Chapter 68 The most important thing for the first release is money...

The next morning, Yunsheng ran to his aunt excitedly, "Aunt, the lawyer is here."

The lawyer saw Zhao Changning and was even more polite than yesterday. "Nu Shu Ling, today the master finally invited two wealthy porcelain manufacturers to the county government office. They said they wanted to discuss things with you..."

Zhao Changning said gently, "Thank you very much, County Magistrate."

However, when he arrived at the county government office, he found that the magistrate was not there.

The master explained: "Today, the master has something to do and has gone to the countryside to do some work. Please don't blame me, Nvshu..."

Zhao Changning shook his head, but he was not disappointed. As long as he didn't get in the way, it would be fine.

"Your Excellency is handling the affairs of an entire county, so it's only natural that you're busy."

But she knew in her heart that today's matter would not be settled. Indeed, one of the big porcelain manufacturers was a royal merchant, and his family owned an official kiln. He was disgusted with Zhao Changning.

They only wanted to present the things to the emperor and spread his reputation. Dayong was enough for them to make money. They did not want to travel all the way to Southeast Asia and take so many risks, and they did not want to be plundered any more.

Zhao Changning did not make things difficult for them. Some of the imperial tribute porcelains were special and very valuable, but there was no need for such an investment in the early stages. After all, the Ministry of Revenue had only allocated a certain amount of money.

She said to Song Huan, "You said last time that those small households were very happy for us to come?"

Song Huan nodded. "There's no longer any land in Dayong where they can get a piece of the pie. Plus, they're being suppressed by others. They're actually working on opening up the sea, but it's just that merchant ships are difficult to ship, and the ship owners charge a hefty price, which is why they're holding back."

Zhao Changning nodded, "Then let's start with the small households. These big households are very ambitious."

But small households also have their own difficulties. Before coming, Zhou Miao had already inquired at the Maritime Customs. Ships must be loaded with cargo when sailing on the sea. Porcelain is a good choice for loading cargo, but small households can only produce one kiln per month, and each kiln can produce at most 300 pieces, and they are all small pieces.

"It's not difficult. We can just unite with some small households." Song Huan said, "But we have to carefully screen these people. There might be some who try to take advantage of the situation. We don't have much money, so we have to spend it quickly."

These matters were left to Song Huan and the others, while Zhao Changning had his own things to do.

The money allocated by the Ministry of Revenue hadn't arrived yet. Without the money, how could she negotiate with the merchants? Trying to get something for nothing was a disservice to the imperial court. Furthermore, the Guangzhou Maritime Customs hadn't sent any letters, indicating that the agreed-upon ship hadn't arrived yet.

There is an imperial order from above, and there are countermeasures from below. They are dragging their feet and not giving it to her because they think she doesn't understand the officialdom and is easy to bully. More importantly, they want to ruin this matter.

I'm afraid the emperor can't do much to help her, she has to find a way to deal with it herself.

Zhao Changning went to Nanchang Prefecture alone without delay. After sending an urgent letter back to Yujing, he thought about it and sent a letter to Grandma Xu.

Although the prefect's attitude was lukewarm, he didn't say anything to embarrass her. Perhaps because the emperor was behind him, he was still polite. He only said that he would urge both sides and submit a memorial to the emperor.

Zhao Changning knew that this was a difficult task and that many people were waiting to make fun of her, but she could only wait.

After the first month of the lunar year, Song Huan found three families willing to sell porcelain to Southeast Asia, which was a careful selection.

Zhao Changning knew that time waited for no one, so he took out his own money to advance the funds and let them hire someone to open a kiln so that he could gain some experience.

Unfortunately, after a whole month of firing, two kilns were scrapped. In one of the kilns, only half of the work was barely usable, and this was just for small pieces. None of the most expensive and difficult dragon jars were fired.

The failure rate is a bit high, and although the cost is not high, it wastes time, manpower, and most importantly, money.

Zhao Changning and others only realized at this time that it really had to be a wealthy family and an official kiln. It was a pity that even if those wealthy families heard these rumors, they were unwilling to get involved.

