Chapter 84 The Lin Family as Human Sacrifices
Just as Li Jing had said, Xu, the Imperial Chef, arrived at the Lin residence a few days later. He instructed that all the snacks served in the palace would be supplied by the Lin residence, and that they must be exquisitely presented and frequently updated. Otherwise, they risked incurring the King's displeasure and bringing about their own demise.
Half a year has passed since that banquet. Because Li Jing was away guarding the pass and the Lin family was busy developing new desserts, the Lin and Li families did not visit each other even once in the past six months.
Whether it's Nezha of Cuiping Mountain or the Ghost Gate, they all seem to be swallowed up by this busy time.
As usual, Pingyu locked himself in the kitchen, racking his brains.
She tried to recall all the recipes applicable to this dynasty, so that she could use them to entice King Zhou like radishes on a pole.
Miss! "
A series of hurried footsteps approached, followed by a loud bang as the kitchen door was rudely flung open. Pingyu, who was completely focused on her work, was startled; her hand trembled, and the dough on the work surface turned into a puddle of mud.
Pingyu stirred the batter in the batter, leaving a thin, sparse coating on his fingers.
"It's hopeless," she thought.
The message the female slave wanted to convey seemed extremely urgent, prompting her to disregard the difference in their social status and directly take action.
To the girl's surprise, the woman in green grabbed her.
Pingyu was weak and was easily dragged.
It seems this matter is extremely urgent, so urgent that even Green Robe didn't notice that Ping Yu's hands were still covered in dough paste.
When she arrived at the main hall, Lin Dong and Xue Yue'e were already waiting.
It was unclear what had happened, but the two men looked extremely serious.
Pingyu thought for a moment and then asked, "Father, Mother, may I wash my hands first?"
A sentence that clashes with the somber atmosphere sounds rather comical.
Seeing their daughter's innocent expression, the couple sitting down had no choice but to give the order: "Someone, bring a basin of water for the young lady to wash her hands."
The somber mood suddenly dissipated, and the atmosphere became lighter.
Pingyu dipped his hand into the water with satisfaction, looked up and asked, "Father, Mother, what is the matter that is so urgent? Seeing Green Robe like that, I thought I had caused a disaster."
"This is a disaster," Xue Yue'e frowned. "Your life is in three days, and you're still messing around in the kitchen! Why aren't you in a hurry?"
ah.....
Ping Yu paused for a moment, then pursed his lips.
Although she has spent the past six months immersing herself in the kitchen researching snacks, she has not truly forgotten about the life-threatening situation.
Pingyu kept thinking about this at night, causing her to have several sleepless nights. However, the collection of ghosts was a false premise; with Nezha's help, things were alright, but without him, she would be completely helpless. If Heaven wanted someone to do something, why would it impose such a harsh condition? Pingyu pondered deeply, and then one day suddenly had an epiphany. If the Ghost Gate was like a game encyclopedia, then Nezha was like an NPC in the beginner's village. His guidance and help were to help Pingyu better remember the rules and bypass the tutorial.
The few ghosts I've collected so far are a safety net, and the talismans I've learned are basic skills.
The only difference between a major storyline and one that is heart-wrenching is whether it is or not; no single-player game would let the protagonist die in the starting village.
Moreover, whether one lives or dies is a matter of fate, and she cannot interfere. Everyone in this dynasty submits to destiny, a fact that Pingyu understood from her encounter with the purple-robed local deity.
This is also the reason why she has been desperately trying to recall the prescription during this time. If she really dies, these things can serve as her parents' property.
However, she couldn't openly express her desire to "give up," so Pingyu could only comfort her, saying, "I have a protective talisman given to me by Nezha. Its dragon scales can deter most of the demons in the world, so my daughter will be fine."
...
No wonder Little Grey's eyes have been looking increasingly melancholy lately; it's missing its owner! Pingyu even thought it had pigeon depression!
"That won't do!" Lin Dong snapped, lost in thought. Ping Yu paused; she rarely received a scolding from her own father. Lin Dong was furious at her lack of concern for her life, and retorted angrily, "Are dragons omnipotent? Have you forgotten how this dragon scale came to be? It was because..."
Seeing that her husband was going too far, Xue Yue'e quickly stopped him: "Husband, watch your words!"
The dragons hold grudges; if word gets out to someone with ulterior motives, the Lin family will be finished.
Pingyu fell silent, looking down at her wet hands. Seeing his daughter like this, Lin Dong felt a pang of heartache. He didn't want to say anything harsh to Pingyu, but she was their only daughter, and they cherished her like their very lifeblood. If something were to happen to Pingyu, they truly didn't know how they would cope with the future.
