Chapter 302: Chapter 303: This Is Simply Inconceivable

The man had been injured because his house was old and in disrepair, already on the verge of collapse. Even though last night’s earthquake had been very weak, it still caused a corner of the dilapidated house to cave in.

He was just unlucky—the collapsed section happened to be right over his head.

Fortunately, he was rescued quickly after being hit. He was only injured; his life was not in danger.

This was a blessing amid the misfortune.

The great weight on the Emperor’s heart was finally lifted.

He breathed a secret sigh of relief. It seemed Heaven still favored him.

The Emperor ordered Jingzhao Mansion to handle the post-disaster relief efforts, then left the palace with his family.

Outside the palace gates, they saw the nobles and civil and military officials who had long been waiting there.

Encountering such a natural disaster on the first day of the New Year was truly not a good omen.

In truth, everyone was feeling rather anxious.

But in the Emperor’s presence, no one dared let it show.

Only the Fifth Prince, Li Yan, was bold enough, deliberately raising his voice to speak to the companion beside him.

"Although it was an earthquake, not a single person died. This must be the spirits of our ancestors in heaven, protecting the realm and people of Great Zhou. Later, we must properly worship our forefathers to thank them for their divine protection."

This was a good opportunity to curry favor with the Emperor, and everyone who heard this nodded in agreement.

Whatever everyone was truly thinking, the atmosphere at least lightened considerably.

Li Yan glanced pointedly in his maternal uncle’s direction.

Liu Ze offered him an appreciative smile.

Li Yan immediately understood that his Imperial Father had taken notice of his display.

He was inwardly delighted, his face beaming with pride and high spirits.

Seeing this, the Second Prince, Li Hao, couldn’t help but feel annoyed. ’Why didn’t I think of saying something like that to please Imperial Father? I let Fifth Brother snatch the credit so easily. What a blunder.’

The Flying Dragon Cavalry cleared the way at the front, and the procession snaked along, like a long dragon.

The Emperor’s imperial carriage was in the very middle of the procession, like the moon surrounded by stars. The grand procession left Shangjing and headed toward the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Li Ji did not ride in a carriage. He rode a black steed, leading the Tiger Roar Camp at the very rear of the procession, responsible for security and preventing any incidents.

Inside the spacious carriage, Hua Manman was all alone.

Because she hadn’t slept well the night before, her mind was groggy. She simply lay down on the floor, wrapped herself in a woolen blanket, and started to catch up on sleep.

The Imperial Ancestral Temple was not far from Shangjing.

Before long, the carriage stopped.

Si Yun knocked on the carriage door and woke Hua Manman.

She groggily got out of the carriage.

A gust of cold wind blew in her face, making her shiver and clearing her head considerably.

Si Yun shook out a cloak and draped it over her.

The women standing around her were all from noble families, most of whom she didn’t recognize.

Princess Anshun, supported by her maid, walked over and called out, "Princess Consort Zhao."

Hua Manman smiled at her. "Happy New Year."

Princess Anshun wished her a Happy New Year in return and asked,

"You weren’t frightened last night, were you?"

Hua Manman knew she was asking about the earthquake and answered truthfully, "I was a little scared at first, but I was fine afterward."

Princess Anshun pressed a hand to her chest, her expression one of lingering fear.

"To be honest, I was a little frightened last night, too. It was my first time experiencing something like the earth dragon turning over. Thankfully, it ended quickly and didn’t cause any damage at my home. Was everything okay at your home?"

"Yes, we’re fine."

"That’s good."

The ladies nearby were gathered in small groups, whispering amongst themselves. Their conversations were mostly about last night’s earthquake.

They truly never expected that something like the earth dragon turning over could happen right here in the capital, at the feet of the Emperor.

It was simply inconceivable.

Ever since the founding of the Great Zhou, Shangjing had always been peaceful, never once experiencing a natural disaster.

This was the first time in its history.

Hua Manman raised her head and looked toward the gate at the top of the stairs.

The newly renovated gate and surrounding walls looked brand new. Even the stone lions at the entrance had been re-polished by artisans, making them lifelike and majestic.

The Emperor was the last one to get out of his carriage.

As soon as he appeared, everyone present fell silent and quietly stepped aside.

The Emperor looked up at the gate of the Imperial Ancestral Temple and was just about to step onto the stairs.

However, just then, an official came running out from inside the gate, practically tumbling as he went.

He looked as if he had received a great shock, his face deathly pale, and he was so frantic he was on the verge of tears.

This scene caught many people’s attention.

Seeing this, the Emperor couldn’t help but frown.

"What happened?"

The official dropped to his knees with a thud, crying out,

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Ancestral Temple... the Imperial Ancestral Temple has collapsed!"

At these words, the entire crowd was in an uproar.

Among them, the Second Prince, Li Hao, and the Fifth Prince, Li Yan, had the strongest reactions.

Li Yan cried out in disbelief, "How is that possible? I came to the Imperial Ancestral Temple just yesterday to check, and everything was perfectly fine! There were no problems at all!"

Li Hao chimed in, "That’s right. The Imperial Ancestral Temple couldn’t have collapsed."

The official remained prostrate on the ground, his voice trembling.

"Every word I have said is true, Your Majesty. I would not dare to deceive you."

The Emperor’s expression darkened.

He glanced at General Wang behind him.

General Wang understood. He led his men quickly up the stairs and through the gate of the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

The crowd didn’t have to wait long before they saw General Wang come out with hurried steps. Seeing his grim expression, they knew the situation inside the Imperial Ancestral Temple must be grim.

The hearts of the Second Prince, Li Hao, and the Fifth Prince, Li Yan, both skipped a beat. They had a terrible premonition.

’Could the Imperial Ancestral Temple have actually collapsed?’

The next moment, they heard General Wang speak.

"Your Majesty, a large part of the Imperial Ancestral Temple has indeed collapsed."

His voice wasn’t particularly loud, but everyone present heard it crystal clear.

Li Yan’s face instantly turned ashen.

Still unwilling to believe it was true, he frantically rushed into the Imperial Ancestral Temple, ignoring everyone who tried to stop him.

Li Hao followed him in.

Soon, they saw the current state of the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Most of the roof had collapsed, leaving only ruined walls standing in place. As far as the eye could see, it was almost all ruins.

The truth was right in front of them, impossible to deny.

Li Yan collapsed onto the ground, muttering over and over.

"How could this happen? How could this happen?"

Li Hao’s mind went blank. He stood there dumbfounded, as if his soul had left his body.

The Emperor ordered everyone to stay put and stepped onto the stairs.

Zuo Ji reached out a hand to support him, but was pushed away.

The Emperor entered the Imperial Ancestral Temple, his face grim.

Even though he had mentally prepared himself, upon seeing the state of the Imperial Ancestral Temple with his own eyes, the Emperor could not suppress his fury. Rage shot to his head as he harshly demanded,

"This is the Imperial Ancestral Temple after your renovations? Are you trying to destroy the very foundations of the Great Zhou?!"

Li Hao immediately snapped back to his senses.

Meeting his Imperial Father’s murderous gaze, Li Hao’s knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground.