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32 lines
2.3 KiB
Plaintext
32 lines
2.3 KiB
Plaintext
It was a time when countless exotic curios and items would flow into Liyue Harbor.
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This night, Min'gui, mistress of Xigu Antiques, was researching relics and narrating ancient stories with an unnamed son of nobility.
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The focal point of their debate was a jade plaque.
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As many knew, creating a counterfeit jade item was not a matter that cost much capital in Liyue. Creating a beautiful fake might be a shade more expensive, but it was a cost that most merchant houses could absorb.
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The real trick lay in weaving an intricate but spurious tale.
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Like a jade smith wandering deep into the mountains, or the youth of the fisherfolk whose habits are strange, those considered deviant often in fact strike closer to the heart of things.
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Rex Lapis laid down rules and contracts, but never forced the ordinary folk by his authority to live by them as a perfect template, for he knew that laws and stipulations were a means, not the end. The timeless balance lay, in truth, in a person's awareness and their ability to make choices for themselves.
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The harsh boss of the fishing vessel did not understand this principle, and so earned the fear and mockery of his hired help.
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As humans are, so too are antiques. Artistry, quality, rarity and perfection are limiting factors, yes, but the true worth of a relic lies in its backstory.
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The picky young noble seemed not to wholly perceive this idea, and so had no qualms about calling the jade plaque a fake, denigrating its value.
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But if all of Xigu Antiques' treasures were to be scrutinized with such a piercing and empirical eye, their worth would have been ground into dust.
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Like the tears of a maiden for her captain, which became eternal pearls, or a mortal king who himself carved a portrait of his deceased queen, before sealing his own soul into it...
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These stories, these legends that should have faded with time were preserved, and thus teemed with life under the outer husk of those relics.
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"A fine story. I'll take this fake, then."
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The noble son nodded, his golden eyes smiling.
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"After all that, you still think this is a fake?"
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Min'gui sighed lightly.
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"Of course,"
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The young noble could not help but smile and indeed had never seemed happier since entering her shop.
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"After all, the story you told about jade plaques being ancient currency — it's nonsense. Nonsense that I made up." |