Chapter 375: Selling Antiques and Paintings

Lin Dong’s mind stirred as his gaze swept over the ornate box in the hand of the guard behind Wang Zaixing, and he finally understood Wang Zaixing’s purpose.
The owner of this Wang’s Pawnshop likely came to sell his wares.
Lin Dong was both amused and exasperated and could only shake his head, saying, “They’re all worthless things.”
“Coral trees, amber cups, gemstone candlesticks…” Wang Zaixing smiled as he listed one by one the rare treasures unique to Lin’s Inn’s top-floor room, his familiarity with them no less than Lin Dong’s.
“Lin’s Inn’s top-floor room—across the entire Han Kingdom, I doubt even the bedrooms of nobles can compare. If Manager Lin thinks they’re worthless, that’s probably an overstatement.”
Lin Dong smiled without saying a word, trying to prompt Wang Zaixing to get to the point. These items were all obtained from the Xingli Sect last time; everything that could be sold had been sold, with some left to decorate the top-floor room using the methods suggested by eunuch supervisor Yang Shun.
Lin Dong didn’t boast or get excited talking about the room’s decorations, which surprised Wang Zaixing slightly—this seemed the first time he hadn’t grasped Lin Dong’s every word and action.
The brief surprise soon faded. Wang Zaixing could easily accept such a minor lapse; he immediately said with a smile, “Manager Lin, I wonder who arranged Lin’s Inn’s top-floor room?”
“A friend,” Lin Dong replied politely, but his tone clearly indicated he didn’t wish to discuss it further.
Wang Zaixing suddenly realized he had overlooked something. Normally, anyone would talk enthusiastically about something they were proud of. Unless the top-floor room wasn’t something Manager Lin took pride in. Or perhaps the rare treasures there had questionable origins, and no matter how enthusiastic Manager Lin was, he wouldn’t dare discuss them in detail.
His thoughts raced as he murmured, “Manager Lin’s friend must be a genius. In my opinion, the various rare treasures in Lin’s Inn’s top-floor room are well-matched and complement each other, maximizing their brilliance while using the splendor of other treasures to cover up their flaws. It combines wealth with elegance, and elegance with wealth. To be honest, Manager Lin, I’ve also stayed in that room for a night—spending the whole time admiring its layout and arrangement.”

Lin Dong felt a bit more energetic. He was willing to take the risk of exposure to bring Yang Shun under his control—partly because it allowed him to plant an eye in the Emperor Qian Wei’s vicinity. The main reason, however, was Yang Shun’s talent in decoration. Unfortunately, Yang Shun had left in a hurry and hadn’t planned the layout of the inn in great detail. Moreover, Lin’s Inn was located in Qiufeng City, with a much smaller area and fewer floors compared to now, so the decoration deviated somewhat from Yang Shun’s original plans.

To Lin Dong’s surprise, Wang Zaixing, the pawnshop owner, was also quite skilled in decoration. As for the arrangement and layout of the “Heavenly Character” room, ordinary people might find it nice but couldn’t explain exactly why. Yet Wang could explain it clearly.

Wang Zaixing was worried that the rare treasures in Lin’s Inn’s “Heavenly Character” room might have dubious origins. Talking too much might only make Lin Dong more resistant, so he omitted the detailed descriptions of the various arrangements and their merits, saying directly, “Manager Lin, I notice that among the paintings on the walls of your ‘Heavenly Character’ room, the one in the middle seems a bit inferior. The one on the east side is a ‘Sea of Clouds’ painting, and the one on the west side is a ‘Thousands of Mountains and Rivers’ painting—both masterpieces with extraordinary artistic merit. But the painting on the north side, though also by a master, is too domineering and lacks the elegance and richness that complement the ‘Sea of Clouds’ and ‘Thousands of Mountains and Rivers’ paintings.”

“What good suggestions do you have, President Wang?” Lin Dong felt slightly pleased. Although Wang Zaixing’s explanation wasn’t as detailed as Yang Shun’s original decoration plans for these three walls, it hit the most important point.

According to Yang Shun’s plans, the walls on either side of the entrance were something guests would only glance at briefly upon first entering, as their immediate attention was drawn to the wall directly in front. Therefore, the side walls should feature larger paintings with delicate and elegant styles, while the wall directly in front should have a clearer painting that complemented what guests saw out of the corner of their eye. This way, the main painting would immediately capture attention, while the side paintings would serve as a complement, prompting guests to look closer.

When encountering someone knowledgeable about calligraphy and paintings, just these two characters and one word are enough to make one linger. Even for those without much knowledge in this area, a quick glance will surely give an impression of elegance and refinement. Next, the eye is drawn to the most dazzling coral tree in the room, followed by various rare treasures. If Yang Shun’s explanation is correct, every item in the room has a special meaning, almost designed to guide guests’ gazes, making them unable to help but examine each item in order, from less impressive to more exquisite, gradually leading them to the colorful bed covered by a sheer curtain.

