Chapter 73: First Release She was very satisfied with this reward...
The governor came with good news.
"Nu Shu Ling, good news, great news." The prefect saw Zhao Changning again today and felt she was much colder, not as gentle as before. "The ship is back, Nu Shu Ling, there's news from Guangzhou."
Zhao Changning no longer had any expectations, nor was he happy. He just breathed a sigh of relief. At least his busy year was not in vain, and the mission was finally coming to fruition.
Of course, this is not just a task, but also a stepping stone for her to enter the officialdom.
"The prefect has come in person, so it must be good news. Please come in."
Upon hearing this, the prefect felt that he had gone too far and was not as calm as the woman in front of him, and felt embarrassed for a moment.
"The female scribe is very magnanimous."
He had indeed misjudged the situation. How could anyone who could stay safe beside the emperor be as easy to bully as he looked?
Zhao Changning shook his head. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he pulled out thirty thousand taels of silver from his sleeve and said, "If it weren't for your help, my mission would have been ruined. I can't break my promise."
The prefect pretended to decline a few times before accepting the offer calmly. "Nu Shu Ling, what are your plans for the future? If you're too busy to attend to other matters, I can still help the emperor."
Zhao Changning raised his eyes, his gaze dim. Was he coming here to pick fruit? Was he being too eager?
She replied in a neither soft nor hard tone, "Of course I will continue to work for the Emperor. Sir, I will need your care in the future."
The governor was somewhat disappointed, but the news of the fleet's return obviously still made him very excited.
Zhao Changning knew very well that after all this, not only would his political achievements be good, but he wouldn't even have to worry about the taxes here.
But for some reason, she suddenly felt tired.
Fang Wenhai in Guangzhou seemed to know Zhao Changning's predicament and sent the money over very quickly. He also asked Zhao Changning what else should be loaded on the ship returning to Beijing besides the Red Cannon?
Zhao Changning felt that Fang Wenhai was a wonderful person, like a worm in her stomach, and he knew how to be an official very well.
She quickly replied, "Don't take an empty ship. We have everything from cloth to medicinal herbs and spices. Please pick out what the noble ladies of Yujing like. The rest will be left to the Maritime Customs."
It seems that I still have to celebrate the New Year in Jiangxi.
Zhao Changning asked Song Huan and Zhou Miao to go back early. They had been busy for so long and had worked hard, so it would not be appropriate to keep them for the New Year. The female officials Mingqiu and Zuo Yu both stayed.
Mingqiu is good at calculations and Zuo Yu is good at using people, and the two work well together.
Less than 30,000 pieces of porcelain were hastily shipped out this time, and most of them were small pieces. This should be because the quality of the official kilns was good. On average, each piece of porcelain cost 15 taels of silver. The most expensive were sets of blue and white porcelain. As for the other small pieces, they could only be considered a break-even.
It seems that the market in Nanyang is better than Song Huan expected.
Mingqiu propped up his chin. "Including the cost of borrowing the boat, the total profit is 500,000 taels. Excluding the 200,000 taels from the Ministry of Revenue, the 100,000 taels from Nanchang Prefecture, and the 50,000 taels still unpaid, the gross profit is 150,000 taels. Of course, we still have to deduct other miscellaneous items. At least we have to take into account the wear and tear of the boat in advance. That means at least 100,000 taels."
She was a little excited, "Aunt, it's all silver, this is a good deal."
This is only the first ship. Everyone knows how difficult it is from start to finish. It is already very good to be able to make a net profit of 100,000.
Ordinary people mostly used copper coins, and silver was rarely used for settlement. This time, all the money was paid in silver, which shows how popular porcelain was.
Zhao Changning sighed. If the Ministry of Revenue hadn't defaulted on its payments, why would they have made so little profit this time? A ship that big, I wonder how much stuff it can hold.
Unfortunately, plans cannot keep up with changes.
She suppressed her anger and wrote a congratulatory letter to the emperor, emphasizing the power and role of the Red Cannon, and most importantly, the strictness. This was her gift to the emperor, and she felt very regretful that she could not kowtow to express her gratitude in front of the emperor.
She also submitted a memorial, detailing the entire process of her voyage. This time, she did not complain, but only kowtowed and apologized, saying that she had not done her job well and asked the emperor to punish her.
Zuo Yu was thinking about what to do next.
"Aunt, we invested so much money in the early stage. Not to mention the damaged porcelain, there were quite a few cases where those small households deliberately tried to defraud us of our money. They just built a hole and called it a kiln. They are very bold. Sister Song Huan has calculated that those malicious people alone have defrauded us of a hundred thousand taels. And we can't stop it. If we stop, people will make a fuss. We are also afraid that those big households will not want to do it. In addition, there are all kinds of unnecessary labor and material costs, which should not be borne by us. Aunt, next time, we can't let them control us. These people are too mean."
