jdhmnovel Chapter 518 There is a strange phenomenon in the sky
Chapter 518 There is a strange phenomenon in the sky
The emperor was silent for a moment, his eyes sweeping across the tense faces of everyone in the hall.
Finally, his eyes fixed on An Lingrong's delicate yet remarkably determined fair face.
"it is good."
The emperor spoke slowly, with an imperceptible softness in his voice.
"Noble Concubine Shu, since you have such a heart for the country and the people, I will trust you this time."
"But this matter is of great importance, and we cannot completely believe your one-sided statement."
"Su Peisheng, you will personally check the current status of the rare animals in the Hundred Beasts Garden and the unusual phenomenon that Concubine Shu mentioned. At the same time, quickly summon the Director and Deputy Director of the Imperial Observatory to me."
"Yes, I obey."
From the moment Concubine Shu stepped into the Qinzheng Palace, Su Peisheng listened to every word of the conversation in the palace.
He knew very well that this matter was of great importance, so he hurried out as soon as he received the order.
The emperor's attitude was clearly biased towards Concubine Shu. Even if Marsai was stupid, he knew that it was not appropriate to get entangled with Ma Qi at this time.
I heard that old man Ma Qi relies on the emperor's favor and faints from time to time to blackmail people.
He didn't want to confront this shameless old man when the emperor was in a bad mood and be scolded by the emperor for no reason.
About half an hour later, Su Peisheng, sweating profusely, came in with a serious expression to report.
"Your Majesty, when I arrived at the Zoo, it was in chaos. The rare animals in their cages were all mad and furious. The people below said that since last night, those frantic animals have been trying like crazy to get out of their cages."
"Several eunuchs who were caring for the rare animals were accidentally bitten by the mad beasts. I asked the older eunuchs, and they said that a similar chaos occurred in the menagerie of Changchun Garden ten years ago, before the earth dragon turned against the enemy."
An Lingrong did not rush straight to the Qinzheng Palace rashly. She had made other arrangements in advance.
Among them, the elderly eunuch was one of the new people that An Lingrong had won over.
After hearing this, the emperor sat up straight with a serious expression and continued to ask questions.
"Have any strange phenomena occurred to the raccoons and mice in the garden?"
"Your Majesty, I didn't see any raccoons or mice on my journey. I think they've found a secluded place to hide. However, I did see some snakes and small insects crawling on the road."
Su Peisheng took a breath and continued to add.
"I had my servants inspect several wells in the garden, and indeed, as Lady Shu Guifei said, the water is even more turbid than before."
Except for An Lingrong who was hiding behind the screen, everyone else in the main hall had experienced the disaster ten years ago.
The rare animals in the Zoo are trained beasts that were tributed from all over the country. How can one not feel panic when they collectively go crazy without any warning?
Marseille didn't want Ma Qi to be too proud, so he suppressed his fear and reported it.
"Your Majesty, I believe it is too early to draw conclusions about the 'Earth Dragon's Turn'. It won't be too late to make a final decision after the arrival of the Imperial Observatory."
The story of the earth dragon turning over is already illusory. If what Concubine Shu said is true, wouldn't the Bordered Yellow Banner be more valued by the emperor?
Even though Marsai also believed in the idea that the earth dragon would make a comeback, he just couldn't stand seeing Ma Qi showing off.
That's why he insisted on asking the Imperial Observatory to come and share a piece of the pie.
The experienced Ma Qi also wanted someone to help Concubine Shu share the pressure, and he did not object after Marse spoke.
Zhang Tingyu and Jiang Tingxi were both Han Chinese who entered the court through the imperial examination. They had a natural liking for An Lingrong, who was also of Han Chinese descent.
The two men's ideas coincided with Ma Qi's, and they both believed that the visit from the Imperial Observatory was not a bad thing.
After entering the Pass, the foreign races were extremely unfriendly to the Han people, and the two of them were often suppressed by Manchu nobles in the court.
