The Regent's Concubine is Crazy

Chapter 458

Shangguan Zirun wandered anxiously in the courtyard, wanting to call his sister back.

"Young Master Shangguan, please be patient." Qiu Kui's voice broke Shangguan Zirun's meditation, and she stopped him, "The princess has already detoxified the young lady. The princess is in a bad mood right now, so you'd better not disturb her." There was a hint of helplessness in Qiu Kui's words.

Shangguan Zirun frowned and took a deep breath, trying to calm his inner anxiety.

Qiu Kui hesitated for a moment, as if considering how to say it.

Qiu Kui lowered his voice and said, "If you are worried, you can go see a doctor."

The princess has just detoxified her, so it shouldn't be a big deal. It's better not to disturb the princess. Qiu Kui said silently in her heart: Yun Youyou has completely annoyed the princess. If it weren't for the eldest young master, the princess would not have detoxified her just now.

"What are you still standing there for? Take your wife back with you!" Beichen Xue said impatiently.

Shangguan Zirun nodded in response. He bent down, picked up the sleeping Yun Youyou, and left the Regent's Palace tiredly.

Beichen Xue looked at Shangguan Zirun's departing back and couldn't help but sigh in her heart.

Beichen Xue had a very grim look on her face, and she and Shangguan Dong left the Regent's Palace and went back.

Qiu Kui walked back to the main courtyard with light steps, with a bit of anxiety on her face. She walked up to Shangguan Ziling and said softly, "Princess, the master and the lady have gone back. They asked me to tell you."

Shangguan Ziling nodded gently. She was holding her young son, her eyes full of maternal tenderness. She gently rubbed her son's tender little face, as if she was feeling the miracle of life.

Qiu Kui felt relieved when she saw that Shangguan Ziling was not affected by what happened before. She continued, "Princess, you barely ate a bite of breakfast just now. How about I ask Chun Xiao to prepare some more?"

Shangguan Ziling shook her head and said calmly, "No, I don't have much appetite."

"Mo Shaoxie has been leaving early and coming back late these days. Is the court so busy?" Shangguan Ziling suddenly asked, with a hint of concern and confusion in her voice.

Qiu Kui replied, "Princess, the new emperor has only been on the throne for a short time, and those old ministers are taking advantage of their age. Only our prince can control them."

Shangguan Ziling stared at Qiu Kui, "Is there something that I don't know about?"

Okra and Holly both lowered their heads and remained silent.

Shangguan Ziling raised her eyebrows. Something really happened that she didn't know about!

"Say it!"

Qiu Kui laughed and said, "Well, Princess, the prince doesn't allow us to tell you, for fear that it will affect your mood."

Shangguan Ziling glared at Qiu Kui, "Now that this princess is being kept in the dark by you, I am in a bad mood, why don't you tell me?"

At this time, Dong Qing said, "Princess, there has been a severe drought in the north. The crops and vegetables planted by the people in many towns have dried up. Last year's stored grain has been eaten up, and this year there is no harvest. The people have no food and can only dig tree roots and eat wild grass to fill their stomachs. The treasury is empty, and the court can't provide money for disaster relief."

Shangguan Ziling frowned when she heard this, and her heart was filled with worry.

"When did it happen? How come I don't know?" she asked anxiously.

Dong Qing replied, "The secret guards have been reporting the disaster in the north for more than three months. At that time, the previous emperor was seriously ill and passed away. The imperial treasury was empty and no one cared. After the new emperor ascended the throne, he wanted the ministers to donate silver and grain, but they all cried poor and said they had no silver."

Qiu Kui also added: "Yes, Princess. I remember when you gave birth to Xiao Yi'er, the ministers came to give gifts one after another. At that time, they were not as stingy as they are now."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Qiu Kui lowered her head. "At that time, we had not returned to the capital. When we came back, the prince did not allow us to tell the princess, fearing that it would affect her mood. Later, when the princess gave birth, the prince did not allow us to tell the maids, saying that the princess should take good care of her health, so as not to be upset by hearing these things."

"The prince has prepared some food and sent a batch of food over, but there are too many people affected by the disaster, and it is just a drop in the bucket."

Shangguan Ziling handed Xiao Yier to the wet nurse beside her and walked out. Qiu Kui and Dong Qing looked at each other and followed her out.

Shangguan Ziling came to the palace warehouse and put the remaining food in the space into the warehouse.

"Let someone send these grains to the disaster-stricken areas in the north," Shangguan Ziling said in a deep voice.

Qiu Kui sighed and said, "But, Princess, there are many people affected by the disaster this time, and I'm afraid this food is just a drop in the bucket!"

"It could be helpful to solve the urgent problem. Aren't those ministers saying they are poor and unwilling to donate money to buy food? This princess has plenty of ways to solve the problem! By the way, I don't know how my apprentices are doing in learning medicine and poisons. It's time to test them."

Qiu Kui was stunned and scratched his head. What did the princess mean? Didn't she talk about those ministers just a moment ago? Why was she testing her apprentice again?

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Mo Shaoxie returned home at this moment, his face was as gloomy as the sky before a storm, so depressing that it made people breathless. Behind him, Xiao Zijin and Le Wenshu followed closely, and the three of them hurriedly went straight to the study.

In the study, Mo Shaoxie sat in front of the desk, tapping the table with his fingers, making rhythmic sounds, as if he was thinking about something.

Xiao Zijin and Le Wenshu sat aside, their faces also filled with solemnity.

"The drought in the north is getting worse, and people are living in hardship. We must come up with a solution as soon as possible." Le Wenshu said in a low and powerful voice, worried.

Xiao Zijin nodded, frowning, "That's true, but the north is vast and water is scarce. It's not easy to solve the drought, and the most important thing right now is food."

Le Wenshu also echoed: "Yes, we need a long-term plan that can not only solve the current difficulties, but also prevent droughts from happening again in the future."

The three of them fell into deep thought, and the atmosphere in the study became increasingly heavy.

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Qiu Kui walked in and said, "Princess, the prince has returned home and is in the study now."

Shangguan Ziling was reading a book in the room. She put down the book in her hand after hearing this, and thought for a moment before saying, "He's alone?"

Qiu Kui replied: "There are also Master Xiao and Master Le."

What Mo Shaoxie and the others were discussing in the study must be the drought in the north.

She did not go to the study to disturb them immediately, but continued to flip through the book in her hand. Anyway, she had already figured out how to make those court officials willingly take out the silver.