"My Lord is a Stone"《我家君王是石头》Chapter 27

The dense mass at the shore was made up of people, the believers of Tiangui were beaming from ear to ear in excitement looking directly in front.

Even though that lotus flower vessel was not as resplendent as at night, but it was still exquisitely splendid and magnificent, under the sunlight the gauze lotus petals beautifully rippled. However what was happening on the vessel did not match the beauty of the boat at all, so much so that it was somewhat cruel, several women dressed in red kneeled on the platform of the lotus flower vessel, stacks of wood surrounded them, the chamberlain Gao Zhen carried over a torch respectfully to the 

Xianjun, saying, “Xianjun it is the auspicious time, please send the sacred women on their way.”

When the people saw the torch, they excitedly bellowed, “Burn them!”

“Heaven and Earth as one, our sect flourishes!”

“Xianjun! Xianjun!”

The earth quaking shout was deafening, the ground was vibrating, Zhao Jin Yu however was anxious like a cat on a hot tin roof, stating, “What to do? What to do? Why is older brother presiding over such a ceremony? Lord Su…” Zhao Jin Yu turned her head to look at the solemn face Su Qing Chen at her side, “Don’t tell me the authorities are not concerned? This is clearly murder!”

“They are all willing, they’ve written their wills, the authorities also have no right to control it.” Su Qing Chen stared far away, gaze profound.

“Even if they are willing…, this is too cruel!” Zhao Jin Yu nodded without a plan either, she could only appeal to Su Qing Chen for help, “Is there no way to stop it?”

“There is.” A trace of mockery flashed through Su Qing Chen’s eyes, “If the Xianjun doesn’t set it alight, but would he do that? This is the first time he’s presided over the sacred lotus festival, he will only get the Heaven approval with an offering of tributes to God, then will he be able to take his role amongst the sect steadily and safely.”

Zhao Jin Yu heart sank, at this moment she clearly and fully understood, her older brother may not be her original older brother…, how did he become like this?

Su Qing Chen saw Zhao Jin Yu act so worried about another man, his chest felt very upset, so his manner unavoidably was somewhat abrupt, but again seeing tears threatening to roll down Zhao Jin Yu’s eyes he couldn’t help, gently say, “The issue of reputation here is too complicated, it isn’t something you can control, listen, let us return.”

Since the beginning of the dynasty they have always been devoted to rid of Tiangui this malignant tumour, but Tiangui was like a weed, with just a bit of spring rain it could germinate roots again, even penetrating the powers in the imperial court, impossible to guard against it.

“Burn them!”

“Set it alight!”

The shouts of the believers at the side shook the sky, Xianjun lifted the torch with eyes complex he looked at the women on the platform, finally his gaze pointed at a middle aged beautiful woman amongst them…, previous sacrifices were all virgins, but dreading these women would be too young and experience to understand how to serve the god when they reached heaven, provoking anger in the heavenly being, they would allow one married woman to guide them, that’s why frequently the first offer of sacrifice was six virgins and one beautiful married woman.

When that middle aged beautiful woman saw the Xianjun look at her, she grinned, smiling gently and kindly, apparently having no sort of feeling towards herself being burnt alive.

The Xianjun tightly gritted his teeth before calming himself down, Gao Zhen beside him once again urged, “Xianjun, please start the fire.”

In the distance two people, a man and woman, wearing Tiangui’s red clothes stood, watching what was happening over there, that woman seemed somewhat frustrated saying, “Why did Lady Zhuang have to go with those women.”

The man standing beside her was very handsome, just standing there, a jade like characteristic which made people feel comfortable, he said, “This is the customs, I also have no say.”

“Hum.” The woman sneered, saying, “What customs, there was simply no such custom before! It’s the previous twenty leaders wanting to take care of the former leader’s widow, and without any other easy way, that’s why they thought of such a move, using the god’s name to offer a living person as sacrifice, thinking about it, it really is a dirty trick.”

“Yue Ying, what’s wrong? Why are you so emotional today?”

Yue Ying shut her eyes, only saying a while later, “You know I almost ended up on there, Tu Gang also said I was actually the one chosen by the god.”

The man gathered Yue Ying into his arms, comfortingly patting her shoulders, with a gentle gaze, with a not low and not high voice mixed with touching deep emotions, he said, “It won’t happen, Yue Ying, how much did we experience before we could be together, I pledge to you, I will always protect you, we will never separate.”

Yue Ying buried her head in the man’s chest, tearfully saying, “I know, but for Lady Zhuang to take my place…, I still can’t bear it.”

The man’s gaze however looked into the distance with a cold resolution, saying, “On earth there is nothing the heavens give for free, if you want it you must pay for it, to our newly appointed Xianjun…, everything is just beginning.”

Meanwhile, the Xianjun on the lotus flower vessel finally decided to lift the torch, who would have imagined suddenly a burst of wind came rushing, the flame on the torch was extinguished.

“Who is it causing trouble?” Gao Zhen who had handed the torch to the Xianjun couldn’t help angrily shout.

