But the bright moon shines on the ditch

The 12th year of Wanqing was the "frozen" year recorded in Jingdezhen's history as a once-in-a-century event.This so-called freeze not only refers to the death of Xu Zhong, the brilliant and talented scholar, when the first snow fell at the beginning of the year, but also because in the summer of the same year, Xu Zhong, the boss of Hutian Kiln, was imprisoned.

At this time, there was no county magistrate in Jingdezhen, and there was only one pottery supervisor who was king and hegemon.

Mountains, rain and wind filled the building, and people were worried. At this time, they still didn't know what earth-shaking changes would happen to Jingdezhen at the end of this year.

In the teahouse, the storyteller also repeatedly told old-fashioned stories. The former Xu and Liang Dynasties reconciled and quarreled, cherished and hated each other, like a dream, disappearing in an era of turmoil.

The war in the north has just begun, and the water show in the south of the Yangtze River is also high.The world is saddened by the fact that the talented scholar Xu is walking in a season of desolate forests and chilly cicadas.

At that time, the lotus leaves all over the pond were withered, and the grass and trees everywhere were withered, which was sad.

While feeling sad, I couldn't help but think of his goodness.When I think of the green stems and leaves swaying in the pond, I can't help but think of that boy; when I think of the pouring rainy night and the bright moon and blue sky in the Makino, I can't help but think of that boy; when I think of the endless kiln fire and the swan song of the Peking Opera, I can't help but think of that boy. I will even think of that boy unconsciously.

As the gentlemen said, even if he did all the bad things during his lifetime, there is no way to deny what an outstanding young man he was.

Now the same regret has happened to Liang Peiqiu. With Zhuyu in front of her, her pain seems less painful and sad.

Wang Yu specially dismissed the people around her. On the one hand, she did not want the family scandal to be publicized. On the other hand, she was sure that Liang Peiqiu would not stand idly by and would definitely save Xu Zhong.

He guessed it and stopped her in time.

"Do you know what it means to go? Do you want the entire Anqing Kiln to be buried with him?" Wang Yu asked her, "If the situation were reversed today, would Xu Zhiliu come to save me for your sake, regardless of the safety of the Hutian Kiln?"

"I do not know."

"Look, you don't even know who he is, why would you..."

Before Wang Yu could finish speaking, Liang Peiqiu stopped him with her eyes.

These days, she has heard too many outsiders' comments about Xu Zhiliu, both good and bad. They can be summed up in just eight words - a heart as high as the sky and a life as thin as paper.

But in her eyes, no matter what, the person has passed away, and the gains, losses, honors and disgrace along with them have also been buried.She didn't want to see the relative she cared about and say something judgmental about him.

"He lost his father when he was young and went to Hutian Kiln. Xu Zhong was kind to him in raising him. He devoted all his efforts to planning for Hutian Kiln. That is his morality. I know that he does not need me to do anything for him or give up anything, but There are not only him and Xu Zhong in the Hutian Kiln, but also hundreds of kiln workers. What will they do if they fall into the hands of eunuchs?"

For example, Heizi, a kiln worker like Heizi, works hard to survive and seek peace. How innocent are they?Why would An Jiu play with them at will just because of personal grudges?

Why can we, with the power of life and death, destroy the Great Wall built by the people with their flesh and blood at will?

If Xu Zhong surrenders, the Hutian kiln will collapse in a matter of seconds.

Liang Peiqiu knew that he was too weak to save Hutian Kiln from decline.But if she doesn't even try, just watching Xu Zhong die, watching those kiln workers being forced to go to the eunuchs to beg for mercy, and go underground in the future, how will she face Xu Zhiliu?How to face one's own conscience?

Wang Yu guessed what she was thinking, jumped to her feet and shouted angrily: "Pedantic, pedantic! Do you have the ability to save people?"

"You ask me why he has it? Just because he has power, that is the right given by the patchwork clothes he wears and the black gauze hat he wears! It is the power naturally possessed by the upper class of the scholar-peasant-industrial-business class! Peiqiu, you A commoner with no fame and achievements, even a big difference from Xu Zhiliu, what can he gamble with?"

"You also want to be like Xu Zhiliu and die a good death?"

Wang Yu asked again and again, but Liang Peiqiu couldn't bear to say anything.

He chuckled softly. The young man was really a loner and could not even take a step back.

"Isn't the Anqing Kiln my life's hard work? Peiqiu, I won't say much to you. If you walk out of this door today, you will no longer be a member of my Anqing Kiln!"

