Chapter 577: The Ten Crows Shattered into Pieces (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
A change of weather?
Even the three culprits, Shen Tang, Gu Chi, and Jiang Sheng, probably didn't expect the upheaval in the Ten Crows to be so significant.
A chain reaction spread from the bottom up, finally shattering the alien forces that the Ten Crow Royal Court had painstakingly unified in one fell swoop, like a landslide. Forget about consolidating their strength for a southward invasion; even self-defense would be a struggle.
With Lü Jue's reminder, Yu Zi became more attentive to slaves like the female horse groom. While the salt merchant and the second tribal chief were haggling over exorbitant prices, she pretended to stroll around and eventually found a place to rest under the wary gazes of the tribal residents.
She used the hem of her dress as a fan to cool herself.
She looked around, searching for something, then her eyes lit up. She raised her hand and waved to several female slaves who were milking, her words as sweet as honey, and called out loudly, "These kind and beautiful sisters, could you spare me a sip?"
Yu Zi wasn't very fluent in the Shiwu language. She had learned it after following her great-uncle, and although it had a broken and strange accent, basic communication wasn't a problem. In her great-uncle's words, the lord's foundation was currently unstable and needed time to solidify. She would be dealing with Shiwu for the next few years, and not knowing the Shiwu language would be inconvenient. Learning another language would give her more skills.
Fearing the other person wouldn't understand, Yu Zi slowed down her speech, speaking and gesturing, pointing to her mouth to indicate that she was "dry-mouthed."
The female slave who was milking the cow had a numb expression and a blank look in her eyes.
When Yu Zi repeated herself, they realized she was speaking to them. Then they looked at each other, none daring to answer. Because these sheep, their milk, and even them themselves, were all the private property of their owner…
What right does a private individual have to dispose of their own property?
"I've never tasted freshly squeezed goat milk before."
Yu Zi took out a small piece of silver, intending to use the money to make the purchase.
"Could you ladies share a bowl with me?"
The female slave remained cowering, too afraid to respond.
Just then, a dark-skinned, spirited tribal woman arrived. She berated several female slaves, cracked her whip with a loud whistle, and threatened, "What a bunch of clueless idiots! Don't they know how to treat their honored guests?"
Although the whip didn't strike them, the female slaves instinctively shrank back, covering their heads with their hands, their numbness replaced by terror. The arched backs stretched their ill-fitting linen clothes tight, revealing the gaunt outline of their backs.
Yu Zi felt a pang of unease: "I dare not accept such a honored guest... If it's inconvenient, a bowl of water will suffice..."
The dashing woman slightly raised her chin.
"It's not inconvenient, it's just that these things are blind."
Yu Zi then said no more.
He was afraid that if he said too much, the female slave would suffer more.
The woman led Yu Zi to a nearby tent for a short rest. Yu Zi was just thinking about how to get rid of her when she heard several sounds of arguing coming from outside the tent.
The woman, with her thick eyebrows raised, went out carrying a whip.
A short while later, Yu Zi heard several cracks of whips striking someone, accompanied by several shrill screams. The person being whipped spoke rapidly and urgently, and Yu Zi could barely make out most of what they said. The gist of it was that they were descendants of the Three Golden Crows and that hitting them would bring retribution.
The woman with the whip didn't stop; instead, she intensified her actions, her shouts and curses going from high-pitched and angry to weak and feeble.
Yu Zi lifted the curtain and glanced at it.
A glaring crimson liquid flowed from beneath the bruised, whip-ridden, and open-eyed corpse of a slave. One eye, ripped open by the whip, dangled from its socket. The corpse was facing Yu Zi directly, and the initial shock sent a wave of nausea through her…
The woman with the whip said coldly, "Drag her away and feed her to the dogs."
Yu Zi lowered the curtain.
The female slave brought over freshly boiled goat milk.
"Thank you, be careful, it's hot."
Pretending not to know what was happening outside, he tilted his head to look at the tent exit and asked, "Where's the woman with the whip?"
The female slave flinched.
His voice trembled with fear.
"I'm busy now..."
Several slaves, unable to bear the humiliation inflicted by the tribe's inhabitants, shoved the latter, thus incurring their deaths.
"oh."
Goat milk doesn't taste good.
Yu Zi sipped her drink slowly while getting closer to the female slave.
She would say ten or so sentences, and the other person would only respond with one or two words, occasionally glancing at Yu Zi with a wary look, as if she were trying to harm her. Helpless, Yu Zi could only touch her nose and reveal her secret: "Actually, I'm just like you."
The female slave looked at her in confusion.
"Actually, my father was also a member of the Ten Crows..."
The female slave naturally didn't believe it.
Yu Zi had no choice but to reveal her trump card.
She fabricated a pitiful and tragic backstory for herself—a "mixed-race" child with half-Northern and half-Inner Manchurian blood. Because of her shameful birth, she was called a "bastard" from a young age and suffered endless bullying. After finally climbing the social ladder, she wanted to find her roots.
It is said that their ancestors were descended from the Golden Crow.
When things get emotional, tears can come easily.
The female slave wavered somewhat.
Yu Zi pressed on, reciting a few words from the "inscription and ancestral precepts," which she had extracted from the salt merchants.
The female slave didn't react at first, like a piece of wood, but when she heard the contents of the "ancestral precepts on the stele," her cloudy eyes lit up.
Yu Zi continued to shower her "ancestors" with compliments.
The female slave girl believed it completely.
He whispered, "My ancestors were the Six Golden Crows."
Yu Zi was overjoyed upon hearing this: "Really?"
"Yes." The female slave replied with pride and certainty.
Even his hunched back straightened a little.
Yu Zi: "Then we're very close."
According to the ancestral precepts inscribed on the stele, the ten golden crows all share the same father, but their mothers are not the same.
