Chapter 1860 - Motives for Travel

The three words "Elder Zhao" were spoken by Zhang Dai with deliberate emphasis on each syllable.

When Liu San heard this, he confirmed that the intelligence was accurate. News of Zhang Dai's southward journey had reached Lingao long ago. However, because Zhang Dai's travel arrangements did not take the sea route but the overland coastal route through Fujian, and all his contacts along the way were Revival Society connections, the Intelligence Department could not track his movements in real time. Moreover, though Zhang Dai held a certain position in literary history and Jiangnan scholarly circles, his intelligence value was not particularly high. So Lingao had merely issued a routine notification to regional managers: there was this matter; if encountered, give it some attention, but if overlooked, it didn't matter. Under these circumstances—Zhang Dai arriving in Guangzhou around the New Year holidays, Lingao busy preparing for war, Guangzhou city busy celebrating—he had been overlooked.

"You've come merely for sightseeing?"

Now Zhang Dai was somewhat annoyed—as if he needed to deceive them! However, he was known for his elegance and would not easily show displeasure. He nodded slightly: "This humble scholar is merely an idle man. When I couldn't sit still any longer, I went out for a stroll."

"These are times of chaos and warfare, with Guangdong in the thick of the conflict. For an 'idle man' like yourself to arrive at such a moment—we cannot help but be cautious about your intentions..." As he spoke, Liu San smiled faintly, his face full of calculation.

Though Zhang Dai possessed the pride of a literatus, he knew that in wartime "martial law is merciless." He pondered for a moment and said, "My coming to Guangzhou was a spur-of-the-moment decision. When I departed, Guangzhou was still under Ming rule. The present situation was not something I could have foreseen..."

"Personally, I believe Master Zhang came to Guangzhou without ill intent. However, venturing so far from home is no simple matter in these times. Surely you did not come all the way to this southern land on a mere whim."

This was taking on the flavor of an interrogation. Zhang Dai understood that this man had come to probe his true purpose. If his answers did not satisfy, not only would he never reach Lingao for sightseeing, but his very life might not be spared.

Though he was not one who feared death, to die so senselessly would leave him deeply unwilling. After brief reflection, he said, "My purpose in coming here I have already stated: simply to visit Lingao and see for myself this legendary earthly paradise—the hundred crafts and techniques. Beyond that, I have no other designs. I am merely a scholar, neither a court minister nor a military commander. I sought the Master of Runshitang simply hoping for someone to look after me in a strange land."

"Master Zhang is a distinguished member of your region's gentry and a leader of Jiangnan's literary circles. That you are willing to visit us is most welcome. In fact, had you approached us directly upon reaching Guangzhou, we could have arranged your passage to Hainan immediately." Liu San attempted to convey both sincerity and nonchalance, while subtly chiding Zhang Dai for not trusting the Executive Council. Zhang Dai remained silent, so Liu San continued: "However, there's seeing at a glance, and there's seeing in depth. What exactly does Master Zhang wish to see in our Great Song?"

Just as Wumu had predicted, Zhang Dai decided to speak openly now: since there was no danger to his life and this Element Liu was treating him with evident seriousness, why should he remain evasive?

"As the saying goes, different lands produce different customs. Under Australian Song governance, Hainan's character has been transformed. I've heard that the Australian Song homeland lies beyond vast oceans—I'm afraid I cannot reach it. I can only visit Hainan nearby to observe the customs and way of life of Australian Song." At this point, Zhang Dai realized that if he mentioned only these things, staying in Guangzhou would suffice as well. He had to be more specific. "In Hangzhou, I saw many Australian objects, all exquisitely crafted. What is even more remarkable is that their forms are identical even among millions of pieces. This arouses my profound curiosity. What interests me most is the porcelain produced by Australian Song's secret kilns..." Zhang Dai went into detail about his fascination with Australian Song's "full-body glazing" technique and his admiration for the secret kiln's bone china, expressing his wish to see them.

This rather surprised Liu San. In the psychological profile and behavioral predictions Wumu had prepared for Zhang Dai, it was anticipated that while Zhang Dai might come to Lingao to observe society and people's livelihoods, that would not be his primary purpose. Lingao's East-West fusion paintings, music, and literature mixed with modern styles, the various entertainment forms that had matured in another timeline, even the Purple Dawn Pavilion's indescribable services—any of these could be why Zhang Dai wanted to "have a look." But for Zhang Dai to tell Liu San, to his face, that he was interested in mass production and ceramic craftsmanship—that was unexpected.

