But the bright moon shines on the ditch

Before the Persian mission left Beijing, they presented a piece of fine blue and white material to the hotel, saying it was a gift dedicated to the oriental masters to thank them for their contribution to the mountains and rivers of China.

The emergence of imperial porcelain made the porcelain capital's reputation once again travel across the ocean and sail into the distance.

At that time, Liang Peiqiu had gone through a disaster and was still lying on the bed to rest. Wang Yunxian went to the front yard to collect the gift for her, unfolded the layers of packaging and saw that it was a piece of first-rate sumali green material.

Although they are all made of blue and white materials, and the color they come out is also blue, the Suma Liqing one is particularly outstanding.

First of all, there is no such material in the hinterland of the Central Plains. Even if the major private kilns excavate all over the north and south, they have not found any mineral material that is even [-]% similar to Suma Liqing.

Secondly, Suma Liqing can present a pure and rich blue color like a gem, which is completely different from the blue and white materials such as Pingping Qing used locally in Jingdezhen.The color of Pingping Qing is stable, but the color is light and elegant, clean and smooth, which is completely different from the heavy feeling of Suma Liqing.

Thirdly, in environments with different temperatures and humidity such as fires, the tempered Suma Liqing will show changes in shades and even fission of black spots, which can make the blue levels richer and pure, and derive a more Orthodox, distinguished blue line bloodline.That kind of bloodline is more like innate, with a royal aura that cannot be judged by any rules of reason.

Therefore, it is self-evident how valuable the Sumama Liqing is after crossing the strait and coming to the Central Plains from thousands of miles away.

Wang Yunxian understood the importance and the meaning of the gift from the Persian mission. This may be a perfect opportunity for Anqing kiln to become famous throughout the country. If Wang Yu were still there, he would definitely shed tears on the spot. Therefore, Wang Yunxian treasured this piece of material very much. He locked it in the cabinet and added three more locks, and then went to reply to Liang Peiqiu after having someone specially watch it.

Liang Peiqiu was flipping through a book under the window, writing something from time to time.Wang Yunxian looked at her quietly under the banyan tree outside the door, and his thoughts flew to a few days ago unknowingly.

That day, when he saw the letter she had hidden at the bottom of the baggage, the lines should have been prepared as a draft of her speech. Every time he read it, his heart tightened a little. He didn't wait to read the whole article. I was sweating profusely and my hands and feet were numb.

The whole night that followed, he waited at Xihua Gate with the hope of death.The worst outcome is to die together, and it would be a good thing to still be together on the road to hell. Thinking about it this way, there is nothing to be afraid of. So, when An Jiu asked someone to send a message to him and Zhang Lei outside , when he asked them to go back to the hotel to wait, his heart suddenly relaxed and he fell into deeper fear.

Rather than being sure that something happened to her, he seemed to be more afraid of the unknown, especially the unknown related to eunuchs.

On the way back, Zhang Lei comforted him, saying that An Jiu brought them to the capital, and he would be responsible for anything that happened.Since they were asked to go back and wait, it at least proved that there was no chaos yet and Liang Peiqiu was probably safe.

He nodded randomly, his mind was in a whirlwind, and he couldn't hear anything. He had forgotten everything Zhang Lei said later. Fortunately, Liang Peiqiu was sent back at dawn the next day.

An Jiu personally escorted her and said that the doctor had seen her and found that she had been knocked unconscious with medicine. The medicine had not yet worn off and she was in a coma.Other than that, there are some external injuries. Compared with the broken calf, these external injuries are insignificant, which is good news.

But how can this be considered good news?A person who went to receive a reward alive and kicking, and finally fainted and was carried back, can't be regarded as a good thing for anyone to see, right?He wanted to ask what happened!Zhang Lei grabbed him tightly.

An Jiu looked around expressionlessly. The people present were all representatives of the folk kilns who came to Beijing with him this time. Liang Peiqiu stayed away all night. This matter could not be hidden, and there was no need to hide it.Who dares to talk about things in the imperial city?Even these despicable civilians don't have the guts to get involved!

An Jiujiu typed a few words casually and left.

At that moment, deep fatigue swept over me.Wang Yunxian felt wronged for Liang Peiqiu, and also felt sad and helpless for the world.

