Chapter 4 Sacrifices

On the first day of the first month of the twenty-third year of the Zhaode era, the white marble Lingtai at the top of the Forbidden City soared into the clouds, as if connecting heaven and earth.

As dawn broke and a chilly wind blew, the densely packed crowd of imperial nobles, civil and military officials below the stage held their breath in rapt attention. A pillar of incense smoke rose from the gilded bronze cauldron, making the figure in white on the stage appear almost ethereal.

Chu Wangshu stood against the wind, his figure appearing even more slender on the spiritual platform. The tortoise shell was already placed on the azure flames. He closed his eyes and waited quietly, his face expressionless, only the knuckles beneath his wide sleeves were slightly white from extreme concentration.

Finally, the last, almost imperceptible crack was fixed.

He raised his head, facing the bright yellow figure on the throne, bowed slightly, and said, "Your Majesty, the divination indicates that it is not advisable to start another war this year. If we act rashly, the consequences will be unpredictable."

From the height of summer, the south may suffer from prolonged heat and frequent floods, in addition to the potential spread of epidemics. The court should prepare disaster prevention measures in advance to ensure the safety of the people.

The celestial signs faintly illuminate the side of the Purple Star, suggesting Your Majesty may encounter a woman whose destiny is extraordinary, subtly intertwined with the fate of the nation. However, whether this woman will experience fortune or calamity is uncertain, the divination results obscure and difficult to discern; it remains unclear until the opportune moment arrives.

The emperor nodded slightly and continued to perform the sacrificial ceremony with his ministers.

Chu Wangshu had finished what he needed to do. He slowly stepped down from the altar, his steps unsteady as he leaned against the wall. The sounds of chanting and prayers filling the air gradually faded from his mind. Sitting in the sedan chair, his vision began to blur, a sharp pain shot through his chest, and the metallic taste in his throat could no longer be suppressed, slowly seeping from the corner of his mouth.

Chu Wangshu's consciousness was already in a daze, and he had no strength left to support himself, so he leaned against the sedan chair.

"Back to the Astrology Pavilion..."

Physician Li had already taken out his silver needles and was preparing to administer acupuncture to Chu Wangshu when he heard these words and his heart trembled: "Wangshu, your current body is not suited for such a long journey!"

The sacrificial ceremony was used to divine the nation's fortune for the year. The more secrets revealed, the greater the price to pay. In previous years, Chu Wangshu should have recuperated in the Taoist temple's side room and returned to the astrology pavilion once he was feeling better. But today, he stubbornly boarded the sedan chair, insisting on setting off immediately.

Chu Wangshu shook her head with difficulty, "I'm fine..."

Shen Qingmeng's words from last night kept replaying in his mind.

Should I come to wish you a Happy New Year tomorrow morning?

But I want to see you.

I'm leaving on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year and won't be back for about six months. Won't the Imperial Advisor miss me?

Before her consciousness completely faded, Chu Wangshu murmured to herself, "Yes, Qingmeng. I will miss you so much, I want to see you right now..."

Shen Qingmeng was awakened by the sound of firecrackers in the courtyard. She peeked out of the window, wrapped in a blanket, and looked at the mischievous children in the yard with dazed eyes.

One by one, red envelopes were stuffed in, and Shen Qingmeng smiled, contentedly retreating back into the house.

Let them set off the firecrackers if they want; after all, they're obligated to do so.

"Meng'er! Come and eat!" Father Shen called from outside the room.

Shen Qingmeng responded by shaking the bell by the bedside: 【I heard you!】

Shen Qingmeng loved the New Year, because the escort agency was only lively during the New Year, and she could receive many gifts: new clothes, new jewelry, new perfumes, and lots of money to ward off evil spirits.

After dinner, Shen Qingmeng accompanied Wanwan to draw a fortune stick. Although she didn't understand the logic behind using a stick falling out of a long tube to predict the outcome of one's fortune, Wang Wanwan liked it, so Shen Qingmeng went with her.

