Chapter 256: A Gentleman's Word is as Good as a Four-Horse Chariot

"Division Chief Sun, my teacher didn't lie to you; I really did happen to see them!"

Lin Sicheng explained with a smile, "Last autumn, my teacher took me to the Shaanxi History Museum to study Tang Dynasty Gold and Silver Craftsmanship. I inadvertently saw two porcelain pillows in the collection."

"One was a porcelain pillow with a pattern of a child playing with lotus flowers, donated by the museum in the eighties, unearthed from a Jin Dynasty tomb in the ancient city of Niucun, Houma (a county under the jurisdiction of Linfen, Shanxi). The other was an octagonal pillow with Yellow River poetry, unearthed from a Northern Song Dynasty tomb in Yulin (Shaanxi)."

"Because there was no kiln mark, I asked about it at the time. The museum staff said the Shaanxi History Museum only had a preliminary hypothesis that these two pieces should have come from the Ding Kiln, Cizhou Kiln, or Gong Kiln of the Northern Song or Jin Dynasty. But there was never a definitive conclusion as to which kiln exactly. It wasn't until we were in Yongji that we received several porcelain pillows and fragments..."

As he spoke, Lin Sicheng pulled out a few photos: "The one on top is the Cultural Relics we collected in Yongji, and the two below are the porcelain pillows from the Shaanxi History Museum collection."

"I felt something wasn't quite right at the time, so I asked Professor Huang to perform a chemical analysis. The results showed: not only were the four porcelain pillows from a similar era, but there was no difference in the composition of the Glaze Material and porcelain clay..."

"Afterward, Zhao Shixiong said he had seen similar porcelain pillows at the Capital Museum and the Hebei Museum, and after we discussed it, Zhao Shixiong went to Beijing..."

Was it really just relying on a good memory?

Sun Jiamu looked at Wang Qi Zhi, but Wang Qi Zhi's eyeballs were rolling around wildly.

That's right, Lin Sicheng did go to the Provincial Museum with him, but it was only two or three times at most. When had Lin Sicheng ever been to the ceramics hall and seen those porcelain pillows?

However, the photos were already out, so they certainly couldn't be fake. But Wang Qi Zhi racked his brains and couldn't recall...

Not knowing what kind of trick he was playing, Sun Jiamu didn't pay it much mind and stared at the photos:

"Don't say it, I have an impression too: the Capital Museum, Gongwang Mansion, and the Ming Thirteen Tombs all seem to have similar porcelain pillows in their collections... If it can be proven that they originated from Hejin, rather than the previously concluded Ding Kiln or Cizhou Kiln, the significance would be immense..."

Sun Jiamu helped him count: "Add in the Lao Kiln Head Qing Kiln, Beiwuqin Tang Kiln, Gudu Jin Kiln, Yuan Kiln, and the Jiao Tan Site, and apply for this year's new archaeological discoveries; I don't think there will be any major problems..."

It was more than just "no problem"; it should be considered more than enough. It was just that Sun Jiamu's status was different, so he didn't dare to speak too definitively.

Lin Sicheng also understood what the Division Chief meant: in the event that the Song Kiln wasn't found in the end, there was no need to be discouraged. With what was already there, it was enough to make one famous in the archaeological and museum circles.

"Thank you, Division Chief Sun!" Lin Sicheng nodded, "The Song Kiln should be found; it's just a matter of size!"

"I know!" Sun Jiamu smiled, "What I mean is, even if the Luanbai Jade isn't found, there is still a Neolithic site as a fallback. As the saying goes, one must see things through to the end; you can't just drop it and leave. Besides, it won't take long; excavation plus Artifact Research will take two or three months at most to finish..."

Wang Qi Zhi was stunned: just talking about these past few days, why had the Division Chief been following so closely? So that's where he was waiting?

But to tell the truth, Wang Qi Zhi felt the possibility was slim. It wasn't about whether Lin Sicheng was willing to go, but about the "what if" that Sun Jiamu mentioned.

