Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 466 Gathering Sand
At the southern wharf of Bianjing, boats constantly docked and departed, and the streets were bustling with people.

From dusk onwards, people began to walk into the alley not far from the perfume shop, and were led by servants into the same courtyard.

These people were merchants who ran porcelain shops in Bianjing. They heard that Madam Xie was going to reorganize the porcelain business, so they went to the South City Wharf with a try-it-out mentality.

The porcelain trade in Bianjing had long been secretly controlled by someone. The head of the trade, Han Si, was backed by someone else. Anyone who did not obey the porcelain trade's arrangements would be ostracized from Bianjing at best, and at worst, face lawsuits and lose both their money and their reputation.

Even under these circumstances, a new kiln managed to bypass the porcelain trade and enter the market. In the porcelain trade, this was a big deal; anyone who made a living from it had to find out exactly what was going on.

Soon it became clear why this new kiln was unusual: the owner of the kiln was extremely skilled at using coal, and all his businesses at the South City Wharf were related to coal.

Originally, this Madam Xie hadn't opened a porcelain shop in Bianjing yet and hadn't officially joined the Bianjing porcelain industry, so no one would likely pay attention to her if she spoke here. Moreover, she had offended Han Si in the trade at the border market, making it difficult for her to gain a foothold in the capital in the future. Anyone who associated with her would inevitably be implicated.

But the merchants, who were on the verge of desperation, caught a whiff of something coming from the coal kiln. Forgetting everything else, they flocked there, hoping to find some information and a way to save their shops.

More and more people gathered in the main room. The merchants were initially quite reserved, but after seeing many familiar faces, they secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

It turns out he wasn't the only one who couldn't make it in Bianjing.

In fact, they had previously considered uniting to fight against the porcelain guild, but someone tipped them off beforehand, allowing the guild to act prematurely, and some even ended up in lawsuits. From then on, no one dared to speak ill of the porcelain guild, and they were always wary of each other when they met, afraid that if they said something wrong, someone would report them to the guild leader and make them the target of everyone's criticism.

From then on, no matter how much the guild oppressed them, no one stood up for them anymore.

Seeing that almost everyone had arrived, Xie Yuyan led Yu's mother inside and, under everyone's watchful eyes, sat down confidently in the main seat.

However, Xie Yuyan did not rush to speak, but quietly looked at the people in the room.

The merchants remained silent. Some brought tea to drink, some simply lowered their eyes to rest, some pretended to be indifferent, and some just waited quietly, as if nothing else in the room concerned them.

Xie Yuyan waited a while before saying, "We are all from the Bianjing porcelain business, so we should know each other. Why is no one saying anything?"

The merchants remained aloof, some even sporting a cold smile.

Before seeking out these merchants, Xie Yuyan had inquired carefully and learned that they all had some past conflicts, which was why she had come to them.

According to the information Yang Xiaoshan gathered, most of these "clashes" were caused by the guild's instigation.

The guild must have taken action against them because their existence posed a threat to the guild. Even so, their business has continued to operate until now, which shows that they all have some ability.

If they can be brought back together, they can fight against the current guild.

The problem now is that they find it difficult to trust each other anymore.

Xie Yuyan said, "Since no one is speaking, let me make it clear why I invited everyone here."

After Xie Yuyan finished speaking, everyone looked up.

Madam Yu looked at the servant at the door, and immediately someone carried the porcelain into the house.

Xie Yuyan donated Buddhist porcelain to Baode Temple, but that was only a portion of the porcelain produced in the coal kiln. She bought so many porcelain kilns in the north, ensuring that each kiln retained its own strengths while achieving consistency in decorative techniques and firing methods. This way, the porcelain would look different but complement each other, which would help to quickly establish a new kiln network centered around Luzhou.

During her stay in Bianjing, the eldest master of the Yang family and Xie Zishao led their men to fire porcelain non-stop, which is how these porcelain pieces were finally produced.

Now that Buddhist porcelain has gained a reputation in Bianjing, it's the perfect time to sell it. Having run a porcelain shop for so long, one can tell at a glance whether a piece of porcelain is good or not. The merchants all got up to look at the porcelain, and couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

Even though some people used to think that Madam Xie had used the trick of Buddhist porcelain to sell her family's porcelain at the market, they now have to admit that the porcelain she made was really good.

“Actually, I don’t know anything about porcelain making,” Xie Yuyan said. “After I arrived in Daming Prefecture, my husband’s family owned a porcelain kiln, and that’s when I started trading porcelain.”

Although those who knew Xie Yuyan's background could have predicted this outcome, it still surprised everyone when Xie Yuyan himself revealed it.

One of the merchants spoke up: "How can you produce these without knowing anything about them?"

Xie Yuyan said, "It doesn't matter if I don't understand. As long as someone who knows how to make porcelain takes charge, we can get the same result."

This sounds right, but it's not so easy to do. The premise is that you need to know who knows how to fire porcelain, and that person also needs to be able to fire the porcelain you want.

Xie Yuyan said, "For the same reason, I don't know anything about the porcelain trade in Bianjing. I invited everyone here because I want to sell these porcelains together."

Upon hearing this, everyone was startled, temporarily forgetting their past grievances, and subconsciously looked at each other, finding a shared emotion in each other's eyes.

One of the merchants couldn't help but ask, "Does Madam mean... that you want to send these porcelain pieces to our shop? Don't tell me you're not planning to open a porcelain shop in Bianjing?"

"Of course, the shop will be opened."

Upon hearing Xie Yuyan's words, a flash of disappointment crossed everyone's eyes. It turned out that all they did was sell porcelain on consignment, just like other kilns did.

Xie Yuyan said, "But when I open a shop, I only sell decorative porcelain with complex techniques and rare glazes, which are the most valuable pieces made in the kiln."

"As for everyday porcelain, it is only priced, but not sold in the shop."

If they don't sell these everyday porcelain items in their own homes, where will they sell them? Naturally, it's in other merchants' porcelain shops.

The merchants looked at each other again, and it was likely that one of their shops was the correct one.

Before everyone could react, Zhou Guangyuan said, "Madam Xie's Buddhist porcelain has become famous even before it has been sold. And these porcelain pieces in the house are somewhat similar to the Buddhist porcelain in terms of firing techniques. It is conceivable that they will sell very well once they are put out."

"If that's the case, why doesn't Madam sell them herself? Why does she have to give them to us?"

Xie Yuyan smiled slightly: "Then when do you all think I'll be able to open a porcelain shop in Bianjing?"

"Once the shop opens, will the porcelain merchants deliberately make things difficult for us?"

"How much effort will it take me to solve these problems?"

No one knew why Madam Xie suddenly brought this up, but Zhou Guangyuan still said, "They will definitely be controlled within three years."

Xie Yuyan shook his head: "With my methods, about a year should be enough, but I don't want to wait even a year. I have many things to do and no energy to play those tricks with them."

"It's not worth the effort..." Xie Yuyan said. "It would be best to resolve all these troubles at once."

I'm a bit stuck on the plot, so I need to work on the outline. I don't know if I can release the second chapter tonight, so don't wait, it's best to read it tomorrow.