48: Chapter 48 Becoming a 'Guardian of Cultural Relics'!

Hu Tian pointed at the patterns on the furnace body, his tone certain as if he were commanding the landscape. "Master Li, look closely at the flow of these cloud and dragon patterns. The dragon has five claws, which was an exclusive symbol of the imperial family in ancient times. If commoners dared to cast this privately, their entire clan would be executed! Look at the posture of the dragon's body—it's vigorous and powerful, exuding a domineering aura that says 'I am number one in the world.'"

He paused, his gaze becoming more focused. Holding his breath, he gently flipped the incense burner over, revealing the bottom.

The bottom had three animal-shaped feet with an ancient and simple design. Each foot was carved so lifelike that it seemed as if they might come to life and bite someone at any moment.

In the center of the base between the three feet was a reign mark that had been so eroded by time it was almost illegible, like a dust-covered face waiting to be awakened.

Hu Tian squinted and picked up a brush, cleaning the dirt around the mark even more carefully. His movements were as gentle as removing makeup from a first love.

Li Hao and Zhou Waner both instinctively leaned in closer, holding their breath and not daring to make a sound, for fear of disturbing the dust of history.

Wherever the brush swept, the dust fell away, and the blurred characters began to slowly reveal themselves, like an ancient soul awakening from a deep sleep.

"This is..."

Li Hao's eyes widened so much they almost fell into the incense burner.

Just then, the familiar system notification sounded in Hu Tian's mind like heavenly music: [Ding! Cultural relic detected: Imperial Cloud and Dragon Pattern Tripod Bronze Incense Burner]

[Era: 27th Year of Emperor Qianlong's Reign, Qing Dynasty (1762)][Production Background: During Emperor Qianlong's second southern inspection tour, he visited Wenchang Pavilion. Seeing that the incense was flourishing but there was no satisfactory incense burner, he issued an imperial decree for the Imperial Workshop to supervise the creation of this burner specifically for Wenchang Pavilion. This is a genuine 'Imperial Special Edition'!]

[Circulation History: 1762—Completed by the Imperial Workshop and sent to Wenchang Pavilion in Yangzhou; 1850—During the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom conflict, Wenchang Pavilion was burned down, and the incense burner was rescued and hidden by a local gentry; 1912—The gentry's descendants donated it to the Yangzhou Cultural Relics Protection Association; 1958—The association disbanded, the burner's whereabouts became unknown, and it drifted through the world; 1964—Purchased by an antique dealer from a scrap yard by the pound, literally 'buying gold at cabbage prices'; 1978—After many twists and turns, it flowed back into Wenchang Pavilion, coming full circle.]

[Value Assessment: Imperial relic, the only surviving piece of its kind. Estimated market price: 10 million to 20 million yuan!]

Hu Tian was shaken inwardly, but he remained calm on the surface while frantically complaining in his mind, "Good heavens, this Emperor Qianlong sure left treasures... I mean, bestowed treasures everywhere! If the scrap yard owner who bought this by the pound knew this burner was worth over ten million, he'd probably cry himself unconscious in the bathroom!"

He continued cleaning the mark on the bottom, the corners of his mouth unable to resist curling upward slightly.

As the last layer of dirt was brushed away, the mark was finally presented in its entirety before the three of them—six seal script characters reading 'Made in the Qianlong Reign of the Great Qing.' The strokes were powerful and the carving was exquisite; one look told it was the handiwork of the Imperial Workshop, exuding an 'Imperial Majesty.'

"This... this is a Qianlong mark?!"

Li Hao's voice trembled as he stammered, "No way, there's actually a treasure like this in my dilapidated attic? Am I dreaming? Quick, pinch me!"

Hu Tian slowly looked up at Li Hao, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. "Master Li, congratulations. This isn't just an ordinary Qianlong-marked incense burner; this is a genuine 'Imperially Bestowed Treasure.' Your pension for the rest of your life is now secured!"

Hu Tian carefully used a soft brush to sweep away the last bit of bronze rust from the bottom. His eyes suddenly narrowed, and then he couldn't help but show a hint of pleasant surprise, as if he had discovered a new continent.

"As I thought! Master Li, come look! There are more characters underneath!"

Li Hao walked quickly to the table and leaned over to look. There, on the bottom of the incense burner, several lines of clear inscriptions were revealed: 'Spring of the Xinsi Year of Qianlong, this imperial bronze burner is bestowed upon Wenchang Pavilion to manifest literary fortune.'

"This... this really is an imperial incense burner from the Qianlong era?!"

Li Hao's voice was shaking, and he was as excited as an elementary school student who had gotten a perfect score. "The Xinsi Year of Qianlong, that's 1761 AD, exactly when Emperor Qianlong went on his second tour of the south! So this burner was personally bestowed by the Emperor back then. No wonder it looks so pleasing to the eye!"

Hu Tian nodded and continued to observe the bottom mark through a magnifying glass, swaying his head like an old scholar. "Not only that, look at the carving of this mark. The depth of the strokes is well-proportioned and the craftsmanship is superb, far beyond what any later imitation could achieve. Furthermore, the words 'Bestowed upon Wenchang Pavilion' indicate this was an imperial object specifically gifted by the Emperor, intended to bless literary fortune and ensure students could pass the imperial examinations. It's practically an official certification from the 'God of Exams'!"

