Chapter 354 Entrustment
"Old Hao, thank you for your hard work! I need no words to thank you!" Liu Zhiye's eyes moved across the room full of dazzling antiques, and he secretly admired in his heart. This was undoubtedly another rewarding journey.

After this group of people had collected most of the “old items” among the people in Beijing, Liu Zhiye’s attention naturally turned to the prosperous place adjacent to Beijing - Tianjin Port.

Hao Shun and his team happened to be a team going out to sea and had nothing to do, so Liu Zhiye took the opportunity to entrust them to go deep into the area around Tianjin Port to collect precious antiques and old objects from the people.

He also did not employ people for nothing. Every time they recycled an "old item", Liu Zhiye generously gave them one yuan as a reward.

At first, Hao Shun firmly declined. He was a righteous man and always remembered Liu Zhiye's deep kindness in his heart, but he never gave anything in return.

In his opinion, assisting Liu Zhiye in recycling the "old items" was just a piece of cake, so how could he seek any further benefit?

However, Liu Zhiye made it clear to him that this was not something that could be achieved overnight and they would not be able to let their efforts go in vain, otherwise this matter would be difficult to continue.

After a moment's hesitation, Hao Shun finally nodded in agreement. Although he could make selfless contributions without expecting anything in return, he knew that others still had family responsibilities to shoulder and needed to make a living.

The warriors who dare to ride the wind and waves and venture into the sea all have extraordinary courage. Hao Shun stepped forward and had a brief conversation with several people. They agreed without hesitation to join the recovery team in pursuit of "historical treasures".

Since that day, a team dedicated to recycling "old objects" has quietly joined the Tianjin Port. Although they are not antique experts, they follow Liu Zhiye's guidance and embark on this treasure hunt.

They recycle all the old pots, pans, tables, chairs, benches, calligraphy and paintings, bottles and jars.

In order to improve efficiency, Hao Shun cleverly divided the more than 300 members into five teams, each team consisting of 50 to 60 people.

With Tianjin Port as the center, a carpet-like search operation was launched to radiate all around.

This strategy has significantly improved the efficiency of Hao Shun and his team in recycling those "old items".

They made gains almost every day, although most of them were insignificant little items, but every time they got a rare treasure, Liu Zhiye's investment would be instantly recovered, or even make a huge profit.

In this way, Liu Zhiye generously left them ample funds, and he would quietly appear every few months and take away all these "old things" that bore traces of time.

It is roughly estimated that there are thousands of these "old items" in front of us. Although most of them are not in good condition, the condition of those "old items" has improved greatly compared to when they were first recycled.

All this shows that Hao Shun and his team are moving forward steadily and working more diligently on the road to growth. Their efforts and dedication are silently witnessed in these objects that are full of traces of time.

Liu Zhiye was very satisfied when he saw this scene. He saw that among the pile of "old objects", there were several treasures that could be called national treasures. Although he had not yet appreciated them in detail, with Liu Zhiye's current appreciation, he would definitely not make any mistakes.

Among them, there was a "bronze ware" that made Liu Zhiye's heart beat faster instantly. This bronze ware had an open mouth, square lip or round lip, a short and thin neck, a flat bulging belly, three blunt cone-shaped solid feet or split-crotch empty feet, and bridge-shaped ears, or round ears, or animal-shaped ears on the rim. They were particularly delicate, and dark purple or dark brown in color.

I picked it up and looked at the inscription on the bottom. It said "Made in the Xuande Period of the Ming Dynasty". "Wow! This thing really is a Xuande furnace!" "What a great fortune, what a great fortune..."

The Xuande stove is a copper incense stove designed and manufactured by Zhu Zhanji, Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty, during the third year of Xuande in the Ming Dynasty. It is referred to as "Xuande stove".

The Xuande furnace was the first bronze ware in Chinese history to be cast using wind-milled copper.

In order to produce a high-quality copper furnace, under Zhu Zhanji's personal supervision, the entire production process, including copper smelting and modeling, must be drawn from classics such as "Xuanhe Bogu Tu" and "Archaeological Maps" as well as hundreds of Song Dynasty items secretly collected in the imperial palace. From the Yuanming kiln, the shapes that fit the intended purpose and were elegantly crafted were selected, drawn into pictures, and then presented to them for personal viewing. The source of the drawings and allusions were explained. After screening and determination, they were cast. Let him take a look at the physical sample and only start casting if he is satisfied.

