But the bright moon shines on the ditch

Chapter 63
That night, after Wang Yu said goodbye to his guests, he suddenly felt tired and invited Si Liu to have a drink with him.

Siliu talks little and looks dull on the surface, but is actually loyal and showy. Over the years, if he has any secrets that are not disclosed to outsiders, he can only express his heartfelt feelings to Siliu occasionally under the influence of alcohol.

To this day, Wang Yu has to tell the truth. Without the help of Si Liu, Anqing Kiln would never have grown so fast.He is very familiar with the internal and external division of labor, personnel management, accounting points and various porcelain taxes of a large kiln factory. He is really not like a simple accountant.

Wang Yu had doubted his identity, and still doubts it to this day. However, this doubt was replaced by his talent, and Wang Yu had to fight for it.

More than ten years later, he won the bet.

He asked Siliu: "What else do you expect from this kiln now?"

Siliu said: "It is a regret in my life that it failed to become the best folk kiln in the world."

Wang Yu smiled: "You will always be strong and strong, and wait for that day."

Si Liu shook his head and sighed softly.

He can't wait.

Perhaps no one can wait for this day.

Although Jingdezhen is a small place, no more than the size of a palm in the vast Central Plains, it will never be easy to make Jingdezhen the best folk kiln in the world.

For thousands of years, generations of folk kiln talkers have worked hard for this, and have paid countless blood and tears for their ambitions, for the glorious inheritance of their ancestors, and for the immortality of ceramic skills.

It is a pity that even though it is a giant town on the right side of the Yangtze River, with the ceramic economy as its only lifeline, there is still no shortage of political struggles, the darkness of lust for power, and the filth of human nature under its intricate cobwebs.

What they have to fight for is always more than just ceramics.

Eternal night, eternal night... Whether it is him, Wang Yu, or Xu Zhong, whether it is Wending kiln, Anqing kiln or Hutian kiln, it is too difficult to achieve this goal.

When Si Liu returned to the guard room behind the accounting room, it was already the third quarter of Chou hour, which was almost Yin hour.

The full moon will never set, making up for the black sky's incompleteness.

In the second half of his long life, every dark night was like that eternal night without waiting for dawn.After entering the house, the door opens, and the moonlight pours in, lengthening the shadows under your feet.

The shadows overlapped and there were more than one person.

Si Liu looked up and saw a person sitting on the Taishi chair in the middle.Without stopping, he continued walking inward, touching the fire break and lighting the candle.

The candle was almost dim, and the flame was like a bean. It made a few soft beeping sounds at the end, which was very much like the one or two jumps before death, rapid and dull, shouting and roaring something.

In just a few breaths, the room returned to darkness again.

Si Liu simply stopped lighting candles.

He has lived in this house for more than ten years, and the darkness did not prevent him from walking to the shelf to wash his face and hands. Then he touched the Eight Immortals table and quietly drank the half cup of tea that he had not finished before going out.

When the sound of clappers at midnight jumped over the high wall behind the row of kiln houses and walked towards the river bank, he said: "It's getting late. Xu Shaodong's late night visit must have something important to do, so you might as well speak frankly. I've been partying and partying for too long tonight, and my old body can't bear it anymore, so I want to take a rest early because I have to work tomorrow."

Xu Zhiliu did not respond, and Si Liu was not in a hurry. He stroked his curved back and walked to the desk in the back room. He groped for the account books, documents, pen holders and other items on the desk one by one, making sure that they were all in their original positions and had not been touched by anyone. After a while, he said, "Xu Shaodong's family is really open-minded. In that case, if you have anything to ask, just ask, and I will tell you everything."

"Master Wen, are you serious about what you say?"

Four hundred and sixty-one was startled, half-smiling but not smiling.

"really."

This was regarded as acknowledging his identity.

Both of them are smart people, and they talk effortlessly. Xu Zhiliu doesn't mince words either: "I want to know where the 10 taels that disappeared from the Wedding kiln went?"

Wenshi shook his head: "Unless I deliberately conceal it, I can't say this."

He didn't say it many years ago, and he won't say it now.

