Chapter 120 Crown Prince, Your Painting is a Fake

Xiao Ye, whose name was called, couldn't help but look at Xiao Churen. He saw that Xiao Churen's eyes seemed to be smiling friendly, but in fact, they were hiding gloating.

He knew that Xiao Churen was deliberately exaggerating his status; as the crown prince, his position was arguably the most prestigious among the princes.

If the gift he presents today is not the best, and it is overshadowed by the gift from the King of Chu, then he will at least lose face, or at worst lose the emperor's favor.

This made everyone feel that he, as the crown prince, did not care about the emperor, and that the gifts he sent did not touch Emperor Wenjian's heart like those sent by the Prince of Chu.

"Since the King of Chu has said so, then I will not let you and everyone else down."

Xiao Ye smiled calmly, looking at Xiao Churen as he spoke, deliberately emphasizing the word "you".

There was not a trace of embarrassment or worry on his face. Seeing his calm demeanor, Xiao Churen was secretly chuckling to himself, thinking that the Crown Prince would definitely make him lose his smile later.

No matter what mountains of gold and silver the Crown Prince brings later, it won't compare to his painting.

Who made Father Emperor such a passionate lover of calligraphy and painting?

In fact, his father was more suited to be a master of calligraphy and painting than an emperor.

Xiao Ye had a super luxurious and exquisite picture frame carried up, covered with a piece of fine red silk.

When Xiao Churen saw the gift, he guessed that it was also a painting. He secretly mocked Xiao Ye for knowing to give his father the emperor's favorite painting to please him, but unfortunately, no matter how good his painting was, it could never compare to his own.

However, the next moment, when he heard what Xiao Ye said, he froze on the spot.

"Father, I am not talented, but I have been sending people to search for it in secret for some time. After many hardships, I have finally found the painting 'Ten Thousand Sons and Thousand Grandsons' left over from the previous dynasty."

Today, I specially present this painting to my father, wishing him great fortune, longevity, many children and grandchildren, and a long and prosperous reign!

Xiao Ye stood straight as a towering pine tree, his clear voice echoing in the main hall.

Like a clear spring striking a stone, it echoes with a clear, resonant sound.

These words left Xiao Churen's mind buzzing. What was going on?

Why was the Crown Prince also presented with the "Ten Thousand Sons and Thousand Grandsons" painting?

"Is it really the lost 'Ten Thousand Sons and Thousand Grandsons Picture'? Haha, great, great, this is wonderful!"

Emperor Wenjian asked in surprise, almost in disbelief, and laughed several times, saying "good" repeatedly.

Just as he was about to excitedly have the painting opened, Xiao Churen suddenly asked excitedly, "Crown Prince, is the 'Ten Thousand Sons and Grandsons' painting you sent the real one? Where did you find this painting? Don't be fooled and deceive Father with a fake painting!"

Yes!

The prince's painting is definitely a fake!

After regaining his senses, Xiao Churen came to this conclusion after much thought.

The painting in my hand was brought back from overseas after several months of work, and I had it authenticated by more than ten renowned scholars and experts. There is absolutely no way it could be fake.

Therefore, the only explanation is that the crown prince's is fake.

He must have done this to please his father, even going so far as to create a fake painting to deceive him, never expecting that he would have the real thing here.

Hmph, just wait and see how I slap him in the face!

Xiao Churen became more and more confident the more he thought about it.

Xiao Ye was not surprised that Xiao Churen would say that. On the contrary, the more Xiao Churen said that, the more he was falling into the trap that Xiao Ye had set for him.

Xiao Ye concealed the mockery in his eyes and said sincerely, "The painting I presented was naturally genuine. How could I dare to deceive Father with a fake? If you don't believe me, I'll have someone open the painting now so everyone can see it!"

"Alright, someone come here and open the painting!"

Emperor Wenjian was not angry when he heard Xiao Churen's question, because he was also unsure whether the painting was genuine.

After all, this painting is extremely precious and has been missing for a long time. Even if Xiao Ye brought a fake, he might have been deceived.

Now, he just wants to confirm if it's true.

If it's true, then that's the best gift he'll receive today.

Because calligraphy and painting are his greatest loves in life!

The palace attendants stepped forward to unveil the painting, and the moment it was opened, a joyous and vivid depiction of countless sons and grandsons appeared before their eyes, dazzling the eye.

The smiling faces of the children in the painting seem almost tangible, and viewers feel as if they are hallucinating, as if the sound of children's laughter naturally comes to mind when they see the painting.

Emperor Wenjian's eyes widened in surprise, and his body trembled with excitement.

"Excellent, excellent, excellent, what a wonderful 'Ten Thousand Sons and Grandsons Picture'! Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, truly wonderful!"

After a long pause, Emperor Wenjian exclaimed in delight and praise.

He was a lover of painting and a connoisseur of it, so he could naturally see the exquisite details of the painting at a glance.

At this moment, he had long forgotten whether the painting was real or fake; he was completely captivated by the painting before him.

Xiao Churen was also surprised for a moment when he saw the painting; it did indeed look exactly like his own.

He checked his painting before leaving, and there were no problems, right?

Then the painting in front of you must be fake, but the imitation technique is quite advanced, to the point that it's indistinguishable from the real thing.

It seems the Crown Prince really put in a lot of effort.

However, considering that I had invited many experts and scholars to authenticate my paintings, there must be no problem with them.

"Your Highness, this painting seems to be fake."

So, amidst the exclamations of amazement from the crowd, Xiao Churen calmly offered his own opinion.

"Fake? How could it be fake? This painting looks so lifelike, I'm stunned!"

"Is what Your Highness the King of Chu saying true? Such a fine painting is actually a fake? Just how amazing must the original be?"

"Why did the King of Chu say that the Crown Prince's painting was a fake? Did the King of Chu know where the real painting was and what it looked like?"

These words sparked a discussion among the surrounding people.

The agitated Emperor Wenjian calmed down and looked at Xiao Churen with a stern face. "Why do you say this painting is fake?"

He was clearly amazed by the painting, how could there be a forgery that could be so accurate?

A cold smile flashed across Xiao Ye's lips as he stepped forward and said, "King Chu, this painting is one that I painstakingly retrieved from overseas. It is absolutely impossible for it to be fake. I urge you, King Chu, to be careful with your words and not to slander me."

"Overseas? You also found it overseas? That's even more impossible, because I bought this painting back from overseas long ago. The one you have is definitely a fake!"

Hearing Xiao Ye say this, Xiao Churen became even more certain that what he said was a lie.

When their own people went overseas to search for paintings, they didn't mention encountering anyone from the Crown Prince's faction.

"Is that so? Then, Your Highness, could you please show everyone what you call the genuine painting?"

Xiao Ye said calmly.

"Of course, now I will show everyone what the real 'Ten Thousand Sons and Thousand Grandsons Picture' looks like!"

Xiao Churen was not afraid at all. With a wave of his hand, he ordered his men to bring up the painting he had prepared.

Seeing Xiao Churen's confident demeanor, Emperor Wenjian couldn't help but wonder what he was up to.

Could it be that this exquisite painting is actually fake?