Chapter 218

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Shaowei

Liu Qi

"You..." Prince Gaomi's face flushed red and white, yet he was indeed in the wrong, and could only flick his sleeves, gritting his teeth: "... You brat bully people too far, this King must see His Majesty today!"

He turned to leave, Liu Qi ordered: "Guards, stop Uncle Wang, lest he compound his errors and commit the offense of disrespecting the sacrifice, adding another degree to his crime."

The Embroidered Uniform Guards responsible for maintaining order immediately stepped forward; amid Prince Gaomi's curses and resistance, he was forcibly seized by two Embroidered Uniform Guards on the spot, sparking another wave of shocked commotion in the crowd.

Liu Qi paid no heed whatsoever to the crowd's fermenting emotions, simply continuing his gold verification process, raising his eyes to look below: "Requesting Wu Guo to present gold to assist the sacrifice."

Such a situation left the Wu Guo Shizi, no older than eighteen or nineteen, staring dumbfounded; suddenly named, he did not hesitate or delay, hurriedly stepping forward, kneeling, presenting the gold casket with both hands.

Wu Guo had extensive copper mine operations, its wealth and population second only to Liang Guo; therefore its gold offering was not light, the gold cakes filled more than half the casket.

However, just as the Wu Guo Shizi was about to present the gold, a Wu Guo envoy accompanying him stepped forward quickly, stopping his action, saying sternly: "Shizi, wait... today's Great Sacrifice is truly too suspicious! I fear there is something strange within it!"

He glanced at that brazier overflowing with blood, his peripheral vision sweeping over the sharp and imposing Liu Qi, then knelt toward where Crown Prince Cheng was: "Since an abnormal omen has appeared, it is inauspicious; please Crown Prince Your Highness and Empress Empress report this to His Majesty, or select another auspicious day, then perform the Zhu Jin ritual!"

Once these words were spoken, voices agreeing to select another day to present gold quickly filled the entire Shen Dian.

Listening to the chaotic surging voices, Liu Cheng looked at his mother beside him: "Huanghou..."

This matter was truly no small thing; one misstep could trigger a storm; he was not certain whether Imperial Uncle truly wished to see such a situation...

Sixth Brother must have offered a plan, but whether it was adopted by Imperial Uncle is unknown... Sixth Brother has always been thus, extremely skilled at acting first and reporting later!

And he is now Regent; if he sits by and watches, letting Sixth Brother stir up an irreparable catastrophe, afterward Imperial Uncle will surely vent his anger on him, making him bear the responsibility...

Liu Cheng wavered back and forth; Rui Ze also did not express a stance, his mind weighing uncertainly; if this thief brat truly poked a huge hole today, offending all the princes and nobles in one stroke...

Empress Rui's face was slightly pale, yet her gaze passed over the crowd, looking only at Shaowei at the very top.

The wide gold mask concealed the person's expression, leaving only divine awe; that single exposed eye was pitch-black and sharp, tilting slightly downward, looking at that Wu Guo envoy: "Who are you, to dare question and overturn the state's Great Sacrifice."

The kneeling Wu Guo envoy turned his head slightly and looked up, seeing that tall standing girl shaman actually possessed vast imposing qi; behind her on the Divine Platform, statue after statue of gold stood tall and imposing, as if garrisoning for her.

In an instant, a chill of numbness rose from the Wu Guo envoy's crown; he forced himself to calm and lowered his head: "This subordinate does not dare..."

Then he kowtowed to the Crown Prince again to plead: "Only because the omen is inauspicious, therefore I request Crown Prince Your Highness to take charge of the overall situation, and report to His Majesty!"

Wu Guo's weight was extraordinary; this was also the reason this envoy dared to be so forceful.

Liu Cheng heard a certain implication hidden within; the other party wanted to leave an inch of room to maneuver... if he agreed, he might forge a favor.

He steadied his mind, wanting to speak a compromise: the sacrifice cannot be cancelled, but could be paused, first go ask Imperial Uncle's intention...

However Liu Qi's voice rang out: "The Shaman God upholds Heaven's will and the Imperial Edict to preside over the Great Sacrifice; the Shaman God says it cannot be questioned, then it admits no doubt."

