The little ferret nodded like it was pounding onions.
While it's true that the nation comes first, then the family, a nation will be unstable if the people's hearts are not at peace. Everything must maintain a balance. Once that balance is broken, many things will change.
An Honghan had considered this point long ago, but he hadn't said it aloud. He was waiting for those useless ministers to bring it up first!
Unfortunately, things don't always go as planned. So many officials were no match for a little sable, whose mind was full of flood control and granary planning, but none of them cared about the common people.
"Qizhou and Fengzhou are adjacent, so why not transfer some grain from Qizhou to Fengzhou for emergency relief?" Liu Fuqing said again. After careful consideration, he believed that both flood control and appeasing the people were essential.
"Anything else?" He only got one point right, but An Honghan wasn't satisfied and continued to press for answers.
Xi Xizhi also cast a glance at Liu Fuqing. This old man was more pleasing to the eye, at least more respectable than that guy Situ Feiyu.
"Heaven has brought disaster upon us, and the people are suffering greatly. Therefore, we should reduce taxes in Fengzhou to help it recover as soon as possible." Seeing that His Majesty did not reprimand him, Liu Fuqing gradually raised his voice. "Of course, this is only one aspect. At the same time, we should expedite flood control to prevent further devastation. I believe that sending several ministers to Fengzhou to handle this matter is the most appropriate course of action."
His points were all reasonable, and every single one was based on the perspective of ordinary people.
An Honghan withdrew his icy gaze, his anger gradually dissipating. He looked down at the assembled officials and said, "Lord Wang, Lord He, Lord Zhou, since you were the first to propose going to Fengzhou to manage the floods, then this time I will allow you to atone for your crimes through meritorious service. If the matter in Fengzhou is not resolved within three months, I will have your entire families executed."
The last sentence sent a chill down the spines of all three ministers, who knelt down in unison, saying, "Your Majesty, we will certainly live up to your expectations."
“Prime Minister Situ, you also got involved in this matter, so you went to Fengzhou with them to supervise its progress,” An Honghan said calmly, yet his words left no room for resistance.
Xi Xizhi secretly gave An Honghan a thumbs up, thinking that he was indeed a ruler of a country who knew how to make full use of all the resources around him.
Although Situ Feiyu is jealous and loves to claim credit, his competence should not be underestimated; otherwise, An Honghan would not tolerate such a person remaining in the court. Sending Situ Feiyu to handle this matter will undoubtedly ensure no mistakes. With his abilities, resolving a problem caused by a flood is not too difficult.
Situ Feiyu, knowing he had made a mistake, knelt down and said, "Your humble servant accepts the imperial decree."
The subsequent reports were nothing more than trivial matters, which An Honghan casually answered before dismissing the morning court session.
The sun was still shining brightly, and the little birds on the branches outside were chirping and chattering noisily, thinking their songs were incredibly beautiful.
Inside the Imperial Study.
Xi Xizhi's bright eyes were fixed on An Honghan, who was handling official business. To be precise, she was staring at the back of An Honghan's injured hand.
His right hand was injured; it was wrapped in white gauze, and he was holding a calligraphy brush, carefully sketching a memorial.
Feeling increasingly uneasy, Xi Xizhi's eyes gradually shifted to An Honghan's face. Even injured, he still had to handle state affairs so diligently; being an emperor must be tough.
"Your Majesty, it's time for your meal," Lynn said, taking a few steps closer as the sun approached midday.
“Mm,” An Honghan replied casually.
Whether it was intentional or not, An Honghan often stretched out the back of his hand in front of Xi Xizhi so that she could clearly see the hand wrapped in white gauze.
As the dishes were served one by one, An Honghan stopped what he was doing, picked up the little mink with one hand, and went to the dining table.
Seeing that His Majesty's hand was inconvenient, Lynn immediately gave a wink to the two palace maids standing there, signaling them to be more alert.
Xi Xizhi blinked as she watched their interaction...
Two palace maids picked up the silver chopsticks on the table, placed two pieces of vegetables that An Honghan liked into his bowl, and said, "Your Majesty, please enjoy your meal."
An Honghan raised his eyes and looked directly at the palace maid. "I am not crippled yet."
One sentence was enough to frighten the two palace maids so much that their hands trembled, and the food they were holding with their silver chopsticks fell to the ground with a thud.
"Your Majesty, please forgive us." The two palace maids quickly knelt down, their heads bowed, not daring to look up.
Lynn was surprised by this scene and looked at An Honghan with slight astonishment. There had been instances of palace maids serving His Majesty meals before, so why was His Majesty so angry today?
Little did they know, An Honghan did this simply to increase the guilt of a certain little ferret.
"Get out! If I see you acting on your own again, I'll chop off your heads," An Honghan said coldly, gripping his chopsticks, picking up a piece of bamboo shoot, and putting it in his mouth.
Because of an injury to the back of his hand, An Honghan cannot make large movements, and he cannot reach many dishes that are far away.
Tormented by her conscience, Xi Xizhi couldn't stand idly by. She jumped onto the table, stood beside the dishes, and carefully counted which ones An Honghan liked. Whenever she spotted a dish, she would quickly run over, pushing against the edge of the plate with her paws, heading towards An Honghan.
It had only been in Panlong Palace for a short time, so it couldn't discern An Honghan's tastes. It relied solely on its memory to recall the dishes An Honghan had picked up in the past few days.
"Quite sensible." As if praising someone, whenever Xiao Diao pushed a plate of food over, An Honghan would reach out with his silver chopsticks, pick up a piece, and put it in his mouth to chew.
Xi Xizhi's busy little figure kept darting around the table. She hadn't eaten a single bite, and instead, she was exhausted. She slumped down, panting heavily, and looked weakly at the pile of dishes in front of An Honghan.
An Honghan smiled slightly, raised the cup to Xiao Diao's lips, and said, "Seeing how attentive you are, I won't hold my injury against you. Have some water and catch your breath."
Because of that drinking incident, Xi Xizhi felt that every time she saw a glass, it contained alcohol.
I brought the cup closer and carefully sniffed it.
There's no smell of alcohol...
Only then did I feel safe and bold enough to stick out my tongue and slowly lick it.
The cool water slid down her throat, bringing a refreshing sensation that instantly soothed Xi Xizhi. Her strength had been greatly exhausted, and her stomach was rumbling loudly in the quiet hall.
An Honghan laughed without giving it any face, and moved a plate of braised fish in front of it, "Eat quickly."
Xi Xizhi didn't stand on ceremony. It grabbed the fish's body with its paws and began to gnaw. Because there were fish bones, it gnawed very carefully, picking out each and every one before starting to eat.
After a satisfying meal, Xi Xizhi's paws were covered in grease again. A palace maid brought hot water and cleaned them with a cloth. In an instant, it was transformed back into an adorable little sable that everyone loved and flowers admired.
Xi Xizhi let out a comfortable burp, smacked her lips, and the taste of braised fish still lingered in her mouth.
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