A few minutes later, Qian Wenhao returned.

He was holding ordinary paper, ink, brush, and inkstone.

However, due to the tight schedule and limited time for grinding ink, Qian Wenhao went to get another bottle of ink.

Xiao He glanced at it, then rolled up his sleeves to prepare. After Qian Wenhao poured the ink, he directly dipped his brush in the ink and wrote the four characters "安定天下" (pacify the world) on the paper with a flourish.

His entire set of movements was fluid and seamless, and the calligraphy characters with special significance appeared on the paper, each stroke perfectly matching the image he had envisioned.

Qian Wenhao barely blinked before he saw Xiao He put down his brush. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"alright."

Xiao He said it casually.

"ah?"

Qian Wenhao looked at Xiao He, then at the finished product in front of him, and could hardly believe his eyes.

"Is this... all done?"

He asked in a trembling voice, completely unable to believe that Xiao He could replicate the brushstrokes he had practiced day and night without success, and that Xiao He could do so with ease and grace in just a few seconds, and that Xiao He was a hundred times better than him.

Rubbing his eyes, Qian Wenhao practically lay face down on the table, staring intently at the marks on the paper with an almost reverent expression, carefully observing the beginning, development, and transition of each stroke. If the writing in front of him hadn't been still wet, Xiao He would have suspected that he would have stuck his face directly onto the writing and made close contact with it.

Just thinking about that scene made Xiao He want to laugh.

But he didn't laugh in the end. Instead, he looked around and felt a little regretful.

Originally... he thought that Qian Wenhao's sudden request for the calligraphy meant he wanted to do something... like forging a fake to replace the original... After all, the guy's previous attitudes showed that he had an unusual obsession with this original.

If given a chance, Xiao He had no doubt that Qian Wenhao would do everything in his power to preserve this authentic work.

Xiao He's gaze fell on the words he had just written.

He knew all too well the power of the Magic Hand.

When it comes to forgery... this skill is top-notch.

For him, writing handwriting that is so realistic that it is indistinguishable from the real thing is extremely easy.

If you add other special materials and tools...

Xiao He lowered his gaze.

Looking back now, it seems like a pretty far-fetched idea.

With so many procedures and formalities both domestically and internationally, a counterfeit artwork probably wouldn't even have a chance to leave the museum before being discovered on the spot.

At that time, not only Qian Wenhao will be in trouble, but the art center, the calligraphy association, and even the "Imperial Ambition" production team will probably be implicated.

So, things like deceiving the real thing are probably only things that happen in movies... It seems that Qian Wenhao doesn't intend to do those things either.

It was he himself who had a rather dark mind...

However, it seems that the original painting that the Yun family borrowed should indeed be returned.

When Xiao He was at the art center last time, he had already learned about the original painting and the past grievances between the Yun family and the association.

If it weren't for Yun Ziqi's incident, this original painting would probably have remained permanently sealed in a safe abroad, and it's unknown how long it would have been before it was shown to the world again.

Xiao He was silent for a moment, then asked casually, "Is this alright?"

"Yes, yes."

Qian Wenhao's hands were trembling, and his face was filled with undisguised joy. He bowed solemnly to Xiao He and thanked him, "Thank you, thank you, Teacher Xiao. I will frame this calligraphy and keep it for myself when I get back. Thank you for helping me realize my dream. I really love Emperor Chen's work."

Xiao He looked at Qian Wenhao for a moment, but in the end he did not probe further. He just smiled and said, "It's okay. I've been practicing calligraphy recently. If we have time in the future, we can exchange ideas more often."

"Thank you, thank you."

Qian Wenhao just kept thanking him.

Xiao He was then escorted out of the association building by Qian Wenhao.

Outside the «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» gate, the nanny van was already parked not far away, waiting for Xiao He.

Qian Wenhao then stopped in his tracks.

But Xiao He also stopped walking.

Qian Wenhao asked with a puzzled look, "Teacher Xiao?"

Xiao He turned his head to look at Qian Wenhao, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "I heard that the artwork from the art center last time is being prepared to be shipped back overseas?"

Qian Wenhao's smile faded, and his mood immediately somber: "Yes, that's right. After all, this collection no longer belongs to us Chinese people, and it should go."

Originally belonging to the ancestors of China, it unfortunately went abroad and no longer belongs to them.

Although I came back, I will eventually have to leave.

How can this not be ironic?

Perhaps Xiao He had not received such artistic training, nor was he a true calligraphy enthusiast or a history buff for Emperor Chen, so he could not understand the obsession of the people in the association.

But you'll know once you do the math.

This artwork was probably taken abroad by thieves or traitors during the most turbulent time a century ago, and was left to wander in foreign lands. A century later, they encountered it again and excitedly prepared everything to welcome it home, only to be tricked away by a merchant who claimed to be Chinese, and watched helplessly as it once again ended up overseas.

The senior who led the team heard that this businessman was also planning to bid for the donation back to China, so he didn't participate in the bidding. He thought that since they were both Chinese compatriots and came with the same goal, it would be better to help his compatriot save some money than to bid against each other.

After all, the country was not fully open at that time, and the status of Chinese people was relatively low. Everyone was struggling and their lives were not very good. Much of the association's funding came from sponsorships by other patriotic businessmen, and they were not very well-informed with each other. The older generation was also quite simple-minded. They never expected to encounter such a cunning and shameless person who had already changed his nationality but still pretended to be righteous. By the time they discovered that the person was no longer Chinese at all, it was too late, and he fell seriously ill.

Until his death, he apologized to the historians, calligraphy enthusiasts, and the truly patriotic businessmen who sponsored them, feeling that he had let everyone down and had failed to complete the mission.

In the end, the association and related historical researchers had to go to the Yun family to request a photograph of the original work as a supplement and record of the relevant history.

After all, Emperor Chen's painting "Peace and Stability of the World" is related to a rather important historical background story, making it a work of great research value. So it's no wonder they swallowed their pride and asked him about it.

However, for decades, nothing has been gained.

Forget about taking a look, you can't even leave a picture.

To be honest, Xiao He was quite shocked that the Yun family could still survive in Beijing after doing something so drastic.

It can only be said that times are changing too fast, and many people have forgotten many things from the past.

Of course, some people have never forgotten.

When Qian Wenhao looked up again, his face was smiling again: "I am really grateful to Teacher Xiao this time. I will definitely cherish the work."

Xiao He remained silent for a moment, then sighed, patted Qian Wenhao on the shoulder, and turned to walk back.

He knew that no matter what, these things had nothing to do with him, and he wasn't as obsessed with antiques and calligraphy as people like Qian Wenhao.

Putting aside whether Qian Wenhao had these thoughts or was willing to take the risk, I myself would never help with the forgery. There were too many things involved, and my current status was not suitable for him to get involved. Getting involved in this mess would be too troublesome for me.

Xiao He clicked his tongue lightly, adding another mark against the Yun family.

—What an annoying thing!