Chapter 69 I have a mission that I must complete...

Zhao Changning was speechless for a moment.

She took out a handkerchief and wiped the dust and sweat off Zheng Chan's face, jokingly saying, "Because we are smart and capable."

Zheng Chan looked up at her, a hint of uncertainty in her eyes. "I'm not as good as you. You've become an official, but I've been kicked out of the house. If my father knew, he'd be so angry he'd jump out of his coffin. He'd definitely be very disappointed."

"Do you think everything I have now came for nothing?" Zhao Changning smiled faintly. "I earned it all myself, bit by bit. I had to fight for it."

Zheng Chan's gaze softened slightly as she looked at her, more curious. "Auntie, this is all difficult, right?"

Zhao Changning shook his head. "As long as you have perseverance and determination, it won't be difficult. If you have the ability, you can take back what you've lost and claim back what's owed to you. Let me ask you, do you have it?"

Zheng Chan nodded, her eyes blazing with fire again, and she gritted her teeth and said, "I do."

She quickly gave up and said dejectedly, "But I only know how to make porcelain. I don't know anything else. My mother also said that with my temper, I'm afraid I'll never get married."

When Zhao Changning heard the little girl say this, he burst out laughing.

"Isn't being able to make porcelain enough? How many people want to learn it but can't? You should know Sisters Song Huan and Zhou Miao by now, right? They're both single. There are many others, including me. In this life, whether or not to get married is just a small choice, but beyond this choice lies our original life."

She should be thankful that Zheng Chan is a girl and that the Zheng family does not value her. Otherwise, how could she have the situation she has today?

After hearing these words, Zheng Chan remained silent for a long time.

As expected, it was from the Zheng family of the official kiln. When Zhao Changning woke up after returning home, he heard that the kiln was about to cool down. Zheng Chan was preparing to take out the porcelain that had been fired inside. Many people were watching, and even the Zheng family sent people to see it.

Yunsheng was a little excited, "Auntie, please drink this bowl of porridge quickly, we will go right away."

Zhao Changning waved her hand. She was not in the mood to drink porridge.

"Let's go, take a look, and come back to talk about it. Bring people to guard it, and there must be no trouble."

The kiln Zheng Chan used this time was from one of the three companies she had found, and it was also one of the losers.

She was really looking forward to Zheng Chan opening the kiln this time. If Zheng Chan could succeed with the same kiln, then there would be no excuses.

After arriving, Zhao Changning immediately ordered people to drive away all the outsiders, including the Zheng family.

Zheng Chan's face was tense, and there was another layer of black and gray on her face, leaving only pale lips and dark eyes. The temperature in the kiln had not yet dissipated, and she began to sweat again, with black and white stripes on her face, which was very funny.

"Aunt is here?" There was some nervousness in her voice.

Zhao Changning did not offer any comfort, but instead asked solemnly, "Is it done?"

Zheng Chan's eyes were bloodshot, and she smiled confidently, "Aunt, this kiln will definitely succeed."

Zhao Changning couldn't help but laugh when he saw her confident look.

When the utensils of all sizes were displayed in front of him, Zhao Changning did not have time to examine them carefully. He just looked at the hundreds of porcelain bottles, porcelain bowls, porcelain plates, small pots, amphorae, etc., which were neatly arranged. As expected, not a single piece was waste, and all of them were in shape.

She pointed to a plain white chicken heart bowl and said, "It seems to be almost the same as the imperial tribute."

Zheng Chan shook her head. "If you look closely, there's definitely a difference. The quality of the imperial tribute white porcelain is incomparable to ordinary white porcelain. If today's batch can reach that level, it means I've made progress."

When she talked about white porcelain, she spoke eloquently and wittily.

"...The white porcelain presented as tribute to the emperor is as white as cream and as pure as snow. Some of it is half-debonded upon leaving the kiln, so that light and shadow can be seen through it when held up to the light. The white glaze on the thin-bodied porcelain is like faded brown sugar, smooth as jade and sweet as sugar. This is the origin of the sweet white glaze. My father excelled at it, but I personally prefer celadon."

Zheng Chan squatted down and looked at the plain white porcelain she had fired. She sighed and said, "There's not enough time. If you give me enough time, I can make some decorations. Among the sweet white glazes, the thin-bodied hidden patterns are the most valuable, but the failure rate is definitely high. Even my father wouldn't dare to guarantee it."

