But the bright moon shines on the ditch

Chapter 72
However, the development of worldly affairs is always not as expected.If it goes as planned, it will not be life anymore.

Wang Yunxian had not been happy for a few days when something went wrong in the accounting office. The trouble was not small. Wang Shaodong, who was so anxious that he was so worried, had several blisters in his mouth that night and avoided Liang Peiqiu until he saw the sky.

Not long after, something happened to Hutian Kiln.

It was the end of May when the news came, and it was the time when the little lotus peaked between the clouds and the water. In the row kiln room of the Anqing kiln, the fire of the second dragon kiln had not been extinguished. Liang Peiqiu was observing the flames through the remaining kiln hole. The color determines whether to put firewood into the kiln.

Every once in a while, she has to use an iron drill to hook out the round porcelain pieces that have been placed in the kiln in advance to see how soft they are to determine the temperature of the kiln and whether it has reached the temperature environment required for glaze transformation.

As the old saying goes, a slight difference can make a huge difference. Even if the color difference between Junyao red is so small that it can only be seen clearly with a magnifying glass, there is still a huge difference. Therefore, Liang Peiqiu did not dare to take it lightly. After observing it for a long time, she decided not to add firewood yet. .

She had to keep an eye on the kiln fire all night and couldn't be lazy.However, there is a special space reserved for the pile master in the kiln house to take a nap. It is still okay to take a nap. Compared with the kiln workers who watch the night, she is already relaxed.

As a rule, you have to wait until the kiln fire is extinguished before you can be completely relieved.Let the kiln cool down for another day and then put the sand collecting cap in place.

Nowadays, she still lives in Xiaoqingyuan. The house in Yunshuijian is managed by the people from Yahang. Daily maintenance is enough. She has not thought about the rest. The most difficult thing to deal with is some bottles that Xu Zhiliu made during his lifetime. .

In her opinion, the things that can be called "works" are no worse than those unearthed from official kilns in the past years. She secretly wants to preserve them, or maybe they can be famous for generations to come.But she was a duckweed with no roots and no ties. Coupled with the turbulent current situation, she was unable to protect herself and had to find a safe place for those works.

Thinking of this, she had a vague idea in her heart, wondering if it was feasible.

Just as I was thinking about it, there suddenly was a commotion outside.

"It's not good, something serious happened!"

When Liang Peiqiu was sleepy, she was startled by the call, and she sat up with scattered sleepiness flying around.She put on her coat, picked up her crutches, and walked outside: "What's going on?"

The person who came to communicate was a young worker who had just arrived at the kiln factory as an apprentice and specialized in helping people. Because Xu Zhong, the big boss of Hutian kiln, had been at odds with An Jiu in recent days, people in Hutian kiln were scattered.In comparison, the Anqing kiln was relatively stable, and the food was half a bun more than the Hutian kiln, so he decisively "abandoned the darkness and turned to the light" and came here.

I originally wanted to persuade my uncle who was a long-term worker at Hutian Kiln to make plans in advance, but unexpectedly, in just a few days, things changed!

Officers and soldiers surrounded Hutian kiln at night, and Xu Zhong was imprisoned.

Rumor has it that the person who reported Xu Zhong was his archrival Wang Yu.

The worker slapped his thigh fiercely and said angrily: "The rabbit doesn't even eat the grass beside its nest, let alone being an old rival for many years, why is it like this, why is it like this... ugh!"

His sigh made Liang Peiqiu feel discouraged.

She hurriedly pushed away the help from the laborer, used crutches, and hurried to Wang Yu's study for verification. Along the way, she kept thinking about every word and word Wang Yu said to her in front of the dragon kiln that day. ——

He said that he would not die in the same way as Xia Ying. He said that although it was difficult to live an ignoble life, at least he could live. Only by living can he have hope and be able to make progress slowly.He also said that those who achieve great things do not stick to trivial matters, but smart people must know how to adapt to the current situation.

Every word that still rings in my ears seems to be preparing for this day.

When Liang Peiqiu arrived, the study was quiet and Wang Yu was the only one.He had expected it and dispersed the people around him in advance. Even Wang Yunxian blocked the door, leaving only Liang Peiqiu to speak.

He went straight to the point and asked, "Are you here to investigate, or are you here to discuss the future? Peiqiu, please think about your identity first."

Liang Peiqiu choked and choked back all the questions that came to her lips.

Wang Yu sighed: "You are too naive when it comes to things. Don't rush to a conclusion. Listen to me first."

In fact, this matter was not without warning.

Thinking back carefully, maybe everything was An Jiu's plan.

