Chapter 0021: Ye Chen’s Challenge

Seeing that Master Zhuo and Jiang Yan seemed to be enjoying their conversation, the guests who had previously echoed Ye Chen’s sentiments fell silent. Ye Chen’s expression was one of venomous resentment; he had not expected Master Zhuo to show such favor to Zhang Xiao, and after he had gone to complain, Master Zhuo had simply ignored him! The arrogance Ye Chen displayed moments ago now left him feeling thoroughly embarrassed.

Yet, he dared not say anything further, lest he seem utterly tactless—for after all, this was Master Zhuo’s Ascending Dragon Mansion, not a place where the Ye family could act as they pleased. Ye Chen’s silence, however, did not guarantee silence from others.

Big Teeth, fuming, pointed at Ye Chen and said, “Hey, kid, did you hear that? We were invited! What did you say just now, huh?” Master Zhuo glanced at Big Teeth, and though he was a man of broad experience, even he felt somewhat unsettled.

Zhang Xiao noticed and smiled. “This is Lin Shu, a friend of mine. He’s quite knowledgeable about rare treasures, and when he heard you were holding this antique exchange, he insisted I bring him to broaden his horizons. I apologize for not informing you in advance.”

Master Zhuo looked at Big Teeth, secretly thinking Zhang Xiao’s friend was indeed a peculiar-looking fellow. He quickly smiled and said, “No matter. If he’s your friend, Zhang Xiao, then he’s my friend too.”

He then turned to Ye Chen and said, “Ye Chen, Mr. Zhang Xiao is my guest, yet you seem to have misunderstood. As the saying goes, better to resolve enmity than to deepen it. Apologize to Mr. Zhang, and let’s settle this with a handshake, shall we?”

Master Zhuo was shrewd; he didn’t need the details to guess what had happened. Zhang Xiao was his guest, but Ye Chen had chosen to oppose him, which was plainly disrespectful in Zhuo’s own home. Still, although Ye Chen was a spoiled heir, the Ye family had some ties with Zhuo, so he did not press the issue, instead offering Ye Chen a way out. It remained to be seen whether Ye Chen would take it.

Ye Chen understood well enough, realizing the meaning behind Zhuo’s words. He could only pinch his nose and force himself to approach Zhang Xiao, muttering grudgingly, “So you’re Master Zhuo’s friend. It seems I was mistaken. I hope you won’t hold it against me.”

Such an insincere apology meant nothing to Zhang Xiao. Did he need an apology from Ye Chen? Not at all—the two were not even on the same spiritual level. Ye Chen regarded Zhang Xiao as a rival, but Zhang Xiao simply did not see Ye Chen as significant.

That was the difference in vision.

So, after Ye Chen spoke, Zhang Xiao merely smiled, saying nothing more. With Master Zhuo mediating, the matter was temporarily resolved.

Master Zhuo then instructed his staff, who quickly set up the luncheon table and arranged seating by name.

What infuriated Ye Chen was that Master Zhuo seated Zhang Xiao and the dwarf near the head of the table, right beside himself—a mark of high esteem and honor. Many discerning guests understood why: originally, Zhang Xiao’s name had not been placed so close on the guest list, but the earlier incident had prompted Master Zhuo to make a statement. Zhuo Tianxiong’s reputation could not be casually slighted; even if Zhang Xiao was an unknown young man, Zhuo valued him, and others would have to respect that.

Such was the bearing of a true leader.

Dishes were brought out one after another, and the servants of the social elites who attended began to bring in their masters’ treasures, preparing for the exchange to commence.

Master Zhuo raised his wineglass, prompting everyone else to follow suit. He smiled and said, “Today, I am deeply grateful that you’ve all given face to Zhuo Tianxiong by bringing your own collections to my exchange. Everyone here treasures their treasures, and the purpose of this gathering is to share your prized possessions, to let everyone see something new and wonderful. In that spirit, I’ll drink first to honor you all.”

With that, Master Zhuo drained his glass, and the others quickly followed.

Setting his glass down, Master Zhuo looked around with a smile. “Shall I begin?” He laughed heartily and clapped his hands. Old Third stepped forward, holding a tray covered with a red cloth, and approached the central display table in the garden. All eyes turned to the tray in Old Third’s hands.

Old Third lifted the red cloth, revealing a painting scroll. Two bodyguards carefully removed the scroll and unrolled it, causing a commotion among the guests.

“This… this is an authentic work by Wu Daozi!”

“It’s Wu Daozi’s ‘Golden Bridge’ painting!”

“My heavens! To see a genuine work by Wu Daozi in my lifetime!”

“Master Zhuo is truly remarkable, owning even a Wu Daozi original!”

