Jingtai Fengyun: The First Absurd Emperor of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 714 Dexing discovers a huge copper mine and the emperor rewards his trusted eunuchs
  Jiangxi, Jingdezhen.

Li Shan from Jinweiyi Qianhu picked up Gao Ping early in the morning and took a carriage to Dexing Town.

Gao Ping and Li Shan had always been good friends. After chatting with each other, he asked his doubts: "I came back from Annan to supervise the army and finally got to Nanjing by boat.

Before my butt was even hot, I received the order to come to Dexing.

I traveled thousands of miles and it was really hard. What are you doing mysteriously in Dexing? "

Hearing this question, Li Shan showed a look of despair on his face: "We are digging holes and digging rocks in the mountain."

"Why dig up rocks?"

"It is said that Emperor Taizu gave his sage a dream. There is some kind of giant shallow-buried copper mine in the Dexing Mountains east of Jingdezhen, which is a sign of the prosperity of Jingde."

After saying this, Li Shan felt a little embarrassed himself. This kind of thing never sounded true.

Gao Ping nodded: "In other words, the Holy Spirit sent you and me here to let us share the credit?"

Li Shan replied: "My own guess is that this is the case. We made a lot of contributions in the internal fighting in the imperial city back then, and this mission is a reward from the Holy Emperor.

But can copper mines really be dug out? Can this dream come true? "

Gao Ping waved his hand: "Forget it, seeing is believing. I'll see it with my own eyes tomorrow. Now I'd better get some sleep first."

"You didn't sleep well last night?"

Gao Ping smiled bitterly and said: "Forget it, the old men who make porcelain in private kilns in Jingdezhen are so enthusiastic that they dragged me to a banquet to entertain me.

They were both listening to the music and watching the dance, and they forced me to give me money. Forget it, they still forced me to get a woman. What do I, a eunuch, want from a woman?

These guys have been tossing me all night, and now my head is buzzing.

As the saying goes, don't hit someone with a smiling face. One by one, I can’t say anything about them, what’s the matter? "

Li Shan smiled and explained: "This is normal, the big businessmen who make porcelain are already anxious.

In the past, the imperial court sent eunuchs here to urge official and private kilns to fire imperial porcelain. These eunuchs were domineering, bossy, and exploited in all kinds of ways.

This time Duke Ruan came with [-] soldiers from Yingzhou Guards, and he concentrated on digging rocks in the mountains without even looking at the porcelain merchant.

On the contrary, the porcelain merchants felt uneasy. One by one, they crossed the sea and showed their magical powers. They were all drilling holes in the mountains to find a way out, just to meet Mr. Ruan and exchange a few words. "

Gao Ping shook his head: "These are some stupid problems. If we don't torment them together, they themselves won't be happy. Could it be that they like to be abused?"

Li Shan smiled and said: "I don't understand the twists and turns here."

After a bumpy journey, they arrived at the Yingzhou Guard Station in Dexing Town at noon the next day.

After eating a few bites of food, Li Shan took Gao Ping to the mountain and finally found Ruan Xi.

I saw Ruan Xi rolling up his sleeves and digging in the soil.

Gao Ping asked curiously: "Lao Ruan, what are you doing?"

In the past, Gao Ping worked as an undercover agent in Concubine Sun Ru's palace, and Ruan Xi was responsible for liaison with the news. The two of them were both eunuchs Bingbi, the Superintendent of Ceremonies, so they were relatively familiar with each other.

Ruan Xi looked over after hearing the words and saw it was Gao Ping. He hurriedly stepped forward, hugged Gao Ping and said with a smile: "Oh, brother Gao, I haven't seen you for several years since you went to Annan. Brother Yu really wants to see you."

The two chatted for a long time before talking about this errand again.

Ruan Xi explained: "The Emperor said that there is a very large copper mine here. Once mined, the court can mint an additional [-] million to [-] million copper coins every year.

This is a great achievement, the Emperor specially left it to us.

Come on, come on, Li Qianhu, get a pickaxe and let Brother Gao dig it together.

Most of the mountain tops here have been plowed, and if nothing unexpected happens, we will be able to gain something in another three to five days. Brother Gao, you are just trying to show off, and then the credit will belong to all of us.

I'll serve you some wine tonight, and let's have a good drink. "

Gao Ping reluctantly took the pickaxe and said with a smile as he dug: "I didn't do any hard work in Annan. Why did I get asked to dig stones as soon as I came back?" Ruan Xi smiled and said, "When I came here, I told you to go back. I serve as the general manager of Ciqing Palace for my brother. Although our young master does not live in Ciqing Palace, most of the subordinate officials of the East Palace are in Ciqing Palace. This is a great job."

