Yao Youqing then tiptoed close to Wei Hong's ear and whispered, "This is a fake."
If people find out they're selling counterfeit goods, they might think they're scammers and stop coming.
However, the fact that his collection turned out to be fake would be very embarrassing for Wei Hong if his servants found out, so Yao Youqing did not say it in front of others.
Wei Hong felt a tingling sensation near his ear, but refrained from reaching out to touch it.
How can you be sure it's a fake?
He asked in a deep voice.
Yao Youqing: "Because...because the original is in my dowry."
Chapter 27 Arguing
Before the couple gets married, the woman usually gives the man a copy of the dowry list, and the man will usually check it against the list.
On the one hand, the dowry can reflect the wealth of the bride's family and whether the daughter is favored and what her status is at home. On the other hand, it can also prevent any unpleasantness between the two families after the marriage due to the dowry, as it is difficult to explain whether the dowry is too much or too little.
The Yao family had sent a dowry list to Wei Hong, but Wei Hong had it returned without even accepting it. He made it clear that Yao Youqing would manage her dowry herself, and he would never let her handle it or even look at it. He also told her not to come looking for him if any problems arose.
Therefore, although Yao Youqing's dowry was large, he had no idea what was inside.
After Yao Youqing finished speaking, she also felt a little embarrassed. If it weren't related to the success or failure of this matter, she wouldn't have wanted to point this out in person.
But Wei Hong didn't show any embarrassment at being exposed. Instead, he asked, "How do you know that the one in your dowry is the real thing and this one is a fake? Maybe mine is the real thing."
“Impossible,” Yao Youqing said. “My father bought it. He has a deep understanding of calligraphy and painting. Many families in the capital like to ask him to authenticate paintings. He has never been fooled in all these years.”
Although Yao Yuzhi was a rigid person, it is undeniable that he was indeed exceptionally talented. As Yao Youqing said, he had achieved great success in calligraphy and painting. Even those who did not get along with him would sometimes ask him to help them appraise paintings when they were buying them.
What's good about him is that he speaks his mind. No matter how big the disputes are in the court, he doesn't bring them down to the bottom. He won't deliberately trick people into buying fakes just because he disagrees with them.
Although Wei Hong had a grudge against him, he had to admit that Wei Hong was exceptional in both calligraphy and painting and had his own merits.
When did he buy this idyllic pastoral painting?
He asked another question.
Yao Youqing thought for a moment: "It was a long time ago, when I was five or six years old, probably... about ten years ago."
Wei Hong calculated the time and nodded: "Then it is indeed an authentic work."
Yao Youqing tilted her head and looked at him, somewhat puzzled, not understanding why he only confirmed that it was an authentic work after she mentioned the time she bought it.
Wei Hong said, "I first saw this painting around that time in a shop in Beijing that specializes in selling antiques and calligraphy."
“I really like Feng Dajia’s paintings, and this one is quite different from his other works in style, so I wanted to buy it, but… the shopkeeper told me that it had already been reserved by someone else.”
Cui Hao was also by his side at the time and helped him ask the shopkeeper if they could contact a buyer who was willing to pay double the price to buy it.
However, Feng Dajia's paintings are extremely rare and valuable. Most art lovers buy them for collection purposes, not for resale. So why would they give them to him just because he offered a high price?
The shopkeeper's answer was exactly as he expected: the buyer had already left a message saying that if they found the original, they should keep it no matter what, and he would definitely come to buy it.
"Firstly, we've already received the deposit, so it's not good to go back on our word. Secondly, this buyer often helps our shop, and we'll inevitably need to rely on them in the future, so..."
The shopkeeper chuckled awkwardly, "I'm sorry, but we won't sell this painting no matter how much money you offer, and the buyer certainly won't give it up either."
Wei Hong understood, but he still lingered in front of the painting for a long time, reluctant to leave.
Seeing that he really liked it, Cui Hao suggested that they ask who the buyer was and go to their door to ask if they could agree to the purchase.
Wei Hong shook his head: "No need. A gentleman does not take what others love. Let's go."
So he left the capital and returned to his fiefdom, never to see the original painting again.
I only found out today that the person who bought it was Yao Yuzhi.
It must have been because he often helped that shop distinguish the authenticity of paintings and calligraphy that the shopkeeper took extra care to find that painting for him and refused to sell it to anyone else.
Yao Youqing was even more puzzled: "Your Highness knew this painting was a fake? Then why did you still buy it?"
Wei Hong smiled, his eyes filled with undisguised pride: "It wasn't bought, it was painted."
Painted?
Yao Youqing was stunned for a moment, and it took her a few moments to realize: "This painting... was it painted by you, Your Highness?"
“Yes,” Wei Hong said, “After I returned from the capital that year, I made a copy from memory and had Cui Hao help me to see if there was anything wrong. I made corrections and revisions, and it took seven or eight times to barely reproduce it.”
"But I was only thirteen or fourteen at the time. I was young, and my brushwork was limited, so my paintings weren't very good."
"Later, whenever I had free time, I would practice with it. I've painted at least a dozen of them so far. This is the most recent one, and also the one I'm most satisfied with."
He then turned to her and asked, "How does it compare to your original? Does it look similar?"
Yao Youqing nodded vigorously: "It's so similar! It's so similar!"
If she hadn't known that the painting in her dowry was an original, she definitely wouldn't have recognized it.
Although she is Yao Yuzhi's daughter, she is naturally weak and lacks wrist strength, so her calligraphy and painting skills are only mediocre.
Yao Yuzhi was strict with her son, but doted on her daughter. She didn't want her to practice hard, as long as she could learn the basics and it would be enough for her to socialize with other women.
