Chapter 137 Foreigners?

It is said that in the ancient feudal period of the mother planet, it was also very popular to let cousins ​​marry each other. On the one hand, it stabilized the marriage relationship, and on the other hand, knowing each other well and having an emotional foundation was more conducive to the stability of the relationship.

No way, is this kind of mistake a necessary step for every civilization?

Wei Shengxue calmed down and confirmed with Shao Lan's maid, "Is it common for cousins ​​like these to get married?"

The maid hesitated for a moment before answering carefully: "It's common, but not uncommon either. It only happens to people of similar age who don't have other plans..."

Compared with the total number, the proportion is not large, but in terms of quantity alone it is not small.

Wei Shengxue understood the hidden meaning in her words.

But only the aristocracy considered marriage, while the common people were basically lucky to be able to marry a wife. At most, they would avoid close relatives such as cousins. Most of the time, people from neighboring villages married each other, and they were all relatives with close ties to each other.

Wei Shengxue's face darkened. Thinking of the consequences, he could no longer sit still. He comforted Shao Lan briefly and hurried into the palace.

---------

“Who is it?!”

The guards patrolling outside Zhangtai Palace saw a figure suddenly appear and subconsciously drew their swords. But when they looked closely, they realized that it was an immortal who had been traveling for several months. They were immediately frightened and broke out in a cold sweat, and hurriedly bowed to salute.

"I pay my respects to you, Immortal Master. I apologize for any offense I have caused you. Please forgive me."

"It's okay." Wei Shengxue waved her hand and walked towards Zhangtai Palace.

"Master, please stay."

The guard stepped forward and said hurriedly, "Your Majesty is not here."

Originally, the emperor's whereabouts were a secret that could not be disclosed at will, but this requirement made an exception for immortals.

Upon hearing this, Wei Shengxue released his spiritual sense to investigate, but he really didn't detect any familiar aura.

He expanded his range and scanned the area. "Hmm? In the palace?"

"What is he doing there?"

The guards bowed their heads respectfully, not at all surprised that she had found His Majesty in an instant.

Don’t ask, the answer is that immortals can do everything.

But he still had to answer the immortal's question, "The palace has already been built. Your Majesty, please inspect it on behalf of the Immortal Master."

Wei Shengxue recollected for a while and remembered that she seemed to have said that she would go and take a look after the framework was built, but she was delayed because of these things.

She waved her sleeves and disappeared on the spot.

The guard lowered his head and saw the corner of the green clothes in front of him flash and disappear. After a moment, he dared to raise his head, and sure enough, he did not see the figure of the immortal.

"Send a message to the Hall of Eternal Life, the immortal is returning to the palace."

The immortal was in a hurry just now, and I'm afraid he came directly to Zhangtai Palace. The Changsheng Palace probably didn't get the news. If they failed to prepare before the immortal returned to the palace, it would be too negligent.

"Yes." A guard walked out from behind him, took the order and left quickly.

…

The dilapidated building located in the most remote corner of the Xianyang Palace has long since lost its original appearance. The dusty ruins have been razed to the ground. Although the rebuilt wooden house is undecorated, it already shows the majesty and dignity of the imperial guest.

Although the immortal brought convenient and quick-to-use cement red bricks, after many discussions, Ying Zheng decided that the palace built for the immortal would still adopt the original regulations and style of the Qin Dynasty, but some new materials were added during construction to add some flexibility.

This is the mansion built by the Great Qin for the immortals, and it naturally bears the distinctive characteristics of the Great Qin.

"...Dig a pit here to create a lake. The excess soil and rocks will be piled up to form a small hill. A flagstone path will be paved all the way up, and a small viewing pavilion will be built on the top... This is the forest designated by the immortal. I have ordered people to select the most beautiful trees from all over the country, and they will be delivered in batches next year."

Ying Zheng inspected the construction site along the cleared road while listening to the introduction of the person in charge.

Every place is built according to the plan, trying to meet the requirements of the immortal as much as possible.

Ying Zheng looked around, nodded with satisfaction, then frowned slightly, "The place is too small."

