Chapter 925: What? My calligraphy is on display? How come I didn’t know?
After saying goodbye to Professor Ye, Xiao He did not officially enter the research room; he could only wait outside.
Because opening these items actually carries a risk, even when they are brought back for inspection, Qian Shunping and his team of experts need to wear full protective gear and take other necessary precautions.
Only after the unpacking goes smoothly and the contents are properly arranged can they let other people in.
So, besides Xiao He, there were many other experts and researchers waiting outside, and even graduate students and doctoral students who had been learning from Qian Shunping.
This group consists of young people who, although not fans of celebrities, know Xiao He and have heard that he helped Qian Wenhao of the Qian family clear his name as a special talent in calligraphy. Therefore, they are very curious about Xiao He.
"Teacher Xiao, I heard that you practiced calligraphy specifically for the filming of 'The Imperial Empire,' and the calligraphy you copied of Emperor Chen even shocked Chairman Qian. Is that true?"
A young man asked with great curiosity.
"Yes, I did study these things for the sake of 'Imperial Enterprise'."
Xiao He nodded in agreement.
Although he hasn't studied calligraphy for very long, it's enough for him to use it as a shield.
Anyway, if asked, the answer is always the same: I've studied it.
As for why he was able to learn so quickly, don't worry about that, it's just talent.
"Wow--"
Some people exclaimed in surprise: "Is that the painting that Chairman Qian used to hang in the art center?"
"Of course, ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) Chairman Qian specially had a sign put up to explain, and it's said that Brother Xiao also signed it."
"Did you go see it? Do you have any photos? I said I'd go check it out, but I've run into several pieces that need repair lately, and I haven't had time to go..."
The group started discussing it.
Xiao He slowly uttered a question mark: "Wait, wait a minute, what's going on?"
"Hey, Brother Xiao, didn't you know?"
Everyone was surprised: "It's the art center that previously displayed the work 'Peace and Stability of the World.' Didn't they say that Emperor Chen's original work was burned because of their negligence? At that time, it caused a huge uproar, and the art center was caught in a severe vortex of public opinion."
“I know about this.”
Xiao He nodded.
At that time, everyone still thought that the work in the art center was the original.
This incident even dragged their "Imperial Ambition" production team into the controversy and led to them being criticized. Although the exhibition had absolutely nothing to do with their production team, it was because Xiao He was famous and "Imperial Ambition" was quite popular at the time that countless marketing accounts and trolls would bring their names together to generate buzz and attract more attention.
The scene made it seem as if Xiao He himself had set the fire.
Fortunately, the investigation later revealed that the "genuine" work by Emperor Chen was not genuine, but rather a trap deliberately set by the Yun family. In essence, the Yun family had designed it first, and the handover process of the art center was neglected later. As a result, the main battleground was successfully shifted to the Yun family.
Later, CCTV's variety show "The Book of Ancient Kingdoms" officially reviewed the incident. Xiao He appeared in the first episode, and the general theme of the whole episode was to use this incident as a classic case to explain it, clarifying the mystery of whether the "Peace and Stability of the World" painting at the art center was genuine or fake, which can be regarded as clearing most of the injustices from the art center.
The damage has already been done and is irreversible.
Under pressure from various public opinions, the art center processed the ticket refunds as quickly as possible.
After this incident, they will definitely try to make up for the losses elsewhere.
So, after the variety show "The Book of Ancient Kingdoms" officially aired, the arts center immediately contacted the production team of "The Imperial Empire" and made a decision that shocked many people—
They obtained the painting "Peace and Stability Under Heaven" written by Xiao He on set when he played Emperor Chen from the "Imperial Conquest" production team.
Yes, now that things have come to this, the curator has decided to fight fire with fire by collaborating directly with the "Imperial Empire" production team. By leveraging the traffic generated by this fake artwork incident, they aim to attract new visitors to the art center!