Zhao Jin Yu approached walking around the edge of the vessel, beside her followed Su Qing Chen who had just helped her extinguish the flame, “I’m really sorry, I just temporarily made a mistake.”

“Who are you? What do you want?”

Su Qing Chen maintained a smile, saying, “I’m the right commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guards Su Qing Chen.”

When Gao Zhen heard Su Qing Chen’s name he was stunned at first, his facing showing a cryptic expression, saying, “What brings Lord Su here?”

Su Qing Chen pointed at Zhao Jin Yu saying, “This is Lady Zhao, she said you have taken her mother.”

“Mother?” Gao Zhen’s gaze returned to the platform, glancing at the beautiful married woman for some time, trying to explain, he said, “Could this lady be mistaken, this married woman is our Xianjun’s mother.”

Zhao Jin Yu originally held some luck in her mind, but with such words from Gao Zhen…, suddenly she felt as if she had dropped into an ice cavern, ice-cold from head to toe, she walked over, crying, 

“Older brother, are you crazy? Why do you want to burn mother to death?”

The Xianjun remained taciturn, his body was somewhat rigid.

Zhao Jin Yu couldn’t control it more and more, shivering she said, “You must be in trouble right?” 

Using her sleeves she consciously wiped her tears, the coarse and coldly stiff sleeves rubbed her eyes very red, she said, “It’s nothing, I will wait for you to tell me the whole story, no matter what you become, you will always be my older brother…, but I am also my mother’s daughter, I can’t just helplessly look on to watch you burn her to death, to do such a deranged thing!”

The Xianjun tightly gritted his teeth, Gao Zhen did not dare to offend Su Qing Chen, again seeing the Xianjun’s taciturn manner, his mind felt anxious…, to that beautiful married woman he said, “Lady Zhuang, you ought to say something, if this carries on, the ceremony will be ruined, then how will the Xianjun have a standing in the sect?”

At first Lady Zhuang did not dare to look at Zhao Jin Yu, now hearing Gao Zhen’s words, then did she turn her head without a choice, seeing Zhao Jin Yu she said, “Young lady, you’ve made a mistake.”

“Mother!” Zhao Jin Yu shrieked. “Older brother is confused, you can’t go along with his mistake! Were you not the most reasonable before? What’s more, daddy is still in prison waiting for us to think of a way.”

Lady Zhuang…, was previously called Xu Shi, but for some reason Zhao Jing Chuan had changed his name to Zhuang Qing, and Xu Shi to Lady Zhuang.

“Young lady, you really have made a mistake.” Lady Zhuang calmly and emotionlessly said.

Zhao Jin Yu cried, “Have you gone crazy?”

“Since everything has been cleared up, Lady Zhao, please leave the vessel.” Gao Zhen hurriedly said, afraid Zhao Jin Yu would not agree, he also added, “Even if the young lady did not make a mistake, they still don’t recognise you, so why must you persist? Could it be you like to show warm feelings but met with cold rebuke?”

These words sounded very unpleasant, in fact it once again poked at the scar hidden in Zhao Jin Yu’s heart, yes…, thinking about it they abandoned her, unconcerned whether she lived or died, now why would she rush over to act as a good person?

Suddenly Zhao Jin Yu was like a deflated ball losing her anger, dazed she said, “Lord Su, let us go.”

Su Qing Chen had originally not wanted to care about this matter, although he himself couldn’t control it either, yet for what reason? Tiangui sect’s power was tangled and complicated, if he really provoked them, there would be a lot of trouble afterwards, but Zhao Jin Yu’s emotions were extremely unstable then, when she saw clearly amongst the sacrificial women on the platform was her adoptive mother, she went insane wanting to rush over. Unable to stop her.

After that he knew he had to take control of this matter, first apart from the kind of pity for Zhao Jin Yu in his heart, also Zhao Jin Yu had fallen into the water yesterday, An Wen Yao had made him suffer from a beating, if something happened to Zhao Jin Yu again today…, that’s why Su Qing Chen said to Zhao Jin Yu at once, “You have my support, say what you want to say, do what you want to do, but don’t act rashly, you scared me yesterday when you jumped into the water.”

Even though Zhao Jin Yu did not know why Su Qing Chen agreed to help her, but the Xianjun was poised to light the fire, it was an urgent situation, she couldn’t think about too much, just like this the two people boarded the vessel, who would have imagined with a few words Zhao Jin Yu would be prepared to leave void of spirit.

Su Qing Chen gently held Zhao Jin Yu’s shoulders, saying, “If you leave like this, your mother may truly be burnt to death.” His current reminder was merely out of fear that Zhao Jin Yu would later regret it.

Zhao Jin Yu body was frozen, turning her head to look at Su Qing Chen, gradually some hope rose in her eyes, she said, “If I said, help me snatch my mother back, can you do it?”

Su Qing Chen pursed his lips in a smile, immediately with a determined loftiness and aggressiveness, he said, “I can, so long as you desire.”

Zhao Jin Yu’s tears again suddenly flowed down, she has never before been so grateful to Su Qing Chen like now, she said, “Then do it, many thanks.”