Song Huan gritted her teeth and said, "Aunt, let's look for it again. I don't believe we can't find one."

Zhao Changning rolled her eyes. She was someone who had worked her way up in the palace and had her own ways.

"Go and find out if those wealthy families have any past enemies. The more secretive and tragic the better. The more direct and indirect branches of the family, the more detailed the information."

Jiangxi in March was already lush and green, with gurgling water. Zhao Changning was a little surprised. If it were Yujing, it would still be cold at this time, and the snow might not have melted in some places.

The group no longer wanted to stay in an inn, as the inns in small places were too simple. She simply rented a three-story courtyard, which cost only seven taels of rent per month.

This small courtyard is nestled against the mountains and beside the water, and is very comfortable. The only bad thing about it is that it is too humid.

The entire early spring was almost spent in drizzling rain. It seemed that the pervasive fog had hardly dissipated. The sun was rarely seen for half a month. Clothes hung out to dry for a long time would have a strange smell.

After nearly half a month of exploration and visits, we actually found out a secret story about the Zheng family of the official kiln.

"It's tragic, extremely tragic." Zhou Miao was a little excited. "Aunt, I heard that the mother and daughter were driven out of the Zheng family a long time ago by their uncles and brothers. The head of the Zheng family didn't allow her to open the kiln and make porcelain. Now her mother is seriously ill, and the little girl is so young and has to wash clothes for others to barely make a living."

Zhao Changning only cared about one thing: "Can she fire a kiln and make porcelain?"

"Yes, I heard she's quite talented. She's been hanging around the brothel with her father since she was little." Ming Qiu felt very sorry. "How could such a person be kicked out? What was the Zheng family thinking?"

Zuo Yu curled her lips. "What's so hard to imagine? It's nothing more than bullying an orphan and a widow, someone without a husband and a father. A big family like this is bound to be bullied. More importantly, this girl has blocked the path of some men in the Zheng family. The Zheng family doesn't want to hand over their wealth to a woman. What if it gets lost in the future?"

She continued, "I heard that this girl is very stubborn. No matter how hard she tries, she refuses to reveal the porcelain firing method her father developed. I'm afraid the Zheng family is using this to pressure her."

Zhao Changning smiled and said, "Zuo Yu is becoming more clever now."

Of course, he had to go and see her. Zhao Changning did not go empty-handed. When he learned that her mother was seriously ill, he invited the best local doctor to go with him.

What surprised Zhao Changning was that the living environment of the mother and daughter was really bad.

"Didn't they say they'd give us money to settle down? Why are we living in a mud hut? How can anyone endure this weather?"

A mud cave is a hole dug at the foot of a mountain with a wooden frame outside to protect against wind and rain. Living in a mud cave is not only damp but also extremely dangerous, especially since it has rained so much recently that the loess is falling down in piles.

I saw a lot of people coming over and also saw a familiar doctor.

Zheng Chan's face was cold as she poured a basin of water over to him. "Even if we die, you don't need to pretend to be merciful. Go back and tell Zheng Liwei that you want my father's method, dream on."

Zhao Changning looked at the extremely thin girl, standing alone, with dry yellow hair, shriveled cheeks, chapped lips, and tattered clothes, all of which showed her embarrassment.

But her eyes were bright as fire. Because she was thin, her big eyes took up almost half of her face. Her face was full of anger, and her expression was already a little scary and paranoid, but the fire in her eyes was extremely strong, as hot as a kiln fire, and she was burning with hatred.

Song Huan stood up and said, "We are not from the Zheng family."

Zheng Chan sneered, "If you're not from the Zheng family, why are you here? I'm not dead yet. Come back later and you can collect my body."

Zhao Changning nodded to the doctor, "I am the female scribe sent by the imperial court..."

She told everyone the purpose of her visit without hiding anything, and also told them about the difficulties she encountered.

Zheng Chan sneered, "What? Zheng Liwei is still hiring people to act? The official uniforms are so realistic, aren't you afraid of being caught and punished? The Nüshu Ling? What is that? I don't know."