They obviously put in their sweat, hard work, and painstaking efforts to make the imperial porcelain, bring honor to the court, and become famous all over the world. They are the heroes!Not to mention giving the heroes the treatment they deserve, even just treating them equally?Why did the hero suffer, but he could only pretend to be deaf and mute, as if nothing happened?

If this continues, who will still be willing to be a hero?
He was confused and angry, and had been enveloped in depression for many days. Until now, when he looked at her, her body had not fully recovered and she was busy with official duties again, as if nothing had happened.

Why is she so calm?
Wang Yunxian stepped forward and looked through the window to see what she was writing.As expected, it was related to the kiln affairs. She was calculating the expenses for the trip to Beijing and the entry and exit of Wanshou porcelain, and planned the development of porcelain shipments between Suzhou and Hangzhou in the second half of the year.

Sensing a shadow falling in front of her, Liang Peiqiu asked without raising her head, "What kind of gift is it?"

Wang Yunxian was not surprised how she guessed it was him.

The tacit understanding between them is unclear.

"Su Ma Liqing's material." He replied, "I've looked at it for you. It's a very good piece of material and has been properly preserved. You don't have to worry about it."

"Okay, thank you very much, Yunxian." Liang Peiqiu put down her pen and looked up at him, "Why don't you come in and sit down?"

"Aren't you going to explain to me?"

Liang Peiqiu raised her lips and smiled, looking like she was trying to please.

"Sorry, not in the future."

"What's next?" Wang Yunxian feigned anger, "Liang Peiqiu! It's a breach of contract for you to kill first and then tell the story later! I can terminate the agreement between you and us at any time and refuse to fulfill it. Even if you arrange everything, I can overturn it one by one. You understand ?"

"I understand." She nodded, "There really won't be a next time."

She reassured her again and again, and Wang Yunxian reluctantly stopped pursuing it.

In fact, it would be useless to pursue it. The statement that he failed to ask An Jiu for it that day and her calm attitude after waking up all illustrate this point.

Wang Yunxian vaguely felt that Liang Peiqiu was growing into a big tree at a speed that he could not catch up with.

Liang Peiqiu didn't hide anything from him and immediately told him what happened after entering the palace.

As for who the other party is and what its purpose is, they are not sure.However, in order to prevent Wang Yunxian from worrying, Liang Peiqiu concealed the fact that the other party wanted to kill her cruelly.

She really couldn't figure out who she had offended, how could anyone want her dead?Fortunately, an unexpected and timely cholera attack saved her life.

To this day, she can still feel the blood dripping on her face, every pore being opened, and her mind keeps flashing back to the ferocious face of King Yama eating people in the play, and the fear of those faces bending towards her. feel.

It would be a lie to say she wasn't afraid. She faced death for the first time and almost died.The process of the blood on her face going from hot to cold was so subtle that it scratched her heart every moment. She seemed to be experiencing the process of her own death. She could imagine the coldness of her body as her blood drained away bit by bit. Is it colder than the flood we encountered when we were young?
Only this time, there was no hand to hold her up.

That whole night, every time she felt a little cooler, she would think of those warm and strong hands, and then burst out with a little bit of strength, moving in the direction she came from.

She didn't know where the exit was, but she knew that as long as she walked back the way she came, she would definitely be able to get out.

Whenever she felt the coldness coming again, she warned herself that her mission had not been completed yet. Brother Liu was still waiting for her to be vindicated, and the people of Huangjiazhou were still waiting for a fair trial. The master could not die in vain, and she would die again. The ground wakes up, destroying the lush vegetation beneath it, like a reptile, wandering, wandering.

Accompanied by the darkness and wind and rain, she walked for who knows how long and how far she walked, dodging patrolling guards and armors cleaning the battlefield like a frightened bird, turning herself into a lonely soul, spinning around in the endless imperial city.

Finally, when she was exhausted, she saw a pair of familiar soap boots.

She thought she was finally saved.

This time, she made an effort to cherish herself.Brother Liu knows what he is doing, so he will surely be happy for her, right?

It's a pity that he can't see this day with his own eyes.