Otherwise, how could the cost be so high? How much could those porcelains be worth in Dayong? Almost all of this money was taken away by them.
Zhao Changning nodded. "You've been very thoughtful. Don't worry, the palace has stopped the imperial tribute. These people have tasted the sweetness of our service and will not give up easily. It's time to change the situation of this porcelain."
She spent so much money, not for nothing, she will get it back later.
I don't know how many people she offended this time. After all, Song Huan said before that she would take 200,000 taels to smooth things over, but except for the 30,000 taels given to the prefect, she really didn't pay a penny.
After the money was settled, all the households, big and small, became quiet, and there was no one blocking the door anymore.
"Nu Shu Ling, is this kiln still open?" someone asked.
Zhao Changning looked at the seemingly innocent and honest faces and narrowed his eyes. He said calmly, "Of course we have to open the fire. When spring comes, the ships will go out to sea. Everyone can fire as many as they can. However, this time, the porcelain must be selected from the best. Don't let the court down."
"Yes, yes, yes, Nv Shu Ling, we will do whatever you tell us to do." Those who have tasted the sweetness have already taken the bait.
Zhao Changning sneered in his heart, ignored him, and turned into the house.
Mingqiu asked worriedly, "Aunt, are we still going to have one marriage per kiln this time?"
Zhao Changning shook his head. "From today on, we won't be responsible for any damaged porcelain. We won't be responsible for any extra expenses that have nothing to do with us. We won't pay you per kiln, but monthly payments. If you don't want them, don't take their porcelain. But don't say all this at once. It's not too late to talk to them once they've secured us."
When it comes to doing business, she is not as smart and capable as these people, but when it comes to harming people, guarding against people, and dragging people down with her, she is more than skilled than anyone else.
She beckoned Zuo Yu over and said, "Tell the county magistrate in advance that they are not allowed to take any of this porcelain out privately. Also, have the county lieutenant gather some men and keep a guard over it. I want to see if these people dare to gather around the door and shout again."
They got hundreds of thousands of taels of silver from her, was it so easy to swallow this money? She wanted them to spit it all out.
Zuo Yu hesitated, "Aunt, isn't that too harsh? What if they don't open the kiln? Will there be trouble?"
Zhao Changning sneered, "People who speak kindly tend to get carried away. Do you want to be scolded again?"
When Zuo Yu thought of the disgusting faces of those businessmen and the ugly words they cursed, he turned around and left without saying a word.
This New Year's celebration was not very lively. Anyi also returned to Yujing on the boat. Song Huan and Zhou Miao were not there, and it was quiet and cold.
Before the end of the year, some people had already opened kilns, and five out of ten were abandoned. This made Zhao Changning unable to hold back his anger. These people were really endlessly greedy.
Do you really think she is made of clay?
When these people learned that the abandoned kilns would no longer be borne by the court, although they were a little angry and cursed, they endured it because the emperor really issued an edict that there was no need for tribute porcelain this year. This was really a bolt from the blue.
As for the few good kilns, their quality is very average and few of them are worth looking at.
But the reason why these people don’t care at all is that in the past, there was always someone to cover for them, no matter good or bad, even the bad ones would get money, but now it seems to be different.
Some people choose to turn back silently and decide not to do things perfunctorily anymore; some people still do not change and act recklessly relying on their kilns.
However, Zheng Chan, whom Zhao Changning had high hopes for, emerged as a rising star. Every kiln he built went smoothly. Not only did his white porcelain reach a higher level, but his blue and white porcelain also reached perfection.
She looked at the jade-like vase in front of her, which was as thin as paper, shining with light and shadow, with jade-like glaze and grape patterns painted on it, with an expression of disbelief in her eyes.
"Is this really what Zheng Chan cooked? It seems to be better than any of the previous ones."
Mingqiu nodded vigorously, "Aunt, even in Dayong, this pair of jade vases is worth a lot."
Zhao Changning exclaimed, "I remember her father's kiln was quite far from the city?"
"Yeah." Mingqiu said, "We tried to persuade her not to travel so far, but we didn't expect her father's kiln to be so magical."
Zhao Changning really wanted to go and see it for herself. She had a premonition that this little girl would bring another change to Dayong's porcelain.
Zheng Chan knelt on the open space in front of the kiln, muttering to herself.
After she finished reading, she shed a few sad tears, then stood up and saw Zhao Changning and others.
"Aunt?" She wiped her tears embarrassedly.
Zhao Changning stepped forward and patted her shoulder, "Do you miss your daddy?"
