Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 288 Paving the Way
Seeing that Madam Xie's expression was relaxed, Zuo Shangying guessed that she liked those painting themes.

It seems he was right; this is exactly what Madam Xie wanted.

It is evident that these porcelain pieces, like those clay stoves, were intended for sale to ordinary people, rather than to compete with the official kilns.

The porcelain sent to the border markets was diverse, including many exquisite pieces. Before the border markets were opened, merchants smuggled goods, risking arrest, and naturally transported only valuable items. As a result, only high-ranking officials and nobles of the vassal states could afford to buy those goods.

Now that the border markets are open, they can conduct business openly and legitimately. Ordinary people from the vassal states can also obtain goods from the border markets, but they cannot afford anything that is too expensive. At this time, the inexpensive Luzhou kiln products will definitely attract their attention.

Lady Xie used slip to cover the rough, yellowish porcelain body, and the pattern resembled the ink paintings of the Liang Dynasty. Many vassal states recognized the etiquette and culture of the Liang Dynasty, and many even spent a lot of money to buy books. Therefore, anything with the Liang literary style was considered more valuable in their eyes, and they would naturally like such porcelain.

If you like it and can afford it, the deal is done.

Don't be fooled by the low price of porcelain from the Luzhou kiln; if you sell a lot of it, you can still make a fortune.

Daming Prefecture had only just begun building coal kilns and had not yet seen any large-scale business, so people in the industry wouldn't take this cheap porcelain seriously at the moment.

Once the goods are transported to the border market and the situation is opened up, it will surely cause a great stir.

Once the trade is successful and the market needs a large quantity of porcelain, it will be time to truly showcase the skills of the Luzhou kiln.

All the porcelain kilns that built the same type of coal kiln could fire porcelain at the same time as the Luzhou kiln, and the speed of production was unmatched by ordinary kilns. This is what made Lady Xie so remarkable.

While others were still watching to see if Madam Xie could make a breakthrough, she had already laid out the plans for what would follow. That's the difference in vision and perspective.

Zuo Shangying was happy to be able to help, just like writing a good article and gaining recognition from others.

If he hadn't been so determined to enter officialdom and have ambitions in politics, he would have immediately pledged his allegiance to Madam Xie. To be able to work for such a person is truly a great fortune.

Xie Yuyan put the paintings away and looked up at Zuo Shangying: "I'll take all these paintings. As before, I'll pay you as a fee, Zuo Langjun. What do you think, Zuo Langjun?"

Zuo Shangying immediately replied, "I'll leave it to you, Madam."

Xie Yuyan turned her gaze to Zhou Dalang.

Zuo Shangying said, "My cousin came to Daming Prefecture this time to pay his respects to Madam, wanting to discuss a business deal with her."

Xie Yuyan kept sizing up Zhou Dalang, whose face showed a hint of timidity and worry. He swallowed hard before saying, "The Zhou family owns a porcelain kiln, but business has been declining in recent years, and it's not as prosperous as it used to be. We don't earn much. I've come here this time because I want... I want..."

For some reason, Zhou Dalang just couldn't bring himself to say it, fearing that his unreasonable request would anger Madam Xie.

Seeing that he remained silent, Xie Yuyan interjected, "Is it because you're not earning enough, or are you about to go bankrupt?"

Zhou Dalang was stunned: "Madam...madam knows about our Zhou Family Kiln?"

Xie Yuyan shook his head.

Zhou Dalang murmured, "Then how did you know?"

“If the kiln wasn’t about to shut down, you wouldn’t be so nervous,” Xie Yuyan said. “You’ve made this your only hope, and I’m afraid I’ll reject you.”

Zhou Dalang was speechless for a long time before stammering, "Yes... Madam is a divine being, I... our Zhou family kiln is finished, I..."

Xie Yuyan said, "You want me to help build a coal kiln, just like Xie Zishao's new kiln, but you don't want to help me fire porcelain. You still want to continue firing Zhou family porcelain?"

