Chapter 367

Chapter 367

The goal of helping our people survive the famine has been achieved. The next goal is to do everything I can to bring cultural relics scattered abroad back to our country!

At just over thirty years old, Lu Mingzhu thinks she’s in her heyday and won’t laze around anymore. However, she finds business too much mental effort and has no plans to continue writing novels or scripts anytime soon.

Hong Kong’s bursting with talent these days—it’s a whirlwind era. Who among them doesn’t even surpass her, standing on giants’ shoulders?

She’ll just write for fun in the future!

But what else is there?

Lu Mingzhu enjoys dressing up but couldn’t care less about parties.

Traveling the world isn’t her dream either—occasional trips are fine, but nonstop travel gets old fast.

Too tiring and expensive.

Gazing at the serene, burnished Dog Head with its unique copper sheen before her, Lu Mingzhu’s eyes blazed with resolve as she declared loudly, “It’s time to showcase my top-notch appraisal chops!”

He Yun blinked in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Over the years, Lu Mingzhu had shown flashes of her appraisal genius, making her in a league of her own—the most naturally gifted antique appraiser He Yun had ever encountered. As Master Qu and Mr. Zhang often said, it’s not something you can fake.

While Mr. Zhang and Zhang Huaizhi managed her antique shop and often helped process shipwreck salvage ops, Master Qu had repeatedly expressed regret that Lu Mingzhu didn’t pursue antique appraisal professionally.

Her knack for spotting fakes was unreal!

Xie Junyao, who knew Lu Mingzhu best, smiled at her with gentle eyes and a steady tone. “She means she’s planning to get back in the game—just like when she scored steals in Beijing’s antique markets—using her personal insight and skills to collect antiques, no longer relying solely on shipwreck salvage ops or running an antique shop to expand her collection.”

He could request extended leave from his elder brother to accompany her around the world.

Lu Mingzhu immediately gave him an approving look.

“Exactly! We’ll keep salvaging wrecks, the antique shop will stay open, and I’ll take whatever goodies come my way. But I want a triple-threat strategy—venturing overseas to recover lost treasures. After all, I have nothing else to do in Hong Kong.” With her elder brother taking care of the children, she was completely at ease.

He Yun raised an eyebrow slightly. “There’s no need for you to go personally. I can arrange for people to collect on your behalf. Weren’t you satisfied with the many pieces we’ve acquired before?”

“Satisfied, yes, but we’ve missed some gems!”

Like the Dog Head before her.

In this time and place, no one could understand the frustration and heartache of the Twelve Zodiac Heads not being reunited as keenly as she did.

If there was a chance to collect them, Lu Mingzhu didn’t want to miss it.

Her godfather and his subordinates probably thought the Dog Head wasn’t worth much, which was why it had been left collecting cobwebs instead of being sent to her along with the other antiques.

Lu Mingzhu sighed inwardly.

Her love for jewelry must have left too deep an impression, and since many antiques weren’t highly valued in the market, her godfather likely only picked the most expensive pieces, overlooking less sought-after items like wooden carvings and bronze artifacts.

But there were so many treasures among them!

She couldn’t let them slip away—absolutely not.

He Yun chuckled. “So that’s what you meant.”

He tilted his head in thought and said, "There's an antique market here too. After all, many Chinese settlers have brought items from the mainland since a large number of them live here. It's still raining now, but once it stops, I'll take you for a look around."

Xie Junyao's lips twitched slightly.

Typical He Yun.

Lu Mingzhu's eyes sparkled, her face blooming like a delicate flower. "Uncle, Junyao and I can handle this. You and my father should stay home, drink tea, and play chess. After all, you're the wealthiest man in Southeast Asia. If you show up, people will assume even the cheapest items are priceless and inflate the prices. That would thwart my treasure-hunting plans—completely against my intentions."

Spending hundreds of taels of gold on a painting?

No way—totally not worth it!

Of course, if she encountered a priceless treasure of great significance, she wouldn’t hesitate to spend a few hundred taels of gold.

She owned a gold mine currently being developed and wasn’t short on gold.

He Yun didn’t press further. "I’ll have the butler guide you."

Lu Mingzhu waved her hands dismissively. "The butler manages major affairs—having him guide us would be overkill. Besides, many people would recognize him. Better to find someone unfamiliar, and we’ll dress down too. The mining issue isn’t resolved yet."

"Sounds good," He Yun nodded.

Then, remembering something, he pointed to a pair of eye-catching and well-protected blue-and-white porcelain pieces in a glass cabinet. "Mingzhu, help me verify if these are genuine. I’m not entirely sure."

They seemed too pristine, without any aging.

Yet He Yun felt they weren’t fakes.

After returning home, the butler had informed him that these were among the items acquired from a fallen noble family. Recalling Lu Mingzhu’s fondness for Yuan-dynasty blue-and-white porcelain—she often mentioned pieces such as "Ghost Valley Descending the Mountain" or "Xiao He Chasing Han Xin Under the Moon"—he had considered gifting them to her. But fearing they might be counterfeits and embarrass him, he decided to let her authenticate them first.

