Several people climbed a high ridge. Outside the village, shadows of people could be seen, at least three to four hundred soldiers, plus three to four hundred retainers and potters. On this side, these Qinu had already been organized according to the garrison's structure. To avoid being enslaved, these people were naturally high-spirited, no different from the Tunken Yi Yong, and certainly not to be bullied. The two sides faced off outside the earthen stockade at the village entrance.
Zhu Mo thought for a moment and said to Xu Chuan:
“Old Xu, I think we should do this… You immediately send people to move half of these presumptuous artifacts away, and then find some more porcelain…”
He then turned to Wang Wei and said, “Mr. Wang, you can’t stay here either. Let’s all leave first, taking the other half of the porcelain with us…”
Xu Chuan was very shrewd and realized:
“That’s fine! Grand Academician Zhu, you go first. I doubt they would dare to do anything!”
Mm,
Zhu Mo said calmly:
“They are likely after this batch of porcelain… This is a great crime of rebellion. Shen Chunchi is determined to get it. If you resist forcefully, it will cause big trouble… I think, Old Xu, you should yield this time and let them find that porcelain… We will also take the three retainers with us. After they have made their statements, I will release them… You immediately send someone to the Jiangxi Provincial Administration's Judicial Department, find Lord Pan Sheng. Lord Pan was recommended by Zhang Juzheng and is quite reliable. He should bring people to mediate…”
Lü Kun said:
“If Shen Chun sees that the three missing retainers are not there, will he become suspicious?”
Zhu Mo said:
“Let’s try. Say they ran away during the chaos. If we can keep it a secret, we’ll have a trump card. If not, then so be it…”
He naturally understood that this matter depended on luck. If it passed by smoothly, and later they recorded the statements of the three retainers and issued them under the name of the Zhongwu School Captain of the Zhoushan Public Office, it would become a legal case file. At that time, the three retainers would be witnesses, and Shen Chun would have no material evidence once he saw the porcelain smashed. The case file would naturally be invalid…
Thinking of this,
He immediately asked Xu Chuan to send people to hold the front line. They set up a hall in a thatched hut, with Lü Kun presiding. Zhu Mo personally took down the depositions. In less than half an hour, the statements of the three retainers were completed. These three were involved in such serious matters and knew that only by confessing truthfully could they escape punishment as accomplices. They obediently signed.
Meanwhile,
Xu Chuan’s subordinates had found some ordinary porcelain, mixed them together, and piled them in the cow shed. The other half was loaded into a horse-drawn carriage. Zhu Mo, accompanied by Lü Kun and Wang Wei, escorting the three retainers, climbed the small hill behind the village. He had Wang Wei drive the carriage along the small path to the main road, heading towards Hangzhou. After the carriage had gone far, the two of them set fire to a circle and returned to Jingde Town, pretending to be merchants and staying in an inn.
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At the same time, Xu Chuan’s messenger was already on the road to Nanchang. It was expected that by noon the next day, people from the Provincial Administration's Judicial Department would arrive.
Wang Shengcai saw that the porcelain-carrying carriage had disappeared into the forest and immediately ran back to the village entrance to tell Xu Chuan. By this time, both sides were not only exchanging insults but also throwing stones at each other. On Shen Chun's side, the leader was Peng Bosheng, along with Shi Fu, the commander of Fuzhou, who was in charge of a thousand-household post supervising kiln production. Three hundred people had arrived tonight. At this moment, the two were extremely anxious, wishing they could immediately order the village to be wiped out. However, thinking that Shen Chun’s order was for tonight and there was no command from a superior officer for troop deployment, they could not act decisively.
Xu Chuan already had a plan in mind. Instead, he called everyone to open the stockade gate and shouted to the two:
“Old Peng, we’re old acquaintances! What are you making such a fuss about tonight?”
Peng Bosheng stepped forward and said:
“Xu Chuan, Lord Shen Chun has ordered that a batch of porcelain was stolen from the official kiln! Some say you took it! This batch of porcelain was custom-made by Westerners and is due to be delivered at Jiujiang in a few days. It is of great importance! Hand it over quickly!”
He was exceptionally cunning. He thought that if a real fight broke out tonight and caused a major incident, Shi’s deployment of troops would be illegal, and impeachment by the censors would also be troublesome. Although he had already sent someone to ask for orders from the provincial authorities, it was too late for tonight. Therefore, if the matter could be resolved through negotiation, it would be best.
Xu Chuan deliberately shouted:
“Wang Shengcai! Is there such a thing?”
