Zhuang Rui asked this question because he was also itching to have one himself. He was thinking about when he would have the chance to build a castle like this. This was something that French manors and Italian resorts couldn't compare to. Staying here was all about culture, like staying in the Forbidden City in Beijing.
"Well... I haven't calculated it carefully, but if you include the cost of repairing the castle, it's probably around three million pounds a year, right? What, Zhuang, do you also want to buy a castle like this?"
Ezkener was very perceptive and immediately saw through Zhuang Rui's thoughts. He then said, "There are no more private castles for sale in England, but there are still some in France. If you're really interested, I'll have someone keep an eye out for you..."
"No...no, I can't afford to stay here..."
After hearing about the annual expenses from Ezkena, Zhuang Rui had long since given up the idea of owning a castle. More than three million pounds a year, which is about 50 million RMB, and that's just the cost of maintenance and management, not to mention buying the castle.
With Zhuang Rui's meager funds, even if he could buy a castle, he'd probably be reduced to nothing in just a few years.
Chapter 665 The Treasure Room (Part 1)
After lunch, Zhuang Rui, accompanied by Ezkena, took the white lion for a walk around the castle.
Although he couldn't afford it, the castle really attracted Zhuang Rui. Standing next to the castle near the Thames, he could see swans resting on the lake in the distance. The various rare birds and ancient trees inside the castle also added a lot of romantic charm to the ancient castle.
"White Lion, calm down, calm down..."
Standing by the castle near the Thames, the white lion, who had been suppressing its emotions for a long time, either in a hotel or in an airplane cabin, suddenly raised its head and roared. The deep roar carried far, and near the gate, a cheetah's low growl could also be heard, making the white lion somewhat restless.
"Zhuang, your Tibetan Mastiff is incredibly purebred. I've been to Tibet in China, but I've never seen a Tibetan Mastiff as fine as this..."
Ezkena also praised the white lion highly. He could see Zhuang Rui's attitude towards the white lion, but he didn't express any intention to buy it. Just like the black panther that Ezkena kept, he wouldn't sell it no matter how much money others offered.
"Of course, the white lion is the king of Tibetan mastiffs. Someone once offered 40 million RMB for it, but I didn't sell it..."
When the White Lion is mentioned, Zhuang Rui can't help but praise it as if it were his own child.
Ezkena nodded and said, "You're right, I also like large dogs. Although there's another breed in China that's even more expensive than the Tibetan Mastiff, I still prefer the Tibetan Mastiff..."
"Are there any dogs more expensive than Tibetan Mastiffs?"
Zhuang Rui was taken aback. In his memory, apart from Tibetan Mastiffs which could sell for a few million, the most expensive ornamental dogs were only a few hundred thousand. However, since these words came from Ezkena, there must be some basis to them.
"Of course you don't know?"
Ezkena looked at Zhuang Rui with some surprise and said, "Last year, there was a Chinese king dog called the 'Emperor' that sold for $10 million. That's the most expensive pet dog ever sold internationally..."
"Hawk hound?"
To be honest, Zhuang Rui really didn't know anything about these things. A little over a year ago, he was just a low-level employee at a pawnshop and knew nothing about these high-society items.
"Yes, it's a Hound. It's a pity that the dog was bought by someone in France. I arrived too late and only saw a picture..."
With a look of regret, Ezkena explained the origins of the Eagle-Bark Dog to Zhuang Rui, which made Zhuang Rui suddenly realize the truth.
It turns out that the Eagle-style Pekingese was originally the Pekingese dog from Beijing. In 1995, a breeding dog named "Dudu" owned by Zhang Zhizhou, a famous Pekingese breeder, already showed the characteristics of an Eagle-style Pekingese and gained recognition. This was the earliest Eagle-style Pekingese in Chinese history.
As the name suggests, the Eagle-Bak Dog is a Pekingese dog with a face that looks like an eagle.
At first glance, the hawk appears very majestic, with a kingly demeanor and a deterrent effect against evil. However, it is also very docile and easy to get along with, making it the breed that men, women, and children can all handle.
