, which has dyed the entire piece of jade green," said Lu Guichen

Of course it is true. The jade craftsman loosened his collar to reveal a jade Pixiu hanging from a silver chain around his neck. When I first wore this Pixiu, only half of it was green, but now the entire piece is a vibrant green. Old jade can develop yellow stains when placed against iron, and this green stain is actually the same; it simply seeps out from within the jade itself

The jade craftsman lifted the curtain from behind and saw Lu Guichen standing by the window, lost in thought as he gazed at the street outside. He smiled and said, "Young master, have you been looking for a long time and still found nothing of interest? The shop is small, please do not take offense, young master."

Lü Guichen hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and respectfully bowed: "Actually, I came this time to look for a jade ring. I heard that there is one in this shop, but after searching around, I have not seen it."

"Aren't you afraid that I might take something and run away?" Lu Guichen was somewhat surprised. The shop was not large, and it displayed dozens of jade items, with only him and the jade craftsman present.

It took over forty years to warm it through before it turned completely green, the jade craftsman sighed softly, "It was a piece that accompanied my wife as her dowry when we got married, she is no longer here, leaving behind a memory."

Lü Guichen gently stroked it and couldn't help but smile: "How much is this jade ring?"

Is there really such a thing

This piece of jade has an eye, the jade craftsman pointed to the size of a grain of millet, this is the jade eye, in fact, all the green comes from that little jade eye. As the old saying goes, this type of jade is called snake coil jade, where poisonous snakes coil around to guard it in the jade pit, making it not easily obtainable

"It is a child in a cage," muttered the jade craftsman

Lü Guichen came to his senses and hurriedly shook his head: "No, that's not it. There are many beautiful things, like that pair of dragon blood crystal frozen seals, which are truly exquisite. I have never seen such high-quality material before"

"That is indeed rare," Lv Guichen nodded and said, "compared to gold and silver, it feels much more substantial."

The jade tripod in the color of jadeite is translucent in the afternoon sunlight, with a base of white fat jade, from which wisps of deep red rise, resembling fresh blood dripping into fresh milk. The deepest part is at the bottom, gradually becoming shallower, and finally, the rim of the tripod is a pure white.

Of course! The jade ring symbolizes completeness. The jade craftsman smiled and said, "In the city, any family with surplus wealth includes a jade ring in the betrothal gifts. This item is used to signify commitment, and there is a colloquial saying that refers to it as a 'marriage set'; once it is given, one cannot escape from it. I see the young master's expression; it is also to buy jade for his beloved, isn't it?"

"Young master, please take your time to look around, I will go for a stroll nearby." The jade craftsman stood up.

The jade craftsman cleared his throat and said: "It is not quite so. There are exquisite skills in gold ornaments as well, but no matter how fine the gold ornament is, a second piece can always be made. Jade is different; each piece of good jade has its own unique patterns and colors, and even flaws are distinct. Once it is broken, it cannot be restored, and even if you travel across the nine provinces, you will not find another piece that is exactly the same."

"It is said that, and I know it too," the jade craftsman said with a smile, shaking his head, "but such fine jade material would be a pity to be ground into something so ordinary; I cannot bear to do that. This piece of jade has another advantage."

Beneath the red flag, a middle-aged general awaited on horseback, clad in silver heavy armor and a red cloak, exuding a subtle air of authority that made it difficult to meet his gaze. However, as Lü Guichen stepped out of the shop, the general dismounted quietly, standing silently to the side. The several guards behind him also dismounted and paid their respects, demonstrating proper etiquette. Chi Haonian leaned in and whispered a few words into Lü Guichen's ear, and the group promptly mounted their horses, racing like the wind towards the end of the narrow street. This small street in Huangyuefang was lined with jade shops, with jade ornaments hanging from the eaves as signs. The galloping horses stirred up a gust of wind, and the sound of jade ornaments clinking echoed continuously, reminiscent of the urgent beating of drums on a stage heralding an impending storm, resounding without pause.

Lü Guichen nodded in admiration and said, "This is indeed the first time I have heard of it"

If this jade is kept close to the body, the body temperature will warm the jade, causing the green of the jade eye to gradually seep out. If worn for ten or twenty years, the entire jade ring should become emerald green.

He hurriedly ran out, with Yu Gong following closely behind, quietly lifting the curtain to peek through a small gap. In the center of the small street stood seven chestnut-colored strong horses, all equipped with iron hooves and copper stirrups, draped in scarlet horse armor embroidered with gold. The knights on the horses wore matching woolen armor and carried long swords in sharkskin sheaths at their waists. One of them held aloft a deep red flag adorned with a blooming golden chrysanthemum. This was the family crest of Bai Li Jing Hong, the ruler of the Lower Tang Kingdom. Outsiders cannot easily bear this flag.

"No rules!" the jade craftsman scolded softly, "Is there anything that cannot be said more slowly?"

Young master! Young master!" The young attendant who was sweeping outside lifted the curtain and rushed in clumsily