My brother entrusted his child to me, and I livestreamed raising the baby, making the Empress cry wi

Gradually, Shu Rou stopped sobbing, but dared not speak anymore. She buried her head in Yao Jingyuan's arms, her eyes secretly glancing at the sky.

Yao Jingyuan straightened up while holding her and glanced at the ministers in front of the hall.

Those people had come to attend the morning court before dawn and hadn't had a drop of water yet. They were also subjected to the shock of the sky and Shu Jingwei's fright—their faces were all looking worse than the last.

Especially the elderly ministers.

Prime Minister Xiao Bo's legs were trembling, like two old house beams eroded by wind and rain, ready to snap at any moment.

Zhou Yan, the Minister of Rites, had dry, chapped lips, as cracked as tree bark in winter. His face was deathly pale, as if a gust of wind could blow him apart.

Several other bodies swayed precariously, like scarecrows in the wind, looking as if they might faint at any moment.

Yao Jingyuan's eyes flashed, and he had an idea. A look of concern immediately appeared on his face.

He turned and bowed slightly to Shu Jingwei, his posture respectful.

"It's already this late, and His Majesty and the esteemed officials must not have had breakfast yet." His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for everyone present to hear clearly. "Should we order the Imperial Kitchen to prepare breakfast and send it over immediately?"

He paused, then added, his tone carrying just the right amount of concern:

"His Majesty is devoted to the Crown Princess, and all the officials are by his side. They are all pillars of the nation. If they were to suffer from hunger, it would truly be my fault."

His words were tactful and thoughtful, pleasing Shu Jingwei's love for her daughter, saving face for the ministers, and placing himself in a position of "meticulous care".

The ministers all turned to look, and many of them showed gratitude in their eyes. Many of them were indeed at their breaking point.

Shu Jingwei finally turned her head and glanced at him.

His eyes held a mixture of surprise, admiration, and a hint of indescribable emotion.

She suddenly thought of Ye Fan.

If Ye Fan were here, what would he do?

They would probably dismiss such an unusual phenomenon as the celestial phenomenon, saying things like, "When governing a country, the people should come first. The people's affairs are more important. Don't waste time on such things."

Then he pulled her directly into the hall and began to discuss various policies with her.

Ye Fan is always like this.

He always offered his "brilliant opinions" on matters of state. Even though he was the emperor, he always refuted the policies she proposed, and then went on to explain at length, giving her a splitting headache.

I've never had such delicate thoughts before.

And this man—at least he's attentive.

They are good at reading people's expressions and know when to speak and when to keep quiet.

More importantly, he never interfered with any of her decisions and always obeyed her wishes.

"Granted." She looked at Yao Jingyuan and spoke softly, her tone finally softening.

That gentle touch was like the first breeze of spring thawing, so light and faint, yet it sent a shiver down Yao Jingyuan's spine.

Yao Jingyuan was secretly delighted, but on the surface he became even more humble:

"I obey your decree."

He turned to arrange the meal, his steps light and unhurried. The hem of his robe swayed gently in the morning breeze, tracing an elegant arc.

Han Zhang, the Vice Minister of War, whispered to his colleague beside him, "Lord Yao is very thoughtful."

Wen Ren, the Vice Minister of Rites, nodded and replied in a low voice, "She is indeed the person His Majesty cherishes most; she knows his needs and cares for him."

When these words reached Yao Jingyuan's ears, the corners of his mouth curled up even more, his steps became lighter and more relaxed, and the smugness in his eyes was almost overflowing.

Before long, the palace servants brought in chairs, and then the imperial kitchen eunuchs, carrying red lacquered food boxes, filed in one after another.

The food box gleamed with a dark reddish sheen in the morning light; the lid was lifted—

The hot air suddenly billowed up, white and fluffy, like clouds floating out of the box, leaping wildly into the sky.

The aroma spread like wildfire across the square in front of the palace. The scents of oil, rice, meat, and sweetness mingled together, wafting into everyone's noses and making everyone's stomachs rumble.

Yao Jingyuan took a food box containing a thick millet porridge. This was no ordinary porridge; it was made with cow's milk.

The millet grains are large and plump, each one a translucent orange-yellow, soaking up the milky white broth, sticking together and shimmering in the bowl with a luster like the fusion of amber and white jade.

A few goji berries were sprinkled on top of the porridge; their bright red color made it look incredibly appetizing.

Milk is a rare commodity in the Great Flame Kingdom, and only the royal family and noble clans can enjoy it occasionally.

This bowl of milk porridge is enough for an ordinary family to eat for a whole year.

Next to it was a plate of steamed buns shaped like rabbits, each one plump and round, like little rabbits just out of their cages.

The eyes were made by dotting them with two black sesame seeds, making them shiny and lifelike, as if they were about to jump up at any moment.

There was also a plate of osmanthus cake, cut into diamond shapes and sprinkled with golden osmanthus petals, with a sweet and fragrant aroma.

The food box has two layers. Lifting the top layer reveals a dish of braised wild boar meat.

The moment the lid was opened, the aroma of meat wafted out from afar, domineeringly pushing all other smells aside, making everyone's Adam's apples bob and the sound of swallowing saliva rise and fall.

It uses the tenderest belly meat from wild boars hunted in the mountains; there's only a small piece available from each wild boar.

The chunks of meat were neatly arranged on the plate, glistening with oil so bright they reflected a person's image, with a thin layer of golden broth spread on top.

Xiao Bo picked up the milk porridge, his hands trembling; he was starving.

He entered the palace before dawn, and after standing and kneeling and being frightened, he was already mentally preparing for the "Empty City Stratagem" (a metaphor for a stratagem that is difficult to understand).

He slowly lowered his head, took a sip, and the milky white soup, along with the orange-yellow millet, entered his mouth. He chewed it a few times and swallowed, and the warmth spread from his stomach all the way to his limbs, making him so comfortable that his eyes narrowed.

"Good porridge." He couldn't help but praise it, his voice filled with a satisfied sigh. "The imperial kitchen's skills are getting better and better."

Zhou Yan took a bite of the rabbit-shaped steamed bun. It was sweet and fluffy, and each bite felt like biting into a sweet cloud.

His eyes lit up immediately, and he nodded repeatedly, his mustache twitching with each step.

"These pastries are far more exquisite than those made by the chefs in my household. It's all thanks to Lord Yao." Before he could finish speaking, he took another bite, his cheeks puffing out, and his speech became slurred.

Han Zhang picked up a piece of wild boar meat and put it in his mouth. The meat was so tender and mushy that it melted in his mouth with just a touch of his tongue.

The oil inside burst out with a "plop," flowing all over his mouth, glistening with oil. A little bit spilled out from the corner of his mouth, and he quickly stuck out his tongue to lick it, raising his eyebrows high.

"This meat is braised perfectly! It's ten or even a hundred times better than what my cook makes!" After saying that, she picked up another piece and ate it with milk porridge, her chopsticks moving incredibly fast.

The ministers began to eat, their exclamations of praise rising and falling like the croaking of frogs in a pond, one wave louder than the next.

In an instant, the sounds of chopsticks hitting the rim of bowls, chewing, swallowing, and satisfied sighs mingled together, making the area outside the Hall of Preserving Harmony extremely lively.