The Li Palace was originally the least valued place in the Qin Palace. Its area was actually not small, but after adding a small lake and a hill, the area available for construction became much smaller. It seemed insufficient in the Xianyang Palace, which advocated ancient simplicity and grandeur.

Ying Zheng did not hesitate and immediately included a nearby palace. After estimating the latest area, he nodded with satisfaction.

"What are we going to build here, Master..." He stopped talking suddenly just as he started, and turned his head subconsciously. The next moment, a faint figure appeared beside him which was originally empty.

The figure was originally as light as ink, but within two or three breaths it quickly solidified, like dyed drawing paper, outlining a clear face.

"You're back!" Ying Zheng said in surprise.

Wei Shengxue took two steps back to create some distance between them and smiled at him. Although she had something on her mind, she could tell at a glance that Fellow Daoist Ying Zheng was very capable, which gave her a clear sense of relief.

"I have something to talk to you about."

She had already restrained the smile on her face when she said this.

Ying Zheng had never seen her with such an expression, serious but with an unconcealable pity. At that moment, his mind turned several corners, and he quickly went through all the natural disasters he had encountered since he came to power. He even thought about who to arrange for post-disaster reconstruction.

The two bosses were in a bad mood, and the people under them also suppressed their emotions, kept their mouths shut and kept quiet.

The group returned to Zhangtai Palace. The eunuchs swiftly placed Wei Shengxue's favorite fruits and snacks on the table, and then all left the room. They also closed the door and stood guard at the door, sending a clear signal to the outside world - His Majesty was discussing confidential matters, and no one outside the court was allowed to approach.

Meng Yi was about to step out when he saw the immortal shaking his head slightly, stopping him.

Without outsiders around, Wei Shengxue no longer concealed the emotions on her face, and her distress and irritability were clearly visible.

"It's not a secret, but I'm worried that it might cause panic if I tell it suddenly."

Wei Shengxue tried to comfort Ying Zheng and the other man, who were both very tense, with a few words, and then told them about how she discovered her cousins' marriage and the dire consequences.

Meng Yi's eyes moved to the lower right, and he quickly searched for relevant information in his memory.

The immortal didn't tell you earlier or later, but now she comes to see Your Majesty in a hurry. It must be not because she deliberately concealed it before, but because she didn't know about it.

Unlike the immortal who is believed to be omniscient by the outside world, those close to her actually know that she is often quite confused and many things cannot be discovered unless they happen to her.

So why did she suddenly think of this? Most likely she met someone related to it.

Meng Yi checked her network of relationships and soon remembered Shao Lan. As the granddaughter of a high-ranking official of the Qin Dynasty and one of the first students of the immortal, the Meng family also received the invitation to Shao Lan's engagement ceremony. It was heard that the man was her cousin.

I guess I met her.

He has already figured out the whole cause and effect and will report to His Majesty later.

After hearing all the news, Ying Zheng's face was as gloomy as water.

"If a couple who are very closely related give birth to a child, will the child be born without ears and nose?"

Weishengxue glanced at him. With such an accurate description, he must have seen or heard of such a person.

"There's a certain probability, but it's not certain." She paused, then looked up at Ying Zheng and said seriously, "Even siblings can have a healthy child, but there's no need to gamble on that probability."

"The closer the blood relationship, the smaller the possibility of giving birth to a healthy child. Blood relatives within three generations are at high risk."

Ying Zheng was silent for a moment, then gave the order: "Transfer the order to the Internal Secretary of Grain and the Minister of Land."

Wei Shengxue did not stay to listen to their subsequent deployment, but he had already conveyed his message. He believed that with the ability of the Qin emperor and his ministers, this matter would be arranged well.

Walking into the Hall of Longevity which she had not seen for a long time, she actually felt like she was back home.

Looking at Princess Yangzi who came to greet him with her palace maids and eunuchs, Weishengxue couldn't help but smile with ease.

…

When we heard the news again, it was already snowing heavily.

Wei Shengxue did not strictly control his subordinates, and the palace servants who had stayed in the Changsheng Palace for a long time were much more relaxed than when they first came in. When they were not on duty, they would gather in groups of three or four to eat, drink and have fun.

