Chapter 98 Becoming an Official Porcelain
Zhao Yuanxi praised the celadon to the point that it was the best in the world, and he almost shouted with a loudspeaker, "You won't suffer a loss if you buy it, you won't be fooled if you buy it, and you'll miss out if you're slow."
After receiving the gift, Ying Zheng did not look at the big box in front of him first, but unfolded the letter first.
Ever since he ignored those Confucian books last time, the Queen Mother seemed to be resentful of him and she hadn't written to him for a long time.
However, Fusu would send letters from time to time to share with him some interesting things in Yongcheng and remind him that elixirs were bad for the body.
Ying Zheng didn't care too much about this. He was young and strong and didn't need elixirs to strengthen his body. As for whether the elixirs were poisonous, he could judge it himself.
He didn't believe that anyone would dare to deceive him and send him a poisonous pill.
Fusu was still thinking too much. Perhaps it wasn't him, but the Queen Mother who was thinking too much.
I heard that not long ago, the Queen Mother personally made a mud rabbit for him.
Ying Zheng thought with disdain, what's so fun about a mud rabbit? His hunting grounds are full of rabbits of all colors, and there are even tigers and lions. Why would he be interested in such a dead thing?
The first few sentences in the letter were some customary greetings, and Ying Zheng could already imagine her saying these corny words with an expressionless face.
To be able to speak so nicely, she must have either calmed down or needed his help with something.
Continuing to read, Ying Zheng showed an expression that said, "As expected." Some people never come to visit someone for no reason. It would be strange if they really came to say hello for no reason one day.
Seeing the Queen Mother praising the celadon so much, Ying Zheng put down the letter in his hand and his eyes fell on the big box, "Open the box."
In order to raise the value of celadon, Zhao Yuanxi spent a huge amount of money. Each piece of porcelain was placed in a mahogany box, and the lining was made of the best silk. The goose yellow fabric set off the light blue porcelain, which made people feel particularly comfortable at first sight.
Ying Zheng was in a good mood. This thing was indeed as beautiful as she said.
I heard that this is the first batch and it was delivered right after it was fired.
"Lü Le, what is the value of this thing?"
Seeing the king's delight and the exquisiteness of the item, Lu Le naturally praised it profusely, "This item is as radiant as jade, like the emerald green of distant mountains. It is extremely rare in the world, a work of art beyond measure. It is priceless."
"How does it compare to the Heshi Bi?"
Lu Le's heart trembled, and he stammered, "Of course it's not as good as the Heshi Bi."
The Heshi Bi is a rare and precious treasure. It is truly rare in the world. It cannot be compared with these man-made inanimate objects. Is the king kidding himself?
Ying Zheng curled his lips and chuckled, a smug look on his face. The Queen Mother still lacked experience. These were just some man-made artifacts, how could she praise them so highly?
If one day she were to see the treasures in the Qin Palace, she would probably never be embarrassed to say these words again.
However, Ying Zheng still had to admit that although this celadon could not be called a rare treasure, it still had some value. The Queen Mother wanted to sell it to the wealthy families in Xianyang City, which was indeed a way to make money.
As for selling these porcelains to other vassal states, Ying Zheng was even more interested. How could it not be a good idea to earn money from other countries?
"Call Lord Changping over."
Soon, Mi Qi arrived at the hall.
He saw rows of exquisite utensils placed in the hall and could not hide his surprise.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Ying Zheng waved at him and said with a smile, "Lord Changping, come and take a look. What do you think of these things?"
Mi Qi stood up and approached, "These are truly exquisite. I wonder where did Your Majesty find these treasures?"
"This was sent by the Queen Mother. It's called Celadon."
Mentioning the Queen Mother gave Mi Qi a headache. What was the King planning to do? However, he was also somewhat curious about how the Queen Mother had acquired these treasures!
Thinking of the origin of Yong paper, Mi Qi couldn't help but ask, "Could it be that this was made by the Queen Mother?"
"Indeed, the Queen Mother intends to sell these porcelains to other countries. Lord Changping has had frequent exchanges with the Queen Mother and has traveled extensively to various countries. I would like to entrust this important task to you."
"Your Majesty, do you intend to use the porcelain as official porcelain? Sell it to other countries in the name of Qin?" Mi Qi asked again.
Since the king asked him to officially do this business, it must not be as simple as just selling it privately.
The Qin State was located in the Guanzhong region and had also taken over Sichuan and Shu. It was rich in resources and produced a large amount of grain, horses, copper and iron.
The trade between Qin and other countries revolved around silk, fur, and lacquerware. Qin often sold grain and imported salt, iron, silk, and horses from other countries.
However, the price of grain was low, while the prices of salt, iron and silk were high. Doing business like this for a long time would not be beneficial to the Qin State.
Qi was rich in silk and salt, Zhao was rich in jade and horses, and Chu was rich in lacquerware. It can be said that each had its own characteristics. In contrast, Qin never had an advantage in trade. This is one of the reasons why Qin did not advocate trade.
If this porcelain could be used to open up sales channels to other countries, Qin would not have to be so passive.
When Ying Zheng saw Mi Qi had revealed his thoughts, he smiled and said, "Lord Changping truly understands me! I feel relieved to leave this matter to you!"
Mi Qi bowed and said, "Don't worry, my king, I will definitely fulfill your mission."
Mi Qi set out for Yongcheng with Ying Zheng's commission.
Since the brief encounter on the day of the last annual sacrifice, Mi Qi has never formally met the Queen Mother Zhao.
Before entering the room, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous. The Queen Mother would not be angry with the King, but if she wanted to blame him, he would be powerless to refute her.
To his surprise, he received an extremely warm welcome.
After Zhao Yuanxi received Ying Zheng's reply, she waited for Mi Qi to come and meet him. As for embarrassing him? How could she possibly embarrass her own little golden pig?
Although Mi Qi is not as good as Ying Zheng, the big golden pig, he was the one who did everything before, and now he has taken over her porcelain business. One can't just give up the money for a momentary anger.
What's more, all the mistakes were the King of Qin's fault, and Mi Qi was obviously the victim. How could she have the nerve to blame him?
"It's been a while since we last met. How is Changping-Jun these days?"
Mi Qi trembled with fear, "Thanks to the Queen Mother, everything is fine."
"Zheng'er has already explained the purpose of your visit in the letter. Don't be so polite. You should call me aunt. We are all family."
Mi Qi wiped the sweat from his palms and wondered in his heart, who in this world, except the King of Qin, would dare to call the Queen Mother a family member?
Although he was the child of a Qin princess, his mother was not close to King Zhuangxiang of Qin. He was able to become Lord Changping not because of his mother, but because King Ying Zheng of Qin valued him.
Mi Qi could only respond, "Yes!"
He then asked, "Could Her Majesty, please have someone take me to see the porcelain kiln?"
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