Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 259 Request
In front of Xu En, Wang Yan reverted to his original self.

His serious expression, clear yet sharp eyes, and businesslike demeanor made it difficult to establish a personal relationship with him, no matter how you looked at it.

Zhiyuan led Xu En and Wang Yan forward, saying, "This used to be a pagoda forest of a temple."

Xu Endao: "You knew all along that there was a coal mine underground?"

Zhiyuan clasped his hands together and said, “I discovered it by chance, but I never thought of digging it up and using it. After all, this is the burial place of the monks in the temple. Until this year, I met Benefactor Xie. Under Benefactor Xie’s persuasion, I promoted Buddhist charcoal to the world. Later, Benefactor Xie’s coal mine was robbed, so I had no choice but to use the coal here.”

"Upon careful consideration, if it can save lives, destroying this pagoda forest is not a big deal."

Xu En looked over and saw many people walking back and forth in the mountains, carrying out baskets of broken coal and piling them up to the side. Others took the coal away to grind it.

The temple, such a tranquil place, actually concealed a coal mine.

"These people..." Xu En asked Xie Yuyan, "Are they all hired workers you brought in?"

Xie Yuyan said, "Most of them are ordinary people from Daming Prefecture, and there are also some refugees who have come to the temples."

Xu En pointed to one of them: "Is that a monk?"

“Those were monks passing through Daming Prefecture,” Zhiyuan said. “They heard that there was a coal mine in the temple and came to earn some money for their journey.”

"Travel expenses?" Xu En showed only a slight surprise before nodding.

Monks all beg for alms, but some monks follow different sects and behave in very different ways. He even heard that there was a monk who was good at cooking and hid in a restaurant. His specialty was actually meat dishes.

In comparison, it's not necessarily a bad thing that this monk earns money through physical labor to support himself.

Xu En and Master Zhiyuan were talking in front, and no one noticed that Wang Yan slowed down and walked behind Master Zhiyuan.

Xie Yuyan felt Wang Yan's gaze fall on her feet.

Seeing his gaze, she instinctively pulled back her feet a little faster. Then, a slight smile flickered across his eyes.

Master Zhiyuan's monk's robe was swept up by the wind, just enough to block the view of those around him. He asked in a low voice, "Are you feeling better?"

Xie Yuyan nodded.

He opened his palm in front of her again, and this time she could see clearly that there was a little rabbit in his palm, no bigger than a finger, with a fluffy body and a round tail.

That is……

doll?

Xie Yuyan rarely had such things in her previous life. If she had shown any interest in such toys when she was a child, she would have been criticized by those around her, as it was not in line with her personality. After entering the palace and becoming Empress and Empress Dowager, no one would place such things in front of her anymore.

Xie Yuyan wanted to act as if she didn't care, just as she was about to look away, when the rabbit lying in Wang Yan's palm suddenly twitched its ears.

She opened her eyes slightly. The rabbit should be fake, so could it not be?
Xie Yuyan instinctively reached out to take it, but Wang Yan closed his hand again.

"Lord Wang."

Xu En is calling for Wang Yan.

In the blink of an eye, Lord Wang had tidied himself up and met Xu En's gaze.

Xie Yuyan looked ordinary, but the monk Zhiyuan reached out and touched his robe. It was truly a rare sight to see two people plotting in front of the Buddha while someone else used his robe to cover up their secret.

Xu En asked, "Are those people who came down from the mountain all working in the coal mine?"

Wang Yan nodded calmly and said, "After clarifying the household registration, they will be sent back to their hometowns. If their land has been forcibly occupied, the government will investigate. If they have no land... they can also receive wasteland. But if anyone wants to stay here, their wishes must be respected." "Sir."

When Wang Yan and his group approached, they were spotted by the fleeing civilians, who stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Sir, we are willing to stay and work at the coal mine."

“The farmland in my hometown has long been used to pay off debts. Even if I were allocated wasteland, it would be difficult to survive until autumn. It would be better to work at the coal yard and be paid on a daily basis.”

"If we leave Daming Prefecture, I'm afraid we won't be able to find such a job."

They trusted Madam Xie, and since they had lodging in the temple and were provided with meals every day, they would soon be able to save up enough money to buy a house and settle down.

Although they were just working at the coal yard, during their breaks they chatted with the other workers. They all talked about the past, how being beaten and scolded by their employers was common, but they had never experienced that at the coal yard. Madam Xie forbade the managers from beating or scolding the workers at will, never delayed their wages, and did not require any tributes from them.

The Yang family's pottery kiln was the same.

They naturally didn't want to leave such a wonderful place.

Wang Yan naturally did not respond, but instead told them to wait for the government's decision.

Xu En turned to look at Xie Yuyan. It seemed that Madam Xie did indeed have some reputation here, at least so many people believed in her. This was usually something that could only be earned through benevolence and trust.

Wang Yan did not commend such a merchant.

That's true. Madam Xie's business is quite successful, but when it comes to government affairs, it's probably not worth mentioning.

Xu En suddenly had an idea. He looked at Xie Yuyan and said, "I heard that you, like the people of Chenyao Village, were almost framed and went through a life-or-death experience. Do you have any requests? Wang Tianshi and I are here. If we can fulfill them, we will do our best to recommend you for credit."

In such a situation, most people would probably refuse repeatedly, and in the end, the court would reward them with some money.

but……

Xie Yuyan, however, was different.

Xie Yuyan asked, "Have you two gentlemen come from the capital?"

Xu En nodded.

Xie Yuyan said, "Our Lord of Clay Kiln in Daming Prefecture should have heard of it. The Xie family of Daming Prefecture once bought a lot of pottery kilns, wanting to compete with me for the clay kiln business. Now that the Xie family has fallen, all the hired workers and craftsmen of the pottery kilns will go to the Yang family's pottery kiln."

"These artisans have been skilled in ceramics since the previous dynasty. Most of them left their hometowns due to famine. Now they have reunited and only want to make a living with their ancestral skills."

"Nowadays, in addition to clay kilns, pottery and porcelain kilns also produce other items. If you two gentlemen find anything of interest, please recommend it to your relatives and friends."

Xu En listened carefully, but there was no further comment.

that's it?
There was no need to report to the court for credit, nor to ask for rewards. It was as if simply using her products and giving a fair evaluation was enough.

Hearing what Madam Xie said, Xu En seemed even more curious about what kind of items the Yang family's ceramic kiln could produce. He turned to look at Wang Yan again.

This Lady Xie actually missed a good opportunity. If she really wanted to ask the Wang family and him for help, it might not have been impossible.

He has already given them a chance, and this is all he can do.

After visiting the coal kiln, Xu En prepared to go to the meditation room with Master Zhiyuan for a cup of hot tea.

Without realizing it, the two of them were walking ahead again.

As dusk fell, a thin layer of ice formed on the damp ground. Taking advantage of Xie Zishao's inattention, Xie Yuyan slipped and stumbled, but fortunately someone nearby reached out to help her up.

The moment his warm hand grasped hers, she deftly searched his palm with her fingers and successfully held the furry little thing in her own hand.