"Master..."

Wang Yu looked at the beautiful and heroic girl in front of him, with a determination that he had never noticed in his brows.Unknowingly, the child who once needed to be taught hand-on-hand has grown up. His wings have become stiff and he is no longer obedient. He wants to fly away even though he knows that there is a high wall that cannot be reached at a glance. He feels sad and happy at the same time.

"When you lingered on your sick bed and ignored such a big kiln factory, I didn't ask a word, and I didn't blame you. You came to question me when you didn't know the truth, and I didn't blame you either. You braved the mudslide for the Suhu Guild Hall and Huang Jiazhou's armed fight. You went to the mountains to find me in danger and begged me to help you, but I still don’t blame you! Just what I asked you at that time, do you still remember it?”

"Today, I ask you again, why do you want to help the people of Huangjiazhou?"

"Are you doing it out of righteousness or because of Xu Zhiliu?"

"You want to save Xu Zhong and Hutian Kiln, for the sake of justice, or for Xu Zhiliu?"

"Peiqiu, who are you living for?"

Liang Peiqiu was heartbroken by Wang Yu's words and burst into tears.She covered her face and squatted down, muttering to herself: Who am I, Liang Qiu or Liang Peiqiu?

She thought about her short life.

As Liang Qiushi, she lived for her mother's expectations.Her mother asked her to read and write, and she read and wrote.When the mother is happy, she is happy.The mother locked herself in the room and used a cold and silent way to retaliate against her failure, so she died without success.

That Liang Qiu was already dead.

Later she became Liang Peiqiu.

Just like Wang Yu hopes, add one more character to make it beautiful and heroic.She stayed dormant in the Anqing kiln for several years, accompanying the fire, obsessed with porcelain art, and working hard every step of the way.

Every step she took was not easy, but she felt more at ease every step she took. She finally became the "little god" that everyone envied.

She thought, even if Liang Peiqiu was a woman, she could still stand in the world, right?She could finally face the fact that she was born a woman calmly, finally have irreplaceable skills at the entrance of the kiln, and finally be able to abandon the discipline of secular ethics and act openly as a female leader.

However, after Xu Zhiliu re-entered her life, she discovered that everything she had envisioned still had irreversible preconditions - she needed to marry Wang Yunxian and walk around the kiln as the wife of Wang's family in order to display her ambitions and be respected by others; Or, only by hiding under a man's coat can one be seen, mentioned, and qualified to compete with Xu Zhiliu.

No matter what, as a woman, she couldn't do it.Even as a little girl, she couldn't express her pitiful admiration.

So what can Liang Peiqiu do?
That piece of light that was startling at first and blurred over time, fell before she even touched it.Xu Zhiliu told her from personal experience that it was not as easy as she imagined to establish herself as a female handler in Jingdezhen.

She couldn't do it, far from it.

It was before, and it is now.

So who is Liang Peiqiu?What can that beautiful and handsome woman do?
Who does she live for?

When Liang Peiqiu stood in front of Jiangshui Tower with various confusions, although the answer was not yet clear, she knew that there was not much time left for her.She couldn't stop, Xu Zhong couldn't wait, Hutian Kiln couldn't wait, and Anqing Kiln couldn't wait.

She must resolve this matter as soon as possible so that she can think about how she will go about her future as Liang Peiqiu.

At the moment, she had to sort out her chaotic thoughts and deal with the eunuch wholeheartedly.

But she underestimated An Jiu after all. An Jiu also had principles for how to behave, one of which was not giving people a second chance.It's not like he didn't extend his hand to her at first, but it's a pity that she refused without mercy.

Both she and Xu Zhiliu chose to decide the outcome in an upright way, but in An Jiu's view, it was undoubtedly as ridiculous as a child playing house.

Regarding this, he once said to Zhou Yuan without any secret, "The talented scholar Xu and that little god are a match made in heaven. They are both so innocent that they are hated by others."

But now that An Jiujiu heard that the subordinates reported back to Liang Peiqiu asking for an audience, he didn't hate it anymore.

He waved his hand, and the people below understood and hurriedly went downstairs to stop Liang Peiqiu.

"Your Majesty has reserved a banquet for distinguished guests, who dares to intrude?"

Before anyone arrived, the voice came out first.Liang Peiqiu looked up and saw the man dressed as a slave, short in stature and with a short stiff beard. He jumped in front of her and pushed her away.

"Oh, who do I think I am? Isn't this the famous little god? There are only a few visitors. Why do you have time to come here today?"