Xu Zhiliu had known this for a long time, and had no intention of using those people's methods to coerce him again. He just couldn't help but be curious, "How can the eggs be intact when the nest is overturned? What the Wending kiln and even your house endured more than ten years ago is now Do you plan to let Anqing Kiln and Wang family suffer again? If so, why do you need to send a message to me? "

"You must be alert if you can appear here. Are you going to let it go and put Hutian Kiln in danger?"

"Why not? Does Master Wen think I am still the same person I was before?"

Xu Zhiliu laughed at himself, "Since I can appear here, you might as well think about what tricks I used? How can I be considered an open-minded person... I just made a right choice by seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages."

Xu Zhiliu said, "Based on my current relationship with An Jiu, I don't think he will eat alone. Even if he gives me a little bit, it will be enough for me to survive for the rest of my life. I am a scholar, and my place is above the temple. As for this place , but I was just a piece of broken tile that barely covered the rain when I was poor. If I uncovered it, it would be uncovered. What does it matter? Instead, Wen Dadong should think about how to protect ourselves in the event of an incident. You are lucky to escape death once. There may not be a second time, but if Zhang Wensi knows that you have been hiding in Anqing Kiln incognito, what do you think he will do?"

"you--"

At this moment, Wenshi couldn't help but panic.

He thought that Xu Zhiliu would save Hutian Kiln and pull out other folk kilns by the way. If Wang Yu was a little hesitant, and with his mediation, he might not be able to get rid of Wanshou Porcelain. So he took the risk to send the message, even if his identity was exposed. The purpose of saving the Anqing kiln was to prevent the tragedy from happening again, and to prevent Wang Yu, who had been kind to him in saving his life and sheltering him, from making the same mistakes as him.

But he did not expect that the Xu Zhiliu he thought was the Xu Zhiliu of the past, the Xu Zhiliu of the rainy night before the scene of killing chickens to scare monkeys spread throughout Jingdezhen.

Today, Xu Zhiliu, after the Huang Jiazhou fight and the kiln collapse accident, is like the flame that has been extinguished quickly, disappearing into the night and becoming a mystery.

Can a person become so fast?What frightened Wenshi even more was that before he sent the letter to Xu Zhiliu, he never thought that there was a second person who could save the people's kiln from fire and water. This shows what traces Xu Zhiliu left in the hearts of Jingdezhen people. .And such traces, even he, had never imagined.

The more this is the case, the more frightening it is to think about it carefully.

Fortunately, Aragonese was not an ordinary person and quickly regained his sense.Faced with the difficult situation in front of him, no matter how calm he was, his heart tightened and his voice tightened: "You don't have to deceive me. If you can just sit back and watch Hutian Kiln do nothing, you won't come to me."

"I'm not looking for you because of Hutian Kiln."

As soon as Xu Zhiliu said these words, Wenshi's heart almost rose to his throat.

"Why are you?"

"Do you still remember Xu Yourong?"

At some point, Xu Zhiliu took out the fire seal, and the moment he finished speaking, the room lit up.He stared at Aragonite with good eyes and walked towards him step by step.

With every step he took, Aragonite's feet collapsed a little.

"You won't forget that Yaoli scholar who was accused of raping a woman and beat him to death—Xu, You, and Rong, right?"

At this point, Wenshi's vision went dark and he almost fell to the ground. He only held on with a strong force and held on to the corner of the table with his fingers to prevent him from falling.

How could he forget?In the courtroom, when the scholar looked at him for the first time, his sparse and clear look, which could not be covered up by the mud, shot through the pride and pride that he had barely built up after being the master of a kiln for decades. dignity.

But how could Xu Zhiliu know that person?

Suddenly, Aragonese thought of something.

Their surname is Xu. I heard that Xu Zhiliu is Xu Zhong’s distant nephew. It seems like he is also from Yaoli? !So... Wenshi's eyes widened: "What is your relationship with Xu Yourong?"

Xu Zhiliu closed his eyes, and the heavy stone fell down.

"Sure enough, it has something to do with you."

"What, what's relevant, I don't know."

Aragonese turned away his face and subconsciously denied it at first.But the more he denied it, the more guilty he showed, and in Xu Zhiliu's eyes, it was like acquiescence.

"I have been diligent in kiln work over the years, and I have not gained anything at all. I have seen all the dirty tricks in the industry, especially those who hooked up with the palace. Let me guess, you will win. Which move is it?"

