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The atmosphere was warm and cozy on Gu Yuchen's side, but the palace was shrouded in an unprecedented haze.

The treasury was robbed, and the army was about to go out to war. Although the granary was not robbed,

But now the food shortage has plunged the entire court into an unprecedented predicament.

This series of blows was undoubtedly a severe test for the emperor.

The emperor, at this moment, was like an ant on a hot pan, feeling extremely anxious and worried.

He paced anxiously in the imperial study, his brows furrowed and his eyes revealing endless worry.

He knew very well that this predicament was entirely his own fault, and it was his past negligence that led to the current situation.

In order to raise food and fodder, the emperor had to lower his status and ask the wealthy merchants for food and fodder. He ordered to reduce the meals in the palace.

He reduced his meals from three to two a day to show his love for his soldiers.

However, his efforts did not seem to receive the response they deserved.

Those wealthy businessmen who usually curry favor with the imperial power are now hiding, fearing that they will be involved in this disaster.

And those concubines, concubines, and wealthy concubines in the harem,

They also began to take action, not to raise food and fodder, but to avoid the emperor.

Some thought about how to donate less, while others hid all the good things in their palaces.

Today, what they presented to the emperor were nothing more than some worthless ornaments and jewels.

Looking at these flashy ornaments and jewels, the emperor couldn't help but feel a surge of anger in his heart.

He thought back to the days when these people had vied with each other to sing and dance in order to please him.

But now, when he really needed them, they all stayed away from him.

The Crown Prince and the other princes made the Emperor feel even more disheartened. Except for the Third Prince, the others all claimed to be sick, and none of them were willing to step forward to share the worries of the court.

The emperor saw it all and was furious. He even wanted to drag out these unworthy princes and execute them.

However, he also knew that the consequence of doing so would only make the court more chaotic.

On this irritable afternoon for Emperor Yuan Jin, mottled sunlight filtered in through the window lattices of the imperial study and sprinkled on Emperor Yuan Jin's desk.

At this moment, a steady sound of footsteps was heard outside the door, followed by the respectful figure of the Fourth Prince.

He stepped into the imperial study, walked steadily to the dragon table of Emperor Yuan Jin, knelt down deeply, and touched his forehead to the ground.

He said respectfully: "Your Majesty, I heard today that you are worried about the food and grass for the army, and I am deeply saddened.

I am a humble son, but I am willing to donate half of the food in the Prince of Wei's palace to help my father relieve his worries."

When Emperor Yuan Jin heard this, a gleam of relief flashed in his eyes.

He nodded slightly, looking carefully at the prince who usually did not receive much attention from him.

The fourth prince, Prince Wei, behaved in a measured manner, and his words revealed a deep steadiness.

Every word and sentence he spoke seemed so well-founded, and his style of doing things exuded a sense of righteousness.

Emperor Yuan Jin couldn't help but feel more favorable towards the Fourth Prince.

He realized that the prince was not as mediocre as he had imagined, but instead possessed rare talents and qualities.

A warm feeling surged in his heart and a rare smile appeared on his face.

The fourth prince keenly caught the change in the emperor's expression and was secretly happy in his heart.

He knew that his efforts this time were not in vain, and he won his father's recognition with his actions.

He continued to kneel, but his heart was full of longing and expectation for the future.

At the morning court session in the Great Zhou Palace today, the Emperor sat on the dragon throne.

His face was as gloomy as a dark winter cloud, hanging over the magnificent hall.

His eyes were as sharp as torches as he looked down at the ministers who were kneeling below. They lowered their heads as if they were bearing an endless weight.

A few days ago, it was a critical moment to discuss how to march eastward and attack Dayan.

However, a sudden disaster made everything extremely difficult.

The national treasury was looted by thieves, the granary was also plundered, and the originally ample reserves were wiped out in an instant.

The lifeline of the Great Zhou Kingdom was ruthlessly cut off, and even its daily supplies were in jeopardy, not to mention the impending war.

There was a dead silence in the hall. The ministers kept silent, fearing that their voices would bring down the emperor's wrath.

They were well aware of the emperor's majesty and understood that the situation was now critical.

The emperor glanced at these ministers who were usually arrogant, and a nameless anger welled up in his heart.

He spoke slowly, his voice was not loud, but it was full of unquestionable majesty:

"Tomorrow, each of you will take out 10,000 dan of grain to contribute to the army's attack on Dayan."

The ministers were startled when they heard this. They wanted to say something, but the emperor's gaze was as sharp as a knife, so they dared not hesitate at all.

They knew that this was an imperial decree, the emperor's order, and anyone who disobeyed would be killed without mercy.

The hall fell into silence again. However, this silence contained endless sadness and helplessness.

The Great Zhou Kingdom is facing an unprecedented crisis.

At this critical juncture, Concubine Jing was also in deep distress.

The emperor had set his eyes on some of her treasures and wanted her to use them to raise funds.

Among them, the one with gold-embedded coral and jadeite was the most precious item in the eyes of the emperor.

This golden coral jade is not only the most precious treasure of Concubine Jing,

It was a birthday gift that the Second Prince had taken great pains to find for her. Concubine Jing was naturally reluctant to give it up.

These days, she has lost her appetite and has trouble sleeping. She ponders over

Trying to find a best of both worlds strategy that would preserve the treasure and not offend the emperor.

However, she found that no matter how hard she thought, she couldn't find a perfect solution.

She was filled with anxiety and felt as if she had aged several years overnight.

In the end, out of sheer desperation, Concubine Jing decided to take out a few treasures that were neither the best nor the worst to deal with the Emperor.

She thought that perhaps this would temporarily relieve the emperor's anger and anxiety.

As for how to win back the emperor's favor in the future, we can only take it one step at a time.

At the same time, the Queen's condition is even more worrying.

Although the emperor did not ask her to give out anything to raise funds, all her property was stolen.

This made the Queen feel unprecedented helplessness and despair.

She knew in her heart that this disaster was a huge test for the entire court.

As the queen, she was unable to provide even the most basic help. This feeling of powerlessness made her feel tormented.

During these difficult days, the entire palace was shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere.

Everyone was worried about raising food and supplies, and everyone was calculating for their own interests.