The Enchanting Imperial Concubine (Book 3)

Chapter 418 - Drunkenness

On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, the Mid-Autumn Festival,

Ning Chen was delighted by two consecutive pieces of good news.

The first was something he could openly share: Ye Yun's maternal family, the current royal merchant Chu family, had established a maritime trade route.

This trade route, which began operating last Mid-Autumn Festival, was now one year old and had turned a considerable profit, nearly double that of land trade.

With the national treasury growing ever more prosperous, the contributions of the Chu family were indeed significant.

What made it even more commendable was the Chu family's humble demeanor; they never claimed credit or acted greedily.

After much thought, Ning Chen was unsure what kind of reward to give, so he personally inscribed a plaque to send to the Chu family in Bianzhou as a sign of imperial favor.

This gesture also elevated the status of the southern merchants significantly.

In the past, the hierarchy was such that merchants were at the bottom, often looked down upon even if wealthy.

Now, however, things had changed considerably. The Chu family had proven the value of merchants, and as a result, the people of the South no longer despised them.

Ye Yun hadn't anticipated any of this, but it was indeed her suggestion that had led to this series of changes.

The other piece of news, however, was something that couldn't be publicly discussed.

It concerned the Duke of Ying's residence.

Currently, the Duke of Ying and his son, Chen Xianyi, were no longer on the same page.

Chen Xianyi had been framed by his elder sister-in-law, Mei Shi, falsely accusing him of wanting to poison and kill his nephew, who had the opportunity to inherit the title. Chen Xianyi had initially thought that his father would believe him, but after being locked in the ancestral hall for half a month, only his brother-in-law, Liang Chengsi, had secretly come to visit him.

At that moment, he finally understood that due to his illegitimate status, his father probably had never considered him for the title.

The shattering of hope bred resentment.

However, the Duke of Ying was cautious, and even Chen Xianyi could only vaguely know that the account books were hidden in the small Buddhist hall within the Duke's residence, with no specifics known.

But at least he had confirmed the general location, making it somewhat easier to find.

Because of these two pieces of news, Ning Chen was particularly joyful during the Mid-Autumn Festival and drank quite a bit of wine.

As a result, he was slightly tipsy.

When the banquet was over, he needed to return to Jiuchen Palace and wanted Ye Yun to accompany him.

Thus, he took Ye Yun back to Jiuchen Palace.

For Ye Yun, this place had become somewhat unfamiliar, as Ning Chen usually sought her out in the rear palace.

Upon returning, Ning Chen's drunken state was evident, swaying slightly as he could hardly stand.

Ye Yun supported him and made him drink a bowl of hangover soup, but he insisted on going to the Shuangyan Pool to bathe.

"You all quickly prepare the Emperor's change of clothes and make the bed; I estimate he'll need at least one more bowl of hangover soup, ah—"

Feeling uneasy, Ye Yun was pulled by Ning Chen as they headed outside, turning her head to remind the servants to get things done.