He deceived every step of the way.

The young man who once had the clear wind and bright moon opened his eyes again, and his eyes were already quenched with poison.The aragonite was firmly nailed in place, unable to move.

"Let's start with the younger ones. The Ministry of Internal Affairs issued imperial silver and exploited it at every level from province to county to local level. By the time we actually arrived at the imperial kiln factory, more than half of it was already missing. The imperial kiln factory supports the best craftsmen in the world. Costs are required, so after passing through their hands, only a small half is left usable. The money used to set up private kilns for firing is almost less than one-tenth of the half. But what do they rely on to succeed? It's nothing more than Due to the oppression of the official power and the proactive overtures of the minkilns, through such push and pull, one or two tenths of them were in the hands of the minkilns, just a little bit between their fingers, and their mouths were blocked. They also had to deal with local relations. , at this point, if we take over Wanshou Porcelain's [-]-yuan burning volume, even if it is not a total loss, it is estimated that the revenue for several years will be wiped out. But to this extent, it should not be able to shake a company that has been in business for nearly a hundred years. Big kiln factory, right? Besides, this is definitely not your first time setting fire, so why is there such a big deficit? There must be deeper water there."

From the central government to the local government, from top to bottom, embezzlement of imperial money is like a strict rule. It is not a secret at all. Even the emperor Yemen Qing only turned a blind eye.

He didn't care how greedy his subordinates were, as long as he finally handed over what he wanted.

However, the political affairs of the previous dynasty were chaotic, and the kiln affairs were even more messy, which gave rise to a lot of darkness.To this day, there are still some rhetoric among the people that make people change their minds after hearing it.

"I heard from the old people that the harem was very full when the late emperor was in power. Those nobles competed all day long for beauty and played all kinds of tricks, and porcelain competition was one of them. Those sent from the natal family, the emperor rewarded them during the New Year, and the people below paid filial piety. They can all be brought to the table to compete. At that time, the nobles in Tianhuang were not competing for the softness of gold, silver, silk and satin, but for whose treasures were better. In this way, antique porcelain was added to the business. The Ministry of Internal Affairs also specially set up a department for this purpose, and specially invited antique masters to burn treasures from the previous dynasties. The most outstanding ones are undoubtedly the treasures passed down from generation to generation by Geru Guan Dingjun from the Five Famous Kilns period, such as the "Rain has passed and the sky is clear" hand-picked by Emperor Huizong. The Ru kiln azure grainless narcissus basin from Yunpo Chu, the Ding kiln white-glazed Octagonal four-series vase, the Jun kiln red-glazed plum vase... which one of these is not a priceless treasure? As time goes by, it is inevitable that someone will have their thoughts. After that, the nobles used the remaining ones and banned the eunuchs from selling them secretly. The treasures offered as offerings from various places would be quietly stolen and burned, so that the fakes could be confused with the real ones. The nobles on the left and right did not know the true from the false, and settled lawsuits based on their power. . What will happen if the real and fake things are leaked to the people? Of course, the one with the highest price will get it."

At that time, there was a lot of chaos in the kiln industry, and it could be said that all kinds of monsters and monsters appeared on the scene, and they acted out all kinds of things in the world.The best treasures in the world may have passed through the inner court, but where they ultimately flowed through and how many hands they passed through are unknown.Today, the famous kiln treasures preserved in the palace are only a small part of the dynasty that lasted for thousands of years. Most of them are circulated among the people, bought and sold by merchants, or sailed across the Strait of Malacca by boat, or traveled through the mountains and ridges through the Hexi Corridor. Or maybe a treasure trove is buried deep in the countryside.

Where you end up is up to you.

In Jiangyou, what is rising is a porcelain gambling crisis hidden in underground banks.

Xu Zhiliu paused and concluded.

"You must be involved, right?"

"I was set up!"

Wenshi blurted out in excitement, and waited until it was too late to regret.He was forced to the point of no retreat by Xu Zhiliu, so he simply sat down, showing his dejected posture.

