Chapter 189: Her grievances should have been cleared long ago.
On New Year's Day, the Temple of Heaven Square in the central city was crowded with people.
According to tradition, the Beast King will preside over a pilgrimage ceremony on this day, praying for good weather and good harvests in the coming year. This is the most popular event among the people, apart from the sacrificial ceremony presided over by the Pei family.
A high altar was built in the center of the square, covered with bright yellow silk.
Sheng Jieyue was wearing a dress embroidered with hundreds of flowers, while Situ Yu was wearing a silver-white python robe. They stood on both sides of the high altar, their faces colder than the winter snow.
The hour of Si had arrived, but the Beast King's carriage had not yet appeared.
The people in the square gradually became restless. Some stood on tiptoe, looking towards the palace gate, while others whispered, "What's going on? Why hasn't His Majesty the Beast King arrived yet?"
"It would have started long ago at this time of year. Nothing will happen, right?"
The crowd's chatter grew louder, and some even shouted toward the altar, "Lady Saint! Where is His Majesty the Beast King?"
Situ Yu suddenly raised his hand and said in a cold voice, "Silence! Queen Mother has been recuperating lately and is not feeling well. I will preside over today's ceremony! As the Crown Prince, it is my natural duty to preside over the ceremony. What are you dissatisfied with?"
His voice carried the authority of a prince, and the square instantly quieted down. However, doubts still lingered on the faces of the common people. Some muttered, "You should have told me you were going to rest. You haven't shown up in three months..."
At this moment, a resounding voice suddenly rang out, "Your Highness, when will His Majesty the Beast King make his appearance? As the captain of the guard, I haven't seen His Majesty for three months, and I'm not even allowed to enter the palace. This is against the rules!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Yuan Ziyun wearing a black guard uniform, a sword at his waist, striding towards the altar.
He is the captain of the Central City Guard and has always been responsible for the security of the palace. At this moment, his brows were furrowed, and his eyes were full of confusion and dissatisfaction.
Sheng Jieyue's face instantly darkened, and she whispered, "Captain Yuan! How can you ask more questions about His Majesty's affairs? Back off!"
"Will you allow me to ask?" Yuan Ziyun looked at Sheng Jieyue with his usual smile, but with a hint of deeper meaning. "Lady Shengqi, you always say that His Majesty is recuperating, but the guards can't even see His Majesty. Even medicine has to go through your people to deliver it—what are you hiding?"
His words were like a stone, instantly causing a thousand waves.
The people in the square were in an uproar again. Someone shouted, "That's right! There's no guards to be seen. How strange!"
"Is the Holy Lady hiding something from us?"
Sheng Jieyue was so angry that her fingertips turned white. She didn't expect Yuan Ziyun to attack her in public.
She had been keeping this man hanging, and would do things for her by giving him some sweet treats. She thought he was an obedient dog, but she didn't expect that he would sabotage her at the critical moment!
He was extremely unreliable at the birthday party last time. I've already scolded him privately, so why hasn't he learned his lesson?
She suppressed her anger, her voice trembling: "Yuan Ziyun! Don't talk nonsense! His Majesty just needs to rest. If you dare to spread rumors again, don't blame me for punishing you!"
"Spreading rumors?" Yuan Ziyun took a step forward, his eyes full of unwillingness.
He no longer addressed Sheng Jieyue as "Lady Saint." Instead, he took a deep breath and called out to her with mixed emotions, "I've been guarding the palace gates for you, fending off those who question you, and yet you won't even tell me about His Majesty's recent situation! What do you think of me? A dog that only knows how to wag its tail?"
He turned his gaze to Situ Yu, his tone filled with jealousy that had been suppressed for years.
"And Your Highness, you can just let this matter go so easily just by saying you're in charge? Have you ever considered whether the people will accept it?"
During this period, Yuan Ziyun thought a lot. In his opinion, Situ Yu's life was too smooth to be believed.
According to convention, the royal family had multiple heirs, but Situ Yu was born the only prince and the only heir, and later became Sheng Jieyue's only beastly husband -
Why is all this happening?
In terms of talent, level of supernatural powers, popularity among the people and political achievements, he is not as good as those beastly husbands around Sheng Ran!
Situ Yu's expression suddenly changed, and he shouted sternly, "How dare you, a captain of the guards, disrespect this prince?"
"So what if I'm disrespectful?" Yuan Ziyun was now driven to desperation, clenching his fists. "Today I want to know exactly where His Majesty the Beast King is! Are you hiding something from us?"
The chatter in the square completely spiraled out of control. Someone shouted at the altar, "Saint Female! Explain! What happened to His Majesty the Beast King?"
"Captain Yuan is right! There must be something wrong here!"
A few nobles who still believed Sheng Jieyue shouted, "Don't listen to his nonsense! How could the Holy Female lie to us? Captain Yuan must be plotting a rebellion!"
"Yes! The Saint and the Prince would never lie!"
The two groups of people started arguing, some even pushed each other, and the square was in chaos.
Sheng Jieyue and Situ Yu stood on the high altar, looking at the chaotic scene below, their faces pale.
They didn't expect Yuan Ziyun to turn against them in public, and they didn't expect the people's doubts to be so intense.
At this moment, a cold voice suddenly penetrated the noise and spread throughout the square: "If you want to know the whereabouts of His Majesty the Beast King, why not take a look at these things first."
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Sheng Ran, Tu Shanyi, Pei Xiaoxing, Ling Rui and others walking out of the crowd.
Tu Shanyi walked to the altar with a wooden box in his hand and opened it, revealing several yellowed account books and a stack of letters.
"This is Huichuntang's account book from ten years ago. Shengci Mansion bought fifty kilograms of hemostatic grass in the name of 'offering'..."
Tu Shanyi's voice was clear and powerful. "There's also the testimony of the owner of Huichun Hall. He said that back then, people from Shengci Mansion had to undergo 'special treatment' every time they collected medicine. They were not allowed to ask or talk about it."
Sheng Jieyue's body trembled violently, and she pointed at Tu Shanyi and shouted, "You're talking nonsense! This is fake!"
"Forged?" Pei Xiaoxing stepped forward and took out a seal. "This is the seal of Huichuntang. The seal on the account book is exactly the same as the seal. Do you dare to say that this is also forged?"
"Even if it's true, so what? My Saint Female Mansion wants to stock up on some hemostatic herbs. Do we need your permission?"
Sheng Ran chuckled and finished adding the suspicious points.
"—But there were no wars or sacrifices ten years ago. Whose injuries were all these hemostatic herbs used to heal? Or... are they used to neutralize the backlash when practicing certain sorcery?"
"Witchcraft?!" A cry of surprise suddenly rang out in the square.
Someone subconsciously looked at Sheng Jieyue, and when they remembered the black energy that had been on her before, their faces turned pale instantly.
Sheng Jieyue shuddered and screamed, "You're slandering me! Hemostatic grass is just an ordinary medicinal herb!"
"Ordinary medicinal herbs?" Sheng Ran took a step forward, her eyes as cold as ice. "Then you dare to say that the 'tonic' sent to the Beast King in the past ten years has nothing else added? And I——"
She suddenly raised her finger and pointed at Situ Yu, her voice suddenly rising, and every word was like thunder exploding in the square.
"Half a year ago, I gave Situ Yu an aphrodisiac juice to soothe his restless superpowers. It was you! You replaced the juice with a deadly poison, and then you turned against me and exiled me to the wilderness! Did you think that if I died there, you could cover up the truth forever?"
Her grievances should have been cleared long ago.
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