chsdbacks Chapter 545 River God Sacrifice
Chapter 545 River God Sacrifice
In early spring in February, it was still sunny and cold.
The world is still in turmoil, but whether it is turbulence or peace, the people's life should be lived.
It seems to be related to the change of the new emperor, and it seems to be related to the rotation of drought and flood. After the spring, the northern country is rainy and rainy, and the drought in previous years is no longer there.
Under the nourishment of the rain, the weeds in early spring sprouted buds one after another, and peaches and plums bloomed in the forests on the hilltops.
However, natural disasters dissipated, but man-made disasters and monsters were still rampant.
On the south bank of the Weihe River, Yucheng.
This is an open earth city surrounded by water on both sides.
Thousands of people carried three animals and tributes to cruise along the river, playing and playing.
This should have been a very lively scene, but these thousands of people were dressed in rags and were lifeless. Even the young children who accompanied them were silent, with fear showing on their sallow and thin faces.
Everyone walked behind the team blankly.
At the front of the line were three sedan chairs. The first one was a wizard wearing a feather cap and all kinds of tinkling utensils all over his body. His face was painted black, and he looked very weird.
The second is an official wearing a Tsing Yi patch.
The third sedan chair was a member of the staff with Buddhist beads hanging around his neck and a big green wrench on his thumb.
Afterwards, there will be the Chuicuidada band and the three animal tributes.
Among the tributes, apart from the cow, pig, and sheep, there were also two young girls who were in the middle of the three tributes. They were tied to the carriage in a big shape and gagged.
This... is Yucheng's annual River God Sacrifice.
The ground of Yucheng is open and low-lying, and flooding is most avoided.
About ten years ago, the water surface near Yucheng became very unsettled. The water level of the river often rose and fell sharply, and there were even incidents of dike bursting several times.
As a result, Yucheng was covered with oceans, and the people suffered greatly.
However it happened
Biqu library
The season is not the season of heavy rain in summer and autumn, but the peach flood in early spring.
The so-called peach flood refers to the rising water caused by the weather warming up in early spring and the snow accumulated for a winter began to melt.
Generally speaking, the momentum of the peach flood is not as rapid as the summer and autumn floods.
A fisherman once saw a huge toad monster in the river, its head was arched twice, and the river bank was pierced.
And since then, more and more people have witnessed the toad demon, and it has become more and more vivid.
The people of Yucheng couldn't bear the harm, so they invited a wizard to subdue the demon.
The wizard built an altar and jumped into the water to fight the toad demon, but he returned after a disastrous defeat and brought back the three conditions of the toad demon.
First, build a temple for it and worship it as the god of the river. Second, donate 50,000 taels of silver every year. Three, every year in the peach flood festival, two young girls are dedicated.
The people were reluctant to agree at first, but they couldn't hold back the toad demon repeatedly pushing through the river embankment. Under the persuasion of the gentry, they agreed to the toad demon's condition.
Speaking of God, since the temple was built in the first year and worshiped regularly, Yucheng never crossed the embankment or overflowed the flood during the peach flood season.
Therefore, Yucheng has this annual Taoxun River God Sacrifice, praying that the river god will not bring disaster to Yucheng.
Not long after, the sacrificial team arrived at the largest backwater bend near Yucheng.
The river here is wide and the water flow is the most turbulent. It is the designated place for the Yucheng River God Sacrifice every year.
The wizard stood up, set up an altar, and after reciting a mantra that no one could understand, he said loudly: "Thousands of people in Yucheng offer the three animals of the river god, the god's salary, and the river girl, and pray for the river god to protect the people. Eliminate the flood."
"One worship, three animals."
After the words fell, all the people knelt down one after another, and the disciples under the wizard threw the three animals into the water one by one.
"Second worship, offering to the gods."
The wizard orders again, people
Kneeling again, boxes of gold and silver were also thrown into the water.
"Woo woo woo~"
The rushing water whistled, no matter what was thrown into it, it would be swallowed up in an instant, and not even a feather could float up.
When the two women saw this, their faces were full of horror. They whimpered and cried, but because their mouths were blocked, they could not speak at all.
Worshiping the river god, women of the right age are not allowed to marry until they are selected by the wizard.
The chosen one, namely the river girl, will be thrown into the river together with the other three tributes to present to the river god.
The woman's crying did not arouse any mercy, and the sacrifice continued without hindrance.
After ten years of worship, the villagers have long been numb.
The chosen women are destined, and after offering sacrifices to the river god, they will be forgotten and never mentioned again as if they had never been in this world.
The 50,000 taels of god's salary is apportioned, and each household is 2 taels of silver. The selected Henu family members are only exempted from apportionment.
In the past ten years, the life of the people in Yucheng became more and more difficult. Many people went bankrupt and fled.
The people are unbearable, but... no one dares to resist.
Wizard, Yuanwai, and officials represent the river god, squire, and government respectively.
Those who resisted would be punished for the crime of blasphemy of the river god, throwing themselves into the river and drowning.
"Three worships, for the river girl."
The sorcerer shouted, the disciples under the seat were familiar with the road, and three or two people lifted the river girl and were about to throw them into the water.
"Wait a moment!"
Just then, a loud shout came from behind.
Everyone turned their heads.
I saw that at the back of the team, there were two more people at some point.
One is a young man riding a ox, his body is very straight.
One is a young man riding a donkey, but he is crouching and carrying a hunchback.
The one who spoke was the boy riding a donkey.