The heavy snow almost dyed the whole sky and earth white. The palace servants who were originally cleaning the courtyard were exempted from work and gathered in the small room to make tea and drink leisurely.

Through the tightly closed glass window, there is ice and snow outside, and inside there is a warm stove, a pot of tea and a plate of snacks. There is no time more comfortable than this.

The rustling sound of footsteps approached, the thick door curtain was lifted, and a woman in embroidered shoes with black patterns stepped in. The palace maids sitting by the stove hurried to greet her. Some took the things in her hands, some brushed the snow off her clothes, and someone by the stove poured tea and wiped the stool with his long sleeves.

They warmly welcomed the newcomers, calling out repeatedly:

"Sister is here, come and have some tea, it's just been taken off the stove and it's hot."

"I didn't expect that you would have time to come over. Your presence really brightens up our little house."

"I'll bring the heater over for you. Warm yourself up quickly."

Qin values ​​black. She can use black, although she can only use a few inches of black embroidery thread on the embroidered shoes, but it can be seen that her identity is extraordinary, at least she has an extraordinary status among this group of palace people.

The person they all called "sister" was a young girl who was wearing the clothes of a palace maid in the Qin Palace. However, compared with them, she had a lot more decorative embroidery and jewelry, and it was obvious at first glance that she was a well-known person.

She took a few sips from the teacup, and then she felt her body, which had been frozen outside, become more lively, and her slightly pale lips turned a healthy red.

"Finally I'm back. Our Changsheng Palace is still more comfortable. I'm used to staying here, but I can't stand the cold outside."

The eunuch standing nearby echoed, "That's right. Every time I carry things out, I have to come back shivering. The last snow almost froze me to death."

"Xiao Fuzi, what are you talking about? It's freezing and snowy outside, and you dare to go out wearing only three thin pieces of clothing. It's all thanks to the gods that you're able to be alive or come back." The speaker was a young palace maid with two braids tied at the back of her head. She looked smart and decisive, and looked like a clever person.

Xiao Fuzi begged for mercy with a bitter face, "Auntie, please stop nagging me. You've been talking about this for almost a month, and I haven't reacted yet. I stay in this warm Changsheng Palace all day and almost forgot how cold our Xianyang winter is. A snowfall would freeze my ears off."

He lowered his voice and looked like he was telling a secret, and everyone else pricked up their ears, ready to listen to the gossip.

"Have you heard?" A familiar opening.

The two braids pushed him and said angrily, "You're pretending to be so pretentious in front of us, why don't you tell me now? My sister is here today, and if you can't tell her the whole story, I'll see what she'll do to you."

Uni Exclusive

The maid took out a small piece of silver and placed it on the table. She then said, "Tell me quickly. If you speak well, I'll reward you. If you speak poorly, I'll drag you out and hang you on a tree."

Someone nearby joined in the fun: "You should also write on his face, 'I'm a lying bastard.'" As soon as these words were spoken, there was another burst of laughter.

Xiao Fuzi stretched and retracted his hand. Before he could see clearly what he was doing, the silver nugget on the table was put into his sleeve pocket. He patted his chest and promised: "This time it's really not a trivial matter, I guarantee it."

"It has something to do with this lord in our palace."

Just one sentence piqued everyone's curiosity.

But no one quite believed it. After all, everything related to immortals was a big deal. How could it be the turn of a small eunuch like him to spread gossip?

"It's just that this matter can't be brought out in public, so it's just a rumor."

Xiao Fuzi frowned and looked at the palace maid sitting at the corner of the table, "A Cai, you will be leaving the palace next year after you reach the age of 40."

Ah Cai nodded, with a puzzled look on her face, as if she didn't understand why they were suddenly talking about her when they were clearly talking about immortals.

The maid sitting next to her looked at her jokingly, "Not only that, she also has a childhood sweetheart cousin waiting at home, who will marry her when she gets married. I'm afraid that the next time we see her, we'll have to give her some small clothes and pants."

"Oh, then I have to start preparing now. I can't spend all my money on food and drink every month. Otherwise, in two years, I won't even be able to afford the gifts for my nephews and nieces." Another person shouted, frowning and worried.

