funbook-pk Chapter 524 Earth Dragon Turns Over (1)
Chapter 524 Earth Dragon Turns Over (1)
The grand banquet in the palace started in the evening. There were many people entering the garden this time, so the emperor ordered everyone to follow the dragon boat cruise and not to stay on the dragon boat to avoid being overly restrained.
This was a rare reunion for the masters, and Bao Ge started working with his men before dawn.
An Lingrong said that the pleasure boat was moored on Fuhai Sea and accidents were likely to happen, so she asked Chengle and Hongzhan, uncle and nephew, to help watch over Hongyao and Zhaohua and make sure they didn't run out of their sight.
The uncle and nephew nodded heavily after receiving the instructions. Even though they were interested in many places on the cruise ship, they still kept an eye on the two younger ones.
At lunch, seven people surrounded the table. An Lingrong looked at her family members with smiles on their faces and suppressed the sadness in her heart.
The talented people in the Imperial Astronomical Observatory have already speculated that the Earth Dragon will turn over after the Reunion Festival. After the Reunion Festival, all the people in the capital will move to large open spaces.
By then, the matter could no longer be concealed, so An Lingrong thought she should tell her family then.
The later they knew, the less they worried.
Her eyes swept across Hongzhan and then looked away.
An Lingrong, who was reborn, knew that the upcoming earth dragon turning over would occur at the Si hour on August 19th, and the shaking would continue for about an hour.
She once thought about whether she should tell the emperor the specific time when the earth dragon turned over on the grounds that the late emperor had appeared in Hongzhan's dream. However, after thinking about it for several nights, she felt that this was inappropriate.
When something is abnormal, there must be something wrong, not to mention that the emperor is a suspicious person.
An Lingrong's speculation about the earth dragon's resurgence a few days ago was very suspicious. What if Hongzhan attracted the emperor's attention again?
It is estimated that everything the mother and son say and do in the future will be closely watched.
After the lively lunch, An Lingrong brought her family to the deck of the pleasure boat to drink tea.
The various mooncakes made by Bao Ge are deeply loved by Cheng Le, Hong Yao and Zhao Hua.
The attentive Hongzhan noticed that his mother was staring at the willow trees by the sea in a daze, so he pushed the small plate in front of her.
"Mother, this is your most fragrant and delicious mooncake with fruit filling. Please try some."
An Lingrong was stunned for a moment, then smiled instantly.
"Okay, Hongzhan, you eat too."
Hongzhan saw that his grandmother and the others' attention was attracted by the naughty Hongyao, and asked worriedly.
"Mother, are you worried about something? Could you please tell me so I can share your worries?"
An Lingrong patted her son's shoulder gently and spoke in a gentle voice.
"Mother hasn't asked about your studies for a while. Come with me to the study."
Hongyao, who wanted to come over to listen to what his mother and brother were doing, stopped when he heard the word "homework".
As soon as An Lingrong and Hongzhan entered the study, Baoque and Baoe were guarding outside the door.
She took her son to the farthest corner and whispered to him about what Xiao Linzi had discovered about the animals in the garden and the abnormalities in the well water.
"The earthquakes in villages near rivers that have dried up for no apparent reason are becoming more and more frequent. The Imperial Astronomical Observatory speculates that the Earth Dragon's resurgence will occur after the Reunion Festival."
Hongzhan suddenly understood, "No wonder the emperor asked everyone to celebrate the festival on the lake or the sea."
It was unusual that the Emperor granted him a ten-day holiday for the Reunion Festival.
Hongzhan thought that the royal family, noble ministers and their families had all been taken aboard for refuge, so he hurriedly asked.
"Mother, now that we know that the earth dragon is about to turn, have the people in the capital made proper arrangements?"
"The Emperor and the court officials had already taken action after the Imperial Astronomical Observatory confirmed that a major disaster was imminent."
An Lingrong looked at her son with relief and comforted him softly.
"Hongzhan, you are still young. What you have to do now is to protect yourself when the earth dragon turns over and descends."
"We'll talk about other things when you grow up."
"Yes, mother, I understand."
There has never been a moment when Hongzhan wanted to grow up quickly.
