Chapter 75
The kiln design that Lu Hanzhi had previously worked on had many flaws.
However, with the help of the ceramic artisans he invited later, all these issues were addressed one by one.
For instance, ventilation holes, the structure of the kiln door, fire grate railings, and certain details inside the kiln were all improved.
When the kiln was finished, it looked more like a large tomb mound from a distance—it was undeniably ugly.
But when Lu Hanzhi entered, he immediately discovered the intricacies inside.
The kiln was designed exactly according to his specifications, with meticulous attention to every detail.
The hands of the laborers were a divine gift, embodying wisdom and craftsmanship.
Lu Hanzhi, observing the pure white porcelain created from the kaolin clay, couldn’t hide his excitement.
Even the veteran kiln master, who had been working for over twenty years, couldn’t believe his eyes. Holding a small porcelain vase just fired from the kiln, he said, “Is this the clean bottle of Guanyin? Did she secretly place this into the kiln while we weren’t looking?”
Lu Hanzhi was equally surprised. The kaolin here could produce such flawless porcelain vases.
After some thought, he said, “This is our first batch of porcelain; let’s offer it as a gift to the Empress Dowager!”
When the artisans heard that it would be a gift for the Empress Dowager, they were all dumbfounded.
They speculated about the young master’s identity but dared not draw any conclusions.
However, they all felt deeply honored—being able to offer the porcelain they had crafted with their own hands to the Empress Dowager was a rare and glorious opportunity.
There were six pieces in the set, each with a unique shape, yet they complemented each other perfectly.
Lu Hanzhi named it “Six Blessings, Smooth Wishes.”
Everyone praised him for his excellent choice of name!
After packing the “Six Blessings, Smooth Wishes” into a brocade box, Lu Hanzhi faced a dilemma.
This kind of high-quality porcelain was not something ordinary people could afford.
In the history of his time, top-tier kilns were usually designated as official kilns by the imperial family.
He thought that once these porcelain pieces were made, they would certainly bear the royal mark.
However, since he used only the finest kaolin, he decided to divide the kaolin from the surrounding area into different regions, ensuring that he could maintain some distinction between porcelain grades.
So he instructed Zai Yu, “Have the kiln workers fire a set of porcelain from the kaolin in each region to see what kind of quality the clay produces.”
Zai Yu accepted the task and went to carry it out. Lu Hanzhi, holding “Six Blessings, Smooth Wishes,” returned to the estate.
He had come alone this time. The court was currently in a busy period, and Yuwen Min was overwhelmed with work.
His second brother was also occupied with military exams, likely preparing to recruit a new martial champion.
Lu Hanzhi enjoyed his free time. He spent his evenings with Ah Chan and his days running errands to the estate.
As for matters at court, he had no interest in them.
The Emperor’s intentions were unclear. He neither dealt with the suspected rebel Yuwen Mingji nor pursued the incident involving the Crown Prince’s reckless dancing of a Western dance.
Imperial orders were hard to decipher, and before the Emperor spoke, everyone could only go about their own duties.
The one person who was clearly thriving was Su Wan’ning, who, as expected, was rewarded by the Emperor and promoted to the position of a side consort to the Crown Prince.
Though she was a side consort, her heroic act in saving the Emperor had earned her an imperial token, putting her on nearly equal footing with County Princess Zhaoyun.
In the entire Crown Prince’s estate, only Lu Haozhi remained just an attendant.
He was burning with jealousy but had no way to act on it.
Looking at the entire estate, he had neither children nor influential relatives backing him.
Since his mother, Aunt Du, fell from grace, the Lu family had only been a pretty name to him.
He was still a concubine’s son.
County Princess Zhaoyun had heeded Lu Hanzhi’s advice, remaining in seclusion in her Yun residence.
The old servant Liu kept watch like an iron gate, ensuring no one could enter.
The Crown Prince treated her with kindness and had never been dismissive of her.
Su Wan’ning had attempted to visit her several times, but each time Wet Nurse Liu blocked her at the door.
Unable to enter, she gave up on the visits.
But County Princess Zhaoyun’s belly grew day by day, which troubled her greatly.
There could be no further mishaps with the Crown Prince. If the line to the Crown Prince were severed, she would have to find a new route.
She retreated time and again, and even if she eventually got the result she wanted, the effect was significantly diminished.
Moreover, several key missions were still unfinished. If things continued like this, it would be hard for her to accomplish anything great.
Su Wan’ning’s thoughts twisted and turned, yet in the end, she was at a loss.
She couldn’t afford to lose again. It would be better to wait for the right moment and move slowly.
The Emperor had already given her a jade token, which meant she could enter the palace at any time, although there were limitations on the number of visits.
Given that, she might as well visit the Empress more often. In doing so, she might also be able to help her regain the Phoenix Seal.
Furthermore, she had already planted a curse on the Emperor, ensuring that he wouldn’t act against her in the short term.
But recently, things had been going wrong one after another. Su Wan’ning had no idea when another problem would arise.
At first, everything had been going smoothly, so why had things become more and more difficult as time went on?
