Chapter 233: Promoted Half a Level
A little over a month ago, when Lin Sicheng first started looking for a kiln site and wandered around Yuncheng, what was the mentality of the locals?
These Shaanxi folks have so much money they're practically rolling in it, and they're so idle they're spouting nonsense: If there were any ancient kiln sites in Yuncheng, they would have been found long ago, why would it be your turn?
Even more than half a month ago, when the Xijing Cultural Relics Bureau inexplicably formed an inspection team and brought in dozens of people to assist Lin Sicheng, they still held the same view.
But they don't need to spend any money or effort; it's just a matter of arranging a few people to guide them and coordinating with the township.
Even if nothing is found in the end, the place hasn't suffered any loss, has it?
They generally held this mindset, from top to bottom, and never expected them to come up with anything.
But suddenly, the kiln site was found?
The site covers nearly 100 acres and includes everything from clay mining and raw material processing to shaping and glazing, firing assistance, in-situ excavation of finished products and fragments, and kiln waste.
It includes the most crucial kiln body, the production of the clay body, all the process relics, and all the technological equipment—nothing is missing.
What does this mean?
Even in the entire Shanxi province, it ranks among the top three. To be more precise, the first two sites are not very complete and lack key workshop facilities.
No traces of glazing, such as clay settling tanks or slurry pools, were found at the Jinyang Ancient City porcelain kiln. No auxiliary production tools, such as windlasses, stone mills, or waterwheels, were found at the Chencun porcelain kiln in Huozhou.
Therefore, this discovery can be considered the only one in the province: the only porcelain kiln site in the province with a complete porcelain-making industrial chain and unearthed relics.
Therefore, it is not only the first in Yuncheng, but also very likely the first in the province.
For a moment, the group of leaders were both moved and embarrassed.
I was impressed by the other person's persistence, hard work, and perseverance.
Even more embarrassed by the other party's expertise: You've been searching for decades and still haven't found it, right? Here, let me try…
After a moment's thought, the leaders decided immediately: what needs to be done must be done, even if it offends people.
Subsequently, the leader announced that the YC Municipal Government, with the assistance of the Hejin Municipal Government, would draw personnel from various departments at the municipal and county levels to conduct a comprehensive, detailed, and systematic exploration and excavation of the Laoyaotou site.
Simultaneously, we reported to provincial departments and sought technical support.
Afterwards, a group of leaders shook hands with Lin Sicheng one by one, and words of gratitude poured out of them as if they were free.
Aside from expressing gratitude, nothing else was mentioned. There was no mention of whether Lin Sicheng and his team needed to participate in subsequent surveying and excavation, nor of whether technical guidance was required.
Lin Sicheng smiled calmly.
Wang Qizhi stood aside, stunned for a moment: he had considered that the local authorities would act quickly. He had also considered that they would sever ties with them as soon as possible.
But he never expected that although he distanced himself quite clearly and said a lot of words of thanks, it was all just talk and nothing substantial.
He Zhigang watched coldly from the sidelines, sighing inwardly.
Only when the topic of technical cooperation on Chengni inkstones was brought up did the two feel a sense of relief: thankfully, they hadn't been ungrateful.
After the meeting, a thank-you banquet was arranged at the city hotel. Lin Sicheng then called and ordered the archaeological team to withdraw, leaving only Gao Zhangyi to handle the handover with the local archaeological department.
While Lin Sicheng was changing clothes, He Zhigang made phone calls one by one, gathering everyone in the suite arranged for him by the municipal party committee.
Smoke swirls around, and the aroma of tea fills the air.
With no outsiders around, people spoke without restraint, and Zhao Xiuneng was quite indignant: "We were just kicked out like this? They didn't even mention the follow-up excavation, leaving us to lead it?"
Wang Qizhi scoffed, "General Manager Zhao, get this straight, this is Shanxi, not Shaanxi! Have the Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau, the Archaeological Institute, and the Cultural Relics Conservation Institute no shame in having us lead the excavation?"
"Weren't the ruins the ones we discovered?"
“Yes, that’s right!” Wang Qizhi spread his hands. “Here you go, take it if you dare!”
Zhao Xiuneng was dumbfounded by the question: This is a relic, not some kind of object, how the hell am I supposed to take it?
