Chapter 91: Modify the Kiln

In the afternoon, in Cuiyun Lane.

A white horse slowly came to a halt in front of the Chen Residence. Chen Wenzong dismounted gracefully, and as his feet touched the ground, a young servant from the household came forward to take the reins and whip from him.

Silently, Chen Wenzong lightly lifted the hem of his robe, stepped over the high threshold, and walked deeper into the crimson-gated mansion.

A sturdy servant approached, holding a gleaming bronze basin. "Young Master," he said, "please wash your face."

Inside the basin was prepared hot water, and a white cloth was draped over its rim.

Chen Wenzong picked up the cloth, dipped it in the hot water, and wiped his face twice from forehead to chin, feeling refreshed.

Chen Wenzong folded the white cloth and placed it back on the basin's rim, then quietly asked, "Where is Father?"

The sturdy servant replied in a low voice, "After the Master ordered the servant who embezzled money to be beaten to death, he had the carriage prepared and went to the yamen. It seems he still has official duties to attend to."

"And Mother?"

The sturdy servant answered, "Madam arranged to meet with Madam Zhang to go to the tailor's shop to choose silk fabrics."

"And Wenxiao?"

The sturdy servant continued, "The second young master went out with friends, saying he was going to East Market for an outing."

Chen Wenzong felt a moment of disorientation. A servant had died in the household today, yet it seemed no one in the residence was affected; everything was as usual.

"Where is the steward?"

"After being beaten, the steward was carried back to his room to rest."

"I'll go see him."

Chen Wenzong walked through the long, vermillion corridor and entered the rear compound where the servants lived.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he heard the steward's curses: "That little brat has now latched onto the princely estate, his wings have hardened, and he even dares to report to the Master! Apply the medicine gently!"

There was a 'smack' sound, as if someone in the steward's room had received a crisp slap. Soon after, a young servant's flustered voice was heard: "I'll be gentler."

Chen Wenzong frowned. The steward's tone at that moment was completely different from what he usually heard; it was like two different people.

He stepped forward and lifted the cotton door curtain, only to see the steward lying prone on the bed, bare-bottomed, while a young servant applied medicine to him. Beside the bed was a plate of preserved fruits and pastries.

Out of the corner of his eye, the steward saw Chen Wenzong enter. He immediately got up, pulled up his trousers, and said tearfully with gratitude, "Young Master, why have you come to visit me in this back courtyard? This sordid place where servants live is not somewhere you should be."

Chen Wenzong said slowly, "You took a heavy beating with those ten strokes; you must rest well. I just went to find Chen Ji, but I couldn't bring him back."

The steward said firmly, "Young Master, why did you go looking for him? Don't be fooled by his posturing now; it's merely a stratagem to make the Master feel sorry for him. As long as you and the Master ignore him, he will find a way to return to the Chen Residence in a few days."

"Why?"

The steward declared confidently, "Don't let him fool you with this act of not wanting to return to the residence. Could he truly abandon the wealth and glory of the Chen Residence?"

Indeed, the Chen family had been high-ranking officials for generations, and the current head, Chen Luchi, was the Minister of Revenue. How many could truly abandon such a prestigious family?

But as Chen Wenzong recalled Chen Ji, whom he had just seen, he distinctly felt that the other's expression was resolute and calm, truly intending to sever all ties with the Chen Residence.

He was silent for a long time. "Steward, rest well. I'm going to read. Tell the kitchen not to prepare my dinner tonight."

"Yes, Young Master."

Chen Wenzong left, passed through the deep courtyard, and returned to his room. He sat at his desk, intending to review the classics, but after turning a few pages, he found he couldn't concentrate.

The imperial examination was the day after tomorrow. He smoothed out a sheet of Xuan paper with a black jade paperweight, intending to write a policy essay, but his brush, filled with ink, remained poised, unable to start.

In Chen Wenzong's mind, the Princess Consort's reproach and the joyful laughter on the ox-cart continually echoed, refusing to subside.

A moment later, he actually stood up, walked out, and told the servant waiting at the door, "Prepare my horse."

Chen Wenzong hurried to the gate, mounted his horse, and with a gentle squeeze of his legs against the horse's belly, he galloped south towards the city.

