Xi Xizhi didn't eat much; after finishing a chicken leg, her stomach was bulging. She slumped onto the table, patted her round belly with both paws, let out a loud burp, and squinted her eyes slightly, looking completely satisfied after eating and drinking her fill.
Seeing a cup in front of An Honghan, Xi Xizhi ran over without thinking, buried her head, and licked the water into the cup.
The moment Xi Xizhi touched the water, her tongue went numb, and a spicy taste filled her mouth.
It's alcohol...
It's not water.
This wine was even more fragrant and delicious than the wine served at that banquet. Glancing discreetly at An Honghan and finding him not angry, Xi Xizhi quickly added more wine until the glass was empty.
The palace truly lives up to its name; not only is the food delicious, but even the wine is exceptionally fragrant and flavorful…
"You like drinking so much?" An Honghan didn't mind the little mink's oily skin, grabbed it and held it in his hands.
Xi Xizhi nestled in his palm. A single cup of wine wasn't enough to get her drunk, but her head felt heavy and dizzy. Not hearing An Honghan's question clearly, she groggily shook her head, nodding repeatedly as if to nod.
"Lin En." An Honghan's lips curled into an ambiguous smile as he whispered a few words in Lin En's ear.
"This servant will take care of it immediately." Lynn glanced at the little sable, sighed helplessly, and then left.
The little ferret was covered in grease, and An Honghan dared not hold it in his arms for fear of soiling his dragon robe. Holding it in both hands, An Honghan walked step by step to the bathing pool, squatted down beside it, and gently washed away the grease stains from its body with the other hand while supporting the little ferret in one hand.
When has An Honghan ever been so patient in raising a pet? Even people don't always show this much care.
He instructed Xiao Xunzi to bring the ointment, and An Honghan carefully applied it to the little sable. The little sable, who was always causing trouble, had long since fallen asleep, nestled in An Honghan's arms, letting him do as he pleased.
Faintly, Xi Xizhi felt something caressing her entire body. But her eyelids were so heavy she couldn't open them no matter what she tried. Helpless, she gave up resisting and fell into a deep sleep, drifting off to sleep.
Perhaps it was the strong aftereffect of the wine, but when Xi Xizhi woke up again, it was already evening.
After yawning twice, Xi Xizhi slowly stood up from An Honghan's lap. By this time, they had already moved to the Imperial Study. An Honghan was dealing with official business, and it was unclear what he was worried about; his sword-like eyebrows were tightly furrowed.
Even if you wanted to imitate the One-Eyebrow Taoist, you wouldn't look like him. Those old Taoist priests with their peculiar noses are all just a bunch of old fogies. You're much more handsome than the One-Eyebrow Taoist.
Upon discovering that the little ferret had woken up, An Honghan stroked its fur, then looked up and said, "Lin En, go and summon those old fellows from the Ministry of Revenue to me."
Just from the sound of his voice, Lynn knew that His Majesty was angry. Those ministers were probably in for a rough time.
"Yes, this servant will go right away." Lynn limped outside.
An Honghan held a stack of memorials in his hand, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
Upon waking, Xi Xizhi saw An Honghan with such a sour face and clicked her tongue. Her gaze lingered on the stack of memorials. Could it be that something was wrong with Fengze Kingdom? It was a pity she couldn't understand the writing; otherwise, she could have come up with a solution for him.
As night approached, the ministers of the Ministry of Works had long since gone home to rest. Suddenly hearing that His Majesty wanted to summon them, they were so frightened that they immediately put on their official robes and rushed to the palace.
They hurried to the outside of the Imperial Study and were led inside by Lynn.
Lynn said kindly, "Ministers, please be careful. Judging from His Majesty's expression, it's not a good look."
The ministers were startled and stopped in their tracks, quickly wiping the sweat from their brows. They had rushed here without daring to rest for a moment, and now their backs were soaked with sweat.
"Thank you for the reminder, Steward Lin. We will certainly handle this carefully." Everyone in the court knows His Majesty's temper.