"No... I just said thank you a few times, and that was it?"
"It's good enough that you said thank you!" Wang Qizhi scoffed. "Do you expect him to kneel down?"
Everyone knows he's being sarcastic, which is undeniably funny, but no one can actually laugh at it.
Putting everything else aside, Lin Sicheng had been running around for more than a month, so surely he must have some historical documents and surveying data on hand?
As a result, they didn't dare to mention it at all, for fear that if they used Lin Sicheng's products, they would be unable to get rid of it.
"Actually, I'm still afraid of losing face!" Lin Sicheng leaned back on the sofa, speaking slowly and deliberately. "The only complete site in the prefecture-level region, even the entire province, was found by a bunch of people from other provinces?"
"The key point is that despite our repeated reminders, the local authorities did not take it seriously, but we managed to find it in the end."
If we report it upwards like this, what will the higher-ups and leaders think when they see the report? Out of desperation, we can only try to downplay it as much as possible…
Lin Sicheng saw things more clearly.
He Zhigang nodded approvingly: "It means there definitely will be, it's just a matter of how much: all outstanding fees will be settled, all eligible subsidies will be in place, and subsequent expenditure plans will also be included in the budget..."
He paused briefly, then looked at Lin Sicheng again, "Afterwards, the city leaders specifically mentioned that the World Heritage application working group will send technical personnel over tomorrow to coordinate with you. Please make a list of all the necessary materials and data..."
The group looked at each other: What data? Chengni inkstone?
But that's it?
If, before discovering the site, the local authorities had laid out these things: reimbursement for all expenses, inclusion of all planned expenditures in the budget, and readily shared the technology of Chengni inkstones, absolutely no one would have said anything.
But what did they do before?
While it wasn't to the point of turning a blind eye or ignoring the issue, it was basically not taken seriously, and one could even say it was somewhat perfunctory.
The two people assigned, Director Liu and Director Xu, were neither professional nor knowledgeable, and they basically just went through the motions the whole time.
Now look what's happened. After working hard for more than a month and finally making a discovery and achieving results, they want to take everything away?
It wasn't just Wang Qizhi and Zhao Xiu who thought this way; Tian Jie, Shang Yan, and Dean Su, who came with He Zhigang, also thought so.
Seeing the displeasure on the faces of the group, He Zhigang was both amused and exasperated: "Gentlemen, this is someone else's territory. No matter how large the ruins are, can we just move them?"
"Besides, our goal is the Jin-Song kiln site, the fine white porcelain of the Song Dynasty, and the restoration of the egg-white jade technique. Why are you getting hung up on this?"
That's true, but I still feel uneasy about it.
The reason is that no one expected the site to be so large, the relics to be so concentrated, and the craft chain to be so complete.
Even if it's just a kiln site from the Qing Dynasty, it's enough to fill a gap in the province's history. Whether from an academic or cultural perspective, its significance to Shanxi is extraordinary.
To be honest, if it weren't for Lin Sicheng, the locals probably wouldn't have discovered it even in another ten years. That's a huge contribution, isn't it?
In the end, the local authorities distanced themselves completely, as quickly as possible.
Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "It's not exactly a slap on the wrist. Didn't we discuss this in today's meeting? We'll decide the subsequent survey routes, scope, and destinations ourselves. Funding will be absolutely guaranteed, and coordination with the local townships will be handled perfectly. Feel free to raise any requests you may have..."
Zhao Xiuneng sneered: "Junior Brother Lin, isn't this because they've discovered how useful you are and want to use you as free labor?"
Lin Sicheng nodded: "Even so, senior brother, you can try to see things from our perspective: precisely because we are so useful, many conditions can be negotiated. For example, could Director He assist us by having our teacher, in the name of the restoration center, talk to the local authorities: if more ruins are discovered next time, could we request more experimental samples? We're even willing to pay..."
He Zhigang nodded and smiled approvingly.
He figured it out. Among the dozen or so people in the room, Lin Sicheng might be the youngest, but if you were to ask who had the most stable mindset, considered things most comprehensively, and had the longest-term vision, it would definitely be Lin Sicheng.
Despite Zhao Xiuneng's advanced age and Wang Qizhi's distinguished background, they are far inferior in comparison.