At this time, Liang Peiqiu still didn't know where the cholera started and how it was directed. If she knew that Xu Zhiliu had also been involved in it and had manipulated the lives and deaths of ordinary people like them, perhaps, she would have used the "good luck" to overcome her fear. , is fear itself, right?
And Xu Zhiliu is just walking his own path, a path different from Liang Peiqiu.

They are like two tiny sails in the vast ocean, meeting briefly and then separating again.Where it will end up, who knows?
/
Three days later, the diplomatic missions from each country left Beijing one after another, and Liang Peiqiu and his party also embarked on their return journey.

This time, An Jiu had other official duties and was not traveling with him. A group of local residents grinned happily to the backs of their ears.With the big stone of Wanshou Porcelain finally landing, and finally traveling far away, they felt a bit like traveling around. They would take a break along the way, look around, and buy some new things for their families.

During the process, Zhang Lei mentioned that while drinking tea in the market, he overheard someone discussing the candidate for the new Fuliang County Magistrate. It seemed that this was also within the scope of An Jiu's return to Beijing to report on his duties.

Although the previous two county magistrates failed to achieve the goal of checking and balancing the eunuchs, with Xia Ying's efforts, the Baicai New Deal was implemented and the evil situation in the kiln industry was improved. These are feats that can be passed down through the ages.

The civilian clique did not give up the struggle.Furthermore, because An Jiu was promoted to the rank of fifth-rank ambassador, if the post of county magistrate is still taken by the eunuchs, then the entire porcelain industry will fall into the tiger's mouth. Not only will people's livelihood be difficult, but the huge interests behind it will also encourage evil forces. growth of.When the government and the public are in chaos, it is the people who suffer. Therefore, the craftsmen of Porcelain Capital have left, and the bloody storm in Porcelain Capital has not yet ended.

It was midsummer when I returned to Jingdezhen.

In August, the scenery between clouds and water is just beautiful.Liang Peiqiu was sitting by the lotus pond, looking at the boat swaying in the wind amid the greenery, and suddenly thought of a poem:

Liao aloes, dispel the heat.Birds and birds call clear, invade Xiao Xiao and peep at the eaves.The early sun on the leaves is dry and the rain stays, the water is clear and round, and the wind and lotus are lifted one by one.

Agarwood eliminates the sultry and humid summer heat. Birds are waiting for dawn under the eaves, looking around and chirping in the clear sky.The first sunshine on the lotus leaves dried up the rain last night. The lotus flowers on the water surface were clear and round, and every lotus leaf stood out from the water.

What a beautiful painting.

But for some reason, since she returned to the town, she has been tossing and turning every night, waking up early before dawn, and then falling into unreasonable irritability.At first she thought it was because of the hot weather, but after taking a cold shower in the middle of the night and the heat was still unbearable, she slowly realized that there was something wrong with her state of mind.

The calmness she tried her best to show in front of outsiders was just an illusion. She had nightmares every night, and could feel the blood gradually freezing and solidifying on her face, making her hair stand on end every moment.

The best opportunity to appeal has been lost. What should I do in the future?They have been waiting for that day for a long time and paid such a high price. How can they have the same opportunity in the future?
She couldn't help feeling regretful, regretful, and anxious.

Even though An Jiu saved her that day in the palace, and repeated temptations afterwards made her fall into the suspicion of being used as a pawn against the eunuchs, she still had a pious heart and hoped that the new county magistrate would be the same as Xia Ying. A good official, so maybe another opportunity can come earlier, earlier.

On the day when the news came, Ah Yao happened to come back to visit his relatives.

During that time, he took refuge among the clouds and water to recuperate from his injuries. He had nothing to do all day long, so he asked people to transplant various flower seeds and make the yard full of vitality.The garden is full of flowers, making people happy just by looking at it.

Ah Yao kept praising him until he blushed and deliberately told her to be more dignified with a straight face.When Ah Yao heard this, a smile froze at the corner of his mouth, and there was an unconcealable loneliness in his eyes.

Now that she is married, she wears a bun. Although her skirt is still a bright color, it is far less fresh than when she was not out of the palace. She does look a bit calm and quiet like a matron.

However, this quietness and calmness were not what she wanted.

