"This happened in the middle of this year. There was a middle-aged man who looked like a villager in the countryside and arrived at the auction house with a coarse cloth bag with a mysterious expression. He's going to auction off something. ”

Zheng Sheng raised his eyebrows: "He dug up the treasure from his own field?" ”

Sima Dingyun nodded: "Yes, and after the appraisal of the auction master Peng in the industry, it was an ancient jade of the ancient Chu Kingdom in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty." ”

In the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, that is, during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Zheng Sheng smiled and said: "Yes, Peng Ju personally identified it?" That shouldn't be wrong. ”

Peng is a famous man in Jingzhou who likes antiquities very much, and Zheng Wen spent a lot of effort to invite him to sit in Xiangyang Auction House. Zheng Sheng has also met him a few times, and he is indeed a talent who loves to collect and has a deep knowledge of the culture and cultural relics of the Shang, Zhou, Qin and Han dynasties.

Sima Dingyun smiled bitterly and shook his head: "Yes, everyone thinks so." Moreover, the origin of that piece of ancient jade is not simple, it is the peiyu of the fourth prince Chun Shenjun. ”

Zheng Sheng suddenly said: "Is it Chun Shenjun's jade?" ”

Chun Shenjun, whose real name is Huang Xie, is one of the four sons of the Warring States period. For the scholars of Chudi in the old days and Jingzhou now, he is indeed a senior figure worthy of admiration, and the ancient jade he used is naturally of high value.

"If you receive an auction in the middle of the year, according to the rules, you should at least auction it at the end of the year!" Zheng Sheng asked.

"Yes, such a piece of ancient jade is worth publicizing for a long time, attracting interested people to prepare funds in order to get a higher transaction price. But the seller asked to sell the ancient jade within three months. Therefore, Chunshen Guyu had to be hastily sold at the autumn auction in September. ”

Zheng Sheng didn't say anything, the auction house should respect the seller's wishes, since the seller wants to sell quickly, then sell it!

This time, Sima Dingyun said that it was over, and there didn't seem to be any mistakes. The auction house also completed its work in accordance with the specifications that it had explored and formulated, and left no mistakes.

"The person who bought it was Deng Hua, a native of Xiangyang and a close confidant of Shi Chong, the assassin of Jingzhou." Sima Dingyun continued.

Zheng Sheng's heart changed abruptly: "Shi Chong's people? Although this happened many months ago, Zheng Sheng now inevitably looks at what Shi Chong and his subordinates have done in a different light.

"Yes, when Deng Hua bought the Chunshen Ancient Jade, he said that he would give it as a gift to Shi Chong. This reason is reasonable, and Deng Hua has made a lot of money at the Xiangyang auction, and he has already auctioned a lot of things earlier. ”

"And then?" Zheng Sheng knew that this story had just begun.

"Early the next morning, Deng Hua led people to smash open the door of the auction hall, claiming that he had bought a fake jade."

"I wasn't in Xiangyang at the time, and the head of the Xiangyang auction was Huang Xiaoru of the Zheng family. Director Huang handled the matter personally. I also inquired afterwards and felt that he handled it very well. However, to this day, I didn't expect that you didn't know anything about it. ”

Zheng Sheng was silent.

Seeing that Zheng Sheng didn't speak, Sima Dingyun continued: "Lord Huang stabilized the emotions of Deng Hua and the others in advance, and then asked Master Peng to come forward and re-identify Gu Yu. ”

Zheng Sheng thought that Shi Chong's plan should not be so simple and rude, and the trick of buying real jade and going back and getting a fake one back was too childish.

"Master Peng appraised the piece of jade, and it was indeed the one that Deng Hua bought from the auction. Moreover, after Master Peng's careful appraisal, he still firmly believed that the jade was definitely not a fake jade, it was the Peiyu of the Prince of Chunshen. ”

Deng Hua sneered and snatched the jade, and broke off the bottom corner of the jade with his hand.

"Broken?" Zheng Sheng said in surprise.

"Yes, it was broken. ' 'Chunshen Ancient Jade' just became 'Chunyu Ancient Jade'. That piece of jade was glued to a small piece with something incredible. So much so that Master Peng didn't find the slightest discovery. Gu Yu was fake, and Master Peng was stunned on the spot. Director Huang immediately made a decision and compensated for the matter at double the price that Deng Hua bought the ancient jade. ”

Zheng Sheng said: "This kind of treatment, Huang Xiaoru's approach is not wrong. ”

Director Huang then went to Zhonglu County to look for the villager. As a result, the family has disappeared. Our people searched for a long time, but the villager still disappeared without a trace. We began to suspect that the incident itself was a conspiracy. ”

"Well, how much did Deng Hua spend on the ancient jade?"

"Four million two hundred and twenty thousand."

"In other words, the Xiangyang auction paid more than eight million yuan in compensation?" Zheng Sheng muttered.

"Yes."

"I remember that we had such a rule, if there is a big incident of compensation of more than 100,000 yuan, you must report it as soon as possible!"

"That's eight million dollars! Why do I not know such a big thing? Zheng Sheng asked, "Even if I can learn about this through Huang Xiaoru." But as the chief of the auction, Mr. Sima, why don't you keep telling me? You know, we've seen each other a few times since September! Even if you don't see each other, you should write me a letter to tell me. ”

"The auction house has been smooth sailing so far, and there has never been such a big mistake. Mr. Huang discussed with me privately, and he decided to take care of the matter and count the eight million money into the expenses of Yuankang in Xiangyang Auction House for three years to smooth out the bills. I agreed. ”

Zheng Sheng showed an incredible gaze: "The account of eight million dollars, you can actually say that it will be smoothed out?" ”

"This is the last ear, Zheng Shizi doesn't need to study it in detail." Sima Dingyun's old face turned red and waved his hand.

Zheng Sheng took a deep breath: "So, the king said that I joined forces with you to embezzle the auction money, which means that there are more than eight million dollars?" ”

Sima Dingyun said with a bitter face: "Yes." ”

"One day in early December, the king urgently summoned me back to Shunyang. I was immediately dismissed from my position as supervisor. Because, a subordinate of the Xiangyang Auction House named Lian Zhongyang testified that I and you embezzled the eight million money in the account. ”

"I tried my best to explain to the king about the Chunshen Guyu, but the king thought I was just making up a good story."

"I asked Huang Xiaoru to testify for me, but Huang Xiaoru didn't say a word after he came. That night, he committed suicide by hanging himself from a beam in his bedroom. ”

"He's dead?" Zheng Sheng asked in surprise.

"Yes, he's dead. In the king's view, Huang Xiaoru committed suicide in fear of sin. ”

"But in fact, his death confirms the collusion between the two of us!" Zheng Shengdao.

"Yes, the current situation is that Huang Xiaoru is dead, and the eight million money on the bill is missing."

Zheng Sheng continued his words: "Then please ask Deng Hua to explain, okay?" ”

Zheng Sheng and Sima Dingyun glanced at each other, and the rest of the words didn't need to be said clearly.

……

"How? Did you find any useful clues? Zheng Sheng asked.

Wang Qian raised his head, hammered his stiff neck, and said to Zheng Sheng: "We have only found two breakthrough points now, one is the villager who disappeared; The second is the Chunshen ancient jade. ”

Zheng Sheng pondered carefully and sighed: "Xiangyang Auction House is probably no longer under our control now. As for the villagers, they may have been sent away, but the biggest possibility is that they have already turned into dry bones! ”