I Inherited 5,000 Years of Family Property

"The Mona Lisa in the Louvre is a forgery? How is that possible?"

"Exactly, that painting has undergone countless scrutinies and tests; it is indeed from the hand of Master Da Vinci!"

"What situation?"

"This is straight from the Louvre; the news has broadcasted it countless times. How could it possibly be a forgery? Could it be that a fake has been in the Louvre for so long?"

"What in the world is going on? Mr. Cao, I'm a bit confused." Zhang Menglong was also baffled. One moment they claimed the painting was a forgery, and the next, they said their family's collection contained no forgeries. Isn't this contradictory?"

"Mr. Zhang, you might not be aware," Cao Yushan said with a smile, "if we're to trace back to this part of history, we must start with your family's background. These seven paintings, including the Mona Lisa they just took away, are all from the hand of Da Vinci."

"Are you throwing riddles at me here?" Zhang Menglong couldn't help but laugh and cry, "Stop beating around the bush."

"Mr. Zhang, actually, Master Da Vinci didn't paint just one Mona Lisa, but a total of 12, and he destroyed four of them over 500 years ago because he was dissatisfied with them. Of the remaining eight, one is treated as a national treasure in the Louvre, and the other seven have always been in your family."

"What do you mean by forgery?" Zhang Menglong could understand an artist painting many versions of the same painting because artists are very particular about their work. But he still didn't understand why he was calling these Mona Lisas forgeries.

"Because the original Mona Lisa was not painted by Da Vinci but by another artist. Da Vinci's 12 paintings were all attempts at copying it, so, I say, all of these works are nothing but forgeries."

"Is that so?"

"Seriously? I studied Western Art History; I have never heard of anything like this!"

"A forgery being treated as a national treasure and world-famous painting, just how incredible must the original be? You're kidding, right?"

"You almost made me believe it!"

"Exactly, does Da Vinci's artistic ability still require copying someone else's painting?"

"Since you're saying such a person exists, do tell, who exactly is this person?"

The surrounding tourists weren't making a scene without reason; such news was simply too mind-boggling, especially for those who were specialists, as it was nearly a challenge to their knowledge base and worldview!

Imagine, someone who studies history being told all of a sudden that Emperor Qin Shi Huang was merely a puppet forcibly placed into the annals of history. Who could accept that?

"Everyone, no need to be anxious. First, there's no need to argue whether what I'm saying is true or false. Why not first verify if these Mona Lisas really are the work of Da Vinci?" said Cao Yushan.

"May I have a look?" Just then, a young man with a backpack timidly stepped forward.

"Have you studied Da Vinci's paintings?" Zhang Menglong asked, noting that the young man appeared to be about his age.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"A bit," the young man nodded.

"Okay, have a look. If you need any instruments to assist with the verification, tell me."

The young man walked up to one of the Mona Lisas, his eyes brimming with uncontrollable excitement. But moments later, he exuded a strong confidence, as if he were very confident in his appraisal skills.

"It's the same as the one in the Louvre; also painted on poplar wood. Judging by the extent of the paint's cracking, it's indeed around 500 years old," the young man said simultaneously observing and articulating his findings.

"The painting has employed 'sfumato' painting techniques. However, I have studied the original, and the technique on this one seems even more proficient."

Suddenly, he seemed to notice something, "Does anyone have a magnifying glass?"

"I have one here!" The professor from Yanjing Art University immediately passed his specialized magnifying glass over.

"Thank you!" the young man said in gratitude, immediately immersing himself in the painting once again.

"The right eye still bears the letters 'LV,' Da Vinci's initials, but the number on the arch is 5, not 2. What does this mean?"

"May I take a look at the others?"

"Of course," Zhang Menglong gestured to the staff nearby, and the remaining copies of the Mona Lisa were laid out on the table.

"This one has a 1, although the technique is still very sophisticated, it seems much more naive compared to the one we just saw!"

"This one has a 3, this one 4..."

"I get it! The number on the arch isn't some kind of special code at all, it's a sequence number Da Vinci marked for himself when he created these paintings!" The young man suddenly showed an excited expression.

"So that's it!?"

"These centuries-old mysteries, they are actually unraveled today?"

"It's unbelievable, if these paintings hadn't appeared here at the same time, who would have thought that there's such a secret behind this artwork!"

"Does that mean all these paintings are real?"

"They should be. Da Vinci's paintings can't be replicated by just anyone, and the degree of the pigments' discoloration, this wooden panel, they simply cannot be reproduced. Plus, Da Vinci's signature technique, 'sfumato,' where he could control the thickness of the ink to just 2 microns. Just a simple test with an instrument, and we can immediately tell the real from the fake!"

"Oh my God!"

"This time I'm truly convinced!"

"This news could make the front page of the Global Weekly tomorrow!"

"Quick, take photos! Take photos!"

"Idiots, don't photograph the paintings, they are national treasures! They are historical artifacts!"

...

Who would have thought that a puzzle which perplexed countless painters and art historians for centuries would be solved like this during an art exhibition, and even reveal such astonishing information.

Over the centuries, numerous imitations of the Mona Lisa have appeared, and even these imitations have fetched over a hundred million in high prices. Now, the value of the original has become immeasurable in monetary terms.

There are as many as seven! Seven Mona Lisas! If it can be proven that all of them are indeed Da Vinci's originals, it would definitely shock the entire art world!

"Wait a minute! If the Mona Lisa is a copy of some work, where is the original painting?"

"Indeed, its value might be more terrifying than all of these paintings combined, right?"

"And, who could the painter be? Was it Da Vinci's teacher, Verrocchio? Or perhaps the master, Donatello?"

"Mr. Cao, don't keep us in suspense, you must know, right?" Zhang Menglong listened to this twisting history, itching with curiosity.

"It's actually very simple!" Cao Yushan said, "There's a letter in the left eye of each painting which is the first two letters of some Italian words."

"Al...gr...si...Zh... What does that mean?"

With a mysterious smile, Cao Yushan said, "Al grande signor Zhang, translated into the language of Huaxia, it's 'To the great Mr. Zhang.'"