A wave of astonishment swept through the crowd. Everyone rose to admire the painting, though they kept a respectful distance—such a masterpiece was priceless, and as the saying goes, it may be viewed from afar but not handled.

Zhang Xiao nodded in appreciation at the ‘Golden Bridge.’ He thought to himself that Master Zhuo’s taste was indeed extraordinary; the genuine work by Wu Daozi was worth a fortune.

Meanwhile, Big Teeth yawned in boredom. Treasure-seeking mice might be greedy by nature, but only for true rarities or heavenly treasures; these antiques were mere trifles to him.

Master Zhuo graciously accepted everyone’s praise. The painting was his most cherished possession, usually kept under careful guard, and he rarely allowed himself to view it.

After this, several guests brought out their own treasures for everyone to admire and critique. However, with Master Zhuo’s jade masterpiece setting the tone, the others’ collections paled in comparison.

Midway through the luncheon, Ye Chen, who had been silent, suddenly rose and signaled to his subordinate. The man nodded and handed Ye Chen a box.

Ye Chen took the box, his face full of smug satisfaction, and glanced deliberately at Zhang Xiao before saying, “I, Ye Chen, am hardly worthy, but today I’ll show my collection to you all.”

He opened the box and took out an old piece of calligraphy. Smiling, he said, “I believe everyone here has heard of the ‘Preface to the Orchid Pavilion,’ correct?”

As soon as Ye Chen spoke, the crowd was stunned. Did he truly possess the long-lost original of Wang Xizhi’s ‘Preface to the Orchid Pavilion’?

Even Master Zhuo could no longer remain composed. Among all antiques, Zhuo loved paintings and calligraphy most, and he revered Wang Xizhi’s ‘Preface to the Orchid Pavilion’ above all. Unfortunately, legend had it that the piece was buried with Emperor Taizong of Tang, and after Wen Tao robbed the imperial tomb, it vanished forever—a loss for the ages.

Ye Chen, seeing the anticipation in everyone’s eyes, chuckled and said, “You guessed correctly. This is the authentic ‘Preface to the Orchid Pavilion.’ I spent immense effort and expense to acquire it, and today I’ve brought it for everyone to enjoy.”

Zhang Xiao, watching Ye Chen’s smug display, shook his head with a smile.

Ye Chen unfolded the calligraphy, and the crowd surged forward, even more eager than when they viewed the ‘Golden Bridge.’

Master Zhuo was among them; the guests sensibly gave him the central position. His hands trembled with excitement as he pointed to the calligraphy, exclaiming, “It truly is the ‘Preface to the Orchid Pavilion!’ Heaven smiles upon me. To see it in my lifetime—now I can die without regret!”

“My word! Young Master Ye, what an accomplishment! To have found the lost ‘Preface to the Orchid Pavilion!’”

“Extraordinary! This piece is priceless! The Ye family is indeed a family of great wealth and influence—such generosity!”

“Thank you, Young Master Ye, for broadening our horizons today!”

Compliments flowed from all sides, and Ye Chen basked in the adulation, relishing his newfound status. He glanced at Zhang Xiao, as if to say, “See, poor lad? You could never compete with me!”

Ye Chen displayed the ‘Preface to the Orchid Pavilion’ for nearly half an hour—only at Master Zhuo’s request did he finally agree to put it away.

There was a sense of lingering regret as the guests returned to their seats, still savoring the experience.

Ye Chen had now become the star of the exchange.

At that moment, Ye Chen flashed a sly smile and stood, facing Zhang Xiao. “Since you’re also Master Zhuo’s friend, I assume you have some expertise in antiques. I wonder what extraordinary treasure you’ve brought today for us all to admire?”

Ye Chen’s intentions could not have been more cunning. His ‘Preface to the Orchid Pavilion’ had brought the gathering to its peak; no matter what others displayed now, it would seem dull by comparison.

He was certain Zhang Xiao had brought nothing of value—his hands were empty, and the dwarf beside him carried only a cloth sack. Did Ye Chen expect anyone to believe a priceless treasure could be hidden in such a shabby bag?

Ye Chen simply wanted to see Zhang Xiao humiliated.

With Ye Chen’s question, all eyes turned to Zhang Xiao.

Zhang Xiao understood Ye Chen’s motive. He stretched lazily and smiled, “Oh? What a coincidence. I too have brought the ‘Preface to the Orchid Pavilion’ today.”

This statement caused the crowd, who had little hope for Zhang Xiao, to erupt in confusion.

You brought the ‘Preface to the Orchid Pavilion’ as well?

How could there possibly be two originals of the ‘Preface to the Orchid Pavilion’ in the world?