Chapter 29 The sun sank deeper into the west, and dusk fell…
The sun was sinking deeper into the west, and dusk was falling.
The inner city walls of Shouchun, like the shadow cast by a crouching beast, slowly swallowed the streets and alleys within the inner city, also obscuring the cold glint of the iron armor of Meng Yi's troops standing solemnly. Dusk was a natural barrier, but also an invisible cage, shrouding the entire area in a depressing atmosphere.
Realizing he had been tricked, Meng Yi immediately mobilized an elite force, which, based on scouts' reports, swiftly arrived at the streets where the Great Shaman resided. He then ordered his troops to seal off the area, strictly prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving.
This was both to prevent the Great Shaman from escaping and to cut off the Old Chu forces' spying on this area, preventing the situation from escalating further.
As the last rays of the setting sun disappeared completely, the Qin army's swords shattered the gates of the Great Shaman's mansion, and the soldiers poured in like molten iron, silently scattering throughout the mansion and quickly gaining control of it.
Curious neighbors peeked out, and a soldier nearby drew his longsword, glaring at them coldly: "No bystanders, please step back!"
The man was immediately intimidated by the Qin army's imposing presence and slammed the door shut.
Meng Yi dismounted, sword in one hand and the talking bird in the other. Perhaps the atmosphere was too solemn, for the bird was frightened and hid in his arms.
As Meng Yi stepped into the mansion, torches were lit one after another, and the flickering flames reflected on the soldiers' cold armor.
Inside the Great Witch's mansion, there was even a small shrine dedicated to the gods.
The exquisite window lattices inside the ancestral hall, made of mica shell polished to an extremely smooth and translucent finish, faintly illuminated the silhouettes of the Qin army within the dimly lit hall.
When Meng Yi arrived, she was devoutly reciting a prayer.
The sound of Meng Yi's boots striking the stone slabs was exceptionally clear in the quiet surroundings. The daytime heat quickly dissipated, replaced by the scent of burning herbs. The shamans of Chu often favored herbs, perhaps due to their frequent use in sacrificial rites.
The bird in his hand seemed to be in a familiar environment, chirping loudly: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Taiyi manifests its divine power."
The high shaman heard this, but remained unmoved, not turning around, and continued chanting her prayers. Inside the shrine, the only light came from the burning herbs in the bronze censer, which had burned out completely; the only light came from the Qin army outside the shrine.
The guards behind Meng Yi held torches high, the flickering flames casting shadows on his resolute and cold face. His sharp eyes locked onto the high shaman, and he said coldly, "High shaman, you have deceived the emperor's envoy and falsely accused the monarch. Do you know your crime?"
The high shaman finally turned around, her feigned composure appearing increasingly disheveled in the flickering firelight and deepening twilight.
Meng Yi continued, "Your subordinates aren't as stubborn as I thought; they confessed in no time. You knew perfectly well that this bird was just an ordinary bird, only trained to speak human language, yet you still tried to deceive me. They told me it was a parrot. Over the years, you've used parrots to secure your position as the Great Shaman; did you ever think of this day?"
As Meng Yi finished speaking, the high shaman's face grew increasingly ashen. The people of Chu, because of their faith in the gods, held shamans in high esteem, unlike Meng Yi who seized upon every suspicious detail to investigate thoroughly and unravel the mystery of the so-called rituals.
The high priestess had worshipped the gods for many years and practiced a great deal of witchcraft. She knew that intimidating the believers depended seven-tenths on the believers' own embellishment of the shaman and the gods, and three-tenths on the shaman's witchcraft.
Over the years, she has also developed a special skill: sound magic. Sound magic can make listeners feel dizzy, and with the addition of herbs, its effects can be multiplied.
At this point, releasing the well-trained parrot would ensure that no one could question the arrival of Donghuang Taiyi. Da Zhu and Shao Zhu had followed her for many years, but they never expected her to betray them so quickly, with even the parrot revealing it.
"I have very important news for you!" the High Priestess said urgently, her voice still hoarse, perhaps due to her voice magic. She assessed Meng Yi's expression, and seeing that he remained unmoved, she dug her fingertips into her palm; the pain made her even more alert. "During the sacrifice, I asked the Emperor if the world could ever return to Chu. The Emperor said no. Even Heaven will sever the Chu sacrifice."
The Great Shaman turned and gazed at Donghuang Taiyi, who sat atop the altar. In the flickering light, he cast a huge, swaying shadow that almost swallowed her up before stopping at Meng Yi's toes.
“After the fall of Chu, every time I performed a sacrifice, I asked Him, ‘Can Chu be restored?’ He always said to wait for good news.” The high shaman stood up and dragged out the tortoise shells from under the altar, which were covered with countless divinations over the years. “But why did He say there was no more sacrifices after the beginning of spring? I asked Him again at noon today, and there was still no more.”
"Just now, I asked Him, where did the life force of Chu end? He answered me, the dragon's energy rushes south and sprouts in the shade of Cangwu."
Meng Yi felt a thunderous shock tremble in his chest, but his face remained impassive. He pondered deeply: did the dragon's aura rushing south foreshadow His Majesty's eastern tour? Cangwu, located in the southwest of Chu, also echoed His Majesty's dream.
His gaze fell upon the great shaman's eyes.
