The appraisal gathering commenced, with silk merchants from all corners presenting their treasures.
A Jiangnan silk merchant stepped forward first, displaying a roll of dazzling golden kesi silk, his voice brimming with poorly concealed pride. “This is ‘Golden Thread Jade Garment Silk.’ A single inch of it is worth its weight in gold!”
A low murmur of awe rippled through the assembled guests, their gazes glued to the shimmering gold, murmuring in admiration. Even the venerable Elder Liu, the honored guest appraiser, gave a slight nod, stroking his beard in silence.
Just then, Pei Yanshu leaned over and, in a stage whisper audible to the entire hall, remarked, “The twist on that gold thread is a bit rough. Not as good as the batch we unraveled last time to make tassels.”
Whoosh—
The entire flower hall fell silent instantly. Every gaze swiveled to focus on Pei Yanshu, then immediately shifted to Shen Nianyi beside him.
Shen Nianyi felt her face flush hotly.
Pei Yanshu! They’re basking in their moment of glory, and you just have to pour cold water on their heads! Even if you have criticism, couldn’t you be a bit more tactful?
Under the scorching weight of countless stares, Shen Nianyi forced a proper smile onto her face. She surreptitiously pinched Pei Yanshu’s arm hard, while outwardly speaking in a gentle, placating tone.
“Young Master Pei has a penchant for jesting. What he meant was…” Her mind raced. Her gaze fell back on the kesi silk, and suddenly, inspiration struck. “…he meant that the luster of this gold thread is exceptionally brilliant and dazzling, possessing a different charm from the antique gold artifacts he usually admires. Manager Zheng’s kesi silk, with its flowing golden radiance, embodies the most fashionable opulent style of the moment. It is perfectly suited for festive occasions like the New Year celebrations. It truly is a rare, superior piece.”
Manager Zheng, whose face had initially turned ashen, finally relaxed slightly, offering a stiff, barely polite clasp of his hands. “Manager Shen flatters me.”
Shen Nianyi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Seizing the moment as attention shifted away, she immediately turned her head and shot Pei Yanshu a glare, hissing through gritted teeth, “Would it kill you to say a little less?!”
Pei Yanshu, however, seemed utterly unperturbed. He even casually picked up a piece of pastry from the table and took a leisurely bite.
At that moment, a brocade official from Shu presented an intricately patterned piece of brocade for display.
Before Pei Yanshu could shock the crowd again with his words, Shen Nianyi preemptively offered a soft praise. “The stitching on this Shu brocade is truly fine and dense. The hundred-flower pattern is remarkably lifelike.”
No sooner had her words fallen than Pei Yanshu lazily chimed in, “Indeed. The stitches are as dense as the ones on my grandmother’s old padded jacket.”
Shen Nianyi: “…”
She took a deep breath, maintaining the smile on her face, and stomped hard on Pei Yanshu’s foot under the table.
“Young Master Pei must mean that such fine, dense stitching provides the best warmth retention?” she said without batting an eyelid, turning to the Shu brocade official. “I’ve heard winters in Shu are damp and cold. Such craftsmanship must be most practical indeed.”
The Shu brocade official was momentarily taken aback by this interpretation, nodding instinctively. “Indeed… that is certainly true.”
The remainder of the appraisal gathering proceeded in this bizarre rhythm—
Pei Yanshu was in charge of lighting fires, and Shen Nianyi was in charge of putting them out.
By the time the third merchant presented their wares, Shen Nianyi could already, without changing her expression, spin Pei Yanshu’s critique of “this dye job looks faded” into “this refined, understated effect is precisely the most fashionable distressed technique nowadays.”
Elder Liu couldn’t help but glance at her a few more times, a glint of interest in his eyes.
Just as she thought this gathering would pass with Pei Yanshu’s sharp tongue and her own diplomatic salvaging, albeit not without its scares, a familiar voice sounded from the entrance:
“Esteemed Elder Liu, fellow colleagues, I apologize for my tardiness.”
Chen Wanqing entered gracefully, clad in resplendent attire and surrounded by maids and matrons. She had clearly taken great care with her appearance today; a golden hairpin swayed and shimmered with her every step.
First, she cast a meaningful glance at Shen Nianyi, then bowed to Elder Liu. “I heard today’s gathering is a distinguished assembly of talents, so I specifically brought the latest treasure from Brocade Emporium for Elder Liu and everyone to evaluate.”
When the bolt of brocade was fully unfurled before the crowd, gasps of admiration filled the flower hall. The fabric, interwoven with gold and crimson, glittered so brilliantly it was almost blinding, exuding an overwhelming aura of opulence.
