My wife has a secret

Chapter 139 Farewell to the Prince of Dongwan
The entire courtyard was silent. Apart from this unprepossessing civil servant, there were no other servants present.

The cold wind blew, and Shen Nianyan's gaze was like a sharp blade, looking Xu Qing up and down.

However, the other party did not have the oppressive feeling that Xu Qingchu had when he met Shen Shuangxu, and the emotion in the middle-aged man's eyes was relatively gentle.

"I heard from Shuang Xu a few days ago that my son-in-law had lost his memory... When I met him today, I felt that he had changed a lot. The way he bowed and saluted was more like someone in the officialdom."

Shen Nianyan's eyes lit up, and he took another careful look at Xu Qing's dress, then a gentle smile appeared on his face.

"The cloth of your clothes is the annual tribute cloth that Jiangnan cloth merchants sent to the royal family, right? I personally inspected this batch of goods last year, and the details of the patterns are exactly the same... It seems that the Queen Mother is very fond of you. According to the rules of the palace, people outside the royal family must have made great achievements to receive this reward."

"My aunt does have a preference for me."

Shen Nianyan nodded and continued, "If that's the case, then it couldn't be better... You know the current situation of the Shen family. The two of you are a couple that was introduced by the Queen Mother and has been engaged for three letters and six engagements. When it comes to a critical moment, you should naturally help each other more."

Xu Qing heard the hidden meaning of Shen Nianyan's words and responded, "Please rest assured, father-in-law, I, Xu Qing, will not let this house trap Shuang Xu's talent."

"Ah."

Xu Qing's firm answer made Shen Nianyan feel relieved. After a few simple and polite words, the elderly father said goodbye to Xu Qing and asked the servants to escort him out of the house.

After visiting the Shen Mansion for the first time, Xu Qing met up with the convoy waiting at the corner of the street and prepared to continue to Falun Temple.

However, before the convoy started moving, a figure from the Shen family ran out and stopped the carriage that Xu Qing was riding in.

"Master, you just left something behind in the Shen Mansion."

Hearing that the person who spoke was Mingzhu, Xu Qing did not even lift the curtain of the carriage, and said without thinking: "Then send it to the car."

"it is good."

After a rustling sound, the curtain in front of Xu Qing and Qin Shuying's seats was pulled up by Mingzhu's big hand, and then a slightly thin and frail figure walked in.

The other person was wearing a hood and a coat that was obviously not in line with her figure, but Xu Qing could still recognize her identity from the fair skin exposed under the bottom edge of the hood.

"Master, I've returned your coat. Mingzhu will go back to serve the young lady first."

When Mingzhu's voice gradually faded away, Xu Qing's eyes twitched and he realized what had happened.

The woman in front of him put aside the coat he had earlier put on Shen Shuangxu and lowered the hood, revealing a delicate and beautiful face that was as ethereal as a fairy in a painting.

Her face is as soft as moonlight, giving people a sense of tranquil beauty.

"Oh, no wonder you stayed in the Shen Mansion for so long, it turns out you kidnapped the young lady."

Qin Shuying's charming voice now sounded artificial and mixed with a hint of vinegar.

She was a vengeful woman. She had suffered a loss at the hands of the eldest young lady in the Xu Mansion before, and was used as bait to lure the star envoy of the White Lotus Sect.

Now that Shen Shuangxu was in trouble, he naturally had to save face through words.

Moreover, compared with the other two ladies, Qin Shuying was most annoyed by Shen Shuangxu's rigid and serious attitude of doing things according to the rules.

Before, she had the support of the empress dowager and the old lady, and she controlled the top-notch power like Chengxuanfang, so of course he was afraid of her.

However, things are different now. Shen Shuangxu now only has the title of the main wife.

"It's hard work, Miss Shen."

"Ahem, it wasn't my idea."

Xu Qing coughed twice softly, trying to distance himself from this matter.

After all, he didn't expect that Shen Shuangxu would sneak out of the Shen Mansion and get on his own carriage in full view of everyone.

This is somewhat inconsistent with the other party's usual cold and indifferent temperament.

"I... after thinking about it carefully, I still feel that I should go there... after all, the White Lotus Cult started planning seven years ago and put the Spring Envoy in the prison of the Ministry of Justice. They waited so long before taking action, there must be some reason."

Shen Shuangxu was indeed not that kind of person. This time, the feeling of sneaking out of the house was the first time in her life.

Moreover, Shen Shuangxu made the decision simply because he was too eager to know the White Lotus Sect's subsequent actions.