Shi Nian realized that he had said the wrong thing, and for a moment he looked at Liang Peiqiu as if asking for help.Liang Peiqiu asked Ah Yao straight to the point: "How are you living in Qimen? How is Zhou Ya treating you?"

Ah Yao forced a smile, nodded, and then shook his head.

Shi Nian was anxious: "If it's good, it's good. If it's bad, it's bad. What do you mean? Are you still hiding it from us?"

Liang Peiqiu originally wanted to tell him to talk properly and not light his butt on fire with firecrackers in a moment of impatience. This would not only not comfort people, but also make them annoying.Ah Yao did react in the same way. He glared at Shi Nian fiercely, but that wasn't enough. He twisted his handkerchief and hit his knees, his eyes red with reluctance and frustration.

"It had only been half a year since I got married, and they said that I couldn't have children, and that they wanted to divorce me for seven crimes. I knew that they had heard about the situation at Hutian Kiln, and that my father was not favored and had been cheated. They are also ordinary people. They are afraid of getting into trouble with the officials, so they have made plans in advance. I don’t blame them."

Ah Yao was not feeling sad about this failed marriage, but in a complicated joy and sorrow, in this familiar yet unfamiliar garden, he sincerely wanted to cry.

When they got married, Xu Zhong had just been released from prison. In order to forgive him, she resisted crying.

She didn't cry when she was bullied by Zhou Ya, ostracized and made things difficult by Zhou's family, and even the maids and servants in the house were pointing fingers behind her back.For several months, she opened her eyes in a strange environment, forced a smile, faced the unseen future, and forced herself to look like others expected. Even though she felt hard and wronged, she still did not cry.

I don't want to be scolded by my childhood playmate, and my inner wall collapses instantly.Her efforts seemed like a joke. She felt angry and funny. She stamped her feet and glared at Shi Nian so hard that her eyes almost popped out.

But Liang Peiqiu said, just cry, just cry.

She really cried and finally said, "I want to reconcile."

Shi Nian was taken aback.

Ah Yao said: "If Brother Ah Qian is still here, how dare they humiliate me like this? I have seen through it all, the world is like this, no one can blame it, if you want to blame me, blame me for being useless. In this case, spending your time in the Zhou family is just a waste of time. , why not come back and help dad take care of the Hutian Kiln."

"No! How can you, a woman, divorce casually? Besides, is the kiln factory a place you can go to?"

"If you don't want to reconcile, are you waiting for them to abandon me? I haven't made any mistakes, so why can't I divorce? What happened to the woman? Can't the woman divorce?" Ah Yao stood up angrily and pointed. Shi Nian's nose said, "Besides, don't you know how many female masters there are in our house? They can make porcelain and bake the kiln, why can't I? Is it just because I am a young lady? Our family is going to be destroyed. If someone rides on her head and poops on her, what kind of lady does she care about!"

"You, you, you are so rude!"

When Shi Nian was about to say something, Ah Yao raised his hand to interrupt and looked towards Liang Peiqiu. Shi Nian also snorted and looked over.The two of them were secretly competing with each other, let's see what her attitude is.

Liang Peiqiu was silent for a while and said, "If you are determined to reconcile, I can help you handle this matter."

"really?"

"I will not trick you."

Ah Yao looked at her without blinking for a while, then cried again.

"In the past few days since I came back, my father has been drinking every day. He ignored me when I talked to him and just let me go. While he was sleeping, I picked up the wine bottle and took a sip. It turned out that it was not wine, but water. It turned out that my father You have been pretending to be drunk, and you are not the treacherous person that is rumored outside."

She is determined to come back. Isn't it just a gamble?Fortunately, the bet won.

She cried and laughed again, turned to Shi Nian and raised her chin: "Look, your new boss also supports me, and we can see each other more often in the future. Shi Nian, I'm so happy."

Shi Nian was full of great truths, but could not squeeze out a single word.

He vaguely noticed that Ah Yao had changed, becoming more sensible and more assertive. She was indeed forced to grow up, but not according to their expectations.

At the same time, he also felt that Liang Peiqiu had changed, becoming calmer and more unpredictable.

This matter should be put in the past. When she heard that Ah Yao wanted to leave, she would definitely hesitate and tell her to think again and again.If it really doesn't work, they will help come up with ideas.