Everything they predicted came true.

Zhou Dalang glanced at Xie Yuyan, then at Zuo Shangying. Why were all the people he met so clever?
Now that things were out in the open, there was no need for him to hide anything. He nodded repeatedly, saying, "That's...that's exactly right..."

Xie Yuyan said, "No." Sure enough. Zhou Dalang's heart sank: "What if I pay more for inspection, sell the porcelain... and give Madam a 20% profit?"

Xie Yuyan shook his head again.

"Thirty percent."

Xie Yuyan remained silent.

"Fifty... fifty percent, or seventy percent... that's the most I can give. Any more than that, and I'm afraid I won't be able to come up with it." He needed to use the extra money to support his clansmen, who also needed to learn a trade.

Zhou Dalang looked at Zuo Shangying with a pleading expression, clearly wanting Zuo Shangying to speak up for him.

Zuo Shangying remained calm and did not say anything.

"Madam," Zhou Dalang bowed even deeper, "Please help us, Madam. Our Zhou family has been making porcelain for over a hundred years, and it's an ancestral craft... If it's lost like this, we'll all become unworthy descendants."

Xie Yuyan waited for Zhou Dalang to finish speaking before asking, "Do you know about Yang family porcelain?"

Anyone who works in the porcelain kiln industry knows a thing or two about the kilns in the area. He nodded and said, "The Yang family's porcelain kiln had already closed before Madam came."

Xie Yuyan said, "Now the master is helping me fire porcelain in Lanzhou. The white porcelain with black flowers and the black porcelain with white flowers that you have seen are all made by him."

Zhou Dalang understood what Xie Da Niangzi meant. Sure enough, no one would build a kiln for someone else for nothing.

Zhou Dalang was utterly discouraged; it seemed this attempt would be fruitless.

Unexpectedly, Xie Yuyan's voice came again: "Then do you know the most famous plum vase of Yang family porcelain?"

Zhou Dalang nodded subconsciously.

Xie Yuyan asked, "How are the plum vases being made by the Yang family now?" As she spoke, she pointed to the antique shelf next to her.

Zhou Dalang looked up and saw a plum vase standing there, painted with begonias and warbling orioles. The Yang family used to imitate white porcelain with carved patterns, but now they have changed their technique. It is still the same plum vase, but it looks completely different.

Zhou Dalang seemed to have grasped something.

Xie Yuyan asked, "What does the Zhou family kiln specialize in firing?"

Zhou Dalang didn't hesitate: "The jar... no... a painted jar. My ancestor was skilled at painting peonies, so..."

"Now, if I ask you to make a white-ground carved and painted peony jar, and I have the craftsmen do the white-ground carving while you paint the peony pattern, is it possible to make it?"

Zhou Dalang immediately perked up: "Yes."

Xie Yuyan said, "If your Zhou family kiln continues to produce porcelain like this in the future, you can retain your strengths, but you must have the techniques of the Luzhou kiln, such as white-ground carved decoration and white-ground black decoration. Are you willing?"

Zhou Dalang nodded, but he didn't understand: "Why..."

This time, without Xie Yuyan speaking, Zuo Shangying said, "It's difficult for a small porcelain kiln to compete with large kilns, and it's even more difficult to compete for business under their control. If everyone were to come together, it would be different. Each porcelain kiln has its own characteristics, and all the porcelain kilns as a whole can achieve uniformity. In this way, they can gain a place in the market."

"For example, if you fire white-glazed carved porcelain, you can borrow the reputation of Buddhist porcelain. But if you add ancestral painted patterns to the white-glazed carved porcelain, you've added another type of vessel to the Luzhou kiln. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"

Zhou Dalang understood completely, and he immediately bowed to Xie Yuyan: "I am willing to obey Madam's orders."

Xie Yuyan nodded: "However... before that, I need you to take the porcelain made by the Zhou family to that old man Han Xing."