PS: This is the third update; the double points period has two and a half hours left. Please support with monthly votes.

What is a singular piece? Naturally, it means something unique, one of a kind in the world, impossible to find in pairs. The Xuande reign official kiln blue-and-white cricket jar is exactly such an existence.

Generally speaking, the historical evaluation of Emperor Xuande is quite high. As the grandson of Emperor Yongle, Emperor Xuande received an excellent education and was cherished above all others. Many people say that his father’s ability to secure the position of Crown Prince and ascend the throne smoothly was largely due to him, the Imperial Grandson.

According to historical records, Emperor Xuande reigned for nine years and seven months, which in the context of the entire Ming Dynasty’s rule of over 270 years, is merely a fleeting moment. However, this moment was the most brilliant chapter of the Ming Dynasty.

During Emperor Xuande's reign, he not only possessed outstanding talent in military and political affairs but also indulged in many refined hobbies, such as excelling in calligraphy and painting. In other words, his poetry and prose were well-written, and he was particularly skilled in painting.

Of course, whether writing poetry or painting, in the eyes of the public, these were considered elegant pursuits. As long as one did not emulate the downfall of Li Yu, the last ruler of the Southern Tang, or Emperor Huizong of Song, Zhao Ji, most people would only offer praise, not severe criticism.

After all, indulging in elegance implied closeness to the civil officials. The pens that wrote history were held by these officials, so they naturally tended to describe matters favorably, rather than launch attacks.

However, no one is perfect. Emperor Xuande had a peculiar obsession with the game of cricket fighting, a habit that many deeply detested. I recall a domestic animated series about cricket fighting that specifically criticized and condemned this very behavior of Emperor Xuande.

The so-called "cù zhī" () is essentially raising and fighting crickets. To put it plainly, it is playing with crickets.

The exact era when the activity of playing with crickets originated is lost to history. In any case, the Book of Songs contains the description, "In the tenth month, the crickets enter beneath my couch." This practice was passed down through generations, with even great poets like Du Fu and Bai Juyi writing poems about crickets. However, the person who truly elevated cricket playing into an art form and documented it in a written work was Jia Sidao, the treacherous Chancellor of the Southern Song Dynasty.

Historical accounts judge Jia Sidao as a treacherous minister who harmed the state and its people. Legend has it that when the northern armies invaded Song territory, he was still lying on the ground with his concubines watching crickets fight. As an expert in cricket keeping, his Cù Zhī Jīng (Cricket Scripture), over twenty thousand characters long, remains the classic foundational text for insect keepers even today. This clearly shows that the fashion of keeping crickets had spread from the common people upward into the aristocracy.

But upon deeper reflection, if a chancellor playing with crickets set a terrible example of dereliction of duty, then for a sovereign ruler to also indulge in playing with crickets, even one known for his achievements, would inevitably attract the criticism of being neglectful of proper duties.

The civil and military officials are hard to gauge, but Emperor Xuande's mother, the Empress Dowager, intensely disliked her son's obsession. Therefore, after Emperor Xuande passed away, his throne was inherited by his son, who was only eight years old. To prevent her grandson from losing ambition over trivialities and neglecting his studies, the Empress Dowager issued an edict immediately, ordering the cessation of all objects of pleasure and non-essential affairs within the palace.

Consider this: with a child emperor on the throne, the state affairs were essentially managed by the Empress Dowager—what is known as ruling from behind the curtain (). When an imperial decree is issued, especially one deemed wise, who would dare disobey?

In an instant, the cricket jars painstakingly fired by the Imperial Kiln Factory under Emperor Xuande's command were smashed to pieces. Not only were those stored within the palace ruthlessly destroyed, but even the jars that had been fired and completed at the Imperial Kiln Factory but had not yet been presented as tribute were all shattered and buried deep underground.

Under these circumstances, official kiln Xuande reign cricket jars naturally became extremely rare and scarce items. As for how scarce? The average person might not have a concept, so let’s offer an example.

According to research, the former Qing Palace collection contained over a thousand Xuande official ware porcelain pieces, most of which were passed down from the Xuande era and are now housed in the National Palace Museum in Taipei, representing the most authoritative collection today. However, among these vast holdings, there is not a single Xuande official kiln cricket jar, which illustrates the rarity of these objects.

Based on the deductions of some scholars, the number of Xuande cricket jars that managed to escape destruction under the Empress Dowager's decree must be very small; they were most likely gifts bestowed by Emperor Xuande upon his ministers. After all, historical documents do record instances of Emperor Xuande gifting beloved items to officials.

Of course, the other remaining items are fragments that were smashed and buried. Many shards have been unearthed in recent years, but the cricket jar held by Elder Kong's secretary is clearly not a fragment.

Setting aside the fragments, any piece that is truly intact is an absolute, one-of-a-kind treasure—a genuine singular piece.

“Is this thing authentic, or a replica?”

After a glance, Elder Chang couldn't help but question it, with a touch of disbelief in his eyes. After all, later generations were aware of the immense value of Xuande official kiln cricket jars and naturally produced counterfeits. Moreover, because genuine pieces are so rare, those unfamiliar with the specific characteristics of the originals are often deceived into purchasing fakes.

“Brother Chang, why don’t you take a closer look?”

At this moment, Elder Kong smiled, “Have a look, examine it, and you’ll know if it's real or fake.”

“Even if you didn't invite me, I would need to handle it for examination.”

As he spoke, Elder Chang composed himself, immediately donned white gloves, and took out a high-powered magnifying glass and a powerful flashlight. Fully equipped, he then began to scrutinize the cricket jar closely.