It can be said that whether guests are of vulgar taste or high taste, they will be led by the room’s decorations upon entering. Lin Dong tried having people enter and record their impressions. Although some of the decorations differed slightly from Yang Shun’s layout plan—such as the calligraphy and paintings directly opposite, the soft golden candlelight, the thousand-year-old sandalwood tables and chairs— the effect was still very similar, with gazes mostly following the description in the layout plan. Thus, Lin Dong didn’t pay much attention to the minor discrepancies. After all, many of these items, not only in Lingnan City but even throughout the Great Han Empire, were beyond the reach of even the wealthy. In his haste, Yang Shun hadn’t considered the financial capabilities of Lin’s Inn. To Lin Dong, the effect achieved by the “Heavenly Room” was already excellent. If they were to follow Yang Shun’s layout plan, only Emperor Qianwei might be dissatisfied.

“Shopkeeper Lin, I have a pair of calligraphy and paintings by Emperor Hongyun. I was wondering if you might be interested in taking a look?” Wang Zaixing asked.

“Emperor Hongyun?” Lin Dong was slightly surprised. This Emperor Hongyun was a well-known figure in the history of the Great Han Empire. His fame was on par with that of the great rulers and tyrants in its history. This was not due to his political achievements but mainly because he had excellent handwriting, ranking firmly among the top ten among all the great calligraphers that the Great Han Empire had seen over thousands of years. Coupled with his imperial status, the rarity of his works, and the fact that few could imitate the charm of his handwriting, no piece of his calligraphy or painting was worth less than 100,000 taels. Some were even worth millions, far surpassing the value of any rare treasures.

“It was Emperor Hongyun. One could say it was my luck to receive 500,000 taels of silver from the descendant of a fallen noble. I initially wanted to keep it as a family heirloom, but after seeing the top-tier room at Lin’s Inn some time ago, after much hesitation, I still felt that this painting should be placed in that room to fully realize its value. Staying in my hands would merely mean hoarding such a precious treasure.” Wang Zaixing smiled calmly at Lin Dong’s astonished expression—everything was once again under his control.

“500,000 taels…” Lin Dong was stunned, both by the value of the painting and Wang Zaixing’s audacity. To dare carry around a painting worth 500,000 taels to sell—it wasn’t just the risk of damage, which could reduce its value by tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of taels, but also the fact that revealing such a valuable item casually was a serious taboo.

“I wonder if Manager Lin is interested in taking a look?” Wang Zaixing asked with a smile. “I believe that once this painting is hung in the top-tier room, the nightly accommodation fee could immediately rise to 100 taels. Moreover, the painting’s value will only increase, not decrease.”

“Let’s take a look… That’s fine!” Lin Dong couldn’t help but nod. If it was indeed an authentic piece, and he already had plenty of spare money, buying it wouldn’t hurt. Even if few people in Lingnan City could afford a room costing 100 taels per night, just improving Lin’s Inn’s reputation was worth it. Not to mention, he could use this opportunity to make connections in the capital and get to know Wang Zaixing as well.

Wang Zaixing’s reputation wasn’t great, but as long as it helped Lin’s Inn, Lin Dong didn’t mind building a relationship with him. After all, it was still some time before Lin’s Inn could expand to the capital, and even then, they might not be able to get in touch with Yang Shun. At the very least, he could ask Wang Zaixing for help decorating the branches in various counties within Lingnan City. Although Wang Zaixing could only assess the overall arrangement and effect of the decorations in the top-tier room, unable to see Yang Shun’s more intricate intentions, his skills were still decent. At least his designs would be better than those hastily created by Lin’s Inn after expanding.

Upon hearing this, a glint appeared in Wang Zaixing’s eyes. Although there were some deviations in Lin Dong’s words and actions, the first half of the outcome was flawless.

Raising his right arm, Wang Zaixing extended his index finger and gave a slight hook.

Behind him, the guard holding a long brocade box stepped forward and carefully placed the box in front of Wang Zaixing.

Wang Zaixing gently opened the brocade box and took out a smaller one inside.

Opening that smaller box, what appeared before Lin Dong’s eyes was a scroll about a meter long.

“Master Lin, this is a poem written in person by Emperor Hongyun. Its title is ‘Wan Xue Piao,’ and its artistic conception complements the paintings hanging on both sides of the Tianzi Room.” Wang Zaixing carefully took out the scroll and held it in front of Lin Dong. “The scroll has been coated with precious Yingye tree branches to protect it from insects, moisture, and odors for a hundred years. It’s important to handle it gently, as well as to protect it from fire and theft and from being exposed to the scorching sun for too long. Prolonged exposure can melt the tree sap, thereby damaging the painting inside.” Lin Dong nodded and carefully took the scroll from Wang Zaixing. Untying the string on the scroll, he held the bottom with one hand and the scroll tube with the other, slowly rubbing it to unfold it. Across from him, Wang Zaixing wore a confident smirk. The newly rising wealthy merchants of Lingnan City were still a bit too inexperienced. To him, Lin Dong, hidden by the scroll, appeared to be a naive sheep unaware of the dangers in the world.