When the Prime Minister uttered these words, he was clearly very helpless; he didn't want to immediately tell the Federation how desperately they needed grain.
But the problem was, the person in front of him was well aware of what was happening.
The Prime Minister had been extremely busy lately, sleeping less than six hours a day, which is harsh for an elderly person.
A day or two might not be a big problem, but over time, it's a heavy burden for an elderly person.
He must maintain high morale and at least appear energetic. As the Prime Minister of the Empire, the highest ruler second only to the Emperor, he couldn't afford to nap at work.
That would make people seriously doubt his ability and energy to continue bearing this responsibility; only when utterly exhausted would he take a short nap.
Ten, fifteen minutes, at most half an hour, then he'd rub his eyes, pat his head, and resume work.