To put it bluntly: no matter how much you calculate and scheme, what you actually gain is what matters most.
Since the ultimate goal is to achieve a porcelain-like finish, we should stick to that goal and focus our efforts in that direction. There's no need to get bogged down in trivial details.
On the other hand, let's ask the local authorities for something concrete. What would be considered concrete?
Should Lin Sicheng lead the excavation?
Get this straight, this is Shanxi, not SX. Are the Provincial Institute of Archaeology and Institute of Cultural Relics Protection all useless?
At most, they could have Lin Sicheng's name listed in the "discoverer" section.
Instead of arguing about these useless things, it's better to keep a low profile and focus on finding the site of the fine white porcelain.
By the time the locals reacted, Lin Sicheng might have already recreated the process, and who knows, he might have even applied for a patent.
Let's see who's laughing and who's crying then...
After pondering for a moment, He Zhigang added, "I estimate that the local authorities will send someone to contact you. It will be tiring for you to deal with them. Just have your teacher, General Manager Zhao, or Professor Shang handle it for you. Take this opportunity to rest for a couple of days."
Lin Sicheng nodded.
They will definitely contact each other, for various reasons. To give just one point: there are plenty of archaeological institutes and teams in this province, so there's no need to ask for help from other provinces, but that doesn't mean we can't ask for technical guidance from other provinces.
Or even, how about we make him one of our own province?
They also discussed the follow-up survey plan, how to negotiate with the local authorities, and how to obtain more samples. After they had basically finished their discussion, the Secretary-General of the Hejin Municipal Party Committee came to invite He Zhigang.
A group of people went outside and found the city government secretary standing at Lin Sicheng's door, knocking on it.
He Zhigang greeted them naturally, and the group headed towards the restaurant.
The city government secretary-general was very enthusiastic, chatting and laughing with Lin Sicheng. In just a few words, the two exchanged phone numbers.
Wang Qizhi and Shang Yan exchanged a glance: What did Director He just say?
It was only half an hour after I finished speaking.
The two followed quietly behind and sat down at a table with Lin Sicheng. Unsurprisingly, the secretary-general also sat down at a table with them.
Halfway through the meal, Wang Qizhi couldn't help but feel that the secretary-general was trying to poach his employee.
To be honest, Lin Sicheng had already kept a low profile quite a bit after arriving in Shanxi. So how did this idea of his come about?
Lin Sicheng estimated that it was probably still related to the kiln site.
...
It was late April, and the mountains and forests were shrouded in a damp morning mist, with moss covering the rough blue stones.
A wildflower caught my eye; a gentle mountain breeze carried its purple petals down onto my shoulder.
The newly paved dirt road was packed with cars, more than a dozen of all sizes. The car doors were marked with various company names:
Shanxi Archaeological Institute, Shanxi Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics Protection, Shanxi Provincial Institute of Field Archaeology, YC Municipal Government, YC Municipal Archaeological Institute, YC Municipal Bureau of Culture, YC Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics, YC Municipal Museum, YC Municipal Bureau of Industry, Hejin Municipal Government...
The riverbank was crowded with dozens of people, men, women, and children.
Not far away, Gao Zhangyi glanced around and called Tian Jie: "They've all come. It seems like they came directly from the provincial capital. They didn't even go to Hejin or Yuncheng; they came straight here!"
"That's perfectly normal! It's the only ancient kiln site in the province with a complete production chain. It wouldn't be unreasonable for a provincial leader to come here."
Tian Jie wasn't surprised at all. "They haven't started digging yet?"
Gao Zhangyi looked around: "No, I didn't see any construction vehicles or migrant workers. They're still having a site meeting right now!"
"Hand over the work as soon as possible, and come back afterward!"
"Tadokoro, shall we continue the survey?"
"Lin Sicheng said he would rest for two days first, until he figured out the craftsmanship of Chengni inkstones!"
"Okay, I understand!"
After hanging up the phone, I waited for quite a while, but those people didn't move.
Gao Zhangyi was utterly bored.
On the other side, the heads of the Municipal (Yuncheng) Culture Bureau and Industry Bureau gave a detailed report:
"Around late January, close to the Spring Festival, Xida University and the Bureau contacted each other by phone to inquire about the study tour. A week later, two people arrived: Vice Dean Su from the School of Cultural Heritage and the secretary of the Youth League Committee, who was Professor Wang..."
