Chapter 311 Mrs. Huayin is not subject to sacrifice
When Gong Mengbi received the news, he was in the Water Palace discussing with General Yinhuan how to curb the incense offerings.
Gong Mengbi was puzzled and asked, "General, if a commoner offers sacrifices with resentment in his heart and the incense is impure, wouldn't that hinder the king's practice?"
General Silver Ring, a round-headed veteran clad in black armor and adorned with several silver rings, said with a gentle smile, "If it were before, it would certainly have hindered your cultivation. But now that Your Majesty has obtained a precious treasure, you no longer have to worry about your incense being impure."
Gong Mengbi asked curiously, "What kind of treasure can purify incense?"
General Yinhuan glanced around and whispered, "Don't tell anyone. The king forbids us to inquire about it, but I heard that it was a magic lamp brought by Madam Huayin."
Gong Mengbi had already heard of Madam Huayin's name. She was the favorite concubine of the water god of Wujiang River. She had a very bad temper and the maids who served her were all terrified, fearing that they would do something wrong and be beaten to death by her.
General Yinhuan is a veteran of the Water Palace, in charge of the Water Palace's troops. Precisely because he is an old man, he is trusted by the Water God.
It took a lot of effort for Gong Mengbi to be able to have such a pleasant conversation with him.
He immediately asked, "Who is Madam Hua Yin?"
General Yinhuan said, "Madam Huayin is the governor's younger sister. She is naturally intelligent and has a predestined relationship with him. She began cultivating in Jinyun Mountain when she was young. Before her earthly ties were over, she returned home to experience the trials and tribulations. The lord took a fancy to her and asked to marry her."
"But Madam Hua Yin said that she and the lord were not destined to be his wife and that she was only willing to be his concubine, not his wife. So she became the favored concubine of the Water Palace."
"Because of our Lord, that prefect was able to rise to prominence and secure his current position. Last year, Prefect Zhang lost his treasury silver and nearly lost his hat. He came to Madam Hua Yin and asked our Lord to intercede, sparing him a severe punishment."
Gong Mengbi looked a little surprised. He had just arrived and didn't know there was such a trick.
General Yinhuan really enjoyed showing off in front of Gong Mengbi. Seeing his expression, he smiled and said, "Madam Huayin is not only favored by the lord, but also respected by the lord. The incense smoke and mist you see in the water palace are all refined from the madam's magic lamp."
Gong Mengbi revealed a look of longing and said, "Treasures like this are truly rare in the world. I've been in the Water Palace for so many days, and I haven't seen Madam Huayin yet. I wonder what she looks like?"
General Yinhuan said, "Madam is a deity, but she has a bad temper. You must never offend her. It's normal that you can't see her. She doesn't appear very often."
Just talking about Madam Hua Yin, General Yinhuan couldn't help but reveal an obsessive and fascinated look. Obviously, even though he knew how powerful Madam Hua Yin was, he was still fascinated by her grace.
Such a difficult and powerful woman became a variable beyond the plan. If he didn't meet her, Gong Mengbi would not be sure of dealing with the Wujiang Water God.
Gong Mengbi asked, "General, do you know what Madam Hua Yin likes?"
General Yinhuan was embarrassed. He shook his head and said, "I am an outsider. How can I know what is going on in the lord's backyard?"
Gong Mengbi thanked General Yinhuan, clinked glasses with him, and drank the wine together.
After getting General Yinhuan drunk, Gong Mengbi returned to his residence and began to think about Madam Huayin.
General Yinhuan is an outsider, and Shuiyue is also an outsider. It is not easy for them to find out what is happening in the harem.
But the good thing is that in addition to external officials, there are also palace guards who can enter and leave the inner house.
As long as you have the will, there is no place where you can’t find a loophole.
In addition to working hard in the Water Palace, there is another place you can go to if you want to find out about Madam Hua Yin.
But that would require Gong Mengbi to find a way to escape from the Water Palace.
This opportunity came soon.
After more than ten days, the heat was unbearable and the water god of Wujiang River sent down a few rains, but they were just a drop in the bucket.
But seeing that the drought continued and the water level of the Wujiang River was decreasing, the Wujiang River God also began to retreat.
The water god of Wujiang River depends on water for survival. If the water of Wujiang River dries up, he, the water god, will also suffer severe damage.
Although he was not a natural god born from the Wu River, his divine duties were tied to the Wu River. If the water level of the Wu River dried up, he would suffer no good.
If they were to offer sacrifices for rain, they would be afraid that the water would become less and less, and they would not be able to bear it, so they would no longer respond to the sacrifices.
The government collected incense taxes, and the water government took offerings, but no rain fell.
Seeing the crops dying and the farmland cracking, how could the people sit still?
There was water before, so there was still hope. Now the rain has stopped, and we have been plundered. Who can bear it?
When the officials came to collect the incense tax again, it immediately aroused public anger, led to a civil uprising and a conflict.
When someone died, resentment and anger arose, and the whole Jinhua was filled with a sense of disaster.
Prefect Zhang personally held a grand ceremony and traveled to the Water Palace to ask the water god of Wujiang River for mercy.
Zhang Taishou was no fool. He wanted to extort money, but he didn't want to make a big fuss. If the people became angry and even rebelled, there would be no way to stop it, and his official career would be ruined right here.
So he personally led the people in offering sacrifices, hoping to ask the water god of Wujiang River to send rain.
The Wu River water spirit refused to accept the sacrifice, so he called Gong Mengbi and said, "Shuiyue, the governor is offering sacrifices to me on the shore. Please help me refuse it."
Gong Mengbi said, "This governor is using the people's will to pressure us and put our lord in an unjust position."
The Wu River God sighed and said, "The water in the Wu River is getting less and less. If it rains again, how will we aquatic creatures survive?"
Gong Mengbi said, "Don't worry, my lord. I will stop his idea now."
The Wujiang River God hesitated for a moment and said, "Don't overdo it."
Gong Mengbi smiled and said, "Don't worry, my lord. I know what I'm doing."
When he left the water palace, he saw Zhang Taishou standing by the altar under the scorching sun, sweat streaming down his face. Although the person fanning him was already waving his fan furiously, it was of no use under the blazing sun.
Incense and candles were lit on the altar, and offerings were placed on it. Before the prayers were recited, a gust of wind blew from nowhere.
Zhang Taishou was overjoyed and said, "The Wujiang River God is still giving me face."
But the next moment, his smile froze on his face.
The incense and candles on the altar were all extinguished in an instant, and the wind stopped casually, which seemed to have revealed the attitude of the water god.
It was a hot day, but Governor Zhang felt his hands and feet getting cold.
When the people who were waiting for the sacrifice saw this scene, they immediately couldn't stop talking about it.
The county and prefectural officials who were offering sacrifices all looked at Zhang Taishou, who forced himself to say, "Sacrifice again!"
The incense and candles were lit, but the next moment, they went out again.
Zhang Taishou's face immediately darkened. He refused to believe it and said, "Sacrifice again!"
This time, before the fire starter could be extended, a strong wind came and swept the offerings all over the ground.
Prefect Zhang's heart sank completely.
The people were in an uproar.
"Why is this? Why can't the gods accept it?"
"Don't you think you can offer sacrifices if you pay the incense tax? Don't you think it will rain if you offer enough sacrifices?"
"Thief God!"
Zhang Taishou felt a sharp pain in his temples and collapsed without saying a word.
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