Zhao Changning had also seen countless good things, and having stayed here for so long, his vision had naturally broadened, and he discovered the difference after careful observation.

"The finest white porcelain you're talking about is as translucent as jade, with not a trace of impurities visible?"

Zheng Chan nodded. "I don't know if this batch will be successful. I can't control the fire as well as my father. He always says I'm impatient. The sweet white glaze body is very thin, so I can't be impatient..."

Zhao Changning patted her shoulder and said with a smile, "Your cooking skills are very good now. Don't worry, you are still young and will get better and better."

She didn't expect every piece she shipped to be a top-quality product, and after all, a red flower needs green leaves to set it off.

When Zheng Chan heard this, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at Zhao Changning for the first time: "Yes, I will."

In the next kiln, Zheng Chan planned to fire the celadon that she was good at.

During this period, Song Huan and Zhou Miao recruited two more small households, but Zhao Changning had no time to take care of all this.

Now that the porcelain is ready, it will be shipped to sea soon. She needs both money and a ship.

In addition to submitting the memorial herself, she also went to see the Nanchang Prefecture Governor. Didn't she say that she could tell him if she had anything to say?

Then she won't be polite.

The prefect didn't refuse this time, but only confirmed again, "Nu Shu Ling, will the Ministry of Revenue definitely give you the remaining 500,000 taels?"

Zhao Changning understood the implication of his words and said with a smile, "Of course, even if I can't get it, I won't take the money from the prefect. Jiangxi is a good place, and I'm not here to destroy it. I could have chosen Longquan in Zhejiang, but I felt the Japanese invasion in Zhejiang was always a problem, so I chose Jiangxi. Prefect, the export of porcelain is closely related to Jiangxi's taxes."

The prefect was indeed relieved. He clasped his fists with Zhao Changning and performed a rough salute between officials to show courtesy and friendship.

"Does the Nv Shu Ling seem confident about going out to sea?"

Zhao Changning smiled faintly and said nothing.

If her plan succeeds, the prefect may benefit more than herself. He must be aware of this, so his attitude changes again and again.

After several meetings, the prefect slowly realized that Zhao Changning was actually well versed in the ways of being an official and was even extremely worldly-wise. No wonder he became a favorite of the new emperor.

"Don't worry, Nvshu Ling. I will definitely submit a memorial to urge you to do so. I won't delay."

Zhao Changning clasped his fists in gratitude and said, "Master Futai, if this is accomplished, I will explain your help to the emperor."

The prefect's eyes lit up with joy, and his tone softened a little, "Thank you very much, Nv Shu Ling. If you have any follow-up questions, Nv Shu Ling, please feel free to come to me."

This time, Zhao Changning also transported another 50,000 taels to Jingdezhen, intending to deposit it into the county government's silver treasury. The remaining 100,000 taels were still kept in the government office. This was safer and also a sign of respect for the local officials.

Unexpectedly, as soon as I got back, I heard some bad news.

Yunsheng came over early to pick her up and said anxiously, "Aunt, Zheng Chan was taken back by the Zheng family. Her mother was so anxious that she vomited blood. She was also taken away with her. I'm really worried about her health. What do you think we should do?"

Zhao Changning frowned, "Where's the magistrate? Where's the county magistrate and county lieutenant?"

Yunsheng snorted, "We went to look for him, but the magistrate said it was someone else's family affair and told us not to interfere. He must have accepted money from the Zheng family. Song Huan and Zhou Miao were about to take the Yulin Guards in to rob him, but they were stopped by Mingqiu and Zuoyu. I also think that this matter should not be handled carelessly. Besides, they are not officials. If something really happened, they will definitely not be able to cover it up."

He has been out for a long time and knows a lot of things.

Zhao Changning's eyes flickered, his mind racing.

She has tried her best to deal with Qi Guang and Qi Chen, even pretending to be crazy and using threats and intimidation. If she were in the palace, she would have been poisoned by such a small character. Is she being too easy to talk to?

The carriage stopped at the street corner of Wazi Street.

When Zhao Changning got off the carriage, she saw Song Huan and Zhou Miao waiting anxiously. She had told her in advance that she would be back today, so it seemed that they were calm and didn't do anything rash.

