The Regent Keeps Flirting With Me - Chapter 22

The woman helped her and Zhou Jin to sit down on stools, then reached for a dazzling phoenix coronet, which looked strikingly out of place in the dark, dilapidated small house.

“Is this… is there a happy occasion in the family?” The more Shen Lingyan looked at it, the more it resembled the headwear worn by a woman on her wedding day. In this kingdom, a phoenix coronet wasn’t exclusively for the Empress or the Female Emperor; common folk could also wear the phoenix coronet and formal robes for their weddings. However, Shen Lingyan was confused. A wedding was a happy event, so why did this family look so distressed? Could it be…

Was it a forced marriage by a powerful official’s son?

Before they could speak, Shen Lingyan was already fuming. But the words the woman slowly spoke next were truly suffocating.

“We are marrying our daughter to the River God.” Tears streamed down the woman’s face like broken pearls as she recounted the recent events. The more Shen Lingyan and Zhou Jin listened, the darker their expressions became.

It turned out that during the summer, the river water would rise. Their village was situated close to a large river and several lakes, and decades ago, a flood had occurred, causing heavy casualties. However, in the second year after the flood, a young woman tragically fell into the river, and her body could never be recovered. Coincidentally, in that very year… the river did not rise significantly, and the harvest was excellent. By the third year, when no one drowned, another flood struck. That was when the villagers began this cruel ritual of sacrificing to the River God.

The process was simple: they would send the most beautiful girl into the river. And this act truly kept the entire village safe for decades.

“Why, after the flood, didn’t the villagers move away, far from the rivers and lakes, instead of staying here and letting girls be sacrificed?” Shen Lingyan posed a question. Seeing the man bring the medicine, she thanked him repeatedly and took it, feeding it to Zhou Jin while listening to the rest of the woman’s story.

Wiping away her tears, the woman exchanged a worried glance with her husband. The man nodded slightly, and only then did she dare to speak.

“This place is close to Liangzhou. The Prefect is named Li, Li Xiuxian, but he is utterly wicked. We don’t know why, but the court keeps allocating funds, almost as if rewarding this Prefect… We people here would rather stay than live a life worse than death under his rule.” As she spoke, the tears the woman had just stopped now flowed uncontrollably again. The atmosphere in the room was incredibly heavy. Zhou Jin had drunk the medicine, and her fever was already receding. Facing such a situation, she was as angry as Shen Lingyan.

Isn’t this just a disgusting version of “Cruel government is fiercer than a tiger”? A corrupt official is fiercer than a tiger.

While some were angry and others were worried, the door of the side room creaked open. Everyone’s gaze focused on the person who opened the door. It was then that Shen Lingyan finally got a good look at the woman hailed as the most beautiful in the entire village.

Even the mother, despite her distress, could not conceal her charm, and her daughter had inherited ten out of ten parts of that beauty.

Her features and contours, taken individually, were not particularly outstanding, but put together, they were stunningly delicate and resolute. Shen Lingyan, who looked at Zhou Jin’s enchanting and beautiful face every day, was momentarily stunned by such a pure appearance.

Zhou Jin only glanced at her before turning her attention to Shen Lingyan. She felt that no one, no matter how beautiful, was as enduringly lovely as Shen Lingyan. Unfortunately, Shen Lingyan was staring blankly because of that woman’s looks.

Zhou Jin didn’t know what was wrong with her, but seeing Shen Lingyan lost in thought made her angry. She shook Shen Lingyan’s sleeve hard, forcing her to come back to her senses.

“Yiqiao, why did you come out?” The girl’s name was Zhang Yiqiao. Her steps were so fragile. She slowly approached Shen Lingyan, her eyes seemingly pleading.

Shen Lingyan understood. She stood up almost immediately, ready to follow Zhang Yiqiao into that room. Zhou Jin, seeing the two about to abandon her, quickly got up despite her injuries. She took the only spare set of clothes from Yun Zhu, giving the grand excuse that she needed to change clothes and followed them in.

Watching the three enter, Yun Zhu also followed the woman out to help prepare dinner, leaving only the man deep in thought: “Which noble lady could they be…”

Inside the room, Zhou Jin hid behind a curtain to change clothes. Shen Lingyan and Zhang Yiqiao sat on the bed. Looking closely, Shen Lingyan noticed that Zhang Yiqiao’s eyes were red and swollen, clearly having cried for a long time. She was dressed in a vibrant red wedding gown. She explained that she had to wear it constantly for the few days before marrying the River God, and tomorrow was the day of the sacrifice.

Shen Lingyan still found the whole situation incredibly bizarre, full of mythical overtones. Yet, it was also true that ever since they began the annual sacrifice, there had been no more floods. Shen Lingyan, coming from the modern world, did not believe in these supernatural tales, but she also couldn’t convince others not to believe.

Zhou Jin finally bit the bullet and changed her clothes. Her wounds had largely stopped bleeding. She sat down beside Shen Lingyan, her eyes holding an ambiguous emotion.

“So, what exactly do you want to ask… ask me for, Miss?” Having been Empress for so many days, she almost blurted out “We,” but fortunately remembered to quickly correct herself. However, the playful look Zhou Jin gave her made Shen Lingyan feel a bit embarrassed.

“I beg you two young ladies to save me…” Zhang Yiqiao didn’t know how to start. She just knelt on the ground, and her already swollen eyes shed fresh tears. Now, Shen Lingyan and Zhou Jin understood her intention.

Zhang Yiqiao saw that her father had saved them, and both of them were strikingly beautiful. In every way, they fit the requirements for the River God’s bride.

Shen Lingyan suddenly looked troubled. It was true that her father had saved them, but marrying the River God meant dying, didn’t it? Who would want to be a substitute?

“You two young ladies don’t necessarily have to die in place of Yiqiao. You only need to hold your breath underwater for a while in the river until those people leave, and then come ashore…” It seemed Zhang Yiqiao had thought everything through. Shen Lingyan and Zhou Jin exchanged glances, forming a plan in their hearts.

Zhou Jin spoke first: “In that case, it might not be impossible. I… I can go immediately and tell your father that I am willing to take your place, but there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Miss, you must also promise us something.”

Zhang Yiqiao’s eyes lit up with joy upon hearing this. She temporarily suppressed her excitement and cautiously asked, “Is it an urgent matter, Miss?”

“How the Prefect of Liangzhou, Li Xiuxian, has been corrupt and wicked—I need you to tell me everything, case by case, and it must be accompanied by evidence. Can you do that?”

Zhou Jin pressed her, acting as if she would immediately leave if Zhang Yiqiao didn’t agree. Zhang Yiqiao looked bewildered, staring at the richly dressed woman before her, vaguely guessing something: “Are you investigating Li Xiuxian’s corruption?”

Unfortunately, her suspicion was not confirmed. Zhou Jin avoided the topic, just staring intently at her. Perhaps Shen Lingyan’s gaze toward Zhang Yiqiao still held some lingering fascination, but Zhou Jin’s eyes were full of sharp scrutiny.

With her life at stake, Zhang Yiqiao could not possibly refuse. She nodded firmly, hitting her head against the floor: “Yiqiao is willing!”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jin finally smiled.