“We made it very clear at the time: Chengni inkstone is at a critical stage in the application for World Heritage status, and the technical data cannot be leaked. But those two people said: the initial stage is just an inspection, and we can study it after the public announcement period ends... We reported this to the city, and the city said it was okay and asked them to send a letter…”
"After the Spring Festival, the letter arrived, tentatively scheduled for March. Then on March 7th, this group of people arrived in the city. The meeting proceeded as planned that day, but on the 10th, Professor Wang suddenly came to the bureau, saying that he had found several porcelain shards at the Guandi Temple, and preliminarily concluded that they originated from the ancient kiln in Puzhou."
He asked us at the time: "If we find the kiln site, could we use it to exchange for the technology of Chengni inkstones?" The bureau even had a formal discussion, but everyone felt it was unlikely. Afterwards, they consulted the city, who also felt it was unlikely, and then agreed…
The group remained silent.
Not to mention the municipal cultural bureau and the industrial bureau at the time, who thought it was unlikely. Even now, even the heads and experts from the provincial archaeological research institute and cultural heritage protection institute present here still think it's unlikely.
In an effort to revive the cloisonné enamelware technique, Yongji (a county under the jurisdiction of Yuncheng) began searching for the ancient kilns of Puzhou around 2000. Over seven or eight years, they searched every possible location in the city. But they found nothing, not even a single clue, let alone a kiln site.
But what was the result?
Looking at the ruins along the riverbank, marked with triangular flags, Wang Xiaoyi, deputy director of the Provincial Institute of Archaeology, sighed: "And then!"
"Then, they visited several counties and cities, collecting cultural relics simultaneously. They also rented a laboratory at the municipal museum to conduct simultaneous testing and analysis... First they came to Hejin, then to Xiangning, then to Yongji, and then back to Hejin..."
"About half a month later, Professor Wang contacted us again, saying that his preliminary conclusion was that the ancient kiln site should be located in Hejin. After that, the Xi'an Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics sent a letter directly, requesting to come and study the site. Only then did the city realize that they were going to Hejin for a trial exploration..."
An expert from the Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics Protection raised his hand: "How did they make that deduction?"
"They collected many porcelain shards in the ancient city of Yongji, and also collected some fragments and cultural relics in Yongji City. The variety is extensive: there are white-glazed carved porcelain, white porcelain, and even ceramic pillows..."
After testing, it was determined that the composition of the porcelain body matched that of the porcelain clay from Guzhen, Hejin City, leading to the conclusion that the kiln site was in Hejin… After that, Teacher Lin led a team to the old kiln site… and then, the site was discovered!
At first glance, it seemed fine. But everyone could tell something was wrong.
No testing is needed; just looking at the exposed porcelain clay deposits on the mountainside reveals a fundamental difference in the composition of the porcelain clay between the two places, despite their proximity. Guzhen porcelain clay is high in aluminum and calcium, resulting in a whitish body, making it ideal for firing white porcelain. Here, due to the presence of iron and coal mines, the porcelain clay is high in silicon and rich in iron, suitable only for firing dark-colored porcelain.
They collected white porcelain and carved porcelain in Yongji, concluding that the porcelain clay originated in Guzhen. So why didn't they go to Guzhen, but instead came to Laoyaotou?
Wang Qizhi was in charge of external liaison and communicated frequently, but not to such detail. Even the leaders of the Municipal Cultural Relics Bureau were unaware of this.
Liu Ming and Xu Chengyan had been following along, but they didn't pay any attention to it or even care, so they were completely unaware of it.
They even suggested searching westward, towards the banks of the Yellow River. But Lin Sicheng didn't take their advice and pointed right here.
The two hesitated and stammered, but thankfully they were able to explain in general terms: the teacher in charge, Mr. Lin, said that it was because the place name Laoyaotou contained the character "yao" (窑).
Someone almost burst out laughing: Is this the "kiln" in "porcelain kiln"? It's the kiln in "earthenware kiln".
