Jiangxi, Jingdezhen.

Li Shan, a thousand households in Jin Sweatshirt, picked up Gaoping early in the morning and took a carriage to Dexing Town.

Gao Ping and Li Shan have always been on good terms, and after meeting each other, they asked the doubts in their hearts: "I came back from the Annan Supervision Army, and it was easy to take a boat to Nanjing.

Before my ass was hot, I received an order to let me come to Dexing.

I have traveled thousands of miles again, and I have been truly sinned. What are you doing mysteriously in Dexing? ”

Hearing this question, Li Shan's face showed lovelessness: "We dig pits and stones in the mountains." ”

"Why dig up stones?"

"It is said that Emperor Taizu gave the saint a dream, in the east of Jingdezhen, in the Dexing Mountain, there is a heaven-sent giant shallow buried copper mine, which is a sign of the prosperity of the saint Jingde."

After saying this, Li Shan himself was a little embarrassed, this kind of thing, no matter how it sounds, it doesn't sound real.

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

Li Shan replied: "I guess it myself, it's the same thing." We made a lot of contributions in the infighting in the Imperial City back then, and this errand was a reward from the Holy Lord.

But can copper really be mined? Can this dream really come true? ”

Gao Ping waved his hand: "Forget it, seeing is believing, I'll see it with my own eyes tomorrow, and I'll sleep for now." ”

"You didn't sleep well last night?"

Gao Ping smiled bitterly: "Don't mention it, the old men who make porcelain in Jingdezhen are too enthusiastic, and they dragged me to the banquet to entertain me."

I listened to music and watched dances, and I was forced to stuff me with silver. Forget it, they still forced me to stuff women, saying that I, a eunuch, want women to do.

These guys tossed me all night, and my head was buzzing right now.

As the saying goes, reach out and don't hit the smiling person. One by one, I can't talk about them, what's the matter. ”

Li Shan explained with a smile: "This is normal, those big businessmen who make porcelain are already anxious.

In the past, the imperial court sent eunuchs here, all urging the official kilns and private kilns to fire imperial porcelain. These eunuchs are all high-flying, commanding, and exploiting all kinds of oppression.

This time, Ruan Gong led 5,000 battalions of state guards to come, and he devoted himself to digging stones in the mountains, without even looking at the porcelain merchant.

On the contrary, the porcelain merchants were not sure, one by one, the eight immortals crossed the sea, each showing their magical powers, and they were all drilling holes in the mountains to find a way, just to meet Ruan Gong and say a few words. ”

Gao Ping shook his head: "What kind of cheap problem is this, if you don't toss them together, they themselves are not happy, could it be that they like to be abused?" ”

Li Shan smiled: "I don't understand the twists and turns in this." ”

The road was bumpy, and at noon the next day, the two came to the Yingzhou Wei station in Dexing Town.

After a few bites of food, Li Shan took Gao Ping to the mountain, and it was easy to find Ruan Xi.

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

Gao Ping asked curiously, "Old Ruan, what are you doing here?" ”

In the past, Gao Ping was undercover in the palace of Concubine Sun, and Ruan Xi was responsible for contacting the news, both of them were eunuchs with the master of ceremonies and eunuchs, so they were also more familiar.

When Ruan Xi heard this, he saw that it was Gao Ping, and hurriedly stepped forward to hold Gao Ping and smiled: "Oh, Brother Gao, since you went to Annan, but I haven't seen you for several years, and the foolish brother really wants to see it." ”

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

Ruan Xi explained: "The emperor said that there is a very large copper mine here. Once mined, the imperial court could mint between 10 million and 20 million copper coins per year.

This is a great credit, and the emperor specially left it to a few of us.

Come on, Li Qianhu, take a pickaxe and let Brother Gao planing together.

Most of the mountains here have been planed, and it is not surprising that there will be a harvest in another three or five days. Brother Gao, you also make a plan, and the credit will be all of us when the time comes.

