Inside Qianqing Palace, Xiao Bing had left, and Ye Qinglian was alone in the hall.
Ye Qinglian clenched her fists, her gaze fixed on the palace doors.
She really had no appetite. Her appetite had been getting worse over the past few days...
Apart from handling court affairs, which gave her something to focus on, nothing else interested her. She couldn't even bring herself to practice anymore.
But her workload had been greatly reduced, leaving her far too much free time to dwell on these things.
Ye Qinglian had never dealt with anything like this before. How could she make sense of it all in such a short time...?
Her thoughts were hopelessly tangled.
Yet something about it all felt strange to Ye Qinglian.
She and Chu Ning didn't seem to have much of a connection. They'd shared just one night, and he hadn't even been in the palace for long.
How could a few meals possibly change the way she felt about Chu Ning?
And yet, no matter how firmly she reminded herself of that, she couldn't stop thinking about it.
She felt that things between them shouldn't be so strained.
Even if she'd been the one to demand it at first, now...
She couldn't help feeling she owed Chu Ning something.
She didn't know whether Chu Ning would come.
But she hoped it would be him, so she could explain what had happened that day. She hadn't meant to be so distant, and it hadn't been what she wanted...
She waited a long time, but still heard no footsteps.
Ye Qinglian lowered her lovely eyes and returned to the bed.
Was this really the only way things could be?
It seemed like this was what she wanted, but she still couldn't find peace.
Why did she have to make things so difficult for herself...?
Couldn't he just stay in the Inner Palace? He wouldn't lack for anything there. Couldn't they go on as they always had?
The more she acted this way, the more she felt she owed Chu Ning. And when she thought that he might never have intended to govern in the first place, the feeling only grew stronger...
The problem was, Chu Ning wanted no reward. He wasn't even interested in the cultivation techniques everyone dreamed of. She couldn't think of anything she could offer to repay him for what he'd done for the Great Gan Dynasty—or for her...
A creak sounded, as if a door had opened.
She whipped around to look at the door.
There was nothing there, only the wind stirring the grass.
Her gaze grew more troubled. She didn't even understand why she was so on edge.
"Xiao Bing told me Her Majesty hasn't had much of an appetite lately. Is the food not to Her Majesty's taste?"
Just as Ye Qinglian was about to rest again, the palace doors slowly swung open.
Ye Qinglian froze for a moment. She stared blankly at Chu Ning, who had come in carrying a bowl of noodles.
Then she realized she was wearing nothing but a bellyband. She hurriedly grabbed an outer robe from beside her and threw it on.
Chu Ning's expression remained calm as he set down the bowl of noodles.
"Her Majesty is harming not only herself, but the child as well. Please eat at least a little."
He spoke slowly. Ye Qinglian, sitting on the bed across from him, remained expressionless.
"What does it matter if I don't feel like eating?"
"If Her Majesty doesn't care for this, you can summon the Imperial Kitchen to prepare something else. But they'll need to know what you'd like. I'll send Xiao Bing to call them over."
As he turned to leave, Ye Qinglian's heart clenched. She immediately called out to stop him.
"Do you insist on treating me this way? All I did that day was remind you not to get involved in my dynasty's affairs, and now you act like this. Have I ever wronged you?"
"You trespassed into the place where I was in seclusion and slept with me. I saw you were just an ordinary mortal and couldn't bring myself to kill you. I even had Xiao Bing look after you for several days. And after you left the palace, I gave you money for the road. Without that, how could you have stayed in the imperial capital for so long?"
"Now I'm carrying your child. It's not just mine—it's yours too. What do you mean by treating me so coldly?"
Chu Ning turned around, looking somewhat puzzled.
"But wasn't that what Her Majesty asked of me when she had me enter the palace?"
Ye Qinglian froze, her expression growing even more complicated. "Did Xiao Bing tell you to do this? Is this your way of playing hard to get and winning me over? You use your political advice to make me feel indebted to you every moment, all for this..."
"I knew about the things she was doing. I simply allowed them and didn't say anything. If that's what this is..."
Chu Ning shook his head and replied calmly, "I haven't discussed anything with Xiao Bing these past few days. I've only been doing what I'm supposed to do. That's all."
"I followed Her Majesty's plans and came to the palace at her request. Naturally, I won't interfere with what she intends to do in the future. I heard Her Majesty hasn't eaten anything tonight. That's bad for your health, so please eat soon. It's late, and I should head back and get some rest."
Ye Qinglian shot to her feet, glaring at him. "Do you know how important this dynasty is to me? If you were an ordinary person, I wouldn't have said a word. But your strategies and cunning surpass those of anyone in the dynasty. No one in the Five Great Dynasties could do what you casually suggested. That means your plans must go far beyond even that!"
"Before the Former Emperor died, the only thing he entrusted to me was protecting the Great Gan Dynasty. I can agree to anything else you ask, so why must you be so stubborn about this?"
Chu Ning smiled at her. "Then why does Her Majesty think I have designs on the dynasty?"
"You treat me this way because you want to win me over. Then you'll be able to do whatever you like in the dynasty. Isn't that why?"
"But what if I'm doing this only for Her Majesty and the child you're carrying?"
Ye Qinglian froze. Her expression grew even more complicated, and for a moment she couldn't answer.
Right. What if he wasn't trying to get his hands on the dynasty? What if he was doing it just for her and the child she carried?
After all, if she hadn't asked him to explain himself, Chu Ning's words would have ended with "unfit to be put into practice." He wouldn't have gone on to lay out a new system of government in meticulous detail—and that system was meant to help her govern the dynasty more effectively.
Chu Ning looked at Ye Qinglian and sighed. "Her Majesty keeps her heart sealed tight and trusts no one but herself. Since nothing I say means anything, there's no point saying it. Her Majesty will only think I'm making excuses."
"Perhaps Her Majesty would even think I was making excuses for what happened before. It seems there's no point in saying that either."
Ye Qinglian felt as if she'd hit rock bottom. She stared fixedly at Chu Ning.
"Do you insist on treating me this way? What if I trust you?"
"If Her Majesty trusts me, then she should eat this bowl of noodles. At least, I made it for her."
Ye Qinglian looked at the bowl on the table. It was simple, but perhaps it could ease the tension between them, even just a little.
But Chu Ning merely cupped his hands in a bow.
"It's late. Please finish your food and get some rest. Since you and I aren't married yet, it wouldn't be proper for me to stay."
Ye Qinglian rose at once, glaring coldly at his back!
"Why won't you even talk to me about this anymore? Do I have to use the child I'm carrying to make you come?"
"You think I don't trust you, don't you? Even if I tell you I do, you won't believe me? Fine!"
Ye Qinglian's voice was cold, her gaze sharp!
"Tomorrow, I'll cast aside those so-called rules and immediately appoint you Emperor Consort. You'll be allowed to attend court and oversee the Six Ministries and the Cabinet, and command all the armies of the realm!"
"Even if you don't want to govern, you'll have to now. You and I will handle the affairs of the court together!"
But as soon as she finished speaking, all the force went out of her. Her voice soon softened.
"I've given you everything I can. Can you please stop acting this way? You're already the Emperor Consort. Do you really want us to be at odds for the rest of our lives...?"
Chu Ning turned to look at Ye Qinglian. "Why don't you eat first, Your Majesty...?"
"If you leave, I won't eat. Then we can all die together—you, me, and the child!"
Her resolve was absolute. If Chu Ning still tried to leave, she was ready to use her power to have him tied up!
Ye Qinglian's feelings were complicated, but when it came to taking action, she never hesitated!
If we don't finish this conversation today, no one's leaving!
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