Chapter 45 Human Sacrifice!
Early the next morning, Jiu was awakened by the chirping of birds outside the window and the rumbling of his stomach.
She rubbed her sleepy eyes and yawned loudly. She saw the thin blanket covering her and the plate of osmanthus cake in the middle of the table, which was piled high and exuding a sweet fragrance.
"Wow! Osmanthus cake!" Ajiu's eyes lit up and he lost all sleepiness immediately. He jumped down from the stool, grabbed a piece of osmanthus cake and stuffed it into his mouth. His cheeks were bulging like a little squirrel stealing food.
"Yeah! The adults are so nice! They know that Jiu worked hard to help catch the giant scorpion king last night, and they even prepared snacks for Jiu!" She muttered to herself incoherently while eating, feeling very happy.
It seems that the adults still approve of her! Then the matter of soaking the scorpion tail in wine must be a done deal!
Thinking of this, Ah Jiu's eyes drifted to the corner of the wall involuntarily - it was empty. How could the large wine jar and medicinal herbs she had asked the kitchen to prepare yesterday be gone?
"Huh? Where is my big jar?" Jiu tilted his head, a little confused.
Could it be that... the adults have already soaked the scorpion's tail? Is it so effective?
Just as Ah Jiu was lost in thought, staring at the empty corner, Imperial Preceptor Xuan Yi walked in with heavy steps, his eyes heavily rimmed. He'd barely slept the entire night before, partly due to dealing with the aftermath of "Owl Master" and "Eagle's Nest," and partly due to Ah Jiu's words about "tonifying yang and kidneys."
As soon as he entered the door, he saw Ah Jiu staring at the corner with half a piece of osmanthus cake in his mouth. It was clear from his eyes that he was expecting something.
Imperial Master Xuan Yi's solar plexus began to ache again.
"Ajiu, I have already had the jar and the herbs disposed of."
"Ah? It's been dealt with?" Ajiu's face fell, his eyes full of disappointment. "Why, sir? Isn't the scorpion's tail good? The book says that soaking poisonous insects in wine can cure poison with poison, and the effect is very good! You worked so hard last night, sir, you must need some nourishment!"
"Ahem!" Imperial Preceptor Xuan Yi choked on his own saliva and quickly corrected himself, "Ah Jiu, first of all, that wasn't a scorpion, it was a human, a very bad human. Secondly, his tail... uh, he didn't have a tail! Finally, and most importantly, I'm in excellent health, with ample Qi and blood. I don't need any form of... nourishment!"
He almost gritted his teeth as he said the last sentence.
Ajiu blinked his big eyes, looking at the Imperial Master Xuanyi with a confused look, his little face full of an expression of "Sir, are you lying to me?"
"But... when you came back last night, you looked so pale, you were even staggering..." She muttered softly, then looked at Imperial Preceptor Xuan Yi with a look of sympathy and understanding, "My lord, you don't have to be embarrassed. Jiu understands! My master said that men sometimes...feel powerless and need to adjust. It's okay, Jiu won't laugh at you!"
As she spoke, she patted the arm of the Imperial Master Xuan Yi in a serious manner, as if to say, "Little brother, you can't do it, but I will keep it a secret for you."
"puff--"
Imperial Master Xuan Yi felt a sweetness in his throat and almost vomited blood again.
Understand? You understand what you understand?! What kind of nonsense did your unreliable master teach you?
"Ajiu!" Imperial Master Xuan Yi took a deep breath and tried to keep himself calm. He felt that if this continued, he would sooner or later be angered to death by this girl.
"This matter ends here! From now on, no more mention of things like scorpion tails, soaking in wine, or things that aphrodisiac and kidney nourishing are allowed! Do you hear me?"
He rarely used a stern tone.
Ajiu was startled by the sudden increase in the volume of the Imperial Master Xuan Yi. He shrank his neck and said "oh" aggrievedly, but his little eyes were still full of the meaning of "Sir, you are just stubborn but guilty."