Xiao Fuzi should have been one of those who sincerely wished her well, but now he felt creepy when he looked at Acai's blushing cheeks.

If the rumor is true, then Ah Cai is jumping into a fire pit by getting married!

"No! Absolutely not!" he screamed, "A Cai must not marry her cousin!"

The shrill voice broke the originally joyful and harmonious atmosphere, and everyone turned to look at the out-of-control Xiao Fuzi.

"Xiao Fuzi, you..."

"Pooh, pooh, pooh, what are you thinking about! I treat Acai as my own sister! Stop imagining nonsense!" Xiao Fuzi immediately reacted to their strange expressions and hurriedly clarified.

"That's not it. That's what I want to tell you."

He became serious, and his originally smiling eyes gradually froze, with a bit of solemnity trained in Xianyang Palace.

"Acai, is your cousin the son of your aunt or your auntie?"

Although Ah Cai didn't know what he was going to say, she answered honestly, "He's my eldest aunt's son, my cousin. I know him well, and he has a good character and family background. I have five brothers in my family, so you don't have to worry about me being bullied after I marry him..."

Her voice gradually faded until it disappeared completely, because she found that the more she spoke, the uglier Xiao Fuzi's face became, until it was completely pale.

Xiao Fuzi almost lay on the table, leaned in front of her, and repeated word by word: "You must not marry your cousin, absolutely not."

The maidservant dragged him down and said solemnly, "What's the story here? Tell me now!"

As Princess Yangzi's personal maid, she follows the princess in all her actions. Recently, she has been busy serving the immortal and taking care of the strange flowers, so she has been busy accompanying him. She hasn't even attended the small gatherings that used to be held every few days. She knows a lot of big news, but has been missing the gossip circulating in private for a long time.

"I heard, sister, I also heard it from other eunuchs. You must not give me away, otherwise I might lose my life." Xiao Fuzi looked at her as if asking for a guarantee.

The palace maid nodded in agreement.

Xiao Fuzi then began to speak, "I heard that an immortal predicted that if first cousins ​​marry, the child born will be cursed. Even if it's not obvious from the outside, it's bad on the inside and much harder to raise than an ordinary child. Some curses are so severe that even the outer skin can't cover them, and they'll have extra arms or missing ears."

Ah Cai's pupils trembled violently, her face pale, but she only managed to hold on to the small amount of emotion in her heart. She confirmed with a trembling voice, "How could the child of this person and this person be a monster? My cousin and I are both very healthy, so the child we have must be healthy too. How come we can't keep it alive?"

Xiao Fuzi spread his hands and said, "I don't know. You know, the news has passed through countless hands before it reached us. If I hadn't served in the Hall of Eternal Life, they would have given face to the immortals and I wouldn't have been able to find out even this kind of news."

"The news has spread everywhere. This happened in the Xianyang Palace. Your Majesty knows everything. This rumor has not been stopped, but has spread more and more..."

To avoid being explicit, he didn't say the rest of the words, but the meaning was clear.

At certain times, not stopping something is itself a statement.

Ah Cai's face was still pale, but her eyes no longer had the confused look they had just now. She had already made a decision.

"A Cai..." The palace maid sitting next to her held her cold hand and gave her silent support.

Ah Cai spoke again, her voice hoarse from straining her throat. "It's an old custom in the countryside for cousins ​​to go out together. In the past, every family had several children who couldn't be raised. I always thought it was because my family was too poor to provide for their health. I've thought it through. I've saved more money in the years since I entered the palace. I'll definitely raise my cousin's child to be plump and healthy. They won't die young like those other children. I've thought it through."

She choked up several times, and in the end it was hard to tell what she was saying. Only sobbing could be heard.

The others didn't know what to say, so they could only pat her on the shoulder to comfort her.

"This might not be true. It's just gossip. There's more lies than truth. Don't be too upset. You never know. They might tell a different story in a few days."

"Right, right, right," the others also comforted, "Let the news spread for a while. If the nobles really want to push it, they will never stop like this. Let's work hard first and let Xiao Fuzi go and inquire about it later."

Xiao Fuzi nodded repeatedly and said that next time she went out to deliver something, she would definitely inquire about the latest news.

