"Ayao, why are there so many people gathered over there? Let's go over and take a look."
When Xue Yao and Ye Mao walked out of the academy gate after school, they saw a group of people gathered in front of the bulletin board in front of the government office. Ye Mao pulled Xue Yao over to watch the fun.
There were too many people in front, and the two of them couldn't squeeze in. Ye Mao supported himself on Xue Yao's shoulders and jumped, trying to see clearly what was written on the notice on the wall.
When he was about to fall, Xue Yao reached out to hold his legs and lifted him onto his shoulders.
Ye Mao's vision suddenly became wider. He was startled and subconsciously held Xue Yao's head to steady himself.
Apart from sitting on his father's shoulders when he was a child, he had never sat on anyone else's shoulders, especially when that person was his childhood friend. Ye Mao felt very embarrassed, "A Yao, put me down."
I always feel like everyone around me is looking at me.
Xue Yao didn't let go, but only asked: "What does the notice say?"
Although he was about the same size as Ye Mao, he was a head taller and much bigger than Ye Mao, so he carried him with ease.
Ye Mao looked at the notice.
"It's said that this year Fengchi County will select a female priestess to represent the people in offering sacrifices and prayers by the White Dragon River. If a family has a female priestess, they will receive one thousand taels of silver and three years of tax exemption. Furthermore, the female priestess will have the opportunity to meet the emperor."
"Wow! Young Master, is this true? This has never happened before."
"If you give birth to a consecrated girl, you can get 1,000 taels of silver, three years of tax exemption, and even meet the emperor?"
"Young Master, please help me find out how I can become a sacrificial girl."
Ye Mao read out the words: "Any woman under the age of eighteen, unmarried, with good looks, no scars or physical defects, can go to the government office to participate in the selection of sacrificial women."
"Oh! My daughter just meets the requirements! I have to go back and tell them the news!"
"Oh, if I had known this earlier, I would have married my daughter off two years later. My daughter is so pretty, maybe she would have been chosen!"
Some were happy, some were sad, and everyone was talking about it. The content of the notice spread throughout Fengchi at the fastest speed and spread to several surrounding counties and towns.
After Xue Yao returned home, he told his family about this matter. The Xue family just listened to it and let it go. No one took it seriously. After all, the sisters Xue Huan and Xue Jun, one was a "married woman" and the other had a chronic illness, which was considered a physical defect and did not meet the requirements.
However, what Xue Huan didn't know was that she had been targeted for a long time.
The usually deserted gate of the government office was bustling with activity today. A long queue formed in front of the gate. The queue was full of women, all of whom were young and most of them were above average in appearance.
However, there are a few exceptions.
"Hey, look at her, she has a pointed face and monkey cheeks. How dare she run for the position of consort?"
"Exactly. She definitely looks older than 18, yet she's still here pretending to be young. How shameless!"
"If I were her, I wouldn't even dare to leave the house, so how could I dare to come here and embarrass myself?"
"She's looking over here! Oh my! She actually dares to stare at us?"
"Her eyes are as big as cow eyes. It's so scary."
"The nose is turned out, it's so ugly."
The subject of discussion among the girls was a thin and petite girl, only about 1.5 meters tall, with protruding nostrils and a large, protruding mouth. She was indeed not very pretty, but her eyes were dark and bright, which was very striking.
However, at this moment, his eyes were full of anger, and his teeth were grinding, as if he wanted to rush up and bite to death those women who talked about him.
Seeing this, the women who were pointing fingers at her couldn't help but feel a little scared and stopped.
Humph, these people are ugly! She is the most beautiful one in the tribe!
Wu Qi, the girl who was ridiculed and talked about by everyone, thought so in her heart.
The selection went on very quickly. Those who entered came out after staying there for a few breaths. Soon, Wu Qi, who was in the middle of the line, came to the front.
She walked in curiously, wanting to see how these people selected the priestess.
Beneath the eaves of the corridor sat a square table. On the table, on a gold-painted, carved tray, sat a jade pendant. The jade was fine and translucent, engraved with the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams. Behind him sat a young, white-faced, beardless man. It was Yuan Huai, the leader of the Flower and Bird Envoys.
He had previously asked the governor Wang Liang to help him by posting a notice in the name of the government office to select female sacrifice girls. It happened that the Shangsi Festival was approaching, so the selection of female sacrifice girls was justified, but in fact it was to select candidates for the male enhancement.
Wang Liang did not know Yuan Huai's real purpose, because Yuan Huai told him that His Majesty intended to select beauties from the people to expand the harem.
The practice of taking yin to replenish yang is against the will of heaven. The emperor also knew that such a thing should not be made known to everyone, otherwise his reputation as an emperor would never be good. Therefore, he issued an order before Yuan Huai left. No matter what name he used for selection, the four words "taking yin to replenish yang" must not be spread.
Yuan Huai naturally would not disobey the emperor's order.
As a minister, Wang Liang had no say in the emperor's plan to select beauties from the people to enter the palace, so he could only do as he was told. Therefore, he gave Yuan Huai a lot of convenience. Not only did he lend him the government office temporarily, he also ordered his subordinates to obey his orders.
He just hoped that Yuan Huai and his group of people who were "picking flowers" for the emperor would finish their work quickly and leave.
When Yuan Huai saw Wu Qi coming in, his expression instantly lost control. He shouted at the two yamen runners guarding the door, "How do you do your job? Why did you let such an ugly woman in?"
The yamen officials were awakened from their dazed and stiff state by the roar, and they were all a little confused. Looking at Wu Qi who had already entered the yard, they were both more frightened than Yuan Huai.
They were clearly trying to stop this ugly woman, so how come she went in the blink of an eye?
Wu Qi was very unhappy. She was the most beautiful woman in the tribe, but how come she became an ugly woman here!
"Are you blind? Open your eyes and take a good look. I'm obviously as beautiful as a fairy. How can I be ugly?" Wu Qi walked up to Yuan Huai angrily and put his face in front of him.
She's ugly everywhere! This woman has absolutely no self-awareness!
Yuan Huai felt suffocated and quickly leaned back to avoid close contact with that ugly face.
"Kick her out." Yuan Huai didn't want to waste time talking to the ugly woman in front of him, so he spoke directly to the two yamen runners standing behind him.
As the two yamen runners approached, Wu Qi rolled his eyes, snatched the jade pendant from the tray on the table, and rushed to the roof. He stuck out his tongue triumphantly at Yuan Huai and said, "I'm not leaving. What can you do to me?"
Yuan Huai's expression changed drastically, "Give me back the jade pendant!"
Wu Qi originally just thought the jade pendant was pretty and wanted to play with it, but seeing how nervous he was, she became even more interested. She deliberately shook the jade pendant in her hand and said, "I won't give it back. What can you do to me?"
But at this moment, the jade beads suddenly emitted a dark light, which made Wu Qi look black.
She was so frightened that her hand shook and the jade pendant fell to the ground.
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