Chapter 186: Priceless!

Despite everything, at this moment, the experts were deeply shocked.

They had spent their entire lives studying the authenticity of antiques and tracing their origins.

Although they were well-versed, they were at a loss for what to do in the face of this situation.

After all, the scene before them was too unusual.

“Li Lao, what exactly is going on here?”

Liu Rulie, who had been in a daze, could no longer remain calm. He quickly walked over, furrowing his brow and asking.

“This is simply a new discovery in the field of archaeology! It’s even more precious than the imperial funeral robe of Empress Cixi!”

His gaze greedily swept back and forth over the Dorani Sutra.

The obscure and difficult-to-understand scriptures, the vivid Tibetan-style stupa, the vajra, and the other jewels.

There were even more elements than those found on the already confirmed imperial funeral robes.

“Used by Emperor Jianwen Zhu Yunwen? How is that possible?”

One expert exclaimed in disbelief.

“Even if this imperial funeral robe was used by the royal family in the Ming Dynasty, why is it not Zhu Chongba’s but rather his grandson Zhu Yunwen’s?”

Another expert furrowed his brow, puzzled.

Liu Rulie, standing to the side, was visibly more agitated.

“This must be fake! Who doesn’t know that Zhu Chongba was a monk for a time and hated these things! Fake! Fake!”

Even though the imperial funeral robe had no connection to the Liu family, Liu Rulie could not accept it.

When Shen Fei had bought the fabric, he had mocked Shen Fei for lacking insight.

If this was proven to be true, wouldn’t the ridicule fall on the Liu family?

And it was all happening right in front of Vanke Group.

Wasn’t this essentially handing himself over as a joke?

However, Liu Rulie had forgotten that, regardless of whether this imperial funeral robe was from the Ming Dynasty or used by Zhu Yunwen, the fact that it was an authentic item had already been confirmed.

This was an undeniable fact that no one could change!

In the future, Liu Rulie would undoubtedly become a laughingstock in the world of antiques.

“Mr. Shen, how did you recognize that this imperial funeral robe was a Ming Dynasty item and remain so confident?”

The expert from Vanke Group, who had remained silent up until now, asked in a low voice.

Everyone eagerly turned their attention to Shen Fei.

Especially the antique experts from the Liu family group.

They were very aware of the situation when Shen Fei had bought the fabric.

Shen Fei cleared his throat, smiled, and replied,

“Actually, it’s not that complicated! All historical records confirm that the imperial funeral robe was indeed used by the royal family during the Qing Dynasty, but everyone seems to have forgotten that the Tibetan-style stupa was actually popularized during the Yuan Dynasty! Although there are no records in the literature, there have been calculations that suggest the imperial funeral robe may have existed as early as the Yuan Dynasty!”

“Later records and the discovery of the Ming Dynasty tombs never mentioned the Dorani Sutra robe, which led archaeologists to overlook this point during their research. I’m very interested in Ming Dynasty history, so I read up more on Ming Dynasty materials!”

“And speaking of this, I have to mention the Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, the grandfather of Zhu Yunwen!”

“Zhu Yuanzhang was the emperor with the deepest connection to Buddhism throughout history! He even had a period in his life when he was a monk! So, I thought this must reflect Zhu Yuanzhang’s conflicted attitude toward Buddhism!”

“He didn’t want others to mention his time as a monk, but he had deep faith in Buddhism, and his descendants were even more reluctant to openly follow Buddhism due to his influence, which is why the Ming Dynasty records don’t mention the Dorani Sutra robe!”

“But Zhu Chongba’s faith in Buddhism is undeniable! Zhu Yunwen, his most favored grandson, even abolished Zhu Di and directly made Zhu Yunwen the crown prince, which is a clear sign of his affirmation! This Dorani Sutra robe must have been a gift from Zhu Chongba to him!”

“But why is it not found in Ming Dynasty tombs? It’s because this robe must have ended up in the hands of civilians! Given that the Qing Dynasty Dorani Sutra robe was sewn into a yellow robe, I wondered if this fabric was similar!”

At this point, Shen Fei paused for a moment before continuing.

“Although this fabric with the imperial funeral robe looks unremarkable, it carries a mysterious sense of royal nobility, so I decided to buy it, and now it seems this fabric is most likely authentic! Fortunately, after this appraisal, the result didn’t disappoint me!”

With great composure, Shen Fei calmly delivered his well-prepared explanation. His expression remained serene.

This was all thanks to the research Shen Fei had done in his past life.

In his previous life, after finding success in business, he became interested in Buddhist artifacts and coincidentally delved into Ming Dynasty history. He even studied Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the Ming Dynasty.

This spirit of research led him to link Zhu Chongba with Buddhism, especially considering his history as a monk.

Later, he collected a great deal of Ming Dynasty silk and studied the development of the Dorani Sutra robe. After much research, he finally found the evidence that the Ming Dynasty royal family used the imperial funeral robe.

This discovery would make Shen Fei famous and create a huge stir in the archaeological world!

Upon hearing Shen Fei’s explanation, everyone was stunned and wide-eyed.

If anyone had thought Shen Fei’s actions were merely a lucky accident before, they were now certain that his recognition of the Dorani Sutra robe was based on real expertise!

Just mentioning Zhu Yuanzhang’s history showed how thorough Shen Fei’s research on Ming Dynasty history was!

“Mr. Shen, Mr. Shen, please wait a moment!”

Still reeling from the shock, Huang Jing quickly rushed out, flustered.

“Alright!”

Shen Fei smiled slightly but didn’t say much.

He knew exactly what Huang Jing was going to do next.

Most likely, he would confirm that it was authentic and call Shi Hongke from Vanke Group to let him know.

After receiving Shen Fei’s consent, Huang Jing trembled as he hurriedly walked out.

“Experts, how much is this Dorani Sutra robe worth?”

As soon as Huang Jing left, Duan Guoan urgently asked.

Known for his flashy wealth, Duan Guoan often bought paintings and calligraphy to show off his taste.

When he asked this, several experts glanced at each other awkwardly.

Naturally, they feared Duan Guoan would try to buy the robe directly.

But due to his status, they nodded and replied,

“If we’re talking about money, it could be worth several hundred million, but in terms of significance, it’s priceless!”

As soon as these words were spoken, Duan Guoan’s emotions grew even more excited. He immediately looked at Shen Fei and said,

“Little Shen, make an offer! Uncle Duan wants it!”