Night Talk in the Palace

A moment later, the two sat facing each other at the table.

Before them sat a bowl of noodles, yet both kept their heads lowered.

To be honest, Xiao Bing had never really said anything to him...

Over the past few days, Xiao Bing had noticed something was wrong with their relationship. She had considered trying to mediate and offering Chu Ning some advice, but Chu Ning felt Xiao Bing's methods were not quite foolproof.

Now that Ye Qinglian did not trust Chu Ning in her heart, he simply chose not to do it.

Otherwise, the more he did, the harder it would be to avoid truly taking on the face of a hypocrite.

He had not completely cast it off even now, but Ye Qinglian's attitude had already become decisive.

Didn't you want to act as regent? Then she would bestow upon you the highest noble title, even let you oversee the Cabinet and the Six Ministries as Emperor Consort!

[ Ding! It has been detected that the Empress has been pregnant for many months and finds it difficult to continue bearing the heavy responsibility of ruling the dynasty. The host is specially rewarded with A Survey of Emperors Past and Present, to assist the Empress in governing and clear away every obstacle before the baby's birth! ]

Damn...

Giving me something like this now is just making trouble!

I never wanted to get involved in the first place!

"Your Majesty, perhaps you should rescind your decree..."

Ye Qinglian abruptly raised her head, her voice cold yet imposing!

"A ruler's word is no jest. If I tell you to do it, then do it!"

Even if you had not sought the regency before, now that this matter had become an obstacle neither of them could cross, the solution was simple.

She would give him the regency and share the realm with him—just like that, she would tear down the stage entirely.

Now that I have given you the greatest authority, even if you do not wish to step onto it, you must! Bring this matter up again, and you are finished!

"If you dare shirk it with another word, don't you like sleeping? Then go sleep in my imperial mausoleum for the rest of your life!"

Chu Ning could neither laugh nor cry. "But this was never what I wanted. All I wanted was for you to have an easier time. Everything I told you was merely copied wholesale from others—you needn't personally attend to every single matter..."

Ye Qinglian slowly drew her sword and slammed it down onto the table with a bang!

"If I tell you to go, then go! Why so much nonsense? Are you even a man!"

Chu Ning knew by now that Ye Qinglian had made up her mind. With a sigh, he said no more.

The two fell silent once again.

Though Ye Qinglian had cut through this mess with a swift blade and dealt with it directly.

What came after that?

She did not know what would come after, either. Before, Chu Ning had always been the one shamelessly taking the initiative. Now that Chu Ning was no longer doing so, she did not know how they ought to get along...

Chu Ning was equally at a loss.

Ye Qinglian's approach had torn down the stage entirely—and dragged Chu Ning onto it as well.

What came after that?

Their relationship had already been rather awkward, especially because of this issue of the regency. Now the problem had been resolved, and Ye Qinglian had made her stance clear.

There was certainly no point in continuing to dwell on it.

It was obvious Ye Qinglian did not want this matter to interfere with the relationship between them either...

"Has Your Majesty had no appetite these past few days?"

"No."

Ye Qinglian answered blandly, saying nothing more.

"Then... how about eating a little?"

"No."

Chu Ning could not help scratching his head.

This was awkward now—more awkward than before.

"Then... how has the child been lately?"

"I don't know."

This...

She knew nothing when asked three questions. There was no way to carry on the conversation...

If all else failed...

"How about letting me feel the child?"

Mm...

After all, their relationship had begun with the child in her belly. Since things were so awkward now, perhaps they should give it a try...

Ye Qinglian was slightly taken aback at his words, then nodded faintly.

"If you wish, then come. You are Emperor Consort now, after all."

Chu Ning nodded and rose to step forward.

I need to think of something to improve our relationship. Sure enough, a child is the sharpest weapon we can put on the table. Right now, the two of us can only rely on the baby in her belly.

He moved closer, crouched down, and pressed himself against Ye Qinglian's lower abdomen.

"Um... I feel like..."

Chu Ning was just about to make up some nonsense to break the ice when, in the next instant, the woman before him wrapped her arms around him.

Her body pressed tightly against his, and a faint fragrance curled around the tip of his nose.

He froze, staring in astonishment at the suddenly proactive Ye Qinglian. Even her voice was trembling.

"The day you appeared in my secret chamber, I could not control myself. I should have killed you right then."

"But since you were able to appear there, perhaps it was the fate between us. All my life, I have worked for the prosperity of the dynasty and the expansion of its territory. You, a mere mortal, casually spoke words that—whether copied from elsewhere or not—solved great troubles for me."

"It is only natural that I would suspect you. I have never trusted anyone, especially where the dynasty's affairs are concerned. Yet you clearly possess talent in this regard. If you were merely a minister, I naturally would not say much. But you are to be my Emperor Consort. I have to consider whether you might usurp the throne."

