Traveling through the busy farmland of a peasant girl

In the Golden Throne Hall, the morning light filtered through the carved window lattices, casting bright beams of light on the golden brick floor, illuminating the solemn faces of the civil and military officials in the court with exceptional clarity.

Empress Shen Li was dressed in a gorgeous and solemn dragon robe, sitting steadily on the towering dragon throne. Although she tried her best to maintain a calm expression, the nervousness of attending court for the first time still inadvertently leaked out from her slightly clenched palms.

Beside him stood Ruihua Jun Luo Lingchen, dressed in exquisite and gorgeous clothes, with a straight posture and an innate and outstanding temperament.

Before everyone could fully adapt to the solemn atmosphere of the new emperor's arrival, Li Mingxuan, the Minister of Rites, took a step forward, clasped his hands together, and bowed respectfully.

But his face was full of entanglement and seriousness, and his tone was filled with undisguised doubt: "Your Majesty, I have something that is really stuck in my throat and I have to report it. Ruihua Jun is the harem master, but now he is sitting in the court with Your Majesty. This is really against common sense.

Our dynasty's ancestral family law is written in black and white, clearly stipulating that the harem is not allowed to interfere in government affairs. Now that Lord Ruihua is participating in court affairs, I am afraid that this will break the rules set by our ancestors. I hope Your Majesty will think twice!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the originally quiet court fell into a dead silence. Everyone's eyes were focused on Shen Li and Luo Lingchen, as if the air had frozen at this moment.

Upon hearing this, Shen Li's expression suddenly became stern. His gaze was like a sharp sword, quickly sweeping over everyone in the court. His voice was firm and powerful, with unquestionable majesty: "Lord Li, have you all forgotten? Lord Ruihua was once the Emperor of Lichen, and he has rich experience in governing the country.

I have just ascended the throne, and my foundation is still shallow. The situation inside and outside the court is complex and complicated, and I need the assistance of wise men like Ruihua Jun. Is it more important to stick to old rules, or is it more important to provide advice for the country and stabilize the court? I hope you will not put the cart before the horse and miss out on national affairs!

Li Mingxuan's face turned pale and red after being refuted by Shen Li's words. Fine beads of sweat oozed out of his forehead. He knelt down and apologized: "Your Majesty, please calm down. It was my fault for not considering the matter carefully and speaking out of turn."

Shen Li raised her hand slightly, and her tone became a little calmer: "Lord Li, please stand up. From now on, please consider the overall situation."

Li Mingxuan had just left, and before the atmosphere in the court had even calmed, Zhou Kang, the Minister of Revenue, frantically knelt on the ground. His voice trembled as he reported, "Your Majesty! Jiangnan, a land of fish and rice, has always been known as the world's granary, but now a locust plague has struck without warning! The locusts are swarming like a blanket, devouring crops wherever they go. The people's year's hard work has been wasted. How will they survive in the future?"

This news was like a bombshell, instantly causing a storm in the court.

The ministers were immediately in an uproar, whispering to each other and talking a lot, and everyone's face was filled with worry and anxiety.

Upon hearing this, Shen Li's brows knitted into the shape of a "川" character. He was secretly shocked, but he still pretended to be calm on the surface and asked in an orderly manner: "Minister Zhou, has the scope of the disaster been clearly estimated? Have the local officials taken any emergency measures?"

Zhou Kang raised his head tremblingly, his voice filled with helplessness and frustration. "Your Majesty, preliminary estimates show that the disaster has affected three prefectures and five counties in Jiangnan. Although local officials immediately organized the people to swat the locusts, there were simply too many of them, and they were coming in so fiercely that human efforts were like a drop in the bucket in the face of this overwhelming swarm of insects. The effect was minimal!"

At this moment, the Minister of Works, Zhao Wenyuan, quickly stepped forward, clasped his hands together, and respectfully bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, the most urgent task is to immediately allocate food to the disaster area. The people are starving. Only by alleviating their immediate needs can we stabilize their hearts and prevent further chaos."

Before he could finish his words, the Minister of Justice, Sun Zheng, could not help but retort, "While Minister Zhao's words make sense, transferring grain is ultimately only a temporary solution. If the locust problem isn't completely resolved, even if we ship in grain now, there won't be enough to grow next year. How will the people survive? In my opinion, the most urgent task is to quickly develop a practical and feasible strategy to eliminate the locusts."

The two factions each held their own view, neither willing to give in, their faces reddening with anger. Shen Li sat on the dragon throne, listening quietly to the arguments, his brow furrowing ever tighter. Suddenly at a loss for what to do, he subconsciously cast a pleading glance towards Luo Lingchen beside him, his eyes filled with inquiry and expectation.

