Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 277 Hidden Beauty
After the three old craftsmen finished speaking, they couldn't bear to take their eyes off the reliquary, after all, it was the first time they had ever fired such a vessel.

After switching to a coal kiln, the porcelain produced was noticeably different from that fired in a wood-fired kiln. The glaze was thicker, the colors were more vibrant, and the surface of the porcelain was smoother.

Wood-fired kilns aren't bad either; the glaze colors transition naturally and are quite elegant.

It should be said that both types of kilns have their own merits, but in the past there were no coal kilns. As the saying goes, good things are valued for their rarity, so items from coal kilns would definitely attract many buyers.

Furthermore... in terms of cost, a coal kiln is clearly more suitable. They haven't calculated the exact amount, but they feel it would save at least a third of the cost.

“It has to be the shape drawn by the eldest lady,” said Old Wei. “The lid is upturned, with openwork on all four sides. There is a crouching lion at the bottom of each of the four corners of the box. There is a door in the middle of the box, with guards standing on both sides of the door. In addition, there are brown, yellow and green glazes. Anyone who sees it will think it is precious.”

No one would question that this thing came from a royal temple.

It is considered a great treasure in the temple.

If a highly accomplished monk passes away and his relics are enshrined in this way, the entire temple will be honored.

After examining the room for a while, they finally looked away and noticed that there was another person in the room.

Fortunately, the man was writing at the desk the whole time, so they weren't startled.

Wang Yan said calmly, "I came to check the accounts with Madam. I didn't go over there because I was afraid you would panic and accidentally break the newly fired porcelain."

The three elders immediately stepped forward and bowed to Wang Yan.

Wang Yan didn't even raise his head: "Get up. There's no need for such formalities outside the yamen."

Xie Yuyan looked at Wang Yan. He would only say such things at home. Otherwise, even if he wasn't wearing official robes, as long as he was busy with government affairs, he should be treated as an official.

Wang Yan said he was checking the accounts, but he also told everyone to wait it out. He was clearly using some tricks.

The three elders immediately stood aside.

Wang Yan then said, "You all continue your discussion, don't worry about me."

The three people were unsure whether to move or not, and were about to go and see Xie Yuyan.

Wang Yan raised his head, his eyes clear: "If it's inconvenient, I can take the accounts out to see them."

It's freezing cold, how can we possibly invite Lord Wang out of the house?

Xie Yuyan said, "It's nothing serious, there's no need to avoid mentioning Lord Wang, let's continue."

The three elders then returned.

Old Wei continued, "The embossed plate is also drying, and we can bring it over in a while. My wife wants it to be smooth and translucent, so we can only carve lotus patterns to match those incense burners."

Actually, none of the three of them quite understood why Madam Xie had instructed that the plates must be fired until they were perfectly clean, rather than being delicate and pretty.
After the first few batches were fired, the old lady picked them up not to examine their appearance, but to hold them up to the light as if looking at their shadows.

The old lady was not very satisfied with the final result and only picked out two to keep as spares.

With those three old men around, how could the eldest daughter-in-law be dissatisfied? Besides, so many craftsmen have gathered in Daming Prefecture recently. If they still can't produce good products by working together, they might as well quit this trade altogether.

“This time it will definitely work,” Old Yao said confidently. “A wood-fired kiln might not be able to do it, but we’re using a coal kiln. I took a look when it came out just now, and it’s better than the previous batches.”

Xie Yuyan nodded and said, "Thank you all for your hard work these past few days."

“It’s nothing,” said Old Geng. “The old lady has done so much for the craftsmen, everyone knows what’s good for her. They may not be good at other things, but when it comes to crafts, everyone will do their best.”

This is the best way to repay the old lady.

After speaking, the three elders went back to oversee the kilns. They would continue to keep the fire burning tonight; several round kilns were used together to ensure a steady supply and prevent them from being idle. The door was closed again.

Wang Yan then closed the ledger in his hand and looked up at Xie Yuyan.

Xie Yuyan noticed his gaze, but deliberately waited a while before meeting his eyes: "Has Lord Wang finished checking the accounts?"

Wang Yan nodded: "I just finished reading it, and then I added a couple more notes. Luckily, it was an account book that my wife kept for backup."

"However, whether everything is done properly or not, we'll only know after my wife has seen it."

Wang Yan paused here and said, "If there's anything I did wrong, please point it out, and I'll correct it."

He actually picked up the accounts on the table, walked over to Xie Yuyan, and handed them to him.

Xie Yuyan looked down and saw the neat handwriting, which stood out like Wang Yan's.

In fact, Wang Yan might not be this diligent when handling official business, but it's different when it comes to Xie Yuyan's affairs. As long as she can see it, he has to do his best.

Even now, he is still just a "Lord Wang," but it's already quite good that she can keep him in her house; he can't push his luck.

Xie Yuyan flipped through the accounts to the very end and finally found the place Wang Yan had mentioned as "adding feet to a snake." There was a small circle drawn there, but it wasn't perfectly round, and there was an extra wavy stroke below it.

"Is this Lord Wang's monogram?"

Xie Yuyan had seen this signature before. After Wang Yan became prime minister, he left his signature on documents, which looked something like this. Upon closer inspection, it might have been even more casual.

Wang Yan no longer needs this; he only leaves such marks when writing documents and calligraphy at home.

Xie Yuyan put away the account book: "With the signature and the jade pendant, it seems that I won't need to go through Lord Wang to do anything in the future."

Wang Yan, however, was not in a hurry. Instead, the smile in his eyes deepened: "When?"

Xie Yuyan had no reason to back down: "I don't know yet."

“If there is ever a time when this is of use,” Wang Yan said, “madam, do not back down.”

……

There has been an unusually large amount of snow this year.

As Xie Yuyan stepped out of the porcelain kiln, snowflakes began to fall again.

Wang Yan opened the umbrella, helped Xie Yuyan into the carriage, and escorted her all the way to the Yang family's gate.

Watching her step through the gate until she was completely out of sight, Wang Yan turned and rode away. He had been busy with government affairs for several days and was already feeling exhausted, but seeing her made him feel much more relaxed.

Sang Dian suddenly appeared out of nowhere and asked, "Shall we go back to the patrol office?"

After revealing his identity, Wang Yan continued to rest in the courtyard behind the patrol office.

“I’m not going back,” Wang Yan said. “I’m going to find Xu En and continue reconciling the accounts.”

Sang Dian silently lit three small candles in his heart for Xu Duzhi. After being tormented for several days, Xu Duzhi's complexion had deteriorated, and it was uncertain whether he could hold on until they returned to the capital.

“Remember to prepare the grain seeds,” Wang Yan said. “When Baode Temple holds the religious ceremony, bring them along as a reward from the imperial court to the temple.”

Baode Temple did not occupy the full amount of land, yet it contributed charcoal for the Buddha, so it is natural that it should be rewarded.

However, although the reward was said to be for the temple, it was actually to help Madam Xie.