Phi-Fic Chapter 303 Tornado
Chapter 303 Tornado
Amidst lightning and thunder, the wind howled like a wild beast, and raindrops as big as beans hit the roof of the stone house, making crackling sounds.
In the inner room of the stone house, Deng Lihua, Huo Shuixian, Wang, Chuchu and Chu Yinyin huddled together tightly, their bodies trembling uncontrollably and their faces pale.
"This...what should I do?" Deng Lihua said in a trembling voice, with tears in her eyes. She had never seen such a terrible storm, as if the whole world was crumbling in this storm.
Huo Shuixian bit her lower lip and held on tightly to Wang Shi beside her. "I never knew there were such terrible storms in the world. If it weren't for the sturdiness of this stone house, we..."
She didn't dare say anything more. Just imagining the scene of being swept away by the wind was enough to make her shudder.
Wang patted Huo Shuixian's hand gently, trying to comfort her, but her voice couldn't stop trembling: "Don't be afraid, it will be okay, this storm will always pass." But her pale face revealed her extreme inner anxiety.
The two sisters, Chuchu and Chuyinyin, hugged each other tightly, tears welling up in their eyes. They looked out the window at the world ravaged by wind and rain, their hearts filled with despair and helplessness.
Only then did they deeply understand why the convicts on the island were so terrified when talking about this kind of weather. This tornado brought not only strong winds and heavy rain, but also a fear that went deep into the bone marrow, making people feel their own insignificance and fragility in the face of the powerful force of nature.
The heavy rain lasted for several days and nights, and the strong wind never stopped for a moment, as if it was going to completely destroy the entire Donghai Island and Longmen City.
When the rain stopped and the wind died down, the whole world seemed to have experienced a cruel baptism. Everywhere was in a mess, with broken walls, dead branches and fallen leaves. Everywhere you looked, there was a scene of desolation.
……
Inside the Golden Throne Hall, the atmosphere was solemn and dignified. All the civil and military officials were dressed in court robes and were discussing state affairs as usual.
Suddenly, there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside the hall. A young eunuch with a panicked look on his face ran into the hall, holding high in his hand an urgent memorial from thousands of miles away.
"Your Majesty, urgent news from Longmen City!" The voice of the young eunuch broke the silence in the hall.
Eunuch Zhao hurriedly took the memorial from his hand, took small steps forward, and quickly presented it to Emperor Zhao who was sitting on the dragon throne.
Emperor Zhao took the memorial, frowned slightly, and slowly opened it.
Upon seeing this, the ministers below began to whisper to each other.
"In my opinion, Longmen City is adjacent to Donghai Island, and Prince Chu is still in exile on Donghai Island!" An official in crimson court robes whispered, with a hint of worry in his eyes.
"Yes! With such a big storm, could something have happened to Prince Chu?" another official echoed, his face full of confusion and speculation.
"The Prince of Chu's Palace has already collapsed. Even if something really happens to the Prince of Chu, the Emperor probably won't care too much..." As soon as an official named Chen opened his mouth, the expressions of the people around him changed drastically.
"Sir Chen, be careful with your words!" The official next to him hurriedly reminded him in a low voice, his eyes full of warning. After all, in this Golden Palace, every word and action concerns one's life and property.
After reading the memorial, Emperor Zhao's expression became more solemn, with his brows furrowed into the shape of a "川" character.
It turned out that after experiencing the ravages of the super typhoon, Donghai Island was immediately attacked crazily by pirates. The pirates took advantage of the chaos on the island and the serious loss of troops to burn, kill, loot and commit all kinds of atrocities.
In desperation, Chen Shuo specially presented this urgent memorial sent over a thousand miles, earnestly requesting the court to send troops to reinforce Donghai Island immediately. Donghai Island was now short of troops and had been fighting pirates for a long time and was already exhausted. If no timely support was given, it would probably fall completely into the hands of the pirates.
When the ministers heard about this, they all stood up and expressed their opinions.
"Your Majesty, the strategic location of Donghai Island is extremely important and must not fall into the hands of pirates. Once Donghai Island is lost, Longmen City will be in danger. I implore Your Majesty to immediately send reinforcements to eliminate the pirates and ensure the safety of our Great Zhao territory!" A general stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and said with a firm expression.
"Your Majesty, I second the proposal. The pirates are so rampant. If they are not eliminated quickly, they will become a major threat in the future and endanger the people of our Great Zhao." Another official also stood up and spoke passionately.
"Your Majesty, I think that Chen Shuo, as the defending commander, has neglected his duty by allowing the pirates to run rampant. They are just a bunch of rabble, yet they have caused our Great Zhao army to suffer successive casualties. The responsibility for this must be thoroughly investigated!" A civil servant frowned and said indignantly.
"Stop talking nonsense! What do you think those pirates are? Just a bunch of street thugs? That's ridiculous!"
General Li's eyes were wide open with anger. He took a step forward suddenly, his hands clenched into fists. The armor on his body made a rustling sound with his excited movements, and the sound seemed to be the embodiment of his inner anger.
"General Li, this is the Golden Palace, and the Emperor is seated there! You are speaking such harsh words. Do you have any regard for the Emperor, or for the rules of the court?"
Lord Wen was not to be outdone. He took a step forward, his official robes fluttering gently in the wind. With a look of anger and dissatisfaction on his face, he raised his hand and pointed at General He with a slightly trembling finger, as if he was very angry at the other party's words.
"Shut up! We are discussing military and national affairs right now. Does Lord Wen think that this is a street market and we can make as much noise as we want?"
General Li's brows were twisted into the shape of a "川" character, his eyes were as big as copper bells, and he shouted loudly. His voice echoed in the empty Golden Palace, making everyone's eardrums hurt.
"You...you are simply unreasonable!" Lord Wen was choked by General He's words, his face flushed red, veins bulged on his neck, but he couldn't find the right words to refute for a while, and could only tremble with anger.
"Enough, shut up!" Emperor Zhao slammed the armrest of the dragon throne. With a loud "bang", it was like a thunder exploding in the hall.
His face was so gloomy that it seemed as if water could drip out of it, and his eyes revealed endless majesty and anger.
These ministers seemed to be righteous in the court on weekdays, but in fact they loved to attack each other and stir up trouble for no reason. If direct treatment of them would not cause turmoil in the court and affect the entire body, he would have punished them one by one without mercy.
The effect of this anger was immediate.
The court, which had just been as noisy as a vegetable market, suddenly became quiet, so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
Except for a few important officials in the court such as Prime Minister Bao and Rong Taigong, their postures remained as straight as pine trees, their eyes did not look around, and their expressions were calm. Everyone else was so scared that they shrank their necks, like frightened quails, and dared not even breathe.
Ever since the crown prince fell into a coma, the emperor seemed like a different person. He had changed from his usual gentleness and tolerance to an increasingly majestic one. Now, in the court, no one dared to challenge him easily.