Chapter 133
Chapter 133: The Phoenix Temple and the Cries of Ten Thousand (Part 1)
That incident became a long-lasting nightmare in his heart, impossible to shake off or erase, binding his soul.
Now, more than ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.
At that time, he was only fourteen years old. Following the saying "read ten thousand books and travel ten
thousand miles," he traveled alone for a year. On his way back to the capital, he encountered a sudden change
that altered his entire life. A drought struck, and many families suffered complete crop failure. Along his journey,
he witnessed only the people's miserable plight, while the court remained indifferent, even indulging in nightly
revelry. At that time, he was filled with intense grief and indignation—a kind of compassion that was actually a
self-righteous and arrogant piety.
…but it had no effect whatsoever on alleviating the people's suffering.
One day, unable to reach the city in time, he had to stay overnight at a farmer's house. In the middle of the night,
he was awakened by a commotion. He saw shadowy figures reflected in the paper windowpanes and heard angry
shouts mixed with faint cries. Astonished, he immediately got up to investigate. Following the hurried villagers to
the village entrance, he witnessed a scene he would never forget.
On a simple altar made of dozens of tree trunks, four or five children were bound. A man dressed in white with a
white headscarf, holding a knife, was slashing the children's necks one by one. Another man held a sacrificial
vessel to catch the gushing blood. The other bound children, witnessing this horrific scene, cried out in anguish.
He tried to stop them, but the villagers held him still. Only then did he realize that this was a ritual—using the
blood of children to pray for divine mercy, and using the remains of children to seek divine help. Upon hearing
this, he was filled with shock and anger, vehemently denouncing the ignorant villagers, only to be silenced by
an old man.
The old man said, "Young master, you are of noble birth, yet do you understand the hardships of the poor? You
have traveled far and wide, yet how much have you learned about human nature? Your ambitions are higher than
the heavens, but can you possibly persuade Heaven to spare the lives of us common people?"
The ceremony continued, and he, unable to move, watched helplessly as the children were bled to death. All his
compassion and sympathy vanished in that moment; he could only watch in despair as a tragedy unfolded before
him. He had been watching from beginning to end, knowing full well that he should have stopped it, but
ultimately, he was powerless.
He returned to the farmhouse where he had stayed, dazed and exhausted, as if he had survived a life-or-death
struggle. Only when he saw the family weeping bitterly, repeatedly crying out "We can't bear it!" and begging for
forgiveness did he learn that the entire village was preparing for this ritual. The villagers, unable to bear watching
their children die before their eyes, had exchanged children from other villages to perform the ritual.
Back in the capital, he immediately pleaded with his father to order a halt to this practice, but was rebuffed.
Liu Ziwen simply retorted, "The law has long stipulated that murder must be punished with death, so why does
this kind of behavior occur? The court is well aware of the people's suffering, so why is it indifferent? Since
ancient times, in times of natural disasters and man-made calamities, there have been instances of people
exchanging children to eat and burning human remains for food. Why? Even if I were to order a halt today, how
would you know about those clandestine actions? Now that I know of this practice by the villagers, everyone
involved is a murderer. What crime should I get them to be charged with?"
He had no reply. He had learned many things from books, lamented and criticized them, but none compared to
the horror and despair he felt upon seeing them firsthand…
The following year, he took the imperial examination and resolutely entered the court as an official. His old
aspirations were completely cast aside; the idea of riding freely across the land, gazing at the stars and moon
with the heavens and earth as his dome, experiencing the joys and sorrows of life and writing books on the
myriad flavors of existence—what a luxurious thought that was! Without food and shelter, how could he indulge
in such refined pursuits?
Before him, a clump of water plants swayed and rocked in the rushing current. Liu Yi withdrew his gaze, slightly
turning his head to see Si Cang Qing's indifferent face. The other man seemed to be listening attentively. Liu Yi
pursed his lips and said somewhat awkwardly, “…It seems I shouldn't be taking up His Majesty's time, talking
about these trivial matters.”
Si Cang Qing coldly looked at the man's slightly weathered face. The days and nights of inspection and
settlement here had left him looking rather unwell. He spoke coldly, "What do those things have to do with you?"
The suffering of the common people is unavoidable, whether in times of peace or chaos; the responsibility for
such acts of cannibalism lies not with any one person, but with the unavoidable natural disaster, the inhumanity
of the court, the immorality of officials, or the ignorance of the people. That incident, from beginning to end,
had nothing to do with this man, and he couldn't understand why this man felt so guilty.
Human strength is inherently limited; why burden oneself with weight one cannot bear?
Liu Yi's body trembled slightly, his expression becoming complex. He lowered his eyelids, concealing the
myriad emotions within, and simply replied softly, "The ancient sages said, 'To benefit the world is to perfect
oneself.' Therefore, I have also understood, and can only do my best."
However, the matter of sacrificing children to heaven could not be erased from his heart… He hated it, yet he
was powerless; witnessing the entire ceremony, it felt as if he were also a part of it, an accomplice who pushed
children to the slaughter. Si Cang Qing gazed at the flowing river. In the distance, a small boat appeared and
disappeared amidst the waves.
