After Wong Dahai’s disappearance, news of trouble at the Song Family Warehouse spread through Liang County like an undercurrent.
Song Jiyun returned home, and after comforting Madam Qian without sharing any bad news, Xiang Zhan came running over.
"Miss, Miss!" she said, somewhat panicked, "Trouble! Ninth Master Song, Great Master, and Third Old Master are here with several of the Kiln Factory’s Store Managers and master craftsmen, saying that they need to speak with you in the Main Hall."
Song Jiyun washed her face with cold water, instructed Xiang Zhan not to let Madam Qian know, and then headed to the Main Hall.
Steward Wu, accompanied by several men, timidly waited outside the door, giving Song Jiyun a look that implied "be careful" as she arrived.
Song Jiyun nodded slightly and entered the Main Hall.
Ninth Master Song sat on the Taishi Chair to the left of the center, with Song Daliang and Song Sanliang seated to his left and right, respectively. The Store Managers and master craftsmen who had just separated were seated with their heads lowered near the door.
It all looked like some sort of tribunal was in session.
Song Jiyun sneered internally without showing it, calmly walking to her right, toward the Taishi Chair in the center of the hall, and sat down.
Ninth Master Song’s face darkened as he said sternly, "Is this a place for you to sit?"
"It’s my home, why can’t I sit here?" she retorted calmly.
Song Daliang jumped up immediately, pointing at her nose and berating her, "You ungrateful girl, if it weren’t for you, would the Kiln Factory left by the second brother have lost the Imperial Kiln Factory’s order? Do you really think you can call the shots?"
"That’s none of your concern!" Song Jiyun replied impatiently. "I oversee my family’s affairs, ring my family’s bell, why do you care?"
As Song Daliang continued to rant and jump about, Song Jiyun picked up a tea cup and said, "If you’ve come here just to talk nonsense, I don’t think there’s anything worthwhile to discuss..."
Her manner suggested she was about to see them out.
Quickly, Song Sanliang stood up, first rebuking Song Jiyun, "Niece, indeed this is not your place to sit. It would be better for you to find another seat."
Then he questioned her, "What’s the deal with Wong Dahai? What’s with the warehouse ledger? And that Blue and White Dragon Pattern Sea Waist Mug, it’s Imperial Burn! No one else could use it or display it once taken, so why did it just so happen to go missing?"
Song Jiyun glanced at the Store Managers and master craftsmen, responding coolly, "Everyone is here, don’t you all know?"
The Store Managers and master craftsmen were like quails, heads lowered, shrinking back and silent.
Song Jiyun snorted coldly, demanding sharply, "None of the Store Managers and master craftsmen have anything to say to me?"
Everyone remained silent.
Song Sanliang, noticing their silence, felt a flicker of annoyance.
He raised his voice to Song Jiyun, "There’s no need to pressure the Store Managers and master craftsmen. For years, the Song Family Kiln Factory has never experienced a Store Manager disappearing, orders vanishing, or Imperial Burn items being lost, nor has there ever been a woman managing the Kiln Factory. It all comes down to you breaking taboos. From today onward, you are to stay quietly at home and are forbidden from setting foot in the Kiln Factory again."
As he said this, he stood in front of the Store Managers and master craftsmen and spoke loudly, "The sacrificial white porcelain to be shipped to the Capital City needs to be loaded onto the ship soon. The Kiln Factory burns wood day and night just for this day. We mustn’t sacrifice the essential for the sake of the trivial and let the mistake of one woman ruin the Kiln Factory’s rules and fortune."
He also promised, "The orders from Prince Ning’s Mansion and Prince Huai’s Mansion are negotiable. Ninth Grand Master knows the people from Prince Ning’s Mansion and Prince Huai’s Mansion well, and I know Eunuch Wan. We can ask them for a new order. But the Capital City is a thousand miles away; if anything goes wrong with the goods meant for there, that would be the real dead end!"
The Store Managers and master craftsmen looked at each other, still no one speaking.
Song Li clenched his teeth and spoke up, "Miss Song, we are all vested in the Kiln Factory’s fate, hoping for its success. But the fact is, Wong Dahai disappeared without a trace..."
Song Jiyun smiled softly, but her eyes did not reflect the mirth.