"I was forced. When someone pulled me into the game at first, I didn't agree. But the deposit money from Royal Kiln Factory was too small, so I couldn't turn around. I had no choice but to borrow money from the bank, but they asked me to mortgage it. You can only borrow money if you have treasures at home. So I took one or two pieces, but I didn't expect that they sold for a sky-high price. The boss of the bank promised me that as long as I mortgaged the Wending kiln, he could sell the porcelain regardless of whether it was genuine or fake. Only then did I know that they were borrowing money. Banks bet on porcelain, and they were betting on fake porcelain!

I asked my boss where Zhenci had gone, but he didn't tell me, and I didn't dare to dig deeper, but this method made me uneasy after all.I didn't want to cooperate, so they threatened my family's life. I went to sue the authorities, but they turned out to be a den of snakes and rats!I was forced to bow my head, but the amount of money I borrowed as collateral for the treasure kept getting bigger and bigger, and the interest was getting bigger and bigger. I thought that when the Royal Kiln Factory settled the remaining balance, it would be enough to cover this huge expense, but the Royal Kiln Factory actually He said there was no money in it!
This is simply a fantasy. The Qin Yin who took the ink and gave it to the folk kiln just said it, what a lie!I was not willing to be humiliated and made the matter bigger. Unexpectedly, they accused me of illegally firing porcelain in the Wending kiln. Not only was I smashed and burned, but they also wanted to hold me accountable!I didn't see the light of day in that prison, and then I figured out that it turned out that they had set up this trap every step of the way!In the end, not only could I not make up for the family's shortfall, but the treasures passed down by my ancestors were also defrauded one by one by the bank, and I was asked to use the Wending kiln to pay off the debt.I refuse, but what can I do?Can I tell the truth?Which one can I offend, the bank or the royal kiln factory?Which one doesn't hold the lives of more than 60 people in my family at risk? !They just want me to die! "

Xu Zhiliu said: "You really deserve to die, why don't you just die?"

"Do you think I don't want to? Not yet..."

Wenshi shook his head sadly again, "That's all, the matter has come to this, there's no point in talking more."

Before Xu Zhiliu came, he had thought about many possibilities, and the biggest possibility was that Aragonese was being manipulated. The intention was also very obvious, which was to embezzle money and annex Wending Kiln. Logically speaking, Aragonese deserved to die.The strange thing is that although he drowned himself in the river and brought the matter to an end, he was not completely dead, which was not in line with the style of work of those in the bank. Secondly, the Wending kiln collapsed and was not included in the bank.

Therefore, there is a hidden secret in it.

Seeing Wen Shi's coquettish behavior, Xu Zhiliu became more certain of this guess.

Is the so-called hidden secret related to his father?
"You caused a huge disaster, but they didn't take your life, and gave your family a chance to live. Even Wen Ding Kiln didn't have their ancestral face wiped out, and they were given someone else's surname. It shows that you betrayed yourself again. Wen. Shi, you stepped on Xu Yourong's body and survived for more than ten years, aren't you afraid of retribution for future generations?"

Wenshi punched the table and laughed: "All the children in my family have died and scattered over the years, so how can there be any descendants? Even if I keep the name of Wending Kiln during my lifetime, what is the use if I don't inherit it after my death?"

"You regret it."

"Yes, I regret it! I shouldn't trust anyone, let alone send a message to you. If I..."

"What's the use of regret? If you really have regrets and want to leave a way out for your descendants of the Wen family to gain more virtue, stop beating around the bush." ​​Xu Zhiliu stepped forward again, "Did Zhang Wensi use this as an excuse to threaten you? Want you to attack Xu Yourong?"

"I didn't attack him, I just, just..." The words suddenly stopped, and Wenshi realized something later. Xu Zhiliu didn't fully know, he was still deceiving him!

He asked, "Who are you Xu Yourong?"

"Is it important? If you know my identity, will you tell the truth?"

When his father's accident happened, he was still too young, and he only remembered Zhang Wensi who publicly tortured the county magistrate in court.Although the county magistrate was hateful, he did not come forward. Instead, the county magistrate Zhang Wensi was responsible for hearing the case. Of course, the one he hated most was Zhang Wensi.

Over the years, he has deeply remembered Zhang Wensi's appearance, so small that he has not forgotten even the mole between his eyebrows, but he has forgotten another key point.