The eagle-bellied dog is arguably one of the rarest, most beautiful, and most precious dog breeds in the world. There are only a few hundred left, and exceptional specimens are even rarer. It is rarer than the giant panda, of which there are still about 2,000.
For this reason, some people call it the panda of dogs, and it is extremely popular in the international pet market.
"Hehe, I really don't know anything about these things, I'm ashamed, I'm ashamed..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head with a self-deprecating laugh. It was quite embarrassing that a foreigner had to explain a Chinese product to him.
Seeing the two return to the castle gate, Zhuang Rui said, "Mr. Ezkener, if it's alright, I'd like to take a look at your collection now. If there's anything I like, I think we can proceed with the transaction after my lawyer arrives tomorrow..."
"Of course, I'll take you there right now..."
Ezkener's purpose in inviting Zhuang Rui to dinner was none other than to acquire the Picasso works in Zhuang Rui's possession. He was now worried that Zhuang Rui wouldn't be interested in his collection, and the transaction wouldn't be able to proceed.
Now that Zhuang Rui had brought it up himself, Ezkena immediately had the butler bring a set of keys and led Zhuang Rui into the castle.
Following behind Ezkena, Zhuang Rui walked up the wooden stairs to the second floor of the castle.
The walls on both sides of the staircase were decorated in the same magnificent style as the banquet hall, but in their splendor and beauty, there was no vulgarity. Many murals were also hung in the glass. Although Zhuang Rui did not know anything about oil paintings, he could see with his spiritual energy that the murals contained a strong spiritual energy. They were obviously genuine works and of great value.
Upon reaching the second floor of the ancient castle, one is greeted by a living room with a separate fireplace. The light shining down from the ceiling makes the entire living room bright even without the lights on.
Ezkena didn't stop. He led Zhuang Rui through a short corridor and stopped in front of a door that was over three meters tall and felt very imposing.
Ezkena took out the key and opened the solid wood door. He pushed it open, and Zhuang Rui, who was standing outside, immediately felt that the temperature seemed to have increased by a few degrees, and it felt a bit dry, as if he had gone from a forest to a desert.
“Dear Zhuang, my ancestors have been collecting Chinese and European artworks, and now they are all presented to you…”
Ezkena entered the room first and turned on the lights. The room, which was originally dim, suddenly became bright. What Zhuang Rui saw before him shocked him.
"Wait a minute, I need to turn off the security system first..."
Just as Zhuang Rui was about to step into the room, Ezkena stopped him. He stood in front of the door, operating a monitor panel for a full minute before nodding to indicate that Zhuang Rui could come in.
Ezkena had put a lot of thought into this treasure room. If Zhuang Rui had been wearing infrared goggles, he would have seen that every corner of the treasure room was filled with infrared rays, and even a mosquito flying in would have triggered an alarm.
After receiving Ezkena's permission, Zhuang Rui entered the room.
"My God, these... are all from your collection?"
This is hardly a single room. In Zhuang Rui's view, the entire second floor of the castle, except for the living room at the top, is probably all here. At the very least, standing by the door, Zhuang Rui couldn't see the end of this treasure room at all.
The space was so large that everything in sight was filled with things. Zhuang Rui didn't know how many collections there were. Even an ordinary museum probably didn't have as much wealth as Ezkena.
Upon entering the hall, which resembled a museum, Zhuang Rui noticed a faint machine noise. Looking around, he realized it was an air dryer, and there was more than one. There was one machine every twenty or thirty meters, placed in a corner, keeping the air inside dry at all times.
The hall floor was covered with a thick red carpet, which kept the dryer's noise to a minimum. It was not very noisy, which Ezkena must have taken into account during the installation.
Zhuang Rui knew that humidity was the biggest factor that damaged antiques. He also had a dehumidifier in the basement of his courtyard house in Beijing, but compared to the air dryer at Ezkena, Zhuang Rui felt that he was not very professional.