Zhao Changning wasn't angry. "Zheng Chan, don't you want to take back everything that belongs to you? I can help you, and I'm the only one who can. I didn't come to you to do anything good, but only because of your porcelain-making skills. Your skills are useful to me. If you don't believe me, go ask around in the county, and you'll see what I say is true."

Zheng Chan didn't say anything, but just watched the doctor taking her mother's pulse with a vigilant look on her face. She had no other choice. If she stopped him, she didn't know when her mother would be able to see the doctor again.

She was not sure whether this was another coercion from the Zheng family.

Zhao Changning said gently, "The environment here is too harsh. Why don't you move to my place? I used to live in the post house, but now I live on Wazi Street. There's a big locust tree at the door that's so thick it's two people can hug it. Your mother needs a good bed, food, and clothing, and she also needs medicine."

The vigilance in Zheng Chan's eyes remained unchanged as he glared at Zhao Changning fiercely, "You claim to be an official, but what proof do you have? When did Dayong have a female official?"

Zhao Changning was well prepared and showed her the officer's certificate without hesitation.

"You can take a look. It records all my information. It proves that this person is me. I am a fifth-rank female scribe, serving before the emperor, recording palace secrets, compiling memorials, and delivering oral orders. Now, I have received an imperial order to go to Jingdezhen, Jiangxi, to manufacture porcelain for sale in Southeast Asia..."

Although Zheng Chan's words were harsh, her movements were gentle. She looked very carefully, her eyes full of surprise and doubt, like a frightened bird, but in the end she just threw the official back.

"You guys go now. The Zheng family won't allow me to open the kiln. Don't waste your time, unless you have a high-ranking official above you."

Zhao Changning stopped Zhou Miao from speaking and said in a good-tempered manner, "Think about it first. I'll see you again tomorrow."

Then he asked the doctor, "Have you diagnosed any illness?"

Without waiting for the doctor to speak, he said to Zheng Chan, "We're leaving now."

Zheng Chan bit her lip and wanted to go forward to ask about the patient's condition, but she stopped abruptly and just stood there.

Zhao Changning sighed. What a stubborn girl! No wonder the Zheng family was helpless.

Zhou Miao sighed, "How could this happen? I see she's frail, and it seems..."

Zhao Changning looked at Yunsheng, and Yunsheng nodded slightly at her, indicating that it had been done.

Not long after lunch, a drizzle began to fall from the sky again, like silk and fog, and the courtyard was filled with mist that lingered for a long time.

Song Huan and others brought a pile of porcelain and asked Zhao Changning to identify them together. When they were talking excitedly, Yunsheng rushed in.

"Auntie, Auntie." Yunsheng pointed to the door, "She's here, she's just outside."

Zhao Changning's face lit up with joy, and he quickly took a step forward. Sure enough, he saw the thin and frail little girl standing under the locust tree with her arms folded and her head hunched. Her hair was soaked and hung on her forehead, and her body was covered in yellow mud. He didn't know what she had been through.

Zheng Chan said nothing as she knelt before Zhao Changning. "Nu Shu Ling, I am willing to give you the secret method. Please save my mother."

Zhao Changning was stunned. "Are you willing to believe me?"

"Not long after you left, Zheng Liwei came looking for me. He said you were the Nüshu Ling, sent by the emperor, and he couldn't wait any longer to capture me. I struggled to escape." Her eyes were like magma erupting, burning through everything.

"I'd rather give it to you than give it to those beasts."

Zhao Changning gestured to Yunsheng to help her up. "I don't need your secret method. I only need you. I need you to make porcelain for me. I want you to be the leader of Jingdezhen porcelain making and make lots of porcelain for me. Can you do that?"

Zheng Chan was obviously a little surprised and kowtowed solemnly.

"My father is best at making sweet white glaze, a type of white porcelain. I'm pretty good at firing it, but I've only fired it once in the Imperial Tribute Dragon Jar Kiln, and it's quite deformed. I wonder if I can help you?"

