The streets and alleys of Yuxian County, which were originally lifeless, suddenly increased the number of pedestrians. A large number of hungry people, dressed in rags and yellow muscles, rushed to the east of the city in droves. Many people who were so hungry that their bodies were swollen moved slowly to support each other and said, "Go and build a legal platform!" The priest invited by the Ming Court is going to pray for rain, this time it will be done, go and see! ”

"Why is it possible?"

"Praying for rain in Xu, Yan, and Hebei has been successful, all of them are the boundaries of the Han Dynasty, and God will make it difficult for us to Yuzhou?"

"However, the two children were eaten by Lei Gong, it's too terrible, right? I'd rather stay home! ”

"You know what? Mr. County said that this is 'a big festival of giving up the small self', and the family who sacrificed the child is too respectable! ”

"Wow! In this year, even if the two poor children were not burned to death, they would have to starve to death sooner or later. No, the family has gained a lot of rice and noodles, and they have gained fame, and his brothers and sisters will live because of it, it is simply worth it! If I were replaced, I would also give it, but unfortunately my children didn't have that life! ”

"I see that you don't have back pain when you stand and talk!"

"Don't you hear: reluctant to let the child trap the wolf?"

"The sacrificial boy is not going to die, but God is serving the thunder god, where can I find such a good thing?"

……

A young man happened to be passing by, heard about this, dismounted and stopped to watch. His face was very tired but not handsome, his square face was full of grace and elegance, his long thick eyebrows were like ink paintings, and his slightly round apricot eyes were like the blue lotus. He is about eight feet tall, very majestic but has a kind of symmetry that is not fat or thin, with a purple flat scarf on his head, round head flowing boots, and a dark blue changing cloud pattern brocade robe on his body, which has been soaked with sweat and stained with a lot of dust, obviously from a long journey.

One of his attendants also turned over and dismounted, this man had a pair of eagle eyes that never seemed to smile, glanced at it and said, "Shaojun, it's time for us to rest and hurry again." ”

Shaojun, the servants, guests, apprentices, protégés and subordinates of this dynasty, etc., are honorific titles for the children of the family, similar to the "young master" of a certain dynasty, and there is no "young master", "master", "grandpa" and other titles with the word "master" in this dynasty.

The young man frowned, and said in a puzzled tone, "Zhong Qi, let's go over and see a new one." It's just a matter of praying for rain in a great drought, why do you still want to burn the children? So appalling! ”

At this time, it was already noon, and there were already crowds of people around the legal platform, including gentry in brocade clothes and embroidered robes, officials with Eguan Bo, and more hungry people in tattered clothes, vegetables on their faces, and endless hunger. These people held their breath, and even the children did not dare to make a sound, and they all looked at the big mound, the Formation of the Law.

The altar for praying for rain has already been built on the platform, and the altar is surrounded by a low wall, and the entrance of the field is guarded by sergeants. The height of the altar is about three zhang or more, the altar is octagonal, and there is a ramp that can be used up and down on each side, that is, "ghost road". The altar is divided into three layers, the altar side is full of flags, each layer is paved with square bricks, there are several copywritings, and there are various sacrificial gifts on the case. The first floor is dedicated to heaven and earth and the five emperors of black, white, green, red and yellow, the second layer is dedicated to the sun and moon, the Beidou, the five stars, and the twenty-eight houses, and the third floor is dedicated to the gods who pray for rain, such as Lei Gong, Xiannong, Fengbo, Yushi, Sihai, Sidu, Famous Mountain, and Dachuan.

On the third floor of the highest, there is a huge wooden board painted with colorful images standing next to the altar, and the person painted on the board is mighty and strong, with wings on his shoulders, riding on a dark cloud and mist car, and is holding a mallet to slam a huge drum on the car, is it not the god of thunder?

In the center of the altar, there is a pile of firewood and thatch, and there is a big man standing next to him, five big and three thick, holding a torch, with a solemn expression. Behind the firewood and grass is a large case, and there is a large tray on the case, and in the plate are two boys and girls about three or four years old! In order to prevent the cry of struggle, both of them were loosely wound with strips of red cloth in a very humane way.

After the big case, several people stood solemnly, all wearing black sacrificial clothes, and the person at the head was Tan Fu. He pointed to the child, and his face was covered with misery.

