Rebirth 93: Break off the engagement at the beginning and marry Bai Fumei

"Alright, alright!" Ye Hui felt a headache coming on when he saw Chen Yang's victim-like expression. He quickly waved his hand, signaling Chen Yang to stop talking about this topic. "Let's talk about something serious. Let's assume the Japanese want to win me over to help them deal with you. Do you think the two of us are worth them giving me this treasure?"

"Damn!" Chen Yang laughed upon hearing this. He chuckled and said, "I'm definitely worth it. As for you, I doubt it! Think about it, the investment the Inoue family made in Jiangcheng is worth far more than this treasure. Come to think of it, it's all thanks to me!"

"Holy crap!" Ye Hui covered his face immediately after hearing this. This Chen Yang really has no shame when it comes to money!

"Okay, okay, I admit it, I'm not worth it!" Ye Hui waved his hand helplessly and said with a smile, "But look at this treasure. Whether it's the workmanship or the materials, it's absolutely superb. The lemon yellow, the famille rose, the body, and the glaze are almost exactly the same as those of the official kilns during the Yongzheng period. And the mark on the bottom, the blue and white seal script, the characters are neat and elegant, the blue and white penetrates deep into the body, and the color is beautiful and serene. It's simply flawless!"

These pictures were taken at the auction.

"I'd like to ask Mr. Chen, what kind of person makes counterfeits with such craftsmanship?"

Chen Yang frowned slightly as he looked at the porcelain vase. Ye Hui was right. Apart from the wrong origin and inconsistent wear, there was really nothing wrong with this item. If it was a fake, the only person he could think of was Qingshan Jushi. But that guy would never make a fake like this, because everyone who makes fakes does so for profit. This kind of item wouldn't fool anyone.

底足

As Chen Yang listened to Ye Hui recount the production process of famille rose porcelain, especially how this lemon yellow color was mixed, since it was all documented, Chen Yang's eyes suddenly lit up. In an instant, he seemed to understand not only what this Qing Dynasty Yongzheng imperial famille rose lemon yellow ground nine peach pattern treasure moon vase was made of, but also why the origin of the later piece was unclear.

The wear on the entire device is minimal.

"Wait, wait, Young Master Ye, please wait a moment!!" Chen Yang suddenly interrupted Ye Hui's rambling explanation with a serious expression, as if he had discovered that Ye Hui had mispronounced the names of his ancestors for eighteen generations.

Ye Hui was taken aback by the sudden interruption. His hand gestures froze in mid-air as he looked at Chen Yang with suspicion, wondering what trick this kid was up to now.

Chen Yang cleared his throat and asked mysteriously, "Let me ask you, Young Master Ye, you're so knowledgeable, do you know what 'Kangde Imperial Kiln' is?"

Ye Hui was stunned for a moment, as if he had heard something out of the blue. He subconsciously rubbed his ears, wondering if he was hallucinating. Kangde official kiln? What was that? He turned his questioning gaze to Chen Yang, trying to find a trace of a joke on his face. However, Chen Yang's expression was extremely serious, which made Ye Hui even more confused.

"This guy, could he have just made up a dynasty to fool me? Kant? There doesn't seem to be a dynasty named Kant in history. Could it be some small country in some remote region?" Ye Hui wondered, his gaze towards Chen Yang becoming somewhat suspicious.

"What official kiln?" Ye Hui frowned immediately after hearing this and looked Chen Yang up and down.

"Mr. Chen, are you running a fever? What are you talking about? Even if you want to fool me, you can't be so blatant about it, can you?" Ye Hui asked Chen Yang, puzzled.

"No, Young Master Ye, you've misunderstood. I'm not kidding you!" Chen Yang hurriedly waved his hand to explain, but a hint of cunning was hard to hide on his face. "The Kant I'm talking about isn't a dynasty, but..." He deliberately paused, whetting Ye Hui's appetite, before saying slowly and deliberately, "...the reign title of the puppet state of Manchukuo!"

The puppet state of Manchukuo? A reign title? Ye Hui was even more confused. What was all this about? How did it all come up with the puppet state of Manchukuo? He tried to process the information in Chen Yang's words, but the more he listened, the more confused he became, as if he had fallen into a fog and couldn't find his way.

