The new laws implemented by the court had produced good results over the next few days.
The cabinet had no authority to handle matters of national importance, but there were only a dozen or so memorials.
As for the rest, once the memorials had been processed, they were sent over for her review. She discovered that many of them had actually been handled very well.
The results were beyond expectations. She often did not even need to make any changes.
It seemed the people in court were not all useless gluttons after all.
Two days later, the Examination Law was implemented throughout the court.
Officials across the realm were thrown into a panic!
This was forcing them to compete with one another!
How could they not?
The annual plans and reports written by their colleagues contained more tasks than theirs. If they completed them, they would surely be promoted. If they did not, promotion would be difficult, and they might even be demoted!
That was how the Examination Law worked. They had to plan their annual tasks and submit one copy to the cabinet, one to the emperor, and keep one for themselves. Complete them by the end of the year, and they would be promoted and grow rich. Fail to complete them, and rewards or punishments would be determined according to their performance. But what if they did not do anything at all...
They would be kicked out directly, leaving their position to someone else!
The key was that no one dared complain!
Good heavens, Your Majesty was a seventh-realm cultivator. If it were an ordinary matter, they could refute her at court. But this new law was clearly beneficial to the country and its people. If they dared argue with Ye Qinglian, she would dare slap them to death!
That meant a real killing, without holding back!
The reforms brought no pressure, and neither did the changes to the law. In a short time, the court had taken on a thriving new appearance!
As for Ye Qinglian, her administrative workload had been reduced by seventy percent. Before, she had spent most of each day handling affairs. Now, she only needed to wait for the memorials to arrive in the afternoon, and half a day was enough.
It was so easy that she found it extremely hard to adjust.
But was this new law not meant to strengthen imperial authority and control over the realm, making things easier for her?
It truly was a good method...
It was just that the better the new law worked, the more depressed Ye Qinglian became.
For five whole days, although Chu Ning had Xiao Bing prepare and send over his meals at the usual time every day, she had not seen Chu Ning even once.
According to Xiao Bing, he had been sleeping in the palace...
Sleeping at night and sleeping during the day too??
How much sleep could you possibly need!
Even if you disliked cultivation, could you not secretly walk around the palace? Were your concealment skills not good enough that even my Dragon Guard could not find you?
Then you could at least stroll around when you had nothing to do. Yet you stayed in the palace all day!
So you really would not leave the palace as long as I forbade you from doing so? Where had that shamelessness from the beginning gone?
As long as you said you would not interfere in politics, could I really say anything?
Why did you have to act like this...
Indeed, she had seen through what Chu Ning was doing. He was simply following the rules she had set earlier.
He was not to wander about freely, nor come here. He had not overstepped in the slightest.
But it simply felt so distant...
She was clearly carrying Chu Ning's child, and he would soon be installed as Emperor Consort. Even if they were not a true married couple, they were at least husband and wife in name. Yet she had not even seen him once...
Had he not said he would take care of the child? Had he not said he would take responsibility? What was he doing now!
She frowned, took a deep breath, and sent for Xiao Bing.
"Tell Chu Ning that if there is nothing urgent, he may leave the palace and walk around. As long as you take him out without letting anyone notice, or he can leave the palace freely after being installed as Emperor Consort, either is fine!"
Xiao Bing quickly went to deliver the message and returned just as quickly.
"Mister Chu said that this is a critical period for the installation of the Emperor Consort. If anything happens, it may cause trouble for Your Majesty. He said that he is perfectly fine staying alone in the palace and that Your Majesty need not worry."
Ye Qinglian was somewhat furious.
You were not afraid of trouble before. Now you are? You are doing it on purpose, aren't you?
Ye Qinglian said nothing more and let Xiao Bing leave.
After finishing that day's affairs, she remained restless all the way back to her palace.
The past few days had indeed been far too easy, and the new court structure was truly reliable. With her presence, it had taken shape in only a few days.
Yet her mood was worse instead.
What if Chu Ning had not been plotting anything, and had merely told her about these matters to help her?
What if Chu Ning had no ambition at all, and only wanted to lessen her workload?
After all, Chu Ning had indeed only mentioned it casually before.
The last time she had seen Chu Ning a few days ago, he had left a sentence unfinished. She knew what he had wanted to say.
If she did not ask, Chu Ning would definitely not say it.
For a moment, Ye Qinglian found herself caught in a dilemma.
If she had misjudged him, then Chu Ning's current behavior could also be explained. He might simply feel that she had treated his goodwill as worthless, or even taken it as evidence of ambition.
If she were in his position, she would certainly be unhappy too.
But she could not afford to ignore it. It concerned her empire and the entire realm...
She simply did not want something like that to happen. She had not meant to neglect Chu Ning, because even if he did not participate in politics, she could still give him everything he wanted.
Why had things ended up like this?
Outside a side hall beside Qianqing Palace, Ye Qinglian stopped for a moment.
Her divine sense spread inside. As usual, Chu Ning was sleeping in the courtyard.
Sleep, sleep, sleep. Why did you sleep all day long...
She muttered with a complicated look in her eyes but did not enter. She merely turned and returned to her palace.
But the easier court affairs became, the more time she had to think about these things. Especially when she began to feel that Chu Ning might not have those intentions, her thoughts grew increasingly intense...
She did not want to lower her head, because what Chu Ning was doing now was precisely what Ye Qinglian wanted him to do.
He only needed to stay properly in the palace and be a peaceful Emperor Consort. That was enough.
Dinner was delivered as usual.
Ye Qinglian had little appetite and did not want to eat.
Xiao Bing tried to persuade her, but it had no effect. Just as she had said, within the Great Gan Dynasty, she could do whatever she wanted. If she did not want to eat, then she did not have to.
The dishes were as delicious as ever, and many of them were still foods she had never tried before.
But because of her mood, she could not eat. She simply felt as if her emotions were impossible to put into words...
Why? Why did that fellow always occupy her thoughts?
He was only her nominal husband, so why did she feel this way about Chu Ning?
But she knew that as the court became more stable, Chu Ning's contribution grew greater as well, making it even more impossible to do without him.
Thus, that evening, Ye Qinglian had Xiao Bing go to her private treasury, take out several thousand taels of gold, and deliver it as a reward for his earlier counsel.
However, Xiao Bing soon returned with a message.
It was the same as before: there was no shortage of food or drink in the Inner Palace, so the gold would be of no use to him.
Ye Qinglian could bear it no longer!
What did this man think he was doing!
She had completely run out of tricks, yet he refused to take the bait!
Night fell before her eyes, and Ye Qinglian's displeasure filled the entire Qianqing Palace!
What did you mean by this? You had not come to see me for so long!
Were you not very concerned about the child?
Moreover, Chu Ning was completely impervious to both soft and hard tactics. She had already thought of every method she could use!
But there was still one move!
Ye Qinglian took a deep breath and looked at Xiao Bing once more.
"Go tell Chu Ning that I did not eat enough tonight. I have not eaten well these past few days. I am hungry!"
She refused to believe it.
If she brought up the child, surely Chu Ning would come!
Watching Xiao Bing's back as she left, Ye Qinglian's nerves drew taut. She was extremely anxious now.
She was only afraid that Chu Ning still would not come.
If that happened, she truly might have no way left...
Before you continue