With their comfort, Acai gradually calmed down and regained her spirits.

…

A few rooms outside the palace, Wei Shengxue showed an expression of "I see".

"Not making an announcement publicly, but spreading rumors, capitalizing on the public's interest in gossip without provoking an overly strong reaction, is a good approach."

Wei Shengxue didn't care about her appearance in this rumor. If using her name could make more people believe it and avoid more tragedies, it would be a good deed.

"Master, what good news have you received? You are smiling so happily."

Princess Yangzi brought in a food box with her people. "The kitchen has just developed some milk tea. Try it. Is this the taste?"

The unique sweet aroma of milk tea wafted through the air, and Weishengxue immediately put aside everything else and jumped up.

"It's the taste I like, but the porcelain straw is too cold, which affects the taste. Hmm, these pearls are delicious and chewy. I want more tomorrow."

Princess Yangzi smiled and nodded, then instructed her attendants, "The kitchen did a great job this time, so you should be rewarded."

"This time, the pearls are made with pumpkin flour, rice flour, and glutinous rice flour. If you like it, ask them to make another one tomorrow."

Weishengxue nodded while sipping her milk tea.

…

Their place was warm and harmonious, but the atmosphere in Zhangtai Palace, several palaces away, was completely different.

A few months was enough time for the Qin Dynasty, which had become more efficient, to investigate the truth.

Now the rough data is in front of us, leaving no room for any excuses.

Ji Tian Lingcheng held up the summarized data report, a deep frown forming between his brows. "When cousins ​​marry, the probability of stillbirth is several times higher than that of ordinary couples."

Giving birth to a freak baby is something everyone is so taboo about, that almost no one will tell the truth. Especially since many women don't even hire a midwife, relying entirely on their own births, and keep it a secret. Investigators can only speculate based on these minor details.

"After giving birth to the monster, they drowned it on the spot. Who would let outsiders know about it? The soft-hearted ones would wrap it in a straw mat and throw it into a mass grave. The cruel ones would chop it up and bury it at the intersection, letting thousands of people trample on it so that it wouldn't dare to come to their family again next time."

The person who spoke had a weak voice. Although he looked young, his hair was already gray. He looked listless, his eyes were staring straight ahead, and his eyeballs were full of red bloodshot, like a zombie that had been dead for several days and then crawled up.

The other people in the hall hesitated to speak and sighed in their hearts: How pitiful.

Needless to say, this zombie official is the unlucky guy who married his cousin. In just a few days since he got the exact news, most of his black hair has turned white.

I had heard earlier that many of his children had died prematurely, and now he only has one child to support him, but I never thought it was this reason.

"Your Majesty!" he wailed, falling to his knees. "I beg Your Majesty to ask the immortals to help take a look at my poor child. This is the only child I have left!"

Ying Zheng had also heard of his experience. Others had married their cousins, but no one else had fallen into three traps like him.

His first wife was his childhood sweetheart, his cousin. They loved each other very much, but their children died one after another. Later, his cousin could not bear the blow of losing so many children and died of illness.

After her death, according to current custom, he married his cousin's younger sister as his second wife, thus connecting the two families. Then, one child was born and another died. It was so bad that one of them suddenly fell ill when he was seven or eight years old, and he died in the end.

Then his mother thought that her niece and her son were incompatible, so she arranged for him to have the daughter of her brother's maid as a concubine. Well... it's hard to say, but anyway, that was the result.

Ying Zheng said, "If the Immortal Master is unwilling to help, it must be because you are destined to be childless. Don't harbor resentment."

The official didn't expect that he could actually get a chance. He kowtowed repeatedly and promised again and again that he would never resent the immortal.

Search the entire world and you won't find many people like him, even marrying three cousins. At that time, everyone believed in fate, and this official was no exception. He had always been convinced that he would kill his son, and now that the mystery had finally been solved, he began to think that his fate was doomed. How could he still feel resentment?

---------

Wei Shengxue withdrew her gentle spiritual power, looked at the child who had fallen into a deep sleep, and sighed softly.