In Lin Sicheng's words: with a Tang Kiln, a Jin Kiln, a Yuan Kiln, and even a Qing Kiln, how could it be that when it came to the Song Dynasty, they suddenly stopped firing?

Since there was a Song Kiln, then there must be Luanbai Jade...

Just as these thoughts were turning, the walkie-talkie let out a "crackle," and Tian Jie's voice came through: "Teacher Lin, we found it... white porcelain, so much white porcelain... White Glazed Porcelain, Carved Flower Porcelain, poetry pillows, White Jade bowls... exactly the same as the ones we collected in Yongji..."

Lin Sicheng exhaled slowly: "Specific location?"

"Not far, right here in Beijian; you can see it if you turn around!"

"Good, thank you for your hard work, Director Tian, we'll be there immediately!"

Lin Sicheng's tone was very calm, as if he had expected it all along, but the others were invigorated: White Jade bowls, weren't those Luanbai Jade?

In astonishment, everyone turned around.

It was indeed not far, maybe three hundred meters, maybe four hundred. Through the hazy view, one could see the Archaeology Team members in camouflage uniforms, the machine racks standing at the edge of the Taidi, and even more clearly, the several newly erected Red Flag poles.

Stunned for a long time, the group of experts looked back at the pictures on the hood of the car. The one in the very center, with the large characters "Beijian," pierced their pupils like needles.

How Lin Sicheng found the other kiln sites, they had only heard about. But for the last few locations, Division Chief Sun had followed along to see them personally:

Each one was more accurate than the last, each one faster than the last.

Within a week, four kiln sites had been found, averaging less than two days per site, even more exaggerated than the rumors.

Including the map Lin Sicheng drew, the experts had seen it yesterday too. They had even discussed it privately at the time:

Based on discovered kiln sites to infer the scope of suspected existing sites was a required course for field archaeology.

But there was one point: even if one inferred, it was only to infer a general range, not an exact location. And how big was Beijian on Lin Sicheng's map?

It was just a Taidi north of Guzhen Village, known locally as Beijian Geda, with a total area of no more than three mu.

This was no longer inferring a range, but a direct designation, so the experts were all a bit skeptical.

Well, now that they had seen it with their own eyes, there was no need to be skeptical anymore.

Lin Sicheng had Fang Jin pack up the drawings. He didn't take a car, but instead carried a Probe Rod and walked down into the gully, following the field path to the north.

Sun Jiamu and the group of experts followed closely behind.

Wang Qi Zhi followed at the very back, sighing secretly: so that was why, despite leaving the site unexcavated, the Division Chief had given the expert group a day off and brought them here to visit?

Come, take a look, don't think just because someone is young, they don't have real skills.

It was equivalent to invisibly establishing Lin Sicheng's authority to an infinite height.

When, one day in the future, Lin Sicheng happened to enter the Cultural Relics Bureau, and they let him take over some archaeological mission or be in charge of some research project, wouldn't it be a natural and logical progression?

Wang Qi Zhi could guarantee that there would absolutely be no one to object at that time. Even if someone didn't know the situation and wanted to question it, they would ask around first. And once they heard, good heavens... what was there left to question?

Don't say it, the Division Chief thought quite far ahead...

It was only about three hundred meters; they arrived in an instant.

Tan Wu had already arranged for people to set up fences, encircling the entire Taidi. Four probe machines were probing the perimeter from the outside in.

Tian Jie and Gao Zhangyi each led a team of people and had already uncovered the surfaces of two pits.

They didn't dare use villagers for the test pits; the bottoms of the pits were all scraped by technicians. Staff transferred from the county stood on the slopes and the top, acting as the center for transporting Cultural Relics.

Soft blankets were laid over the pits, and seven or eight staff members from the Cultural Relics Bureau were carefully cleaning porcelain shards with brushes.