Zhou Waner stood by, dumbfounded. She had never seen this professional side of Hu Tian.

That serious expression, the meticulous technique, and the focused gaze were exactly like her grandfather's when he appraised antiques. It was as if Hu Tian was radiating the aura of an 'Old Expert.'

"No wonder this incense burner seemed ordinary but had an indescribable charm; it turns out to be a 'Hidden Master' level existence!"

Li Hao rubbed his hands excitedly, his palms covered in sweat. "It really is an Imperial creation! If we get experts from the Cultural Relics Bureau to appraise it, maybe our Wenchang Pavilion can be upgraded to a key cultural relic protection unit. I could even benefit from it and snag the title of 'Guardian of Cultural Relics'!"

Hu Tian shook his head and said seriously, "Master Li, we must be cautious. Although the incense burner is genuine, it has been buried for many years and the archival records are missing. I suggest you report to your superiors first and have provincial or even national-level relic experts perform a further appraisal. You must not make a scene, lest it attracts the attention of criminals. After all, 'an ordinary man is guiltless, but harboring a jade makes him a criminal.'"

"Right, right, right, you're absolutely right!"

Li Hao nodded repeatedly. His gaze toward Hu Tian had shifted from suspicion to gratitude, and he almost wanted to worship him. "Mr. Hu, it's all thanks to you! If it weren't for your sharp eyes, who knows how much longer this treasure would have been buried? It might have been sold as scrap metal one day! You are practically my savior!"

Li Hao wiped the sweat from his forehead, his eyes full of anticipation like a child waiting for candy. "Do you think there might be other good things hidden elsewhere in this pavilion? Why don't you help me look again? I have a few old boxes over here filled with all sorts of messy old items. Could you take a look?"

He pointed to the surrounding displays of incense burners, wood carvings, and stone statues, his voice carrying a hint of earnestness. "I've guarded this place for over twenty years. To be honest, I didn't check the origins of many things carefully when I took over. Since you have such an eye for this, could you help me look again? Maybe we can dig up another 'gold mine'!"

Hearing this, Hu Tian scanned the decorations in the pavilion. His Treasure Hunting Radar had already provided the answer.

The faint light points on those objects showed that most were just ordinary antiques from the late Qing or Republican era. While they had some age, they were far from being heavy treasures; at most, they were 'old junk with some history.'

He pondered for a moment before speaking truthfully, "Master Li, to be honest, I've already glanced at the remaining items in the pavilion. Those incense burners over there are folk kiln products from the late Qing or early Republican period. The craftsmanship is decent, worth about twenty to thirty thousand each. That Wood-carved Guanyin is from the ming dynasty; its condition is okay, worth maybe fifty or sixty thousand—barely enough to trade for a used motorcycle. As for those stone tablet rubbings, most are later reproductions with limited collectible value, just good enough to hang as decorations."

The look of anticipation on Li Hao's face gradually dimmed, but he still nodded. "True, how could it be so coincidental to find two treasures at once? That would be the heavens being too biased toward us. But discovering this imperial incense burner is already a huge stroke of luck! My life is complete!"

Hu Tian politely declined, "Master Li, I appreciate the sentiment, but we have things to do and must head back. You should report the matter of the incense burner as soon as possible—the sooner the better—to avoid any complications. I'll leave you my number; feel free to contact me if you need anything. We have plenty of time ahead of us."

Zhou Waner chimed in from the side, hugging Hu Tian's arm and acting spoiled. "That's right, Master Li, we'll come back to see you another day. We're very happy to have helped you find such an important relic, but we still have a date to get to, so don't keep us!"

Seeing that he really couldn't keep them, Li Hao had no choice but to drop it. However, he insisted on seeing them to the door, his mouth never stopping with words of thanks.

By the time they reached the entrance of Wenchang Pavilion, the sun was already setting. The golden afterglow spilled over the ancient eaves, coating the weathered building in a layer of warm light, as if seeing off the incense burner that had finally seen the light of day.

"Then I won't see you off any further. Take it slow on the road! Remember to come and visit often!"

Li Hao stood at the door waving goodbye, watching their figures gradually disappear. He was filled with emotion, as if he had just seen off a God of Wealth.

Once Hu Tian and Zhou Waner's figures had completely vanished around the street corner, Li Hao immediately turned and hurried back into the pavilion. With trembling hands, he pulled out his phone and found the number for the head of the Municipal Cultural Relics Bureau, as excited as a lottery winner.

"Hello, Director Zhang? This is Li Hao from Wenchang Pavilion. I have a major discovery to report... What? You're coming over right now? Good, good, good, I'll wait for you here! See you then!"

After hanging up, Li Hao carefully re-wrapped the bronze incense burner and placed it in the safest storage cabinet in the pavilion. Then he sat on a chair, staring at the cabinet door without blinking, terrified that this recovered treasure might encounter another mishap or grow wings and fly away.

Meanwhile, Hu Tian and Zhou Waner had already walked out of the old street and driven to their next destination: the banks of the Qinhuai River.

The poem says:

In a quiet room without dust, the sun's shadow grows long; white-gloved hands test the edge.

Gently brushing away a thousand years of grime, the true face revealed is a radiant treasure.