Before the words fell, Liu Qi had already grabbed two brilliantly lustrous gold cakes from the casket the Wu Guo Shizi held high.

He turned and ascended another step, took the dagger beside the Divine Table used to divide the sacrificial victims, faced the crowd below, one hand holding a gold cake, one hand holding the blade, the blade scraped across the glittering gold cake, emitting a piercing sound; where the scratch curled up, it successively revealed a bluish-white color.

"——Clang!"

Under the crowd's startled gazes, Liu Qi casually tossed the two gold cakes down; they rolled to the feet of the Wu Guo Shizi and that envoy.

"Wu Guo gold, inner color bluish-white, not up to standard, should be——"

"No! Impossible!" Before the word "rejected" landed, the Wu Guo Shizi shouted loudly: "This gold was personally instructed by my Father King to prepare; Wu Guo would absolutely not stoop to such tricks in a mere half-casket of gold!"

Because he firmly believed there would be no problem, he presented the gold without any hesitation, merely treating this change as a spectacle!

The Wu Guo Shizi looked in panic and confusion at the envoy; the envoy had already crawled up, speaking with certainty: "... It must have been swapped and framed by someone with ill intent! Please report to His Majesty for a thorough investigation!"

"Shizi, quickly come with me to seek audience with His Majesty!"

The envoy dragged the Wu Guo Shizi, who was bereft of his wits, up.

Prince Gaomi: "This King also wants to see His Majesty!"

"... We also want to enter the palace for an audience!"

Seemingly wanting to take advantage of the moment to follow some rule of "the law does not punish the multitude," several liege lords at the back who had not yet had time to present gold even stood up directly——as long as they temporarily escape this sacrifice, they can always prepare standard gold anew!

The sounds in the palace hall were momentarily chaotic, but a sudden piercing scream and a lost shriek tore through and scattered that roaring din.

Those unaware of the situation looked upward.

The short knife for dividing sacrificial victims in the youth's hand pierced through the neck of that Wu Guo envoy who had plotted to leave.

Fresh blood splattered everywhere; the crowd cried out in alarm; the envoy trembled, clutching his neck, convulsing and falling.

The Wu Guo Shizi was so frightened his mouth gaped open; he also collapsed on the ground, then fearfully scrambled backward... killed someone, actually killed someone!

"... Sixth Brother!!" Liu Cheng could not believe it, blurting out: "You are rude... this is the Great Sacrifice, this is a Wu Guo envoy!"

Publicly killing a Wu Guo envoy, such willful provocation, is he trying to force Wu Guo to rebel!

"Precisely because it is the Great Sacrifice, precisely because he is a Wu Guo envoy." Liu Qi did not look at Liu Cheng, looking at the panicked and quiet crowd, especially the liege lords who had stood up: "This man had a guilty conscience, embezzled what he guarded, fearing exposure, so he incited all of you to jointly defy the Great Sacrifice——"

The youth stood beneath the Shaman God, holding a bloodied blade, slightly raising his chin, raising his voice: "This is no minister, truly a demon, blocking Heaven's hearing, disrupting ruler and minister, inciting hearts; he ought to be killed as a sacrifice to Heaven, to pacify the spirits' anger!"

"Precisely because I deeply believe Uncle King of Wu Guo's heart is sincere and true, therefore I kill this greedy traitor who harms the state, to set right sight and hearing, to prevent Wu Guo and the Court from mutual suspicion——" Liu Qi lowered his eyes, looking at the Wu Guo Shizi, smiling faintly: "Brother thinks this action is appropriate?"

This address of "Brother" full of trust made the Wu Guo Shizi snap back to awareness as if surviving a disaster; he hurriedly nodded: "Appropriate, appropriate... well killed! Si Tui, as long as you trust Wu Guo, I will certainly report truthfully to Father King, conduct a detailed investigation, and definitely give the Court an explanation!"

He was a Shizi raised in a nest of mining wealth, also had a silk-pants temper; his hands had stained a few lives, but he had never needed to act personally; whoever he disliked, his underlings would beat... like now, seeing a familiar person's neck wiped at such close range, was truly a first time, impossible not to be afraid!

