Don't mention Nie Bo Yi, please use the visit to this site. Among them, especially with Ye Yuqi being the most severe. She really wants to know what kind of work her granddaughter has carved. Although before coming, he had thought about letting Ye Zhuo lose in the competition to eliminate the misunderstanding between the Nie and Ye families. But at this time, he hoped that his granddaughter could carve out the most outstanding work and surpass Nie Bo Yi. This has nothing to do with family interests, it's purely an old jade carver's expectation for future generations.

  "Take it and show them." Gu Chen waved his hand, but his eyes were fixed on Ye Zhuo, as if he was looking at a rare treasure, with genuine admiration and fondness in his gaze.

  "You're quite good!" she said.

  Although she also said "quite good" when praising Nie Bo Yi, anyone can hear that this time's "quite good" and the previous one's "quite good" contain completely different praise. Gu Chen has a heartfelt and extreme appreciation for Ye Zhuo.

  What kind of work did Ye Zou carve that made the master of the generation give such an evaluation? Everyone couldn't sit still at this time, and they all stood up and crowded in front of Feng Chengzeng to see the jade plaque he was holding.

  Only this flat piece of jade material, at this time has been carved by Ye Zhuo into a jade card. The jade card is divided into two parts, the top part of the irregular card head, was carved out by her extremely smooth technique, with a floating cloud pattern shape, the lower part was cut into a flat plate, shining with a soft white light halo on the flat jade surface, a branch of jade hairpin flowers was carved in shallow relief. This jade hairpin flower is fresh and vivid, as if it had just been picked from the tree, the stem under the flower is as thin as a hair and continuous. Tremblingly showing the delicate beauty of the flower, it's really hard to imagine that this is made of jade. On the other hand, looking at the back of the jade card, on the back of the smooth jade surface, except for a poem carved in seal script, there is nothing else.

  "This... apart from looking quite good, doesn't have anything special about it? Although the overall look is not bad, compared to Master Nie's work, there's nothing that catches the eye, no comparability at all. But why did Princess Yu show such an expression? Could it be because of the discord between the Southern and Northern factions, she wants to use Zhuo'er to suppress the Southern faction? How could a princess and a master possibly do something so unjust and lacking in dignity? Doesn't she know that facts are more important than empty words? Is there something special about this jade plaque that I haven't noticed?" Not just Yuan Chaolin, but even Feng Chengzeng, who thought he had some discerning eyes, couldn't help but wonder to himself.

  He could see that the jade pendant on the plaque was carved with extremely vivid and exquisite peony flowers, while the calligraphy on the back was written with a strong and elegant flair. The level of craftsmanship is evident - in the jargon of the trade, writing on jade is called "crashing to the ground", which seems simple but is actually not easy. When writing a single character, one must employ both relief carving (yang) and intaglio (yin), with the former being the most complex when it comes to flowers. The base of the character must be carved extremely flat, and even slight deviations will affect the shape and spirit of the character. However, with some practice, a skilled jade carver can still do an excellent job. Compared to chain-making techniques, "crashing to the ground" is in a completely different league.

  He raised his head and looked at Nie Bowen, Nie Boyi, and Du Haoran, wanting to see some clues on their faces. As for Ye Yuxi and Yuan Chaolin, they were ignored by him. He thought that his level of discernment was no worse than theirs. If he couldn't see it himself, there was no point in expecting them to see it either.

  However, he found that Nie Bowen, Nie Boyi and Du Haoran's expressions were completely different. The three of them stared at the jade plaque, but Nie Bowen furrowed his brow as if thinking about something; after a while, Du Haoran's eyes suddenly lit up, then he raised his head to stare at Ye Zhuo in surprise, with a look of astonishment and admiration flashing in his eyes, just like Yu Fei's earlier expression. Nie Boyi was initially stunned, seemingly taken aback by the carving on the jade plaque, but soon let out a sigh of relief, probably thinking he had an advantage. However, after looking at it for a while, his expression gradually turned solemn, and his two sword-like eyebrows furrowed tightly together.

  Looking at the expressions of these three people, Feng Chengzeng was still confused, but he felt in his heart that Ye Zhuo's jade token was not ordinary.

  Gu Dun saw Nie Bowen and Nie Boyi finally shift their gaze away from the jade plaque, and smiled slightly, asking: "What does Master Nie think of these two jade carvings by Master Nie and Miss Ye?"

  Nie Bowen looked at Gu Chen deeply, secretly admiring him. Gu Chen asked for his opinion instead of directly asking Nie Boyi, which was also a sign of being a good person, giving the Southern School face. Letting this future family head judge these two works, even if Nie Boyi lost, others would not say that the Southern School's skills were inferior to others, but would praise him for being impartial and selfless, with a broad mind. Moreover, Gu Chen did this also had the meaning of an elder testing a younger generation. This move released kindness, making him secretly grateful in his heart.