Wang Shengcai, acting like a skilled performer, rode his horse forward:
“The patrols by Song Laoliu and others did indeed discover a batch of strange porcelain, and we have indeed brought it back! It’s… it’s all in the cow shed…”
Hmph!
“Why didn’t you say so earlier? If something big happens, who will be responsible?”
After a few scoldings, Xu Chuan cupped his hands towards Peng Bosheng and said:
“Old Peng, I think there’s been some misunderstanding! Send a few people over to check the cow shed and see if it’s the ones you’re talking about?”
Good!
Peng Bosheng and Shi Fu were overjoyed.
They both knew that these Qinu were difficult to deal with, and if a major incident occurred, even Shen Chun was just a minor official who could be discarded at any time. If they could get the items back, that would be better than anything! They asked for thirty of Shen Chun’s retainers. Xu Chuan opened the stockade, and they immediately entered the village.
Peng Bosheng and Shi Fu hurried to the cow shed. There, amidst the fodder, they indeed found the batch of five-clawed dragon artifacts.
Xu Chuan snorted and said:
“This batch of porcelain is very strange! I’ve never seen such imperial artifacts! Old Peng, you have to say something, right? When people ask later, what should we say?”
Peng Bosheng knew that this Xu Chuan was very difficult to deal with. The last time Zhang Yu was in charge, Jingde Town also expelled these Qinu. The result was that the Thousand Commander Yin Xiaohu of Jinshan Tunken Guard took the lead in resisting the law. This Xu Chuan followed suit and managed to withstand it.
At this moment,
He thought for a moment and said with a fawning smile:
“Old Xu, as I said earlier, these were all ordered by Westerners. It has nothing to do with others… Don’t you see they are all Western styles? But, the items were not made properly, and there was a mishap… Uh, Lord Yin Shidan and Lord Zhao Zhenji of Hangzhou are very dissatisfied and want us to take them all…”
As he spoke, he winked at Shi Fu.
Shi Fu was already terrified. After all, as long as these items remained in the world, they would be a great hidden danger. Not to mention Shen Chun and a few others, even the Young Grand Secretary could not withstand it.
He decisively shouted:
“Take them all away!”
More than thirty people moved them together. Later, Xu Chuan also had them bring two ox carts. Peng Bosheng wished he could carry them himself, but he maintained his composure. In a flurry, the ox carts were loaded. Peng Bosheng and Shi Fu then cupped their hands and thanked Xu Chuan.
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Xu Chuan said, “Your Excellencies, we are all pitiable people. We work and eat in this area and don’t provoke anyone. We hope you will put in a good word for us with Lord Shen when you return?”
Peng Bosheng breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, “Certainly, certainly! Old Xu, we are much obliged to you tonight…”
The two said goodbye and hurried out of the village. After walking about half a mile, Peng Bosheng saw a graveyard in the distance. The sky was beginning to dawn. A thought flashed through his mind, and he said in a low voice:
“Old Shi, these two carts of items are too conspicuous and cannot be kept for a moment! I think we should smash them to pieces in that graveyard, dig a big pit, and bury them. What do you think?”
Shi Fu naturally felt the same way and said repeatedly, “Smash them quickly, smash them quickly!”
With a series of clanging sounds, the two carts of porcelain were smashed by forty to fifty soldiers throwing stones. Not even a fragment the size of a fingernail remained, and the patterns and designs could no longer be discerned. Only then did the two fully relax. They immediately ordered people to dig a large pit and bury them deep.
At this moment,
Shi Fu suddenly remembered that three retainers were also missing from the kiln. He exclaimed and asked:
“Old Peng, what about those three retainers? Should we go and ask for them again?”
Although Peng Bosheng was also worried, he thought that since the material evidence had been destroyed, even if they got those three people, there would be no concrete proof. With the Young Grand Secretary's influence, it was unlikely to cause any major trouble. He immediately smiled and said:
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“Old Shi, forget it, it’s no big deal. The material evidence is destroyed…”
Mm-hmm,
The two looked back at the new village, feeling as if they had just returned from the gates of hell. They decided not to stir up any more trouble. After all, for such a grave offense, no one would dare to gossip carelessly.
Returning to Fuzhou,
Shen Chun finally put his mind at ease and said to the two: “This major matter is now settled. From now on, no one shall mention a single word about it. I will write to the Young Grand Secretary myself to explain… From now on, you should closely monitor Li Mingfeng and those few people, and burn the prophecy that the Young Grand Secretary brought again, burn it bigger. The Young Grand Secretary and his party are also in a difficult situation in the capital!”