I'll give you another drink in the evening, so let's have a good drink. ”

Gao Ping reluctantly took the pickaxe, and said with a smile while planing: "I haven't worked as a coolie in Annan, why do you let me dig stones as soon as I come back." ”

Ruan Xi said with a smile: "When I came, my mother said that I would go back to my brother and serve as the head of Ciqing Palace." Although our master does not live in Ciqing Palace, most of the officials of the East Palace are in Ciqing Palace, which is a big difference. ”

As soon as he heard this, Gao Ping became energetic, and he really opened his arms and picked up the stones.

At dinnertime, several large merchants of the kiln chased them to Dexing Town, crying and shouting in front of the Yingzhou Wei station.

Gao Ping was embarrassed and let them in.

Six big merchants, with several boxes of gold, silver and jewelry, and more than a dozen stunning beauties, represented the entire Jingdezhen folk kiln, begging the two powerful eunuchs to assign some work.

Ruan Xi frowned and said: "The saint has always been the most sympathetic to the people's livelihood, and we will not toss you, you can do your own business in An'ansheng." ”

The six major porcelain merchants smiled bitterly in their hearts: That's not good, the porcelain industry in Qingzhou, Shandong is developing very fast, and it is still the Qi Wangfu behind it.

Who doesn't know that the emperor and the crown prince are taking turns to serve as the king of Qi, so can anyone afford to provoke it, so how can everyone compete with Qingzhou porcelain merchants.

It's easy to come with two powerful eunuchs, and everyone can't die to the death. The greatest sorrow in the world is that you can't give gifts.

Ruan Xi looked at Gao Ping, Gao Ping looked at Ruan Xi, both of them were speechless, these porcelain merchants were really crying and shouting to offer generous gifts, a frame like you don't accept us and go to death.

After hesitating for a while, Ruan Xi nodded: "You have all brought the gifts all the way here, and it is indeed unsatisfactory to let you carry them back as they are."

That's it this time, don't take it as an example, and don't send it again in the future. ”

When the six porcelain merchants heard this, they were greatly relieved, and they were busy thanking them and grateful.

The great eunuchs of the Jingtai Dynasty had a common advantage: after receiving money, they sincerely served people. If you don't do anything with money, you can't explain it to your own emperor.

Ruan Xi ordered to take a jade box with him and handed it to Zhang Yuanwai, who was the leader.

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

When I went to Beijing this time, I had two errands, one was to mine in Dexing, and the other was to go to Nanyang to collect Dushan jade, and ordered skilled craftsmen to make these 60 paintings into jade carving portraits.

If you can make that kind of square porcelain, the four sides of the porcelain are a group of beautiful pictures, and the painting is as lifelike as the painting, the saint will be happy, and the ladies will definitely favor you. ”

These businessmen were so active that they immediately understood, and they knelt down in unison to thank them.

Ruan Xi instructed again: "These paintings must not be desecrated, how did you take them, how can you return them to me as they are, I still want to use them." ”

The merchants said yes again and again.

The next banquet was enjoyed by the guests and hosts until late at night.

Three more days passed, March 26.

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

The emperor only said that it was in Dexing Town, between a mountain surrounded by water on three sides.

Ruan Xi requisitioned more than 10,000 guards from the local area, drilled holes in the mountains, and dug up this large area.

After noon, while the crowd was drowsy, a soldier suddenly shouted.

Soon, the craftsmen of the inner official prison were attracted by the shout, and after repeatedly checking the excavated stones, they hurriedly reported to the authorities.

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

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

This Dexing copper mine, according to records, has been mined during the Tang and Song dynasties, but the place we dug up, the ore is buried so shallowly, and the quality is so good, it is really unexpected.

Everyone gathered, centered here, and dug deep within a radius of one mile, I am afraid that if it is really as the saint said, there will be a huge open-pit copper mine. ”

Ruan Xi and Gao Ping were greatly excited, and concentrated all their efforts to dig nearby, as the craftsman said, there is no doubt about the open-pit mine. Even gold and silver ores are associated with this copper mine.

Ruan Xi wrote a detailed report, attached a few pieces of ore, and ordered his personal guards to send it to Jingshi urgently for 600 li.

(End of chapter)