But the bright moon shines on the ditch

When Liang Peiqiu woke up from a hangover, she was already in a familiar bed.

She rubbed her head and sat up, dazed for a while, and then gradually regained consciousness in all parts of her body - her head was dizzy, her head acupoints were still throbbing, her hands and feet were limp, and she had no strength at all.

It's not like I've never been drunk before, but this was the first time I had such a big reaction.

What was more serious was her throat. She only swallowed slightly, but her throat felt like a fire was lit and burned, causing her to twitch in pain unconsciously.

She managed to get up, put on her coat, picked up the cold tea last night and drank it in one gulp. However, the blockage in her throat made it extremely difficult to swallow the cup of tea.Fortunately, the burning sensation was extinguished by the herbal tea, and her throat felt much better. She suddenly remembered something, walked back to the bed, and rummaged among the thin mattresses. Suddenly her eyes lit up.

She turned around and sat down, picked up the jade button lying quietly under the pillow, held it in front of her with both hands and took a closer look.

She was in such a hurry last night and was so flustered that she didn't look at the jade button carefully. Now with the sunshine, the texture of the jade button was completely exposed. It was really a priceless jade, with warm tentacles. The gluttonous little rabbit was not only lifelike, There is also a faint pink glow on the lips, fingers and ear tips.

Every inch of the blade has been polished thousands of times during carving, without any edges or corners. It is as transparent as water under the light, and the texture is so fine that it is almost impossible to detect.

With this object, everything is no longer a dream.

Liang Peiqiu held up the jade button, felt it for a moment, then closed her hands, wrapped the jade button and pressed it to her heart.At this moment, there was a knock on the door. She was suddenly startled and subconsciously stood up to look around.

After the visitor entered, she panicked and put the jade button into her sleeve, pretending to be calm and said: "Yun Xian."

Wang Yunxian pretended not to notice her little movements, ordered the servant behind him to prepare hot water and food, and asked: "When did you wake up? Are you feeling better?"

"It's okay, just my throat hurts a little."

"Maybe I'm angry. Drink some chrysanthemum tea later. Don't go to work today."

Liang Peiqiu was indeed not feeling well, so she thought about it and did not refuse his kindness.

However, she was still in the backyard before going to bed last night. Why did she return to the room as soon as she opened her eyes? Could it be that Brother Liu sent her back?Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed and glanced at Wang Yunxian one more time.

Wang Yunxian told her to have a good rest, and then left after a few words.Seeing that he was acting coolly and without any hesitation, Liang Peiqiu no longer hesitated and called him to apologize for breaking the appointment last night. As soon as he opened his mouth, another boy ran over and whispered something in Wang Yunxian's ear. .

Wang Yunxian's expression suddenly changed, he waved at her and walked out the door.

The two of them were walking in a hurry, talking as they walked, and their expressions were solemn as she had never seen before.No matter how slow his reaction was after drinking, Liang Peiqiu could tell something was wrong at this time. He put down his tea bowl, dressed up and caught up with Wang Yunxian.

"But what happened in the mansion?"

She stroked the green tassel under the jade buckle around her waist with one hand while looking at Wang Yunxian.

Wang Yunxian did not miss the object. He only looked away for a moment and said in a deep voice: "It's nothing."

He asked the boy to go first, and seeing that her face was pale and her voice was hoarse, he guessed that she had drunk too much last night and was not feeling well. He didn't want her to follow him around, so he said: "It's rare for you to get drunk, so you won't be able to adapt to it during the day." If you feel uncomfortable, ask the doctor to come over and take a look."

Liang Peiqiu knew he was lying when she saw his eyes dodge, and her tone was firm: "Don't hide it from me."

Wang Yunxian knew that this matter could not be hidden, so he thought about it and told the truth: "Siliu is gone."

"Mr. Da? Why is he missing? Doesn't he never go out?"

Wang Yunxian shook his head and told everything he knew. He also said that someone saw a body in the moat. Now they are searching along the river. They are not sure whether the news is true or not, and they are not sure whether the person is Si Liu.

All in all, the incident happened so suddenly that everyone from Wang Yu to Wang Yunxian was confused and had no idea what happened.Liang Peiqiu's heart tightened and she subconsciously looked around.

"Where was the car that Xu Zhiliu brought last night?"

Seeing that she was still in the mood to care about her lover at this time, Wang Yunxian felt sour in her heart, and her tone became colder: "I have asked people to clean up the back of Xiaoqingyuan. You go and check to see if there is any damage. It was too dark when I brought you out last night, so I didn't pay attention. No matter how serious it is. If...if anything gets damaged, I will compensate you according to the price afterwards."