"Of course, how could someone disappear without a reason?" she stood up, her demeanor still composed and indifferent. "Regarding Wong Dahai and the Kiln Factory Warehouse, I will give you all an explanation before August. As for now," she steadiedthe tea cup in her hand and called for Steward Wu, "see the guests out!"
"Hold on!" Ninth Master Song said at this moment, with a complex expression, "Song Jiyun, you persist in going your own way, ignoring advice. If any more troubles arise at the Kiln Factory, will you take full responsibility?"
Song Jiyun simply didn’t want to deal with him.
These Store Managers and master craftsmen were to be her subordinates in the future. What were Ninth Master Song, Song Daliang, and Song Sanliang anyway!
She once again ordered Steward Wu to "see the guests out".
"Alright!" Steward Wu had been waiting for this, and seeing the situation, he immediately led the sturdy servant boys in and said, "I’m sorry, gentlemen, but our Great Master isn’t here, and we can’t keep guests. My apologies! My apologies!"
Though he spoke politely, his actions showed no mercy as he dragged and shoved Ninth Master Song, Song Daliang, and Song Sanliang out of the hall.
The Store Managers and master craftsmen, upon seeing this, turned red with embarrassment, each one running faster than the last.
Although Ninth Master Song still cared about his status and said nothing, Song Daliang and Song Sanliang singled and doubled back, saying that the Song Family Kiln Factory had suffered so much trouble because of Song Jiyun stirring up strife. As a woman, she shouldn’t be stepping over men’s heads, taking charge of the Kiln Factory’s affairs. Now it was just harming the Kiln Factory, but if this continued, it would eventually harm the Song Family and the Clan of Song...
Even though the two were personally dragged out by Steward Wu, they still managed to alarm Madam Qian.
She was so angry she couldn’t even speak, just holding Song Jiyun’s hand and weeping.
Song Jiyun had no choice but to comfort her mother for a while, lit an incense to aid with sleep, and watched as Madam Qian fell asleep, before finally returning to her own courtyard.
Zheng Quan ran over, sweating profusely, "Miss, I didn’t expect they would do this. I was only away for a little while!"
"What does this have to do with you?" asked Song Jiyun indifferently, waving her hand and curiously inquired, "Where did you go just now?"
Zheng Quan said, "Ninth Grand Master announced this morning that whoever could find Wong Dahai would be rewarded with two hundred taels of silver. Then Third Old Master was also searching for Wong Dahai. I heard someone offered two hundred taels, and someone else offered three hundred taels. When Ninth Grand Master heard about it, he added another hundred. The Great Master went straight to offering five hundred taels... Now Wong Dahai’s price has gone up to eight hundred taels!"
Upon hearing this, Song Jiyun frowned and said, "Are you sure you’ve found out everything? They might just be stirring up trouble amidst the confusion, right?"
"It’s not like that," said Zheng Quan, remembering something and laughing, "They are all just vying with each other in secret. If I wasn’t familiar with the dock workers, I wouldn’t know the ins and outs of this matter."
Ninth Grand Master was looking for Wong Dahai, Song Daliang was looking for Wong Dahai, and even Song Sanliang was looking for Wong Dahai!
That meant Wong Dahai wasn’t in the hands of any of them!
So, was Wong Dahai’s disappearance related to them or not?
Song Jiyun fell into deep thought.
*
In the study of Yinyu Hall, Yuan Yunzhong sat on the Taishi Chair behind the large desk, gently tapping the armrest.
Shao Qing reported from the side, "Miss Song reviewed the accounts at the Kiln Factory for eight shichen and had just returned home when she was besieged by people from the Song Family and the Kiln Factory.
"They mean to say that Wong Dahai’s disappearance is because Miss Song committed a taboo, and as a woman, she should not appear in the Kiln Factory.
"They even threatened Miss Song with the Sacrificial White Porcelain. Left with no choice, she had to promise those Store Managers and master craftsmen that she would give them an explanation before August."
As he spoke, a trace of anger was evident in his tone, "I’ve never seen such shameless people!"
Yuan Yunzhong said nothing, but his fingers, tapping on the armrest, suddenly paused.
Shao Qing, oblivious, continued to give advice, "Master, what do you think about inviting the Jiangxi Inspectorate to investigate this matter? Or we could look into it ourselves..."
Yuan Yunzhong gave Shao Qing a glance.
Shao Qing felt a chill in his heart and instinctively closed his mouth, standing up straight.
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