Zheng Chan nodded, her eyes filled with longing. "Daddy's kiln always makes me feel as if he is still here. Whenever I think of him, I feel full of strength."
Zhao Changning said nothing, but just stood aside silently. Zheng Chan was luckier than her. In her memory, her father seemed to be only drunk and fierce, but all these were long ago.
Perhaps this is the reason why Zheng Chan can succeed again and again.
"Zheng Chan, do you want to be the champion?" Zhao Changning's tone was as light and clear as a cup of warm tea on a winter day, rich and mellow. "Perhaps from now on, there will no longer be Jun Kiln, Ru Kiln, or Cizhou Kiln, but only the name of Jingdezhen, the Porcelain Capital."
Zheng Chan looked terrified and a little embarrassed, "Aunt, I don't actually have such big ambitions..."
"No, you do." Zhao Changning smiled and said, "If you want to trample your uncles, aunts, and cousins under your feet, then you must have it. I promise you, one day, I will ask the emperor to confer a title on you. How about that?"
When Zheng Chan heard the words uncle, aunt, and cousin, her face immediately became filled with anger and the fire in her eyes was about to burst out.
She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, "Auntie, I will work hard."
After the first month of the year, Zhao Changning finally received the emperor's edict.
He mainly talked about three points. The first was that the 500,000 taels owed by the Ministry of Revenue would be paid in one lump sum; the second was that he liked the red cannon she sent back very much and asked her what reward she wanted; the third was that she did a great job this time and after returning to Beijing, she would be promoted to the fifth rank and would serve in the court with all the officials from then on.
Zhao Changning let out a long sigh. She was very satisfied with the reward.
After the beginning of spring, these merchants finally realized that something was wrong. The money was no longer as easy to get as before.
But at this time, it was impossible to get off Zhao Changning's pirate ship, and some people wanted to transport it out, but they were stopped.
Everyone finally realized that this female scribe was not someone who was easy to talk to, but they just didn't see it clearly before.
Zhao Changning doesn't care if someone scolds her. She only cares about her mission and whether she can complete it beautifully. As for those profit-seeking people, there will be plenty of money for them to make in the future.
At this moment, she also realized that compared to power, money was still not enough. No matter how these people jumped around, they could not escape from her palm.
The closer you get to power, the more intoxicating it becomes.
Mingqiu was the happiest because he suddenly had enough money and no longer had to spend every penny carefully. He also had the confidence to argue with the merchants.
Those bad people who she had long disliked would refuse the porcelain even if it was pretty good, even if they knelt down to beg her.
They remembered their aunt's words and decided that it was time for a change today.
Before the end of February, they had accumulated 30,000 pieces of porcelain, many of which were fine quality, which made Zhao Changning very happy.
Of course, I was also increasingly annoyed at the money I had been ripped off. How perfunctory had these people been before? Would they not produce good porcelain just to rip me off?
At the same time, the ship to Yujing also began to return, and Granny Xu also returned with Anyi.
Granny Xu saw Zhao Changning and circled around her several times. "You've lost a lot of weight. Did you not eat well? Mingxuan told me that you were still drinking. Hey, girls should take care of their health..."
Although Zhao Changning looked grim, he was quite happy in his heart.
Before the Qingming Festival, Fang Wenhai in Guangzhou started urging again, saying that the wind direction did not wait for anyone and that the porcelain had to be shipped.
Zhao Changning knew that it was time to return to Beijing. She couldn't take a boat, and the land route was much longer than the water route, so she had to set off early.
She left Mingqiu and Zuoyu in Jingdezhen and asked the prefect to look after them. She also promised them that she would send someone to replace them. Now that so much time has passed, there must be quite a few female officials selected in the palace.
When I returned to Yujing, it was already past June. The weather had become warmer, and a few cicadas were chirping among the branches. Everything in Yujing still seemed so familiar.
Zhao Changning did not dare to delay. After resting and washing up in Shuier Lane, he hurried to the palace to report.
Unexpectedly, she also received good news from the Guangzhou Maritime Customs.
They worked tirelessly to produce 60,000 pieces of porcelain, striving for perfection, and brought back 2.7 million taels of silver. The profit was so huge that it was staggering.
Fang Wenhai's chubby figure seemed to be floating up. He held his head high, chest puffed out, and strode with his hands raised. He looked extremely confident.
"Nu Shu Ling, it's really unpleasant to work for the Emperor." He wiped the non-existent sweat from his forehead. "What a fate! How long has it been since we last met? When you come back, it's like it was an appointment."
Zhao Changning couldn't help laughing when he heard his hometown dialect suddenly pop out. "Yeah, it's not easy."
Fang Wenhai chuckled, "When you see the emperor later, you must speak up for our Maritime Customs. Over the years, the Maritime Customs has done just as much work as anyone else..."