"You sent me back?"

"Otherwise who do you think it is?"

His tone was slightly sarcastic, and Liang Peiqiu was stunned.

Wang Yunxian said again: "I saw you hadn't returned for a long time, so I went to look for you. I saw you fell asleep in the carriage, and I was afraid that you would catch a cold, so I brought you back."

"That……"

"I'm leaving first. You can go back and rest for a while. Don't forget to eat."

Liang Peiqiu knew that he didn't want to discuss what happened last night anymore, so she stopped asking and walked quickly in front of him.

"me and you together."

The two went to see Wang Yu first, and then left the house, gathering the boys who were searching for people along the river together, and re-divided the tasks and key search areas.

Because after a day and a night, if a person really fell into the water, he would be washed downstream at this moment.Jingdezhen is not big, but there are many surrounding towns and villages. You can only start from the main branch rivers and look up from the downstream.

At this point, there is no need to worry about the matter making things big and attracting criticism. We can simply go out and make inquiries with the people who ship along the river and live near the river, and let everyone help find someone.

Wang Yunxian was a little hesitant, but Liang Peiqiu said: "Compared to human life, what is face? The matter is so important that we can't wait any longer."

In this family, regardless of big or small matters, except for that fire, Wang Yunxian rarely saw her making decisions.At this moment, she acted decisively, something Wang Yunxian had never heard of before.

He didn't stop him.

So, in just half an afternoon, everyone in the town knew that someone was missing from Anqing Kiln.

He's also a cashier.

"Do you think the Anqing kiln is having a bad year? A clockmaker died just before me. Not long ago, why did the accountant lose again?!"

"I guess that Mr. Accountant is in trouble."

"How do you say that?"

"Don't even think about it, it must have been done by Hutian Kiln!"

"You don't want to talk nonsense without evidence. You are just talking nonsense, so be careful of causing trouble. The kiln collapse incident happened to happen when the two families were fighting. The matter has already passed. Besides, the Yamen has not yet determined whether it was Hutian Kiln or not. We can just make random guesses about what he did. Now that the accountant is missing, it’s not a big deal. What does it have to do with Hutian Kiln? "

"Isn't this a big deal? The emperor will live forever next year. Without Mr. Da, Anqing Kiln can't handle its accounts well. How can it cooperate with the Royal Kiln Factory?"

"What you said reminds me, does Hutian Kiln want to usurp Anqing Kiln's share? It also depends on whether it can eat it!"

"What's the matter if I can't eat it? The Anqing Kiln won't be able to enjoy it!"

"What are you talking about? You're a living person. If you don't help us to look for it together, why don't you just watch the excitement?"

……

Such discussions reached a fever pitch the next day after Si Liu's body was recovered in the middle of the night.

After conducting an autopsy, it was concluded that the time of death was on the night of Liang Peiqiu's birthday, around midnight.

There were no wounds on Siliu's body from fighting with others, nor signs of struggle after being kidnapped and tied up. Judging from the bruises and death state on the body, it should be natural drowning, that is, he probably lost his footing and fell into the water, rather than committing suicide.

But Wang Yu didn't believe it. He grabbed Wu Zuo's hand and couldn't help but plead: "It's impossible for him to go to the river in the middle of the night, absolutely impossible! He must have been killed. Look carefully, look again!"

Zuo Zuo only cared about the autopsy and ignored the investigation. He reported the situation to Xia Ying and left.

Wang Yu slumped to the ground, and Wang Yunxian stepped forward to comfort him.

On the side, Liang Peiqiu, who had been looking at the corpse in silence, suddenly felt her stomach churn, covered her mouth and rushed to the river bank to vomit.

She arched her waist and fell forward violently. Her reaction was extremely large, but she only vomited out a stomach full of acidic water.

She hadn't eaten much since yesterday afternoon, and she only drank alcohol in the evening, leaving her stomach empty with nothing else but alcohol.Someone nearby said that the young man had never seen a corpse before, so he was probably frightened when he saw it for the first time. He went back to find the immortal to burn paper.

Some people say that he is superstitious. Why is he so young?Could it be that he feels guilty?

Liang Peiqiu listened to the constant whispers behind her, saying that she was scared and that she was possessed by ghosts, but she knew that she was nothing but disgusting. She was so disgusted that her whole chest, including her heart, liver, and lungs, made her want to vomit, and she wanted to take away everything she had that night. Spit it all out.

Si Liu's corpse was soaked, and his already morbid and haggard face softened after drowning. The expanded skin made his bones look less sharp, and the soft and sunken corners of his eyes and mouth made the always stern man even more... Mr. Da has the appearance of a Bodhisattva, dignified and gentle.