Zhao Changning was overjoyed. He took off his cloak and draped it over her thin shoulders.

Her eyes were as if she had found a treasure, and she said softly, "Let's go and rescue your mother."

When they arrived at the earthen nest, they found that it had collapsed and there were several people from the Zheng family digging on top. After asking, they found out that Zheng Chan's mother was still buried inside.

Zhao Changning's heart trembled. She really had no intention of harming anyone.

She waved her hands and shouted, "Quick, let's go dig the soil and save people."

When we returned to Wazi Street, the rain was getting heavier. Everyone was covered in yellow mud and looked miserable, but everyone was in a good mood.

Zheng Chan held his mother's hand, his eyes full of complicated emotions. If it weren't for a wooden board blocking the wet mud, it would probably be impossible to dig it out.

She knelt before Zhao Changning and kowtowed three times, "Thank you for rescuing my mother. From now on, I will do whatever you ask me to do."

Zhao Changning helped her up and said only, "We're home."

After Qingming Festival, the sky cleared up.

The Zheng family came to visit several times, but were driven away by Zhao Changning in a neither soft nor hard way.

Zheng Chan didn't want to eat for free, so he took the initiative to find Zhao Changning and talk about opening a kiln.

But opening a kiln is not a simple matter. Mining, shaping and making objects, and loading the embryos into the kiln all require a lot of effort.

The most important thing is money. Without money, no one is willing to work. Everyone also realizes that the budget seems not enough.

Zhao Changning couldn't stay here because the first batch of silver had finally arrived in Nanchang Prefecture and she needed to go there in person to take over.

After the emperor was furious, two hundred thousand taels of silver arrived this time. Although it was a small amount, it was like timely rain.

Zhao Changning pressed for the remaining 500,000 taels as usual, and by the way, she inquired whether the ship from the Guangzhou Maritime Customs had arrived at the port. Surprisingly, Fang Wenhai wrote to her personally, saying that the ship had not yet arrived at the port.

These people are really tough guys, but unfortunately, Zhao Changning is also a tough guy.

Coincidentally, Grandma Xu's reply also arrived.

As she expected, the letter was written by Mingxuan. After learning about her experience here, he said that he had written to his friends on her behalf to see if he could help.

Zhao Changning breathed a sigh of relief. She had too few friends in the court, and even fewer friends she could trust. Mingxuan was one of them. After all, he was the former governor of Zhejiang. It would be great if he took the initiative to speak.

If she couldn't get a boat from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War, she would have to go to Zhejiang herself to get one. In the court, the emperor had already done very well. Even if he really punished those who delayed, it would not solve the current situation, because no matter who sat in that position, the boat would not be given to her for a while.

Procrastination is the easiest thing in the world.

She had long understood that the imperial court was a huge net. The emperor was far away and the people knew exactly what could and could not leak through the net.

But after seeing the silver, the prefect changed his opinion of her.

He had always thought that Zhao Changning was the emperor's new favorite, just here to do something wicked. He said the Ministry of Revenue had allocated funds, so he would inevitably ask Nanchang Prefecture for money. Wasn't that a common occurrence? But Zhao Changning never asked him for money.

"If you have any questions from now on, you can discuss it with me."

Zhao Changning knew that he was doing it for the sake of money. If the 700,000 taels were spent this time and there was a response, it would be of great benefit to his achievements as a prefect.

"Thank you, Your Excellency. Changning will not be polite in the future."

When she returned, Zheng Chan was about to finish firing the kiln and was preparing to seal the firewood input.

"Aunt?" Zheng Chan saluted solemnly. "Greetings, you're back. This kiln is a bit small, and I've only fired less than 250 pieces."

Zhao Changning waved his hand, "No need to be so polite."

Seeing her sweating profusely and her face covered in black ash, she laughed and said, "Why would your father let a girl like you do this?"

Zheng Chan asked with a serious face, "Then why would the emperor allow a woman like you to be an official?"

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The author has something to say: Changning: [Angry] Give me money [Angry]