Zheng Quan, seeing the stern expression on Song Jiyun’s face and the serious matters she was entrusting him with, rubbed his head and dared not ask more questions, deciding to take the note and leave the room.
Song Jiyun snorted coldly and stood up angrily, slamming her palm on the table.
"You were wise to come straight here after leaving the palace," she muttered to herself, "and you even know what you did wrong."
She decided that her situation with Yuan Yunzhong could wait until he had sorted out this mess.
In the following days, she first visited Diagonal Street No. 2 Alley to identify a property.
Yuan Yunzhong had found her a large courtyard with five sections and three routes, previously belonging to a lacquerware maker, complete with storerooms, a well, workshops, and living quarters; it only needed minor repairs and some everyday essentials to be move-in ready.
Zhou Zheng pointed around and said, "According to the rules of our kiln factory, the clay storeroom and the glaze storeroom should be separate. Master Xiao Xiang will manage the clay, and Song Ming will oversee the glaze... Master Xiao Guo and his fellow craftsmen and nephews will stay in the western chambers of the East Crossing Courtyard... The Changjiang Gang has already started building the kiln. However, the weather here in the north is much drier than our region, so the kiln dries quickly, and I fear the kiln fire will burn quickly as well. We must hurry to test fire a few kilns."
Master Xiao Xiang was the son of Xiang Yang, Master Xiao Guo was the clan nephew of Guo Zixing, and Song Ming was a descendant of the Song Family; they had all learned their craft from a young age at the Song Family Kiln Factory and were among the top kiln workers in Jingde Town. They were selected to come to the Capital City after passing several challenges.
Song Jiyun nodded and spoke with Zhou Zheng under the grape trellis in the front yard, "You can leave these matters to Steward Xiao Wu. You should go into the city more in the next few days to pick a location for a branch of the Song Family Kiln Factory in the Capital City."
Zhou Zheng knew of her plans before coming and had been discreetly gathering information. On hearing this, he said, "The local preference here leans towards Dehua porcelain or Longquan porcelain. Our Jingde Town produces high-temperature porcelain, which costs almost twice as much to make. To establish ourselves here, it seems we must connect with the government or the families of the high nobility."
Zheng Quan had already briefed him about the Yuan family.
Had he not come to the Capital City, he would still be unaware. It turned out that Young Master Yuan’s maternal grandfather had presided over the imperial examinations three times and had served as the Chief of Staff in the Ministry of Personnel for over twenty years, with connections spread all across the government. The current patriarch of the Yuan Family was not Young Master Yuan’s biological grandfather but his uncle by extension. However, since Young Master Yuan’s generation was the only successor in four generations, the two branches of the family had not split and thus lived together. This elder was a significant figure as well, having faced demotions and restorations, finally retiring from the positions of Minister of Rites and Grand Scholar of Wuying Hall. He had one son and three grandsons, all having become Imperial Scholars; his son had served for ten years as the Libationer of the Imperial College.
If they wanted to do business with the elite in the Capital City, they could not bypass these two families.
Song Jiyun understood what he was implying and said, "You don’t need to worry about that. Let’s first get prepared. It’s not easy to rent a shop in the Capital City. The powerful families behind the scenes control many properties. Some places might appear deserted, but their business might not be based there. And at some places, despite seeming bustling, they may not be making money.
"Don’t rush into anything blinded. Hire a pawnbroker. Those who operate pawnbroker businesses in the Capital City aren’t simple. We can’t skimp on this expense."
Zhou Zheng agreed, and faint sounds of commotion came from outside.
Song Jiyun frowned and asked, "What’s going on?"
As newcomers to the Capital City and unfamiliar with the area, the people of the Song Family had followed her instructions and had not ventured outside for the past few days, fearing that without an understanding of their neighbors, complications could arise.
Zhou Zheng’s servant boy, quick on his feet, ran out and swiftly returned to report, "Someone is spying outside. They said they had eyed this property earlier, but after hesitating for a few days, it was rented out to someone else. They are asking about our family, wanting to delve into our backgrounds. Master He refused to converse more with them, and they started causing a commotion in front of the door."
This was a common tactic used in the itinerant world.
They would start a quarrel or even get physical to draw some blood, then collectively take the case to the Yamen, to see who was backing your family. If there was no money, they would throw a substantial amount until you were tempted. If there was money but no backing, they would bring in Government Office officials to pressure you into conceding.
Someone had their eyes on her courtyard. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚
Song Jiyun asked, "What do those people do?"
The servant boy replied with some pride, "Master He tricked them into talking; they seem to have come from Fujian, just like our family, they also make porcelain."
Coming from Fujian, making porcelain—it couldn’t be such a coincidence, could it? Were they from the Dehua porcelain makers?
Song Jiyun pondered for a while, then the entrance quieted down.
She instructed the servant boy, "Go and ask He Dazhi to come over."
The servant boy ran out swiftly and returned with He Dazhi.
"Miss!" He Dazhi greeted Song Jiyun with a bow, "Don’t worry, I have already sent people to follow them. We will definitely find out everything about those bastards."
Song Jiyun nodded and gave Zhou Zheng some instructions about minor matters before she headed back to Pocket Alley.
Xiang Zhan was eagerly waiting for her return. As soon as she saw her, she dashed over, saying, "Miss, miss, someone from the Manufacturing Office delivered a document, saying that you are to report to the Manufacturing Office the day after tomorrow morning."
While nodding, Song Jiyun walked inside and said, "Then instruct them to prepare the clothes and jewelry I should wear to the Manufacturing Office, as well as rewards for the carriage and horses."
Xiang Zhan crisply responded, "Yes," and Zheng Quan and He Dazhi surprisingly came in together.
Song Jiyun raised an eyebrow, "How did you two come together?"
Zheng Quan and He Dazhi bowed to her. He Dazhi said, "Miss, I sent someone to investigate those people; unexpectedly, I ran into Steward Zheng, so we simply came back together to report to you."
Song Jiyun’s gaze fell on Zheng Quan.
Zheng Quan said, "Didn’t you ask to check on the people from Dehua porcelain and Longquan porcelain? The ones who visited the other day were from the Deng Family of Dehua porcelain. Deputy Censor-in-chief of the Metropolitan Censorate, Lord Liu, is from Dehua, and the Deng Family has risen through the support of this Lord Liu. They dared to block our door, probably relying on Lord Liu’s power."
The Deputy Censor-in-chief of the Metropolitan Censorate holds the third rank and is considered a significant figure in the Capital City.
Song Jiyun hummed in acknowledgment and asked He Dazhi, "Are they still considering taking over our courtyard?"
He Dazhi laughed, "That neighborhood is full of workshops, and a courtyard as good and as large as ours is one of only two or three. How could they easily give up? However, speaking of which, we must thank Young Master Yuan."
"What?!" Song Jiyun was astonished.
He Dazhi laughed heartily, "I was worried that the Deng Family might do something underhanded, bypassing us to reach the landlord, so I specifically asked the pawnbroker to investigate. Turns out, a while ago, Lord Yuan bought that property—our courtyard’s landlord is Lord Yuan."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