This trip to the capital, coming and going, people like the Liu Guo Shizi all held him up... but the poor fear the rich, the rich fear the mad!

And besides fear, at this moment he actually felt a trace of relief and gratitude because of the other party's trust in distinguishing right from wrong!

Seeing the Wu Guo Shizi's such attitude, Liu Cheng, in his daze, suddenly understood: Sixth Brother killed the envoy, yet also trusted Wu Guo, exempting from crime and rejection... this trust is the true once-and-for-all granting of a favor, not muddling through in a panic by following an envoy's private hint...

However the killing was truly impulsive; does Sixth Brother not know what consequences such an act will bring? Just stabilizing Wu Guo is of what use; what exactly comes next, how to close the scene...

Liu Cheng also suffered a shock, only able to first have the corpse dragged away.

Where the corpse passed it left bloodstains; the still-seized Prince Gaomi watched that corpse being dragged away, his dense beard trembling slightly, his mind containing only one voice: This brat, this lame brat, is truly ruthless... says kill and kills.

This child, this child... not only are his limbs incomplete, but he lacks virtue in the Five Elements, acknowledges no kin among the Six Relations, and has severed the Seven Emotions!

Prince Gaomi wanted to curse, yet for a moment he could not speak a complete sentence.

The bloody shock of directly raising a blade to kill would ignite the most primal fear.

However, that youngster is not merely a pure madman; he occupies all reason by relying on the Chu Gold Law, holds a killing blade to intimidate the four directions, and standing behind him is the Witch God Tianji who represents the divine will of the gods...

That unmoved Witch God is no ordinary being; many of them were present when he prayed for rain at the Lingxing Terrace, and that personally experienced awe cannot be easily erased.

Sovereign authority, divine authority, fresh blood... all pressing down together, trapping them in this Shen Dian, turning them into sacrificial offerings placed on the Offering Table.

They originally thought it was just a routine sacrifice, going through the motions same as every year... precisely because they harbored such thoughts, they were caught so off guard.

Panic, anger, trepidation, anxiety... the Shen Dian where departure is not permitted, like a cramped cage, infinitely amplifies every emotion yet provides no exit.

Among the Lie Hou, the uneasy are the majority; their gold has not yet been inspected, and the Liu clan princes have been treated this way, let alone them, these outsiders.

They lack the powerful Faction of the Liu clan princes; even if this world were to change Emperors, it would hardly fall to them. They each have their own surnames, each is an individual; most only want to hold onto their marquis titles, pass them down generation after generation, accumulate foundations, and watch and wait for the future...

Yet now, because of a few catties of gold, they face the outcome of having their titles seized!

If the Court does things to this extent, it inevitably pushes people too far...

Everyone harbors their own thoughts, or covertly exchanges glances; though the Palace Interior is no longer filled with clamorous voices, it has sunk into another kind of sword-drawn, bow-bent tension where everyone fears for themselves.

The massive conflict at close range, the lingering Blood Qi that will not dissipate, magnify the survival instinct; outside the hall the Sky Color is overcast, wind and clouds surge and flow, in the dim hall the sacrificial fire leaps, shadows and Fire Light carve up every person's Attitude and features, the tense ones all seem to have become beasts silently baring their teeth, watching, confronting, a sudden eruption could break out at any moment.

Behind the golden-eyed mask, Shaowei smells the flowing Danger aura, likewise vigilant, tense, but not the slightest bit retreating or fearful.

Jiang Fu once said, many games of strategy in the end are all struggles of human nature, and the human nature she smells at this moment is clearly filled with thick beastly qi, tearing open the brocade skin-bag disguise; human nature this naked, true forms are all beasts, fundamentally no noble or base, only strong and weak; since it is so, why should she fear?

Under the wide dark-red robe, the young girl's bones are Ting E, tendons and vessels taut, Courage awe-inspiring.

At the two-tier Tai Jie below, Liu Qi holds a blade in hand, facing the pack of wolves below, likewise without retreat or fear: "Please, everyone, continue offering gold to assist the sacrifice."