"No! You can't cover them, and you must be sincere for Thor. Now pray for rain in the whole state, weishenme rain does not come? Just because it's not sincere enough! "No need to ask, the only person who can speak to the order of a county in this tone is Guru Que Ling at this time. Behind him, several Daoists and disciples were like him, all wearing hair and robes. Que Ling pointed to the boy and woman and said, "Ming Court covering them actually shows your helplessness. Thor mistakenly thinks that we were forced to sacrifice virgins. Besides, their families have been placed and will not come over today, so there is no need to worry about anyone crying. Ming Ting just watched me pray for rain, so he didn't have to worry about anything else! ”

Tan Fu politely waved at him and said, "But let the master be the master!" ”

Que Ling first raised the staff with both hands, and when the whole audience saw it, he said loudly: "Silence! The rain prayer ceremony begins, and the young master of Tianyi is invited to read out the rules and etiquette! ”

The audience was already silent, but now their expressions are solemn.

A young Taoist priest, holding a sword in his hand, walked to the edge of the altar and said loudly: "On the orders of the county king, there are three chapters of the special law: first, you must maintain your solemnity; 2. Do not move the direction in vain; Third, don't make noise. When praying for rain, anyone who violates the above three chapters and fails to pray for rain will be beheaded regardless of official rank! ”

After speaking, Que Ling announced: "Burn incense and worship God, please read the sacrifice to the second master of Tianyi!" ”

A gray-haired Taoist priest held up a silk with a sacrificial inscription above his head and recited: "The ancestors said: 'Serve the heavens with courtesy, stand up with righteousness, and serve the father with teaching.'" 'There are traitors who do not accept the will of heaven, causing yin and yang to be out of balance, and the thunder god is angry. At the end of Yongping, thousands of miles of red land; The East China Sea is disrespectful, and the drought is abused. Heaven respects people, why don't people respect heaven? The lawbreaker is condemned to heaven, can he not redeem it? Today, a special boy and a woman are specially offered, please ask the thunder god to calm his anger, spread clouds and rain, relieve emergencies and help dangers, in order to show merit, within seven days, he must do it! Otherwise, the heavens will be disgusted! ”

"At the end of Yongping, thousands of miles of red land", it is said that in the eighteenth year of Yongping of Emperor Xiaoming Liu Zhuang, an extremely rare drought swept through the four prefectures of Beijing, Yan, Henan and Xu. Some ministers said that it was because of the good people who were imprisoned in prison and angered Thor. Later, Emperor Xiaozhang, the son of Emperor Xiaoming, ascended the throne and released the prisoners, but it rained on the same day and the drought was lifted.

"The East China Sea is disrespectful, and the drought is abused", it is said that when Zhou Qing, a filial woman in the East China Sea, was beheaded, a cavity of blue and yellow blood spurted out, and the blood actually climbed to a height of ten zhang along the bamboo pole that was erected, and since then, the thirteen counties of the East China Sea have been in drought for three years. Tianyi Shishi's sacrificial text said that because he beheaded Zhou Qing by mistake, the thunder god was angry and did not rain, and the drought was able to run rampant. Drought, female drought ghosts, this dynasty often draws some patterns to pray for rain, there are tigers eating naked female ghosts, there are knives to kill plain female ghosts, there are also drowning ghosts in dung pits, etc.

The meaning of the second master of Tianyi is obvious, I sacrificed to boys and girls, and within seven days, you Thor will have to give me rain, otherwise heaven will not allow it!

It's going to take seven days, huh? I thought that it would rain immediately after burning the children, and the people of Yuxian County under the stage were a little disappointed, so let's wait for another seven days. There are also people who muttered in their hearts, you don't have to wait seven days in seven days, maybe now or tomorrow!

"Perform the sacrifice!"

With Que Ling's order, the two disciples carried the boy and the girl over and put them on top of the firewood, and people's eyes immediately focused on the two whitewashed children. The two children also realized what was going to happen, if it weren't for the gagged mouths, they would have heard them cry in fright, but now they only struggled hard, and the tied straps were also crooked, and the two disciples had to hold on hard.

"Ignition!"

Que Ling shouted loudly, and Dahan immediately brought a torch over and prepared to ignite it.