To return to the history of the period from which we digressed to discuss the _lang yao_, the progress of the reviving industry suffered a rude set-back between 1674–1678 when the Imperial factory was destroyed during the rebellion of Wu San-kuei, viceroy of Yunnan. It is improbable that up to this time any notable development had taken place in the manufacture of porcelain, and those who think to flatter a specimen by suggesting that it is “_very_ early K’ang Hsi” are likely to be paying a doubtful compliment. When, however, peace was restored and the factory rebuilt, a veritable renaissance of the porcelain industry began. In 1680[269] an official of the Imperial household was sent to reside at the factory and to superintend the work; and we are told in the _T’ao shuo_[270] that “previously to this the first-class workmen had been levied from the different districts of Jao Chou; but now all this forced labour was stopped, and as each manufactory was started the artisans were collected and materials provided, the expenses being defrayed from the Imperial exchequer and the money paid when due, in accordance with the market prices. Even the expenses for carriage were not required from the different districts. None of the proper duties of the local officers were interfered with; both the officials and the common people enjoyed the benefit, and the processes of manufacture were all much improved.” The success of this new movement was assured by the appointment in 1682 of Ts’ang Ying-hsüan [chch 3] to the control of the Imperial works. We are not told how long this distinguished person retained the directorship, but his merits are clearly indicated in the encomiums of a subsequent director, the celebrated T’ang Ying. In his “History of the God of the Furnace Blast,” the latter states that when Ts’ang was in charge of the factory the god laid his finger on the designs and protected the porcelain in the kiln, so that it naturally came out perfect. Unfortunately, the notice of Ts’ang’s work in the _T’ao lu_[271] is in the conventional style, and extremely meagre. The earth used, we are told, was unctuous, the material lustrous and thin. Every kind of colour was made, but the snake-skin green (_shê p’i lü_), the eel yellow (_shan yü huang_), the (?) turquoise ([chch 2] _chi ts’ui_), and the “spotted yellow” ([chch 3] _huang pan tien_) were the most beautiful. The monochrome (_chiao_)[272] yellow, the monochrome brown or purple (_tzŭ_), the monochrome green, the _soufflé (ch’ui)_ red and the _soufflé_ blue, were also beautiful. The Imperial factory under the administration of T’ang-ying imitated these glaze colours.