The mother and son did not stay in the study for long and soon returned to the deck.
Seeing that his brother looked unhappy, Hongyao thought that he had been scolded by his mother.
He took advantage of An Lingrong's inattention and quietly approached Hongzhan and asked in a low voice.
"Sixth brother, are you okay?"
Hongzhan, who had already noticed his brother's little tricks, nodded with pretended strength.
"It's my fault for not doing my homework well. It's not my fault, mother."
Hongzhan sighed deeply, "Eighth brother, in case you can't answer Mother's test, you and Zhaohua will study with me starting tomorrow."
"Sixth brother, didn't the Emperor tell you to take a few days off? Why are you still studying?"
Hongyao stared at him in disbelief.
If his mother exempted him from his homework for a day, Hongyao would never ask for trouble.
"Eighth brother, if the Emperor asked you to rest for a few days and not practice martial arts, would you rest?"
Hongyao was about to nod, but then he remembered himself following his sixth brother on the deck in the morning, practicing.
He had promised his mother that he would protect his sixth brother and younger sister in the future, so he must not stop practicing martial arts.
Because of Hongyao's curiosity, he involved himself and his sister.
Chengle was Hongzhan's study partner, so naturally he studied with him.
Seeing that their younger generation was making progress, the two elders would no longer persuade them to play.
Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye it was the early morning of August 19th.
The news that the Imperial Astronomical Observatory had predicted the earthquake had spread before dark the day after the Reunion Festival, and the entire garden was filled with a solemn atmosphere.
At the beginning of the morning, a sumptuous breakfast was placed on the table, but Lin Xiu and Aunt Xiao, whose eyes were dark blue, could not eat.
Although the four children had never experienced an earthquake, they could sense from everyone's nervousness that the impending disaster was of great importance.
Seeing that the room was quiet, An Lingrong persuaded in a gentle voice.
"Mother, Aunt Xiao, the Imperial Observatory has long noticed signs of a rising earth dragon, and the Emperor and the ministers have already made secret plans. You see, we moved to the Youlan Night Boat just to prepare for the rising earth dragon."
"Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven. With God's advance warning, we will definitely get through this safely."
"I heard that the earth dragon's turn lasts a long time. If the big guys don't eat enough, they won't be able to hold on to the nearby pillars. What should we do?"
"Rong'er, I'll listen to you and eat well now."
Lin Xiu picked up a sugar cake and urged the others.
"You guys should eat too. Eat your fill so you have the strength to protect yourselves."
Hongyao was waiting for this "OK". He quickly finished the meat porridge in the bowl and the meat patties, sugar cakes, snacks and three-fresh buns on the plate.
Seeing that his hand was about to reach into Zhaohua's plate, An Lingrong quickly stuffed a plate of fresh fruit in front of him.
"The main reason for the earth dragon turning over is the vibration and bumps. Eating too much will make you feel uncomfortable. Just eat enough and you'll be fine."
Lin Xiu felt sorry for the child, so she grabbed a big meat bun for him before Hongyao could reply.
"Rong'er, Hongyao got up early to practice martial arts, so he must be hungry. It's okay for him to eat a little more."
Aunt Xiao also took the opportunity to pass a piece of meat pie to Hongyao.
The two elders were already worried, and An Lingrong didn't want to cause any unpleasantness with them over raising their children.
She watched Hongyao eat another small plate of fresh fruit without saying anything.
After breakfast, An Lingrong asked her family to stay with her in the empty small room on the first floor of the houseboat to chat, saying that she was feeling uneasy.
At the end of the Chen hour, a dark cloud suddenly appeared on the horizon, blocking the sun that illuminated the world, and the whole garden seemed to be covered by a thick layer of oilcloth.
An Lingrong felt an ominous premonition in her heart.
"Everyone hold on to the surrounding pillars and be careful not to be hit by heavy objects."
As soon as she finished speaking, a loud "boom" sound was heard in the distance.
Then, the Orchid Night Boat began to sway slightly. At first, it was just a slight sway, as if someone was paddling the boat forward on the Sea of Bliss.
But as the loud noises in the distance became more frequent, the shaking of the pleasure boat gradually intensified...