Yan Jue's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. "Ye Ting, what are you laughing at?"

Ye Ting was surprised that his mockery had been discovered by his master, and his expression immediately returned to its icy state. "Reporting to the Regent, my mouth twitched just now."

Yan Jue was very satisfied with this answer. He nodded and said, "If your mouth is really twitching, I will allow you to go to the doctor in the palace for treatment now."

Ye Ting was both surprised and delighted; how could such a good thing happen?

"Okay!"

Although Ye Ting appeared to be running away in disgrace, he was actually extremely excited.

Chen Pingjin: ...

How come she didn't notice this unexpected charm about Yan Jue in her past life?

"Finally, we've gotten rid of that guy, Your Highness. Now no one will bother us."

Chen Pingjin nodded in agreement, "Yes, finally no one can bother my husband and me anymore."

Yan Jue agreed, but upon closer reflection, he felt something was amiss. "You were joking with me the whole time, and I didn't notice. Do you think I'm stupid now?"

Shen Pingjin said with a serious expression, "Pingjin would never think that way."

Yan Jue's gaze was scrutinizing. "If you truly don't think so, then I find it hard to believe."

Shen Pingjin chuckled and wrapped her arms around Yan Jue's shoulders, her voice gentle, "Husband, you definitely won't hold this against me. Look at my reputation in the capital now..."

Yan Jue then remembered and said seriously, "Tell me the truth, did Miss Luo make things difficult for you?"

"How could that be?" Shen Pingjin shook her head. "No, don't listen to those two girls, Nian'an and Nianning, talking nonsense."

"So what exactly happened?"

He sent Ye Ting to secretly protect Shen Pingjin and the others. When Shen Pingjin was away, Ye Ting saw that the Luo family's young lady had a bad expression and clashed with Shen Pingjin several times. However, because he was far away and did not hear the details clearly, he went to ask Nian An and Nian Ning about the matter. The two told him the story in detail, but in the end, what Ye Ting passed on to Yan Jue's ears seemed to be a different version.

Shen Pingjin repeated what she had said to Luo Xi, and after she finished speaking, she picked up the tea on the table and drank it all in one gulp.

But as soon as she put down her teacup, she met a pair of eyes as cold as an icy pool.

Yan Jue's voice was calm, but Shen Pingjin sensed that he was angry. "You mean, Miss Luo didn't say anything hurtful to you. She was just standing up for you and felt that you shouldn't have married me in the end?"

Shen Pingjin nodded like a chick pecking at rice, "Yes, that's it."

The man beside her suddenly turned icy cold, like frost on tree branches in a snowy landscape. He opened his hand and wrapped it around Shen Pingjin's soft, boneless hand, resting his chin on the top of her head. "Then, my queen, what do you think?"

She had been married to Yan Jue for only a few days, and had known him through two lifetimes, yet she had never seen him like this before. Shen Pingjin hesitated, pointing to herself, "Me? You mean what I think?"

Yan Jue's lips curled slightly, his voice rising and falling, his tone flippant, "Otherwise what? Besides me and the Princess Consort, are there other people in the room right now?"

this……

Under Yan Jue's almost piercing gaze, Shen Pingjin slowly spoke, "Husband, Pingjin thinks that Miss Luo is just trying to sow discord. After all, you are the regent of the current dynasty. Although your reputation cannot compare to His Highness the Crown Prince, in terms of status, you are second only to the emperor."

Yan Jue's mind was already twitching with anticipation, but upon hearing Shen Pingjin's words, he paused, "You really think that way?"

Shen Pingjin nodded. "Of course, my husband. You should see what I said to the Emperor."

Yan Jue was in a great mood.

Shen Pingjin noticed that the man beside her, whose shoulders had been stiff just moments before, had relaxed. His true colors were finally revealed, swaying back and forth. "Husband, now that you have the answer you sought, then..."

Shen Pingjin's eyes sparkled. "Husband, could you lend me some money?"

Yan Jue: ?

Yan Jue's gaze darkened. "Your Highness, you didn't just say those things so you could borrow money from me, did you?"

Chen Pingjin's eyes seemed to be filled with water, glistening with moisture. "Husband, what are you saying? What Pingjin just said was clearly the truth."

Yan Jue frowned. "Really?"

Shen Pingjin said with a serious expression, "Really."

Yan Jue asked seriously, "How much do you want to borrow?"

Shen Pingjin held up five fingers thoughtfully. Upon seeing this, Yan Jue frowned slightly. "Five hundred taels of silver?"

Chen Pingjin shook her head.

Yan Jue then asked, "Five hundred taels of gold?"

Chen Pingjin shook her head again.

Yan Jue didn't ask any more questions, just stared at Chen Pingjin in his arms.

A smile curled at the corners of Chen Pingjin's lips. "Five thousand taels of silver, how about it, husband, will you lend it to me?"

Five thousand taels of silver... Yan Jue really didn't expect that his princess, who usually didn't speak, would ask for such a large sum of money.

Seeing that Yan Jue suddenly stopped talking, Shen Pingjin reached out and put her arm around Yan Jue's waist, resting her head on the man's warm chest. Feeling the burning heat coming from behind, Shen Pingjin clearly felt that the man's body seemed to stiffen slightly.

Shen Pingjin tugged at Yan Jue's sleeve with her other hand, her voice gentle as water, "Husband, you are the Regent, surely you can't even come up with five thousand taels of silver?"

"What nonsense are you spouting!" Yan Jue felt his pride had been tarnished, and his voice grew heavier as he spoke, "Who said I don't even have five thousand taels of silver?"

Shen Pingjin said softly, "Since you have five thousand taels of silver, why don't you lend it to me?"

Yan Jue sensed something was amiss, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. "I am Yunli, but I'm puzzled. What do you need so much silver for?"

The woman in front of him breathed sweetly into his ear, and then made a gesture in front of her mouth, saying, "My lord, this is a secret."

Yan Jue respected Shen Pingjin. Besides, he could use his influence to investigate what Shen Pingjin was trying to do. However, he preferred that Shen Pingjin tell him what was going on in person.

Yan Jue nodded. "I will order Ye Ting to transfer the five thousand taels of silver to your name in the treasury later, but I still want to tell you something."

Chen Pingjin frowned. "Tell me what?"

The man had striking, handsome features, thick, dark eyebrows, and long, flowing hair. His eyes were bright and piercing, as if a storm was raging within them, threatening to draw people in. He spoke each word with utmost seriousness.

"Although I cannot give you a lifetime together, the fact that you have married me means that you are now the legitimate Regent's Consort. I am a womanizer, but I never let anyone get attached to me except for the Emperor. You should be like me. If anyone makes you unhappy, you should be arrogant and domineering and talk back on the spot. Do not suffer in silence. If anything happens, I will protect you."