Looking at the ones already cleaned, the group of people were stunned into silence.

White porcelain, so much white porcelain: Carving Out Flowers, Carving Flowers, printed flowers, White Glaze.

Bowls, cups, plates, bottles, boxes, pillows... everything one could expect to find.

There was also a small amount of Black Porcelain and Three-Color Pottery, but the quantity was less than one-third.

After watching for a while, Sun Jiamu picked up a piece of white porcelain, his eyes narrowing: the body was white and dense, both hard and thin.

How thin?

Just barely one millimeter.

The glaze was oily and bright, lustrous like jade. When slightly tilted to the light, the Glaze Layer emitted a faint hint of green.

But it was very faint, appearing and disappearing, as if it were there and yet not.

Just as Lin Sicheng said: the so-called Luanbai Jade is like looking at a boiled egg, the color seen through the egg white to the yolk.

Sun Jiamu dared not call himself a porcelain Expert, but having worked in archaeology for half his life and excavated countless porcelain kilns, he could at least be certain: he had absolutely never seen this color or this texture of White Porcelain before.

He wouldn't say how good it was, but it was definitely unique enough.

He couldn't help but sigh: did this kid really find it?

While he was feeling emotional, Tian Jie reported in detail: "Preliminary findings indicate the site area should be around one thousand square meters: including two Half-down-flame Mantou Kilns, with structures including ventilation ports, fan-shaped single fire chambers, kiln beds, and double smoke chambers..."

"Two Kiln-cave Workshops, preserving settling ponds, dipping vats, stove sites, Stone Mill discs, stone mortars, etc... covering the entire process of raw material preparation, blank forming, and blank drying..."

"Eight ash pits, containing kiln furnace residue, defective porcelain shards, and kiln furniture. Estimated porcelain shards and kiln furniture specimens are between eight hundred kilograms to one ton, half of which is kiln furniture, one-quarter is White Porcelain Pillows and Three-color Glazed Pottery Pillows, and the rest is Fine White Porcelain..."

Calculating it, the Fine White Porcelain samples would only be about two hundred kilograms?

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Secretary-General Tan, notify each Research Center to send people to collect the samples!"

Tan Wu was stunned for a moment: he had previously thought Lin Sicheng would take it all?

Thinking secretly, he hurriedly took out his phone, and just as he was about to dial the number, he felt it would be better to ask in advance: "Alright Teacher Lin, then how should the quota be allocated?"

Lin Sicheng did not hesitate: "Divide it equally among the existing six!"

Which six?

Xida Restoration Center, Provincial Ceramics Research Center, Provincial Archaeology Center, Provincial Cultural Heritage Center, as well as the City Ceramics Research Center and Cultural Heritage Center.

Two hundred kilograms of samples divided among six, that's only thirty-some kilograms each?

Everyone present was an expert; they had never heard of any institution researching the restoration of lost porcelain-making techniques where samples were measured in "kilograms."

It should at least be in "tons."

With just a few dozen kilograms, it would likely be impossible to even analyze the composition of the Glaze Material. Let alone kiln temperature, atmosphere, or the glazing process.

Instead of this, why not concentrate it and leave it to the one with the strongest research capability, the one most likely to restore the technique?

Sun Jiamu was just about to speak when Wang Qi Zhi shook his head.

If one were to ask which was the strongest and which had the fastest research progress, it was certainly the Xida Restoration Center: while the other five didn't even know what Luanbai Jade was, Lin Sicheng had already started attempting to formulate the glaze ratio for Luanbai Jade.

But even if the other five felt this way, they wouldn't admit it: it involved rank, job titles, salary, benefits, and even the attribution of achievements, so they had to fight and try no matter what.

As the saying goes: what if?

So rather than bickering, it was better to distribute it equally.

As for whether it could be researched, that would depend on each party's ability...

Tan Wu went to the side to make a call, and Sun Jiamu looked left and right, lowering his voice: "Lin Sicheng, the samples are only a few dozen kilograms, how will you research them?"

