But the bright moon shines on the ditch

Chapter 69
In the midwinter of the 12th year of Wanqing's reign, Xu Zhiliu died.

This year's New Year is only less than ten days away.

The world of children is very simple. They don't care who lives or dies. In fact, there is an iteration of life every day. The fall of a star in the vast sky is too far away from them.What they care about are the little things that are within reach, such as whether they have new clothes to wear during the New Year, whether there are candies to eat, whether there are firecrackers set off outside, whether their friends are visiting relatives... For the elderly in Jingdezhen, cars are The horse was slow, the letter was slow, and he was slow to accept the current events in the town. Therefore, Xu Zhiliu's passing away was not like a thunderous explosion, but more like a heavy snowfall that was destined to fall.

The snow has melted, the sky has cleared up, and there will be a new atmosphere in the New Year.

Only the kiln owners and porcelain workers who have been on the front line of the kiln industry all year round, with strong uneasiness, have an insight into the current situation where there are many cracks.From their point of view, this year's New Year is bleaker than any other year in the past. There are fewer merchants carrying burdens to sell in Jingdezhen. As a result, there are fewer new things. The locals usually take advantage of the New Year. The enthusiasm of the whole family to reunite and visit the ceramic market during the festival has also subsided, not to mention the activities such as warming the kiln gods and singing operas at the end of the year. There are still some activities, but it is not as lively as in previous years to the naked eye.

First of all, several of the few large kiln factories in Jingdezhen that are owned by the government and are owned by private people did not participate. The sacrificial activities held by the Three Kilns and Nine Huihui for Tong Bin Kiln God were just a formality in accordance with the regulations. The Hutian Kiln was surrounded by plains. After a long time, the little god of Anqing kiln had a broken leg, and he lived with his tail between his legs, not daring to stand out.

Other wealthy people, adhering to the principle of keeping a low profile, want to dance with dragons and lions, and quietly close the door and play at home.

At a glance, the New Year is still the same year, and it also has the flavor of the New Year, but there is something different.

**
Liang Peiqiu has never felt that the days have been so long.

During the three months of bed rest, Jingdezhen went from winter to spring.She looked through the window and spread her fingers to catch the light under the eaves.

A warm touch flowed to her body through her fingertips, and her hands couldn't help but tremble slightly. They were pushed upward by a fresh force, turning left and right, feeling the sunshine.

Suddenly she remembered something and couldn't wait to call Bai Li in. She got out of bed and opened the cupboard. She picked up a piece of clothing and searched around inside and out. She couldn't find anything, so she threw it on the ground and picked up another piece of clothing...

In the blink of an eye, the cupboard was empty, and there was nothing in it that she wanted.Her eyes drifted to the other side, where there were two cages left at the foot of the bed.

She leaned on the cupboard and meditated for a few breaths, then jumped to reach the crutches beside the bed, hoping that there would be support for her to squat down and rummage through the boxes. She didn't want her hands and legs to be completely out of control, leaving the tables and chairs in the room in disarray. Wrong, and almost fell to pieces.

She had no choice but to lean on the bedpost again, frowning and looking at the box at the end of the bed, and then at the crutches beside her. Her hands unconsciously touched her shrunken and weak lower limbs, and the light in her eyes dimmed little by little.

After a while, she threw away the crutches and knocked down one knee so hard that her whole body hit the cage.

When Bai Li rushed in after hearing the noise, she saw a man half-thrown on the ground, struggling to pick up the box and throwing clothes out one by one.

She quickly stepped forward and helped Liang Peiqiu with both hands: "Little, young master, what are you looking for? Go back to bed quickly, I will help you."

This is the girl Wang Yunxian bought from Ren Yazi after Liang Peiqiu was injured. She is only 13 years old, but she is quite tall. She is well-raised and takes good care of Liang Peiqiu.

She clamped her arms and carried Liang Peiqiu back to the bed.

Liang Peiqiu was still trembling in the beginning, fearing that the child would get spoiled by tossing her, and she didn't want Bai Li to take it easy without any reluctance.Later she named her Baili.

Bai Li looked silly and was very happy to be named. She said she loved pears the most, and Liang Peiqiu didn't explain much.

Bai Li knew that Liang Peiqiu was born as a girl. These days, she was always waiting on her, washing and changing clothes. Boys and girls could not hide it. What shocked Bai Li was that not many people in the entire Anqing kiln knew that the little god was actually woman!
She suddenly felt nervous about holding a shocking secret, and she had to remind herself from time to time to be careful not to say the wrong thing and reveal the truth.