“You heretics always think witchcraft and gods are nonsense,” the high shaman said, assuming he didn’t believe her interpretation, her chances of survival seemingly gone. Disheartened, and mindful of the harsh Qin laws, she only wanted a quick and dignified death, yet she resented the disregard shown to her prized divination skills. No matter how many methods she used to solidify her position, her faith in Donghuang Taiyi was genuine, and she believed the answer the gods had given her was true: “Since you don’t believe, then kill me.”
-
When Liu Ji returned, everything had vanished without a trace. He saw Meng Yi quietly writing by candlelight, completely oblivious to the coldness he had witnessed at the Great Witch's mansion at dusk.
Liu Ji was unaware of what had happened. He drank a pot of wine at a tavern, but refrained from drinking any more because he had to work for the high-ranking official.
Meng Yi smelled the alcohol on him, frowned, but said nothing. Since he had told his subordinates to relax, he wouldn't question what they had done.
The parrot on the table climbed onto Meng Yi's arm with its claws and stared intently at the bamboo slips, as if it could understand something.
Meng Yi gently pushed the troublesome little fellow away, thinking to himself, "You are to be presented to His Majesty, why are you so clingy?"
On his way to the Great Shaman's residence, based on the testimonies of the Grand Priest and Junior Priest, he apprehended the merchant who had supplied the Great Shaman with parrots. Inside the merchant's house, seven or eight parrots were kept in cages. Although parrots were not the rare treasures the First Emperor desired, Meng Yi felt that these talking creatures could bring the emperor some amusement.
Just when everyone thought Liu Ji would leave, he stepped forward, reeking of alcohol, his bright eyes brimming with excitement: "Shangqing, guess what I discovered in Shouchun?"
Meng Yi put down his brush, his dark eyes reflecting Liu Ji's expression. Throughout their journey, Liu Ji, seemingly carefree and irresponsible, had demonstrated impeccable knowledge of the customs and traditions of Chu. Indeed, as he had said, he possessed a profound understanding of the affairs of Chu.
He also contributed to the sacrificial ceremony at noon today. Having served by the First Emperor's side for a long time, Meng Yi learned his principle of clear rewards and punishments.
He asked gently, "What?"
As he spoke, he rubbed the parrot's head. The parrot squawked and suddenly said, "Your virtue surpasses that of the Three Sovereigns, and your achievements exceed those of the Five Emperors! The unification of the six realms is all thanks to Your Majesty!"
Meng Yi was extremely surprised. He hadn't expected the parrot to be so intelligent, becoming so quick-witted after only a short time of training. He became even more determined to send it to the First Emperor.
"Please take a look, Your Excellency. This cloth is soft and comfortable, with a unique texture. It is wider than ordinary cloth, a full two feet and nine inches. The shopkeeper said that many inns and post stations buy it to make quilts." Liu Ji unfolded the cloth he had bought and showed it to Meng Yi in the candlelight: "Your Excellency, what do you think the price of such cloth is?"
Meng Yi's gaze unconsciously fell on the black bird shape on the piece of cloth. Upon hearing the question, he pondered in his mind: "A bolt of official cloth is two feet and five inches wide and costs eleven coins. This cloth costs twenty coins?"
Liu Ji shook his head: "It's also eleven coins. Many commoners are lining up to buy it. A commoner needs at least five bolts of cloth to make a set of clothes, but with this Xiangjun cloth, only three bolts are needed."
"What?" Meng Yi suddenly stood up, sensing something unusual. He quickly asked, "Has anyone investigated the source of this cloth? Such a large-scale dumping is not a good thing."
Liu Ji seemed to have anticipated Meng Yi's question: "From the Zhao clan. Not the main branch, but a branch of the Zhao clan that fled to Yunmeng Marsh. I heard they still have a large stock."
Meng Yi didn't ask him how he knew such secret information; he only cared about the result.
He paced back and forth, his brow furrowed. The sounds around him seemed to fade away, and the presence of Liu Ji and the parrot seemed to be completely blocked out by him; he was utterly absorbed in his own thoughts.
All the information that appeared today rushed into his mind like a flood bursting its banks. Countless clues flew before his eyes like shooting stars, collided, and then reassembled.
He first heard the First Emperor's decree, seemingly from afar—[Meng Yi, I order you to immediately travel to the southwest to seek out extraordinary and miraculous traces, whether of people, objects, or rare treasures. Anything beyond the realm of reason must be thoroughly investigated and recorded, and reported back to me immediately. Especially… the Black Bird.]
Then, on the deck, Liu Ji analyzed the gods of Chu: "The divine system of Chu is complex, with three main gods: the gods of the Xiang River, Xiang Jun and Xiang Furen; the goddess of Wushan, Yao Ji; and the supreme god, Donghuang Taiyi."
And what the Great Shaman said tonight—"The dragon's energy rushes south, sprouting in the shade of Cangwu."
Finally, there was the black bird shape on the Xiangjun cloth brought by Liu Ji.
Meng Yi felt as if he were in the eye of a storm, experiencing a chaotic roar. All the noise was filtered out, and the most important and core information was generated in his mind.
In those few short moments, it was as if the pause button had been pressed in his world.
Liu Ji saw Meng Yi suddenly stop, his temples throbbing violently, then he abruptly raised his head, his eyes sharp as knives.
He simply said, "I see. I see."
He suddenly shouted, "Go to Yunmeng Marsh! Go check Xiang Junbu!"
Perhaps the answer he has been searching for lies on the other side.
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