  He stood up, slightly pondered, and said: "The calabaza carved by my brother is ingenious in conception, exquisite in craftsmanship, and a rare jade carving masterpiece. Compared to the works of our Southern School in recent years, it can also be considered an outstanding work."

  Nie Boyi heard his younger brother's evaluation, and his emotions were complicated to the point where he himself didn't know whether it was sadness or joy. He only felt that his nose was sour, and his eyes were swollen, making him extremely uncomfortable.

  "But...” Nie Bao Wen's tone changed, “Although Ye's jade pendant is slightly inferior in carving craftsmanship and its conception is extremely ordinary, no one can deny that it absolutely qualifies as a masterpiece."

  Everyone present, except Yuan Chaolin, was taken aback by the meaning of these words. Ye Yuqi and Feng Chengzeng both cast their eyes back onto the jade plaque, trying to see what made it so special that it could be described as a "masterpiece" by Nie Gongzi of the Southern School.

  To know, whether it is the Southern School or the Northern School, over the years, many skilled jade carvers have emerged, but except for Nie Zhongkun and his father and grandfather, there has been only one exception, Gu Chen, who dared to be called a master. The title of "master" is not easily obtained, it requires the ability to create a new school and have a unique style in carving techniques. For example, Nie Boyi's skills are already extremely exquisite, but he can only learn from and imitate Nie Zhongkun, without any innovative techniques that could start a new trend, so he cannot be considered a master, at most, he can only be considered a craftsman.

  So, where can we see the master's handwriting on this ordinary jade pendant?

  Gu Dun was very satisfied with Nie Bowen's answer, smiling and nodding: "Although others call my school the Northern School, distinct from your Southern School. But all jade carvers are one family; seeing that the Southern School has successors, I still feel very comforted."

  "Master Gu is too kind. Master Gu has a heart as vast as the sky and an extraordinary demeanor, which is indeed the good fortune of all jade carvers under heaven." Nie Boweng replied with a bow. Although he still had doubts about whether the Northern Sect would help the Second Prince seize the Southern Sect's jade mine resources, polite words were necessary at this moment.

  Gu Dun waved his hand and stopped continuing the topic, saying: "I see that the others have some doubts about Ye's jade plaque, so please ask Nie Gongzi to explain why it is considered a masterpiece."

  "Yes." Nie Bowen responded, turning to point at the jade plaque and saying, "This jade plaque appears ordinary at first glance, but its carving is well-proportioned and intricate, with a good balance of density and openness. The cloud patterns and the jade hairpin flower on it are all vividly crafted, with smooth lines that convey a sense of elegance and lightness. Of course, if it were just like this, it would only be considered a work with some spirit, but not yet a masterpiece. What makes it truly remarkable is its polishing technique. When we usually carve jade, the final polishing process involves making the entire piece bright and shiny, bringing out the soft and warm luster of the jade material. But Ye Gu Niang's work has only polished the raised parts of the jade hairpin flower and the poem to a high shine, while the recessed areas are only slightly smoothed, creating a contrast between strong and weak light reflections that makes the patterns and designs more clearly visible, with a strong sense of layering and a 'presence in absence' effect that makes the work even more lifelike. The use of this polishing technique will undoubtedly take the current level of jade carving to new heights, allowing everyone to create even more perfect works. And this technique is unprecedented, opening up a new path for future generations, so it can be said that it is indeed a masterpiece."

  At first, Ye Yiqi had only glanced at the jade pendant and thought it looked good, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what made it so attractive. He just felt that it had a certain aura to it. Now, after hearing Nie Bowen's analysis, he took another closer look at the pendant and indeed saw the use of this polishing technique. As a jade carver, he knew exactly what this meant. And so, his face flushed with pride, he couldn't help but feel elated and grateful to heaven for bestowing such an exceptional granddaughter upon the Ye family's main house.

  Feeling the astonished and admiring glances cast upon her, Ye Zhuo finally came to from her reverie. Her face slightly flushed, she stepped forward and bowed to Gu Chen and Nie Bowen, saying in a soft voice: "Ye Zhuo merely felt that this effect was better when carving, so she made an attempt at it; truly, she doesn't deserve the praise of Master Gu and Young Master Nie, nor can it be called a masterpiece. For Master Gu and Young Master Nie to say such things is truly making Ye Zhuo feel ashamed and flustered."

  Her shy and coy expression fully revealed the awkwardness of a little girl who had unintentionally done something and was being praised by her elders, putting herself in an extremely humble position. This not only made everyone present feel good, but also made Nie Bo Yi, who was ashamed and unwilling to admit defeat, feel slightly better. It also gave face to the defeated Nie family, making Gu Dun nod repeatedly and glance at Ye Yu Qi a few times: How did the Ye family cultivate such a talented and socially adept woman? Was this old man from the Ye family an unknown sage?

  There will be an update tonight. Thank you very much for joycf's generous reward of a peach blossom fan, muah! (Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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