Chapter 441 It’s dark!
At the same time, in the imperial study of the palace, the atmosphere was as solemn as a mountain.
Mo Yifan frowned, almost breaking the purple-hair brush in his hand.
He impatiently pushed the pile of memorials in front of him, looked at the figure sitting opposite him like a rock, and sighed deeply, his voice full of fatigue and helplessness: "Little uncle, look at these... They are all urgent reports about the snow disasters suffered by the northern counties in recent days! Houses collapsed, fields were flooded, and people were displaced... And in and outside the capital, in just a few days, countless refugees with pale faces and skinny bodies, dragging their families with them, have poured in! The capital is like this, and the hinterland of the north... I'm afraid it's a living hell!" He pointed at the shocking descriptions in the memorials, his fingertips trembling slightly.
Mo Liyuan, dressed in a dark python robe, sat leisurely in an armchair, his slender fingers slowly stroking a smooth white jade ring. His expression was indifferent, his eyelids slightly raised, and his voice was low and steady, without a trace of emotion: "The national treasury is now full. The emperor has issued a decree according to the rules, instructing the Ministry of Revenue to allocate money and grain, and to send capable officials to provide relief."
Mo Yifan almost went crazy after hearing this. He stood up suddenly and paced back and forth anxiously behind the imperial desk: "Little uncle! You say it so lightly! I, as the emperor... I really don't want to be emperor for a single day! There's still no clue about the snowstorm in the north, and at the court this morning, those old ministers were clamoring for me to expand my harem and have more children! Everything is so annoying! Little uncle..."
He suddenly stopped, his eyes gleaming with an almost pleading tone. He said half-jokingly and half-seriously, "How about... I let you sit on this hot dragon throne? You become the emperor..." He screamed madly in his heart: Being an emperor is so frustrating! It's so much more tiring than when I was a prince before, and there's no freedom at all!
Mo Liyuan suddenly stopped stroking the ring. He slowly raised his eyelids, and his eyes, as deep as a cold pond, swept coldly towards Mo Yifan. His gaze was as sharp as a knife, carrying an invisible, suffocating pressure, as if freezing the air in the imperial study in an instant.
"Don't want to be emperor?" He opened his thin lips slightly, his voice was low and chilling, "I don't want to hear such nonsense from you again! Otherwise..."
Mo Yifan was frozen by his cold gaze and words, as if a basin of ice water was poured over his head, and all the complaints and grievances in his heart were instantly frozen.
He curled his lips in dissatisfaction, and finally dared not say another word. He sat back in his chair dejectedly. In the huge imperial study, the only sounds left were his heavy breathing and the subtle, cold friction sound made by the occasional turning of the white jade ring on Mo Liyuan's finger.
Mo Liyuan's voice sounded faintly, "In the spring, it's time for you to expand your harem and have more children."
Mo Yifan raised his head suddenly, his handsome face instantly filled with deep resentment, his brows furrowed, and he looked at his usually aloof uncle, "No way, little uncle, even you..." The unfinished words were full of incredible grievance and resistance.
Mo Liyuan ignored his emotions. His deep eyes were calm. His gaze passed over him, as if penetrating the carved window lattice and falling on the distant northern territory ravaged by wind and snow.
His tone remained calm, but every word was weighty and struck Mo Yifan's heart: "The most urgent task is to summon several important officials from the Ministry of Revenue and the Cabinet to discuss how to provide disaster relief, and... who to send north to take charge of the overall situation."
Mo Yifan's heart trembled. Although he had no interest in the dragon throne, now that he was sitting on it, he could not shirk the heavy responsibility.
The north is bitterly cold. If the imperial court does not lend a helping hand, the hungry and cold victims will cause chaos, and the consequences will be disastrous.
He suppressed his irritability, and his eyes regained the clarity and solemnity of an emperor. He turned his gaze to Little Li, who was standing by with his head bowed, and said in a deep voice, "Go quickly, and summon a few ministers to the imperial study to discuss matters!"
"Yes, sir!" Little Lizi did not dare to delay. He immediately bowed and retreated silently and swiftly.
When dusk fell and the palace lanterns were lit one after another, Mo Liyuan led them out of the palace and back to the prince's mansion.
He stepped into the main courtyard. Under the dim corridor lights, Chuchun and Chuxia, two personal maids, were standing outside the closed door, with confusion and worry on their faces.
Chuxia stood on tiptoe, trying to peek through the crack in the door that let in no light. She lowered her voice and said to Chuchun, "Chuchun, what do you think the princess is doing in there? It's pitch black, and the lights are not on. Is she asleep?"
Chuchun also shook her head worriedly: "Neither lunch nor dinner has been delivered, and I haven't eaten or drunk anything. It's really worrying..."
Mo Liyuan approached silently, his tall figure carrying an imposing chill that startled the two girls. They hurriedly turned around and saluted, "Your Highness!"
"Where is the princess?" His voice was low and no emotion could be heard.
"The princess has been in her room the entire time and hasn't come out. I've instructed you not to disturb her." Chuchun replied cautiously, "She hasn't had lunch or dinner...either of them."
Mo Liyuan's brows knitted slightly, and he waved his hand: "Back off."
The two maids, as if pardoned, bowed again and retreated.
Mo Liyuan raised his hand to push open the tightly closed door, then closed it with his other hand.
It was pitch dark in the room, and there was no trace of Lan Xiyue's fresh breath in the air. He knew that Yue'er must have entered the space.
He did not rush to light the candle, but walked straight to the pearwood chair beside the table and sat down.
His slender fingers tapped lightly on the cold tabletop, his steady breathing blended into the darkness. He waited patiently, the only sound in the entire room being his shallow breathing.
Inside the space, Lan Xiyue was looking at the rows of porcelain jars and medicine bottles of various sizes in front of her. She let out a long sigh and nodded with satisfaction.
The constant concentration made her muscles and bones a little stiff. She stretched her arms, softened her aching back, and let out a soft groan: "I'm so tired..."
Walking to the spiritual spring, she bent down, scooped up a handful of clear and cool spring water with both hands, and drank a few mouthfuls greedily. The clear and sweet spring water slid down her throat, bringing a sense of comfort.
She casually rubbed her wet hands on the hem of her clothes, and with a slight movement of her mind, her figure instantly disappeared from the space.
The moment Lan Xiyue's figure appeared in the room, Mo Liyuan keenly captured the almost imperceptible spatial fluctuations.
His figure flashed like a ghost, and before her feet had completely touched the ground and her breathing was still a little unstable, he was already beside her.
He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. The crisp scent of pine and cypress from his body mixed with the slight chill outside, instantly enveloping her.
Lan Xiyue was caught off guard and gasped in surprise. Only when she smelled that familiar scent did her tense body relax. She leaned softly against his solid chest, complaining with a hint of coquettishness, "Why don't you light a candle? It's already dark!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