The Great Golden Crow has the purest bloodline, born of the principal wife, and its mother was of noble birth. The other Golden Crows are all born of concubines, and their mothers come from different social classes. Although the Golden Crow brothers have a good relationship and advocate equality among their offspring, without distinction of rank or wealth, their mothers are hostile to each other, often clashing and determined to establish a hierarchy. This has led to the Golden Crow brothers also forming factions.
Yes, the eldest brother and the sixth brother are close.
Yu Zi was speechless.
There was one thing she didn't understand at all—if they're all gods and mythical beasts, why are there still distinctions between legitimate and illegitimate children in the mortal world? The reason mortals are divided into legitimate and illegitimate children is because their lifespan is limited. The eldest legitimate son inherits the throne to reduce disputes among brothers and to ensure the safe continuation and inheritance of the family and its property to the greatest extent possible.
But what do the immortals want?
A group of beings who live as long as the heavens, their descendants may not live as long as their fathers—if the Ten Crows are indeed descendants of the Ten Golden Crows, then the Ten Crows clan is the most typical example—what is the point of distinguishing between legitimate and illegitimate offspring? Yu Zi felt that she had discovered a blind spot.
Then they began to doubt the authenticity of the inscription.
But surprisingly, no one noticed anything was wrong?
In particular, these slaves, who had been exploited to the point of having no hope for life, believed the contents of the inscription with absolute certainty.
The female slave in front of me was one of them.
Upon learning that Yu Zi was like him, he felt a natural affinity and closeness to her. Yu Zi persisted, subtly probing his intentions.
You wouldn't know unless you looked into it, and once you did, you'd be shocked.
The slaves in this tribe were all devotees of the inscription.
Many "enlightened" slaves even hoped to be resold to other tribes, so that they could inform more ignorant and apathetic compatriots that they were not lowly slaves, but true descendants of gods who inherited the legacy of their ancestors!
The current weakness and defeat of the Ten Crows is not because the mortal enemies at Yonggu Pass are too powerful, but because the high-ranking officials of the Ten Crows who initiated the war have betrayed the ancestral teachings and dragged down the entire noble Ten Crows. They are all sinners!
If the Ten Crows wish to remain noble and great, to once again stand at the pinnacle of the continent, and to become the rulers of this world, their first task is to beg for the forgiveness of their ancestors. Once their protection is bestowed, how can mortals contend with these noble descendants of gods?
As she spoke, the numbness on the sallow female slave's face was replaced by excitement and longing; her gaze was almost fanatical, a resolute determination to give everything. She said, "If only I could be sold to another tribe…for the Ten Crows, for our ancestors…"
Yu Zi held her calloused hands, her excitement bordering on cult-like: "That's what I think too. So every time I go on a trade trip, wherever I go, I want to awaken more brothers and sisters... As long as we work hard, our ancestors won't abandon us..."
The two had an in-depth exchange of their insights on the inscriptions and ancestral teachings.
Time flies.
The salt dealers have already finalized the deal.
Yu Zi was still not satisfied.
Before leaving, she saw the female slave hiding in a dim corner, waving at her from afar, her eyes so clear and bright, as if silently reminding Yu Zi not to forget the ancestral teachings. Yu Zi silently responded, and with a clever move, jumped onto the carriage.
His expression changed the moment he turned his head.
The salt vendor felt a little uneasy watching her seamlessly switch between two emotions, and quietly took a step to the side, trying to create some distance between them.
After reuniting with Lü Jue—
Yu Zi spat, "This is such a fake thing..."
Why would anyone believe that?
Lu Jue, putting himself in her shoes, could understand to some extent: "I roughly know what's going on. It's like how I used to suffer a lot, and many times I didn't want to live anymore, but after meeting you, Madam, all that suffering changed, and looking back, it didn't seem so bitter..."
Yu Zi: "..."
Last time, Lü Jue led eight hundred warriors in a night raid on the Ten Crows camp, achieving great merit but also suffering serious injuries, and has remained at Yonggu Pass ever since. Yu Zi has had more contact with him and has found that the latter is not usually talkative, except in one situation—when the topic is related to his wife.
He can talk on and on all afternoon.
They can pin anything on his wife; it's outrageous.
Yu Zi steered the conversation back on track: "You mean you believe that the inscriptions and ancestral teachings on the stele can alleviate the suffering of slaves and give them hope for the future?"
"People are always more inclined to believe what benefits them. Whether it's true or false is secondary, isn't that right?"
"That's true, though the words may be rough."
This trade route visited a total of twelve tribes. Eleven of these tribes had ancestral cultists. The remaining one wasn't without cultists, but they only learned about it halfway through their journey. The slaves of that tribe had united and burned the "traitors."
Many slaves took advantage of the chaos to escape.
The entire process was premeditated.
Although it didn't cause significant damage, its appearance was like a clarion call to arms, giving the slaves hope and igniting their fury against the "traitors." Gradually, smaller, oppressed tribes also joined in…
The team is growing stronger day by day.
Unfortunately, the Ten Crows Royal Court was overwhelmed with problems and had no time to deal with these trivial matters. This momentary negligence and indulgence allowed the group to snowball and grow larger and larger, eventually disintegrating the entire Ten Crows from the bottom up.
(ノへ￣、)
The heparin sodium was prescribed at the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. The clinics that were willing to administer it were closed due to mask-wearing restrictions. Xianggu went to several clinics that night, and even to the local hospital, but none of them would give her the injection…
Waaaaah
I can't do it myself because I'm too far along in my pregnancy to do it around the navel, and it's difficult for me to do it on my arm with one hand, so I can't bring myself to do it.
Sigh, life is so hard.
We can only wait until these five days have passed before making a decision.
(End of this chapter)
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