Chapter Ninety-Five: Busy
After returning to the palace, the two enjoyed a period of peace, but this peace did not last long, as turmoil suddenly broke out in the court.
An urgent report arrived from the north, stating that several counties were suffering from a locust plague unseen in a century. The locusts, swarming to the sky, devoured the last remaining crops, leaving the people homeless and the land filled with cries of despair.
Almost simultaneously, an urgent report came from the southern border that an enemy country was taking advantage of the situation and frequently provoking others, and war was imminent.
The lights in the imperial study burned all night long. Huo Lin summoned his ministers to discuss countermeasures and reviewed mountains of memorials, often sitting from dawn till late at night.
Jiang Huan was ordered by Huo Lin to recuperate in Weiyang Palace, but she was not unaware of the outside world.
Xiao Zhao would worry about the tense atmosphere in the court every day, and Wang Degui would occasionally pass by to deliver things, his brows showing an undisguised weariness.
What worried her the most was Huo Lin.
Huo Lin came to see her later and later, sometimes only for a quick glance to make sure she was alright before rushing back to the Imperial Study.
Even after he arrived, a deep and unyielding gravity remained between his brows, and the dark circles under his eyes became increasingly noticeable, making his already stern features appear even thinner.
"Xiao Zhao," Jiang Huan asked, looking at the deep night outside the window, "Is His Majesty not coming to dine with us again tonight?"
Xiao Zhao sighed: "Yes, Your Highness, Eunuch Wang said that the Emperor is still reviewing memorials right now."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Huan frowned slightly, recalling Huo Lin's childhood experiences.
This journey has been incredibly difficult. Now, burdened with the weight of the world's responsibilities, even a proper meal has become a luxury.
No, she can't just stand by and watch.
"Xiao Zhao," Jiang Huan turned her wheelchair around, "let's go to the small kitchen and make something for the Emperor."
"Ah?" Xiao Zhao hesitated, "But, my lady, your leg..."
"My leg is injured, but my hand isn't broken."
Jiang Huan raised her chin. "Besides, don't I still have you? You can be my hands, and I'll give the orders with my mouth."
Xiao Zhao thought about it and realized there was no problem.
The small kitchen was soon lit up by warm yellow lights. Jiang Huan sat in a wheelchair with a thin blanket covering her legs.
She directed Xiao Zhao to clean the black-boned chicken and put it whole into the pot.
"Xiao Zhao, turn the heat down a bit. Only by simmering it over a low flame can we extract all the medicinal properties."
Jiang Huan stared intently at the steam rising from the pot lid, the rich aroma of angelica, astragalus, codonopsis, and other medicinal herbs mingling with the mellow scent of old hen lingering around her nose.
"Yes, my lady." Xiao Zhao carefully adjusted the heat.
The black chicken soup began to simmer softly in the clay pot, and Jiang Huan then instructed Xiao Zhao to prepare the ingredients for the dessert.
"Flour, glutinous rice flour, in the ratio I mentioned before, and some fresh lotus seeds, remove the cores, mash them into a paste, and some honey..."
Jiang Huan herself was not idle either. She picked up a small knife and sliced a piece of fine Poria cocos into slices as thin as cicada wings.
Although her movements were slightly awkward due to her posture, her knife strikes were precise and swift.
She wanted to make Poria and Lotus Seed Cake. Poria calms the mind and soothes the nerves, lotus seeds clear heat and reduce internal fire, and honey moisturizes dryness.
Hopefully, this little bit of sweetness can soothe Huo Lin's tense nerves.
An hour later, in the Imperial Study.
Huo Lin rubbed his throbbing temples and closed the last report on the deployment of military equipment in the south.
The mountain of memorials piled up on my desk has finally shrunk a bit, but my physical exhaustion and mental tension have reached their peak.
His stomach felt empty and ached slightly, but he had no appetite.
Wang Degui carefully brought in a bowl of ginseng soup: "Your Majesty, it's late. Would you like some ginseng soup to refresh yourself?"
Huo Lin glanced at the soup, his brows furrowing even more.
