The crowd parted abruptly, creating a path. A middle-aged man with a goatee and a stern face, dressed in a dark blue silk robe, strode in with two expressionless, sharp-eyed attendants. This was none other than Mr. Qian, the trusted steward sent by the master to oversee the production of the tribute porcelain!
Mr. Qian's face was ashen, his lips pressed into a sharp line. He walked to the kiln entrance, his gaze sweeping over the messy, cracked fragments scattered on the ground, then over Zhao Kui's deathly pale face. His eyes were like knives, almost capable of tearing Zhao Kui apart alive!
"Zhao Kui!" Mr. Qian's voice wasn't loud, but it struck everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer, filled with boundless rage. "This is the foolproof secret recipe you guaranteed?! This is the tribute porcelain you patted your chest and said you could produce?! Huh?! It's all shattered! Right when the master of the house was waiting to present it as a gift! It's all damn shattered! You've ruined the master's reputation and tarnished the prefect's face! Do you think ten heads would be enough to chop off?!"
Zhao Kui trembled all over from the scolding, cold sweat pouring down his forehead and soaking the silk shirt on his back. He collapsed to his knees on the cold, muddy ground, his voice trembling with sobs, uttering incoherently, "Mr. Qian! Mr. Qian, please calm down! I... I don't know what happened... It's the secret recipe! It's that Su family's secret recipe! It's that little bitch! And Steward Sun! It's them! It must be them who did this! They didn't cook it properly!"
He grasped at a straw and frantically hurled accusations at Jiang Chan and the silent Steward Sun.
Manager Sun, who had been standing at the back of the crowd with an equally grim expression, could no longer contain his suppressed anger upon hearing Zhao Kui's words! He abruptly pushed aside the people blocking his way, rushed to Zhao Kui, pointed his finger at Zhao Kui's nose, and his voice trembled with extreme rage:
"Zhao Kui! You're talking nonsense! You personally verified and approved the secret formula for production! You personally supervised the firing of the kiln! Now that something's gone wrong, you're trying to pin the blame on us?! Over the years, relying on the master's trust, how many shady things have you done in the workshop? Wasn't it you who withheld the craftsmen's wages? Wasn't it you who used inferior porcelain clay to pass off as high-quality material and sold it at a high price? Wasn't it you who lined the pockets and kept unclear accounts?! Now that the tribute porcelain has been ruined, you still want to drag me down with you?! Bah!"
Manager Sun's pent-up resentment erupted like a volcano! With each shout, Zhao Kui's face paled a little more. The surrounding craftsmen's gazes also changed, filled with anger and contempt as they looked at Zhao Kui.
"You...you're spouting nonsense!" Zhao Kui trembled with rage, his fat face shaking as he struggled to get up.
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