Liu Cheng closed his eyes, suppressing his surging fear.

Jackals and wolves survey all around waiting to pounce; the close-range pressure makes him almost unable to breathe.

Still have to offer, still have to inspect... Sixth Brother leaves no leeway like this; following such strict gold-inspection methods, among the two hundred-plus princes and marquises today, at least half will have their titles seized — what an unprecedented number!

Among these people, there are many who have barely been literate for a few years; push them into a corner, never mind the future, just at this moment they might all jump the wall in desperation, rise up violently...

"Clang—" from the crowd, someone heavily set a Jin An down on the Ground.

"Sixth Prince threatens us like this; for a mere few taels of gold, you would seize the marquis titles we risked our lives to obtain." A white-templed old marquis stood up, voice deep: "May I ask if this is His Majesty's meaning? — Could it be the realm is already settled, and the Liu clan Court no longer has use for us?"

The people beside the old marquis likewise had tense faces, looking up at the youth above.

"Gold is the utmost of sincerity. Now many present gold that is light in color and base in quality; the fault lies not in the loss of a few taels of gold, but in the crime of despising the state's prestige —" Liu Qi locked gazes with that old marquis: "The Founding Ancestor established the enterprise, enfeoffed the world, set down this law, ordering you all to offer gold to assist the sacrifice, intending that your loyal hearts and gallbladders reach Heaven above and pacify the people below; yet now you all are so negligent and contemptuous, may I ask where your former loyalty and righteousness have gone? And what do you regard the dignity of the state as?"

This questioning made that old marquis's Face Color sink to the extreme; the rest also changed color one after another, Danger imminent.

Liu Cheng could no longer sit by and watch; he abruptly stood: "Sixth Brother!"

Liu Qi cut off his words, cupped fists in salute to the crowd, and said in a steady voice: "Please, everyone, offer gold according to ritual law, assist the sacrifice!"

Liu Cheng's eyes twitched, looking at that stubborn youth who did not meet his gaze.

Such Obstinacy, openly ignoring him, this Regent Crown Prince...

Qu Bai, quietly kneeling to the side, saw this; his gaze fell on those two youths.

This is a moment of strategy; since it has already begun, no matter what, they must present a united front outward; Sixth Prince's ignoring is not contempt for the Crown Prince, but rather he absolutely cannot let morale waver at this time, cannot let those princes and marquises sniff out any scent of weakness or loosening.

And the Crown Prince clearly does not trust this younger brother, mixed with a certain Subconscious Resistance.

Qu Bai's gaze silently roamed, finally silently settling on the blade-holding youth's shoulder.

Seeing no room for compromise, Prince Jiaodong had to brace himself and step forward; right now you advance I retreat, as the suppressed side, he could not care about much; holding back tears he sighed, speaking in Pei Xian village accent: "... Sizhui, everyone has moments of oversight; we are all family members who have come this way together, why bother forcing things to this Field? When you were little, Uncle Wang was even ridden by you as a horse; have you forgotten all that?"

He took a different tack, trying to break the deadlock with Kinship, but unexpectedly it truly earned a stretch of silence from that youth.

Seeing this, Prince Jiaodong even wiped tears toward the Taizu golden statue, speaking of all the Former Emperor's past deeds.

These princes and marquises are not all stained with blood; many have only ever been stained with mud specks; with great harm and great profit before them, the rest followed suit one after another, speaking of blood kinship and human feeling: "Even beyond state law, there is also Heaven and Earth's grace, kinship, and human feeling..."

Liu Qi appeared unmoved: "Various Uncle Princes, Elder Brother, this matter is not something I wish to pursue; it is truly because we have angered the Taizu's spirit, causing an Abnormal omen to descend; this Crime is hard to redeem —"

As these words fell, the Liu Guo Shi Zi suddenly crawled forward weeping, prostrated before the Taizu golden statue: "Great Grandpa! The child was wrong! Please forgive the child this once... the child begs to accept punishment! Only beg You to quell Your anger and show mercy!"

?? See You Tomorrow.