Liang Peiqiu was pushed to the ground and staggered, struggling to stay steady with a cane.Knowing that the other party was deliberately making things difficult for her, she was not angry and instead bowed with her hands clasped in fists.

"Brother, I have something to ask Mr. An, please let me know."

"Oh, it's not a coincidence that you came here. The adults are discussing important matters inside. I'm afraid I don't have time to see you. Why don't you come back another day?"

"I wonder how long Mr. An will discuss the matter? I can wait for him."

"It's hard to say. Look at the day, it's going to rain. I think your legs and feet are inconvenient, so you'd better come another day. If anything goes wrong, my family can't bear it."

"I really have something very important, please..."

"Okay, okay, don't block the door and get in the way."

The servant didn't wait for her to finish speaking, waved and left.Liang Peiqiu hurriedly put a handful of money into his hand and begged for accommodation.

The other party coughed lightly, looked around, quietly put the money into his sleeve, and said in a gentle tone: "Then you wait here for now. I will go in and give you a message. As for whether you can see you or not, I can't do it." Lord."

Liang Peiqiu cupped her hands and thanked her.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the servant turned around, the cat went into the side room to hide from the wind, without even reporting it to An Jiu.Liang Peiqiu stood alone in front of the steps, with people coming and going on the street behind her. From time to time, she glanced at Jiangshui Tower and whispered about something.

After nightfall, the area around Jiangshui Tower, which connects both sides of the river with painted boats, was lit with fire, trees and silver flowers, and gongs and drums were noisy. When An Jiu and his friends were having a banquet, there was a curfew outside the city, but there was still no sound in the city until the third watch.

After the distinguished guests left one after another, An Jiu was still lying on the couch, drunk in the arms of the beauty.Zhou Yuanli glanced out from the window and said, "Sir, it's raining."

As the plum rain season enters, there are constant reports of heavy and heavy rains. People with weak legs and feet or those suffering from rheumatism will suffer.

An Jiu slowly shook his fan, bit a grape that the beauty brought to his mouth, hummed a little tune and sang a piece of Beijing opera before he said quietly: "Is he still there?"

Zhou Yuan paid special attention to it and nodded: "Yes, I haven't moved my feet all night." The rain started to fall at some point, but the ground was covered with a thick layer of shiny molten silver, which was almost wet. Toe of the shoe, you know more than one hour.

Liang Peiqiu seemed to be struggling with strength, half of her body was resting on the crutches.

"Sir, do you still want to leave him alone?"

When there was no reply, Zhou Yuan raised his eyes and saw that the man on the couch was holding an orchid finger, his eyes were slightly closed, and he seemed to have fallen asleep.He tiptoed back outside the house, closed the door, called the boy, and gave some instructions.

Not long after, an umbrella was delivered to Liang Peiqiu's head, and the servant who was superior to others persuaded her to leave.She waved her hand and rejected the other party's kindness.

The servant felt unlucky, stamped his feet, and turned back.

It was past midnight, the streets were sparsely populated, the empty Jingde Street was silent, and Liang Peiqiu's soles were almost numb from the cold.

After the injury, she wanted to die and did not take a good rest. Many times, when Bai Li was not paying attention, she secretly sat on the floor tiles alone. The coldness penetrated her bones, and her legs ached when it was windy or rainy.

It would have been bearable if there was a brazier inside the house, but unfortunately the weather was not kind and it was really hard to stand in the rain for several hours.Moreover, her mood was not calm. On the one hand, she was worried about Xu Zhong, who was suffering in prison, and on the other hand, she was afraid that Wang Yu would blame her for being unkind, which made both of them anxious and burdensome.

Just when she was staggering, losing her center of gravity and teetering, the door of Jiangshui Tower finally opened.

With a dull sound, as the heavy door opened, it was splendid and glitzy, but it was cold at the top.An Jiu was wearing a silver fox silk cloak, holding a gold and jade fan, and his guards were holding bows and holding big umbrellas.

Just like he did to Xu Zhiliu outside the mansion that night, he looked down at Liang Peiqiu with a superior authority.

Liang Peiqiu knew very well the principle of keeping a low profile when asking for help. She stepped forward as much as possible, explained her intention to An Jiu, and begged him to be noble and spare Xu Zhong.

An Jiujiu raised his eyebrows and chuckled: "Look, the little god is much more knowledgeable and interesting than the guy named Xu. This one is so low-key, which is beyond my expectation. However, you are the leader of Anqing Kiln." , whether Xu Zhong is alive or dead, what does it have to do with you?"