Yao Youqing herself wasn't very good at drawing, but she did have a good eye. Even if she couldn't compare to her father, she was better than most people.
"To be able to copy it like this from memory, Your Highness is truly amazing."
She said it from the bottom of her heart.
Wei Hong's lips unconsciously curled up, and his chin was slightly raised.
He was Emperor Gaozong's most outstanding son, and Emperor Gaozong personally taught him music, chess, calligraphy, painting, horsemanship, archery, and martial arts.
Emperor Gaozong himself was a man of both literary and military talent, so his children were naturally exceptional. In addition, Wei Hong was exceptionally intelligent and learned everything very quickly, which is why he gained fame in the capital at a young age. Many people openly and secretly said that he was the child who most resembled Emperor Gaozong.
This statement certainly contains some personal bias, but if he weren't exceptionally talented, no one would dare to use such words to praise him.
Yao Youqing didn't see the expression on his face and continued to praise the painting.
"I had heard that Your Highness was both a scholar and a warrior, but I had never seen him in person. In recent years, what has been spread outside is mostly your reputation for battle. I thought that was just flattery from everyone when you were in the palace."
"Only today did I realize that what you said was true. Your Highness is not only skilled in both literature and martial arts, but also an exceptional calligrapher and painter, whose skill is in no way inferior to your renowned reputation in battle."
As she spoke, she lowered her head to examine the painting closely, even gently touching it a few times. Finally, she exclaimed again, "Your Highness is truly amazing!"
She is sincere and simple-minded, and her praise for others makes people feel especially good.
Wei Hong, who had just been smiling with the corners of his lips curled up, was now puffing out his chest and raising his head like a proud rooster, making no attempt to hide his smugness.
He knows his own skill level in calligraphy and painting, and he deserves praise from others, without deliberately being modest.
Many people have praised his calligraphy and painting before, but even if they praised him sincerely, they all had their own ulterior motives. Unlike Yao Youqing, who simply praised him without any other intentions.
"But Your Highness, since you knew it was a fake, why did you bring it out this time? Wouldn't it be bad if it were discovered?"
“It’s nothing,” Wei Hong said. “The buyers we arranged are all our own people. It’s just for show for the bandits.”
“As for those bandits,” he glanced at his painting, “they wouldn’t recognize them.”
Yao Youqing suddenly realized: "I see."
...
"Your Highness, we've already left Shangchuan, haven't we?"
Although Zhou's mother was not clear about the route, judging from the days they had been traveling, they should have left Shangchuan by now.
Wei Hong nodded and admitted it directly: "Yes, the bandits escaped from Shangchuan, so I chased after them."
Zhou's mother was shocked, and Yao Youqing was also startled.
"Doesn't that mean we've already left your fiefdom, Your Highness? What if someone finds out?"
She said urgently.
Wei Hong didn't take it seriously: "We'll hide our identities the whole way, capture the bandits and leave, no one will find out."
After saying that, he asked her, "Would you tattle on someone?"
To file a complaint?
Yao Youqing paused for a moment before realizing that he was asking her if she would write a letter to tell her father.
"Then... Your Highness, are you really only going to suppress bandits and not do anything else?"
She asked.
"They only suppress bandits, they don't do anything else."
Wei Hong answered.
After thinking for a moment, Yao Youqing nodded: "Suppressing bandits is a matter of eliminating harm for the people. I can help you keep it a secret from him. However, we agreed that we would go back immediately after suppressing the bandits. Don't lie to me."
With a serious expression and slightly furrowed brows, she looked even more youthful because she had styled her hair back to her pre-marriage hairstyle, which, combined with her solemn expression, made her look particularly interesting.
Wei Hong looked at her for a while, resisting the urge to pat her head: "Okay."
...
Two more days passed before the group finally arrived at the border between Huizhou and Shuozhou, where they changed their gear and began "fishing".
Wei Hong dressed up as a middle-aged businessman in his thirties. He changed his clothes, slightly modified his features, added a tuft of beard, and loosened his usually straight back, making him look quite convincing.
Those bandits had previously robbed several wealthy households, and knowing that the government was cracking down on them, they have become even more cautious and picky, and have been silent for quite some time.
To lower their guard, the group first "sold" some items along the way to let them know they were carrying many rare treasures, and then pretended to have taken the wrong turn and arrived at a very remote place.
The bandits who had been secretly following them finally took the bait. When they stopped to rest by a small river, they popped up and pretended to be passersby, chatting with them. Once they were sure there was no problem, they used the same trick again, leading them to their temporary hideout to kill them and rob them of everything.
Cui Hao and one of the bandits hit it off immediately and soon began chatting with their arms around each other's shoulders.
When the other party heard that they were going to Shangchuan to find a place to settle down temporarily, he took the initiative to point out that they had taken the wrong road. He said that he was a servant of a local gentry family and was on his way back after running errands. He said that he was passing by and could take them with him. He could also ask his master if he would buy their things and maybe he could help them exchange them for some cash.
Cui Hao readily agreed, repeatedly expressing his gratitude, saying that he had met a kind person, otherwise he would not know how many detours he would have taken, and would have been scolded by his master again.
Wei Hong and Yao Youqing were standing not far from him, with a bandit beside them.
These bandits split up and talked to different people, which allowed them to get a closer look at their vehicles and belongings, and also to extract information from different people at the same time to see if there were any problems or loopholes.
Wei Hong and Yao Youqing were clearly the leaders of the group, so the man didn't dare get too close, fearing it would arouse their suspicion. He just looked at Yao Youqing and then at Wei Hong, and asked with a smile, "Your daughter?"
Wei Hong: "..."