“Mr. Ezkener, you are a true collector.” Regardless of where the antiques and artworks in Ezkener’s treasure room came from, Zhuang Rui felt a sense of respect. Even if his ancestors had plundered wealth from China, the fact that they were preserved so well was worthy of respect.
"Hehe, art is universal. I believe, dear Zhuang, you will definitely find something you like here..."
Ezkener laughed. He had only brought a very few people into his collection room, and all of them were amazed by his vast collection. Now it seemed that his chances of reaching a deal with Zhuang Rui were still very high.
Zhuang Rui nodded and said nothing more. The hype surrounding Chinese art began after 2005. At that time, Ezkener had not yet realized that many of his collections contained objects of value no less than Picasso's drawings.
However, this is a matter of opinion. In the eyes of some major collectors abroad, the Chinese artworks that can be seen everywhere still cannot compare with the works of masters such as Picasso and Van Gogh.
At the entrance to Ezkena's collection hall were displayed his collection of silverware and weapons from various countries, as well as some shields and armor. There was even a set of medieval armor on a mannequin with a helmet that startled Zhuang Rui, who thought it was a real person standing there.
There were also a few bronze swords from China among them, but their condition was quite ordinary, and the spiritual energy they contained was rather thin. They were far inferior to the Dingguang Sword in Zhuang Rui's collection, and they did not catch Zhuang Rui's eye.
As they continued walking inside, the tall walls were covered with various patterns made of cold weapons such as guns, swords, and axes, as well as tiger heads and crowns that appeared to have been looted from India or Egypt. Zhuang Rui couldn't help but imagine that these must have been plundered from various countries during Britain's heyday.
Of course, none of this mattered to Zhuang Rui. His target was the list Ezkener had given him, and the Chinese porcelain on that list was Zhuang Rui's main purpose for this trip.
Looking at the dazzling array of collections, Zhuang Rui walked to the center of the hall, where rows of porcelain displayed on wooden shelves immediately came into view.
Chapter 666 The Treasure Room (Part 2)
"These... these are all porcelain pieces from China?"
Zhuang Rui glanced at the four or five rows of wooden shelves, which were more than twenty meters long. On each shelf, a few centimeters apart, was a piece of exquisite porcelain. Zhuang Rui had no idea how many ancient Chinese porcelains were here.
Zhuang Rui had often heard Uncle De or Fatty Jin say that the best antiques in China were all abroad. Although he had heard it a lot, he didn't have a direct understanding of it. But now, seeing what was in front of him, Zhuang Rui finally understood.
Porcelain is fragile, a fact known to all. Throughout China's thousands of years of history, war and turmoil have been constant companions, and many unique and exquisite porcelain pieces have been lost in the flames of war.
Later, official kiln porcelain from the Song and Ming dynasties was mostly collected in the Qing dynasty palace and presented only to the emperor for his enjoyment; it was extremely rare for ordinary people to see it.
It can be said that Emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong were the greatest antique collectors of their time. There was no way around it; they had the means to do so and could use the resources of the entire nation to collect the things they liked. You couldn't argue with that.
However, this is precisely the source of the cultural relics lost in later generations. After the Eight-Nation Alliance forced open China's doors in the 18th century, countless precious cultural relics displayed in the Yuanmingyuan were looted, and it is impossible to count them all.
Later scholars made a rough estimate that millions of precious Chinese antiques were lost overseas, most of which were from the Yuanmingyuan Garden. In other words, at least one million Chinese artworks were looted from the Yuanmingyuan Garden.
Putting aside other things, even in the 1950s and 60s, the pigsties and fences around the Old Summer Palace in Beijing were made of fine stone with carved beams and painted rafters. You can imagine how precious those looted items must have been.
Famous modern Chinese painters such as Wu Guanzhong and Chen Danqing have said that among the antiques that have been passed down in Chinese history, the items in the Yuanmingyuan Garden are of the best quality and the highest artistic value.
At this moment, these precious porcelain pieces, which only existed in legends, were placed in front of Zhuang Rui. Even though Zhuang Rui had prepared himself mentally, he was still excited and took several deep breaths to calm himself down.