"Take good care of yourself. Don't overwork yourself, don't worry about anything, don't be overly happy or sad. Eat a light diet and avoid spicy food. And don't get caught in the rain or in the cold wind..." She listed a long list of taboos, and the unfortunate official picked up his pen and wrote furiously, "If you do this, you can probably live to your early thirties."

Due to genetic disease, even spiritual power can only maintain a short-term balance.

"Master, please stay." The unlucky official put down his pen and hurriedly asked her to stay, but he stammered for a long time and couldn't utter a complete sentence.

Wei Shengxue looked at him doubtfully: He wasn't expecting her to read his expression and understand what he was about to say?

No, this is too difficult for her.

Fortunately, a woman who was not sure if she was the child's biological mother came over and, after paying her respects, asked the question he hadn't finished, "Excuse me, Immortal Master, can this child carry on the family line?"

Good question, just silence her.

As a person conceived by a training center, Wei Shengxue had no concept of parents and no obsession with having offspring. In the interstellar age, couples who were willing to have children were truly in love, and she had never seen such a point of view.

"It can also make women pregnant, but..." Given his physical condition, anyone who marries him would be a huge fool.

The woman smiled softly, "There are many people who are willing to exchange a child for status and money. Master, don't worry, we don't force people."

Wei Shengxue was silent for a moment and told them the method.

"But you have to be prepared that your child may inherit his disease."

Genetic diseases have a very high probability of being inherited. In other words, giving birth to a healthy child is a miracle.

"If that girl can give you healthy grandchildren in the future, you should burn incense and worship her every day. It would be a miracle."

After leaving the mansion, Wei Shengxue let his mind go and walked freely in the snow.

The heavy white snow covered everything and made the direction less obvious.

"It really looks like the cotton in the temple. Next year we'll see cotton covered like snow."

She grabbed a handful of soft snow and watched it fall through the cracks in her palms and drift away in the wind.

Snowflakes flew to the branches with the wind, stuck to the branches covered with a layer of crystal ice crystals, and slowly melted into water under the sun, and completely evaporated with the green emerging from the treetops.

The grassland that was once covered with ice and snow has grown a light layer of green. It is the grass that has revived in the spring breeze. In another month or two, it will be a bustling scene with cattle and sheep appearing here as the wind blows the grass low.

The wheels rolled over the light green grass, leaving deep ruts. An experienced person would have known at a glance that the cart was definitely loaded with cargo.

The guards were lined up in formation on horseback, observing their surroundings vigilantly, on guard against the grassland bandits who might appear at any time.

This was the territory of the Huns, the last dangerous area before they entered the territory of the Qin Dynasty.

According to past experience, the Huns must have discovered them. I'm afraid they have already reorganized their troops and are following behind them with scimitars in hand.

"Stay alert and speed ahead."

The convoy sped up under command, but the moist mud of the spring grassland brought a huge burden to the heavy convoy. It was good enough to drive smoothly without getting stuck in the mud. As for speed, there was no hope.

The captain of the guards gripped his weapon tightly, his eyes filled with murderous intent. He looked like a sword about to be unsheathed, and any slight movement could lead him to attack.

"Oh, my dear friend, where is this? Even when we passed through that damn Parthia, it didn't make you so nervous. Have we entered the devil's territory?" A strange voice sounded, and everyone knew at once that this was not a native of Daqin, nor even from the Central Plains.

Then he answered him in pure Daqin Mandarin: "This is the future territory of Daqin. For now, there are barbarians occupying it. They are cruel and evil, killing anyone and stealing anything they see. You must be careful when you come to Daqin in the future."

"Huns! Archers!" The captain of the guards shouted loudly from outside.

A blond head popped out of the carriage and saw a group of people riding on tall horses blocking the road in front of the convoy.

"They are..."

The Daqin man covered his mouth and whispered, "That's the Xiongnu. Keep quiet and hide in the carriage."

But before they could retreat to the carriage, they saw the Huns quickly jump off their horses, throw away their weapons, raise their hands high and shout:

"I am a good citizen! I am from Daqin! We are family!"

The blond man was filled with amazement, "You are indeed a nation of etiquette, yet someone like this can be called vicious!"

The Qin people were even more confused than him: Huns, is this true?