After Siliu's death, a young man claiming to be his son begged to the Anqing Kiln to ask Wang Yu to arrange a future for him for the sake of his father.The other party showed the certificate, which was the handful of red sand from the North that was given to him when Si Liu accompanied Wang Yu northward to develop river transportation and build a waterway for porcelain transportation.

The red sand is fine and soft and is stored in glass beads by Si Liu as a token.This thing is irreplaceable. After verification, Wang Yu recognized the young man and left him to run errands in the accounting room, which was considered as living up to his trust.

Unexpectedly, that guy turned out to be a brave man who only ate but never vomited. He had a bottomless pit in his stomach and tried his best to make money from the accounting office.

In just six months, Anqing Kiln lost tens of thousands.

After further investigation, it is inseparable from Liang Peiqiu.Starting last winter, the Anqing kiln began to purchase supplies for the preparation of Wanshou porcelain, and everything had to be accounted for.

Liang Peiqiu was depressed because of Xu Zhiliu's death. Wang Yu was responsible for all the affairs of the kiln factory, the blank house and the porcelain merchant's business. From time to time, he had to worry about her broken body. He was so weak that he couldn't take care of the daily accounting?
Therefore, this important task was handed over to Wang Yunxian.The accounting room was full of old associates who had been with him for more than ten years. Wang Yu expected that nothing could go wrong, but he overestimated people's hearts and underestimated Pi Xiu's ability.

In troubled times, how can people's hearts stand the test?The Anqing kiln was responsible for offending the eunuch, and the little god couldn't afford it. Pixiu took advantage of the situation to win over him. Use your hands to deceive the superiors and conceal the inferiors.

Wang Yunxian and Si Liu Xue have been doing accounting for less than a year and have just entered the industry. In front of a group of thousand-year-old lotus roots, how can his little savvy be enough?The yin and yang account books are all leftover tricks they played.

By the time he discovered that the number recorded in the account books did not match the actual number in the warehouse, it was already too late.

Not only was a big hole ripped out of the Anqing kiln, but it was also implicated in the serious crime of evading porcelain taxes!

Wang Yu knew nothing, but as the dignified head of the family, could he clear away the suspicion with the words "I don't know"?Even if they make a fuss in the lobby of the county government office, those in the accounting room are trying to protect themselves and are colluding. What are they afraid of saying?By then, all the veterans of Anqing Kiln will be shaken to their wits.

Wang Yunxian got into trouble the first time he took on the task. He was angry and anxious, so he set up a dragnet to catch Pixiu.I didn't want to make too much noise and attract the attention of the eunuch. In the end, I didn't catch the cicada and was still followed by the eunuch Huangque.

After receiving the news, he immediately reported back to Wang Yu. The father and son thought that they were finished. This time, the eunuchs caught him and the Anqing kiln would not end well.Unexpectedly, the eunuch happily invited Wang Yu to a banquet with evidence of his crime.

This banquet may not be the Hongmen Banquet, but how dare Wang Yu refuse?He asked Liang Peiqiu: "If it were you, would you go?"

Liang Peiqiu said: "Go. Good guys and bad guys have to face it."

"Yes, you must understand clearly even when you die. Things in the world are so changeable, how could it be such a coincidence? When Death Liu was alive, I didn't see any of his relatives. Isn't it strange that as soon as a person dies, his biological son appears? It's also my fault for being careless and not understanding deeply. Think about this level.”

In fact, it is not the case. Although there are carelessness, there is more pride.At that time, Xia Ying took great measures to crack down on corruption. He took advantage of the opportunity to make a big splash with his new policies. He thought he was climbing a high tree, so how could he care about the death of an untouchable?Even if he had sincerely complained about Si Liu's injustice, the case had no beginning and no end, so what could he do?

He found a comfortable outlet for his guilt. After "Pixiu" appeared, he naturally took care of him more to show the deep love between master and servant.

Admittedly, he was too hypocritical.

Now, it can be considered as retribution.

That night at Jiangshui Tower, An Shijiu was listening to a ditty, stroking his jade finger, lying lazily on the red soft couch, threatening to give him a way out.

He understood An Jiu's meaning and made it clear that the eunuch was determined to turn hostility into friendship. It was up to him to see whether he understood the situation or not.He nervously lifted up the hem of his clothes and stepped forward.

The posture was low enough. An Jiu looked at it pleasantly and his chest felt smooth before he said, "I don't want to embarrass you. If you do something for me, we will be a family from now on."