The temple was crowded on the first day of the new year. Shen Qingmeng waited with Wang Wanwan for a long time before they were able to enter the hall to draw lots.

Since she was already there, Shen Qingmeng shook her long tube and, seizing the opportunity, threw out a very auspicious fortune stick.

When Shen Qingmeng was a child, she did this, and the abbot saw it and said that she was not sincere. So Qingmeng bought a long tube and practiced her skill of stealing fortune sticks at home. Finally, she was able to get a very good fortune stick every year.

So what? On New Year's Eve, she put a dumpling with a copper coin inside in everyone's bowl at the escort agency. No matter how they got it, getting it was considered a success.

Shen Qingmeng held the auspicious fortune stick and listened to the abbot's long and sweet talk, which ultimately boiled down to asking for some incense money. She casually tossed some silver into her box and then waited listlessly for Wang Wanwan to interpret the fortune. Wanwan had a very good fortune this year, which wasn't bad; perhaps the Wang family restaurant could grow and prosper, and then Wanwan could find a son-in-law to live with her.

Inside the temple, people were talking about the sacrificial ceremony, mostly about stockpiling food in advance to prepare for potential floods.

"During the sacrificial ceremony, the Imperial Advisor foresaw the great calamity of the past year and changed the fates of many people. Won't he suffer a severe backlash?" Wang Wanwan whispered in Shen Qingmeng's ear, "Aren't you going to take a look today?"

Shen Qingmeng shook her head.

He said he wouldn't return to Lingtai Mountain today, and that the emperor would offer other sacrifices as compensation, so Chu Wangshu wouldn't have any problems.

This was what Chu Wangshu had said the night before, but Shen Qingmeng still felt it wasn't very credible. If it could be compensated, then why was the Chu family's influence dwindling?

Back home, Shen Qingmeng was still feeling unsettled. She had clearly overheard someone saying that the Imperial Preceptor had returned to Lingtai Mountain and hadn't stayed at the Taoist temple long, but Chu Wangshu had told her last night to go see him on the fourth day of the new year.

Shen Qingmeng suddenly realized that this person was probably a fraud! She left a note for her father and then ran out towards the Astrology Pavilion.

The moment Shen Qingmeng pried open the window and climbed into the attic, she felt as if all the blood in her body had frozen—

Chu Wangshu sat back on the couch, frowning, her eyes closed, her forehead covered in cold sweat, and her hands gripping the bedding tightly.

An old man was inserting one silver needle after another into his chest.

The sound of Shen Qingmeng jumping out of the window and landing was not loud, but it still caught the old man's attention. His hand trembled slightly, and Chu Wangshu shuddered violently, his expression becoming even more pained, but he did not make a sound.

Shen Qingmeng stood frozen in place, too afraid to approach. The old man looked at her with some alarm. Unable to speak, she could only utter sobs and syllables in her desperation.

Chu Wangshu struggled to grab the old man, shaking his head as best he could, but because he had lost some strength, he let out some broken groans in pain.

"Uh... no, don't call anyone..." Chu Wangshu bent over in pain, almost falling off the bed.

Shen Qingmeng quickly walked over, put her arms around him, and carefully held Chu Wangshu's hand.

Seeing this, the old man didn't say anything more, but simply picked up the silver needles again and applied them to the acupuncture point on Chu Wangshu's chest.

With each needle inserted by the old man, Chu Wangshu would tremble slightly, unable to suppress it, but she gritted her teeth and did not utter a single cry of pain until she completely fainted.

The old man finished administering acupuncture and then looked up to notice Shen Qingmeng. Chu Wangshu was only pale and haggard, but the little girl's face was covered with tear stains; anyone who didn't know better would think she had also been in pain.

The old man, putting away his medical kit, asked, "Are you... Wang Shu's friend?"

Shen Qingmeng nodded, "I guess so."

She gestured something, which the old man couldn't quite understand, but he could roughly guess that she was asking Chu Wangshu what was wrong.

