The reason for letting Sam Walker open the shop is because Adam Sullivan feels more at ease with Sam Walker. Even when he keeps his money under his pillow, Sam Walker knows about it, yet not a single coin goes missing. This shows that although Sam Walker has a gambling habit, he’s not someone who lacks self-control, so there’s no worry about getting entangled in messy business when partnering with him.

Handing the small box to Sam Walker, Adam Sullivan stretched lazily and yawned repeatedly, “I’m going to sleep. Tomorrow I have to go to the Inner Court to get familiar with the environment, haha…”

At dawn the next day, Adam Sullivan got up early. Someone from the Inner Court had already come to urge him, so Adam Sullivan followed them inside. Although he had entered last night, it was too dark to see clearly. But today, looking again, the Inner Court appeared even more grand and magnificent, resplendent in gold and jade. It combined the elegance of Jiangnan with the imposing solidity of the North.

After passing through a long corridor, he saw from afar that Henry Clark was sitting under the stone steps, resting his chin in his hand and daydreaming. Adam Sullivan walked over and found Henry Clark holding a painting scroll.

“You’re here just in time. The princess sent another painting. See if it’s a fake.” When Henry Clark saw Adam Sullivan, his expression immediately relaxed.

Adam Sullivan unrolled the scroll, and a landscape painting appeared before his eyes.

“This is a masterpiece by Dong Yuan, called ‘Xiaoxiang Map’.” Adam Sullivan was momentarily lost in thought. Dong Yuan was later known as one of the three great masters of the Northern Song, his painting skills extraordinary. He never expected to see the famous Xiaoxiang Map today, which was truly eye-opening.

“Xiaoxiang” refers to the Xiao River and Xiang River in Hunan, both flowing into Dongting Lake. “Xiaoxiang” also generally refers to the region in Jiangnan with many rivers and lakes. The painting depicts a scene of lakes and mountains, with gentle, rolling hills and vast waters dotted with sandbanks and reed islets stretching endlessly.

“What a painting!” Regardless of whether it’s real or fake, just this vivid depiction of the Xiaoxiang landscape was enough to captivate Adam Sullivan. After looking for a while longer, he said, “Unfortunately, it’s still a forgery.”

“Another fake?” Henry Clark looked very disappointed. Although he had expected this result, hearing Adam Sullivan say it out loud was still hard to accept.

Adam Sullivan pointed at the little boat in the painting and said, “This one is a bit better than the last, but the style is still stiff. Dong Yuan was known for the weight and depth of his brushwork, but the artist here lacks that strength. Although the spirit of Dong Yuan’s work is roughly imitated, there are still many traces of copying.”

Henry Clark said, “Why does the princess keep sending fake paintings?”

Adam Sullivan rolled up the scroll and smiled, “She’s not convinced and wants to compete with us.”

Henry Clark crossed his arms and laughed arrogantly, “Compete with us? Adam Sullivan, help me teach her a lesson.”

“What a case of a dog relying on its master’s power.” Adam Sullivan shot him a look and nodded, “I’ll copy a Xiaoxiang Map myself and really open her eyes.”

He then remembered the matter with Chun’er and asked, “Did you talk to your mother about Chun’er?”

Henry Clark immediately lost his bravado and said pitifully, “I’m working on it, I’m working on it.”

Adam Sullivan felt this guy was unreliable, but there was nothing he could do.

Henry Clark grinned and said, “Come to my study and see how much this painting is worth.”

Chapter 9: Requiem

Adam Sullivan followed Henry Clark into the study. The study wasn’t big, but there were plenty of books. Adam Sullivan thought darkly that there must be quite a few racy things hidden in here, maybe even some secret Tantric dual cultivation manuals or something.

On the desk, a landscape painting caught Adam Sullivan’s attention. The inscription was by Yang Jie. Yang Jie wasn’t famous, like Dong Yuan he was a painter from the early Northern Song, but he was far inferior to Dong Yuan.

Yang Jie’s painting style was all about completing a work in one go, so even the pieces that survived to later generations were quite common. Moreover, although his paintings were delicate, they still lacked depth in artistic conception. As a result, such second-rate painters remained obscure, and since there were so many of his works, their value was naturally not high.

Henry Clark asked, “How much could this painting fetch at a pawnshop?”

Adam Sullivan was slightly surprised, “You’re short on money?”

Henry Clark gave an embarrassed smile, “A few days ago I spent seven strings of cash buying you some pre-Tang Shu paper. I only get ten strings a month, and now I don’t have a single coin left. In a few days, I’m going on an outing with some friends outside the city, and I can’t very well ask my mother for money. This painting was a gift from Young Master Miller. Young Master Miller’s family is loaded, so this painting should be worth quite a bit, right?”

Adam Sullivan shook his head, “This landscape is indeed a fine piece, but there are just too many like it. At most, it could sell for fifty strings, and if you take it to a pawnshop, ten or five strings is common.”

Henry Clark said in disappointment, “Only that much? I thought I could get a good price for it.”

Adam Sullivan said, “Young master, there’s no need to sell your paintings. If you’re short on silver, why don’t we go into business together?”

Adam Sullivan had long planned to rope Henry Clark in. After all, as the heir of a duke, having him as a partner would make many things much easier.

Henry Clark frowned, “Business? What kind of business?”

Adam Sullivan shared his plan with Henry Clark, who immediately became interested, “A scholar’s club? Haha, I like it! Let’s do business together.” He found everything novel—frankly, he just didn’t think things through and was easily excited.

“But to start this business, we’ll need at least a thousand strings.” Adam Sullivan’s words were like a bucket of cold water on Henry Clark. Henry Clark stared and said, “A thousand strings? That’s way too much.”