"The auspicious time has arrived!"
With a loud roar, the sacrificial ceremony officially began.
The sorcerers and wizards beside Tai Xuan busied themselves in front of the high table laden with offerings, chanting incantations as they worked, creating a rather professional scene.
A short while later.
Tai Xuan rose and went to the high table, facing the surging river mouth, and shouted: "Tai Xuan, the governor of Longxi County of Qin, now prays to the River God, offering ten boys and girls, and asking the River God to take five beautiful young women as concubines."
"I humbly beseech the River God to grant me mercy and restore peace to my Qin state by calming the waters. Your humble servant, Tai Xuan, expresses my deepest gratitude!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Tai Xuan took a few steps back and knelt down in a proper manner.
A hint of disdain flashed in the wicked man's eyes as he quietly watched the ceremony continue.
Several sorcerers and wizards picked up the prepared talismans and incense from the high table, carefully lit them, and then threw them into the river one by one.
As the talisman floated slowly on the water, the sorcerers began to chant ancient sacrificial songs, their voices deep and melodious, seemingly able to pierce the clouds and reach the ears of the River God.
The wind on the river seemed to soften with the singing, and the sound of the waves gradually subsided, as if the River God was truly listening to this sacrifice.
Tai Xuan stood to the side, his gaze firm, silently praying to the River God, hoping that the Qin state could receive the River God's blessing, with favorable weather and peace for the country.
If it weren't for the bloodshed that followed, this ritual would have truly felt like it was connected to the supernatural.
A moment later, a shaman approached Tai-hyun and whispered something in his ear. Tai-hyun nodded slightly, stood up, and exclaimed, "Offer the sacrifice!"
Following Tai Xuan's orders, several county soldiers led the boy and girl, along with five young girls, to the riverbank, their eyes filled with fear and helplessness.
Guided by the shaman, the children were tied one by one to a pre-prepared raft, and then people kept offering livestock, fruits and other sacrifices to it.
The sorcerers continued chanting, their voices growing more impassioned, attempting to quell the River God's wrath with their songs and the power of the talismans.
However, the River God seemed unmoved. The waves in the river mouth grew stronger and stronger, and the rafts that were still on the shore swayed precariously in the river. The cries and shouts for help from the children and women sounded particularly desolate in the wind.
"Prepare to enter the water!"
The shamans stopped chanting, and the leader shouted. The county soldiers reached out and untied the hemp rope, preparing to push the raft into the turbulent river mouth.
"Stop! Anyone who dares to move, I'll wipe out their entire clan!"
At this critical moment, a roar as loud as thunder from the heavens erupted from the crowd.
The people standing around the wicked man turned their heads and subconsciously made way for him, keeping their distance.
"I am the wicked Grand Commandant of the current dynasty. Let's see who dares to touch me!"
The wicked man's eyes were cold as he strode up to the platform, his gaze sharp as a knife, staring directly into Tai-hyun's eyes.
Tai Xuan's face darkened, but he quickly regained his composure. "How dare you impersonate the Grand Commandant! How many lives do you have?"
Although the young man in front of him had an extraordinary demeanor, how could he easily trust him?
We can't just believe anyone who comes along and claims to be who they are.
As the prefect, he had lived in Longxi for a long time, while his wicked husband had never been to Longxi before, so he really didn't know what his wicked husband looked like.
The wicked man was not angry about this. He had risen to power too quickly and spent most of his time leading troops in battle. Not to mention local officials, even many officials in Xianyang did not know what he looked like.
"Do you recognize this command?!"
"We pay our respects to Your Excellency, Grand Commandant!"
Just as the wicked man pulled out his waist token, the magistrate of Gancheng County also spoke up, leading all the officials of Gancheng to pay their respects.
Tai Xuan was taken aback, glanced at the magistrate of Gancheng County with a puzzled look, and then looked up at the waist token in the evil husband's hand. His pupils suddenly contracted sharply.
"Your humble servant... Your humble servant, Tai Xuan, Prefect of Longxi, pays his respects to the Grand Commandant!" Tai Xuan hurriedly bowed and greeted the Grand Commandant with utmost respect.
The wicked man slung his waist token away, a chilling smile playing on his lips. "Now that you know my identity, let me ask you, why do you sacrifice the lives of young children and women? As the prefect, instead of protecting the safety of the people under your jurisdiction, you are trying to take their lives?"
"My wicked husband, what do you mean by this?" Tai Xuan tried his best to keep his tone calm, but his heart was in turmoil.
The wicked man sneered, looked around, and then slowly said, "Our dynasty governs with benevolence; how can we commit such barbaric acts?"
Tai Xuan was startled; he hadn't expected his wicked husband to interfere in the sacrificial ceremony. But he quickly composed himself and retorted, "This is a traditional sacrifice, meant to pray to the River God for blessings, to ensure that Qin enjoys favorable weather and peace and prosperity."
The wicked man shook his head, his tone carrying an undeniable authority: "Confucius said, 'You do not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits.' You have harmed the lives of ordinary people for those baseless tales. Why haven't you sent your children here?"
Tai Xuan stammered for a long time without saying a word. Just as the scene became somewhat tense and awkward, Zhang Erhe arrived with his men.
Qin Ruishi's heavy footsteps sounded like drumbeats, making Tai Xuan break out in a cold sweat and rendering him speechless.
Only then did he remember a rumor that the Grand Astrologer had proposed offering sacrifices to Heaven to pray for divine protection to overcome a great calamity, but was killed by the wicked man on the grounds that the rumors of ghosts and gods were disrupting the moral order.
Tai Xuan remained silent for a long time. He understood that his husband's words were not without reason, but as the prefect, he had no choice but to do so for the sake of the people in the prefecture.
He took a deep breath and was about to speak when he saw that the wicked man had already turned to face the people.
"I, the Grand Commandant, have come here today to stop such absurd things. From this day forward, the evil custom of sacrificing human lives will no longer exist within the territory of Qin. If anyone mentions it again, then their relatives shall be the sacrifices!" The wicked man's voice echoed along the riverbank, shaking everyone to their core.
Tai Xuan watched his wicked husband's retreating figure, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He knew that the sacrificial ceremony could not continue, and hearing the deafening roar behind him, a look of urgency flashed in his eyes.
"If this sacrificial ceremony fails, that's fine, but we must not anger the River God... otherwise, we might not be able to withstand his wrath!" After pondering for a long time, Tai Xuan finally mustered up the courage to speak.
As he spoke, a fine layer of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his hands unconsciously clenched tightly together, clearly showing his inner tension and fear.
However, considering the gravity of the matter and the potential for irreversible consequences if he didn't warn others in time, he chose to speak out against injustice despite his fear.
Oh ho?
The wicked husband looked at Tai-hyun with newfound respect, at least for daring to contradict him to his face, which piqued his interest.
"Fellow villagers, is the prefect of Longxi acting fairly?"
Upon hearing the wicked husband's reply, the people were first taken aback, and then began to speak kindly to him.
The wicked man was somewhat skeptical. Perhaps for some reason, he truly did not believe that this official had not engaged in any corruption.
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