Everyone in the gatehouse was stunned for a moment.
The sedan chair was carried directly through the main gate of the Manufacturing Office and came to a halt in its courtyard.
The gatekeeper graciously lifted the sedan curtain and bowed while saying a few words to the person inside; the bearers set down the poles, and a man in his thirties or forties, dressed in a seventh-rank official robe, stepped out.
Ji Shuanghu whispered to Song Jiyun, "That’s the Manufacturing Bureau Envoy, Lord Liu."
Song Jiyun nodded and went forward to meet him, together with Ji Shuanghu.
Deng Yun saw this and, his eyes flickering, also hurried to assist Deng Datong in approaching Lord Liu.
"Lord Liu!" They all bowed to him.
He nodded reservedly, his gaze solemnly falling on Song Jiyun.
Song Jiyun stepped forward with a smile and introduced herself with an air of ease.
Lord Liu nodded noncommittally.
Seeing this, Deng Yun quickly pulled Deng Datong ahead of Ji Shuanghu and said, "I am from the Deng Family in Dehua, my name is Yun. This is my Seventh Uncle. It is my uncle who has been summoned to the Manufacturing Office this time."
Lord Liu uttered an "oh" and looked toward Deng Datong, saying, "So you’re the one who is called the ’Porcelain Fool’, Deng Datong?"
Deng Datong’s face flushed red, and he nervously acknowledged, "Yes."
However, Deng Yun’s eyes brightened, and he puffed out his chest proudly, smiling obsequiously, "I had not expected that the official would have heard of my uncle. Indeed, my uncle is the well-known ’Porcelain Fool’ throughout Fujian." As he spoke, he tugged at Deng Datong’s clothes and whispered, "Uncle, Lord Liu is praising you!"
Deng Datong hastily bowed to Lord Liu in a fluster.
Lord Liu chuckled and said with indulgence, "Master Liu need not be so formal. The Guanyin statue that your family offered to the palace in past years was dedicated to the Empress Dowager through my hands. Its lifelike and exquisite demeanor is still vivid in my memory; I have not forgotten."
"Not at all, not at all," stammered Deng Datong, even more nervous, not knowing what to do with his hands and feet.
Seeing this, Deng Yun quickly bowed to Lord Liu, saying, "Please forgive us, my lord. My uncle is just like this, he knows nothing but making porcelain. Otherwise, our older family members would not have allowed me to accompany my uncle to the Capital City, with strict orders to serve at my uncle’s side at all times."
Lord Liu grunted in response; Deng Yun was essentially given a clear path by the governmental authorities and would henceforth be in and out of places alongside Deng Datong.
He then glanced at Song Jiyun triumphantly, as if to demonstrate to her how prestigious the Deng Family was before Lord Liu.
Song Jiyun had to suppress the urge to make a face at him.
By now, Lord Liu’s attention had shifted to Ji Shuanghu.
He asked affably, "So, you must be that ’Qilin child’ from the Ji Family?"
Ji Shuanghu had such a nickname?
Song Jiyun looked at Ji Shuanghu with curiosity.
The Deng uncle and nephew watched him intently, unblinking.
He bowed respectfully to Lord Liu and said, "Indeed, I am Ji Shuanghu."
"Not bad, not bad!" Lord Liu did not hide his favor for Ji Shuanghu and said with a beaming smile, "I’ve heard your uncle mention you several times. He said you have extraordinary talent; how the Ji Family fares in the future depends on you. Seeing you today, you truly are a promising young man, living up to your reputation."
"I don’t deserve such praise," said Ji Shuanghu modestly. "It’s merely a result of family heritage; the earlier generations planted the trees, and the later generations enjoy the shade. I’ve only learned a few minor skills."
"Young man, being too modest can make you seem overly mature," said Lord Liu endearingly as he chatted with him, making his way toward the main hall.
Deng Yun, holding on to Deng Datong, hastened to follow, deliberately or indifferently squeezing Song Jiyun to the side.
Song Jiyun wasn’t annoyed.
Everyone was new and had not yet grasped the situation. Being so eager for quick success could easily lead to loss.
Quietly walking at the back, she pricked up her ears to listen.