Things still need to go back to that year——

At the beginning, a woman hanged herself at home in Luogu Lane, south of Yaoli. Her mother immediately reported the case to the county government after finding out.After conducting an autopsy, they concluded that the woman had been defiled before her death, and she committed suicide because she was afraid of being humiliated. So they investigated the surrounding clues, and one person testified that he had witnessed Xu Yourong walking out of the murdered woman's house in a panic, holding up his pants.

Xu Yourong was a scholar who taught in a private school every day.The private school was right next to Luogu Lane. Xu Yourong did leave the private school early that day, citing physical discomfort.

Coincidentally, when Xu Yourong left the private school, the murdered woman's parents happened to be out visiting relatives, and the woman was the only one at home.According to nearby neighbors, Xu Yourong was seen interacting with the woman many times, and the two had a close relationship.

Zhang Wensi concluded that Xu Yourong coveted the beauty of the woman and had evil intentions early on, which was completely consistent with the timing and motive of committing the crime.

Therefore, the crime of adultery and murder was involuntarily assigned to Xu Yourong.No matter how he tried to prove his innocence with the woman, it was always the woman who wanted to make acquaintance in private out of admiration but he repeatedly refused, which led to the misunderstanding among the neighbors. Zhang Wensi always thought that he was unrepentant and sentenced him to death in court. Afterwards, he wrote a document He was transferred to Beijing, approved by the imperial pen and sentenced to beheading.

At that time, he thought his father had surrendered to the crime, but now that he thought about it, his father's confession was not a forced move after examining the reality.

Is the father also involved in the abyss, and for the sake of the safety of his family, he has to bear unwarranted debts?Otherwise, why would Zhang Wensi put him to death?With Zhang Wensi's character, even if it involves human lives, if there are no benefits and no interests involved, he will never act so quickly.

Therefore, there must be something fishy behind it.

Combined with the various types of Wending kiln, it is clear at a glance.

"Wen Shi, Zhang Wensi ordered you to harm my father, are you still unwilling to admit it?"

"He is your father?! He is actually your father, then... the young man in the hall that day... was you?!"

Wenshi has been suffering from inner suffering for more than ten years. He cannot bear the pressure of persecuting innocent people and has long been unable to hold on.Now that he was seduced by Xu Zhiliu's move, he simply lowered his head and folded his head for peace of mind, and Xu Zhiliu finally remembered something.

Yes, he was still too young at that time, and his focus was all on Zhang Wensi.

The dog officer was driven by others to handle the case indiscriminately, which harmed his father. His family fell into decline and he was forced to drop out of school. He suffered many years of hardship and devastation, but he only had a hatred that grew wantonly in his heart.

He put all his hatred on Zhang Wensi, but he forgot that there was another person in the hall at that time - the so-called witness.

"It turned out to be you. You said you saw my father coming out of Tongluo Lane? In order to protect yourself, your family and Wending Kiln, you perjured yourself? Do you know that over the past few years, my mother has shed tears day and night, missing you My late husband, worried and riddled with all sorts of illnesses? Do you know that my brother Anan has been criticized since he was born and cannot grow up like an ordinary child? He has also been framed and almost followed in the footsteps of my father? Do you know that he cannot grow up like an ordinary child? Do you know what I have experienced? When you were hiding in Anqing kiln without leaving home, I walked around among the layers of folk kilns and households every night. I walked on the uphill and downhill roads made by the lion. Thousands of days and nights! I was thinking, what on earth should I do to wash away the injustice done to my father, to soothe my mother’s scarred heart, and to make my brother raise his head and be a good man? I was thinking, how long do I have to wait? Pick up the book again and pursue my heart's desire? What's funny is that I got lost step by step and could no longer look back, and you...and you...actually tried to use me to achieve your wishes. Aragonese, you If you really deserve to die, even if you are to be cut into pieces, it is not a pity to die!"

Soon after, a flash of silver light flashed, and the seemingly rickety old man pulled out the dagger from under the table and swung it at Xu Zhiliu.Xu Zhiliu couldn't help but wanted to fight with him. Unexpectedly, he was already prepared, and his arm directly hit the blade of the knife, causing blood and flesh to fly.

Before Xu Zhiliu could react, Wenshi quickly rushed out of the door.