Luo Lingchen leaned slightly to the side, lowering his voice to a whisper as he leaned close to Shen Li's ear. With a hint of a reminder, he whispered, "Your Majesty, have you forgotten the immortal chickens you keep in your spatial treasure? Those immortal chickens are incredibly large, and their appetites are astonishing. They're perfect for dealing with locusts. A single immortal chicken can eat as much as dozens of ordinary chickens. They're perfect for killing locusts."

Shen Li's eyes instantly lit up like stars, and the majestic image of the immortal chicken quickly emerged in her mind. At this moment, the official in charge of the national treasury hurried forward, a look of satisfaction on his face, and respectfully reported, "Your Majesty, thanks to the high-yield grain seeds and rain-making talismans you provided, we have had bumper harvests in recent years. Granaries across the country are now fully stocked with food. There is no need to worry about the short-term food supply in the disaster-stricken areas. It is more than enough to alleviate the people's urgent needs."

Prime Minister He Changting stood aside. Since Shen Li came to court, he had been observing the new emperor carefully in secret.

He couldn't help but think back to the past. If it weren't for the sudden appearance of Empress Shen Li and her extraordinary strategy and outstanding courage, how could the three countries of Lichen, Dongsheng and Xiqi surrender so quickly?

The four countries that were once in constant conflict have now merged into a powerful and unified China. The people can rest and recuperate, and the world situation has shifted from turmoil to stability. All of this is due to Shen Li's great talent and strategy.

Just as Shen Li was about to speak, the Minister of Revenue, Bai Jin, nodded slightly, stepped forward, and said with a bow, "Your Majesty, what Lord Ruihua said is absolutely right. The immortal chicken is huge in size and has an amazing appetite. It is definitely capable of taking on the task of eliminating locusts. Moreover, the immortal chicken preys on locusts, which can not only solve the locust plague, but also will not cause additional damage to farmland. It really kills two birds with one stone." He analyzed clearly, his words full of approval for Luo Lingchen's proposal.

Shen Li smiled and nodded to Bai Jin, thinking: My uncle is really capable. He has a clear mind at the critical moment and immediately points out the advantages of using the fairy chicken to kill locusts, allowing others to better understand the feasibility of this strategy.

Shen Li quickly made a comprehensive consideration in his mind, thinking that the dragon Bai Fan was extremely fast and huge in size, and would definitely be able to take on the task of transporting the fairy chicken and officials.

Then, she raised her hand and waved it vigorously, saying loudly: "My dear ministers, Lord Ruihua proposed to use the immortal chicken to kill the locusts. After careful consideration, I think this plan is feasible.

I have decided to dispatch the White Dragon, Baifan, to carry officials and the Immortal Chicken to the disaster-stricken areas south of the Yangtze River. Minister of Works Zhao Wenyuan, you will immediately select capable officials to accompany the dragon.

Upon arrival in the disaster area, the immortal chickens must be properly placed and the people must be instructed to cooperate in locust control without any slackness. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Revenue will closely monitor the situation in the disaster area and flexibly allocate food according to actual needs."

The ministers knelt on the ground and responded in unison: "We obey your orders!"

After the discussion about disaster relief in the court came to a temporary end, Shen Li glanced at the ministers with a gentle gaze and decided, "My dear ministers, you have to come to the palace for the morning court every day at the hour of Mao. It is really hard. In the summer when the sun rises early, it is not so bad. But in the winter, when it is freezing cold, getting up and traveling before daybreak is really a torture. Moreover, I understand that you ministers have rushed here without even having breakfast. This is very, very bad for your health!"

She paused for a moment and emphasized her tone, "So! I've decided that from now on, our morning court session will be held at noon. You can have breakfast first."

The ministers looked at each other, their eyes filled with surprise and gratitude. They all knew the hardships of getting up early in the dark in winter, and now the empress understood them and changed the time of the morning court, which was truly considerate.

The ministers murmured and nodded, all agreeing that the Empress's suggestion was perfectly reasonable. Unsurprisingly, not a single objection was raised, and the entire group unanimously passed the resolution.

Watching this scene, He Changting finally agreed with Emperor Xuan Ye's decision from the bottom of his heart.

In contrast, his grandson Xuan Heng really does not have Shen Li's courage to remain calm in the face of danger, the ability to make decisive decisions, and the heart to care about the people of the world.

Although this new emperor has just ascended the throne, she has already shown extraordinary imperial demeanor. Perhaps, under her leadership, the country can truly prosper.