"There are Kiln Furnaces and workshops, and the remains are relatively complete, so the basic process flow can basically be deduced.

Secondly, although Fine White Porcelain is scarce, there is a lot of Coarse White Porcelain from the Jin Dynasty excavated at the two Guduo sites, about two tons. Although the technique has degraded, it still retains some of the technology, so the research value is quite high..."

Sun Jiamu stared wide-eyed: using degraded, inferior porcelain to deduce the peak technique of fine porcelain? Lin Sicheng, aren't you talking nonsense?

What is the most complex part of the porcelain-making process?

Firing.

You have to know how to control the temperature: how many stages, how many degrees at each stage, whether it's biscuit firing or glaze firing, whether to add wood or Coal, and at what frequency.

You must also know the atmosphere: whether it is reduction, oxidation, or neutral, how to quantify it, and how to control it.

What's more critical is to figure out the main element responsible for this glaze color: is it iron, copper, silicon, calcium, or some other trace element?

To put it bluntly: although they are all White Porcelain, Coarse White Porcelain and Fine White Porcelain do not use the same firing process at all. This includes temperature, atmosphere, and even the glaze ratio.

Just take one point: why were Celadon-White Porcelain and Yellow-White Porcelain excavated at Guduo and Shangxia Bali, and not Luanbai Jade?

It is said to be a degradation of technique, but in fact, the core technology has been lost; as for which part was lost, even the ancients of the Jin Dynasty didn't know. If the ancients had known, they wouldn't have burned lower and lower quality porcelain until they finally had to switch to burning Black Porcelain.

Therefore, if one wants to restore the technique, there is only one way: it requires massive amounts of Luanbai Jade fine porcelain samples to analyze and test, constantly deducing and perfecting the data bit by bit.

But with just these few dozen kilograms?

It's not that Sun Jiamu looks down on him: let alone Lin Sicheng, even if the Chinese Academy of Sciences came, it wouldn't work...

Sun Jiamu stared at him: "Lin Sicheng, if you find it hard to say, I will communicate with the local departments!"

Lin Sicheng smiled and shook his head: "Thank you Division Chief Sun, but all of this was already agreed upon in advance..."

This line again?

When he was asked to join the expert group and be responsible for the Neolithic Site, he said the same thing: thank you Division Chief Sun, it was agreed with the Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau that the Luanbai Jade site must be found first...

Sun Jiamu opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but sighed instead: forget it, I won't persuade him anymore.

To tell the truth, for Lin Sicheng, things going too smoothly is not entirely a good thing.

Messing up early would be better so he could join the Cultural Relics Bureau sooner...

Thinking secretly, Sun Jiamu raised his head: "Lin Sicheng, how about we make a bet: if you can restore the technique and manage to fire even one imitation, the Bureau will cover the rest for you: journal recommendations, declaring archaeological discoveries, World Heritage Application... you won't even have to write the plan or application, just sign it when the time comes..."

"If you can't restore it, then don't be stubborn, help me finish the Nantai Site first. After that, the Hejin Kiln will definitely need systematic excavation and research; you found all the kiln sites, so you have to be responsible to the end..."

Lin Sicheng's eyes lit up: there's such a good deal?

Seeing him eager to try, feeling that something wasn't quite right, Sun Jiamu quickly added a caveat:

"Let's be clear, it's limited to the Fine White Porcelain samples; once you finish researching, that's it, don't try to fool people with Coarse White Porcelain... also, it might take two or three years for the Hejin Kiln, think it over..."

More than just two or three years?

In his past life, the Hejin Kiln was excavated on and off for a full five years. Five years—that would be enough for a master's and doctoral degree.

Of course, that was on the premise that he lost the bet...

Thinking secretly, Lin Sicheng smiled: "Division Chief Sun, a gentleman's word?"

Sun Jiamu said firmly: "Is as good as his bond!"