Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 553 Benefits
As Wang Tiju spoke, he handed Wang Bingcheng the petition that Xie Yuyan had submitted to the Municipal Affairs Bureau.

Wang Bingcheng read through the entire complaint, then looked up and asked, "She even got the accounts from the storage yard? This is... a favor you did?"

Wang Tiju immediately shook his head: "We don't need to do this. They did it all themselves."

Wang Bingcheng thought of Wang Yan, wondering if Wang Yan had intervened? If Wang Yan gave some pointers to the storage yard, the supervising official would surely do his best.

Wang Tiju said, "I also sent people to inquire about the news. It turns out that Madam Xie brought a lawyer to the supervisor of the storage yard. Madam Xie has a book of price estimates for porcelain and a bunch of contracts. These are enough to prove that Han Si and others are hoarding and speculating."

"In other words, if the storage yard refuses to audit its accounts, the storage yard will also be implicated."

After saying this, Wang Tiju paused and said, "The key point is that Madam Xie sought out the prison official."

Wang Bingcheng raised his eyes: "What do you mean by that?"

Wang Tiju laughed and said, "Sir, you don't know what's going on down there. In places like the storage yard, those warehouses secretly report losses and withhold goods. They band together to deceive their superiors, and some officials are even manipulated by them. The supervisor that Lady Xie found only went to the storage yard at the beginning of this year, so he probably hasn't sorted it out yet."

"The hoarding and speculation happened last year, and even if it's investigated, it has nothing to do with him. He can use this to establish his authority, so why wouldn't he do it?"

"Furthermore, Han Si has already been arrested and imprisoned. When a wall falls, everyone pushes it down. This case has blown up and can't be kept secret any longer. As the new head of the porcelain business, it's only right that Madam Xie investigates this matter. Anyone who obstructs it is an accomplice of Han Si, and who would want to be implicated?"

Above Han Si is Xia Mengxian; no one can afford to get involved in this trouble.

Wang Bingcheng asked, "What's the deal with the contract in Xie Xinglao's hand?"

Wang Tiju's eyes lit up: "That's why I said Lady Xie is formidable. Those contracts were all handed over to her willingly. The merchants who colluded with Han Si to hoard goods and engage in speculation were probably afraid that they wouldn't get any benefits after Lady Xie became a trader, so they secretly gathered together to make things difficult for her..."

Wang Tiju recounted how the merchants had forced the porcelain shop to hand over the goods.

"When Madam Xie wanted to verify the authenticity of the contracts, those people handed them all over to the porcelain shop. The contracts themselves are genuine and can withstand verification, but how they were signed and what's going on inside them can't stand up to scrutiny."

Wang Bingcheng was somewhat puzzled: "Didn't those merchants think of these things?"

Wang Tiju said, "Madam Xie secretly sent people to purchase porcelain, as if she was preparing to spend a lot of money to stabilize the porcelain business. Who would have thought she had prepared this move?"

Wang Tiju shook his head and sighed: "So that's why he was able to buy so many porcelain kilns in Daming Prefecture, take over the trade in the border markets, and become the head of the porcelain industry..." He pointed to his head.

Those merchants, who were so focused on scheming against others, ended up throwing themselves into prison. Wasn't that just shooting themselves in the foot?

Wang Bingcheng connected all these things, and with these things in her hands, Xie Niangzi certainly didn't need to ask anyone else for help.

“Our market trade also has some porcelain,” said Wang Tiju. “It’s because the porcelain market suddenly surged last year that we purchased some and put them in storage this March. We were originally thinking that if Mr. Xie came to us, we would release some porcelain to help lower the market price.”

Wang Bingcheng said, "You don't need to take action now. If this hoarding and speculation case is confirmed, you can still confiscate the merchants' goods and money."

Wang Tiju nodded: "I just mentioned that Xie Xinglao sent some benefits to the Municipal Affairs Bureau."

After the imperial court established the Market and Trade Bureau, the first priority was to stabilize the price of rice and grain. They hadn't had time to get involved in things like porcelain yet, but unexpectedly, Xie Xinglao came and took care of all these matters for them. Now, whatever they did was much easier and more efficient.

Wang Bingcheng returned the petition to Wang Tiju, muttering, "The methods are truly ingenious." No wonder his foolish son keeps calling her "sister-in-law" when he's drunk.

His clever and quick-witted nephew, disobeying his elders, was determined to protect her. Even this Magistrate Wang, standing before them, spoke highly of Lady Xie.
Even he himself began to feel that He Chun and Xie Niangzi together might be able to accomplish something great.

The question is... did He Chun actually win Xie Niangzi's heart?

Such a capable woman cannot be kept at home. What will happen to the two of them after they get married?
Their future child will surely be intelligent, and they, the Wang family…

"Editor Wang."

Wang Tiju called out, and Wang Bingcheng looked over.

A clerk was standing next to Wang Tiju, who was obviously there to report to Wang Tiju.

“The soldiers I sent arrested those merchants and have already sent them to the county government,” said Wang Tiju. “The people in the porcelain business said they admitted to deliberately raising the market price of porcelain last year in collusion with Han Si.”

"This is an ironclad case."

Wang Tiju was naturally pleased, as he had just been transferred to the position of Municipal Affairs Officer, and this was a significant achievement for him.

Wang Bingcheng nodded: "If the Prefectural Governor has matters to attend to, please go ahead and do your work. I will invite the Prefectural Governor for tea another day."

Wang Tiju bowed to Wang Bingcheng before hurriedly leaving with his men.

Wang Bingcheng opened the window and saw that Wang Tiju had changed into his official robes and was riding his horse toward the county government office. Just from his back view, he looked very pleased with himself.

Wang Tiju just said that Xie Niangzi had control of the stacking yard, but he forgot to mention himself. Wasn't he also being driven to do things by Xie Niangzi?

If Wang Bingcheng had some concerns before, fearing that Xie might intentionally use Hechun, after all, merchants are driven by profit and bribing officials is a common occurrence.

However, after seeing these things, all those concerns disappeared.

Such a capable person could make money in any business, so why bother provoking the Wang family?
“Alas,” Wang Bingcheng said, “Brother, you are in trouble.”

He Chun had already exhausted all his strength against He Chun, and now with Lady Xie on top of that... there was no way he could escape defeat.

“Next, something big is going to happen in the porcelain business.” Wang Bingcheng suddenly became very interested and wanted to see what else would happen.

……

Outside the southern city wall of Bianjing.

Xie Qi sat on the ground, his eyes fixed on the porcelain kiln in front of him. He hadn't left here for several days. His hair was a little disheveled, and he had grown a lot of stubble on his face. He looked no different from the ordinary craftsmen.

The craftsman beside Xie Qi looked at him and said, "There are very few masters like you, sir."

Xie Qi grinned and said, "You don't understand. I'm Tenth Sister's elder brother, a proper member of her family. No matter what, we have to be reliable. I must do well the things Tenth Sister entrusted to me."

The craftsmen were also from Daming Prefecture and were among those listed in Xie Yuyan's register of craftsmen. They held Xie Madam in high esteem and, upon hearing Xie Qi's words, felt all their fatigue vanish. They stood up and said, "Let's go... We must build another coal kiln today. Madam needs us, and we must make her proud."