"But these past few days, I have been thinking as well. If I cannot easily trust even my future Husband, if I cannot confide in the father of my own child, how tragic would that be?"

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She held Chu Ning tightly and continued, "So do not refuse all that I give you. If you do this, I will feel more at ease. From such a position, you can better display your talents. Just set your mind at ease and act boldly."

"Since I have chosen to trust you, then please do not disappoint me. Govern the dynasty's affairs together with me, and this realm will be yours and mine. But do not make me one day truly raise troops against you, all right?"

Hearing this, Chu Ning fell silent and embraced the woman before him as well.

Her body suddenly shuddered, but she soon calmed again.

"Actually, I never had such plans in the beginning."

"I know. But this is the only way I can break the barrier between us."

"If you truly have such abilities, you are my Emperor Consort—you may act accordingly. Even if you do not, I will not say much. After all, I may not be able to attend court in the future, perhaps for quite some time. When that happens, you can appear in my stead..."

"At times like that, this is when turmoil is most likely to erupt within and without. Will you face it together with me?"

"After all, the child in my belly is yours too."

After she said this, Chu Ning was stunned for a long while.

"Mm..."

"Do not blame me for suspecting you. I merely did what an emperor ought to do."

"I am not an ordinary woman. My position did not permit me to trust you completely before. But now that this position has been placed in your hands, act boldly and without reservation. Do not hide anything anymore."

Chu Ning neither nodded nor shook his head.

"So being Emperor Consort is still pretty stressful, huh..."

"I'll say it again: if you were just a mortal, you could simply lie about in the Inner Palace. But as things stand now, you cannot!"

The two fell silent again. Chu Ning took the initiative to release Ye Qinglian and slowly rose to his feet.

"So there is really nothing left for us to agonize over now, right?"

Ye Qinglian frowned slightly. "Even I, a woman, have stopped thinking about such things. If you still insist on dwelling on them, you might as well cut it off and become a woman yourself. What sort of thing is all this hesitation?"

Chu Ning smiled helplessly.

"There is nothing for me to agonize over. The main thing is you..."

Ye Qinglian gave a cold snort.

"Neither is there for me!"

"Mm... then can we eat the noodles now?"

Ye Qinglian raised her head, glanced at the bowl of noodles, and spoke indifferently.

"Tonight's meal is too simple. I do not want to eat it."

"Simple food has its own appeal. It is not as if it cannot fill you up or taste good. The flavor is actually pretty nice."

"I won't eat."

Chu Ning smiled and reached for Ye Qinglian's hand. Sensing it, she instinctively wanted to pull away, but stopped herself and let him take her hand.

"But earlier, you said you wanted me to share the burden of the dynasty with you. Now you are unwilling to take responsibility for the matters between us?"

Ye Qinglian's fingers trembled slightly, and her thoughts grew somewhat disordered.

"What matters are there between us?"

"At the very least, you need to take good care of your health."

Ye Qinglian was slightly stunned, lost in a daze. Only then did she once again feel what Chu Ning had brought her—and what she had lacked these past few days.

It was that kind of concern, whether for the child or for herself. Perhaps that was why the original Ye Lianyi had made Chu Ning break his own rules time and again.

Without such concern and responsibility, she would have drawn her blade long ago.

Coming back to herself, she withdrew her hand, her face faintly flushed.

"If it doesn't taste good, go make it again. That's what you said..."

Chu Ning smiled as he handed over a bowl and chopsticks.

"How about taking a bite first?"

"I will try at most one bite."

"Alright."

Ye Qinglian tentatively took a bite and, to her surprise, found that it tasted quite good. With her mood having calmed somewhat, her appetite suddenly returned.

"It'll do. Good enough to get by."

Chu Ning smiled. This time, he said nothing more, merely watching quietly.

"Could you bring two bowls next time?"

"One bowl isn't enough?"

"I just think it's strange to have someone staring at me. Besides, have you eaten?"

Chu Ning smiled at the woman before him. "I already ate. I made this especially for you, didn't I?"

Ye Qinglian tugged at the corner of her mouth, thoroughly displeased.

"Tch. Next time, even if you've eaten, you still have to eat another bowl. Understand?"

"But just watching you eat fills me up."

The woman asked in confusion, "Why is that?"

"Because you, Qinglian, are a feast for the eyes..."

Ye Qinglian's face instantly flushed red. She really wanted to dump the noodles right onto his face!

A feast, my ass. He's saying weird things again!

Still, her mood had improved quite a bit.

This was the Chu Ning she knew.

And besides, she couldn't bear to dump them on him.

It was only because the noodles tasted good, that was all!