But now, not only did she not veto it, she also took the initiative to help A Yao clear the obstacles.

She must have expected that Zhou Ya would not let go easily, and then she expected that there might be interest exchanges and ugly human nature in the process. These things might cause secondary harm to Ah Yao, so she skipped the tedious process to avoid being shaken by her heart. , she went straight to the happy situation and helped Ah Yao achieve his wish.

The more thoughtful she was, the more mixed emotions this statement made people feel.

Since coming back from the capital, she often gets up early these days and sits alone by the lotus pond watching the sun climb up little by little without saying a word.

The back was thin, and in the faint brightness, there was a hint of highbrow loneliness.

This kind of loneliness was no stranger to him.

Or, from Liang Peiqiu, he gradually saw more things that he was once very familiar with, such as loneliness, patience, and loneliness.

It seemed that at a moment when no one was aware, she had silently picked up bag after bag of baggage.These burdens seem to be the same as what the young master once carried on his back.

So he wanted to stop it, to prevent Ah Yao from adding another burden, and said in one breath: "If you want to reconcile, you must come back to the town. You also know the current situation in the town, and Xu Dadong's family will definitely not agree."

"Heli's daughter has a bad reputation when she comes home. It's best for my father to have a good reputation."

"That was not what I meant."

"I know." Ah Yao was unaware of Shi Nian's intentions and fell into blind expectation, "Shi Nian, I know you are good for me, but I am very unhappy there. Every morning, noon and night I I'm thinking of you. When I come back here, just seeing you makes me feel hopeful. Can you talk to dad for me and ask him to agree to my coming home? "

Shi Nian shouted in his heart: This is not what he meant!
"But, but..."

"If Brother Aqian were still here, would he ignore me? Even the little god said to help me, but you actually refused to help. It's a shame that I regarded you as my best friend! You really let me down in those years... You make me sadder than Zhou Ya, no, you are not even as good as Zhou Ya!"

Seeing that Ah Yao's words were getting more and more outrageous, Shi Nian complained incessantly and said hurriedly: "Okay, okay, I'll go and tell you, auntie, don't let your smart mind go astray."

Ah Yao succeeded in his treacherous plan, and while Shi Nian was swallowing his bitter taste, he gave Liang Peiqiu a wink.

Liang Peiqiu couldn't help laughing.

This matter couldn't be delayed. Taking advantage of An Jiu's return, Liang Peiqiu left the city overnight and rushed to Qimen.

All Zhou Ya wants is money and fame, and with the current status of the little god, it is not a problem to protect a woman.Even if Zhou Ya didn't want to, she had to compromise.

Things went smoothly, but Liang Peiqiu was not in a hurry to leave.

Before leaving, he mentioned that Xu Zhiliu had bought a villa in Qimen and originally planned for Mrs. Xu and Anan to move here to avoid the turmoil in Jingdezhen.

Xu Zhiliu started to deal with this matter after Anan was framed and imprisoned.Therefore, neither of them thought much about it, and just told her that Xu Zhiliu had sent a letter to him shortly before committing suicide, asking him to hire some caretakers for other homes, and that they must have real leg and foot skills. , Liang Peiqiujuan's beautiful brows couldn't help but frown into a line.

Looking back on the situation at that time, it was true that the incident happened suddenly. Xu Zhiliu seemed to have a sense of urgency, asking him to return to his hometown immediately to arrange for Mrs. Xu and Anan to evacuate Yaoli.At that time, Mrs. Xu was seriously ill and was not suitable for the long journey, but Xu Zhiliu still made the decision and repeatedly told them to be careful in Qimen and not to expose their identities.

Liang Peiqiu asked him what happened during that time, and Shi Nian shook his head.

However, they all felt that something should have happened.

This is a later story.

After Liang Peiqiu sold the Qimen Courtyard and erased all traces of Xu Zhiliu, he secretly visited several properties of the Zhou family to seize the real evidence and completely eliminate the possible signs of Zhou Ya's attack before returning to Jingdezhen. Take the road to Yaoli.

Anan studied hard under the window every day.

The young man has square shoulders and broad back, and his eyes are calm and firm.