“This brocade is named ‘Golden Radiance Ten Thousand Zhang,'” Chen Wanqing announced proudly. “It is dyed with powdered mother-of-pearl from the South Sea and woven with pure gold threads into cloud patterns.”
Pei Yanshu leaned close to Shen Nianyi’s ear and once again whispered loud enough for all to hear, “What a fitting name—vulgarly unique.”
Shen Nianyi nodded, offering no further attempt to smooth things over.
Hearing Pei Yanshu’s remark, Chen Wanqing’s expression darkened. She deliberately provoked, “I heard Cloud Silk Atelier recently released a new product as well, called something like ‘Buddha’s Hand Gold’? I wonder how it compares to our ‘Golden Radiance Ten Thousand Zhang’?”
Pei Yanshu lazily rose to his feet, strolled over to examine the brocade, then suddenly pointed at the gold threads and said:
“Madam Chen, these gold threads… did you purchase them from the old Hu merchant Sabir in the West Market?”
Chen Wanqing was taken aback. “What if I did?”
“Oh, nothing much,” Pei Yanshu replied with an innocent smile. “It’s just that a few days ago, when I visited his shop, I saw him re-dyeing a batch of gold threads. Apparently, the batch sold last month had faded, and the customer insisted on a refund, even threatening to take him to court. He had no choice but to find a way to fix it.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Wanqing’s face turned ashen.
The hall immediately buzzed with whispers, and the gazes directed at the “Golden Radiance Ten Thousand Zhang” now held suspicion.
Watching this scene, Shen Nianyi suddenly recalled that Pei Yanshu had indeed been frequenting the West Market over the past few days, mysteriously claiming he was going to “gather information.”
So this was what he had been waiting for!
She couldn’t help but give Pei Yanshu a thumbs-up under the table.
Pei Yanshu winked at her triumphantly, mouthing the words, “No big deal.”
Chen Wanqing stood there, her face alternating between green and pale. Finally, she shot them a fierce glare and left in disgrace with her entourage.
At this moment, Elder Liu finally spoke slowly, “From Cloud Silk Atelier. This young man beside you has spent so long criticizing others. I’d like to see what fine goods you can present.”
All eyes in the hall instantly focused on them.
Shen Nianyi’s heart tightened. Just as she was about to rise, Pei Yanshu leisurely opened the brocade box he had brought with him.
“Since Elder Liu has spoken, we shall humbly present our offerings.”
He took out the first bolt of fabric and gave it a gentle shake before the crowd—
The unique ochre-dark red hue flowed with warm golden-brown luster under the lamplight, its mottled texture enhancing its antique charm.
“Is this… ‘Buddha’s Hand Gold’?” someone immediately recognized it.
“Exactly,” Pei Yanshu raised an eyebrow. “The very one Madam Chen wished to compete with just now.”
A ripple of knowing laughter spread through the hall.
Before the crowd could examine it closely, Pei Yanshu produced a second bolt of fabric. When the elegant, pale blue reminiscent of a sky after rain unfolded before everyone, Elder Liu involuntarily leaned forward.
“Rain-Washed Azure? So this is the signature color of Cloud Silk Atelier in the West Market? It truly lives up to its reputation!”
Shen Nianyi rose at the opportune moment and gently explained, “We had to dye this color seven or eight times to achieve it, each time waiting for the sky to display its truest hue for comparison.”
Just as the crowd was still immersed in that elegant shade of blue, Pei Yanshu brought out the third bolt of fabric.
“As for this one…” He shook out the moon-white brocade, revealing the distinct ink stain upon it. “This is our Cloud-Dream Neon-Glow Brocade that was splashed with ink during the Brocade Competition.”
No sooner had he spoken than the Jiangnan merchant Zheng, whom Pei Yanshu had earlier criticized for his “frayed gold threads,” immediately sneered:
“Young Master Pei, weren’t you just boasting about your discerning eye? How is it that you now present a piece of ink-stained scrap as a treasure?”
The Shu brocade official, who had been likened to “a cotton-padded jacket,” seized the chance to chime in:
“Exactly, with these ink stains all over it. Could it be that your esteemed atelier has fallen so low that you can’t even produce a single flawless bolt of brocade?”
Madam Chen’s followers burst into mocking laughter: “Is this perhaps Cloud Silk Atelier’s latest ‘tattered cloth’ style?”
Amidst the murmurs and jeers of the crowd, Pei Yanshu remained unflustered.