It's said that serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; they receive salaries from the court and are therefore obligated to serve it. His Majesty must have seen the memorials they submitted to cause such a tantrum.
"They arrived quite quickly." An Honghan raised his hand, and all the memorials were thrown at the three ministers.
They dared not dodge, letting the memorials rain down on their faces, without uttering a single complaint.
"Your Majesty, please forgive us." The three ministers knelt down, prostrated themselves on all fours, and kowtowed to the ground.
"I appointed you officials, not so you could sit around doing nothing! Look at this year's grain yield, it's almost half as low as in previous years! What have you all been doing? If you don't want your heads, I'll grant your wish," An Honghan shouted angrily, his eyes blazing with fury as he glanced at the three men.
The three ministers lowered their limbs even further, their bodies trembling slightly.
Xi Xizhi was also frightened by An Honghan's roars and curled up.
This guy is the most terrifying one!
"Your Majesty, Fengzhou suffered from floods this year, resulting in a complete crop failure, which is why grain production has decreased by more than half," the minister kneeling in the middle said in a trembling voice.
All three of them were veteran officials in the imperial court, and they were quite conscientious and responsible in their work. In previous years, Fengzhou had the highest grain yields, but this year, for some unknown reason, a sudden flood occurred, submerging all the farmland.
An Honghan slammed his fist on the table in anger, “If there is a flood, then build dikes.”
"Your Majesty, I have already told the Fengzhou government this, but their reply is... no matter how many times it is repaired, the dam will suddenly collapse." This matter is quite strange.
Fengzhou has enjoyed favorable weather for many years, but this year has seen a significant number of disasters. Due to the severe flooding, many people in Fengzhou are suffering terribly. Poor farmers have no food to eat and have been forced to leave their homes and migrate to other places.
An Honghan's brows furrowed again, his anger dissipating considerably and replaced by distress.
Upon hearing this, Xi Xizhi sighed as well… Humanity is always so powerless in the face of natural disasters and man-made calamities. Recalling what the old minister had just said, a bold guess popped into Xi Xizhi's mind, but she soon dismissed it.
It shouldn't be like that...
Disasters are commonplace. But if things really turn out the way she thinks, then things will be much more serious.
"Why didn't you report such an important matter?" An Honghan's deep voice made it impossible to guess his thoughts.
Apart from his furrowed brows, An Honghan's face was expressionless.
The three ministers below were immediately flustered and stammered, unable to utter a word.
"If you don't speak, I'll cut out your tongues, so you'll never be able to speak again." An Honghan tapped the table rhythmically, a sneer playing on his lips.
The three ministers trembled violently. The old minister on the left, unable to withstand the pressure emanating from An Honghan, was the first to speak, saying, "Your Majesty, it was Lord Situ who instructed us not to report such a trivial matter to Your Majesty, lest we disturb Your Majesty's rest."
An Honghan slammed his hand on the table again and shouted angrily, "A trivial matter! Fengzhou has suffered a complete crop failure, and the disaster victims are displaced. Is this a trivial matter? Then tell me, what kind of matter is considered a serious matter!"
"Your Majesty, please calm down." The three ministers kept their heads down, not daring to raise them. When they heard An Honghan roar again, their hearts jumped into their throats.
It's all their fault for listening to the words of the Left Chancellor and concealing this matter. If they had reported it to His Majesty earlier, they wouldn't have been punished by him.
"Calm down? What can I use to calm down! I see none of you want your official hats anymore." An Honghan narrowed his eyes coldly, exuding a chilling aura.
Xi Xizhi was closest to him, so she was the first to feel it, and gently patted his arm with her paw, hoping to calm him down.
Receiving the little sable's kindness, An Honghan looked at it with shining eyes and gently stroked its fur. Calming his anger, An Honghan said coldly, "You had better give me an explanation. Before tomorrow's morning court, discuss how to resolve this matter, otherwise you can all go see the late emperor early."
The three ministers kowtowed respectfully, saying, "Your humble servants will do everything in our power to make amends."
"Get out." An Honghan didn't even glance at them again.
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