Chapter 226 An Encounter

Early in the morning, the light in the Imperial Study was dim.

Jiang Huan was awakened from her sleep by a deliberately hushed voice.

"...Your Majesty...it's past 3:45 AM, time for the morning court session..."

It was Wang Degui's voice, speaking cautiously through the palace gate.

She groggily opened her eyes and saw Huo's sleeping face right next to her.

He turned to face her, his breathing even and deep, a rare relaxation in his expression, his usually stern features softened considerably in the morning light.

It's already dawn?

Alas, moments of laziness are always fleeting; only the work of oxen and horses is eternal.

Jiang Huan was still a little dazed. She subconsciously moved her body and realized that she was being held by Huo Lin, almost nestled in his arms.

Huo Lin seemed to be startled by Wang Degui's voice. He frowned slightly, his long eyelashes trembled a few times, and he slowly opened his eyes.

Their eyes met.

Huo Lin's eyes were hazy, but when he saw Jiang Huan, they softened instantly, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.

"Did I wake you up?" His voice was hoarse from the early morning, but his arms unconsciously tightened around her.

Jiang Huan shook her head: "No, I woke up naturally. Get up quickly, you still have to go to work... oh no, I mean, to court."

As she spoke, she tried to sit up, but Huo Lin gently pressed her arm down.

"No rush." ​​Huo Lin's voice carried a hint of laziness as his gaze lingered on her face. "Lie down a little longer and let them wait."

[Perfect. Aren't those old fogies always arguing? I'll give them time and space to argue, let them argue all they want.]

[Argue until you reach a conclusion, then report back to me. That way, I'll have less to worry about.]

He gently rested his chin on Jiang Huan's head, inhaling the faint fragrance of her hair.

Jiang Huan was both amused and touched by his childish behavior, but her heart was warmed.

This guy dares to delay attending court?

But it felt nice to be held by him.

She nestled quietly in Huo Lin's arms, listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat, savoring this rare moment of tenderness.

Outside the hall, seeing no movement from inside, Wang Degui spoke again: "Your Majesty..."

Huo Lin frowned and replied somewhat impatiently, "I know!"

He reluctantly let go of his arm and sat up.

"Sleep a little longer, and Wang Degui will take you back to Weiyang Palace later."

As he spoke, he tucked the blanket around Jiang Huan, his eyes gentle.

"Mmm." Jiang Huan nodded, and without being polite, she snuggled deeper into the blankets and fell asleep again.

The Golden Palace.

Huo Lin sat upright on the dragon throne, the gentleness on his face long gone.

Below, ministers are arguing about the resettlement of displaced people and the governance of officials.

"Your Majesty, the refugees are gathering outside the city, which may cause trouble. I believe they should be dispersed as soon as possible, incorporated into the army for hard labor, or sent back to their hometowns!" A military-looking official spoke in a booming voice.

"General Li, you are mistaken!" a civil official immediately retorted. "The refugees are also the Emperor's subjects. They were forced to flee their homes due to natural disasters. How can they be driven away indiscriminately?"

"Easy for you to say! Where will the money and supplies come from? How will the manpower be allocated?" another official scoffed.

The ministers argued back and forth, creating a scene resembling a bustling marketplace.

Huo Lin listened expressionlessly, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest of the dragon throne.

A bunch of good-for-nothings, all they do is argue, and they can't offer a single useful suggestion.

Which of the methods she mentioned yesterday wasn't better than what they suggested?

These people are just occupying positions without doing any work; their brains are full of mush!

Huo Lin recalled Jiang Huan's incisive advice from the previous night, and looking at the group of ministers in front of him who only knew how to argue, a nameless anger surged up in his heart.

He slapped the armrest of the dragon throne, his voice cold.

"Enough!"

The hall fell silent instantly, and all the ministers stood with their heads bowed in solemn silence, as if they were cicadas in winter.

"I have decided to resettle the displaced people through work relief. The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works shall produce specific regulations within three days!"

"Corruption in officialdom must be thoroughly investigated. The Ministry of Personnel shall immediately select capable officials to conduct undercover investigations and thoroughly investigate the whereabouts of disaster relief funds. Anyone found to have embezzled or exploited funds, regardless of their rank, shall be severely punished without exception."

Huo Lin's voice was as cold as ice. He slightly embellished Jiang Huan's suggestion from last night and turned it into an imperial edict.

The ministers looked at each other, some with delight, others with a slight change in expression.

"Your Majesty is wise!" The officials, led by Prime Minister Liu, immediately bowed and echoed.

“Your Majesty!” An elderly minister with gray hair stepped forward, his face full of worry. “The work-for-relief program is extremely costly, and the national treasury may not be able to support it. A thorough investigation of official misconduct has far-reaching implications and may cause turmoil in the court and among the people. I urge Your Majesty to reconsider.”

Huo Lin's eyes turned cold, his gaze sweeping over the old minister like a blade.

"You mean, if we let refugees starve and freeze to death outside the city, let corrupt officials continue to go unpunished, and let powerful and tyrannical people run rampant, then there will be no unrest?"

"If the national treasury is empty, then we should increase revenue and reduce expenditure; if officials are corrupt, then we should investigate them even more. Investigate one and punish one. I want to see if their heads are hard or my knife is sharp."

"As for the shortage of manpower..." Huo Lin paused, his gaze sweeping over the officials below, "Issue my decree that this year's imperial examination be moved forward and an additional special examination be held. I want to recruit talented people widely, so that those young people who are truly talented and willing to do practical work can serve the court!"

Hmph, those old geezers, they're just hogging the toilet without doing their business.

He had long wanted to bring in a new batch of people, someone like her who had ideas and dared to speak her mind.

The minister who had spoken was choked by Huo Lin's merciless words, his face turned pale, his lips trembled, and he dared not say another word.

"Your Majesty is wise!" Prime Minister Liu shouted again, his voice booming.

"Your Majesty is wise!" The other ministers also bowed and echoed.

Huo Lin snorted coldly and stopped looking at them.

"Court adjourned!"

He turned and left in a huff, leaving behind a hall full of ministers with their own thoughts.

Jiang Huan rested for a while in the Imperial Study before slowly walking towards Weiyang Palace, escorted by Wang Degui.

The morning sunlight shone warmly on the palace path.

She was in a good mood, but just as she reached the vicinity of the Imperial Garden, a group of people walked towards her.

Liu Shuyao, dressed in an elegant white palace gown, was supported by two palace maids. Her steps were unsteady, as if a gust of wind could blow her over.

When she saw Jiang Huan, she paused slightly and, with the help of a palace maid, gave a slight curtsy.

"This humble servant greets Your Highness, Consort Zhuang."

"No need for formalities, sister." Jiang Huan stopped and nodded slightly.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Liu Shuyao straightened up, her movements somewhat slow.

However, the moment she stood up, her body suddenly swayed, as if she had tripped over something, and she staggered forward uncontrollably, crashing straight into Jiang Huan.

Jiang Huan was startled and instinctively tried to reach out to help her, but Liu Shuyao rushed over too forcefully, and Jiang Huan was knocked back half a step before she could barely regain her balance.

"ah!"

Liu Shuyao gasped, her face turning deathly pale, and beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead. Clearly, the impact had made her very uncomfortable.

"Consort Liu!" The palace maid beside her was terrified and hurriedly helped her up.

"Are you alright?" Jiang Huan was fine. After regaining her balance, she stepped forward and reached out to help her.

Just then, a soft click was heard.

A medicine pouch slipped out of Liu Shuyao's sleeve and fell onto the bluestone slab at Jiang Huan's feet.