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墨書 Inktalez
"Thank you, Master Zhu!" Liu Qingxi deeply bowed.
In the face of such a disaster, it was evident from Master Zhu's appearance that he had done everything possible to ensure the children's safety; otherwise, the horrific scenes outside might have reflected the true state of the school.
Master Zhu waved his hand, saying, "This is what I should do. If I hadn't seen historical records, I wouldn't have noticed anything unusual. Unfortunately, I didn't notify the people in town in time."
At that moment, he was teaching the children when suddenly a few mice scurried out from the cracks in the wall, running around chaotically, with one even climbing onto the lectern.
Master Zhu initially did not react; perhaps it was fortunate that a few birds outside were flapping around wildly, which made him immediately sense that something was wrong.
Although he didn't know what the problem was, he quickly gathered the children to go outside and wait.
Just as the children rushed out of the room in a huddle, the ground shook violently, and cracks appeared in the house.
Even now, he still felt lingering fear. After several aftershocks passed, he recalled historical accounts of a once-in-a-hundred-years earthquake.
Liu Qingxi shook her head; Master Zhu's sensitivity was already commendable. "You don't need to blame yourself too much; just do your best."
"Yes, one cannot go against fate!" Master Zhu sighed lightly.
His gaze turned toward the capital city; perhaps the lord disapproved of those currently in power.
Liu Qingxi held no opinion on politics, but she understood that earthquakes and divine retribution had nothing to do with corrupt rulers; they were natural phenomena accumulated over many years.
There was no need to explain tectonic plates, seismic zones, or epicenters; even if explained, no one would understand.
"Get up; you are the first to come here," Master Zhu said with genuine admiration for the young woman before him.
Despite Liu Qingxi living far away in the countryside, very few from town had come to help.
It would be understandable if they were from poor families, but some young masters didn't even have servants.
The girl's clothing was torn, her face bruised with patches of blue and purple, and there were two fresh red wounds on her hands, clearly showing what she had been through.
" Miss Liu, why don't you rest here for a while and go back after the earthquake has passed? Old Man has seen records indicating that there will be several tremors before it ends."
Liu Qingxi nodded, agreeing with Master Zhu's suggestion.
No one knew when the next aftershock would come, so the safest option was to stay here and avoid long journeys.
"Master Zhu, please let me know if there's anything I can help with. With so many children around, they must have been frightened." Liu Qingxi thought about how to assist as much as possible.
Now that Liu Qingyan was safe in front of her, she felt relieved.
At the same time, centered around Biqi Town, a large earthquake struck Linyi County. County Magistrate Zhou suddenly sat up straight in his office: "What is happening?"
Master Wen rushed in, flustered: "Sir, Linyi County has experienced an earthquake!"
What? This time County Magistrate Zhou didn't just sit up; he jumped to his feet: "How could this happen? Is the damage severe? Hurry and send someone to investigate!"
An earthquake! Such a terrifying word made County Magistrate Zhou plop back down into his chair.
That was something out of legends; moreover, earthquakes could be even worse than plagues.
Once an earthquake occurred, large-scale building collapses and landslides would block transportation, making it impossible to deliver disaster relief supplies.
With a prolonged lack of essential supplies, injured victims would not receive timely medical treatment. Coupled with the heat, cholera could break out at any moment.
This was a series of disasters, and the compounded issues were far more serious than a simple earthquake.
County Magistrate Zhou couldn't afford to think any longer. Trembling hands picked up pen and ink to urgently send out a letter for assistance over eight hundred miles, informing the court of the situation and requesting disaster relief.
Capital City
A thousand miles away from the earthquake zone, there were no noticeable effects. At this moment, the atmosphere was one of peace and prosperity, with the people oblivious to the dire situations they faced.
In the Eastern Palace, a woman dressed in luxurious garments raised her eyes, slightly narrowed: "How is it over there with Dugu Hao?"
"Empress, rest assured, nothing will hinder my plans," came the reply.
"That's good. That child is cunning. Alright, you may leave now!"
Afterward, the woman meticulously attended to her appearance, admiring herself in a glass mirror that reflected her beauty. She took pride in her looks, maintaining a youthful appearance even at over thirty.
Before long, a middle-aged man dressed as the Bright Yellow Five-Clawed Golden Dragon strode in confidently. Before he even entered, he laughed heartily: "Queen, why aren't you here to welcome me?"
In the evening, the palace was filled with song and dance, its intricately carved beams and painted walls illuminated as if it were daytime.
The couple seated at the center savored the freshest seasonal fruits and fine wines presented by foreign nations while enjoying the graceful movements of the dancers. The melodious music drifted far and wide.
This was the norm within the palace; such scenes of extravagance were not limited to here but were also found in countless noble households.
As for the food meant to save the common people, if it did not suit their taste, it would all be discarded.
Little did they know that their subjects were struggling desperately. By the time an urgent letter traveled eight hundred miles to reach the capital, it was already late on the second evening.
This urgent letter bearing significant importance arrived at the Emperor's Imperial Study. However, at that moment, he was still enjoying the same songs and dances with his favored Queen as he had the day before.
He had not seen the news in time.
Meanwhile, Linyi County had descended into chaos.
County Magistrate Zhou sent out multiple letters requesting support, but only a few teams were dispatched from the Provincial Capital, while there was no response from the center of Western Moon—Beijing.
As the County Magistrate of Linyi County, County Magistrate Zhou had been on the front lines since yesterday, assessing the casualties.
All the officials and soldiers from the county office were deployed to organize several rescue teams to head to the epicenter.
Having passed the Juren examination, he had some knowledge about earthquakes, so he decisively organized a new Commoners' Team from those who were uninjured while sending out the officials and soldiers.
The frequency of aftershocks gradually decreased, finally returning to calm. However, this earthquake caused immeasurable losses to people's lives and property.
What remained were ruins; in places where destruction occurred, about forty to fifty percent of houses had collapsed, and twenty to thirty percent suffered severe damage. Only a few stood proudly, untouched by the earthquake.
In an instant, countless people were left without homes or food. Cracked lips and children who could not cry out were the most vivid portrayals of their plight.
After a night of dispersing yesterday and this morning, children were gradually taken away.
Without repeated aftershocks, returning home was much easier than leaving.
During this day and night of companionship, the solid shoulder of Yang Yichen made Liu Qingyan deeply rely on him.
Exhausted, a small child leaned on his shoulder and secretly asked, "Brother Yang, do you like my sister?"
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