But the bright moon shines on the ditch

Chapter 2

Liang Peiqiu came to Anqing Kiln at the age of 12. Since then, she has been immersed in the two major firing industries of porcelain shop and kiln factory for several years. What she has seen most is the hands of craftsmen.

At the beginning, she learned how to paint porcelain with her master, and painted the "muscles and bones" of porcelain on the clay of the porcelain body. She was asked to "practice" day and night.

Later, whenever I look at someone again, I always look at the other person's hand first, and with a glance, I can roughly guess the type of work the other person is doing.

For example, masters who specialize in porcelain painting usually have some dyes on their hands that cannot be washed off. In the past few years, Emperor Wanqing was only fond of blue and white, and there was a wave of blue and white craze in the court and even among the people. The master, on the other hand, has been doing hard work all year round, exposed to the wind and sun, carrying and polishing, and his hands are mostly rough and dark.

But there are exceptions to everything.

It's like the hand pinching the cuff in front of you to prevent your robe from getting on the teacup.

Slender and strong.

An indescribable tension flows under the blue blood vessels.

But all of this comes from Liang Peiqiu's own imagination and judgment.

She knew that hand more deeply than she knew herself.

-

Wang Yunxian's position can't be seen other than the arm. Just as he was about to examine it carefully, he heard the sound of the music turn sharply downhill.

The melody gradually became high-spirited, and the daughter's voice was high-pitched, like a galloping horse, sonorous and powerful.

Wang Yunxian and Liang Peiqiu looked at each other, seeing something unusual in each other's eyes.

This is a famous war song in history. In front of the three armies, ten thousand horses roar together, which not only intimidates the enemy, boosts morale, but also has the profound meaning of defeating the enemy without fighting.

To put it bluntly, it is best not to fight and bleed. Let me listen to this war song, so that you can see the determination of our soldiers. If you are wise, surrender as soon as possible, and you and I can shake hands and make peace.

As for me, I naturally have a heart of cherishing talents.

Jingdezhen respects sacrifices to the gods, and every year there are performances from all corners of the country. Among them, the most famous and most performed is this play adapted from the war song. Later, it was also used to recruit talents and colleagues.

Occasionally a little bit of goodwill.

It's just that it's scary to show your favor with war songs.

For some reason, on this chilly morning in early spring and March, the thinly dressed Wang Yunxian broke out in a cold sweat.

He wiped his forehead, thinking that this excitement is not something ordinary people can join in, no wonder the Crane Pavilion is located in a remote place, with tight security inside and out.

No matter what he thought in his heart, he didn't show any timidity on his face, and whispered to Pei Qiu: "What do you mean by this? One moment he was a gentle town, and the next moment he was fighting drums and beating his name, and he brought the porcelain troupe from thousands of miles away, wouldn't it be just for this one? That's really a waste of money, a big deal!"

Liang Peiqiu didn't know how big the handwriting was, but based on her understanding of the man, it probably wasn't what he meant.

Then, there should be more than one person behind the screen.

And the person who never showed up may be the real master of today's drama.

Sure enough, when the music died down, the porcelain singing troupe withdrew one by one, the attic was silent for a while, and two voices came out successively.

Liang Peiqiu squatted in the rockery under the stone wall, far away, couldn't hear what was said inside, and only vaguely grasped a few words, all related to the big dragon tank.

At this point, Wang Yunxian lost interest.

After leaving, he and Liang Peiqiu said: "The voice over there seems to be an eunuch."

Liang Peiqiu nodded.

This person's name is An Nineteen, over 25 years old, he looks like a white-faced scholar, when he is not speaking, he is gentle, and when he opens his mouth, his voice is like a cat meowing with its tail on, revealing a softness that has been in a mess of flowers.

He was the eunuch who was sent by the imperial court to assist in the management of pottery affairs, and his real power was not comparable to that of the magistrate of the government office. It was not the first time for an eunuch to be in power in this year. He was selected to be sent to Jingdezhen, the largest kiln in the world, and the power behind him should not be underestimated.