Xue Yue'e looked at Ping Yu. This child had always been thoughtful, and she wondered what was going on with her current passive attitude. Like Lin Dong, Xue Yue'e was unwilling to gamble Ping Yu's safety on that tiny dragon scale; they dared not take the risk.
After a long silence, Xue Yue'e broke the stillness in the main hall. She said, "Your father and I summoned you here for no other reason than to tell you that you should go to Cuiping Mountain tomorrow."
ah?
Pingyu asked in surprise, "Mother, why do you want your daughter to go to Cuiping Mountain?"
Xue Yue'e said, "Your parents can't protect you, but Nezha can. Just stay there and come back after your birthday."
Going to Cuiping Mountain is fine, but...
She recalled her misdeeds of not seeing Nezha for half a year and felt a little scared.
"I...I'm not going!"
Pingyu shook her head and said coquettishly, "I want to stay at home with my parents. I want to spend my birthday with them!"
"I think you're trying to harm us," Lin Dong said irritably. "If you die in front of us on your birthday, that would be a real disaster."
Before Pingyu could argue, Xue Yue'e made the decision: "After Lord Li returns today, you will leave immediately the day after you have attended this welcoming banquet."
Ping Yu grasped the key phrase: "Uncle Li is back?"
The timing seems to match up; Nezha's temple was indeed destroyed six months after Li Jing returned.
Lin Dong: "Yes, he sent me a message by carrier pigeon a few days ago to say that he had returned."
He looked out the window at the distant mountain peaks that were beginning to emerge, and said, "We should be almost there now."
.
His gaze continued to wander into the distance, eventually reaching a point beyond his sight. Lin Dong's welcoming banquet would ultimately fail, for Li Jing was nowhere to be found along this winding mountain road.
He was behind the mountains. To see him, one had to look over the high vermilion walls and into the palace. Li Jing knelt on one knee, listening to the emperor on the dragon throne speak.
When he went to court, he would embrace his alluring concubines and look down at his kneeling subjects. King Zhou laughed loudly, "My dear minister, you have done a great job in defending the pass this time. It is truly a great fortune for our dynasty to have you leading the troops to assist us!"
Li Jing felt a chill run down his spine, and cold sweat broke out on his brow. He shook his head humbly, saying, "Your Majesty's presence in Chaoge has brought prosperity to the nation. It is thanks to Your Majesty's favorable fortune that I was able to successfully defend the pass. This is all due to Your Majesty's wisdom; my contribution in this matter is negligible!"
At that moment, the surrounding ministers all knelt down, shouting that King Zhou was a sage.
King Zhou knew what kind of emperor he was, but that didn't stop him from enjoying flattery. He was so happy he couldn't stop grinning, and with each laugh, the gloom outside the palace seemed to deepen.
King Zhou, flattered and elated, grabbed Daji's hand and kissed it, saying, "My beloved consort is right, I will do as my beloved consort says~"
Seeing the two of them so disdainful and affectionate in front of the court and the public, the officials frowned secretly, as did Li Jing. He didn't want to attend the banquet in the palace; he only wanted to return to Chentang Pass to reunite with his wife. He was about to refuse when he suddenly froze when he glanced up. The concubine nestled in the emperor's arms was looking at him with a beaming smile.
Seeing this, Li Jing felt a chill run down his spine and thought to himself, "This is bad."
What is that vixen up to now?!
"..." Li Jing asked warily, "Why does Your Highness say this?"
“Since it is a sacrifice, offerings and human sacrifices are indispensable. I think the Lin family snacks presented by Steward Xu are quite good. Since they were chosen by the God of Tongue, even the gods should like them.” With each sentence Daji spoke, Li Jing’s heart sank a little further. King Zhou asked, “Oh? Could it be that my beloved consort intends to choose the Lin family snacks as the offerings?”
Since gods have always been superior to humans, King Zhou also felt that Daji's words made sense. He agreed, "Let's do as my beloved concubine says, and sacrifice them in a few days."
This vixen, that's what she's planning!
Li Jing was greatly alarmed. Since King Zhou had spoken and it concerned the sacrifice, the Lin family's doom was sealed in just a few words.
“Human sacrifices should be made willingly, so that they will be obedient and useful to the gods. I’ve heard that the Lin family is also in Chentang Pass, and Lord Li, as the commander-in-chief, has a great reputation within the pass. Why don’t you have Lord Li bring them here?”
Daji wasn't finished yet. Her alluring eyes narrowed, as seductive as a fox's. The woman's gaze seemed to carry not spring water, but a deep malice as she looked at Li Jing.
She said, "This sacrificial ceremony is a major event in the court. To prevent these lowly people from going astray and doing something bad, Lord Li must explain the pros and cons to them clearly."
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