"Your Majesty, please give me your instructions." "As you know, since the death of Xu Zhiliu, Xu Dadong's family seemed to have lost their minds. They started to make trouble with me, but the people below had clean hands and feet and couldn't catch anything. I have absolutely no clue. What comes to mind is that a loser who had not taken care of the kiln affairs for several years was able to hoop the Hutian kiln like an iron barrel after Xu Zhiliu's death. Thinking about it carefully, it is not his work, but the damn Xu Zhiliu who gave it to me The trouble left behind. I am most afraid of trouble. What can I do to silence the Xu Dadong family and allow the Hutian Kiln to live in peace and work honestly for me?"

After all, he was a large private kiln owner that had been operating in Jingdezhen for decades and was very popular. After careful consideration, An Jiu could not rashly attack Hutian kiln. He just couldn't stand Xu Zhong's troubles every day and wanted to give him a decisive blow.

In the past few months, without the constraints of Xu Zhiliu and Xia Ying, who had just arrived, An Jiuzhong returned to his old place, meeting gods and killing gods and Buddhas in Jingdezhen. Whoever he met was not pleasing to the eye. A few days later, this Human corpses would appear silently in rivers, back alleys, in the wilderness, or on display in the streets under city gates.

Everyone knew it was him who did it, and it was as unpleasant as it sounded in private, but who dared to rush in front of him and accuse him?I only dare to joke about "King Fox" after closing the door.

The character in the "Fox King" was not able to fulfill his purpose, so he had nowhere to start. He could only use the excuse of cleaning up public security to randomly capture some people who gathered to vent their anger and demonstrate.

As soon as Xia Ying died, public resentment boiled over and the city was filled with uproar. It was not known who had stabbed the Chief Envoy.

The superiors personally sent political officers to investigate the cause of Xia Ying's violent death.An Jiu had a thorough plan, and Xia Ying's body was clean, without any clues. If there were any, the only explanation was that he died by drowning, and no one could find out about him.

But that political officer was a wonderful man. While investigating the case, he found an excuse to meet him and remind him to pay attention to his words and deeds.

After all, the long life of the emperor is a critical period for listening to public opinion. If the emperor wants to tour the south or personally meet with representatives of Jiangxi folk kilns on a whim, won't he be afraid of those unruly people suing him?Even if they don't have the opportunity to meet the saints, who can ensure that no imperial ministers will come to Jiangxi for a private visit?
Finally, he said that the Chief Envoy Zuo already knew about this matter. As the highest local administrative agency, your Excellency hopes that the Jingdezhen porcelain industry can return to its former peace, and that both civil affairs and finance must get back on track.He also said that he would pay attention to his daily performance as a pottery supervisor who was "unable to commit a crime worthy of death" in order to report it to the emperor.

This is like giving a sweet date a hammer.An Jiu was very unhappy, but he couldn't do anything to the other party.

The Chief Envoy is in charge of the entire Jiangxi territory, and there is only one of Fuliang County and Prefecture Yamen. You can influence his whereabouts with just a flick of your finger.In the past, people didn't touch him, not because they didn't want to, but because it didn't hurt and they were too lazy to argue with a pony like him.

Now I don't know where he poked a hornet's nest and was suddenly stung.

He thought about it over and over again, but he still had to give in. He had to give face to the Chief Envoy, so he received Shenzheng in Haosheng, ran with him, sent his ancestors away in person, and handed in a report on the closure of Xia Ying's death case. He also vowed to perform well and not cause trouble to the Chief Envoy Zuo.

The other party is satisfied with this.

He was so angry that he had nowhere to vent his anger. At that moment, someone handed him a pillow.

Originally, the death of an accountant in the Anqing kiln was nothing, so he didn't take it to heart. Unexpectedly, Zhang Wensi was stunned by the corpse, and even secretly walked around with Xu Zhiliu. How could he not become suspicious?Therefore, through the spy placed in the county government, he spied on Xia Ying's actions, followed the clues to find out the 10 taels of snowflake silver that disappeared from the Wending kiln more than ten years ago, and concluded that the accountant was Aragonese.

This matter is really not complicated to talk about, nor difficult to check.

In the year when Wang Yu picked up [-], there was only one major incident in Jingdezhen, which was the collapse of the Wending Kiln Building. The county magistrate at that time happened to be Zhang Wensi.

Zhang Wensi fainted with fright when he saw Siliu. It was obvious that this man had an unusual relationship with him.There is enough coincidence in time and characters that it is not difficult to guess the whole story as long as you use your brain for a little while.

Anjiu estimated that Zhang Wensi had embezzled a lot of money, and Zhang Wensi, the county magistrate, might not be able to swallow a hole as big as the Wending kiln.

It's a pity that Wen Shi died, and Zhang Wensi still has uses, so he can't be pushed too hard. This line has lost its whereabouts for the time being.

