Song Jiyun followed the voice and saw it was Eunuch Wan.
His piercing eyes were fixed on her, reminding her suddenly of a ravenous wild dog.
Adjusting her clothes slowly and deliberately, Song Jiyun smiled and said, "That’s a pretty good idea."
Isn’t it just a shift from a free economy to a planned economy?
Looking into Eunuch Wan’s eyes, she spoke slowly, "Just that I wonder how much quota will be distributed to our Kiln Factory?"
Many had already been watching her, and as soon as she spoke, everyone pricked up their ears, and the vast, open hall fell silent.
Therefore, although her voice was not loud, it clearly reached the ears of everyone present.
Some furrowed their brows, some clenched their fists, some leaned in to listen, but all kept their eyes fixed on Eunuch Wan.
Without even glancing at the crowd, Eunuch Wan gave a slight lift of his brow and asked with a smile, "Boss Song, how much quota do you think your kiln factory deserves?"
Every household needs to eat; if you take another’s bowl, they may take your life!
This truly is a life-threatening question!
Song Jiyun smiled faintly and said, "Whatever quota I ask for, can Lord Wan really allocate that much to me?"
She kicked the ball back again.
Eunuch Wan’s gaze grew dark as it fixed on her, as if trying to imprint her image in his mind, and he said ominously, "How much I give you, will you accept that much?"
"Of course!" Song Jiyun fearlessly let him look at her, met his gaze head-on, chin slightly raised, her tone light and breezy, with a touch of arrogance as she said, "If it doesn’t work out, we can just open a Dragon Kiln!"
Indeed, as long as Song Jiyun could successfully fire a Dragon Kiln, she would probably be able to consume whatever quota Eunuch Wan gave her.
She didn’t hesitate to twist the knife further: "If I can’t consume it all, aren’t there everyone here? Everyone has been helping our Kiln Factory with the Overglaze Enamel these days, I see no family sitting idle!"
As Song Jiyun spoke, her gaze leisurely swept over the crowd, as if asking: am I right?
Yet more than that, the people felt intimidated.
Many who couldn’t see the situation clearly and were worried that Eunuch Wan would allocate the porcelain firing quota to Song Family Kiln Factory dared not meet her eyes and lowered their heads.
More thought her words made sense.
Rather than rashly opening their own kilns to fire porcelain under unclear circumstances, it was better to subcontract for the Song Family Kiln Factory. They’d earn more money with less trouble,
And these people nodded in agreement.
Eunuch Wan, watching, had a faintly greenish tinge to his face.
"Worthy of the ’woman who yields to no man,’ Boss Song, your audacity knows no bounds!" he said with a forced smile. "Unfortunately, Your Majesty has graced us with a decree, and the Supervisor of Pottery belongs to The Twenty-Four Yamen, entirely unrelated to the Ministry of Personnel, I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed!"
Even those unschooled in the ways of the world could detect the sarcasm in his voice.
He was mocking her for having Magistrate Jiang’s backing, yet they belonged to different bureaucratic systems—he could still ignore her will, couldn’t he?
Song Jiyun had never thought to rely on the power of the Official Family.
Relying on the power of the Official Family subjects one to the whims of the times too much.
But who doesn’t know how to speak sarcastically?
With a slight smile, she replied, "I dare not claim so much. So the Supervisor of Pottery now belongs to The Twenty-Four Yamen, does he? Previously, when my father was in charge, there were Imperial Scholars sent by the Ministry of Personnel to serve as Supervisors of Pottery. It’s hard to imagine how quickly times change, and in just a few years we see a completely different scene."
Her implication was, even if you belong to The Twenty-Four Yamen, it doesn’t mean you’ll always hold office in Jingde Town; it’s better to leave some leeway in life.
She was also subtly warning the people present to think carefully before acting, not to assume that Wan Xiaoquan’s so-called distribution system could trap her for a lifetime.
Having said that, she feared it wasn’t harsh enough and pretended to be surprised as she asked Eunuch Wan, "How is it? Has the system changed again? Isn’t the Supervisor of Pottery inspected every three years and selected every five years?"
Current officials were assessed every three years, once per tenure. Typically serving two tenures, some would serve the full three. Those who hadn’t been reassigned by the third tenure were rather rare or specific cases. Therefore, in the fifth year of an official’s tenure, the Ministry of Personnel would begin selecting officials based on their past assessments.
Eunuch Wan’s face suddenly turned as dark as the bottom of a pot as he abruptly stood up with a swish of his sleeve.
Song Jiyun still thought he would leave, but to her surprise, he took several heavy breaths, seemingly managing to contain himself, and sinisterly sat back down, saying in a strange tone, "A woman who has clung to golden thighs truly knows more than others! She indeed knows how to talk!"
When he said this, he also measured Song Jiyun up and down with an unfriendly gaze, as if she were a woman who had reached her position through her beauty alone.
Song Jiyun scoffed disdainfully.
Even without any backing, he was still fundamentally a man full of prejudice!
He probably thought any man and woman speaking together must be having an affair!
Even those present who were the least savvy about the ways of the world could tell they were engaged in a verbal battle.
Some looked on with anxious hearts, worried for Song Jiyun, others like quails with heads bowed and chests caved, afraid of becoming collateral damage in a fight between deities, and a small portion, either out of empathy or shared experiences, glared at Eunuch Wan with eyes about to split.
Zhou Zheng was sweating profusely, continuously and covertly tugging at Song Jiyun’s sleeve, signaling her to swallow her pride for the moment and not to offend the petty man.
But Song Jiyun knew.
The moment Eunuch Wan opened his mouth to speak his first words, he had already laid the groundwork for the future of the Song Family Kiln Factory.
Even if she were to grovel, it wouldn’t change the fate of the Song Family Kiln Factory.
They might even think her foolish, unable to see the situation for what it was.
How could she do something that would pain her loved ones and please her enemies?
Song Jiyun smiled coldly, speaking with neither servility nor arrogance, "I can’t compare with Eunuch Wan’s experience, becoming a Supervisor of Pottery and climbing from fifth to fourth rank, you must have many secret strategies. It’s a pity that the role of Supervisor of Pottery is part of The Twenty-Four Yamen, not something us ordinary folk can make use of!"
Eunuch Wan was so angry his face turned from green to red, shaking a finger at Song Jiyun, unable to utter a word.
As if she hadn’t noticed, Song Jiyun remained calm and composed, lifting the tea cup at her side and taking a few sips as if her previous words had made her thirsty.
Everyone trembled in fright.
The entire hall was silent as a graveyard, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Song Tao’s eyes were so wide they seemed about to fall out.
Song Jiyun... How could she dare to speak to Eunuch Wan like that!
Was she not afraid of Eunuch Wan’s retaliation?
In her previous life, hadn’t she been on good terms with Eunuch Wan? Eunuch Wan had always been her backer in Jingde Town, and he had gained no small benefit from her hands.
Yet in this life, why did she dare to confront Eunuch Wan?
And so openly at that.
Could it be because of Magistrate Jiang?
Upon thinking of Magistrate Jiang’s tenure, Song Tao’s expression instantly turned somewhat strange.
Song Jiyun, this time you’ve picked the wrong side!
Song Tao’s seat was a bit to the rear.
She craned her neck, looking on with excitement at the confrontation between Song Jiyun and Eunuch Wan, her eyes brimming with uncontrollable schadenfreude.
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