Xiang Yuanbian (Zijing), a great connoisseur, collector and painter during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, said: "The beauty of Xuan furnace lies in its precious color with pearly luster inside and its calm and solemn appearance outside."

In order to ensure the quality of the incense burner, Emperor Xuande was wealthy and had a strong sense of quality. Therefore, the craftsmen selected dozens of precious metals such as gold and silver, and carefully cast and smelted them together with red copper for more than ten times. After great efforts, the top-quality copper incense burner was finally successfully produced in the third year of Xuande.

A total of 3000 incense burners were cast from this batch of red copper, and no more were produced afterwards. When Emperor Xuande saw these incense burners that he had personally taken care of, each of them was so magnificent and radiant with precious light that he felt a great sense of accomplishment.

Most of these incense burners were displayed in various places in the palace, and a small number were rewarded or distributed to imperial relatives, distinguished ministers, and large-scale temples with strong incense.

Ordinary people only know the names of these Xuande incense burners but have never seen them. After hundreds of years of ups and downs, the copper incense burners cast in the third year of Xuande are extremely rare.

The Ming Dynasty Xuande furnace is a treasure among Ming Dynasty handicrafts. The successful casting of the Xuande furnace set a precedent for copper furnaces in later generations. For a long period of history, the Xuande furnace became the general name for copper incense burners.

In order to make huge profits, antique dealers have been imitating Xuande furnaces from the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty to the Republic of China.

Just after the manufacture of Xuande incense burners stopped, some officials in charge of "casting affairs" summoned the original incense burners craftsmen to imitate the Xuande incense burners according to the drawings and process procedures.

These carefully cast imitations are comparable to the real ones, and even experts and authorities cannot distinguish them. In later generations, among the many Xuande furnaces collected in major museums in the Xia Dynasty, none of them can be recognized by many appraisers as the real Xuande furnace. Identifying the real and fake Xuande furnaces has become one of the "unsolved cases" in the archaeology of the Xia Dynasty.

Therefore, the artistic value, historical value, and cultural value of the Xuande furnace are very high, and it is a well-deserved national treasure.

Later in 2008, at a Sotheby's spring auction in Hong Kong, a tripod cover censer from the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty was sold for HK$1.168 million, setting a new world auction record for gold and silver wares from the Xia Dynasty.

Liu Zhiye has been immersed in the collecting world for many years. This time he finally saw a real Ming Xuande furnace. Such rare antique artworks are rare in his vast collection.

Speaking of the only piece that can stand shoulder to shoulder with it, perhaps the only one is his world-famous Yuan blue and white porcelain "Guiguzi Descending the Mountain" jar. Both are rare treasures in the collecting world.

In fact, before this, he had also bought a "Xuan De Furnace", but after being appraised by the expert "Po Lan Hou", it was found that it was just a replica from the Qianlong period.

When Liu Zhiye first learned the results of the appraisal, he couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.

Then, he shook his head in self-mockery, thinking: It is not easy for only 3,000 pieces of Xuande furnace to survive through hundreds of years of vicissitudes. If they were not so precious, how could they have attracted so many official and private imitations in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties?
At this moment, Liu Zhiye's long-cherished wish has finally come true. His appraisal skills have reached the level of a master, and with this confidence, he is naturally confident.

Just this Ming Xuande furnace made him feel that the trip was worthwhile. Not to mention, he also unexpectedly encountered several rare and precious collections rarely seen in the world, and the trip was fruitful.

For example, there are small and exquisite treasures with high quality and fine workmanship, which were originally collected by the court in the middle and late Qing Dynasty. Among them are various gold pocket watches with gorgeous and noble, crystal clear and novel shapes, such as several gold-inlaid enamel ring watches with a diameter of 2 cm; gold chains and watch cases are blue-inlaid diamonds, with gold shells and watches inside.