Treasure is solemn.

Wang Yunxian came up to her and asked her what was wrong. She shook her head and left without saying a word.After getting out of the crowd, she heard that Xia Ying had people carry the body back to the Yamen and lay it out for a few days for case investigation.

Later, he asked Wang Yu: "Do you know if he has any relatives still alive?"

Wang Yu seemed not to hear, immersed in his own world and talking to himself: "I rescued him from the river. I didn't expect, I didn't expect... In the end, he still couldn't escape this death."

Liang Peiqiu felt the fire in her throat burning even more intensely.

When she came to the door, Xu Zhiliu was at the Sanyao Jiuhui Office, an extra small courtyard next to the Fenghuo Temple, checking the list of gift porcelain that would be submitted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs at the end of the year.

Not wanting to be hit by a punch in the face, Xu Zhiliu subconsciously turned his head to dodge. He stepped back and bumped into the golden pillar of the main hall. The arm he was using for strength suddenly tightened, and the pain spread instantly.

The boy and the steward who were in charge of cleaning the three kilns and nine meetings came in after the figure. Before he could speak, he was stunned by the scene in front of him and stood there not knowing what to do.

After seeing the person clearly, Xu Zhiliu waved him away, stopped Zhang Lei who was about to step forward, and waved to Liang Peiqiu: "Let's go in and talk if we have anything to say."

"Say it right here! Why do you have to go inside? Don't you dare let others hear you? Don't you dare let people know how despicable you really are?"

That fist had been charged for a long time. It not only drew blood from Xu Zhiliu, but also drained Liang Peiqiu of her strength.

She suppressed the soreness in her nose and suppressed the tears that could not help but pour out of her eyes. After she was sure that she would no longer shed tears for the man in front of her, she asked: "What on earth did you do? Mr. Da's death and you Does it matter?"

Xu Zhiliu was silent for a moment and gave Zhang Lei a look.

Zhang Lei understood, clasped his hands to everyone outside the courtyard, and led everyone out one after another.After the door closed, they were the only two people left in front of the solemn statue of Tong Bin.

Liang Peiqiu kept adjusting her breathing to keep herself calm, trying to be coherent and hit the mark with one strike.

"When I woke up in the morning, I only had residual memories of the night before, but even those memories were in pieces, I cherished them very much. How I hoped it was not a beautiful dream, how I hoped that I could piece together the whole picture of it, how I hoped You can suddenly wake up, but I was wrong. You gave me a birthday gift, used a carriage full of rabbits to confuse me, and made me drink the glass of wine that you had drugged long ago, just to sneak into Anqing. The kiln is close to Mr. Big, right?" No wonder this time when she woke up, her reaction was very different from the previous hangover. No wonder her throat hurt. It turned out that it was not the wine's problem, nor her problem.

"You are not here to celebrate my birthday at all. You just want to use me to achieve your goals, right? Xu Zhiliu, I am too stupid to believe you again and again..."

When she woke up in the morning, she was still thinking, why was Wang Yunxian the one who sent her back to Xiaoqingyuan?Why did she get drunk after just one glass of wine?Is it all a dream?
But why does her throat hurt so much?

When she learned that something happened on [-], everything had an answer.

It's not a dream, everything that happened last night was real. He came, with sincerity that she couldn't refuse, like falling from the sky. He gently coaxed her, seduced her, asked her to wait for him, and made her forget the unpleasant past. Let her be played around like a fool.

He even wished her a long life! ! !
His performance was really better than any other actor she had ever seen. It was so good that she didn't have any doubts at all. She actually didn't have any doubts at all!She wishfully believed that one day she would be able to wait for his unspeakable secrets and his every step of the way that he could not tell.Whenever he spoke, she believed him.

However, she once again humiliated herself.

"Is there such a coincidence in the world? Mr. Da disappeared after you appeared. Tell me, what do you want me to think? What else can I think?"

Her voice broke, and it scraped hoarsely across her skin, like cracked tree bark, with blood being ripped out of it.

"At this point, I don't want to pursue too much. I just want to ask, is Mr. Da's death related to you?"

How could a person commit suicide by jumping into a river for no reason?Apparently, they had met just yesterday. Mr. Da rarely showed a smile and praised her for being more and more disciplined in her actions. Wang Yu also joked next to her, saying that her master taught her well.

Wang Yunxian refused to admit defeat. He also said that his master was good and kept ogling Mr. Da.

Mr. Big laughed.

He is clearly a kind and good-tempered old man.

Why is it that only one night has passed and everyone is gone?

