"Young Master Yang?!"
The assembled guests thought they had misheard, their faces filled with disbelief.
Who was Chu Luan?
He was a venerable elder of Yangcheng's business world, someone many prominent figures in Yangcheng's government and commerce considered a junior. He was a man whose sneeze could cause the stock market to tremble the next day.
And now, he was addressing Yang Chen, this young man, as an equal?
Who was this Yang Chen, that Old Master Chu held in such high regard?
For a moment, everyone began to speculate about Yang Chen's identity, with many assuming he was a second-generation heir from the capital.
Chu Junhao was completely stunned.
Yang Chen was his grandfather's friend? Invited by his grandfather?
That wasn't right!
Wasn't he the appraisal master invited by Chu Xiang?
Chu Xiang was also very surprised. She secretly tugged on Yang Chen's sleeve and whispered, "Do you know my grandfather?"
"I do... your dad and mom also know him."
"Really?"
Before Yang Chen could answer, Chu Luan waved him over and called out, "Little Yang, come over here."
"Yes."
Yang Chen respectfully walked up the steps and stood beside Chu Luan, with Chu Tiankuo on his left and Yang Chen on his right.
"Little Yang, I am truly sorry. It's rare for you to attend my birthday banquet, and yet a junior here dared to scold you. I will definitely give you an explanation."
What?
The esteemed Old Master Chu was actually apologizing to a young man like Yang Chen.
How could this be possible? Everyone thought they had misheard again!
Chu Junhao was not a stubborn fool who would go down one path to the end. Seeing his grandfather's attitude towards Yang Chen, he knew this was no simple matter and immediately broke out in a cold sweat.
Before his grandfather could even reprimand him, he quickly stepped forward, took Yang Chen's hand, and said subserviently, "I'm sorry... I'm truly sorry, Uncle Yang. This is like the Dragon King's temple being flooded by the river; I didn't know you were Grandfather's friend. I'm so sorry. I was only being rash for the sake of the banquet's safety. Please don't take it to heart."
"Uncle Yang!?"
Yang Chen was astonished by Chu Junhao's shamelessness. In front of everyone, this guy was lowering his status so much that it made it difficult for him, the "elder," to reprimand him.
"Forget it. My main purpose here is to network with wealthy individuals, and I don't want to appear vengeful. He's just a third-generation rich kid; there will be plenty of opportunities later!"
Yang Chen could only smile faintly at Chu Luan and say, "Old Chu, your grandson is quite interesting."
"These young ones have been spoiled by me over the years, and I apologize for any offense."
Chu Luan turned to admonish Chu Junhao, "It's rare that Little Yang doesn't hold a grudge against you. Hurry up and get out of here. Learn from Xiangxiang in the future and be more steady in your actions!"
This gave Chu Junhao an opening. He seized the chance and said, "Grandfather, I admit I was rash this time, but my filial piety towards you is no less than Xiangxiang's."
Chu Junhao clapped his hands, and a middle-aged man in his forties, who looked like a scholar, walked over carrying a scroll.
"Grandfather, I know you enjoy collecting. This time, I specially invited expert Shen Sa to go to Hong Kong with me to find a piece of calligraphy and painting by Tang Bohu as a gift for you."
"Oh!"
Since retiring half-way at the age of sixty, Chu Luan's greatest passion had been collecting. He immediately became interested and excitedly exclaimed, "Quick... bring it out for me to see."
Shen Sa opened the scroll tube and took out a roll of pale yellow parchment. Chu Junhao held one end and slowly unrolled it. The first character that appeared was "千" (qian, thousand). Chu Junhao began to read aloud:
"A thousand gold for a good night, ten thousand for flowers. How many families can truly enjoy the east wind? The master of the house is a good host. A cup of wine in hand needs no borrowing… The morning rooster crows joyfully until the evening crow."
After reciting the seven-character regulated verse, Chu Junhao said with a proud smile, "Grandfather, this piece, Tang Bohu's 'Valley Rain,' is for you, wishing you blessings as vast as the East Sea and a longevity as enduring as the Southern Mountains!"
"Good... good!"
Chu Luan, unable to suppress his delight, stepped forward and reread the seven-character regulated verse word by word.
"You rascal, you've finally done one good thing this time."
Chu Luan patted Chu Junhao's shoulder, saying with great joy, "Keep this 'Valley Rain' safe and send it to my collection room."
"Yes!"
As Chu Junhao rolled up the painting, he couldn't resist taunting Chu Xiang, "Xiangxiang, Grandfather has always doted on you the most. I wonder what kind of gift you've prepared for Grandfather?"
"Right... right."
Chu Luan had previously heard Yang Chen mention that Chu Xiang had prepared a rare treasure for him, and he eagerly said, "Xiangxiang, quickly bring out your gift for me to see."
"Yes, Grandfather."
Chu Xiang clapped her hands, and immediately a servant brought out a long sandalwood box.
"Yang Chen, this gift was chosen by you. Please open it and present it to Grandfather."
"Okay."
Yang Chen confidently stepped forward, opened the brocade box, and took out a gilded tea tray and a purple clay teapot with four cups.
"Old Chu, this six-piece tea set was a court-made imperial product from the early Kangxi period. According to the 'Kangxi's Daily Life Records,' the court artisans at the time only produced three hundred and sixty finished sets, and this is one of them. It was Emperor Kangxi's favorite."
As he spoke, Yang Chen flipped the gilded tea tray over to show the inscription "Made in the Kangxi Period" on the bottom.
"Besides being Kangxi's favorite, what is most precious about this tea set is that all six pieces have been perfectly preserved. Another point is its inherent historical significance—one tea set, three emperors!"
"Oh?"
Chu Luan's curiosity was immediately piqued. "Little Yang, don't keep me in suspense. Tell me quickly about this story of 'one tea set, three emperors'!"
"Old Chu, you must be familiar with the story of the nine princes vying for the throne in Kangxi's later years, aren't you?"
"Of course."
"According to the 'Yongzheng's Daily Life Records,' in the fiftieth year of Kangxi's reign, Emperor Kangxi bestowed this tea set upon the then Prince Yong's eldest son, Qianlong, as a sign of his favor."
"This also indirectly supports the historical rumors that Kangxi passed the throne to Yongzheng because he favored Qianlong, his imperial grandson."
"This is the famous allusion of 'one tea set, three emperors'!"
Chu Luan stepped forward to examine it closely, his face filled with joy. "Such a small tea set actually carries the stories of three emperors from the prosperous Qing Dynasty!"
"Good, good, good!"
"Xiangxiang, you truly understand your grandfather's heart. I love this gift so much!"
In a prominent family like the Chu family, power struggles were as exciting as those in ancient imperial households.
Not only were Chu Xiang and Chu Junhao at odds and constantly competing for favor, but Chu Tiankuo and his brothers also frequently vied for power.
The faces of the Chu family's second and third generations, their sons and grandsons, suddenly changed. They all thought, "Kangxi doted on his grandson Qianlong so much that he passed the throne to Yongzheng. The old master dotes on Chu Xiang the most. Doesn't this imply that the old master wants to pass the throne to Chu Tiankuo? Chu Xiang and her father are truly calculating!"
Chu Junhao quickly gave Shen Sa a signal. The latter, who had been prepared, loudly declared, "Old Chu, don't be deceived. I think this gilded tea set is a fake!"