In the Great Qian Imperial Palace, inside Taiji Hall.
As the first light of dawn broke, the golden hall was illuminated, and all the officials stood in solemn silence. On the dragon throne, the Emperor looked pale, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the gilded dragon heads of the armrests, his knuckles knobby and protruding from prolonged, uncured illness. The hall was deathly quiet, save for the wisps of blue smoke rising from the bronze crane incense burner in the corner, mingling scents of medicine and sandalwood.
"Your Majesty!" Minister of Revenue Zhao Mingcheng stepped out of the ranks, fine beads of sweat dotting his forehead. "Urgent reports from thirteen prefectures and counties, including Jiangnan, Hedong, and Longxi: this year, droughts and floods have struck together, leaving the fields barren and forcing the people to trade children and eat them! The granaries in every prefecture and county are empty. I implore the imperial court to immediately allocate grain for disaster relief!"
Chapter 196