"Call the Imperial Guards and go pick up Zheng Chan from the Zheng family."

She also told Yunsheng to rush to the Nanchang Prefecture Yamen, "Explain the situation to the prefect one by one, and he will know what to do."

Song Huan immediately said worriedly, "Aunt, please don't let this get you into trouble. Think twice before you act. He's the magistrate. If we really argue, we might not be right."

Zhou Miao and the female officials were also very worried.

Zhao Changning smiled and said, "I know my limits. Maybe this isn't a bad thing."

When we arrived at Zheng's house, the county magistrate had indeed arrived, as well as the yamen runners and the county magistrate and county lieutenant. After all, the Yulin Guards were too conspicuous in such a small county.

The magistrate stepped forward to greet him with a smile, "Nu Shu Ling, what brings you here?"

Zhao Changning's expression turned unhappy. "In broad daylight, they forcibly abducted a woman. County Magistrate, do you have any say in this matter?"

The magistrate knew what she was talking about and hurried to try to reconcile her, "Nu Shu Ling, the Zheng family's affairs are very complicated. It's only natural for the Zheng family's daughter to return home now. Nu Shu Ling, you can't stop her from returning home, can you?"

Zhao Changning's eyes turned cold. "What do you mean by 'returning home'? That's clearly robbery. My Lord Magistrate, since you don't care about this matter, then I will."

The county magistrate's face also turned cold. "Nu Shu Ling, what are you going to do? Are you able to mobilize these Yulin Guards? Are you going to rebel?"

Zhao Changning sneered, his eyes cold, "Then just wait and see how I use it."

The county lieutenant and the county magistrate, along with the yamen runners, stopped her.

Zhao Changning raised his hand, not letting the Yulin Guards charge. Instead, he smiled and said, "Sir, County Magistrate, may I ask, how many years has the County Magistrate been in Jingdezhen?"

The county magistrate was stunned. His official position was lower than Zhao Changning, so he would clasp his fists when answering to show respect.

"Replying to the Nvshu Ling, it's been more than two years."

Zhao Changning nodded. "Three years will pass quickly. He might be promoted soon. They say the county magistrate is always changing, but the official is permanent. He's gone, but you can't. You'll still have to face me, and offending me will be no less serious than offending him."

She said casually, "By the way, did he give you any of the money he collected from the Zheng family?"

The magistrate glared at her and said, "Don't talk nonsense, Nvshu Ling."

Zhao Changning ignored him and shouted, "I came here to make porcelain. You are all senior officials in the county government. You should know how much money I brought with me. I have never owed wages to the four kilns I have opened. Among these workers may be your relatives and friends. If we really open up the sea and sell your porcelain to Southeast Asia, then the local people will get a bigger share of the money. Am I doing a bad thing? Ask yourselves, am I really here to show off my power and increase your burden? Have I ever owed a penny or oppressed anyone? I have been tolerant in every way, and this is the result? Are you worthy of the emperor's grace?"

She pointed at the magistrate and said, "And what about him? He's about to leave. I didn't want to make a fuss about it, we're just acquaintances, but he shouldn't have touched Zheng Chan. He doesn't want to get involved in this because he's afraid of taking responsibility, so he tried so hard to stop it. So when the Zheng family gave him money, he used the excuse of going home to prevaricate me. He knew clearly that Zheng Chan was the porcelain maker I had worked so hard to find. Don't you really want the opportunity for your Jingdezhen porcelain to become famous all over the world? Are you, the people of Jingdezhen, so hard-pressed to get by with money?"

The magistrate was so angry that he pointed at her and cursed, "Don't talk nonsense! How dare a woman talk about national policy? Where do you put the emperor? Come, arrest her. I want to report to the emperor..."

The county magistrate did not move, and even stopped the yamen runners and the county lieutenant.

Zhao Changning breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the county lieutenant was someone who could understand what people said.

She then said to the increasing number of onlookers, "Don't be afraid, everyone. I'm here on the orders of Emperor Cheng'an. I'm not here to extort your money, or to force you into labor, or to force your children to work for me. Instead, I want to give you a job that will earn you a living. We're in need of people with experience in kiln firing and porcelain making. If you come, we'll pay you accordingly. If you don't believe me, you can go ask the families who are currently making porcelain for me. I'm not lying to you..."