"Speak, why don't you speak? When you came to see me, did you ever think that you would arouse suspicion? Or, with the support of the eunuch, you are not afraid at all?"

Liang Peiqiu was extremely angry and disappointed. Even if her plasma exploded, she still screamed: "Why don't you speak? Why don't you defend yourself?!"

She stepped closer and retreated step by step.

"Is it really you and you again? Did you kill Mr. Da?"

Xu Zhiliu looked at the hysterical young man in front of him. No, it was a girl. She was originally a 19-year-old woman who should be in bloom. She was shy and cute, with a hint of heroism in her delicacy. Even though she was sought after as a rare little god, she was always humble. Yes, gentle and upward.

When she looked at him, there was always an undercurrent surging in her eyes, hiding a lot of indescribable admiration and tenderness, which made him fall for it uncontrollably. She was even willing to give up the opportunity for revenge that was easily available, and tasted it for the first time in his life. To the taste of love.

He once told Wu Yin that she was the soft flesh under his ribs and would hurt if she was injured.

This was true, because Wu Yin didn't know that it was the last intact piece of flesh that was still alive in Xu Zhiliu's body.

What can be said now?When the facts are in front of us, what's the use of self-defense?
So, he really cut off all his past with one blow: "My father died unjustly because he gave false testimony. Now I persuade him to retract his confession and clear my father's name. He is afraid that the real murderer was powerful, and he is afraid that he will not die." Ken agreed and took advantage of the chaos to attack me.”

Hearing this, Liang Peiqiu turned her eyes and saw a corner of gauze vaguely exposed in his sleeve.

The gauze was stained with blood and soaked into her sleeves. She almost forgot to breathe at that moment, but Xu Zhiliu turned her back, "He fled all night out of fear. I chased him all the way to the moat, trying to persuade him to surrender, but he was nervous. He actually lost his footing and fell into the river. The river was turbulent that night and it was dark again. As soon as he fell in, he disappeared. It's not that I didn't think about saving him, but it was only a matter of time and fate. Everything was God's arrangement."

Liang Peiqiu felt something was wrong.

"No, it's not like that. Even if the current is very strong and you can't handle it alone, you can still ask others to help. Maybe you can find Mr. Da earlier and he can still be saved."

"Why should we save such a person?"

Liang Peiqiu's eyes widened and she looked at him in disbelief: "Do you know what you are talking about?"

"He killed my father and deserved to die."

"He deserved to die."

"Even if he doesn't fall into the river and drown, he should be punished with death."

……

Liang Peiqiu stepped back step by step, and finally became speechless.A person made a mistake and deserved the punishment he deserved. She did not doubt that he deliberately lied and slandered Siliu, but even if Siliu was guilty, he should be handed over to the government for trial and punished according to laws.

Instead, instead of - lynching.

If everyone were like him, wouldn't the world be in chaos?She doesn't have a bodhisattva heart and doesn't want to care about others, just because he is Xu Zhiliu, the Xu Zhiliu who has read poetry and books since childhood and is determined to make a living for the people!
How could he be so cold?

Just now when he said that four or six people deserved to die, his cold tone seemed to be that he was not judging a person's life or death, but an object, leaving or leaving a dead thing casually.

How did he become like this?

At the Hutian Kiln, he could defend Xu Zhong and clear their names for Heizi's death and for a group of people who crawled out of a beggar's den and became kiln workers with their own hands. How righteous was that?That kind of chivalrous spirit, that kind of bravery and chivalry, made her think about it for a long time without realizing that he was really a very good person.

But what about now?That good person decided the life and death of others with just one mouthful. What does it mean to deserve punishment?What does it mean to die without guilt?He is just a white body, a white body without any power, a scholar, a citizen who should not overstep his authority or disregard the criminal law even if he is in a high position.

Liang Peiqiu felt ridiculous: "How long will you continue to be wrong?"

Xu Zhiliu lowered his head and looked at the gift list, and said calmly: "If the county government interrogates you, please tell the truth and there is no need to be embarrassed."

Liang Peiqiu found it ridiculous again: "It turns out that in your eyes, I am here just to protect myself..."

Up to now, I have truly fulfilled the storyteller’s words: once you make a mistake when you are young, you will live forever.

"Brother Liu, do you know? When I first heard my husband compare my names with yours in the teahouse, I almost cried with joy. For many years, I have never thought about comparing myself with you. All I want is to walk with you. If I can’t walk with you, it would be a joy to be with you under the moonlight.”

He said to her that day, "You are young and ignorant, and you will follow someone's footsteps because of a certain light. Now that you have grown up, you should understand that what you once looked up to was just a bright light that you believed to be correct in your heart." , but that glory is not me.”