It's greasy and disgusting to look at.
He waved his hand, his tone impatient.
"Withdraw."
Wang Degui sighed, his face contorted with bitterness, and was about to leave when he heard the faint sound of carriage wheels outside the hall, accompanied by an enticing aroma.
Huo Lin suddenly looked up and saw Jiang Huan sitting in a wheelchair, being slowly pushed in by Xiao Zhao.
She looked at him with a gentle smile on her face and her eyes sparkling.
"Your Majesty, I've brought you some late-night snacks."
Huo Lin instinctively wanted to stand up, but his body was stiff from sitting for so long.
"Nonsense!" He put on a stern face, deliberately lowering his voice.
"Who told you to run around like that? Your leg injury hasn't healed yet; what if you bump into something again?"
It's so dark outside, it's not safe on the road.
Why isn't she resting in her room?
Hearing the worry hidden beneath his stern tone, Jiang Huan felt a warmth in her heart, but on the surface, she obediently admitted her mistake.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. It was my fault, but Xiao Zhao was pushing me, and we kept the lamps lit the whole way, so we were on the safe side."
She took out the stew pot and pushed it in front of him, then lifted the lid, and a rich aroma instantly filled the air.
The soup is clear and bright, and you can see the tender chicken, plump red dates, and goji berries.
"Your Highness stewed it for a long time, keeping a close eye on the heat the whole time," Xiao Zhao added quietly from the side.
Huo Lin looked at the bowl of soup, and a warm feeling quietly welled up in his heart.
He walked to the table, sat down, and picked up a spoon.
"You've worked hard." His voice was still deep, but much gentler.
Huo Lin scooped up a spoonful of soup, blew on it, and put it into his lips.
The warm broth glides down your throat, carrying the subtle sweetness of the herbs and the rich flavor of the chicken. It is truly delicious, and the warmth reaches every part of your body.
[It tastes good, and my stomach feels a bit better.]
[It's tough on her; her leg isn't even fully healed, yet she's still thinking of me.]
Sigh, she sits there all day long, she's practically moldy in Weiyang Palace, what's so hard about that?
On the other hand, his face looked like a bitter gourd.
Huo Lin ate two pieces of pastry and drank most of a bowl of soup.
Seeing him eat, Jiang Huan finally felt a little relieved.
Although Huo Lin's appetite was much smaller than usual, it was still a rare treat for him, who had barely been able to eat for days.
However, when Huo Lin put down his chopsticks and his gaze inadvertently swept over a copy of an urgent report about the resettlement of disaster victims on the corner of the table, his brows, which had just relaxed, unconsciously furrowed again.
The warmth in my stomach seemed to be instantly suppressed by the heavy reality, and the little appetite that had just risen vanished without a trace.
Worries, like dark clouds, once again enveloped his weary face.
"I still have matters to attend to. The soup and the snacks are excellent, but it's getting late. You should go back and rest early."
Jiang Huan looked at the dishes he barely touched and the heavy look that had returned to his brows, and sighed softly in her heart.
Being an emperor is not easy.
She opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end she only replied softly, "Yes, Your Majesty, please rest early and don't tire yourself out."
Jiang Huan collected the untouched food from the table and, carrying the food box, was pushed out of the Imperial Study by Xiao Zhao.
I still haven't eaten enough.
How could those worries weigh on him so much that he couldn't even eat?
Jiang Huan's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, her bright eyes filled with worry and heartache.
As Jiang Huan was being pushed in her wheelchair by Xiao Zhao away from the Imperial Study, she couldn't help but look back.
The warm yellow light shone through the carved window lattice, illuminating Huo Lin's figure bent over his desk, solitary yet exuding an indescribable heaviness.
"My lady, don't worry too much. His Majesty has drunk the soup," Xiao Zhao comforted him softly.
"Um."
Jiang Huan responded softly, but her eyebrows remained furrowed.
Those little bit of soup and snacks were just a drop in the ocean.
The weight of the nation on his shoulders was like a thousand-pound burden; how could a few hot meals easily alleviate it?
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