Before dawn today, he was singing a big show in the Crane Pavilion, Wang Yunxian expected that the man in Tsing Yi must be-"he has a lot of background".

The territory of Fuliang is not big, and the eunuchs can win the favor, and they are related to the dragon vat, and they can be counted on one hand.

Thinking of this, he came to a conclusion about the man in Tsing Yi, Wang Yunxian, and couldn't help but sneer: "It's him again."

Liang Peiqiu looked over, her eyes were dark and dark in the misty morning light, causing Wang Yunxian's heartbeat to suddenly miss.He stammered and said, "You, you must have guessed it too, right? It's Xu Zhiliu."

Liang Peiqiu remained silent.

Wang Yunxian said again: "I think he is only in his early twenties, not a few years older than you and me, and he can make the eunuchs in the imperial city look at him with admiration. He is indeed a talented Xu!"

After a pause, he added sourly, "Tell me, they are all well-known young masters in the Fuliang area. How can he be more capable than me? I haven't even had a look at that eunuch so far. Fortunately, he has listened to the show in this gold nest! Look at those girls, the green onions and young shoots of the water, how beautiful they sing... I don't understand. We didn't burn the big dragon tank, so why didn't we invite me?"

He peeped at Liang Peiqiu's expression while talking, and seeing that she hadn't said a word, Wang Yunxian was annoyed, stopped in a big stride, and raised his hand to block her way.

"Back to this person, you can't hold a fart like sawing a gourd! I don't care, you have to give me an explanation today. Compared with him, Xu Zhiliu, what is the difference between me?"

He poked his neck like a cockfighting cock, "He has become a master of Tongsheng since he was ten years old. I admit that he is talented in this aspect, but what about other aspects? My lord, am I not more handsome than him? Am I taller and mightier than him? If you don't believe me, go and ask the sisters in the boats on both sides of the river, which one doesn't like me?"

"Hmph, these snobbish eyes, didn't Xu Zhiliu have been born a few years earlier? Seeing his pride, I didn't compete with him, sir. If we really want to fight, our Anqing kiln may not lose to him Hutian kiln!"

"Pei Qiu, you are talking! Is it so difficult to admit that I am better than him?"

Liang Peiqiu couldn't help laughing seeing him stomping around like a child who hasn't grown up.

When she smiled, Wang Yunxian became even more annoyed, blushing, feeling unspeakably awkward, and rushed over to make trouble for her.

After all, Peiqiu is a woman, and she has always been cautious in this regard. When she saw that something was wrong, she hurried away.

Wang Yunxian watched her running away, twitched the corners of her mouth, and then smiled wryly.

It is hard to say when, but he started to have hostility towards Xu Zhiliu, maybe it was out of instinct, maybe it was just a keen sense of smell.

What grievances can an opponent who has hardly ever dealt with in private have?If we really want to talk about disputes, we can only start with the two businesses.

Hutian kiln, like Anqing kiln, is a large kiln household with two lines of firing.The two sides started fighting skills from their ancestors, the Dou kiln factory, and the Dou masters. They fought inseparably, and naturally they don't distinguish between you and me now.It's just that Hutian Kiln has a profound history, which is slightly better than Anqing Kiln.

As the young owner of Hutian Kiln, Xu Zhiliu is even more irritating than others.

Not to mention Jingdezhen, but even several important towns around Fuliang County, he can be regarded as a famous figure. Among the younger generation, no one can win him in terms of talent, and he is also outstanding in terms of business skills.

It can be said that he is proficient in all eighty trades involving the ceramics industry.The most important thing is that his appearance is better than Pan An's, he is gentle and affectionate, and he is the dream lover of countless women.

Then, Wang Yunxian, who is inferior in everything, naturally looks down on him!

It's just that only Wang Yunxian knows why he doesn't like Xu Zhiliu.

-

Back at Anqing Kiln, Wang Yu had already sent someone to wait at the door.

As soon as the two came in, the servants turned around quickly, carrying the water, burning incense, and Wang Yunxian wanted to bathe with La Peiqiu, which frightened Peiqiu into a pale face and shook her head like a rattle. Thanks to Wang Yu's timely appearance, she beat Wang Yunxian violently.

