Zhao Jinghuan, upon seeing this, couldn't help but sigh. Originally, he didn't have the mind to pay attention to anything else, but now he was moved by her appearance.
He sighed quietly, put aside the reports in his hand, and said, "Since you have put in so much effort, then please present it."
Upon hearing this, Su Mo'er's charming little face finally revealed a smile, like the halo of the sun, penetrating to the bone.
She stepped forward with the food box, taking out all the snacks and stewed soup inside and arranging them. "Your Highness, these are glutinous rice meatballs, these are snow-capped cakes, this is a vegetable dish..."
As she presented each item, she introduced them in detail. Zhao Jinghuan watched and couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, "Did you make all these?"
Su Mo'er blushed and said, "My family's conditions are not good, and I don't have the time to specialize in these things. These in front of you, are all taught to me by my mother."
Zhao Jinghuan nodded in understanding. Under these circumstances, it was natural that she would not have great culinary skills. The appearance of these snacks and sweets was not very nice, but the flavors were rich and delicious.
He hesitated and picked up a meatball and put it in his mouth. After chewing it carefully, his eyes brightened involuntarily.
The surface of the glutinous rice carried a unique fragrance and the juicy meatball inside was tender and delicious. A light bite caused the thick soup to overflow, making it delicious to the point where it was almost impossible to stop eating.
He then put a piece of snow-capped cake in his mouth. Although it was called cake, it was actually fried, with a golden exterior and a translucent white texture. It looked difficult to chew, but it was extremely tender. It was sweet and soft, with endless aftertastes.
He then carefully tasted a few other items and found that they were all rich and delicious. Without realizing it, he became interested and almost finished all the food that Su Mo'er had brought.
Watching from the side, Su Mo'er couldn't help but smile, and when he put down his chopsticks, she quickly gave him a bowl of soup, "Your Highness, this chicken is made from a mature hen, cleaned after slaughter, and stewed for two hours with ginger, garlic, mushrooms, and chestnuts. It's rich and delicious, especially fitting after enjoyi808ng the earlier snacks. It's just right to complement them."
Zhao Jinghuan didn’t originally intend to have more, but the aroma of the chicken soup made him change his mind. He took the bowl and after a sip, the rich fragrance filled his mouth, making him feel very comfortable.
He had two bowls before setting it down and looked at Su Mo'er, nodding, "Very good."
He was not one to speak much, so getting such praise was a rarity. Su Mo'er's cheeks flushed with a rosy hue, gradually spreading under the halo of light.
She asked timidly, "If Your Highness likes it, should I make it for you in the future?"
Zhao Jinghuan was about to respond when his personal bodyguard and deputy commander, Du Zhong, suddenly entered.
Du Zhong, tall and sturdy, with the face resembling the character 'guo,' had a pair of piercing eyes shimmering brightly. Upon entering the room, he spoke in a resonant and steady voice, "Your Highness, urgent report!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Jinghuan put off what he was going to say to Su Mo'er and said sternly, "What is it? Report quickly!"
Du Zhong subconsciously glanced at Su Mo'er, thinking she was just a maid serving the prince and didn’t think much of it. He bowed and reported, "News just came that the disaster relief grain is running out. It may last for another four or five days at most. They are currently scouring every place for grain and begging Your Highness to find another batch of grain for urgent relief."
Zhao Jinghuan, whose expression rarely changed, could not hold back this time and darkened, showing his displeasure, "Running out of grain again? How did the commandant and others manage this? We only brought over a thousand stones of grain from Yongzhou a few days ago, and now it's gone? How do they manage their duties? Is this their explanation to me?"
Du Zhong kept his composure and continued reporting, "Your Highness, it is reported that due to the disaster, there is a shortage of grain in the market, causing prices to rise. It has now increased to four times the usual price. Every time grain is released, those wealthy families hoard the most. They always send their servants or hire people to buy the grain, making it hard to guard against. When the market is short of grain again, they sell at high prices, causing panic and chaos, leading to further hoarding and no new grain coming in. If this continues for a long time, it is feared that it will be difficult to sustain."
"This is unreasonable!" As soon as Du Zhong finished speaking, Zhao Jinghuan slammed the table and got up, his brows furrowed and his whole body exuding a chilling aura, sending shivers down one's spine.
If it were anyone else, they would have been scared to speak, but Du Zhong was Zhao Jinghuan's most trusted confidant. He was equivalent to the eunuch serving the prince, and was not one to back down.
Therefore, upon hearing this, he did not retreat, but instead remained composed and calmly advised, "Your Highness, calm down. Although the situation is not optimistic, the first priority is to stabilize the people's hearts. If you pursue responsibility, I am afraid it will not solve the current situation."
Only then did Zhao Jinghuan take a deep breath and sit back down.
He was well aware of Du Zhong's words, but he couldn't help but feel angry towards the officials of Changzhou.
It is already a decision made, after this, the officials in Chazhou should be cleared out.
Not a single person is able to just rely on their position, and instead it’s the people who suffer.
After a moment of contemplation, he inquired, "How did the negotiations with those influential families about opening the granary and distributing food go as I instructed last time?"
Du Zhong shook his head, "Those folks are all cunning as rats. Even after several negotiations by subordinates, they not only didn't open the granary and distribute food but also clamored that they couldn't survive on their own and relied on the court's relief."
Hearing this, Zhao Jinghuan's cheek twitched, and the hand on the desk gradually clenched into a fist.
A flash of aggression appeared on Du Zhong's face as he suggested, "Your Highness, if you want them to distribute food, the court provides subsidies. But they are all obsessed with profit. As I see it, why bother with these scoundrels? Just send troops to their doors. Anyone who refuses can be framed and punished, killed or imprisoned. Killing one to warn a hundred, this way, let's see who dares to resist?"
Zhao Jinghuan couldn't help but frown, saying, "This approach, while feasible for immediate crisis, is not suitable for long-term stability. The influential families are united. Killing one or two might not be a problem, but if there are more, threatening their interests, then these families will unite and it won't be easy to deal with. You can't just slaughter all these influential families, can you? If that were to happen, what would the reputation of the Great Yan court be? Not to mention, the court officials might get upset and start accusing."
Du Zhong scratched his head, getting distressed, "This won't work, that won't work, then what should we do? Do we just watch those leeches bleed the court and take away the hope of those disaster victims?"
Zhao Jinghuan shook his head, "For now... let's continue to distribute food and congee. I will think of other solutions."
In fact, he understood where the main problem lay. While the disaster was causing suffering to many, it was benefiting the powerful and wealthy families.
…
The author has something to say:
Suo Mo'er: The Highness is angry, it's scary, and I'm so scared...
Here, one “dan” of grain = 92.5 kilograms, and a thousand “dan” is 92,500 kilograms.
I know for sure that there will be some little angels who don't understand why the Prince doesn't let the female lead leave. Let me explain~
1. The female lead is just a dancer.
2. This matter is not really a secret.
3. Because she is the female lead.
4. Plot necessity.
Yep, that’s how it is, goodnight~