Liu San was quite familiar with the bamboo-joint cup Zhang Dai mentioned, because it was a product created when the porcelain factory's Elements and their naturalized artisans first mastered the technique of high-low temperature double firing. The kiln-transmuted accidents had been kept by the Elements as collectibles; the finest pieces were distributed as gifts to close Element friends; the rest were packaged as high-end gifts for external sale. As a medical specialist, Liu San naturally had professional dealings with the ceramics industry and had received a sample himself. He wasn't clear on the exact process, but he understood the principle. So Liu San decided to approach from this angle and chat more with Zhang Dai—anyway, his main job was to converse with Zhang Dai at length; the recordings would be analyzed by Wumu's specialists.

"As for the full-body glazing, the principle is not difficult." Liu San smiled and answered.

"Oh? Please do enlighten me!" Zhang Dai had read many "Australian books" and knew that the Australians were not secretive about principles, but often avoided discussing specific methods. That book Introduction to Optics explained only principles without techniques, leaving several friends in the society tormented by curiosity. Eventually they had to commission someone to come to Guangli to purchase the various lenses mentioned in the book. He had left before hearing whether they succeeded. But from what he had seen in the markets here, such items probably weren't available in Guangli—to buy them, one would likely have to go to Lingao.

"What we call pottery clay is essentially ground stone." Liu San opened his mouth and immediately felt weary: explaining the chemical composition of clay to Zhang Dai would be like the Primordial Heavenly Worthy expounding scripture—one speaking in tongues while the other listened in bewilderment.

"Firing it in a kiln means melting it and letting it resolidify into form. Glazes are the same—basically colored stones. Of course, in a high-temperature environment, they undergo certain changes, typically a reduction reaction—oh, you needn't worry about that, it just means the material properties change—so the original pigment color usually differs from the fired color."

Zhang Dai felt quite helpless hearing this: he already knew the material properties changed. The key was clearly that "reaction" thing, yet Element Liu was unwilling to elaborate. This unwillingness wasn't the kind that feared revealing a secret, but an impatient unwillingness—like when someone at a literary gathering asked questions that should have been mastered in elementary study, and others couldn't be bothered to respond. Being so categorized as ignorant displeased Zhang Dai. He nodded slightly in acknowledgment and continued listening.

"But different glaze materials melt at different temperatures." Here Liu San realized Zhang Dai might not have a concept of temperature and began explaining: "If we define the temperature at which water freezes as 0 degrees and the temperature at which water boils as 100 degrees, then some glazes may melt at seven or eight hundred degrees, while others require over a thousand degrees to melt."

"Once water is boiling, the temperature doesn't rise further?" Zhang Dai suddenly asked.

Liu San was stumped—water reaching boiling point and beginning to vaporize while the temperature stops rising was common knowledge to him. But how to prove it? He didn't recall any book explaining this in simple terms. In ancient times, without thermometers, temperature could only be distinguished as higher or lower, not precisely quantified—much less explained. Yet he couldn't just leave the question unanswered. Liu San cleverly replied: "Indeed it doesn't rise further, but explaining why would take too long. Let's continue with the glazes. Different substances have different melting points, and this isn't unfamiliar in daily life. Master Zhang need only ask any coppersmith or silversmith: if you put tin, copper, and iron in the same crucible and heat them, tin melts first, then copper, then iron."

That tin melted before copper Zhang Dai did know. He nodded and stopped interrupting.

"Glazes work the same way. That cup you mentioned—I know it too, with two colors inside and out! One must be a high-temperature glaze, the other a low-temperature glaze. Fire the high-temperature one first, then the low-temperature one, and naturally there's no need for an unglazed foot." Liu San laid out the answer in one breath.

Zhang Dai pondered: fire one color first, with the unglazed areas as support points; then fire the "low-temperature glaze," with the already-fired glaze surface as support points. Indeed, no need for unglazed rims or stilts! But firing twice would raise costs considerably. His own abandoned kiln project had a low success rate with single firings; with double firings, the family would surely have shut it down even earlier. And while Element Liu explained the principle clearly enough, it was like Introduction to Optics—practically useless. Once the kiln started firing, how did one control temperature? What were the "melting points" of different glaze materials? Even if he asked for details—whether this Australian apothecary understood or not—even if he did and patiently explained, Zhang Dai probably wouldn't fully comprehend.

"In the refinement of exquisite objects, Australian Song is truly extraordinary!" Zhang Dai offered a compliment.

At last! Liu San was secretly delighted and immediately asked pointedly: "Does the gentleman perhaps think this is merely 'cunning trifles' of no benefit to the common people?" Finally he could steer into the prepared script!

This slightly accusatory question startled Zhang Dai. But thinking carefully, apart from making luxury goods, such techniques did indeed seem of no benefit to people's livelihoods! Could there be more to it? Zhang Dai was now intrigued!

"I had no such thought, however... I would like to hear more!"

(End of Chapter)