Liang Peiqiu remained silent.

An Jiu then stepped forward, pinched her chin, and asked her to raise her face.

The night was thick, the wind and rain were dark, and the young man's face was not clear. But even so, An Jiu could clearly see her embarrassed but stubborn eyes. The dark pupils reflected him, and the soft knife flickered inch by inch. Light.

An Jiu tightened his fingers, as if he wanted to pinch her face until it was deformed and twisted, and then he was satisfied.

"It seems that people in the world are all smart people who let them make things up. They probably didn't expect that you have such deep affection for Xu Zhiliu."

Liang Peiqiu lowered her eyelashes and tried her best to break away from An Jiu's hand.

The eunuch's fingers were not as smooth as she had imagined. Instead, they were indescribably rough, causing her chin to hurt.

She endured the discomfort and pain, lowered her eyes, and said calmly: "Sir, I heard that the imperial court sent an official from the Chief Envoy Department to investigate the death of Mr. Xia Ying. As soon as the official left, someone came out of town behind him. This important matter may damage your wisdom. Furthermore, Xu Dadong’s family is still burdened with the responsibility of firing Wanshou porcelain. At this time, the Hutian kiln cannot be without someone in charge. If something goes wrong and the court pursues it, I’m afraid it won’t be possible. Good deal."

"Are you threatening me?"

"The little man dare not."

"I think you are pretending to be a pig and eating the tiger. You are very brave."

She had contradicted him earlier for Xu Zhiliu's burnt ashes, but he hadn't argued with her yet, so it was better for her to deliver them to his door.What do you mean it's for his own good? Bah, do you really think he is a vegetarian?
An Jiu glanced at him, and the tall guard immediately stepped forward. With a slight lift of his leg, Liang Peiqiu lost her center of gravity and tilted down.

The moment his knees touched the ground, he felt severe pain in his right calf where the broken bone was reconnected.She subconsciously exclaimed and moved forward, falling to the ground with a splash of water on her face.

The cold rain flowed down the collar of his clothes and penetrated his whole body.

She was in so much pain that she could hardly speak, and her whole shoulders and back were shaking slightly.But even so, she still looked at one place, gritted her teeth, and got closer to that place little by little.

An Jiu took advantage of the situation and looked over.

It's her wooden crutch.

It looked like a very cheap thing, but she didn't give up and wanted to stand up again.An Jiu felt blinding and kicked the wooden crutch away.

"Why, it's not enough to be lame on one leg, you want to be lame on the other leg too?"

Liang Peiqiu paused, took a few breaths, then turned in a new direction, moving towards the wooden crutch.

An Jiu looked at her and suddenly remembered the palace maid who was always by his side when he entered Yeting when he was young.They were all the meanest ants in the high walls of the imperial city, and they had no choice but to huddle together for warmth.

For many days and nights, he watched the girl's features under the lamp. She was beautiful and charming, and her heart was beating involuntarily.

Later, the woman disappeared silently in Yeting.

Now looking at Liang Peiqiu under the lamp, he suddenly felt like seeing an old friend again, and An Jiu took a step back unconsciously.His heart was in confusion, and then he scolded in a cold voice: "You are just a pariah, what qualifications do you have to ask me to let Xu Zhong go?"

"Since your lord is willing to see me, you must have made a decision."

The rain is getting heavier and heavier, pouring down like a torrent, and the sound of splashing penetrates the dark night.An Jiu raised his hand, and a piece of cold rain flowed from his fingers. At this wrong moment, Liang Peiqiu said: "As long as you can use it, I am willing to act accordingly."

An Jiu smiled, a cold smile.

"I think Xu Zhiliu told me the same thing at the beginning, but the result..."

Xu Zhiliu used a big dragon vat to list his crimes. If An Qian hadn't been working hard for half his life, how would he have had the chance to make meritorious deeds?Returning to Jingdezhen with overwhelming hatred, even though he gritted his teeth, he still spared Xu Anan's life.

I think that if I give in, the world will be brighter, and I don't want the other party to make things worse.

An Jiujiu was fed up with being someone who acted one way on the outside but another behind the scenes. He had seen too many people like this, and he didn't want to give anyone a chance to make a comeback in his life.

So when Liang Peiqiu came to her door, he had to let her know that not everyone could afford a certificate of nomination.To enter the shogunate of Anjiu, one must pay a price.

"I hate greedy people the most in my life. There is no such thing as taking advantage of both hands in the world."

