Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 566: Chapter 563: Jiale Tang’s Self-Ringing Bell

Regardless of whether the items were clean or not, their origin was never questioned, and the seller’s situation was not probed. A black market auction could not even guarantee the authenticity of the items. It was entirely up to each individual’s skill and ability to discern.

The black market itself was like a brokerage, bridging the gap between tomb robbers and collectors. It bought low and sold high, earning a profit from the margin and kept the tomb robbers’ secrets while assuming some of the risks.

As for whether the items had just been unearthed or were stolen property, the organizers did not care. Essentially, items brought to this auction were either freshly unearthed relics or stolen goods. If they were legitimately obtained, they would have been taken directly to the commercial auction houses, not here.

The clients who came to the black market auction were clearly aware of this fact. However, these individuals had certain standing and connections in society, so even if the provenance of an artifact was unclear, they had their ways of laundering these items into legitimacy.

Around eight o’clock, Hong Si walked up to a table in the front of the room and announced in a loud voice, ”Ladies and gentlemen, the auction will begin shortly!”

With that brief sentence and no further ado, he clapped his hands loudly three times, and two burly men entered, carrying a large item shrouded in red cloth.

Upon seeing the bulky object, the people below couldn’t help but whisper to one another, speculating about what was hidden beneath the red cloth.

”The first item up for auction is a self-striking clock decoration piece from Jiale Tang, with a starting bid of five hundred thousand. Interested patrons are welcome to come forward for a closer look,” announced Hong Si.

Hong Si dramatically unveiled the red cloth, revealing a self-striking clock made of Purpleheart, a true masterpiece of craftsmanship.

The pendulum below the self-striking clock was swinging back and forth with remarkable precision, and the ticking sound from within was exceedingly punctual.

”Where’s Jiale Tang?” someone inquired in a low voice from below.

Qin Lianshan was seated at the front and upon hearing Hong Si mention Jiale Tang, his eyes immediately betrayed a look of shock.

In Tengchong, not knowing about Jiale Tang might be normal, but for those like Qin Lianshan from Old Beijing, there was no one who did not know of this place.

Jiale Tang was where He Shen lived. He Shen once published a poetry collection named the Jiale Tang Poetry Collection and occasionally called himself the Jiale Tang Lay Buddhist.

At the Palace of Prince Gong in the Imperial Capital, Jiale Tang still exists, and this place is considered a renowned tourist attraction in the capital even today.

Having a self-striking clock during the Qing Dynasty was not unusual. At that time, quite a few foreign merchants transported self-striking clocks and pocket watches to the port of Guangzhou, exchanging them for local goods like silk and tea to take back home.

Self-striking clocks and pocket watches, these imported items, were once fashionable in the great Qing, and nearly every official’s household would have them.

Cao Xueqin once wrote in ”Dream of the Red Chamber” about Granny Liu’s first visit to Rongguo Mansion, where she saw a self-striking clock in Wang Xifeng’s room.

However, the self-striking clock piece referred to as from Jiale Tang by Hong Si was unique; it was not made from the traditional cypress wood or metal, but rather from the rare Purpleheart, exuding extreme elegance at first glance.

Purpleheart was considered royal wood during the Qing Dynasty, used only by the royal family or the mansions of princes. He Shen was greedy and bold, and with the favor and grace he received from Qianlong, it was very likely that he would have such a piece in Jiale Tang.

However, since it’s an antique, just looking with the eyes is not enough; without handling and examining it closely, one cannot discern its authenticity.

Although Qin Lianshan was here to investigate a thousand-year-old ancient tomb, he couldn’t resist examining such a fine object that had been presented to him. Without waiting for others to react, he stood up first.

This is also the rule of the black market, different from other regular auction houses; the items auctioned on the black market cannot all be guaranteed to be genuine. So if buyers are interested in an item on display, they can go up and examine it for themselves, and then start bidding if they like it, with the highest bidder prevailing.

Because he had a geographical advantage, Qin Lianshan fully exemplified the phrase ”quick-eyed and quick-handed,” as he was the first one to step forward and scrutinize the self-striking clock.

Huo Sining naturally followed behind Elder Qin, and others who wanted to look at the self-striking clock all spontaneously lined up behind Huo Sining. While Qin Lianshan was examining the item, everyone waited quietly and patiently, with no one urging them on.

After Elder Qin had finished looking, Huo Sining also promptly stepped up.

The self-striking clock indeed appeared to be a product of the Qing Dynasty by its design. The rosewood used for the clock was of excellent quality; by the grain, one could tell it was made from hundred-year-old imperial wood. The carvings on it depicted patterns of Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity, representing blessedness, auspiciousness, health, and longevity, which was a commonly used pattern in the Qing Dynasty.

Carved below the rosewood were three seal script characters that read ”Jiale Tang.” The hands inside the self-striking clock were made of white jade, and not just any white jade, but of the superior quality known as mutton-fat jade, without a single impurity and exuding a unique, gentle warmth.

Huo Sining reached out her hand and almost immediately, her Heavenly Eye was activated. Everywhere she looked, from the rosewood to the mutton-fat jade inside, a faint purple aura radiated. Judging by the density of the purple aura, it truly belonged to an item from the Qianlong to Jiaqing period.

As Huo Sining’s fingers brushed the surface of the self-striking clock, it felt warm and smooth to the touch. The patina wasn’t thick, but the aura it exuded was substantial, and it was very well-preserved, without a single scratch—clear evidence that its owner had cherished it.

Such an artifact was undoubtedly a grand piece. Although Huo Sining had never seen other self-striking clocks from the Qing Dynasty, she knew that something like this was extremely valuable, definitely worth far more than a mere half million.

Seeing Huo Sining step down, Qin Lianshan didn’t speak but instead inquired with his eyes.

Huo Sining nodded ever so slightly that it was almost imperceptible, signaling to Qin Lianshan that the item was genuine.

This wasn’t a royal artifact, yet it dared to use imperial wood, and it was also from the Qianlong-Jiaqing period. It seems that only Jiale Tang would dare to display such a self-striking clock.

After having inspected the item, the bidding began. The voices of people calling out bids surged back and forth in the room, yet Qin Lianshan and Huo Sining remained silent.

Even though the self-striking clock was genuine, the price was not low. By the time the final hammer fell, the Jiale Tang self-striking clock had been auctioned for 3.7 million.

The first item was such an impressive piece that it excited everyone in attendance.

But clearly, they were excited too soon. Hong Si, true to being a businessman, especially one dealing in the black market, had a good grip on the rhythm of the black market and the mood of the buyers. After stimulating the buyers with a genuine, grand-opening piece, the items that followed were of mediocre quality, either fakes or products from the Republic of China era, and weren’t very impressive.

”The next item is a set of paintings. One of the paintings is Wang Ximeng’s ’A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains,’ and the other’s provenance is unknown. The starting bid for this set is thirty thousand.”