Yes, she followed a bright light that she believed to be correct and regarded it as the moon in the sky. How willing she was to become the shadow under his feet.

But how could he, how could he!

"How could you use me? How could you trample my true feelings under your feet for your own selfish gain..." Liang Peiqiu's voice trailed off after ten years of admiration, "You are too despicable."

Xu Zhiliu didn't say a word.

Liang Peiqiu stumbled out.She knew what this move meant. With the popularity of Hutian Kiln in Jiangxi today and the emperor's love for celadon, even if Xia Ying was upright, she would not be able to deal with a celebrity in front of the emperor without any scruples.

Moreover, even the widowers said that Mr. Da might have fallen into the water by mistake. He had no evidence or relatives to seek justice. Who would seek justice for him at the risk of offending Quan Cheng?
What else can she do?
What else can she do?
She kept thinking, but her mind seemed to be in knots. The harder she tried, the less she could think of anything.Just when she was about to walk out of the atrium, she suddenly stopped and her eyes fell on the majestic statue of the God of Wind and Fire in the middle of the hall.

At this time, she remembered what An Jiujiu said to her in a teahouse not long ago, "The little god is so talented. If you can join my army and join forces with Xu Zhiliu, you will definitely have a place in the Taihe Palace."

Probably not long after she was intercepted by men in black outside the city, when she walked into Mingquan Teahouse again, An Jiu suddenly appeared, and his words were all about soliciting her.

She refused, and An Qingjiu did not force it. He just smiled and said, "Are all the craftsmen in Jingdezhen as hard-nosed as you and Xu Shaodong? Frankly speaking, Anqing Kiln refused me several times and did not give me face. According to my instructions, Those who are disobedient must be taught a lesson, but Talent Xu has interceded for you. For this alone, the little god will repay him well in the future.

But having said that, when you two are fighting in the arena now, there must be a winner or loser.Xu Shaodong’s family has said that he will defeat you in an upright manner.In this case, I will wait and see. "

Now that I think about it, the man in black must have been arranged by An Qing Kiln with the intention of making An Qing Kiln surrender. However, An Qing Jiu failed. Now it is no longer important to find out who was behind it.

He was indeed kind to her, and it was not like she had never repaid his debt.

If that's the case, then that's as he wishes.

"Do you still remember the competition between you and me at the Spring Banquet?"

Xu Zhiliu might as well have suddenly spoken, and what she said was completely irrelevant, but for that competition, from before the banquet to after the banquet, from hugging her in the sea of ​​fire to imagining the inner demons, to the promise of enjoying the lotus in the summer, her heart was filled with thousands of hearts. The knot was engraved into his bones every moment.

He said without hesitation what she was thinking: "Spring orioles and summer cicadas in blue and white bowls."

Liang Peiqiu nodded.

She lost that time.

She lost convincingly.

"The emperor has a long life, and the folk kilns also have to offer porcelain. It's a coincidence that we actually got the title. The Ministry of Industry proposed that the four seasons are always there, which means spring, summer, autumn and winter, and the prosperity of the country. Why not just use this title again, and be dignified? Compete once?"

Xu Zhiliu raised his head. At this moment, Liang Peiqiu was no longer a small white flower that had not been exposed to wind and frost, but more like a rainbow breaking through the clouds after a thousand sails.

She said that it was an honest contest, just her and him, no third party, no death, no calculation, and let the god Tong Binyao be the witness.

In order to build the statue of Tong Bin, the government devoted all the people's efforts to cast bronze to create a golden body.After years of exposure to wind and sun, the golden body has already shown signs of wear and tear, but even so, Tong Bin's eyes are still bright and clear, like the judge of the king of hell, examining the ups and downs of the world.

Xu Zhiliu knew how difficult it was for him to win that time.

If you try it again, you may not win.

What's more, what if you win, what if you lose?Could it be that he and she alone could determine the quality of Hutian kiln and Anqing kiln?Can An Jiu wash his hands in the golden basin and Xia Ying be merciful?

But if there is no comparison, how will the murderous intention that cannot be wiped away in the dead of night end?
At this moment, Xu Zhiliu's heart was beating like thunder, and the gift list in his hand fell down with the wind.

He didn't bother to pick it up, he just stared at his hands in concentration.

That night, he kept washing his hands, pouring out basin after basin of bloody water, but no matter how he washed, his hands were still bleeding.

Angrily, he knocked over the copper basin and looked down at his hands. The blood fell drop by drop, landing at his feet, and red flowers swam out.

-

Suddenly, he woke up from his dream.

It turned out to be just a dream.

But, is it just a dream?
The next chapter concludes the first volume.