He wanted to sincerely apologize to Chen Ji. His brother was injured, yet he hadn't cared. As an elder brother, he truly felt ashamed before the sages.

The official road, muddy and rugged after the thaw, grew darker the closer he got to Liu Family Village, with coal slag spilled from ox-carts covering the ground.

Liu Family Village was not as quiet as he had imagined. At the village entrance, merchants came and went, ox-carts in an endless stream, some carrying clay in, others bringing ceramics out.

Numerous chimneys stood tall in the village, continuously spewing white smoke into the sky.

Laborers, dressed in thin clothing and wearing straw sandals that let in the wind, were busy loading and unloading goods in the freshly melted snow.

The entire Liu Family Village was a colossal pottery workshop.

Chen Wenzong, still on horseback, hailed a laborer and politely asked, "Excuse me, have you seen the Prince Consort and the Princess Consort?"

The laborer looked a bit bewildered. "Why would the Prince Consort and the Princess Consort come to a place like ours? Young Master, perhaps you've come to the wrong place?"

Chen Wenzong was silent for a moment; he, too, thought he had come to the wrong place.

Yet Chen Ji had distinctly mentioned Liu Family Village in front of the medical hall.

He then asked, "Then have you seen a group of eight people come to Liu Family Village? There was also a monk among them."

The laborer suddenly understood. "Oh, you mean *them*! They just used a golden hairpin to take over Old Zhou's abandoned kiln factory. It's the third house on your left after you turn."

"Thank you!"

Chen Wenzong tossed out two copper coins and spurred his horse to continue through the mud.

The laborers, seeing his tall horse and dignified bearing, all moved out of the middle of the road.

After just a few steps, he heard Chen Ji's laughter coming from afar.

"Make sure to cover your mouths and noses with cloth strips! If you inhale dust, you'll be uncomfortable for quite a while!"

Chen Wenzong reined in his horse at the kiln factory entrance. He looked down at the mud on the road from the melted snow, and then at his own clean black boots, hesitating for a moment whether to dismount.

He looked up and saw the kiln factory gate wide open. Grey dust filled the courtyard. Chen Ji and the others were covered in dust, each with their mouths and noses covered by cloth strips, pushing a massive stone roller in the courtyard, grinding pieces of broken porcelain into powder.

This was completely different from what Chen Wenzong had imagined.

He had thought the Prince Consort and Princess Consort were happily enjoying the snow and searching for plum blossoms, but he never expected them to be gathered in a dilapidated kiln factory, doing dirty, arduous work.

The Zhou family kiln factory covered about two mu. To the left was a row of low adobe houses with broken tiles; in the center was a massive flat kiln, currently unlit; and to the right were mountains of defective ceramics, along with a huge stone roller.

Liang Gour lay sleeping soundly under the eaves of an adobe house, a dried tobacco leaf covering his face. The young monk sat cross-legged on the ground, eyes closed, chanting sutras. Chen Ji and the others together pushed the heavy stone roller, crushing pieces of broken porcelain into fragments.

Baili held a short broom, constantly sweeping the ground dust into a bamboo basket for later use.

Just then, a cloud of dust rose, coating Princess Consort Baili's face.

The Prince Consort, pushing the stone roller, said sympathetically, "Come here, brother will help you wipe your face."

Hearing this, Baili lifted her small face, but the Prince Consort didn't wipe her face; instead, he drew the character 'Wang' (meaning 'king') on her forehead.

The Prince Consort laughed heartily. "Now you look even more like a little tiger!"

Baili, anger rising, grabbed the broom in her hand and chased after him. The two ran around the stone roller, one chasing the other, while the rest, pushing the huge roller together, burst into laughter.

Liu Quxing looked at She Dengke. "Shall I wipe your face too?"

She Dengke sneered, "Get lost, you're disgusting. Don't think I don't know you're up to no good again, you sneaky wretch."

Chen Wenzong watched silently from his horse. He didn't know why, but these people, covered in dust, could find so much joy in pushing a stone roller.

Finding joy in hardship?

But with the esteemed status of the Prince Consort and Princess Consort Baili, why would they do such things like common laborers?

After much hesitation, Chen Wenzong finally dismounted. As he landed, his black boots were splattered with mud.