Imperial Preceptor Xuan Yi felt a surge of powerlessness as he watched her. Reasoning with this clueless girl was even more exhausting than negotiating with a desperate scoundrel like the "Owl Lord."
He decided that the "Enlightenment Education Program" must be put on the agenda immediately!
At this moment, the butler hurried in, holding a wax-sealed letter in his hand: "Sir, an urgent letter sent from the Regent's Palace!"
Imperial Master Xuan Yi was invigorated and quickly took the letter and opened it.
The letter was written by Xiao Yu himself and was concise and to the point. It stated that the "Owl Master" was indeed a stubborn person. Even after using various means, he still refused to reveal the full core content of the "Jingzhe Plan", and only repeatedly emphasized that "when the time comes, the divine punishment will come, and no one can stop it."
However, the palace staff conducted a preliminary interpretation of the "Qingzhe Record" overnight and have made some surprising discoveries.
In "The Awakening of Insects", a special code and metaphor are used to record the layout of the "Night Owl Alliance" in the capital and its surrounding areas over the years, as well as their ultimate goal - on the third day of the next month, when the royal family holds the "Grand Prayer Ceremony", they will use the power of some "secret treasure" to sacrifice a royal family member with the "Purple Star Fate" on the altar to achieve some ulterior motives, which seem to be related to subverting the Dayin Dynasty, or even... attracting some evil forces!
At the end of the letter, Xiao Yu specifically mentioned that the only royal family members who currently meet the requirements of the "Purple Star Fate" are the current emperor and... the seven-year-old crown prince, Xiao Chen.
The person who presided over the "Grand Prayer Ceremony" was none other than the Crown Prince!
After reading the letter, Imperial Master Xuan Yi's expression instantly became extremely solemn.
Human sacrifice! The target was the young crown prince!
The evil ambitions of the "Night Owl Alliance" are obvious, and the cruelty and viciousness of their methods are even more outrageous!
The third day of next month... counting the days, there are less than ten days left!
"Sir, what's wrong with you? You look worse than before!" Ajiu came over curiously with an osmanthus cake in his mouth, stretching his neck to read the contents of the letter.
Imperial Preceptor Xuan Yi subconsciously folded the letter and said to Ah Jiu, "Ah Jiu, from today on, you must study hard with the newly hired teacher in the mansion, learn the rules, and understand the principles of life. No more random thoughts, no more wandering around. Do you understand?"
He decided that during the period of investigating the "Qingzhe Plan", he must keep a close eye on Jiu to prevent her from accidentally causing trouble or being used by someone with ulterior motives.
"Ah? I want to study?" Ajiu's little face suddenly fell, and she was even more disappointed than not being able to make scorpion wine just now. "But... studying is so boring! All those nonsense makes me want to sleep. Adult, can I not study? I promise to be a good boy and not cause you any trouble!" She blinked her big watery eyes, trying to escape the "torture of studying" by acting cute.
"No!" Imperial Preceptor Xuan Yi was unusually firm this time. "This is an order! If you don't study hard, you won't have any osmanthus cakes to eat in the future!"
When dealing with Ajiu, sometimes material threats are much more effective than reasoning.
Sure enough, upon hearing "There's no osmanthus cake to eat," Ah Jiu's little face immediately wrinkled into a bitter melon, and he pursed his lips. Although he was reluctant, he still nodded: "Okay... Then, is the teacher fierce? Will he slap my palm?"
Imperial Master Xuan Yi looked at her pitiful appearance, and his heart softened slightly, but he still said with a stern face: "As long as you study hard, the master will naturally not be mean to you. Now, go wash up quickly, the master will be here soon."
After sending away Ajiu, who kept looking back, the Imperial Master Xuan Yi immediately wrote a reply to Xiao Yu, expressing his full cooperation with the investigation and suggesting that the protection of the Crown Prince be strengthened immediately.
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