[Chapter 394 Chapter 394 The Vicious Fake Goddess (5)]
Qi Heng saw that he was in a state of anxiety and immediately asked with concern, "What is your concern, Your Highness?"
He had known Cheng Xu when they were young. His family had once suffered from misfortune, and the men in the clan exiled the women to be slaves.
It was the Third Prince's efforts that saved him from the suffering of wandering in the desert.
However, he could escape the death penalty but could not escape the punishment of life imprisonment. He was thrown into the prison and served as a slave for three years. Thank God, Your Highness did not abandon him and kept him by your side.
This is how the current city guard commander Qi Heng came into being.
Since the day he took office in the Third Prince's mansion, he swore to be loyal to His Highness forever.
Cheng Xu frowned, picked up the tea on the table and drank it all: "It was my father who asked my brothers and I to go to the people to find the goddess."
"Goddess?" Qi Heng looked dazed for a moment, and then he remembered the scene in which he vaguely saw the girl riding a wolf as a mount.
Cheng Xu was immersed in his own thoughts and didn't notice the unnaturalness on his face. He nodded sadly: "I don't know where the prophecy of 'the goddess will come to the world and all the people will return' came from, but my father firmly believes it."
There was even a rumor among the princes that whoever could find the goddess would become the crown prince.
He shook the empty cup in his hand, with a look of compassion on his handsome face: "You know, I have no intention of competing for power with anyone, but I absolutely cannot bear to see the people of Beiyou destroyed by the hands of the other brothers."
Qi Heng knelt on one knee and bowed to him: "I am willing to share your worries, Your Highness."
He took on the task of finding the goddess without hesitation.
"It is my honor to have your help, my dear brother." Cheng Xu's brows were filled with joy as he helped him up, his handsome face looking even more easy-going.
Qi Heng retreated humbly: "There is a difference between the monarch and his subjects. I dare not call you my brother."
Cheng Xu raised his lips, his eyes sparkling with light: "We have known each other since childhood, why should we be so distant?"
He condescended to win over Qi Heng because he valued his martial arts talent and believed that he could be of great use to him. If the other party took advantage of him, he would be unhappy.
So Qi Heng's sensible behavior made him feel happy.
Qi Heng remained silent, and his attitude became more respectful.
After he left, Cheng Xu waved and called someone over: "Go and find out where Qi Heng has been these days and who he has met."
"Yes, Your Highness." The black-clad warrior disappeared.
Cheng Xu stood at the window for a long time with his hands behind his back.
Qi Heng was a careful person, but when he heard him talking about the goddess, he did not ask about the reasons or details, but directly took on the task.
It was as if he already had a specific candidate in his mind for the goddess he was talking about.
This made him wonder whether Qi Heng had second thoughts.
Among several brothers, the eldest brother is a coward who only knows how to sleep with women and tease slaves. Yet, such a fool has the protection of the powerful maternal family.
The second prince is stupid and reckless and is not capable of any important task.
Only the fourth prince Cheng Wu's mother was the most favored by his father. He was also talented in both literature and martial arts since childhood, and was respectful and amiable.
If the eldest brother had not been instigated to attack him, how could the position of Crown Prince of Beiyou have been vacant until now?
Even if the fourth brother had not disappeared, given his overly kind nature, he would only be controlled if he became the successor.
He has the talent to be an emperor, and his scheming and tactics are no less than anyone else. It's just a pity that his mother's family is in decline, and he has no one to rely on, so he dare not even show his ambition.
The man stared at the wild birds flying outside the window, and smashed them with the blood jade ring in his hand. His gentle face suddenly became gloomy, as if a tiger that had been pretending to be docile suddenly showed its fangs.
Tantric Buddhism, Xihe Temple.
In the hall, there is a statue of wrathful Vajra sitting cross-legged, embracing the Buddha Mother with four arms.
The Joyful Buddha observes the form and observes. As the ancient saying goes, if you get used to it, you will be able to ignore desires and reach a state of tranquility and enlightenment.
But some people have long ignored the truth and only do dirty things to satisfy their inner desires.
Wu Sa pushed away the blushing woman in his arms and asked someone to take her away.
The woman who had just been "transmitted with power" by the Dharma King, in a blink of an eye, became the practice partner of other disciples.
"Send people to various places to look for young girls, and when the time is right, have them participate in the selection of goddesses."
Wu Sa touched the beard that hung down to his chest. His old face was full of wrinkles, and he had white eyebrows and beard. Wearing monk's robes, he looked a bit like an immortal.
His turbid eyes were filled with desire and ambition, completely destroying the Buddha nature he wanted to create.
The disciple smiled lewdly: "Master, have you come up with a new way to play?"
Wu Sa stood up and slapped him in the face: "Use your brain more, you idiot."
"This goddess thing must be another trick of Fanxi. In order to prevent the Zen sect from dominating, we have to jump into it even if we know there is a trap ahead."
“Yes, yes, I will follow Master’s teachings.” The disciple bowed deeply.
Wu Sa snorted coldly: "Remember, only pure girls are needed, and others should behave themselves and not cause trouble for me."
If he could really find the goddess, the king's trust in him would only increase.
Even if she can't find it, the goddess must settle in Beiyou.
He had to create a goddess belonging to the Tantric Buddhism before Fanxi.
If he wants the power of Tantric Buddhism to last forever, it is best to place bets among several princes. With the foundation of following the dragon, his position can be further consolidated.
It’s a pity that the third prince was too shrewd and refused to accept the olive branch he extended.
He also knew that even if a man like Cheng Xu became emperor, he would not be willing to share the world with him, Wu Sa.
The other princes are easy to control, but the forces behind them are complicated and intricate. If any one of them is pushed to the throne, there will be many people who want to get a piece of the pie.
In that case, why doesn’t he himself become the emperor guided by God?
Wusa thought so, stroked his beard which had a Buddhist bead pendant hanging on it, and his triumphant laughter echoed in the hall.
-----
The news of the goddess's birth has spread across the grassland, and both Nan Jiang and Bei You have sent people to look for the goddess.
Some people hope to ascend to heaven through this opportunity, so they dress their daughters well and plan for a rich future.
Some people were also worried that this was some trick played by the old emperor to select concubines.
In the nomadic group that Yan Qing was in, Aunt Maya was also gossiping about this with other women.
After the last incident of the mountain god getting angry, the entire grassland became much quieter, and even the previously rampant horse bandits no longer showed up.
Ge An led everyone back to the camp, collected the bodies of the family of three, and then hurriedly packed up the felt and other items that he had not had time to take with him and set off again.
The sheep that were not driven back were scared away by the wolves. Although it was a pity, no one dared to look for them.
They only packed their own things to make sure not to leave any trace, for fear that the Tantric Buddhism would be angry with them and take revenge.
The nomadic group walked along the Mir River, heading towards areas with abundant water and grass resources.
After finding a suitable place to settle down, everyone was glad that they did not stay like the old man and his family who were blinded by greed.
They were also grateful to Tusan for his reminder, which saved their lives.
Tusang did not take credit for it. He told Yan Qing about his timely warning, and a group of people cast enthusiastic glances at him.
If Tusan and his sister-in-law hadn't stopped them, the group of young men would have wanted to throw her up and catch her.
The compliments came pouring down on her like they were free, almost making her blush.
Now, she has become a little lucky star in the eyes of these simple herdsmen.
Others also took better care of Gesan and her.
"Aunt Maya, Aunt Gina...good morning, everyone." Yan Qing greeted the people who were chatting together one by one, with an extremely sweet smile on his face.
The warm morning sun was not scorching; instead, the gentle golden light poured down on her fair little face, making her look more beautiful than the water lotus in the Myrtle River.
Maya's cheerful smile suddenly disappeared. She pulled her aside and looked at her carefully for a long time before she stammered, "Qingqing, do you think you should cover your face?"
She also knew that the little girl would pick some flowers every day to decorate the yurt, and occasionally put two flowers in her and Gesan's hair.
This age is also the time to love beauty.
But the war outside had just stopped because of the matter of that damn goddess, and both countries sent large troops to search for girls of marriageable age.
Qingqing is a delicate girl with a fresh face and a delicate figure. Her age is about the same as the one those people are looking for. If she is really found, it is hard to say whether it will be a blessing or a curse.
She had heard that the new ruler of Nanjiang was brutal and bloodthirsty, and the old emperor of Beiyou was lustful and greedy. She might meet with misfortune if she was invited back by either side.
So she thought of asking the girl to cover her face. If someone really found this place, she would ask her to hide and they could help keep it secret.
Qingqing saved everyone's lives, so how could they just watch her get into danger?
Yan Qing knew what she meant, and pretended to be confused: "Why, Auntie, is it because Qing is not good-looking?"
She frowned, her willow-shaped eyes were full of autumn water, and when she deliberately frowned her little face, the freckles on both sides of her nose became more vivid.
"Hey, what nonsense are you talking about, girl? If you are not good-looking, who else on this grassland is good-looking?"
Maya tapped her forehead lovingly, and took the time to wink at Tusan who was paying attention to her, asking him to come over and help persuade her.
Tusan's ears and cheeks turned slightly red and he turned his eyes away.
She stomped her feet in disappointment, thinking that the brat was failing at the critical moment.
Yan Qing chuckled and went forward to hug her: "Okay, A Qing knows that Auntie loves me, but we can deal with it as it comes, so we don't need to worry too much."
Uncle Ge'an and Aunt Maya have always been kind-hearted, otherwise they would not have kept her and Gesan, two weak women who looked like a burden at first glance.
Maya patted her on the back, seemed to want to say something, but in the end she didn't.
As soon as she entered the yurt, she went to find Tusang. The two of them whispered to each other. People passing by only saw that Tusang's face was getting redder and redder, and his head was buried lower and lower.
"You're like a lump of wood. This is an extremely urgent matter!" Maya kicked him in the calf and rolled her eyes at her silly son.
She has taught him so much, but why can't this stupid boy learn?
Forget it, I'd better go back and discuss it with the old man first.
Tusan hesitated for a while and touched his rapidly beating heart.
After pacing for a long time, he finally mustered up the courage to walk to the yurt where Yan Qing was. However, he did not dare to make a sound and just stood stiffly at the door.
When Yan Qing came out, he almost bumped into the young man who was standing there like a door god.
"Brother Tusan, do you have something to talk to me about?" she asked, looking up.
"I, I..." Tusan stammered, his face reddening before he spoke, his eyes wandering around but he didn't dare to look at her.
Yan Qing didn't wait for him to finish his sentence, raised his eyebrows and smiled slightly: "If there is nothing else, I will leave first."
She went there to discuss with Uncle Ge An her plan to leave the team alone.
The mission has not been completed yet, she still has to get back on track, and it is impossible for her to stay with everyone all the time.
The reason why she wanted to travel alone was that she didn't want her sister-in-law Gesan or anyone else to fall into the hands of others and become her weakness.
When I turned around, I saw Uncle Ge An and Aunt Maya, stealthily poking their heads out from the yurt on the side.
Seeing her looking at them, they both retracted their necks in unison and squatted down to avoid her.
But my aunt's round belly is still there and can't be hidden.
There was a smile in her eyes and her wrist was held by Tusan.
"Don't, don't go." The young man didn't dare to use force on her thin wrist, staring at her eyes sincerely, "Miss Yan Qing, let's have a fake marriage."
His cheeks flushed red, and when he met the surprise in her eyes, he lowered his eyelids to hide the shame in his eyes.
Maya, who was peeking, stamped her feet in anger: "How can you be so dull, brat? What fake marriage? Why are you saying it so bluntly?"
She gritted her teeth and twisted her husband's thigh, "It would be better if you just said you want to get married!"
Ge An, who had suffered an unexpected disaster, had tears in his eyes, and thought to himself how come this woman's grip strength was even stronger than that of a mastiff's bite.
Noticing the movement from the two people, Tusan quickly let go of the hand that was holding Yan Qing's slender wrist and took a step back.
Yan Qing felt a drop of cold sweat on her forehead, and she deliberately moved closer: "Do I have thorns on my skin, Tusango?"
Tusan moved his lips, his eyes wandering: "No..."
He rubbed his lowered fingers on the clothes, which seemed to still retain the warmth he had just touched.
Yan Qing chuckled. He just wanted to tease him, but he didn't expect him to be so honest.
"Why did Tusange come up with the idea of having a fake marriage with me?" she asked puzzledly.
The young man felt inexplicably nervous when he looked at her face and rubbed the sweat from his palms on his clothes.
"I, I..." He swallowed several times, and the speech he had prepared earlier was suddenly left blank.
A sigh sounded from the side. Ge An, who was kicked out, rubbed his butt, put the cigarette on his waist, and coughed a few times to moisten his throat: "Let me do it."
He walked towards Yan Qing, his eyes filled with worry: "Now the two countries are searching for the 'goddess' mentioned in the rumors, and many women your age have been taken away."
"Although we have no fixed place to live, we cannot withstand such a large-scale investigation by the soldiers."
"The first requirement they were looking for in a 'goddess' was purity, so your aunt Maya and I decided to have a fake marriage between Tusan and you."
Ge An smiled kindly: "Of course, I have to ask for your and Ge Sang's opinions first."
He also thought about moving everyone to Tata Mountain to avoid being searched by soldiers, but that would also be dangerous.
Those who are slightly older than Yan Qing in the team are already married, and the next ones are the girls who are ten years old and are not within the range of what those people are looking for.
He had no intention of matchmaking, but the situation had become urgent.
The only way to save Yan Qing from this disaster is to hold a wedding for her in advance.
After hearing what he said, Tusan breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes brightened, and he nodded heavily at Yan Qing.
He straightened his chest and promised: "I can swear to the Beast God that I will respect Miss Yan Qing's opinions and will not do anything abrupt."
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