Pei Qiu heaved a sigh of relief when Young Master Wang passed away.

Going back to the remote Xijiaokou in the backyard alone, Liang Peiqiu unbuttoned her collar, took a hot towel to wipe her face, and poured down a whole cup of hot tea.

The cold air dissipated a bit, and I just changed my clothes and rushed to the kiln.Thinking of the scene in the attic on the way, my heart was still pounding and I couldn't calm down.

Come to think of it, she hadn't seen him for a long time.

The firing task of the dragon vat was too tight, and the requirements of the imperial kiln factory were also very strict. In the past six months, she hardly went out, and plunged into the stove, day and night.

The official selection system of the dynasty is strict. Officials below the fifth rank in the country have to be assessed every three years, and they have to return to Beijing to report on their duties every six years.

If the fortune is not good, the official career may be ruined.

Officials in the capital, relying on their strong geographical advantages and centralized political power, are relatively convenient to operate, so in every assessment, most of the unlucky ones are local officials.

But it's not sure, it mainly depends on whether the backstage is strong or not, if you don't pay attention to catch up with a political cleansing, let alone black hats, your head may move.

There was a Beijing inspection in the previous dynasty, involving six officials, and after several rounds of scolding, several powerful officials from the official to the cabinet were forced to resign, and the situation in the court was turned upside down.

Liang Peiqiu doesn't care about the court affairs. She lives in a small town in the southern countryside and is obsessed with crafts. The court affairs don't seem to have anything to do with her.

Only in recent years, as the struggle between eunuchs and civil servants has intensified, Jingdezhen, a small place the size of a palm, has also been stirred up into muddy waters, gradually turning into a big dye vat and a bargaining chip in political struggle.

An Nineteen, as a faction of the eunuch party, and Yang Gong, the magistrate of Fuliang County who was born in Qingliu, were two people from the beginning to the end.

Then when it comes to the critical moment of Jingchao, it is especially important to stand in line.

Liang Peiqiu thought of the passionate battle song, and thought of the possible friendship revealed in it, and suddenly stopped in his tracks.

At this time, the sky was already bright, and the clouds and mists that gathered in the morning gradually dissipated, and the sunlight burst out from behind the clouds, blooming in the sky quickly and visible to the naked eye with a momentum of breaking bamboo.

But when the rays of light fell on the densely packed chimneys above Jingdezhen, the morning glow and fireworks gradually merged, and a larger cloud torch burst out, making it difficult for people to see clearly the Changjiang River passing through the city and galloping for thousands of years.

If the river is not visible, how can those hundreds of kiln mouths built along the banks be seen?
In the face of power, who can stand the test?

Liang Peiqiu watched helplessly as the huge cloud torch ate away the light of the sky bit by bit, leaving behind the unquenchable fireworks at the mouth of the kiln.That is the basis for the survival of the people of Jingdezhen. It can swallow the light of the sky and even the way of heaven, and it will never die.

There was a sudden soreness in her heart, her heart constricted, and an inexplicable emotion rushed to her throat, making her look away from the fireworks.

As far as she knew, An Nineteen had also thrown an olive branch to Anqing Kiln, but the master and ancestors had taught him that Anqing Kiln was only for business and not involved in politics.

Therefore, in these years, Wang Yu, the official kilns, and the county government have been walking around in a normal way, grasping the appropriate proportions, neither far nor near, neither deep nor shallow.

Although it is difficult to maintain such a relationship, both parties are not pleasing, but fortunately, they have skills and can manage it with hard work.

Hutian Kiln is different.

The head of the folk kiln, with a big family and a big business, no choice, Xu Zhiliu was born in the quagmire.

So, in today's play, if An Nineteen really wins him over, will he compromise with his unyielding temperament?
Will he bow his head to the dog for Hutian Kiln?

Liang Peiqiu didn't know the answer, just thinking about it, added unspeakable sadness.

If even he bowed his head.

If even Xu Zhiliu bowed his head...

(End of this chapter)