Moreover, there are so many villages in Hejin City with "kiln" in their names: Dongyaotou, Xiyaotou, Caojiayao, Renjiayao, Shijiayao, Xiyaogou... and so on. Any of these places would be more suitable for firing porcelain than Laoyaotou: at least the transportation is convenient, and the coal and iron mines aren't as concentrated.
Everyone present was an expert, even a specialist. No one would come here looking for a porcelain kiln just because of the word "kiln".
But of all things, he actually found it, and it was so big? It's like Lin Si developed X-ray vision?
The strangest thing is: they took white porcelain samples, but found a black porcelain kiln instead.
Director Wang sighed again: "That's not all that's strange."
Just because they happened to find a few porcelain shards, they dared to conclude that there were ancient kilns in Yuncheng, and dared to negotiate with the city? Then they spared no expense in their investigation and collected related cultural relics at any cost?
They only collected a small portion of the data and did virtually no preliminary investigation. Yet they dared to conclude the kiln site was in Hejin? Then, they immediately brought in the field institute and archaeological team—the most professional provincial institute and team at that?
There were no historical records, no related documents, and no matching remains on the ground. So they came to the old kiln site. And then, they spent half a month meticulously investigating two pottery kilns that offered little reference value?
As expected, nothing was found.
Honestly, it's no wonder the local authorities didn't take it seriously: from the beginning to this point, all these people's actions were baffling, even somewhat ridiculous.
But no one expected that a miracle would happen:
On the last day, Teacher Lin walked around the river and the bank several times and discovered these pits. Then, with a dip of his shovel, he found the ash pit.
What does this mean, and what is the probability of it? Logically speaking, this is something that should never happen.
Honestly, if it were him, he definitely wouldn't have been able to find it.
After considering all these points of doubt, Director Wang felt that it seemed Lin Sicheng knew in advance that there was a kiln site here.
He looked around again: "Director Liu, did you ask at the time what criteria Teacher Lin used to determine that the wood ash pit was found?"
“I asked!” Liu Ming pointed. “He said the other pits were completely bare, with hardly any withered grass. But the reeds here are like a wheat field: not only are they dense, but they’re also tall and strong…”
Subconsciously, everyone looked up, as if deep in thought.
Indeed, the pit marked "wood ash pit" was overgrown with tall, dense weeds. But the other pits looked as if they had been cleared, with only sparse, scattered weeds.
But what does this have to do with weeds?
While the others were still pondering, Director Wang paused for a moment, then suddenly realized.
Why don't other pits grow much grass? Because those pits are either mud-washing pits, grinding pits, or washing pits and lime pits.
Either the bottom of the pond is made of porcelain clay, as hard as a stone slab, so that grass seeds cannot sprout and take root in the soil, or the bottom of the pond is made of residual lime, so that the sprouts are burned to death by the lime as soon as they emerge.
Moreover, without any nutrients that plants need, how can grass grow?
The pit contains wood ash, which increases soil porosity, improves aeration and water retention, and provides nutrients for weeds.
And most importantly: pampas grass prefers alkaline soil. How alkaline does the soil need to be for pampas grass to grow so tall and strong?
To be honest, Director Wang was very impressed: this was pure botanical knowledge, and he was a professional plant archaeology graduate, yet he hadn't thought of this.
How learned and experienced must this Professor Lin be?
"Impressive, no wonder you can command provincial-level agencies?" Director Wang exclaimed. "Your surname is Lin, Teacher Lin, not a professor yet? You must be quite young..."
It's more than just being young.
Liu Ming opened his mouth, and after a long while, he finally said, "Only twenty-one!"
Director Wang was taken aback for a moment: "How big?"
Liu Ming sighed: "Twenty-one is a student in the Department of Cultural Heritage Conservation at Xida University. He is a senior this year and will graduate in June."
Everyone seemed stunned.
Director Wang slowly turned his head and looked at Gao Zhangyi not far away.
Twenty-one?
They've worked together before. Gao Zhangyi is one thing, but Tian Jie's arrogance and stubborn personality are something he's experienced enough of.
How could he be so obedient to a young man in his early twenties, doing whatever he was told?
He must have seen him, because Gao Zhangyi even waved.
Director Wang suddenly realized something: "Have you looked into this?"