After experiencing loss, maybe you can understand the value of possession, right?

An Jiu stepped forward again.This time, he did not let the guards on his left and right protect him from the wind and rain, but let the rain hit him.In an instant, his bright shawl was blown away by the wind, and he was soaked all over.

He squatted in front of Liang Peiqiu and pinched her chin again, forcing her to raise her head.

Liang Peiqiu was just a little short of touching the wooden cane.

She was carried by a force and looked up at the person in front of her.An Jiu leaned over her. Under the shadow, the skin of glory and wealth seemed to be swallowed alive by some huge creature.

In the endless sound of rain, no one could see their faces clearly, and no one could hear their voices.

"Xu Zhong and Wang Yu, you can only protect one."

**
While Liang Peiqiu was waiting on the rainy night, she figured out one thing.Anqing Kiln was obviously the one that An Jiu had the handle for. Why didn't he use this to rectify the Anqing Kiln? Instead, he used the handle to threaten Wang Yu and attack Xu Zhong?

She thought about it and found only one possibility - An Jiu wanted to take the opportunity to clean up the Anqing kiln and Hutian kiln together.

The so-called killing three birds with one stone is what Zhou Yuan said to An Jiu: "Sir, whether it is Anqing kiln or Hutian kiln, as long as the person in charge is not you, there will definitely be second thoughts. Instead of this, why don't you take your place?" If you become the head of the family and give those kiln workers a bowl of food to eat, they will definitely be grateful to you, how can they dare to rebel against you?"

Although An Jiu was full of evil, he had never dared to take possession of a well-known folk kiln like Hutian Kiln or Anqing Kiln. When he heard this, he couldn't help but widen his eyes: "But my identity hinders... "

"So what? Sir, you can choose a useful puppet and let him take charge of the kiln affairs on your behalf."

"In your opinion, sir, who is the candidate for this puppet?"

"He is a minor god. His talent is unparalleled in the entire sect. If he can hold such a sharp weapon, are he still afraid of the Chief Envoy? To put it bluntly, the world is so big. Wang Tu, no matter how big the sky in Jiangxi is, it cannot overwhelm the imperial power. As long as you please Your Majesty, everything is possible."

"presumptuous!"

An Jiu pretended to reprimand, but a smile appeared on his face.Immediately, it stopped again.Although he yearned for the honor that was above ten thousand people, when he thought about the hidden dangers, he still shook his head: "Sharp weapons can hurt people."

"My lord, you should use people like tools, and each should take advantage of their strengths. If you use them well, you can get twice the result with half the effort. I know what your lord is worried about. In terms of strategy, scheming, and control of the porcelain industry, Liang Peiqiu is far inferior to the one in front of me. , not something to be afraid of.”

After Zhou Yuan experienced the power of An Jiu, he became very obedient and loyal. He took great care of everything for the eunuch, fearing that he would die suddenly in the suburbs if he was not careful.

He thoughtfully removed the obstacles for An Jiu, "That little god is a lover, so I'll stop him and won't be afraid of him being disobedient."

An Jiu thought about it. Xu Zhiliu was so scheming and difficult to control, wouldn't he be dead?Not to mention Liang Peiqiu, a doughy figure who would pity the homeless cats on the street, not to mention Wang Yu, who treated him very kindly, and Xu Zhong, who carried the Hutian kiln to and from.

He thought about it carefully and accepted Zhou Yuan's proposal.However, once he was bitten by a snake and had been afraid of well ropes for ten years, he did not want to make the same mistake again. One of Xu Zhong and Wang Yu must die first.

He had to make Liang Peiqiu deeply experience the severe pain of being powerless before he could use it. Day and night, he lost his father in the severe pain, became blind and mute in the severe pain, and died in the severe pain.

As for who will die, it is up to Liang Peiqiu to choose.

It rained until late at night, and there was nowhere to go in Shishi Nong. The water accumulated in the calf and legs, and the pain became numb.In the dark world, only the treetops sticking out from behind the courtyard wall can be vaguely seen with new shoots emerging from each rugged branch.

Liang Peiqiu stared at Xinya without blinking.Suddenly, the new buds squirmed, and the snow covering the branches fell off. The new buds started to sprout with a momentum visible to the naked eye, and half of their green shoots appeared.

The greenery suddenly brought her back to the past when the grass was growing and the orioles were flying.

She was almost choked with sobs and her words were unintelligible: "Brother Liu, where are you? I miss you so much."