“Poverty does not diminish righteousness, prosperity does not deviate from the Way; to be a person is to have
done one’s duty.”
This man’s usually cold tone, unusually, carried a hint of humanity. It wasn’t exactly advice, just a statement,
but it made Liu Yi slightly stunned. He gazed silently at Si Cang Qing's profile, its lines etched with a ruthless,
unyielding resolve.
◇Cang◇Huan◇Seven◇Palaces◇
A momentary flicker of distraction.
This young emperor, barely twenty, ruled with ruthless decisiveness and utter coldness. He could issue slaughter
orders without flinching, hear wails of grief without a flicker of emotion. Such hardness was truly chilling.
Yet, seated upon the heavenly throne, no emperor throughout history had ever governed more effectively than he.
He was indifferent, yet personally attended to every matter; he was ruthless, yet always handled court affairs
with utmost diligence and devotion.
“Ha ha ha...”
Ahead, children played and laughed, their clear, joyful laughter drifting through the air.
Liu Yi suddenly recalled that day. The child leader, Xiao Hu, often came to visit Si Cang Qing, occasionally
bringing wild fruits from the countryside. Sometimes, Xiao Hu would sneak glances at the ring on Si Cang Qing's
finger, clearly fascinated by it. To everyone's surprise, Si Cang Qing had taken the ring off and given it to Xiao Hu.
This act had even startled his bedmate, Cheng Tian Bi.
Unconsciously, Liu Yi glanced at Si Cang Qing's smooth hand, now clutching a handful of wet water chestnuts—
a sight that seemed utterly out of character for him! A faint smile escaped Liu Yi's lips. Among the common folk,
it was said that those who loved children possessed tender hearts. So...
A flicker of curiosity stirred within him. Could this cold-hearted emperor also harbor a soft heart?
“What are you looking at?”
The icy voice snapped Liu Yi out of her reverie. She shifted her gaze away, slightly uncomfortable, and replied,
“Your servant wasn't looking at anything...”
Si Cang Qing paid her no mind, merely staring down at the water chestnuts in his hand. The cold water had
accidentally dampened his sleeve. He promptly offered the chestnuts to Liu Yi.
Puzzled, Liu Yi stared blankly at him until the man said, “I don't know how to peel it.”
“Huh,” Liu Yi chuckled softly, his expression easing as he carefully took it. “Shall I peel it for Your Majesty then?”
Si Cang Qing gave a nonchalant nod of agreement.
Below the embankment, two tall figures stood side by side, seemingly admiring the breathtaking rural scenery,
occasionally exchanging a word or two. Not far from them, children ran back and forth. Sometimes the tallest one
would dash over to them, holding something in his hands.
This countryside was filled with tranquility and peace.
Days passed as Cheng Tian Bi and the healers worked almost day and night to treat the villagers, with the rest of
the community actively cooperating. Beyond Luyang Village, encouraging news kept arriving from the other
eleven villages.
As everyone began to show signs of recovery, the soldiers followed Cheng Tian Bi's instructions to dispose
of all items and dwellings contaminated by the poisoned individuals.
Though temporarily homeless, the villagers were filled with joy. Those who had been evacuated gradually
returned—this was the ancestral homeland they had lived in for generations, a place they could not bear to leave.
It was already November, and the weather was bitterly cold.
Standing before the crowd, Liu Yi watched as villagers embraced their loved ones, weeping bitterly. His expression
softened slightly. After a long moment, as the crowd gradually calmed, he spoke slowly:
"Now that the plague has been driven away, my fellow villagers need not worry anymore. Although your houses
are destroyed, the imperial court will soon distribute funds to each village to help you rebuild your homes and
safely get through the winter. I am deeply grateful to all my fellow villagers for trusting the imperial court so
much, remaining calm and helping each other. It is truly a blessing from heaven that our world has you all."
Hearing Liu Yi's words, the villagers all burst into tears. The fear of the past few days had finally made it
impossible for them to suppress their emotions any longer.
Watching the scene descend into chaos again, Liu Yi merely pursed his lips, slightly turning his head to look at
Si Cang Qing, who was standing with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance. Beside him, Xiao Hu
was gesturing excitedly.
"...Thank you, Your Excellency Prime Minister!"
Liu Yi was startled back to reality. He saw the villagers all kneeling, kowtowing with tears of gratitude, their
words varying, but mostly expressing gratitude and relief.
The villagers' open gratitude made Liu Yi somewhat uncomfortable. He cleared his throat and raised his voice,
"Fellow villagers, the plague has been eradicated and the people saved. We should thank the doctors for their
dedication, and the soldiers of Canghuan for their selfless protection… We should especially thank… our Holy
Lord Emperor of Canghuan, who cares deeply for the people. If His Majesty hadn't personally risked his life,
the antidote might not have been produced so smoothly!"
Although they didn't quite understand his meaning, the villagers all nodded in agreement, kneeling and chanting,
"Your Majesty is wise!"
With a slight smile, Liu Yi was about to speak again when he was suddenly startled. From the village entrance
in the distance, a group of people wielding weapons and shields were rushing towards them in a dark mass.
Si Cang Qing had already noticed them, coldly watching the approaching horde, standing there motionless.
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