“Heavenly punishment. Every time after the divination, he experiences a tearing pain in his internal organs, which is incurable. I can only use acupuncture to protect his heart meridian and use tonics to keep him alive. He will sleep for three to five days, and when he wakes up, he will be well cared for... He won't die.” The old man stood up. “You stay with him. I'll go and brew some medicine.”

Only the two of them remained in the attic.

Shen Qingmeng reached out and carefully wiped away the tears from Chu Wangshu's eyes. How much pain must he be in? He even shed tears in his unconscious state.

After swallowing the bowl of dark, murky medicine, Chu Wangshu's expression became even more pained, and he gripped Qingmeng's hand even tighter.

"What is this?!" Shen Qingmeng asked in a panic.

"The tonic will keep him alive, and he'll naturally become more lucid." The old man spoke with a tone of habitual helplessness. He pointed to Chu Wangshu's stomach and said, "Wangshu will feel even worse if he takes the medicine now. Keeping it warm or massaging it might help."

Shen Qingmeng awkwardly placed the heel of her palm on Chu Wangshu's stomach and circled it, unsure of how much force to use. Too little might have no effect, while too much might cause him more pain. Chu Wangshu, however, instinctively grabbed Shen Qingmeng's hand and shoved it down hard, letting out a muffled groan, "Ugh..."

Shen Qingmeng looked up at the old man in a panic, but he just shook his head helplessly, "No one can cure Tianfa, he can only get through it on his own."

Chu Wangshu had probably lost consciousness completely. After drinking the tonic, he kept writhing and groaning in pain. After a while, he gradually lost his strength, and then he was forced to drink another bowl of tonic, and the cycle repeated itself.

He woke up once, leaning against Shen Qingmeng's neck and shoulder, breathing heavily, and in a daze, he seemed to be talking in his sleep: "Qingmeng...it hurts..."

Shen Qingmeng could only gently stroke his cheek, using the touch of her body to tell him that she had always been there.

Chu Wangshu's fever didn't break until the evening of the next day. Shen Qingmeng stayed by his side for a long time, gently patting him until he slept more soundly, and then helped him lie back on the couch.

His clothes were soaked with cold sweat again and again. After he had fully recovered, Shen Qingmeng and the old man wiped his body and changed him into dry clothes.

The old man wanted Qingmeng to leave, but she firmly shook her head and continued to tossing the handkerchief into the hot water.

Shen Qingmeng knelt beside Chu Wangshu's bed, still holding his hand, quietly keeping him company.

Chu Wangshu was really thin. When I hugged him just now, I could clearly feel the outline of his shoulders and back. If I placed my hand on his stomach, I could feel his ribs. His whole body had a sickly ashen white color, and even his lips were bloodless.

Why does he need this divination ability? No matter how many people's fates he has changed, whether for good or bad, he has endured such painful days for nearly twenty years. Is he really determined to fight to the death?

The old man was Physician Li from the Imperial Medical Academy, who had been treating Chu Wangshu's health for many years. He usually lived in the Astrology Pavilion, but Shen Qingmeng had only entered through the window at night and had never been to other parts of the pavilion, so she had never seen him before. Chu Wangshu called him Uncle Li, and Shen Qingmeng had become more familiar with him in the past two days. They understood that they meant Chu Wangshu no harm, so they got along well.

Uncle Li brought in some food and invited Shen Qingmeng to have some. "Wang Shu won't wake up for a while, so don't overwork yourself, or I won't be able to explain it to him."

Shen Qingmeng knew that Chu Wangshu was currently unconscious, so there was little difference between her staying by the bedside and leaving for a moment. She agreed to Li Bo's words, let go of Chu Wangshu's hand, patted it gently, and then went to the dining table.

The little girl frowned as she looked at the bland food on the table. Was this all Chu Wangshu ate every day?

She tentatively picked up a slice of lotus root and took a small bite. Wanwan was right; wild boars really couldn't stomach fine bran.

"Not to your liking?" Uncle Li asked.

Shen Qingmeng smiled awkwardly. Maybe so, or maybe she just didn't have an appetite.