Externally, Liang Peiqiu is the top boss of the Anqing kiln, and is recognized by everyone as a minor god. Although he is a junior, he is older, so it is not surprising to be addressed as "you".Originally, Anqing Kiln was responsible for Wanshou Porcelain, and Liang Peiqiu won the Spring and Summer War, so it should have a bright future. Who would have thought... I can't figure it out, is it worth it just for the opponent's notorious young master?
I lost my leg, what will I do in the future?

Bai Li thought melancholy, pulled up the quilt for her and tucked her in carefully. Suddenly she heard Liang Peiqiu ask: "Have you seen my jewelry?"

"What does it look like?"

"A jade buckle made of mutton-fat white jade, with a little rabbit engraved on it and emerald-colored silk threads strung underneath, about the size of a thumb. The workmanship is very fine." Liang Peiqiu's voice was urgent. Just after some movement, dense fine lines appeared on her forehead. Khan, "I remember putting it in the cage, how could it be missing?"

Before Bai Li could answer, she heard her muttering to herself, "Where have you gone? Why can't you find it..."

It was a gift given to her by Xu Zhiliu on her birthday last year. She cherished it very much and wore it around her waist every day. Later, not long after, something happened on April [-], so she went to confront him and made a bet on Chun Xia Porcelain.After she came back, she packed her things into the box and cage, wanting to be out of sight and out of mind, and devoted herself wholeheartedly to the capture of Wanshou Porcelain.

Unexpectedly, I didn't notice that the jade button was missing.

I don’t know when I disappeared.

The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. She lifted up the quilt, bent down on her knees, rolled out of bed again, and fell heavily to the ground.She couldn't help but moan, and she kept moving, crawling forward, making the cage clank.

Baili knew that she couldn't be persuaded, so she quickly turned the box over and emptied it clean. Except for some old clothes, a few ceramic ornaments and an old book, there was nothing else inside.

Seeing that Liang Peiqiu's face was pale, Bai Li said hurriedly: "Don't worry, I'll look around again. Why don't you go back to bed first? The young master will scold me if he sees it."

Wang Yunxian is an ancestor who cannot be offended.

Seeing Liang Peiqiu turning a deaf ear and staring blankly at the empty box, Bai Li sighed in her heart, picked up the quilt, covered Liang Peiqiu tightly, and then quickly started rummaging around the house.

Later, all the places where things could be hidden were searched, and the mattress was lifted up. Except for a few items that she had kept at the top of her heart, there was nothing else.

When Wang Yunxian came over, the sky was already dark, and there was only an afterimage of the distant mountains, which was so sparse that it could not be seen in the darkness inside the house.

It was dark and he didn't light the lamp yet. Wang Yunxian casually called Bai Li and was about to scold him, but he saw Bai Li pressing his lips with his finger to signal him to be silent, and then pointed to the room.

Wang Yunxian subconsciously stepped lightly and walked to the edge of the house to peek inside.Finally, the ray of sky light burned through and fell on the young man's shoulders, and the raised back armor bones outlined a corner of her erect figure.

She sat against the wall, motionless.

Bai Li pointed in another direction, and then Wang Yunxian noticed the objects on her lap, which were clay rabbits, oiled paper after washing and drying braised elbows in sauce, and waste paper dumplings with the words Liang Jade Porcelain Company written on them. , a copy of "Hengqu Quotations" flows in the muddy water, and a blue and white bowl with spring orioles and summer cicadas covered with dark lines.

How can a few things comfort the longing for my old friend?

In the past, when he saw her climbing up trees every night without sleeping, he knew that Liang Peiqiu's heart did not belong to her own.Now that Xu Zhiliu is gone, how will her heart rest?
Wang Yunxian secretly clenched his fists and pondered again and again, but did not come forward to disturb him. He did not want Liang Peiqiu to find him, so he turned around and asked: "Yunxian, is something wrong?"

Wang Yunxian paused, his eyes sore.

She hadn't said a word to him for how many days.

In the past, she often blamed him. He concealed what happened to Xu Zhiliu and had quarrels and cold wars with him about it. But that day, he didn't dare to delay at all. He hurriedly rushed to report the news to her as soon as possible, not wanting to unexpectedly As a result, she broke a leg.

What does she think when a daughter becomes a cripple in the future?