Perhaps Picasso's sketches are more valuable than these porcelain pieces, but psychologically, Zhuang Rui would rather exchange Picasso's works for these items. After all, the production techniques of the two are different, and it is difficult to say which is more precious.
The successful firing of a beautiful and precious piece of porcelain requires the hard work of countless people, while the cost of a sketch is extremely low—just a sheet of sketch paper and a few pencils are enough—yet it still represents the dedication and effort the artist has poured into it.
Of course, this was just Zhuang Rui's thought. If Ezkena, who was beside him, knew that he calculated the value between the two in this way, Ezkena would surely slaughter Zhuang Rui like a pig.
“Yes, Zhuang, these porcelain pieces have been collected since my great-grandfather’s time, and several generations have passed to me. There are more than 20,000 pieces in total. They start with Tang Dynasty sancai porcelain, and include porcelain from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Some people have tried to buy these items from me, but I have refused them all. Zhuang, you are the first Chinese person to come here…”
Looking at these exquisite porcelain pieces of various shapes and sizes, Ezkener felt a surge of pride. He had visited the treasure rooms of many collectors who specialized in Chinese art, but no one had a larger collection of porcelain than him.
"More than 20,000 pieces?"
Even Zhuang Rui, who had a good mental fortitude, exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes, there are over 20,000 pieces. Underneath these display cabinets are porcelain items. If you're interested, you can examine them one by one, but that would take a long time..."
Afraid that Zhuang Rui wouldn't believe him, Ezkena squatted down, opened a cabinet door under a wooden shelf, and took out an object wrapped in layers of old newspapers. After opening it, Zhuang Rui could clearly see that it was indeed a piece of porcelain, and a high-quality Qing Dynasty cloisonné enamel plum vase with figures.
Seeing that this piece of porcelain, which would easily be rated as a second or third-level national cultural relic in China, couldn't even be displayed in a showcase in Ezkena, Zhuang Rui found it somewhat unbelievable.
However, looking around, the layers upon layers of porcelain densely covering dozens of square meters of space made Ezkena's actions clear. If it were Zhuang Rui, he would probably have picked out the best pieces to display on the outside as well.
“Mr. Ezkener, this is a plum vase from the Qing Dynasty in China. They are not very rare, and their value is not very high. I wouldn't even consider such a piece of porcelain…”
After Zhuang Rui took the enamel-inlaid gold-wire plum vase from Ezkena, he examined it for a while and then said to Ezkena.
However, Zhuang Rui was still a little guilty when he said this. Although the auction price of this item would be around 300,000 to 400,000 RMB in the Chinese art market, Zhuang Rui did not own a single one of these items.
Of course, Zhuang Rui's restored Ru kiln porcelain and Longshan culture black pottery are far more valuable than this porcelain piece, but a museum can't just display those two pieces, can it?
Porcelain pieces like these, which can represent the level of cultural craftsmanship in a certain period, are still very important to a museum.
"Of course, of course... Zhuang, these are just some of the more common porcelain pieces from my collection. The best items are on the shelves, and you can choose them one by one..."
After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Ezkena quickly explained that, as he himself said, he didn't even care about this plum vase. Imagine you face tens of thousands of precious porcelains every day, how could you possibly care about these porcelains with only average firing techniques?
Even the best things become tiresome after you see them too often.
To give an analogy, if you lived in a house where everything was made of gold, even if you knew the price of gold, you probably wouldn't consider it anything special. Ezkener's mindset at that moment was similar. "Mr. Ezkener, your collection has amazed me. Perhaps I'll consider exchanging a few more of Mr. Picasso's works with you, however..."
Zhuang Rui understood the principle that one must give before taking. He knew that Ezkener's desire for Picasso's works was much stronger than his own, so he deliberately left things unsaid, waiting for Ezkener to respond.
Sure enough, Ezkener's eyes lit up after hearing Zhuang Rui's words, and he said, "Dear Zhuang, you are truly a great collector, to have acquired so many Picasso works. Rest assured, I will definitely exchange them with my Chinese friends in the most reasonable way..."