He did not speak rashly, but quietly walked into the kiln factory courtyard, observing silently.

He then heard Chen Ji say, "Alright, let's grind this much for now. I need to see the results to know how to adjust later. This time, we need to be prepared for a protracted battle."

His understanding of cement came from the widely circulated secret of 'two grinds, one burn.'

It sounded simple: evenly mix the calcined lime and clay in a 75:25 ratio. Although it couldn't compare to special cement, it would certainly be sufficient for this era.

Inside the kiln factory were mountains of broken porcelain, all defective products discarded by previous kilns, which could be directly used as already-fired clay raw material.

As for quicklime, known as 'hui' in the Ning Dynasty, it was already widely used in many fields and could be bought ready-made.

With all the raw materials apparently in place, it seemed only grinding and mixing remained.

But Chen Ji knew that, just like the method of decolorizing sugar with yellow mud, many things sounded simple but were difficult to execute.

Making cement was simple; making *qualified* cement was difficult.

At this point, no one noticed Chen Wenzong's arrival, so he quietly watched, wanting to see what the Prince Consort and the others intended to do.

Chen Ji poured the ground lime and porcelain powder onto an open space in the kiln factory, then added an equal proportion of water, stirring the pile of powder into a paste.

Once mixed thoroughly, he smeared the 'cement' onto a blue brick and left it to dry. The group, covered in dust, squatted nearby, waiting. The Prince Consort, squatting with his knees hugged, asked in a low voice, "Chen Ji, how long do we have to wait?"

Chen Ji thought for a moment. "Initial setting should take more than three quarters of an hour, and final setting within three hours, to be considered qualified."

"Three hours? That long?"

Chen Ji said seriously, "Patience. To achieve great things, one needs patience."

"Oh, then shall we play some Pai Gow for a bit? Did you bring any Pai Gow tiles?"

"Didn't bring any. We'll bring them when we come back tomorrow."

"Alright."

Baili smiled, "Although I don't know if this thing called cement will be as strong as Chen Ji says once it's made, working here feels much more interesting and fulfilling than studying in the academy."

Chen Ji laughed, "Princess Consort, this is just a fleeting novelty for you. If you had to work like those laborers, you certainly wouldn't be happy."

At this point, Baili suddenly looked crestfallen. "I used to always ask Xibing and Xitang about the world outside the residence, wanting to see how common people lived. Back then, just hearing them speak, I felt that the common people lived difficult lives. But today, seeing the laboring uncles still wearing straw sandals in winter, I truly understand that their hardships are beyond imagination."

Chen Ji was silent for a moment before saying, "The Princess Consort and Prince Consort were born into wealth, so you wouldn't understand the hardships of earning a living. However, your willingness to learn about these things is already commendable."

The Prince Consort pouted and said, "Those lamenting officials in the imperial court should also come and see what kind of lives the people under their governance are living!"

Chen Wenzong, watching this scene, suddenly spoke from behind them, interrupting, "Those lamenting officials in the imperial court also care deeply for the country. Day after day, they painstakingly formulate policies to rescue the common people from distress. If there's anyone to blame, it can only be the continuous wars between the Jing Dynasty and our Ning Dynasty, which have led to the people's suffering. The Prince Consort and Princess Consort, being of noble birth, should not be idling away their time mingling in the countryside, much less criticizing the imperial officials behind their backs."

The group, squatting on the ground, turned their heads to look at him together upon hearing his voice. "Oh, you're here?"

Chen Wenzong did not answer the question, only said earnestly, "Prince Consort, Princess Consort, you should return to your studies of the sages' teachings and benefit the region in the future."

The Prince Consort, still squatting on the ground, said casually, "We're working on something of great military strategic importance. You bookworms wouldn't understand."

Chen Wenzong's breath hitched. "How can you accomplish something of great military strategic importance in this dirty and messy Liu Family Village?"

The Prince Consort chuckled cheerfully, "You wouldn't understand even if I told you."

Chen Wenzong said firmly, "How can I understand if you don't tell me?"

The Prince Consort hesitated. "Mainly, I don't understand it myself."

Chen Wenzong murmured, "Prince Consort, you're quite honest."