He gently rotated the brocade, allowing the ink stain to shimmer with a faint golden glow under a specific light. “Ladies and gentlemen, please observe. This ink stain has now transformed into ‘gold-born from ink’s charm.'” Pei Yanshu deliberately turned to Merchant Zheng. “Merchant Zheng, you just called this scrap? But your flawless kesi silk—aside from boasting ‘every inch worth its weight in gold’—does it possess even a hint of lingering appeal?”
Merchant Zheng was instantly speechless, his face turning ashen.
Pei Yanshu then addressed the Shu brocade official: “Compared to certain densely patterned designs that dazzle the eyes, our ink stains carry profound artistic conception, with the blank spaces leaving ample room for imagination.”
Finally, he swept his gaze over Madam Chen’s followers and chuckled lightly. “As for the ‘tattered cloth’ style… it’s still better than some who treat shoddy craftsmanship as family heirlooms.”
With this series of deft rebuttals, he not only countered the crowd’s mockery but also struck at their sore points with every word. Those named were flushed with anger but found themselves momentarily at a loss for a retort.
Shen Nianyi rose at the opportune moment and gently took over. “Actually, what Young Master Pei means is that true beauty lies not in the mere accumulation of skill, but in a unique artistic conception. Each of these ink stains was formed by chance, meaning every bolt of this ‘Gold-Born from Ink’s Charm’ brocade is a one-of-a-kind treasure in this world.”
As she spoke, she bowed respectfully to Elder Liu, the venerable judge. “Just as Elder Liu often says, the soul of craftsmanship lies in transforming the ordinary into the miraculous.”
While the crowd was still abuzz with discussion about the “Gold-Born from Ink’s Charm” brocade, Shen Nianyi brought out the final bolt.
This “Cloud-Dream Neon-Glow Brocade” appeared plain under the lamplight, but when she gently rotated the fabric into a dimmer area, the brocade began to emit a soft, lustrous glow. Hidden cloud patterns seemed to flow within the faint light, reminiscent of a sea of clouds under the moonlight.
A conservative old judge shook his head repeatedly. “Gaudy and flashy, glowing in the dark—this is not something a gentleman would wear.”
Pei Yanshu immediately responded, “Your Honor, I must disagree. Confucius said: ‘A gentleman does not promote a man because of his words, nor does he reject words because of the man.’ Similarly, we should not reject cloth because of its color!”
He walked up to the brocade and lightly traced the flowing light with his fingers. “Look at this fabric. Dignified in the light, graceful in the shadows—it is the perfect embodiment of our scholars’ ethos: ‘In obscurity, cultivate oneself; in prominence, benefit the world.’ Its plainness in daylight represents self-cultivation, while its hidden radiance signifies awaiting the moment to rise. Such artistic conception—how could ordinary silks compare?”
Elder Liu listened in a daze, finding it quite reasonable, and clapped his hands in admiration: “What a splendid interpretation—dignity in the open, romance in the shadows! This reading is truly refreshing!”
Shen Nianyi stood by, utterly dumbfounded.
He could lie without even drafting a script, turning a piece of cloth into a Confucian classic!
She stole a glance at the old-fashioned judge and saw that he had been rendered speechless by this display of erudition, only able to snort coldly and brush his sleeves in silence.
Just as opinions on Cloud Silk Atelier’s brocade were divided and arguments raged, Pei Yanshu seemed to casually adjust his collar.
Elder Liu, sharp-eyed, finally couldn’t hold back and asked, “Young Master Pei, this robe of yours…”
Pei Yanshu replied with calm indifference, “Oh, this. At the last Silk Competition, it was accidentally splashed with ink. I originally intended to discard it, but who knew that a few days ago, when I had an audience with His Majesty, he actually found the ink stains complemented the robe quite interesting and inquired about it.”
The entire hall fell into dead silence.
He continued unhurriedly, “I then reported that this was fabric from Cloud Silk Atelier, and His Majesty even nodded in approval.”
He scanned the crowd, his tone suddenly turning serious. “Although His Majesty did not explicitly say so, the imperial will is unfathomable. Consider this: what if one day His Majesty remembers and asks, ‘Where was that ink-splashed robe made?’ If I were to say Cloud Silk Atelier had been deemed unworthy by the Weaving Bureau… wouldn’t that be a crime of deceiving the emperor?”
Cold sweat immediately broke out on Elder Liu’s forehead, and the other judges exchanged uneasy glances.
After a moment of silence, Elder Liu cleared his throat lightly and promptly announced: