“The government is the government. If they can’t do it, we can too. We have to give it a try. We can’t let innocent people die without knowing why.”
Zhong Muyu spoke with some excitement, and Chengfeng quickly replied, "I understand. So, did the Princess Consort seek me out just to add to the pomp and circumstance?"
"Not entirely. The villagers' beliefs are deeply ingrained, so I need you to keep things in order. Of course, the more people, the better!"
Just when everyone thought Chengfeng would refuse, he said seriously, "Since it is the princess's request, I will send a few of my guards to help."
"The guards of the Prince's mansion? Lu Ziyuan will be angry if he finds out you did this, won't he?"
"No, His Highness ordered me to stay near the restaurant, partly to protect the Princess. If anything happens to the Princess, His Highness will certainly not stand idly by."
"Protect me?"
Zhong Muyu rolled her eyes and muttered, "That Lu Ziyuan, he's actually spying on me, isn't he? He's just making it sound so nice."
"Your Highness did not intend to spy on you..."
"Alright, stop defending him. If you hadn't shown up, I wouldn't have known any of this. I'll settle the score with you later. Of course, if you're willing to help me this time, I'll repay you."
"Of course Your Highness will help! There's no time to lose, I'll return to the Prince's residence right away!"
Chengfeng bowed to Zhong Muyu and left. Afterwards, Zhang Mama said with a worried look, "Your Highness, why do you always like to meddle in these troublesome matters?"
“These things cannot be ignored. Granny, you are too old to get involved in this matter. You stay at the restaurant, and I will go with Zaochun.”
"That won't do! That's too dangerous!"
"Isn't Chengfeng still here? Everything will be alright."
Granny Zhang sighed, "If only the Prince could come too."
"Him? I should be thanking God that he agreed to help me."
Zhong Muyu looked incredulous. She had even prepared for the worst: if Lu Ziyuan refused to let Chengfeng help, she could simply hire some thugs to assist him.
Zaochun said, "This servant believes that since Chengfeng is so certain, he must be confident."
"So I still believe him. Let's hurry up and prepare; time is running out."
...
After two busy days, the day of the sacrificial ceremony arrived quickly.
The entire Qingshui Village was bustling with activity. The low houses were adorned with colorful lanterns, floral decorations, and red ribbons, and firecrackers were set off, making it as festive as the Lunar New Year.
The worship of the mountain god is also the most important event in Qingshui Village. On the morning of this day, the women of every household will get up early to prepare various things, and then welcome the bride out in front of everyone and lead her to her home.
Zhong Muyu carefully read through the ceremony procedures she had written, afraid of missing a single detail. Behind her, Zaochun and the others were helping her tidy her hair and appearance.
Since she is appearing as the Princess Consort of the Tomb, she must dress in a sufficiently noble manner.
"That's enough, let's go!"
Zhong Muyu stood up and, with Zaochun's help, left the courtyard.
At the sacrificial site on the back mountain, the sedan chair carrying the bride had arrived. The village chief and others were burning incense and making offerings, while an old woman dressed like a witch was chanting incantations mysteriously.
At that moment, a loud shout attracted everyone's attention.
"Her Highness the Princess has arrived!"
The crowd dispersed, and Zhong Muyu, dressed in magnificent robes, was escorted to the altar.
Upon seeing her arrival, the village chief and the others stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness. We were unaware that Your Highness was also attending the ceremony. We have been very impolite."
Zhong Muyu raised her hand slightly and said, "I have some rare free time. I heard that there is such a custom in the village. How could I not come and see such an important event?"
"Your Highness is right. Please take a seat, Your Highness."
Zhong Muyu was led to a seat where she could see the witch's eerie dance.
Chi Xuanzhu pushed through the crowd and quietly approached Zhong Muyu, whispering, "That's a shaman's unique prayer dance. After she finishes dancing, the bride will be pushed off that cliff."
"This is all so mysterious, is this witch also from the village?"
"Yes, she has been a witch for over forty years. In this line of work, the teachings are passed down only to daughters, and marriage is forbidden. The one standing next to her is her disciple."
"Okay, watch me in a bit."
"Be careful, I also have a ceremony to attend to later and can't stay here."
Don't worry.
Just as Zhong Muyu finished speaking, the witch's dance was over, and two village women were about to pull the girl out of the sedan chair.
"Wait a moment."
Zhong Muyu spoke up to stop them.
Everyone looked at her with suspicion, while Zhong Muyu looked at the village chief and said, "Village chief, since this is a bride for the mountain god, we can't be careless. I need to examine her and see if she's any good."
Everyone looked at each other, wondering why Zhong Muyu would make this request.
At this moment, the village head spoke up: "This was chosen by the shaman from the entire village, so there is naturally no problem. Your Highness is overthinking it."
"And what criteria did the shaman use to judge them? Appearance? Or whether they had any diseases?"
"this……"
The village head was speechless. How the witches chose their victims was a secret of their trade, and outsiders would never know.
Zhong Muyu pretended to be serious and said, "If there is any oversight, won't the mountain god be angry? As a royal woman, I am naturally adept at testing women, and I think you understand that."
Several respected old men whispered among themselves for a few moments, and finally the village chief said, "Then we will trouble Your Highness to examine it."
Zhong Muyu nodded, left his seat, and went to the sedan chair, gently lifting the curtain.
"you……"
The girl was startled. Someone had said they would save her, but they hadn't appeared yet, and she had given up hope. She never expected that the Princess Consort of Ling would actually test her.
"Shh!"
Zhong Muyu made a shushing gesture, then grabbed her arm and applied some powder to it.
"Watch me in a bit."
The girl nodded in alarm, and then Zhong Muyu pulled her out of the sedan chair and lifted her fair arm high.
"This is the woman you chose? Look at the rash on her body! How can someone so sick become the mountain god's wife?"
"What?"
The others were shocked and rushed over. They saw a cluster of dense red dots on the girl's arm, which looked quite eerie.
The witch was also startled: "How is this possible? It wasn't there when I checked before!"
Zhong Muyu said, "You probably don't know that diseases can lie dormant, and they can also strike at any time."
Someone shouted, "What a sin! What a sin! If this were offered to the mountain god, he would surely be angry!"
"What should we do now? The incense has been burned, and the prayer dance has been performed!"
"I never expected something like this to happen! Sigh!"
Seeing the crowd in chaos, Zhong Muyu clapped her hands, signaling them to quiet down: "Calm down, I have a solution."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it was very penetrating, and the crowd gradually quieted down.
The village chief asked, "Does Your Highness have a good plan?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