After all, the safety of the capital is of vital importance. If a major case like the one in Suzhou occurs in the capital, it will not only harm the people in the capital, but it will also affect the stability of the country and people of Da Qi.

"Well, now that we are here, let's get in the car and go."

Xu Qing knew in his heart that with Shen Shuangxu accompanying him on this trip, they would definitely make new discoveries about the thunder and fire.

Moreover, his private meeting with Shen Shuangxu had already gone against the wishes of the Empress Dowager. Since he had broken the rules, he might as well go through with this matter and let Shen Shuangxu participate in this case.

But what made Xu Qing feel uneasy was that

Although Shen Shuangxu and Qin Shuying are his wives and concubines in name only, in his impression, the former has limited contact with him and has never had a substantial relationship with him; the latter is in love with her amnesiac predecessor, and her deepest bond with him is the golden silkworm love Gu.

But why...when these two women sat in the car, they suddenly felt like they were in a Shura field?
It's okay. Shen Shuangxu is talented and intelligent. She considers the overall situation and has a broad mind. She is not the kind of jealous woman in the backyard at all.

Just as Xu Qing was comforting himself, Shen Shuangxu, who was sitting opposite Qin Shuying, raised his head slightly and opened his white teeth.

"According to the rules of this family, a concubine is not entitled to ride in the master's car when she goes out, right?"

Xu Qing's eyes went dark, and two words came to his mind.

It's over.

……

Xu Qing originally thought that Shen Shuangxu would ignore what Qin Shuying said when she got on the car, but no one expected that this woman who looked cold and uninhibited, and as aloof as a plum blossom, would not suffer the slightest loss.

After the carriage started moving and she sat steadily, she said something that made Qin Shuying's pretty face darken.

Qin Shuying stared at Shen Shuangxu with her beautiful eyes, like a venomous snake waiting for an opportunity, ready to seize the enemy's vital points at any time.

Suddenly, she thought of something, and a hint of smugness appeared at the corners of her lips in her charming signature smile.

"What dynasty is this now? Madam, do you still think that everyone will follow the etiquette of Zhou Gong and live a life of respect and courtesy?"

Qin Shuying's delicate body trembled slightly, and she giggled a few times as if she had seen something funny.

She put one hand on Xu Qing's shoulder and the other on the center of Xu Qing's legs, almost pressing her entire soft and smooth body against him, and spoke in a meaningful tone.

"Madam, you may not know this, but these days, not only has the outside world undergone earth-shaking changes...but also the relationship between your sister and your husband has also improved by leaps and bounds."

Qin Shuying's last two sentences were extremely ambiguous and had a strong teasing tone, almost revealing her daily life of seeking perfection in recent days. Even if Shen Shuangxu knew nothing about this matter, he could probably understand Qin Shuying's hidden meaning.

Shen Shuangxu frowned coldly and whispered in an emotionless voice: "Isn't this the agreement we made back then?"

"you!"

Qin Shuying's face turned pale when she heard this, because the other party's words suddenly reminded her of the agreement they made in prison. This man was planning to use her to give birth to a child and adopt him under the name of the eldest wife.

"Shuang Xu is not like those jealous women out there. She will treat all children equally and take good care of them."

"Shen Shuangxu! Don't go too far!"

Qin Shuying could no longer control her emotions, her expression froze and her pupils suddenly contracted.

Who would willingly give away their own child? Moreover, she and Xu Qing were already husband and wife now. Such words were like pouring gasoline on the fire, making Qin Shuying furious.

"Um...excuse me, what agreement did you make?"

Xu Qing, who was kept in the dark, was bewildered. After quietly asking doubtful questions, he saw the two girls all looking at him. He suddenly felt the pressure increased and kept silent.

In this way, Xu Qing sat in the car for an hour in this strange and depressing atmosphere, and finally reached the mountain at 3 p.m.

Compared with the previous days when there was an endless stream of people and the incense was booming, there is no ordinary citizen going up to the mountain gate to worship at Falun Temple now.

This was all because Xu Qingming drove part of the imperial guards out of the capital and blocked the entire Xiangshan Mountain the night before.

Now, five hundred imperial guards are setting up camp at the foot of the mountain and setting up checkpoints to block the people who come to the temple to worship and pray.

"donor."

Seeing the convoy escorted by the Imperial Guards climbing the mountain, the welcoming monk who had been standing at the temple gate bowed to everyone.

Xu Qing was familiar with the monk and had heard him talk a lot last time. He felt that the monk was well-versed in Buddhism and seemed to have studied Tantric Buddhism carefully, so he took the initiative to lift the curtain of the car.

