"Don't you think you've harmed me enough?" An Honghan said deliberately, raising the back of his hand in front of the little sable and waving it.
The little ferret felt increasingly guilty and remorseful...
She bit her lip tightly, raised her deep blue eyes, and met An Honghan's gaze. At worst, she would behave herself from now on and try to avoid causing trouble. But how serious was that wound?
“Your Majesty, this is just a minor injury. With proper rest, it will be fine and won’t leave a scar.” The leading imperial physician took out a bottle of ointment from his medical kit. “This medicine has the effect of promoting tissue regeneration and can help the wound heal quickly. It is best to apply it once a day.”
Xi Xizhi felt relieved, thankfully it wasn't serious, otherwise her sins would have been much greater.
But will An Honghan hate it because of this? Its life is entirely dependent on An Honghan, which is why it is so leisurely. If An Honghan intends to abandon it, given its current weak and feeble state, there is only one path for it to take after leaving home—the road to the underworld.
The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became, and Xi Xizhi gripped An Honghan's clothes tightly with her claws.
An Honghan raised an eyebrow slightly, "You know fear, yet you still cause trouble everywhere?"
He'd only been raising the Phoenix Cloud Sable for a few days, and he'd already cleaned up so many messes for it. Why did he choose to raise such a troublesome creature?
"Chirp chirp..." Xi Xizhi tried her best to express her determination not to do it again, hoping to gain An Honghan's forgiveness. Her anxious look was especially cute. Her little mouth opened and closed, her paws clung tightly to An Honghan's arm, and her eyes were clear and innocent.
"Help me change my clothes, we can't delay the morning court." An Honghan flicked the little sable's forehead hard with his finger, making Xi Xizhi dizzy and her little head shake several times before it gradually stopped.
He wanted to see how those old fogies would explain what happened in Fengzhou.
The little sable covered its forehead with its two paws. Was this a punishment? Since An Honghan didn't bring up the embarrassing incident again, it meant that it wouldn't be pursued.
Several palace maids brought out the dragon robes and dressed An Honghan in them one by one.
"Lin En, give the order to remove all vases taller than half a meter from the Panlong Hall." An Honghan looked around the hall. There were still six one-meter-tall vases left. If Little Marten knocked over another one, who could guarantee that it could be saved?
To be on the safe side, it's best to replace all these 'dangerous items'.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Lynn immediately ordered the eunuchs to move the vase.
Apart from the vases placed on the table for flower arrangement, all the other large vases were moved out.
After straightening his clothes, An Honghan picked up the little sable and went to the morning court. Because of this unexpected incident, when they entered the main hall, all the civil and military officials who had arrived long ago were waiting for a while.
The three ministers of the Ministry of Revenue broke out in a cold sweat, their heads bowed low. The Left Chancellor, Situ, who was in the know, also looked extremely uncomfortable.
"Do you have anything to report?" An Honghan sat on the dragon throne, exuding majesty and authority, while the little sable lay curled up on his knees. His bright eyes searched among the assembled officials for the three ministers from yesterday.
The officials were all dressed in similar court attire. Xi Xizhi looked at them one by one, searching for a long time before finally recognizing three ministers who were bowing their heads. Suddenly, one of them stepped forward and stepped out of the ranks.
"Your Majesty, I have something to report," one of the three ministers said.
"Granted." An Honghan said casually, but there was a hint of coldness in those two words.
The minister clasped his hands together, bowed slightly, and said, "The floods in Fengzhou have caused serious losses to the court. In order to resolve this matter as soon as possible, I volunteer to go to Fengzhou to manage the floods."
The other two ministers also stepped forward, saying, "We are also willing to go."
The court officials were taken aback and began to discuss the matter animatedly, asking, "When did Fengzhou flood? Why is such an important matter only being mentioned now?"
Many ministers then discussed the people's livelihood and crops. Fengzhou was an important grain-producing area of Fengze Kingdom, and with the flood, there would certainly be no harvest. Grain was the foundation of the country; if there was a grain shortage, the people would not be able to eat their fill, the people's hearts would be unsettled, and it would easily lead to chaos in the country.
The discussion below was in full swing, but An Honghan remained silent.
Only when someone asked for his opinion did An Honghan coldly say, "This is the solution you came up with?" Suddenly, he turned to the minister and angrily cursed, "Useless wretch! If it were this simple, why would I still be paying your salaries?"
The officials were terrified, and the entire hall was filled with them kneeling in a dense mass.
"Please calm your anger, Your Majesty."
Xi Xizhi blinked and looked down. The three ministers from the Ministry of Revenue, their bodies trembling, were the most conspicuous.
"Situ Feiyu, tell me... why did you conceal the truth and deceive your superiors!" An Honghan's tone shifted again, heading straight for the Left Prime Minister.
Situ Feiyu was arrogant and ambitious, always eager to gain personal credit. This matter was no exception. He had hoped that as long as he stopped the flood before the Right Chancellor, he could then claim credit from His Majesty. Who knew the situation would escalate so much, and despite several attempts to build dikes, nothing could be done?
"Your Majesty, I... I had planned to report to Your Majesty after the flood was brought under control. I did not expect the severity of the situation to be beyond my capabilities. I was prepared to report today, but Your Majesty brought it up first." After receiving the message from the three ministers yesterday, Situ Feiyu had been thinking of a solution all night.
Right Chancellor Liu Fuqing and Situ Feiyu have always been at odds, always arguing and trying to win. However, compared to Situ Feiyu's character, Liu Fuqing appears upright and incorruptible, and enjoys a very high reputation in the court.
"In my humble opinion, someone is afraid that his credit will be stolen and he will not receive any reward." Liu Fuqing was around fifty years old, with a square face, and compared to Situ Feiyu, he had a more upright air about him.
Even if the ministers didn't say it aloud, they could guess what was going on. After Liu Fuqing pointed it out, even those who hadn't thought of it that way couldn't help but begin to have doubts.
Situ Feiyu angrily shouted, "Liu Fuqing, don't talk nonsense and ruin my reputation!"
"Whether that's what you think or not, you know it in your heart, and I believe Your Majesty is also aware of it." Liu Fuqing snorted and glared.
"Shut up, all of you!" A powerful and authoritative voice echoed throughout the hall.
The ministers all stopped talking, and in that instant, even the sound of the wind could be heard clearly.
Behind the dragon throne, the screen depicts a lifelike golden dragon that inspires awe.
"I asked you to find a way to resolve the Fengzhou issue, not to argue and insult each other."
Xi Xizhi glanced at An Honghan, then at the ministers. With so many people talking at once, Xi Xizhi finally understood the meaning of the phrase. The ministers' argument was more annoying than sparrows.
Although it doesn't understand the art of governing a country, it knows that... given the current situation, appeasing the people is the most important thing.
It raised its paw and gently rubbed it back and forth on An Honghan's thigh, a gesture that seemed to be comforting an injured person.
Frustrated by those ministers who were all talk and no action, An Honghan noticed a sudden tingling sensation in his thigh.
Xi Xizhi was afraid that he wouldn't understand what it meant, so she rubbed it even harder, until the plum blossom-shaped paw pads were all red.
An Honghan pondered for a moment, then grabbed its little paw to stop it from dawdling any longer, and said calmly, "You mean... appease... the people?"
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