The Enchanting Imperial Concubine (Book 2)

Chapter 220 - What's Going On in His Mind

"Your Majesty, why are you looking at me like that? What are you thinking?" Ye Yun asked, feeling a bit confused.

Ning Chen withdrew his gaze, embarrassed by his strange thoughts. He turned his face away to take a sip of tea.

"It's nothing. I heard it's stuffy in the palace, so let's have someone bring in some ice."

Ye Yun couldn't figure out what was on his mind and decided not to dwell on it.

After calling for some servants to bring in several basins of ice, the room indeed felt much cooler.

Of course, if Ye Yun knew what Ning Chen was thinking, she would have rolled her eyes.

As for her supposed preference for older men, she only liked handsome ones.

"You really should clean up this table; there are official documents scattered everywhere." Ye Yun sat down next to him.

Mentioning it seemed to trigger Ning Chen's bad habit again.

Pointing to the table, she said, "The Feng family took bribes, and we've tracked the other sum of money. It ended up in the pockets of the Duke of Ying's legitimate son. Do you think the Duke of Ying is aware of this?"

"I don't know if the Duke of Ying is aware, but I can assure you that I know nothing about it."

Ye Yun felt increasingly frustrated and turned her face away, staring intently at her toes and avoiding eye contact.

"Then tell me, since Lu Qingyun has already found out that my cousin, the Duke of Ying's eldest son, sent someone to secretly poison the Feng family, how should I handle this?"

Ning Chen clearly had no intention of letting her off the hook.

How could he bear his worries alone? He needed someone to share them with.

Discussing matters with the officials always felt too tense and formal, but talking to Ye Yun was much more relaxing.

Besides, this woman had a sharp perspective; she could always provide him with some valuable insights.

"Your Majesty!" Ye Yun glared at him indignantly. "How can you pressure me into politics like this? I still want to live a few more years!"

Ning Chen couldn't help but chuckle, though he also felt a bit embarrassed as he rubbed his nose and avoided her gaze.

"I was just asking casually. Didn't we do this before? I've never blamed you for it."

"I would just deal with it thoroughly! Anyone who steals my money will be on my blacklist!"

The girl shrugged her shoulders, looking very straightforward.

Her words sounded like a sulk, but it wasn't entirely so; it seemed like she was deliberately using her frustration to express a truth.

Ning Chen narrowed his eyes slightly and held her hand. "That might be a bit too harsh."

"If it's not harsh enough, how would the Duke of Ying be willing to spend a fortune to save his son?" Ye Yun scoffed.

She didn't believe the Duke and the Empress Dowager would stand by and watch their own child lose his life.

She was aware of Chen Xianwen, the heir of the Duke of Ying. He hadn't inherited even a fraction of his father's cleverness, and despite his privileged background, he had only managed to secure a fourth-rank official position at nearly thirty.

Of course, he did have his merits, particularly in marrying wives and having children. He already had four concubines and had fathered seven or eight children.