The painting "Peace and Stability Under Heaven," written by Xiao He himself, is undoubtedly the best choice.
First of all, Xiao He himself is strongly associated with this matter. His copy is highly recognized by all members of the calligraphy association. It is said that it is so similar to the legendary Emperor Chen's handwriting that it is indistinguishable from the real thing. This is enough to prove that his work is no worse than the copy works of other masters. With the reputation of the calligraphy association, he is fully qualified to be exhibited in the art center.
Secondly, there's Xiao He's own popularity and the promotional buzz generated by the "Imperial Ambition" production team, oh right, and the airing of "The Book of the Ancient Kingdom".
Even if you can't make money from other calligraphy enthusiasts, making money from fans and drama fans is still money, right?
Huh? You're saying it's an insult to art and a disgrace to public morals?
Haha, go squat by the roadside and beg for food yourself, what a fuss.
Making money isn't shameful, and besides, they weren't just randomly chosen.
It can only be said that this manager is indeed a smart person. After Xiao He realized that sometimes his imitations were too similar and might cause some problems, he stopped providing his imitations to the public. Therefore, the few known ones have been collected by the calligraphy association. One of them has even been confiscated and handed over to the restoration center as a reference for Emperor Chen's other historical calligraphy works.
The only source of information about Xiao He's imitations is the production team of the TV series "The Imperial Empire".
Xiao He personally performed the calligraphy on the set of "The Imperial Empire" without using a stand-in. Having already personally acted out so many scenes from the previous episodes, Xiao He, as Emperor Chen, had experienced a lot and gained more insights. Therefore, when he wrote this calligraphy, he was even more sincere and his calligraphy skills reached a new level, almost as if Emperor Chen himself had taken over.
So he filmed this scene in one go, leaving only a copy of "Peace and Stability for the World" on set.
In the end, after a bidding war between the director and the screenwriter, the artwork was successfully acquired by the screenwriter, a loyal fan of Emperor Chen, and taken home for his collection.
The art center's management approached the "Imperial Conquest" production team specifically because of this artwork.
Considering that "The Imperial Cause" would also enter a promotional period, it would be a good opportunity for the art center to continuously promote the work and generate buzz. Thus, the two parties reached an agreement, and Xiao He's work was officially hung in the art center, which was the same place where Yun Jia's calligraphy work "Peace and Stability of the World" was originally hung.
—This move was truly ingenious, and the arts center was indeed brought back to life.
A large number of fans and calligraphy enthusiasts came to see for themselves just how similar Xiao He's handwriting was.
It is said that some professionals have publicly ridiculed Xiao He, thinking that as an actor, he couldn't possibly write any good calligraphy.
After visiting the art center, I was thoroughly embarrassed and didn't dare to say another word.
However, this was the first time Xiao He himself had heard about this.
After listening to these people's explanations, Xiao He stroked his chin and roughly understood the situation.
The production team definitely wouldn't let them off the hook, so it's likely that Sister Liu was aware of this and directly agreed to it.
It's really not a big deal. It's like some authorizations and advertisements. Sister Liu can handle it directly, so she usually won't bother him.
Moreover, the production team was quite clever; this way, they maintained the popularity of "The Imperial Empire" and could promote it again during the later promotional period.
"I understand, thank you."
Xiao He smiled and nodded to them.
At that moment, the person inside who had confirmed the situation quickly came out.
"Yes! It really is it! We actually witnessed its return—"
Qian Shunping's hands trembled with excitement, "So, it never really left—"
At that moment, everyone stood up straight and looked intently at Qian Shunping.
How could I not be excited?
Emperor Chen's painting "Peace and Stability Under Heaven" not only embodies his heartfelt words reflecting his life's work, but also carries the concerns and stories of many people from the past. Since its rediscovery, these related experts and scholars have all shared a dream:
I hope it can come back, can return to China.
Instead of continuing to wander or forever remaining silent in a museum of some country.
Because they have lost too much.