This is a gold case and bead-inlaid enamel pocket watch, with a diameter of 3 cm and a thickness of 0.7 cm. It is round and made in France. The front is the dial and the hands, and the back is painted with enamel figures, trees, and stones, and is inlaid with beads on both sides.

The gilded copper and enamel pocket watch is 6 cm in diameter and 1.5 cm thick, round in shape, made in the UK. The front of the pocket watch has a dial and hands, the back has enamel figures, and both sides are inlaid with beads.

Painted enamel and diamond-inlaid pocket watch, 6 cm in diameter, 2.5 cm thick, round, made in the UK, with a dial and hands on the front, and blue-inlaid diamonds on the back...etc.

In addition, the most eye-catching of this batch of precious "old objects" are the various jewelry made of fine materials, with bright luster and the luxurious characteristics of royal courts.

For example, a gold ring with an outer diameter of 2.1 cm and a horseshoe shape has "Fahua" and "pure gold" stamps on the inside. This ring is cleverly designed and finely made, but the strange thing is the decoration on the ring face. It has no jewels, but an abacus is made on the ring face that is less than 1 cm.

Just like the practical abacus, it is divided into two levels, upper and lower, by a horizontal beam, with 13 straight columns, two beads on each level of the upper level and five beads on the main level, for a total of 5 beads.

A hole is drilled on each of the golden beads, which are as small as a rapeseed. Then they are put on the column and can be moved up and down. They are small and exquisite.

At that time, production tools were backward and everything relied entirely on manual work, which shows how advanced the craftsmanship was at that time.

Seeing these rare treasures, Liu Zhiye was deeply excited. This harvest itself is priceless, not to mention the thousands of "old objects" that could not be carefully identified due to time constraints. They lay there quietly, as if telling stories of the past.

"Old Hao, I really want to express my deepest gratitude to you this time. However, I have a doubt in my heart, and you have to be honest with me. These items are priceless and not something that ordinary people can easily buy. From what channels did you collect them?" The doubts in Liu Zhiye's heart grew like a snowball, and he keenly realized that there must be something strange behind this matter.

In order to uncover the truth, he resolutely decided to investigate in depth, vowing to get to the bottom of it, so as to prevent Hao Shunfan from going astray and becoming an innocent victim.

"We agreed not to thank me!" Hao Shun waved his hand lightly, looking disapproving. However, what he couldn't understand was why Liu Zhiye kept asking him to accept these things that were not worth eating or drinking.

Then he explained: "I know you can't hide anything. To be honest, these things were definitely not collected by us."

Liu Zhiye was anxious when he heard this, "Could it be..."

Hao Shun said calmly, "Please be patient and let me explain in detail. It is true that we did not actively purchase this item. In fact, someone took the initiative to come to our door and sold it to us willingly."

Liu Zhiye frowned, "Oh! What's going on?"

Hao Shun took a sip of tea and then got back to the point: "This matter can be traced back to years ago..."

It turned out that with the large-scale and organized collective purchase of "old items" by Hao Shun and others, it quietly attracted the attention of a group of interested people in Tianjin Port.

This group of people holds a lot of precious treasures in their hands, but unfortunately in this era, these things have lost their former value and can neither be eaten nor drunk.

Some of the "old and young" who had difficulty making a living gradually and quietly transferred what they had to Hao Shun and others. Through these transactions, the relationship between the two sides quietly became harmonious.

After this group of "old and young" found out the details of Hao Shun and others, the cooperation between the two sides became more frequent.

"A phoenix in distress is no better than a chicken!" If it were in the old society, they would not even look at a peasant like Hao Shun. But that is not the case now!

Moreover, Hao Shun and others not only have strong financial resources and abundant supplies, but also control a crucial channel - they have a fleet on standby at any time, which will undoubtedly become their most solid backing at critical moments.

The following year, as the rumors became more and more unsatisfactory, these old foxes seemed to smell something was wrong and started to think about running away.

One day, they quietly found Hao Shun, intending to transfer all their belongings to Hao Shun and his group, on the condition that they must not take cash but gold, and added a request - to help them sail to the sea. When the matter is completed, there will be a generous reward waiting.

Among these people, there were several descendants of the Manchu royal family. The treasures that Liu Zhiye saw came from them.