Upon hearing this, Gao Ping became more motivated and really spread his arms to dig up rocks.

At dinner time, several large private kiln merchants chased them to Dexing Town and cried and shouted for permission to see them in front of the Yingzhou Guard Station.

Gao Ping let them in out of sympathy.

Six big merchants, carrying several boxes of gold and silver jewelry, and a dozen stunning beauties, representing the entire Jingdezhen folk kiln, begged the two powerful eunuchs to allocate some work.

Ruan Xi frowned and said: "The Holy One has always been the most considerate of people's livelihood, and we will not torment you. You can just go about your business in peace and contentment."

The six major porcelain dealers smiled bitterly in their hearts: That's not possible. The porcelain industry in Qingzhou, Shandong Province is developing very fast, and the Prince of Qi's Palace is behind it.

Who doesn't know that the emperor and the prince are taking turns to serve as the king of Qi? How can anyone afford to offend him? How can everyone compete with the Qingzhou porcelain merchants?

After all, two powerful eunuchs have arrived, and everyone must not fawn over them. The greatest sorrow in the world is not being able to deliver gifts.

Ruan Xi looked at Gao Ping, and Gao Ping looked at Ruan Xi. Both of them were speechless. These porcelain merchants were really crying and offering generous gifts, with the attitude that if you don't accept them, we will go and die.

After hesitating for a long time, Ruan Xi nodded: "You have all carried the gifts all the way here, and it is really unkind to ask you to carry them back as they are.

Let's do it this time. If it doesn't happen next time, don't give it away again. "

When the six porcelain merchants heard this, they breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly expressed their gratitude.

The great eunuchs of the Jingtai Dynasty had one thing in common: after receiving money, they served others sincerely. Those who take money and do nothing will not be able to explain themselves to their own emperor.

Ruan Xi ordered him to fetch a jade box and handed it to the leader Zhang Yuanwai.

"In this jade box, there are fifteen sets of portraits, four in each set, for a total of sixty paintings.

I had two errands when I left Beijing this time. One was to mine in Dexing, and the other was to collect Dushan jade in Nanyang. I ordered skilled craftsmen to make these sixty paintings into jade portraits.

You should take a look at these paintings first. If you can make square porcelain with a set of pictures of beauties on its four sides, and it is as lifelike as the paintings, the Holy Emperor will be delighted, and so will all the ladies. You will definitely be favored. "

These businessmen were quick-thinking and understood immediately. They all knelt down and thanked him profusely.

Ruan Xi also asked: "These paintings must not be desecrated. Why did you take them away? How can you return them to me as they are? I still want to use them."

The businessmen kept saying yes.

The guests and guests enjoyed the banquet until late at night.

Three more days passed, March [-]th.

Ruan Xi and Gao Ping continued to dig stones on the mountain with the soldiers and craftsmen of the internal officials and supervisors. Today they changed another mountain.

The emperor only said that it was in Dexing Town, among mountains surrounded by water on three sides.

Ruan Xi recruited more than [-] guardsmen from the local area, dug holes in the mountains, and dug almost all of this large area.

After noon, when everyone was drowsy, a soldier suddenly shouted.

Soon, the craftsmen from the Internal Affairs Bureau were attracted by the shouts. After repeatedly confirming the excavated stones, they hurriedly reported it to the authorities.

Ruan Xi and Gao Ping hurried over and asked the craftsman: "Is this fruit ore?"

The craftsman replied: "A few of us have been casting bronzes under the supervision of internal officials all our lives, and we are also quite proficient in the refining method of copper. How can we not know copper ore?

According to records, the Dexing Copper Mine was mined during the Tang and Song Dynasties, but the ore we dug in was so shallowly buried and of such good quality, it was really unexpected.

Everyone gathers together and digs deep within a radius of one mile with this place as the center. I am afraid that there will be a huge open-pit copper mine as the Holy Spirit said. "

Ruan Xi and Gao Ping were greatly excited and concentrated all their efforts on digging nearby. As the craftsmen said, there was no doubt that there was a large open-pit mine. There are even gold and silver ores associated with this copper mine.

Ruan Xi wrote a detailed report, attached several pieces of ore, and ordered his guards to rush to the capital six hundred miles away.

(End of this chapter)