When he was hesitating to move forward, Wenshi's son, who was hiding in the countryside of a neighboring county, came to Jingdezhen because he had not had money for a long time. He owed money at the casino and happened to bump into him.

There is no use keeping a guy who doesn't know anything. An Jiu wanted to get rid of the problem, but he heard the guy bragging about his ability to make money, so he thought of it and put him in the Anqing kiln.

At that time, Anqing Kiln was following Xia Ying and often challenged him. He kept a chess piece for emergencies. To be honest, he didn't have much hope, but he didn't expect that the gambler would really come to his rescue!

He originally wanted to take the opportunity to renovate the Anqing kiln and make Wang Yu look good, but Zhou Yuan advised him and said he had a good idea that killed three birds with one stone.

When he heard it, he really took advantage of it.

"Didn't they say that I'm used to playing dirty tricks? This time I'm going to do it openly and make them dog eat dog." An Jiu laughed and threw an olive branch to Wang Yu, "I heard that Xu Zhong has been fighting with you for decades? You are considered old enemies, so you should know each other's weaknesses very well, right?"

As soon as Wang Yu heard this, he guessed what An Jiu was going to do.Of course he knew where Xu Zhong's destiny was. He had reminded Xu Zhong more than once before that sooner or later he would be ruined by that mouth.

I don't want to be a prophecy.

A few years later, it turned out that he was the one who designed to frame Xu Zhong.

He pretended to make peace with Xu Zhong and invited him to drink at Jiangshui Tower.In Xu Zhong's view, Wang Yu is the best at assessing the situation. Now that both families are being held in Anjiu's mouth, can't they shake hands and make peace with the outside world?Since I had no doubts about him, I confessed after drinking that I had contacted all the famous kilns privately, intending to ask Wan Minshu to petition to protest An Jiucao's infringement of human life.

At this time, An Jiu was next door.To be honest, he never expected that Xu Zhong, who was an alcoholic every day, would still have a backup plan. When he thought about the beating from the Chief Envoy, he was dripping with cold sweat.

Could it be that they received the news in advance?However, how could the Chief Envoy know what he didn't know yet?

An Jiujiu was frightened and immediately asked Zhou Yuan: "Have you dealt with Wenshi's useless son?"

Apparently Zhou Yuan also guessed something and nodded solemnly.

"Do it cleanly, don't leave the beginning and the end." An Jiu paused, then lowered his voice, "Keep an eye on Nen Wensi, that guy is always chattering like a monster, don't let him cause trouble."

After that, he brushed his sleeves, stepped on his soft boots embroidered with gold locust, and pushed open the carved door next door.Xu Zhongan was convicted on the spot of falsely accusing a court official and captured him.

Now that people are in prison, no one knows what is going on inside.Liang Peiqiu asked Wang Yu what the outcome would be. Wang Yu shook his head, fearing that he would die.

Liang Peiqiu suddenly thought of what the young worker said. Yes, you can survive by enduring humiliation, but has it really come to this?

She wanted to say something, but then she thought of Wang Yu's reminder, yes, in what capacity is she standing here?What should she say?Even if it is designed for people, how can it be verified by people?What about physical evidence?
She immediately thought of the young man who endured the humiliation and screamed that he was wronged that day in the Fuliang County government hall, but was ignored and forced to be tortured.

In front of them, it turned out to represent justice - a clear mirror hanging high, pure and honest.

But what they experienced personally was nothing but darkness, coldness, powerlessness and sorrow.

What happened to this era?Are there any honest officials?Is there anyone else who can make the decision for them?Without people like Xia Ying, a "violent death" can be submerged under the smog-filled domes of Jiangxi, let alone the common people and untouchables like them?
How can I do?She asked herself over and over again, what would Brother Liu do if he were here at this moment?
She asked herself again, is this the only way to go?Like Wang Yu, lay down your spine, swallow your humiliation, and seek an unknown future?

After leaving the door, she stood on the stone road in the atrium and looked up at the sky.Wang Yunxian was not far behind her, took off his cloak and put it on her shoulders.

"The wind is strong at night in early summer, so be careful of catching a cold."

Liang Peiqiu didn't say anything, just looked at the sky and occasionally blinked her eyes.Her long and thick eyelashes fluttered in the night, like the wings of fireflies, fanning the hidden sparks in the empty valley.

With every flap she made, Wang Yunxian's heart beat hard.

At this time, she said: "Yunxian, the moonlight is very good tonight. I think tomorrow will be even better."

Wang Yunxian pursed his lips and was speechless.

In fact, there were heavy clouds and mist tonight, which had long blocked the moonlight. In front of them, there was only the deep and endless darkness.

(End of this chapter)