This is the house he has lived in for more than ten years, and he knows it better than anyone else.After leaving the courtyard gate, he saw the kiln house and billet house that he was familiar with. He was like a fish entering the sea, his steps were nimble, and he disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Xu Zhiliu endured the pain and immediately caught up without stopping for a moment.

In the distance, there was a man standing on the roof, holding a sword.Of course he heard every word of the conversation in the house. At this moment, he wanted to sneak the person up and beat him half to death. But he was in a clear mind and knew that it was not his responsibility to take action.

So, he walked on the roof tiles while sending signals.

Xu Zhiliu heard the sound and identified his position, and chased Wenshi into the dark alley, finally blocking his way.Aragonite looked at the rushing river behind him, and then at the figure in front of him that was almost integrated into the night, his heart beating fast.

He said at one moment: "Xu Zhiliu, don't come over. If you come over again I will jump down." At one moment he said, "I will plead guilty. I can do anything you want. I just ask you to give me a few days. I want to ...I want to see my child for the last time, please allow me five days, no, three days!"

Not getting any response, Aragonese became more and more uneasy.

The turbulence under the dark alley reminded him of the humid underground prison that year. During the long night when he couldn't see his fingers, he couldn't see a glimmer of hope. Only the ticking of rain under the skylight - ticking, always irritated his eardrums.

It was the same long night, but the difference was that the rain had turned into blood, dripping down Xu Zhiliu's arms and onto the stone bridge.

tick-

tick-

Every beat sounded like a bell, like some kind of ironic countdown, the noise covered up Aragonite's violent breathing.All he could think of was the mechanical sound, which broke through the last line of defense in his heart.

He is an old man over fifty years old, how many years does he have left?After living an ignoble existence for more than ten years, does he really think he has lived a good life?On which day, on which day did he sleep a full night's sleep?
His arm loosened and the dagger fell to the ground.

"I was wrong, I shouldn't, I shouldn't... I was forced too, I had no choice!" He knelt down, clasped his hands together and begged for mercy, "Xu Zhiliu, please, spare my life! "

Xu Zhiliu looked at the person in front of him. He was once one of the few big figures in Jiangyou, not to mention famous all over the world. Now he was lying like a dog, wagging its tail at his feet and begging for mercy.

He suddenly felt that he had thought wrongly. Everything for his family and the inheritance of the kiln was all false.

After all, it's all for yourself.

"Are you afraid of death? Do you think you are the only one afraid of death? Do you know how cold it is in the underworld?"

The kind of cold that even if you are on the top of a snow-capped mountain you cannot feel the slightest bit of cold; the kind of cold that will instantly condense and tighten your blood vessels, and then squeeze and burst; the kind of cold that makes your body feel Turn into dust in the blink of an eye, leaving only an empty soul wandering in the underworld. The soul is more afraid of the cold. The lonely ghosts will come to suck your body temperature, and the black and white master will judge you.With your crime, you will have to go to the eighteenth level of hell at least. I wonder if you will be cold or hot when you get there?Just like this, it's not completely dead. Your soul and soul will have to endure countless hardships...

During the long night, the lingering images that had hovered in my mind countless times reappeared, and the aragonite suddenly shook like chaff.

He kept kowtowing and begging for mercy, with only one thought in his mind: he wanted to live, he wanted to live, he couldn't die!He doesn't want to die!He clearly doesn't do this, why?Why!

He clearly has a heart for boxing, and wants to use his writing to reach the Nine Heavens!Little did he know that if he took the wrong step, he would lead to an abyss!He unwillingly yelled at Xu Zhiliu: "As a human being, who doesn't make mistakes? Don't you, Xu Zhiliu, make mistakes? If you are like me in the future and are forced to have no way out, you may not be able to kill people and commit crimes. So what if the swan flies thousands of miles away? So what!"

Xu Zhiliu closed her eyes, and a line of tears slowly fell down.

It's ridiculous.

A coward who killed his father.

A coward?
A coward!
He would like to ask God, why?Why!Why is the world like this? Good people don't live long, and disasters last for thousands of years!Why could he not get a blue sky in exchange for ten years of poor life and studying poetry and books?
Later, Wu Yin recalled that the last words Xu Zhiliu said that night were - if I don't pay life for life, where is my path?
(End of this chapter)