How dare she!
Wang Yunxian wanted to wake her up countless times and wanted to give her a few punches, but when he thought of her rushing into the kiln regardless of burning her fingers to sweep up Xu Zhiliu's ashes, he couldn't say anything, and he was almost full of heartache. to leak out.

As a ceramics person, someone who has been focusing on pottery and working with stoves for many years, wouldn’t he know how important his hands are?But she actually forgot about herself and didn't care about life or death. Would she still care about who she was?Do you still care about who Liang Peiqiu is?

Thinking of this, Wang Yunxian was both angry and pitiful, and had no more demands for her. He only hoped that she would get better as soon as possible.

It seemed that as long as she could get better, nothing would matter anymore.

"It's okay, let's see you." He waved his hand, pretending to be casual, "Why are you sitting on the ground? Be careful if you catch a cold, go back to bed quickly."

"It's comfortable to sit on the ground."

"How can a place to put your feet be more comfortable than a bed?"

Liang Peiqiu smiled slightly: "The ground is cold and hard, and it feels real."

When Wang Yunxian heard what she said, the sourness he had finally suppressed surged up again, and a cloud of water vapor suddenly rose in front of his eyes, making him almost unable to see her smile clearly.

He turned his back, pretending to scold Bai Li, and quickly wiped away his tears.

Liang Peiqiu did not refuse anymore, and returned to the bed obediently. No one could touch the things on her knees. She had to hold them carefully in her arms one by one.

When Wang Yunxian saw it, he was speechless.But Liang Peiqiu knows him well. This man can't hide things. Now that he's here, even if he doesn't say it now, he will eventually tell it himself.

"Unzen, do you have something to tell me?"

For more than three months, she abandoned herself in Xiaoqingyuan and ignored the affairs at the entrance of the kiln. She not only took on the title of being a stakeholder, but also spent all her food and drink in the kiln, and shamelessly treated herself as an idler. A little injury or pain is a gold medal for avoiding death. No one can bear it, let alone Wang Yunxian.

She was mentally prepared and awaiting the outcome of the trial.

Wang Yunxian moved a piece of cake and sat in front of the bed. He felt dazed for a while and let out a long sigh.

"I don't know what the world is like outside now. It's just a moth. The previous wave had just subsided, and then..." He was the one who came to report the news, but even without him, could this matter be hidden?Wang Yunxian thought for a long time and finally said, "Master Xia is dead."

Liang Peiqiu looked stunned.

"Lord Xia Ying?"

Wang Yunxian nodded: "I found it at noon. The body had been soaked in the river for an unknown period of time and it already stunk."

Thinking of this, Wang Yunxian sighed again.

The first one heard from the old man that a group of them, headed by Xia Ying and accompanied by several leading figures in the porcelain industry, also gathered in Jiangshui Tower. They were overjoyed at the results of the Baicai reform in the past six months and were preparing to formulate a charter with the Three Kilns and Nine Clubs. Vigorously promote it to major private kilns and billet households...

Who would have thought that something would happen in the blink of an eye.

If you want to touch it carefully, maybe something happened to Xia Ying that night.

Xia Ying has never given up on establishing the Ceramic Industry Supervision Committee, and this is the red line that An Jiu cannot touch.The two sides wrestled for a long time and remained deadlocked.

Now that Baicai's new policy has begun to bear fruit, Xia Ying only needs to appeal to the emperor, and the Ceramic Industry Supervisory Committee can be established without An Jiu's consent.

Therefore, An Nineteenth Anniversary will definitely obstruct the implementation of the New Deal.

But then again, if it was to stop the reform of Baicai, Anqing Kiln was the culprit, why wasn't he the one who died?Wang Yu thought in a positive direction. Anqing kiln had to cooperate with the imperial kiln factory to undertake Wanshou porcelain, which would still be of use value.

Xia Ying is the one who makes the layout. As the saying goes, the hozens scatter when the tree falls. Perhaps in An Jiu's eyes, these hozens are not opponents at all, right?

The father and son closed the door and discussed for a long time, which made Wang Yu's mouth dry and finally pushed him, "Go and explain to Peiqiu and persuade her that there is no resurrection after death, and how can a living person be resurrected?" What's the point of being burdened by the dead? She still has kiln duties, so she can't stay in despair forever."

"Why me again?" Wang Yunxian felt aggrieved.