Kangde was the reign title used by Puyi after he was supported by the Japanese and established the puppet state of Manchukuo in Shenyang in 1934. It lasted from 1934 to 1945. After the end of the Anti-Japanese War, the puppet state of Manchukuo also came to an end.

After abdicating, Puyi, the Xuantong Emperor, was unwilling to accept his fate and always wanted to restore the monarchy. He commissioned the Japanese to make so-called imperial porcelain. However, the Japanese did not follow the system of establishing imperial kilns to produce official kilns as we have in China. Instead, the porcelain used by the Japanese royal family came from several outstanding local folk kilns, similar to our Jingdezhen blue and white porcelain, doucai porcelain, monochrome glaze porcelain, etc., and even showed a trend of surpassing ours.

During the War of Resistance Against Japan, while we were waging a hard-fought war against Japan, the Japanese were plundering our resources. However, their own country was unaffected, and the level and quality of their porcelain production remained at a high standard.

"So, when Puyi requested to order imperial porcelain, the Japanese made it in their own country and then sent it to the puppet state of Manchukuo. In other words, the porcelain Puyi used was specially made for him by the Japanese." Chen Yang explained to Ye Hui, "Kangde is an abbreviation of Kangxi and Guangxu. The name Kangde was chosen to commemorate them and also to express Puyi's wish to restore the Qing Dynasty."

After listening to Chen Yang's words, Ye Hui fell into deep thought, his brows furrowing slightly as he seemed to be struggling to process this information he had never heard of before. He gently stroked his chin, lost in thought. He was surprised to learn that there was such a history in porcelain, a field he had never explored before. What surprised him even more was the existence of a "Kant" reign title, which made him realize how shallow his understanding of history truly was.

He recalled the scene when Chen Yang clashed with Inoue Hikoichi. Chen Yang was extremely knowledgeable about the history of Japanese porcelain and the various kilns, speaking eloquently and leaving a deep impression on him. At the time, he thought Chen Yang was just showing off in front of Inoue Hikoichi, but now it seemed that Chen Yang's research on Japanese porcelain was not superficial, but a profound understanding.

"I really didn't expect this, Mr. Chen." Ye Hui looked up at Chen Yang, a wry smile on his lips. "You have such a deep understanding of Japanese porcelain. I'm truly impressed."

He paused, a hint of doubt in his voice, "But what are you trying to prove by telling me all this?"

“I once saw a lemon-yellow glazed plate with orchid design, fired in the fourth year of the Kangde reign!” Chen Yang smiled slightly, his tone calm but full of confidence.

Famille Rose Lemon Yellow Glazed Orchid Pattern Plate

The porcelain plate appeared clearly in his mind. The yellow glaze on the back of the plate was bright and dazzling, a color between pinkish yellow and egg yolk, different from traditional yellow. It was a unique lemon yellow, exuding a charming luster. The clay was pure white and delicate, with a hard texture. When tapped lightly, it produced a crisp and melodious sound that was refreshing.

The white glaze is lustrous like milk, distinct from traditional Chinese glazes. It boasts vibrant colors, delicate composition, and a focus on basic sketching, with richly expressive floral patterns and exquisite craftsmanship. While clearly influenced by Chinese culture in its composition, it also exhibits a distinct oil painting style in its depiction of light and shadow, a harmonious blend of East and West. Its exquisite craftsmanship and dignified bearing even surpass the level of the Xuantong imperial kilns, clearly indicating its masterful creation, far beyond the reach of ordinary artisans.

This content is: Imperial Gift Commemorating the Fifth Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China

The two coiled dragons on the plate are lifelike, with the two seal characters "御赐" (Imperial Gift) prominently engraved among them, showcasing the imperial grandeur. The base is inscribed with the mark "康德四年" (Fourth Year of Kangde) in regular script within a thick blue enamel border. The underglaze blue mark penetrates deep into the porcelain body, its vibrant and serene color adding to its antique elegance.

“You could say that the porcelain plate and your lemon-yellow vase with nine peaches in openwork design…” Chen Yang paused, his gaze falling on the vase in Ye Hui’s hand, a meaningful smile appearing on his lips, “do do share some similarities!”