It was early spring in February, still sunny and cold.

The world is still in turmoil, but whether it is turmoil or peace, the people have to live their lives as they should.

It seems to be a relationship between the new emperor and the alternation of drought and flood. After spring, the northern country has been raining continuously, and there is no longer the drought of previous years.

Moistened by the rain, the wild grasses in early spring sprouted buds one after another, and in the forest on the mountain tops, peaches and plums bloomed.

However, the natural disasters have subsided, but man-made disasters and monsters are still rampant.

South bank of Weihe River, Yucheng.

This is an earthen city surrounded by water on two sides and with open terrain.

Thousands of people carried the three animals and the tributes paraded along the river, playing and playing music.

This should have been a very lively scene, but the thousands of people were in ragged clothes and lifeless. Even the young children accompanying them were silent, with fear on their yellow and withered faces.

Everyone followed the team forward with expressionless faces.

At the front of the team were three sedans, led by a wizard wearing a feathered hat and covered with all kinds of jingling utensils. His face was painted in black, and he looked very strange.

The second person is an official wearing Tsing Yi.

The third sedan was carried by a man with Buddhist beads hanging around his neck and a big green thumb ring.

Further on, there is the band playing the flute and the three animals offering tribute.

Among the tributes, in addition to cows, pigs, sheep and other three animals, there were also two young girls in their bloom. They were tied to the carriage in a large shape, their mouths were gagged, and they were located in the middle of the three animals' tributes.

This...is the annual River God Festival in Yucheng.

The ground in Yucheng is open and low-lying, so floods are the worst concern.

About ten years ago, the water surface near Yucheng became very unstable. The water level of the river often rose and fell, and even the embankment broke several times.

As a result, the city of Yu was flooded with water, and the people suffered greatly.

However, the season when it occurs is not the season of heavy rains in summer and autumn, but the peach flood season 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 over the winter beginning to melt into water.

Generally speaking, the peach flood is not as rapid as the summer flood and autumn flood.

Some fishermen once saw a huge toad demon in the river. Its big head 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 wizards to subdue the monsters.

The wizard built an altar and even jumped into the water to fight the toad demon, but he came back with a disastrous defeat and brought back the three conditions of the toad demon.

First, build a temple for him and worship him as the river god. Second, donate 50,000 taels of silver every year. Third, donate two young girls to the peach flood every year.

The people were reluctant to agree at first, but they couldn't resist the toad demon and crossed the river embankment again and again. After the squire's persuasion, they agreed to the toad demon's conditions.

It's amazing to say that since the temple was built in the first year and worships were made regularly, Yucheng has never crossed the river embankment or overflowed with floods during the Peach Flood Season.

Therefore, Yucheng held the annual Taoxun River God Festival to pray to the river god not to 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 fastest. It is the designated place for the Yucheng River God Festival every year.

The wizard got up, set up an altar, and performed the ritual. After reciting a mantra that no one could understand, he loudly said: "Thousands of people from Yucheng came to offer three sacrifices to the river god, their salary, and the river maiden, praying to the river god to protect the people's safety.

Eliminate water disasters.”

"One sacrifice, three sacrifices."

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 after another.

"Two sacrifices are made to offer stipends to the gods."

The wizard gave the order again, the people knelt down again, and boxes of gold and silver were thrown into the water.

"Woooooo~"

The rushing river made a roaring sound, and whatever was thrown into it was swallowed up in an instant, and not even a feather could float up.

When the two women saw this, their faces were horrified. They were sobbing and crying, but they could not speak at all because their mouths were blocked.

Worshiped to the river god, no woman of the right age is allowed to marry until she is selected by a wizard.

The chosen one, the river girl, will be thrown into the river together with the other three sacrifices as tribute to the river god.

The woman's cry did not arouse any pity, and the sacrifice continued without any hindrance.

After ten years of worship, the villagers have long been numb.

The chosen women are destined. After the sacrifice to the river god is completed, they will be quickly forgotten and never mentioned again, as if they had never been in this world.

The 50,000 taels of divine stipend are shared, with each household receiving 2 taels of silver. The selected family members of the river girls are exempted from sharing.

In the past ten years, the lives of the people in Yucheng have become more and more difficult, and many people have gone bankrupt and fled. However, the river god's share was not less, and it gradually changed from one tael of silver to two taels of silver.

The people couldn't bear the suffering, but... no one dared to resist.

The wizards, officials, and officials represent the river god, the squire, and the government respectively.

Those who resist will be charged with a heavier share at the least, or be thrown into the river and drowned for the crime of blaspheming the river god.

"Three sacrifices are made to the river girl."

The wizard shouted, and the disciples were familiar with the road. Three or two people lifted the river girl and were about to throw her into the water.

"Wait a moment!"

Just then, a loud shout came from behind.

Everyone turned back one after another.

I saw two more people at the back of the team.

One is a young man riding an ox, his body upright.

One is a young man riding a donkey, but he is crouching and carrying a hunchback.
Chapter completed!