Shen Yunyun felt a bit awkward. Whether it was Tang Yu mentioning the origin of the bracelet or the painting she had seen, it clearly indicated that she would marry this little baby in the future. And they would even have children—how else would Tangjia Village come to be? She was a woman who had seen his umbilical cord; how could she marry him? Damn it. Was she being raised as a wife here? But wasn’t this way too ridiculous? Who starts raising a spouse from birth?
Meeting Little Tangyuan’s sparkling little eyes, Shen Yunyun found it hard to refuse and reached out to take the child. Seeing her outstretched hand, Little Tangyuan flailed in the little eunuch’s arms, grinning widely with a soft, milky giggle that, if heard too often, might induce lactation. As soon as Little Tangyuan was in Shen Yunyun’s arms, he wrapped his hands around her neck and lunged to kiss her on the mouth. Shen Yunyun quickly tilted her chin up, and Little Tangyuan bumped into it, dazed for a moment. Then, his little head bobbed as he pecked at her chin with his tiny mouth, making “ah ah ah” sounds while his little legs kicked away, clearly delighted by the game. Afterward, he leaned back to look at Shen Yunyun, giggling and revealing four tiny baby teeth.
A child’s laughter is the most infectious, and Shen Yunyun couldn’t help but curl her lips into a smile.
“Your Majesty, the Grand Marshal, Minister of War, Minister of Revenue, Duke of Zhenguo, and General of Fuyuan are waiting outside,” Hu Daban whispered close to the Empress Dowager’s ear, reminding her. The Empress Dowager waved her hand, signaling him to withdraw.
Knowing her time was tight, Shen Yunyun handed the child to Gui Momo. But the child grabbed her collar, refusing to let go or go with Gui Momo, his whole body radiating resistance as he babbled incessantly.
“Since he doesn’t want to leave, then let him stay. You hold him and sit behind the screen,” the Empress Dowager said.
“Are you planning to discuss the drought?” Shen Yunyun asked.
The Empress Dowager nodded. “The National Advisor predicted a great drought in the north long ago. At the start of the year, I gathered grain and shipped it to Ji Prefecture. But when it came time to open the granaries and distribute relief, the 100,000 shi of grain inside had vanished.”
Shen Yunyun was no stranger to this kind of plot and quickly asked, “How many disaster victims are there?”
“Hundreds of thousands.”
“Then the 100,000 shi of grain you gathered is just a drop in the bucket, isn’t it?” Whether a shi was 100 jin or 120 jin didn’t make much difference.
“Indeed, it’s a drop in the bucket, but it can stabilize morale and buy some time. Perhaps we can thin the porridge, or if heavy rain comes and wild greens sprout from the ground, the people might survive this calamity—it’s at least a glimmer of hope. As a last resort, we could divert military rations, but once those are touched…” The Empress Dowager trailed off, not finishing her sentence. Military supplies couldn’t be moved casually; it was a capital offense. If the soldiers had no food, chaos would ensue—rebellion was even possible.
The Empress Dowager calmed herself a bit and continued, “Even if we move the military rations, it’s just a temporary fix. Northern Yan and Southern Chu demand tribute from us every year. They are strong, and Great Li is weak, surviving in the cracks. I beg the immortal to save the people of Great Li from this suffering.” She rose and knelt again before Shen Yunyun.
Shen Yunyun had already heard in the court that Great Li had to pay tribute to Northern Yan and Southern Chu every year. The people likely couldn’t even eat their fill in a good harvest year, let alone during a natural disaster. This Great Li kingdom truly had no resilience against crises. Under what circumstances had Northern Yan and Southern Chu not carved up Great Li? Could it be that Great Li had become a military buffer zone between them?