"Wow! Yuan-dynasty blue-and-white!" Lu Mingzhu released the Dog Head and opened the unlocked cabinet.

Xie Junyao studied them curiously, equally uncertain. "They look real, but also fake."

The Chinese have excelled at forgery since ancient times.

"That doesn’t clarify anything," Lu Mingzhu said, slipping on white gloves.

She picked up one of the porcelain pieces, examining it inside and out. Without keeping He Yun waiting long, she declared with certainty, "They’re genuine, absolutely genuine. And they’ve been passed down through generations, frequently handled and admired, so they lack the musty feel of excavated or salvaged artifacts. Instead, they have a smooth, lustrous patina, appearing almost new—proof of the original owner’s meticulous care. Had to be an elite family! Must have been a grand household."

She adored treasures handed down from such families!

"Indeed, they were heirlooms of an aristocratic lineage," He Yun said, admiration clear in his eyes. "The royal dynasties of the Yuan, Ming, and Qing—fancy enough for you?"

Lu Mingzhu exclaimed. "From the palace?"

He Yun nodded lightly. "According to the seller, these blue-and-white porcelains were originally tributes during the Yuan dynasty, later kept in the Ming palace, then passed to the Qing court, becoming part of the collections under emperors like Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong. Since Emperor Qianlong had rather unconventional preferences, these porcelains were neglected and left dusty until the corrupt official He Shen rose to power, after which they landed in his possession. How He Shen acquired them wasn’t mentioned, but the seller insisted they were returned to Emperor Jiaqing’s treasury after He Shen’s downfall, then gifted to their ancestor. The descendants brought them overseas during wartime, eventually settling in Southeast Asia, where they remained perfectly preserved."

Lu Mingzhu sighed. "Looks like this family’s fallen on hard times."

Otherwise, they wouldn’t sell their heirlooms.

Blue-and-white porcelain with such a history undoubtedly qualified as a family treasure.

He Yun’s eyes crinkled with amusement. "Their family had been merchants for generations, once quite wealthy and influential in Southeast Asia. I dealt with their late patriarch, but their sole heir turned out a spendthrift who blew through generations of wealth, selling antique paintings and calligraphy works by renowned artists to bankroll his lavish lifestyle. Aside from these porcelains, there were a few authentic works."

A detail he’d never forgotten.

Who would’ve thought that after all these years, most of the antique paintings and calligraphy works he once bragged about have ended up in my hands.

Lu Mingzhu immediately perked up upon hearing this. "Show me, show me!"

He Yun quickly retrieved them.

Lu Mingzhu was completely floored. "This family is truly extraordinary—they actually have an authentic Wu Daozi piece! Wu Daozi!"

The Painting Sage!

Even with all her money and the indulgence of her elders, after years of collecting, she only possessed two authentic Wu Daozi works. She never expected to encounter another one here.

Though this particular painting isn’t widely renowned in history, it is undoubtedly from Wu Daozi’s hand.

"If you love it, take it," He Yun had originally intended to gift it to Lu Mingzhu. Before she could decline, he added, "No arguments. Your eldest brother has never cared much for such things—he’d be far happier with business holdings than antique paintings and calligraphy."

Every last one of his kids was the same, valuing industries far above jewelry and antiques.

They weren’t dumb.

Jewelry and antiques could never outearn the profits brought by business ventures.

He Yun had indeed divided his estate, but his sharp vision and sharp business moves ensured that even after distributing his wealth, his investments—whether through trust funds or recent ventures—continued to flourish, making plenty of folks jealous.

Lu Mingzhu clutched the authentic Wu Daozi painting in delight, her bright eyes sparkling with excitement. "Pops, no way was I leaving this behind!"

Such a treasure couldn’t possibly stay here.

Once she had admired it to her heart’s content, she would donate it to the nation when the value of antique paintings and calligraphy peaked, guaranteeing her a ton of goodwill.

The more she thought about it, the more delighted she became, her eyes crinkling into happy little crescents.

He Yun burst out laughing.

Xie Junyao watched Lu Mingzhu, thinking she resembled a kid in a candy store.

Her joy was simply indescribable.

Glancing at He Yun, Xie Junyao stroked his chin.

So what if he lost this time? Once back in Hong Kong, he’d urge his eldest brother to work harder so he could buy things for his wife.

Xie Junyao had always been self-aware; he could never match He Yun’s achievements, but his brother could hold his own against him.

Unaware of Xie Junyao’s thoughts, Lu Mingzhu continued scouting for treasures and soon discovered a pair of golden bowls from the Tang Dynasty—fancy cups for Tang Dynasty big shots. Plump in form, adorned with exquisite patterns, they exuded grandeur and opulence, just as jaw-dropping as the famed lotus-petal gold bowls she had once seen in a museum.

Those were national-level cultural relics.

If these were submitted to the cultural relics department for grading in the future, they would undoubtedly be classified as the same level.

They, too, bore lotus-petal designs, though the patterns differed.

When asked about their origin, she learned that these golden bowls dated back to Emperor Xuanzong of Tang’s reign. They weren’t sold by the prodigal son He Yun mentioned but were acquired by the steward from other antique dealers, their origins being shady—smuggled out of the country by tomb raiders and sold to dealers a year or two prior.