"Wang Shu insisted on returning here just to wait for you?"

Shen Qingmeng thought for a moment and nodded. Probably so; Chu Wangshu didn't seem to have any other friends.

"He also said that if he didn't wake up by noon on the third day of the lunar new year, I should use acupuncture to wake him up..."

Shen Qingmeng quickly shook her head.

【Need not! 】

Shen Qingmeng took out paper and pen and quickly wrote words.

I'll be leaving on the evening of the fourth day of the Lunar New Year. If he doesn't wake up, let him sleep a little longer. When he does, please ask Uncle Li to help Qingmeng say goodbye to him.

Uncle Li nodded and granted Shen Qingmeng's request.

Could you tell me about Chu Wangshu?

Li Bo remained silent for a moment. Chu Wangshu had suffered too much over the past ten years.

He thought for a moment and then began his story by recounting how Chu Wangshu was appointed as the Imperial Preceptor.

When Chu Wangshu was four years old, he was playing with a compass and said he saw a strong wind in the east. The emperor was skeptical, but he still made arrangements according to Chu Wangshu's words. In the end, he took advantage of the wind to burn the enemy's granary, then launched an attack and recaptured a city.

However, Chu Wangshu developed a high fever after revealing the secret of heaven, and was given a lot of medicine. It took a whole day for the fever to subside.

Before Chu Wangshu could recover, Emperor Qing welcomed him into the Astrology Pavilion and appointed him as the Imperial Preceptor.

At first, Emperor Qing only asked Chu Wangshu to predict the war situation. Later, Chu Wangshu began to predict good and bad fortune for Emperor Qing, hold a sacrificial ceremony on the first day of the first month of each year, and predict the national fortune for the year. He even asked Chu Wangshu to predict the good and bad fortune of the royal family once a month. In order to control him, Chu Wangshu was fed poison and had to take an antidote to inhibit the spread of the poison once every half month.

The more secrets of heaven that can be revealed, the more fate can be altered, the heavier the backlash Chu Wangshu suffers, and the more his body deteriorates. At first, he only had a fever, but gradually his internal organs began to cramp. Now, every time he reveals a secret of heaven after divination, he experiences a tearing pain in his internal organs, and then falls into a long sleep. If he does not reveal the full secret, and there is any mishap involving the royal family or in the war, Emperor Qing will cut off Chu Wangshu's antidote for half a month, and he will suffer excruciating pain from the poison.

Revealing the truth will bring backlash, and truly changing the course of events will also bring divine punishment, or even worse. In other words, when the summer floods break out, even if the people are saved, Chu Wangshu will still suffer severe damage as a result.

The Chu family line in the north has been extinguished, and now only Chu Wangshu remains.

Some have said that the woman born at the same time as Chu Wangshu was destined to be his daughter, and that she might give birth to someone with the ability to divine. However, after searching for a long time, it was discovered that the only such woman was a princess in the palace, but unfortunately, the princess died tragically before she was even four years old.

He was completely averse to women. Emperor Qing once drugged him, but he locked himself in the attic and took an ice bath, which made him sick for a long time.

Therefore, Emperor Qing had no choice but to exempt Chu Wangshu from the monthly divination. In recent years, there has been no further warfare. Unless any of his princes caused trouble, he would generally not allow Chu Wangshu to divine good or bad fortune. Divination was only required once a year for the sacrificial ceremony, and before that, he would be given tonics to strengthen his body.

Emperor Qing didn't treat Chu Wangshu as a person at all; he merely used Chu Wangshu as a tool to consolidate the court's power...

“Wang Shu is very stubborn and never takes care of his health. Even the Emperor has to go along with him on some matters,” Li Bo said, then sighed softly. “Even if he doesn’t suffer any further damage, I’m afraid he can only endure two more sacrificial ceremonies…”

Author's Note:

The poor Imperial Advisor...

Sorry, I just love male leads who suffer terribly; I'm a die-hard fan of the sickly, beautiful, strong, and tragic type.