Wang Yu pretended not to hear, and was full of emotions: "A good person is gone after saying no, and he is still an official. What is the use of the Fuliang County magistrate specially approved by the emperor... The upper hand cannot reach these corners. Come on, let an eunuch deceive you and act recklessly, I think this is a bad luck that Jingdezhen cannot escape."

It was almost dark at this time, and the boy came over to hold the candle and stayed there, listening to the master's conversation, not wanting to be caught by Wang Yunxian.With just one glance, the young man was shocked to realize that the young man's eyes were deep and powerful, so he hurriedly apologized again and again, bowed his head and retreated.

Wang Yu saw this scene in his eyes and was pleased with Wang Yunxian's growth: "Don't worry, which family will not scold eunuchs behind closed doors now?"

He didn't know what he was thinking of, but he still managed to laugh, "That old guy Xu Zhong must have scolded me the most!"

Without Xu Zhiliu's strategizing and An Jiu's attention, Hutian Kiln plummeted.

"How is Xu Dadong's family doing lately?"

"What kind of big boss is he? How can he be worthy of a hands-off shopkeeper?" Even so, Wang Yu still muttered, "No, he was drunk all day long and became a big drunkard."

Wang Yu was still more angry than resentful.

It turned out that he and Xu Zhong each occupied a hilltop, and they fought so hard that they couldn't get enough of each other.Comparing skills, sales volume, Bao Shaoqing, and even singing better than the troupe hired by someone else, but no matter how they fight, no one is harmed. Occasionally, there is a sense of sympathy for meeting an opponent, and they usually make noises when they meet each other. , it’s not like we couldn’t sit together and have a heart-to-heart drink, until the kiln collapse accident happened.

At that time, Xia Ying and An Jiu were fighting in the ring. They were both roasted on the fire and had no choice.

Xu Zhiliu borrowed the help of An Jiu and took the opportunity to push Hutian Kiln to the top of the list of private kilns, occupying the first position in the world. During that time, Hutian Kiln was said to be rich and wealthy.

"Just looking at the way the old boy cheered and cheered before going out, an uninformed person would have thought that some official official was patrolling the streets. But so what?"

As soon as Xu Zhiliu died, all those people disappeared.

"I have witnessed once what it means to leave someone alone, you know what people say outside, right? When people are in the limelight, people rush to follow them. Who doesn't think they are good people? But when something goes wrong, how can people's hearts be so dirty? ?”

All the achievements in the past have turned into profitable selfishness. All the white ones are painted as black for you. All of them are masters of invisible murders. They can sentence people to death with just one mouth. Looking at Jingde, there is only Jiang Shui Tower. The storyteller has a story to tell, and he can still say a few fair words. It is very sad to mention the great talent who once had an unparalleled reputation.

"You said you are in this situation. We all know that an egg can't touch a stone. If you don't think about yourself, you have to think about the whole family. There is also a kiln factory. Why are you angry with a eunuch? But that old boy can't change. He bends over, does not cover up inside and outside, and scolds the eunuch as heartless when he meets everyone. He uses people to go forward and does not use people to face behind. At Hutian Kiln that day, even Xia Ying was preparing to cease fire. Xu Zhiliu had saddled the front and rear for An Jiu, but the eunuch actually wanted to— - Actually want to turn him into ashes, you say, how can this behavior not be chilling? Who will dare to sacrifice their lives for him in the future? That is an unfamiliar wolf!"

When Wang Yu talked about it, she felt a little secretly smug about it.After all, he had also been a secret promoter, taking advantage of the current situation, hoping to carve out a bloody path and become king.

Now, Xu Zhiliu has sacrificed his life to become a benevolent person, which can be regarded as throwing stones at him to find the way.

He saw clearly the eunuch's virtue and methods, and he should think twice before taking action in the future.When Wang Yunxian heard what his old father said, he listened carefully at first, but later he felt something was wrong.

If you look closely, you will see that there is something different about the old man.

Recently, he often felt that the old man was not the old man he knew.Everyone must have two or three sides, and he was seeing more sides of the old man one by one.

Wang Yu seemed to be aware of his youngest son's gaze and was not afraid of him seeing clearly his plan. He went up to meet him and patted his shoulder with a soft smile: "Anyway, if that old boy continues to seek death, I think the Hutian Kiln... is in danger. That’s it.”

Although An Jiu did not take action directly, who would dare to interact with Hutian Kiln?If his family's production is sidelined, a large group of people will not be able to drink from the northwest wind?