Liang Peiqiu didn't bother, turned the reins, and walked away through the snow.With her current status, it is not an exaggeration to say that she is An Jiu's puppet. Everything she says and does is under his nose. She is monitored daily and has a tail wherever she goes.

But as the old saying goes, it’s impossible to guard against a domestic thief.An Jiu was in the light, so she could still take precautions. If there was a thief hiding in the house, how could she take precautions?
If we really talk about this matter, there is actually something fishy about it.

She had mentioned the secret compartment in Xu Zhiliu's study before, which contained important letters. She wanted to strengthen her appeal to the Holy See, so she opened the secret compartment before leaving for the capital. As a result, it was empty. Not only was there no evidence to prove Xu Zhiliu's innocence, , even the letters I had seen with my own eyes disappeared.

There are very few people who know that Yunshuijian is Xu Zhiliu's villa. Apart from them, there are only a few stewards of Hutian Kiln who accompany Xu Zhiliu every day.

Knowing this, coupled with the sudden and risky move of moving to Qimen, it really made people suspect that there was someone behind it. After thinking about it for many years, I finally decided to return to Hutian Kiln.

For one thing, Yunshuijian is not a place to live permanently. Liang Peiqiu is not suitable to appear here, and neither is he. There is no chance that it will be an eyesore to the eunuch one day, and he will not be able to save even this last acre of square pond.

Secondly, the most dangerous place is also the safest place. Even if An Jiu discovers him, he was originally Xu Zhiliu's book boy, so there is nothing wrong with him returning to Hutian Kiln.Even though An Jiu hated him, he did not dare to commit crimes and killed people at will.As long as you are careful when entering and exiting, you don't have to be ungrateful. You can hide in the courtyard and deal with flowers and plants all day long, and you can still do some practical things.

Thirdly, if something unknown happened at Hutian Kiln before Xu Zhiliu's accident, and if those secret letters were really stolen by his family, what was their purpose?What do you want?He has to verify these one by one.

Liang Peiqiu knew that he, like Ah Yao, only spoke after making up his mind.It was good this way, they all returned to Hutian Kiln, and they could take care of each other. It would also be more convenient for her to communicate with Xu Zhong in the future.

In this way, she stopped swaying and just asked him to take more precautions to ensure safety.

Shi Nian was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "You are really different from before."

Liang Peiqiu smiled faintly.

"I just suddenly understood that I don't have the ability to support you. If this continues, being indecisive will not help you except making me fall into repeated imbalances."

Shi Nian muttered, wanting to say that you don't have to do anything for us, but the words didn't come out, so she just listened to her, "I promised Master and Uncle Xu that I would work hard to protect their family business and Jingdezhen's home." Karma, and myself... I also want to try and become a person like Brother Liu."

Si Nian was silent.

After a long time, he spoke again: "What should I do in Yunshuijian?"

Liang Peiqiu was also thinking that this was a problem they all had to face.She was heartbroken and reluctant to let go, but she had to make a decision and couldn't let everyone fall into a trap gently or hesitantly.

"Lock it."

Her voice was soft.

In the summer of Wanqing's 13th year, she finally waited until the lotus pods were close to each other and the pond was filled with clear lotuses. However, she lost forever the person who enjoyed the cool breeze with her.

At that time, I also felt regretful that the spring beauty in the garden had just revived and was about to fall into dust again.The moment of peace that can be obtained between the clouds and the water is like the sunlight on the beam, which shifts inch by inch and turns gray in the end.

On this day, the messenger arrived in Jingdezhen, and the new magistrate of Fuliang County was selected. He was a ceremonial officer who was originally on duty at Honglu Temple. He had made great contributions on the Wanshou Day, and his name was—— Zhou Qiguang.

In fact, Qiuqiu's growth is permeated by longing and waiting. It is impossible to concretely describe a certain plot or a certain moment. No matter how many plots are piled up, it may be difficult to accurately write those moments, so in the end, Wang Yunxian was used Look at it from the perspective of time.

Wang Yunxian saw more of Qiuqiu's growth as the new owner of the folk kiln, while Shi Nian saw more of the similarities between Qiuqiu and Xu Zhiliu.

In fact, there are some subtle differences, which are not obvious now. We will look at them later.