The Enchanting Imperial Concubine (Book 2)

Chapter 258 - Cannot Be Stopped

In Fengxi Palace, the Empress specially ordered a large table of dishes that Ning Chen loved to eat.

Although the news of Ye Yun's pregnancy had a significant impact on her, at least the Emperor still upheld her dignity.

The little eunuch guarding the door saw the Emperor from afar and came in to deliver the message. The Empress then led a group of servants to welcome him.

"It's cold. Why are you waiting outside? Be careful not to catch a cold," Ning Chen said gently as he helped her up.

"I'm not cold, but what about you, Your Majesty? Why aren't you wearing a cloak?" The Empress replied, her expression soft and her eyes filled with joy.

"Yi Shunrong prepared a hand warmer for me. Holding it keeps me warm. Let's not talk outside; let's go inside," Ning Chen said as he took the lead.

The Empress paused for a moment, glancing at the hand warmer in his hand, which was covered with a purple cloud-patterned pouch, and suddenly felt a dull ache in her heart. Nevertheless, she suppressed the discomfort and smiled as they entered.

After sitting down, she proactively served Ning Chen dishes. "Your Majesty, try this glutinous rice chicken; it tastes excellent."

"Mm, thank you, Empress. I'll have a bowl of soup first," Ning Chen replied. After saying this, he signaled Yuan Jiu to serve him a bowl of bamboo fungus soup.

The Empress paused for a moment while serving the dishes, then placed a chopstick of glutinous rice chicken onto Ning Chen's plate, her expression somewhat stiff.

"I remember that Your Majesty doesn't like soup. Why do you want to drink soup before your meal today?"

Ning Chen didn't respond immediately. He first sipped a bowl of soup, wiped his mouth, and then spoke, "Drinking a bowl of warm soup in winter is nice. Ming Xiurong likes this, and I've had it with her a few times. I haven't had it for a long time, and seeing it here reminded me of the taste."

"Ming Xiurong is clever and has always been the best at serving you," the Empress's expression darkened, her smile becoming forced.

However, at that moment, Ning Chen was genuinely a bit hungry and didn't pay attention to her mood. After finishing the soup, he started eating the glutinous rice chicken, which made the Empress's expression slightly better.

She continued to serve him dishes.

The Empress had put effort into understanding the Emperor's preferences, serving him dishes that Ning Chen loved to eat. Ning Chen, wanting to show his appreciation, ate everything she offered.

The smile on the Empress's face grew increasingly brighter. "Don't just focus on serving me, Empress; you should eat more as well. With the end of the year approaching, there are many duties to attend to, and you must be getting tired and losing weight from worrying every day."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," the Empress quickly stood up to express her gratitude.

Once she sat down again, Ning Chen spoke up. "Regarding Ming Xiurong's pregnancy, it's not that I intentionally hid it from you. With her temperament, I was worried that she would conflict with others while her pregnancy wasn't stable, causing disturbances that could affect the child, so I ordered her to claim illness and rest. Please don't blame me, Empress."

Thus, the claim that Ye Shi had fallen ill was false; the Emperor simply wanted her to focus on her pregnancy.

For a moment, the truth Ning Chen revealed left the Empress with mixed feelings. On one hand, she was pained by the Emperor's favoritism toward Ye Yun, to the extent of hiding the matter from everyone in the palace. On the other hand, she felt some relief that the Emperor was willing to tell her the truth afterward. At least this proved that he still respected her.