Liu Ming nodded: Of course I've looked into it, but I only learned about it the day before yesterday or yesterday.
He spoke eloquently, and everyone present, whether experts from the province, heads of municipal government agencies, or support staff, stared wide-eyed.
Appraisal expert, restoration expert, applied research expert?
Head of a key laboratory at a university, inheritor of intangible cultural heritage supported by provincial-level projects, head of an intangible cultural heritage protection center...
Ask anyone present, including Director Wang, if they have that many titles.
Regardless of any one of them, if they are even remotely related to the age of "twenty-one," it's astonishing enough, let alone all of them.
Director Wang was stunned for a long time: "You didn't know about this before?"
Liu Ming remained silent, head down.
As soon as Lin Sicheng first encountered the porcelain shards and mentioned the possibility of ancient kiln sites in Yuncheng, the city began to pay attention.
The reason is simple: we don't know how strong Lin Sicheng's archaeological abilities are, but his appraisal skills are widely recognized at Xida University. He said those porcelain shards were from the ancient kilns of Puzhou, and even if the locals didn't believe him, they would at least have some doubts.
On the other hand, who has nothing better to do than investigate others?
But thankfully, it's never too late to mend the fence after the sheep are lost.
Director Wang wanted to say something, but he swallowed the words back.
If the local authorities didn't take it seriously before, with such a large site in front of them, who would dare to be careless or not take it seriously?
He said there were also white porcelain kilns, so there's a high chance they really exist. And let's not even talk about white porcelain kilns; if Lin Sicheng said there were tribute kilns in Yuncheng, the city would have to find a way to verify it.
But without being reminded, local departments should know what to do.
He quickly changed his mind, gave a few more instructions, and the handover between the two sides proceeded normally.
Director Wang walked to the car, shook hands with Gao Zhangyi, and lit a cigarette.
The two were old acquaintances. They met in 1995 when the State Administration of Cultural Heritage was in charge of expanding the Revolutionary Memorial Hall of the Jin-Sui Border Region (in Lüliang).
They have collaborated countless times since then, and their friendship spans over a decade, making them extremely close.
Director Wang bluntly stated, "That kid surnamed Lin of yours is amazing, a real talent!"
Gao Zhangyi emphasized: "Genius!"
Yes, a genius.
When I was twenty-one, I was still memorizing Marxism-Leninism by rote...
He sighed inwardly, then half-jokingly remarked, "I see that you and Lao Tian are both quite submissive, aren't you?"
Isn't that obvious?
Gao Zhangyi glanced at him: "You know the Prince of Qin from the Ming Dynasty, right?"
Director Wang nodded: "Of course I know!"
The first Prince of Qin was Zhu Shuang, the second son of Zhu Yuanzhang, who was enfeoffed in Chang'an. The title was passed down for twenty-one generations, totaling two hundred and eighty years, making it the longest-lasting and longest-reigning line of princes in the Ming Dynasty.
"But what does this have to do with that child?"
"He led us to three graves!" Gao Zhangyi gestured. "At the time, he had Lao Tian and me sign our names..."
Director Wang was completely stunned: What is that?
Three tombs of Ming Dynasty princes, with other people signing their names?
"Why?"
Gao Zhangyi thought for a moment and then replied dismissively, "He doesn't need it!"
Director Wang belatedly realized: Oh right, I forgot he was still a college student?
He hasn't even graduated from university yet, where is he going to use such a great achievement?
But if Tian Jie and Gao Zhangyi were given the same promotion, they could easily get at least a half-level promotion...
He paused abruptly, staring intently at Gao Zhangyi.
Knowing what he wanted to ask, Gao Zhangyi smiled and said, "I've been promoted half a rank, so I'm at the same rank as you. Old Tian hasn't been promoted yet, but he'll be soon..."
Just as Director Wang was about to say something, he suddenly came to his senses: The tomb was found by Lin Sicheng, along with Tian Jie and Gao Zhangyi.
The key point is this "bring..."
In other words, this kid is also very professional in archaeology. Perhaps even more so than Gao Zhangyi and Tian Jie?
He instinctively turned around and looked at the ruins of the porcelain kiln, which were covered with flags. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his lips moved, but he couldn't utter a word.
Even stronger than Tian Jie...
How does it compare to myself?
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