“As the saying goes, one season for raising the insect, a lifetime for the jar.”

Elder Chang remarked while appraising, “Actually, the best jar for raising crickets should be one made of refined clay, a Chen Ni jar. Jars made of refined clay have a smooth texture and excellent breathability, making them quite suitable for housing insects. But the people of the Ming Dynasty didn't understand this, or perhaps, the jars for the Emperor’s crickets couldn't be merely the best in material, they had to be the most expensive.”

“However, for an emperor, gold, silver, pearls, and jade are too vulgar; only porcelain can demonstrate noble status and refined taste. Thus, the blue-and-white cricket jar came into being. And because of the Emperor's preference, the artisans of the Imperial Kiln Factory naturally made the jars to perfection.” Elder Chang sighed slightly, “In my view, perhaps the blue-and-white official ware cricket jar represents the highest level of blue-and-white porcelain craftsmanship during the Xuande period.”

That held some truth, and the others generally agreed.

After all, the very existence of the Imperial Kiln Factory was to satisfy the private desires of the Emperor, operating entirely according to the Emperor's preferences. If Zhu Yuanzhang preferred underglaze red, then the Hongwu reign's underglaze red became a treasure; if Zhu Di favored white porcelain, that’s why the Yongle 'Sweet White' emerged. During Emperor Xuande’s time, he personally favored blue-and-white, so Xuande blue-and-white represents the finest production of the entire Ming Dynasty.

Certainly, while Xuande favored blue-and-white, he loved cricket fighting even more, so the exquisite nature of the Xuande blue-and-white cricket jar can be imagined. The piece before them is excellent proof: the body of the vessel is thick and heavy, the glaze layer is rich and fatty, and it appears bluish-white—these are characteristics of Xuande blue-and-white. Especially the metallic luster (xī guāng) of the cobalt blue, which appears intensely rich and vibrant under the light, catching the eye.

During the Yongle and Xuande reigns, the Imperial Kiln Factory’s blue-and-white porcelain generally used Suma Li Qing, an imported material that was extremely costly. This is why it earned the praise, "All materials were refined; the blue-and-white was the most expensive." But costly doesn't mean poor quality; expensive things often imply guaranteed quality. The Suma Li Qing material was not cheap, but the effect it produced when fired was indeed superior to domestic pigments.

Suma Li Qing exhibits a deep, rich color, and its characteristics are quite distinct; under optimal kiln atmosphere, it could even achieve a jewel-like hue. A slight observation of the jar's blue color allows one to judge that this piece was likely fired using Suma Li Qing.

“However, this cricket jar seems to be made by mixing Suma Li Qing with a domestic blue pigment.”

After studying it for a moment, Elder Chang affirmed, “Look, the Suma Li Qing shows a dark, shaded color, while the domestic pigment is lighter and shows signs of slight bleeding. Therefore, the color development of the jar’s blue is relatively bright, alternating between intense color and subtle elegance, possessing characteristics of both cobalt materials.”

“Mixing cobalt pigments should be relatively rare, shouldn't it?”

At this point, Yu Feibai asked with keen interest, “Was this color effect deliberately created, or was it because the Suma Li Qing was beginning to show signs of depletion, leading them to conserve its use?”

“Certainly the former; they wanted this contrast of dark and light.”

Elder Kong smiled, “You must know that the Xuande era was prosperous, possessing sufficient military and financial strength to procure Suma Li Qing from abroad. The crisis that truly led to the exhaustion of Suma Li Qing occurred after the Tumu Crisis; due to political factors, a thirty-year hiatus in porcelain production began.”

“This gap only recovered during the Chenghua reign, but the stored Suma Li Qing had been depleted by then. This means that the evolution of porcelain can also reflect the national strength of the time.”

Elder Chang sighed lightly, “Not only do we understand this principle, but the ancients were also well aware of it; otherwise, they wouldn't always praise Yongle and Xuande porcelains as the pinnacle of Ming Dynasty ceramics.”

“Elder Chang, we understand what you are saying,” Yu Feibai interjected curiously, “The key is this cricket jar—is it truly an authentic Xuande official kiln piece?”

“That would be…”

Elder Chang paused, then immediately smiled, “I won’t say. You judge for yourselves.”

“What’s this? Keeping us in suspense again.”

Yu Feibai feigned complaint but was genuinely excited as he took Elder Chang’s place and began his careful examination: “The glaze surface is thick and moist, the luster soft and not harsh to the eye, bluish-white overall. The glaze surface is not perfectly smooth, resembling an orange peel; there might be crackle present. Under the high-powered magnifying glass, the glaze is filled with bubbles of all sizes, even small bubbles touching large bubbles…”

“Almost all porcelain varieties from the Xuande reign share this glaze texture; the cricket jar is certainly no exception.”

After observing both the paste and the exterior glaze, Yu Feibai carefully turned the jar over to examine the foot ring: “Large Xuande blue-and-white pieces generally have an unglazed, fine sandy bottom, which feels very smooth to the touch, and there are often spots of 'fire-stone red' around the edge.”

“Yes, exactly right.”

After examining every inch inside and out, Yu Feibai’s face suddenly lit up with joy, and he beamed, “Such a beautiful, exquisite, and perfectly flawless object must be… a fake!”

“What?”

In an instant, Elder Kong froze, unable to comprehend how Yu Feibai reached such a diametrically opposite conclusion when he had just been praising it so highly. Had he spoken too quickly and misspoke?

For more novels, visit storyread.net.