"Little monk, why don't your fellow disciples come out today?"

"You are joking, benefactor. The army down there has closed the mountain, so the pilgrims won't come. Naturally, the brothers in the temple don't want to get up early in the cold weather."

"Ah."

The road on the mountain was rugged, and the last section was a steep gravel mountain road. Xu Qing got off the carriage after responding.

Qin Shuying followed Xu Qing and put her arm around his arm in a familiar manner.

Shen Shuangxu, with a cold expression, put on his hood again to hide his beautiful and pretty face, looking like a little follower behind the couple.

"Would it be convenient for me to visit your temple again today?"

"Of course it's convenient... Do these soldiers want to go in together?"

"Of course."

The welcoming monk continued to ask with a harmless, enthusiastic and caring look: "Then do you want me to prepare tea for these soldiers? It's cold now..."

Knowing that the miracles at Falun Temple were most likely related to the White Lotus Sect, Xu Qing naturally would not believe the monks in this temple. He shook his head and declined politely, "No need."

The welcoming monk paused for a moment on those solemn expressions, and then he said nothing more. Instead, he continued to lead Xu Qing into the mountain gate and walked towards the hall where Qin Shuying had prayed previously.

As soon as he entered the temple, Xu Qing noticed that the situation here was quite different from the last time he came. First, many wooden tables and benches used for worship in the courtyard disappeared, and then all the monks of all kinds went to nowhere, disappearing without a trace.

Following Xu Qing and rushing into the temple were the imperial guards who were accompanying the team.

They rushed in from both sides with knives in their hands, scaring the young monk who was leading the way into a state of panic. Xu Qing was more concerned about the changes in Falun Temple compared to the previous two days, fearing that any remnant of the White Lotus Sect would escape.

"Where is the monk who interpreted the fortune for us last time? Why did he disappear as well?"

Qin Shuying, who was following Xu Qing, did not wait for the monk to answer, but smiled and asked, "Young Master, did you hide him?"

"Um……"

The monk who greeted guests hesitated for a moment and replied with a forced expression, "The donor is joking."

When Shen Shuangxu, who had been keeping silent, walked near the main hall, his face suddenly became stunned and he fell into deep thought as he looked at the things in front of him.

Xu Qing followed her line of sight and found that she was very concerned about the dark and brown marks around the house. The iron hook that he had emphasized did not attract much attention from the detective.

As the imperial guards dispersed toward the temple, Xu Qing couldn't help but ask, "Is there any problem?"

"You... told me before that the monks in the temple said these things were traces left by thunder and fire?"

Shen Shuangxu's voice was cold, and a very tiny, strange color flashed across his clear eyes.

The welcoming monk who was being stared at felt like a prey being targeted by an eagle, and felt uncomfortable all over.

But he had to bite the bullet and answer, "Yes."

"What kind of miracle could leave such a mark?"

The monk who greeted the guests didn't even look at it, and answered with the words he had prepared long ago: "These are the marks left by the thunderbolts that fell from the sky and hit the ground. Only the burning of thunderbolts can cause such black marks."

After hearing the answer from the welcoming monk, Shen Shuangxu moved his gaze away from the young monk, rolled up his sleeves, picked up a wooden stick with his pair of white hands that were whiter than snow, and scratched the marks a few times.

"The arrangement of the White Lotus Sect around the main hall is the same as we guessed when we came here. It is evenly distributed in the octagonal positions of the house. If lightning spreads down along the iron chain, it will naturally be led into the ground."

Shen Shuangxu looked straight ahead, without turning his head, and softly narrated his findings and judgments.

"And those marks around the main hall are obviously the marks left by burnt meat. Although they were slightly burned by lightning, these uncleaned residues cannot be faked. The monk did not mention the closure of the mountain in the past two days, nor did he ask about your identity. Instead, he led us to the golden Buddha statue in the main hall, which means that the temple is very likely to have set an ambush in the hall... Now it is best to return to the foot of the mountain and let the imperial guards thoroughly investigate this temple."

It has to be said that Shen Shuangxu's insight into the environment far exceeds that of ordinary people.

Xu Qing naturally saw that something was wrong with the temple, but he couldn't make the kind of logical and interconnected reasoning and analysis that Shen Shuangxu did.

The sweaty, bewildered monk who greeted guests was the best proof of Shen Shuangxu's remarks.

"Understood. I'll listen to you."

Xu Qing pondered for a moment and decided to follow Shen Shuangxu's advice. He withdrew from the temple first and waited for the imperial guards to finish their search before making any plans.

(End of this chapter)