"The people are beginning to believe these tremors are caused by angry gods who reject you as emperor," Advisor Shou warned.
"Angry gods!" Kouyuu barked. "Those are the words of ignorant rabble."
"Quite right, Li-dono!" Shou cackled. "Still, that ignorant rabble is getting restless."
"Let's hope it won't be necessary to quiet that rabble," Shuuei rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. "What do the royal researchers say?"
Ryuuki sighed heavily. "They have no explanation. They say there is no pattern to when or where the tremors occur, or to their intensity or duration."
"Well, Your Majesty, business and industry have come to a standstill out of fear," Shou added. "Angry gods or no, the threat to Kiyou is quite real."
Even as they spoke, the earth beneath the palace began to rumble. Ryuuki laid his head on the desk. "Angry gods…" he mumbled with dejection.
Meanwhile, a group of children, led by a colorfully dressed young man and followed by a bedraggled young woman, marched in procession around the outside of the palace grounds.
"Ryuuren, the children have been on field trips every day since you came to Kiyou!" Shuurei complained. "They have to go to school!"
"Life and its many wonders offer all the learning a child needs!" he announced. "Shall we explore, children?!"
"Yay!" all the little voices sang together.
"First, a marching song!" Ryuuren decided and raised his flute to his lips. As he started to play, the ground itself began to dance.