If it weren't for the current emperor's keen eye for talent, it would be hard to say whether they could have achieved success.
Furthermore, the Sixth Prince, son of Concubine Shu, is intelligent and clever, and has won the Emperor's heart.
They might have expected more.
The aroma of tea wafted through the Qinzheng Hall, and it was refilled again and again. The director and deputy director of the Imperial Observatory hurried over and saluted together.
"Your humble servant pays respects to His Majesty!"
"The two beauties are equal!"
The emperor couldn't wait to speak.
"I have urgently summoned you two, my dear ministers, to inquire whether any unusual celestial phenomena have been observed recently."
Mingtu and Ren Zeshan exchanged glances without leaving any trace. Sejong and the late emperor let the Imperial Observatory run its course and basically ignored it.
The current emperor would ask for advice whenever he encountered major events or traveled. He had even sent a Taoist priest with a smooth tongue to the Imperial Observatory.
In the past six months, I have often summoned the Taoist priest to talk to me. Why did I suddenly think of them?
They did observe some abnormalities, but this was definitely not what the emperor wanted to hear.
When Mingtu was in a dilemma, Ma Qi whispered a reminder.
"The rare beasts in the Zoo have gone berserk for no apparent reason, so the Emperor has asked you two to divine good or bad luck. Please report the truth."
The emperor glanced at Ma Qi lightly but did not reprimand him for his actions.
"Mingtu, Ren Zeshan, do you two have any concerns?"
Since the superiors had asked so many questions, Mingtu knew that he could no longer hide it.
He bowed slightly and replied respectfully.
"Your Majesty, there was a sudden violent storm outside the capital. Upon hearing the news, I immediately sent people to investigate. I discovered that a river in the mountains, which had never dried up, had dried up. An elderly man also noticed a slight shaking in the middle of the night."
Ren Zeshan followed closely behind, "Your Majesty, I personally went to investigate where the river had dried up, and indeed, we have experienced continuous tremors for three consecutive nights."
"The pigs, cows, sheep, chickens, dogs and other livestock in the nearby villages are unwilling to enter the pen."
"The rats were chirping openly in the open space, not even avoiding people."
Mingtu and Ren Zeshan looked at each other again and reported in unison.
"Your Majesty, I, your humble servant, have consulted the ancient texts and discovered that this is a sign of a great disaster from heaven."
After the two of them finished speaking, they waited for the emperor's decision in fear and trepidation.
The Emperor is the Son of Heaven. They dared to say that Heaven was about to bring down a calamity, which was truly treasonous.
Mingtu and Ren Zeshan waited for a while, but not only did they not hear the emperor's scolding, they also heard him speak inexplicably.
"Come out!"
It was not until a gust of fragrant wind blew into their noses that the two men were surprised to discover that there was a woman hiding in the Qinzheng Hall.
"Noble Consort Shu had earlier discovered unusual phenomena in the garden's raccoons and rats, as well as in the well water, and had come to report a possible disaster involving a dragon rising from the earth."
"What do you two think?"
Ren Zeshan quickly responded, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine Shu is very perceptive. I share the same opinion as you."
"Strange phenomena have been occurring frequently in the capital recently. I suspect that a disaster, perhaps a catastrophic earth-shaking event, may be brewing."
Even the Imperial Observatory said so, and Ma Qi immediately stepped forward with righteous indignation.
"Your Majesty, Heaven allowed Consort Shu to discover the unusual phenomenon in advance as a warning to you."
"I, your Majesty, would like to ask you to make early arrangements to avoid excessive casualties."
Marsai, who was one step behind, cursed Ma Qi in his heart for being quick, and he did not want to fall behind, so he made a loud request.
"Your Majesty, I appeal for your approval."
Even the emperor had some thoughts on the story of the earth dragon turning over. Naturally, Zhang Tingyu and Jiang Tingxi could not stay out of it and expressed their support.