The two of them exchanged greetings as they walked towards the Qinzheng Hall.
After seeing this, many people along the way excitedly called out "Auntie", which was considered to be a great honor and made Zhao Changning very happy.
There seemed to be no changes outside the Qinzheng Hall. The stone lamps were still wiped clean as usual, and the weeds in the corners were still lush. Because they had been notified early, they were summoned as soon as they arrived.
Yunhui looked at her aunt excitedly, her eyes full of longing. She suppressed her voice and her eyes were filled with tears.
"Aunt, you are finally back. If you hadn't come back, I would have been scolded to death by the Emperor."
Zhao Changning patted her shoulder and went into the hall without any greetings.
This was the first time she entered the Qinzheng Hall as a minister. She was extremely excited. She had been looking forward to this thing for so long, so she should cherish it. She didn't even dare to move her foot when she stepped over the threshold, for fear of being rude.
She and Fang Wenhai knelt down and kowtowed, shouting "Long live the emperor!" "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. Long live the emperor!"
The word "minister" was enough to make her voice tremble.
It was afternoon. Normally, the emperor might take a nap, practice calligraphy or paint, or go to the Armory or the harem, but today he stayed in the Qinzheng Hall.
The bright and dazzling sunlight shines through the sixteen windows, and passes through the five-clawed golden dragon carved on the lattice windows, which has already taken shape on the ground, as if it is about to take off.
Zhao Changning was very familiar with everything here. The smoke from the Boshan stove was curling up, and even the smell had not changed.
All this made her feel like she was back home. She couldn't help but look up, and what caught her eye was the emperor's elegant and handsome features. Compared to more than a year ago, he seemed even more majestic in his bright yellow suit. Sitting behind the slightly messy imperial desk, he was shrouded in a noble aura, and looked at her with a smile on his face.
Their eyes met, and there was a strange light in his eyes, but he did not stop her and just let her look.
Zhao Changning vaguely remembered that ministers were not allowed to look directly at the emperor's face. She had already been disrespectful at this moment and had forgotten the hierarchy. She quickly lowered her head and her eyelashes drooped.
"Changning." The emperor raised his hand, "Get up. Don't be so distant."
Fang Wenhai on the side was stunned. He thought Zhao Changning would pay more attention to etiquette when walking in front of the emperor, but he didn't expect him to be scared as soon as he came. Fortunately, the emperor did not blame him.
After the two men kowtowed to express their gratitude, they stood up.
The emperor looked at Zhao Changning with a smile, and said softly, "Changning, after a long absence, this Qinzheng Palace will finally be glorious again."
When Fang Wenhai heard this, his eyebrows jumped and he looked at Zhao Changning with a strange look.
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The author has something to say: [Sprinkle flowers][Sprinkle flowers][Sprinkle flowers]
The next book——"The Princess and the Secret Guard". If you like it, remember to collect it!
Fenglai was the most favored princess of Daliang. Just as she was about to get married, her country was destroyed.
Her brothers and sisters died tragically, her fiancé defected to the enemy, and Feng Lai was taken away crying by the secret guards.
The secret guard had no compassion and only knew how to polish his broken sword. He couldn't prepare a bathtub with flowers, delicious meals, or beautiful clothes for her. When she slept, she either lay on the ground or on top of him.
Fenglai felt like the sky was falling and it would be better for him to die.
She cried and cried, but the secret guard actually used the broken sword to take her back to Yujing and earned her a first-class imperial edict.
She could once again live a life with a flower bathtub, delicious meals, beautiful clothes and a soft couch.
Feng Lai was still dissatisfied. He felt that if he tried harder at some point, he might be able to make him happy and regain his throne in one fell swoop.
The secret guard's face turned red, and he gasped, but still pulled her off his waist.
"Based on our brains, let's forget about usurping the throne."
On the first day, deep in the mountains and forests, the princess said she wanted to take a flower bath.
On the third day, still in the deep mountains and forests, the princess said she wanted to eat lamb legs.
On the fifth day, still in the deep mountains and forests, the princess said she wanted to wear the beautiful dress with a long string of names on it.
On the seventh day, he couldn't help himself, "Either lie on me or sleep on the floor."
The little princess cried and finally fell asleep on him out of exhaustion.
On the nth day, Yu Jiu finally prepared all these things. Looking at the little princess's rosy smiling face that was well-nourished, he felt that it was worth it.
On the n+nth day, Yu Jiu finally earned a lifetime's supply of flower bathtubs, delicious meals, beautiful clothes, and a couch as soft as a cloud for the little princess.
But the little princess was not satisfied and started to make trouble by grabbing him.
The Duke was confused and embarrassed, so he chose to block her mouth.
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