Wang Yu put his hands on his knees, rubbed his legs, and suddenly felt a bit of joy in suffering: "Now that Xia Ying is gone, the Jingdezhen kiln industry will have to listen to the eunuchs from now on. Even if there is another county magistrate, he probably won't be able to get past it. Let him go. Xia Ying is well-known and has the reputation of being a cruel official in the southwest. He parachuted here to rectify the porcelain industry. Who didn't secretly worry about him? After all, good people don't live long... I was on Mr. Xia's side before. I challenged the eunuch and guessed that I would be the next one to be liquidated. But don’t worry, the Wanshou porcelain has to be handed over to the Anqing kiln for firing. He won’t do anything to me. Besides, there’s that old fool Xu Zhong rushing in. It’s at the front..."

That being said, they have all experienced An Jiu's skills. Who can not be afraid?Wang Yunxian looked at Wang Yu with a hint of worry, and Wang Yu nodded at him, "Go ahead."

Wang Yunxian was pushed to Liang Peiqiu's bed. He habitually pulled up the quilt for her, fearing that she would catch cold. After giving her some instructions, he locked eyes with her.

Her worries were written in her eyes, and he comforted her exactly as Wang Yu comforted him.In Wang Yu's words, as long as they are obedient, An Jiu is not a murderous monster. At most, he is more greedy and they earn less.

Nothing else, no need to be afraid.

Liang Peiqiu silently responded.

Wang Yunxian said again: "As the old saying goes, it takes a hundred days to break your muscles and bones. You have only been recovering for three months. You still need to take a good rest. You cannot take it lightly. I have asked someone to find a famous doctor. I heard that there is a master of bone setting in Suzhou and Hangzhou who is bedridden. It can be cured even if it is more than ten years old, and it is still as active as before. We can ship to Suzhou and Hangzhou, and I think there will be news soon."

He said and laughed, "Peiqiu, I will definitely heal your legs. Don't be afraid. You are still young, your body can still grow, and your bones will grow well. In the future, you will bring my Wangjiayao porcelain with you." Go to many, many places, whether it is Suzhou, Hangzhou or the capital, look outside, the sky is vast, there must be lakes and mountains that belong to you."

Liang Peiqiu's eyes were sore and she lowered her head.

Wang Yunxian has ignored secular affairs for many years and has been lazy in order to retain his personality and be a sweet-tempered person like Lei Yun Yehe.Liang Peiqiu knew his ambition and knew the purpose of what he said.

Maybe it wasn't voluntarily, maybe it was Wang Yu's intention, maybe he understood, or maybe he didn't understand. In short, Liang Peiqiu saw clearly the dilemma faced by Anqing Kiln after Xia Ying's death.

Originally, Wang Yu looked down on Xu Zhong's despicable manner of nodding and bowing while riding for the nobles. He once said clearly that although merchants were young, they were not despicable.The kiln households in Jingdezhen are not only businessmen, but also craftsmen. They must have character in order for the porcelain they make to be appreciated by others.

She has always kept it in mind, but now Anjiu dominates Jiangxi, and Xu Zhong, who has always bowed to the powerful, has stood up, but they have to lower their heads for the long term and become the type of people they despise most.

In this way, if you lose your character but still live, how will you choose?
Sadly, Wang Yunxian not only became Wang Yu's messenger, but also couldn't bear it. He understood her heart. Instead of blaming her, he didn't urge her, and he didn't put the responsibility on her. In the face of external and internal troubles, she even I hope she can cheer up, go out and see the world.

And she knew from beginning to end that the answer was impossible.

Didn't she think about it?As long as she comes forward to show mercy to An Jiu, who would dare to operate on the Anqing kiln based on her ability to make green roasted greens?An Jiuzuo just couldn't swallow that breath.

As long as she lowers her head and lets An Jiu vent her anger, then, with Emperor Wanqing's love for blue and white porcelain, no one needs to be afraid or worry about ending up like Xu Zhiliu and Xia Ying.

But she doesn't.

She would not bow to those who had bullied Xu Zhiliu, not even to death.

"If I go to beg him, what will Brother Liu think of me? I have already lost the birthday gift he gave me. He made it with his own hands. It is the only birthday gift he gave me..."

Liang Peiqiu didn't know what to do. She hated An Jiu and hated herself even more. She hated the unfairness of the world and hated her powerlessness.

After Wang Yunxian left for a long time, she sat back on the ground again.

It was bright and hard there.

Touch the truth.

(End of this chapter)