She carefully thought back on everything that had happened, and when she recalled using a mental attack on Lu Hanzhi to sabotage a critical connection, her thoughts abruptly stopped.
That had been her first mission failure. Since then, every mission related to Lu Hanzhi had failed.
Gradually, she lost the support of the Lu family and completely lost her chance to manipulate Yuwen Min. Even when she tried again to break that crucial connection, she failed once more!
If she still didn’t realize what was going on at this point, then Su Wan’ning would truly be an idiot.
A flash of coldness suddenly appeared in her beautiful eyes as she muttered to herself, “So… who are you really? Have you been sabotaging my plans all along? Whether by coincidence or not, it’s time for us to face off.”
Carrying a “Six Blessings and Smooth Wishes” gift box, Lu Hanzhi returned to the Prince An’s residence and sneezed several times. He rubbed his nose and glanced at Ah Chan.
Ah Chan, now over seven months old, could support his round, chubby body and crawl around.
Although every two steps he took were followed by him collapsing on the floor due to his round, little body, he stubbornly continued trying to get up and crawl forward.
When Lu Hanzhi turned to look, he saw Ah Chan face down, having fallen over like a fat insect.
Ah Chan lifted his head, shook it a little, stared for a while, and then continued crawling with his little legs.
Suppressing a laugh, Lu Hanzhi stepped forward and picked him up, saying, “Practicing crawling, huh? Take your time, no rush, we’re still young!”
After saying this, he looked around and didn’t spot Yuwen Min. He continued, “Shh, you mustn’t let that plastic stepfather of yours find out. He’ll say I’m spoiling you again.”
As soon as Lu Hanzhi finished speaking, Yuwen Min’s voice came from behind, “What bad things are you saying about me behind my back?”
Dressed in black brocade, the Prince entered the room. The sound of his jade ornaments clinking together was crisp and pleasant. The handsome man wore a cold expression as he looked at Lu Hanzhi.
Lu Hanzhi turned his back and stuck out his tongue, then quickly switched to a smiling face as he approached Yuwen Min. “You’re back, husband? It’s been hard at court. Let me help you with your sword.”
Saying that, Lu Hanzhi helped Yuwen Min remove his heavy sword, but it was so heavy that it nearly landed on his foot.
Fortunately, Yuwen Min reached out and caught it, or the floor of the house would have been dented.
Lu Hanzhi had tried to lift his sword many times, but never once had he managed to hold it properly.
Yuwen Min, however, carried it on his back every day as if it were no different than carrying a burlap sack.
Lu Hanzhi couldn’t help but think back to the wedding night when Yuwen Min had lain beside him like a solid block of iron.
He wondered if that heavy sword also had a commanding presence when used in battle.
His mind started wandering, and Lu Hanzhi cleared his throat, thinking that he must be affected by Xiao Langjun’s special constitution, because recently, he was becoming more and more out of control!
He shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts and regained his composure. He then asked, “What did the Emperor say at court today? Has the assassin’s identity been confirmed?”
Yuwen Min replied, “No. The Great Zhao Bureau has yet to present the autopsy results to the Emperor.”
Lu Hanzhi thought for a moment and said, “This is too much of a delay, isn’t it? Shouldn’t the autopsy have been done overnight?”
Yuwen Min considered it for a moment and replied, “It’s possible that the results have already been presented to the Emperor, but he hasn’t disclosed the information yet.”
After all, the Great Zhao Bureau was directly under the Emperor’s control. Any irregularities were handled personally by him.
Lu Hanzhi was confused, “Then what does this mean? Why is he doing this?” For some reason, he suddenly had a strange feeling.
Yuwen Min shook his head, saying, “There are many possible reasons. The most likely one is that he doesn’t want to disturb the current stability of the court.”
In the court, civil and military officials balanced each other out, with the Yin family holding the military in check, and the Rong family doing the same for the Yin family.
This allowed the Emperor to maneuver between both sides, neither completely controlled by the civil nor the military officials, as the powers were evenly matched, and the Emperor needed to maintain authority over both.
Lu Hanzhi asked, “So, does this mean our previous predictions were wrong?”
Yuwen Min shook his head, “No. You can’t let your guard down just because things seem calm. The Emperor can’t tolerate any sand in his eyes. Let’s wait a little longer.”
Lu Hanzhi nodded, watching as Yuwen Min picked up Ah Chan. The cold expression on his face immediately softened into gentleness.
Ah Chan was holding a small mechanical plane, which was his new favorite toy.
Ah Chan always seemed particularly interested in these rare gadgets, playing with them as if he couldn’t get enough.
Yuwen Min gently asked, “What’s this?”
Ah Chan answered, “Ji… Ji…”
Yuwen Min: ???
Ah Chan, thinking Yuwen Min didn’t understand, repeated, “Ji Ji! Ji Ji! Ji Ji Ji Ji!!!”
Yuwen Min’s face was dark with confusion. He twitched his mouth and turned to Lu Hanzhi, asking, “…What exactly have you taught him?”
Author’s Note:
Lu Hanzhi: … you’re seeing things, Your Highness!
Your favorite BL chaos wouldn’t be possible without coffee… lots of coffee….
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