Lord Liu was speaking about Ji Shuanghu’s uncle, "It is my first time hearing of someone with the surname ’Ji’... Your uncle possesses a chivalrous spirit... At that time, I was still a Child Student, studying at Yuelu Academy, and your uncle went to Zhuzhou to seek the heir to Liling Porcelain, but we both took the wrong path... I had run out of travel funds, and your uncle treated me to a bowl of rice noodles... He bestowed upon me the kindness of a meal..."
Song Jiyun listened with growing interest in meeting Ji Shuanghu’s uncle.
However, Deng Yun’s expression did not look so good.
He was probably worried that Lord Deng might be biased towards the Ji Family.
When they finally sat down in the main hall and the servants served tea, Lord Liu began to discuss official matters, "Calling you here has no other motive. The Empress Dowager wishes to have some portable items made for her, and she finds the palace painter’s work lacking in novelty. This time, designs and patterns will not be specified. Each of your families is to produce twelve sets of new designs, and submit the drafts in half a month. Whoever catches Her Majesty’s discerning eye will be tasked with this porcelain-making assignment."
The so-called "portable items" referred to burial objects.
It makes sense now, with the Spring and Autumn Annals promoting the idea of desiring a grand posthumous affair while avoiding mention of life and death, that the undertaking is masked under the celebration of the Empress Dowager’s birthday.
All three families rose to acknowledge the task in unison.
Lord Liu then inquired about somewhat trivial matters like when they arrived in the Capital City, where they were staying, and if they had been to Tanzhe Temple to see the pear blossoms. Ji Shuanghu answered each question honestly, while Song Jiyun observed Lord Liu’s preferences without a hint of reaction.
Selection for the Manufacturing Office is akin to a bidding process; how appealing the proposal looks and whether it moves people is where most of the effort lies.
She must find out more about the background of this assignment and figure out the Empress Dowager’s preferences.
Deng Yun also seemed to have the same idea, actively seeking conversation with Lord Liu and constantly hinting that the Deng Family was acquainted with influential figures in the Capital City.
Lord Liu gradually began to show more interest in Deng Yun and his nephew and subtly probed into who was backing the Deng Family.
After glancing at Song Jiyun and Ji Shuanghu, Deng Yun coyly kept them guessing.
After some thought, Lord Liu picked up his tea cup as if to send Song Jiyun and Ji Shuanghu on their way, but just as the cup reached his lips, for some reason, he changed his mind, cleared his throat, and found an excuse to call Deng Yun into the adjacent study.
That’s when Ji Shuanghu whispered to Song Jiyun, "Should our two families join forces?"
After a moment’s consideration, Song Jiyun agreed.
Both their families specialized in producing high-temperature porcelain. The glaze of Longquan Porcelain was unparalleled, and she had always wanted to know what effect would be produced if the glaze of Longquan Porcelain was combined with the delicate thinness of Jingde Town Porcelain.
"How do you propose we collaborate?" she asked softly.
Just as Ji Shuanghu was about to respond, he suddenly sat upright as if he had seen something, then deliberately lifted his tea cup and took a sip, pretending it was all very normal.
Song Jiyun suspected that Lord Liu and Deng Yun had come out.
Turning her head, she indeed saw the two men walking out one after another.
Lord Liu was noticeably warmer towards Deng Yun.
When Deng Datong approached, Lord Liu even patted him on the shoulder, complimenting with a smile, "Your nephew is quite capable. When I have time, he should come and visit my home."
Deng Datong nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Ji Shuanghu then signaled to Song Jiyun with a glance.
Song Jiyun gave a slight nod in response.
Stating his departure, Ji Shuanghu said, "We shall not delay your work any longer, Lord."
Song Jiyun added, "I will go back to draft a proposal and then seek your advice to see if it’s feasible."
With a smiling countenance, Lord Liu agreed and personally saw them out, or more accurately, saw the Deng nephews out of the Manufacturing Office.
The group bid farewell to Lord Liu once again.
Lord Liu waved them off with a kindly gesture.
Suddenly, a man looking like a guard, clutching his shoulder and charging clumsily over, said, "Third Young Master, Seventh Old Master, something terrible has happened, our people have been taken by the Prefect of Shuntian."
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