It seemed slacking off on protecting artifacts in the mainland had led to rampant tomb raiding.

Zhang Shuo, despite his broad vision and busy schedule, was spread too thin to handle it all.

Still, the situation was far better than in her past life. Thanks to Lu Mingzhu’s passion for collecting, the mainland had started taking antique art seriously, allowing non-relic-grade items to be exported for foreign exchange after classification.

He Yun had a deep impression of the pair of golden bowls. "It's said to be from the tomb of a princess, but which princess remains unknown."

"Emperor Xuanzong of Tang had many sisters and daughters!" Women held high status in the Tang Dynasty, and many princesses lived lavish lives. Lu Mingzhu felt a twinge of regret. "If we knew which princess these were buried with, the value of these golden bowls would rise even higher."

He Yun chuckled lightly. "We're not selling them, so why worry about their value?"

"Right, right, no way in hell." All kidding aside, how could she let these babies go once they were in her hands?

After witnessing the sheer scale of He Yun's stash, Lu Mingzhu decided to act immediately.

Early the next morning, she dragged Xie Junyao out of bed.

"So early?" Xie Junyao yawned.

"It's not early—it's already 6:30." Lu Mingzhu had gone downstairs for a morning workout at 5 and even took a quick shower afterward.

Xie Junyao got up at once.

"Babe, you look stunning!" Seeing Lu Mingzhu's outfit for the day, his eyes lit up, and he leaned in to plant a few kisses on her.

The rain had stopped late last night, and the morning air was still damp.

However, due to the region's climate, the temperature wasn't low at all.

Lu Mingzhu wore a long, sleeveless orange batik dress, her porcelain arms as delicate as a baby's and glowing white, making the pair of emerald bracelets on her wrists appear even more vividly green. Paired with dangling emerald-bead earrings, she bloomed like peonies in her maiden years.

After receiving Xie Junyao's kisses, Lu Mingzhu swatted away his exposed chest—his pajamas slightly open—and chided, "Get presentable! After breakfast with Dad and Qíye, we're heading out."

No time to waste!

Xie Junyao moved swiftly.

Just like the day before, they joined Lu Mingzhu's father for breakfast at He Yun's place.

Upon hearing the butler's report, He Yun, who was scowling, brightened instantly upon seeing Lu Mingzhu and greeted her with warm elegance. "Mingzhu, what would you like for breakfast? I’ll have it served."

Lu Mingzhu smiled faintly. *Ke sui zhu bian.*

He Yun laughed. "I’ve had them prepare oyster pancake and misua soup."

It was a taste of his hometown.

Lu Mingzhu added, "I’ll have the oyster pancake and misua soup too, plus some jinbao yin (a Fujian snack of glutinous rice wrapped in egg) and guangbing (a type of Fujian biscuit)."

She and Xie Junyao were bottomless pits.

Lu Mingzhu's father, however, only had a bowl of fish ball soup and nothing else.

After the meal, Lu Mingzhu quickly swished some mouthwash, dabbed on some lipstick, tossed her bag on her shoulder, and dashed off after bidding farewell to He Yun and her father—leaving her father gaping at her speed.

"Look how spoiled you've made her!" He turned to scold He Yun.

After instructing the servants to clear the dining room, He Yun had planned to invite Lu Mingzhu's father to the tea room, but upon hearing that remark, he decided against serving him tea.

He can suck air for all I care!

Lu Mingzhu's father seemed completely oblivious.

He was so familiar with He Yun that he didn’t even need an invitation before making himself at home in the tea room, even instructing the butler to fetch the finest Da Hong Pao that He Yun had brought from Hong Kong.

They’d had it a few times during their travels.

Because of Lu Mingzhu, He Yun had an excellent relationship with the mainland. Moreover, since the mainland relied on He Yun’s connections to send personnel to participate in dismantling aircraft carriers and steal shipbuilding techniques, the finest Wuyi Mountain Da Hong Pao was officially delivered to He Yun by the state.

Next to He Yun’s fortune, the mainland had very little to offer, and only rare specialties unavailable abroad could catch his eye.

Tea was one of them.

Lu Mingzhu and her father received some annually, as did Lu Changsheng and his son, as well as Xie Junyao and his brothers, but none of them received as much as He Yun.

Hearing Lu Changsheng’s words, the butler looked at He Yun.

He Yun said irritably, "You accuse me of spoiling Mingzhu, yet you have the nerve to drink my finest tea?"

"Of course I do, why wouldn’t I?" Lu Changsheng replied shamelessly, pulling out the tea set with practiced ease. "Has the trouble at the mine been resolved? You seemed off when I arrived."

He Yun kept his cool like a pro—minor matters rarely stirred his emotions.

This made Lu Changsheng quite curious.

"If A Lan can’t even handle such a small issue at the mine, then she’s truly useless," He Yun said, knowing full well that He Lan was more than capable. What really got to him was... "I bought a production line from the Americans, but the ship carrying the equipment sank."

Nearly thirty million dollars’ worth of equipment—just gone, like that.

It was definitely no accident.