Hao Shun and his companions were always bold, so they agreed to the group's request. They had gold in their hands, which Liu Zhiye had specifically asked them to exchange for civilian supplies.

In addition, although they no longer ventured out to sea frequently, they still controlled several large sea vessels, which were all genuine motor sailing ships. It was not difficult for them to use these ships to transport personnel out.

However, after arriving at their destination, it was no longer Hao Shun and the others' concern as to how these people smuggled out.

After all, everything in the world has its own path. People walk on the sunny road, while rats walk on the dark road. Everyone should accept their destiny, right?

When Liu Zhiye heard this, the doubts in his heart immediately disappeared. However, he couldn't help but break into a cold sweat at the audacious behavior of Hao Shun and others.

"Old Hao, you are so confused! How dare you do such a dangerous thing? If you really run into foreign military and maritime police, your ship will be destroyed and everyone will die. Is it worth taking risks for these things?"

"I like these things, but I hope you can collect them peacefully instead of risking your life to fight for them..."

Hao Shun saw that Liu Zhiye instantly restrained his previous joy and stared at him with a worried look, and a warm current surged in his heart. This brother, his friendship was not in vain.

"Old Liu, please be at ease. Although I act boldly, I am not reckless. This decision is the result of our careful consideration.

Even if we don’t take those people with us, we still have to take this route. After all, it is an indispensable retreat for us in case of emergency.”

Liu Zhiye was stunned when he heard this. He had never expected that Hao Shun, who seemed to act recklessly, actually possessed such profound wisdom.

However, Hao Shun did not wait for Liu Zhiye's reminder, but took preparations on his own. This move demonstrated the sense of crisis that always lingered in his heart, which saved him from Liu Zhiye's persuasion.

Hao Shun and his team knew that life was glamorous on the surface, but in fact it was full of mysteries. They all knew that the seemingly abundant income was actually unreliable and always hanging by a thread, with risks always around.

The reason why they have been able to remain safe and sound over the years is mainly due to the close relationship between team members - either relatives and friends, or people from the same hometown and village. In addition, the relatively closed environment of the surrounding fishing village has built a natural barrier for them.

In addition, most of the catches they caught at sea were quietly sold to Liu Zhiye, and the outside world was completely unaware of it.

However, there is no impenetrable wall in the world, and Hao Shun is well aware of this and is always worried. In recent years, he has been secretly looking for a way out in case of emergency.

Liu Zhiye could not hide his worries about this matter. In recent years, his relationship with Hao Shun and his son has become increasingly close, and he does not want them to encounter any accidents.

Another thing is that Hao Shun and others are also his weaknesses, and they may be used as weapons to attack him by someone with ulterior motives.

For many years, Liu Zhiye has always concealed his true identity and traded materials in the name of his friends. Although there were occasional voices of suspicion, they would always disappear inadvertently.

Given the huge volume of material transactions each time, it is obviously beyond the capabilities of one person. There must be an efficient team working silently behind the scenes.

In addition, there were no cameras in those days, so who would have thought that these supplies were actually obtained by Liu Zhiye alone.

This led the relevant investigators into a ditch and effectively protected Liu Zhiye's existence.

"Old Hao, if you don't think about the future, you will have immediate worries. It's a good idea for you. However, if it's absolutely necessary, don't take the risk of going out to sea..."

Hao Shun nodded and said with a smile: "I know, it's not easy to live a good life now, and we want to make some more efforts, just in case."

"We are not afraid of anything happening to us, but we are afraid that the bastard will not be able to handle it and harm you. It would be better for us to run away..."

Liu Zhiye was moved and held Lao Hao's hand, "Lao Hao, you..."

Hao Shun said: "Lao Liu, we are very grateful for your care over the years."

"I shouldn't bother you any more, but there is something I need to ask you..."

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhiye patted the back of Hao Shun's hand gently and said firmly: "Old Hao, just speak up. As long as I can do it, I will do my best."

Hao Shun wiped his tears and said, "I am not afraid of hardship or death, but I am worried about Pingbo. This child has been without a mother since he was young. It is because I am an incompetent father who did not take good care of him..."

"I mean, just in case, just in case I'm gone one day, as your uncle, can you help me take care of Pingbo?"

(End of this chapter)