Chen Ji, who was nearby, glanced at him. "Elder Brother, if you want to watch, then stand aside and watch. Don't ramble on. And don't look down on what we're doing now. The ultimate goal of learning is to be practical and benefit the common people; empty talk only harms the nation."

Upon hearing this, Chen Wenzong felt anger rise. According to Confucian principles of fraternal piety, brothers should be friendly and respectful, but Chen Ji clearly disregarded these proprieties, not considering him an elder brother at all.

However, remembering the purpose of his visit, he ultimately held back his anger.

Not wanting to demean himself by squatting on the ground like the others, he stood quietly to the side, waiting to see what mischief this group would get up to.

Only...

Chen Wenzong asked in confusion, "I just overheard your conversation. It seems Chen Ji is in charge here?"

The others exchanged glances, unsure what kind of question that was.

The Prince Consort pondered for a moment, then retorted, "Otherwise?"

Chen Wenzong was stunned. The steward had always said Chen Ji was fawning over the Prince Consort and Princess Consort, but now it seemed the steward was completely wrong.

Baili tugged at the Prince Consort's arm. "Brother, ignore him. We won't play with him."

Chen Wenzong: ...

He didn't know how long they waited, perhaps two hours, perhaps three. When their legs grew numb from squatting, they brought wooden chairs from the house and continued to wait.

Not until the sun was setting did Chen Ji suddenly say, "It should be ready. The initial setting time and final setting time are both acceptable. I just don't know if it's strong enough."

The Prince Consort leaned in to inspect it, seeing that the paste they had smeared on the brick earlier had solidified and adhered to the blue brick.

His eyes lit up. He looked at Chen Ji: "How long does ordinary glutinous rice mortar take to set?"

Chen Ji said, "Ten days."

The Prince Consort asked again, "If this stuff can really replace glutinous rice mortar, Father won't have to worry anymore. Ash and clay are readily available everywhere, and many common people won't have to starve due to the levy of glutinous rice."

Chen Ji held the blue brick, carefully examining the solidified cement's structure, then suddenly said, "Don't celebrate too soon."

With that, he reached out and gently poked it with his thumb. The cement, which should have been firm and strong, crumbled away like dregs of tofu.

If this cement were used to build city walls at the border towns, they would likely collapse even before the Jing Dynasty attacked.

At that time, the Prince Consort and Baili might be fine, but Chen Ji would likely be beheaded.

Where was the problem?

Chen Ji enjoyed reading popular science, so he had broad knowledge.

However, broad knowledge often meant a superficial understanding of each subject, without the ability to delve deeply.

He could talk eloquently about it, but when it came to practical execution, there were many detours to take.

Chen Ji sighed, "This current form definitely won't work."

The Prince Consort asked, "Then what should we do?"

Chen Ji thought for a moment. "These ground porcelain powders need to be sieved finer. Princess Consort, you take She Dengke and Brother Mao'er to search the village for a finer sieve. Prince Consort, you and Senior Brother Liu and the young monk will go buy more lime in a bit."

Chen Ji still felt something was off; it seemed he had missed a crucial step.

Chen Wenzong looked at Chen Ji, engrossed in thought, and felt that his brother was particularly compelling.

In the past, within the Chen Residence, Chen Ji lived in a separate courtyard. He ate alone, slept alone, and even attended a different academy than Chen Wenzong and Wenxiao.

Their mother would always use Chen Ji's mischief as an excuse to prevent them from spending time together.

These blood brothers, though living in the same mansion, seemed to live in two different worlds.

It wasn't until this moment that Chen Wenzong realized he had never truly understood his younger brother.

Just then, Chen Ji suddenly looked up at the huge earthen kiln in the middle of the courtyard. "No, the kiln is wrong! No wonder the owner stammered when we took over this factory."

With that, he took out a twig and squatted down, drawing a gourd shape on the ground. "This is an updraft kiln; its temperature can't reach the requirements for firing cement. We need to switch to a gourd-shaped kiln or a beehive kiln, so the updraft becomes a semi-downdraft. Prince Consort, go gather the laborers from Liu Family Village."

The Prince Consort asked curiously, "What are you going to do?"

Chen Ji stated confidently, "I'm going to modify the kiln."