Song Huan and Zhou Miao looked at each other and saw relief in each other's eyes, but more importantly, admiration.

"A blessing in disguise. Maybe things will go smoothly for us from now on."

When Zheng Chan left the Zheng family's house, her eyes were red and she spat viciously at the stone lion at the door. Then she supported her mother and walked towards Zhao Changning without looking back.

The head of the Zheng family looked at Zheng Chan's slender back with a straight spine and felt inexplicably nervous.

"Mr. Magistrate, look at this, this..."

The magistrate looked at the silver-armored imperial guards and said unhappily, "Didn't you see what was happening? What can I do?"

He pulled the Zheng family patriarch aside and stuffed a stack of banknotes into his pocket. "At the beginning, I told you not to be so heartless. She's just a little girl, you can just raise her and at most give her a dowry. Now look, it's turned out like this. I'm bound to be implicated. Sigh..."

How could Zhao Changning let it go? She smiled and said, "You stole my people. Tell me how to solve this problem."

The Zheng family's Patriarch forced a smile, knowing that the situation was irreversible, and wanted to mend the relationship. "How does the Nv Shu Ling want to resolve this?"

Zhao Changning looked at Zheng Chan, "What do you think?"

Zheng Chan gritted her teeth, hatred clearly threatening to burst out from her eyes, but she still said word by word, "Give me back my father's kiln."

The head of the Zheng family breathed a sigh of relief. After agreeing, he immediately expressed his willingness to make porcelain for Zhao Changning and contribute to the emperor's national policy.

On the way back, Zheng Chan suddenly knelt down and kowtowed several times to Zhao Changning.

Zhao Changning helped her up and said, "You are very smart and calm. I will not treat you unfairly in the future."

Zheng Chan said, "Aunt, can you please not leave the Zheng family? I will make the best celadon for you. I will be more useful than the Zheng family..."

Zhao Changning patted her shoulder, shook his head, and said seriously, "Zheng Chan, you should have understood recently that my mission is heavy and you can't handle it alone. I can help you, but I can't act capriciously because of your hatred. Even if it's not the Zheng family, it could be another family. I have a mission that I must complete. Do you understand?"

Zheng Chan knew that she was telling the truth, but the reality was so cruel that she felt so sad that she cried.

Zhao Changning sighed, "You need to lie dormant and grow. One day, you'll reach the top and they won't be able to ignore you anymore. On that day, everything they've taken away will eventually return to you. Then, who can stop you from doing whatever you want?"

Zheng Chan wiped away her tears and nodded vigorously.

What happened next went unusually smoothly. With the Zheng family taking the lead, all the big and small households in Jingdezhen flocked to the scene.

The prefect also gave her a very satisfactory answer. Somehow, the magistrate was transferred ahead of schedule, and the affairs of the county were temporarily under the charge of the county magistrate.

The county magistrate was much more polite and obedient to Zhao Changning than the county magistrate.

Zhao Changning no longer had any worries and immediately decided to go to Zhejiang. She had to get a ship. Now all the big and small kilns in Jingdezhen were firing, and the production of porcelain was increasing rapidly. A ship was more urgent than money.

She also gave up on getting ships from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works, as they could have dragged her to death.

It turns out that plans cannot keep up with changes. All previous plans were disrupted because of Zheng Chan, but fortunately it was not a bad thing.

It is now late May, and Yujing should still be cool, but Jiangxi is already a bit hot, especially when the sun shines, making you sweat profusely.

Fortunately, Zhejiang borders Jiangxi, so we changed from land route to water route.

It was actually Zhao Changning’s first time riding a boat. Of course, there were boats in the palace, but they were nothing compared to the boats swaying in the river outside.

Unfortunately, she got seasick, especially at noon when it was hot and sunny, and she vomited all over the place.

It took her half a month to get there, and she finally arrived in Hangzhou in mid-June. She had lost a lot of weight.

Zhao Changning did not dare to rest for too long and slept in the post house for a long time. He then asked Yunsheng to deliver the visiting card to the Zhejiang Provincial Administration Commission.

She remembered that this person and Mingxuan were good friends.

She thought she was disliked by everyone, after all, one had to visit the county government office three times to see a county magistrate. Unexpectedly, the governor was so straightforward and actually willing to see her.

"Miss Changning."

Suddenly, a familiar voice called her.

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