Chapter 56 Are the provisions still sufficient?

Several months passed quietly. Outside Chu Nan's small shop, the bustling avenue remained filled with an endless stream of pedestrians coming and going.

Compared to this lively imperial capital, Chu Nan's days appeared almost overly peaceful.

He lay on a rocking chair in the courtyard, a blade of grass clenched between his teeth.

With both hands pillowing the back of his head, he stared listlessly at the white clouds drifting across the sky.

His shop had accumulated quite a few small trinkets brought over from the modern era, all of which he had casually piled up inside the room.

Items like mirrors, glass cups, and flashlights had gradually lost their novelty.

He rolled over, stretched lazily, and muttered to himself, "Strange, why has everything been so calm lately? There is no word from the Empress, and Shangguan hasn't come to look for me either... Could I have been completely forgotten by them?"

He glanced sidelong at the pile of modern treasures stacked in the room and sighed, "Had I known, I would have brought a game console or some manga to pass the time. Now look at me—every day consists of nothing more than drinking tea and zoning out. I am growing moldy from idleness."

Chu Nan got up and walked back into the room, eyeing the collection of objects.

The most prominent among them was a dressing mirror framed in gold, a "limited edition" piece he had previously brought from the modern world.

The mirror sat by the window, catching the sunlight streaming through the pane and causing its surface to gleam brilliantly.

He picked up a small, compact pocket mirror on a whim, reflected his face in it, and teased himself, "Heh, if people in this ancient era knew a mirror could be made this clear, their jaws would probably drop in shock."

At this thought, his mind stirred again: "Perhaps I should use these mirrors to start a business? High-born ladies of noble houses and princesses of imperial manors would certainly scramble to buy them, right?"

"What a pity... I didn't bring many of these items; otherwise, I could make a fortune purely on this."

While letting his imagination run wild, he absentmindedly picked up a flashlight.

Pressing the switch, a bright beam flashed across the room, and Chu Nan could not help chuckling: "Speaking of which, nights in ancient times are simply too dark. Bringing just a few of these things over would allow me to sell them as divine artifacts."

Suddenly, as if recalling something, the smile at the corner of his mouth gradually faded: "The problem, however, is that I cannot afford to sell these items too blatantly or ostentatiously."

"If I attract attention and people start tracing where they came from, that would spell trouble... Ah, neither option is easy to handle."

He walked over to the window, watching a few sparrows hop around the courtyard, and felt an even greater sense of boredom settling into his heart.

Chu Nan stared fixedly at the sparrows bouncing about the yard for a long time, the conviction growing stronger that he could not simply allow his days to rot away like this.

He patted the dust off his clothes, stood up, and muttered under his breath, "Forget it, sitting around doing nothing like this is no way to live."

"The Empress has been quiet for so long; she is most likely tied up with some major crisis. Is the grain supply running short again?"

"Tch, she didn't even bother to give me a heads-up in advance, but I cannot simply sit by and watch."

With that, he rummaged through the items he had brought from the modern era, his mind rapidly calculating his next steps.

He decided to make an active trip into the imperial palace to check the situation and sound out the details.

"After all, if her military rations fail to keep pace, fighting a war in the northern border is no child's play!"

Thinking this, Chu Nan straightened his clothes, casually picked up a modern ledger filled with numbers, shoved it into his tunic, and stepped out the door.

Chu Nan made his way leisurely toward the imperial palace, easily gaining entry by relying on the pass Cheng Lingyu had given him earlier.

Without expending much effort, he walked through the glittering palace corridors, navigating the familiar path straight toward the Imperial Study.

Along the way, eunuchs and palace maids paused slightly upon seeing him, casting gazes of curiosity.

He paid them no mind whatsoever, even offering a smile to a few of the maids, which earned him a flurry of whispered discussions and blushing cheeks.

"Tch, it seems I, Chu Nan, am quite popular in this palace after all," he thought with a smug inward grin.

However, when he pushed open the heavy doors of the Imperial Study, the figure he had expected—sitting behind the desk and reviewing memorials—was nowhere to be seen.

Inside the empty Imperial Study, the only sound breaking the silence was the rustle of leaves stirred by the gentle breeze outside the window.

A few open memorials lay piled upon the desk, seemingly still bearing the traces of Cheng Lingyu's departure.

"Where is everyone?" Chu Nan furrowed his brow, puzzled. "It is broad daylight; why would Her Majesty not be in the Imperial Study?"

Just as he was pondering this, his gaze was drawn to a familiar figure outside the window.

By the palace wall outside, Shangguan Ya'er, dressed in dark imperial robes, was holding a roll of official documents and speaking in low tones to a few attendants nearby.

Her expression carried a hint of sternness, and her bright eyes revealed a cold edge.

"Ah, it is Lady Shangguan."

Chu Nan raised an eyebrow slightly, then pushed open the side door of the Imperial Study and walked directly toward Shangguan Ya'er.

Noticing the approaching footsteps, Shangguan Ya'er looked up at Chu Nan, her brows knitting together slightly: "Young Master Chu? Why are you here?"

Chu Nan came to a halt, crossed his arms, and looked at her with a half-smile: "What, is the imperial palace off-limits to me?"

Shangguan Ya'er glanced sideways at him, put away the documents in her hand, and asked in a flat tone: "Here to see Her Majesty?"

"You bet I am." Chu Nan sighed, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings.

"Aren't I worried about Her Majesty's grain supply? I figured fighting a war at the northern border consumes vast amounts of wealth and provisions, and since I happen to have a few ideas, I wanted to come see if I could lend a hand."

"Where is Her Majesty herself? Surely she hasn't gone off to busy herself with some major crisis again?"

Shangguan Ya'er was slightly startled, and then a nearly imperceptible smile surfaced at the corner of her lips: "Young Master Chu, is Her Majesty's whereabouts something you can inquire about so casually?"

Hearing Shangguan Ya'er phrase it this way, Chu Nan's eyes immediately rolled, and keeping his arms crossed, a cunning expression crept onto his face: "Lady Shangguan, there is no need to speak so rigidly."

"Our relationship isn't that bad, after all. I was simply asking out of curiosity—where on earth has Her Majesty gone?"

Shangguan Ya'er lifted her gaze to look at him once more, maintaining her cool and detached demeanor: "Young Master Chu, you need not pry into Her Majesty's whereabouts. When you ought to know, you naturally will."

Upon hearing this, Chu Nan curved his lips into a smile and teased in a bantering tone: "So mysterious, are we? But..."

Changing the subject, he asked with a probing undertone: "Judging by what you are implying, Her Majesty is not in the imperial palace at all right now, am I right?"

Shangguan Ya'er did not answer directly, merely stating indifferently: "Young Master Chu is overthinking. By calculation, Her Majesty should be returning shortly. You have no need to fret over these matters."

"Just as I thought!" A jolt of realization hit Chu Nan inwardly, yet on the surface, he maintained an indifferent facade.

He shrugged his shoulders and said offhandedly, "Fine then. Since you refuse to tell me, I won't press you."

"However, Lady Shangguan, look—winter is nearly upon us. What is the situation like at the northern border?"

"Don't we need to prepare additional grain supplies in advance? I need to get ready early; we cannot afford to scramble at the very last minute."

Hearing these words, Shangguan Ya'er shifted her gaze away from Chu Nan's face and back onto the bamboo slips in her hand.

Her fingers tapped lightly against the slips as if she were deep in thought.