My wife has a secret

Chapter 148 Aunt and Nephew
Xu Qing knew that he was indeed the one who visited Falun Temple, but he was captured by the Prince of Dongwan and used to threaten the Queen Mother, which could not be said to be without fault.

Moreover, he took Shen Shuangxu along on his own initiative, which made him look like a hero at all.

But the Queen Mother not only took the credit for Shen Shuangxu's elimination of the remnants of the Prince of Dongwan, but also portrayed herself as a great hero, which is really incredible.

"Your Majesty has good intentions, and you need to savor them carefully."

Xu Qing looked at Lianhua Jun, whose face was solemn and tone was calm, and vaguely sensed another extremely bold possibility in his heart.

"My aunt is helping me establish my authority and using this incident to make a fuss."

He thought about it and felt that his aunt treated him particularly well, so this was the only possibility left.

After all, after the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven, my aunt should follow the path of the empress Wu Zetian in her previous life and ascend the throne step by step to become emperor.

By then, her weakness of having no offspring to inherit the throne would definitely be magnified. When the descendants of the Li Qi royal family came to power, there would be a possibility of liquidating the Xu family. Then, it seemed that she would become her aunt's rare choice.

"Ahem...Mr. Lianhua, you are always by my aunt's side and you understand her best. Can you tell me the truth?"

Lianhua Jun raised her pretty face slightly, and seeing Xu Qing's expression, it was hard to tell whether it was good or bad, she sighed slightly in her heart.

Those in power in the palace need to learn the art of being an emperor, so shouldn't they, the servants, also try to figure out the emperor's mind and be responsible for every word they say and every thing they do?

Although Empress Dowager Xu is now very concerned about Xu Qing and dotes on him, who knows how long this relationship can last?
What's more, the Queen Mother is not old now. She is in her prime and has the body and time to give birth to children.

If there is a new male favorite in the palace, when the real prince comes out, won’t the position of Master Xu be in danger?

"Young Master, I can't tell you too much about the things in the palace... But no matter what you think, you must know in your heart that I have been working in the palace for so long, and I have never heard of any family member in the past dynasties who can live in the palace like you."

When Xu Qing heard this, he was slightly distracted.

It is indeed as Lianhuajun said, the love that my aunt has for me exceeds that of an ordinary aunt-nephew relationship.

In the short term, it is impossible for the other party to harm you.

"The Heaven Sacrifice Ceremony will be held in three days. I came here today to pick up the young master and go to Qifeng Palace to report the great victory of Falun Temple and discuss matters related to the Heaven Sacrifice Ceremony."

"Will you let me go?"

"Yes, this is the order from the Queen."

Although Xu Qing was a little confused, he still followed Lianhua Jun's advice and went back to the house to change into a more neat and formal set of clothes.

When he sat down on the brocade cushion in the carriage again, the carriage started moving, and the wheels made a crisp clattering sound as they pressed over the compacted, flat stone road.

Even though it was almost midnight, there was still a lot of noise outside the palace.

Xu Qing was somewhat curious about what was happening outside the house, so he ordered Lianhua Jun to slow down the car and pull the curtain to check.

Under the usually dull and silent palace walls, there stood countless craftsmen and soldiers. The craftsmen were decorating at various intersections and near lighthouses, as if a festival was about to begin.

"Young Master, because the Prince of Dongwan caused chaos on New Year's Eve, the Queen specifically instructed that the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the heaven in the palace should have a more festive atmosphere."

After listening to Lianhua Jun's explanation, Xu Qing lowered the car curtain.

The carriage moved forward for a while and was stopped by the imperial guards guarding the lane for inspection. Lianhua Jun showed the jade token with an expressionless face and was then allowed into the surrounding area of ​​Qifeng Palace.

When Xu Qing got off the car and entered the palace again, it had undergone earth-shaking changes. The entire palace looked brand new, but it had become a little empty and deserted.

After a pause, he realized that the huge screen that was erected in the center of the Qifeng Palace had been removed and no one knew where it had been put.

"The Queen Mother is here!"

Following Lianhuajun's loud announcement, two accompanying palace maids pulled open the draped curtains outside the inner room of Qifeng Palace.

The solemn and dignified Empress Dowager Xu walked out slowly and became the only scenery in the house.

The empress dowager, who looked young, had a graceful figure and picturesque eyes and eyebrows, like a swaying willow or a blooming peony.

Her dignified temperament reveals gracefulness. The gorgeous clothes and luxurious jewelry make her figure look charming and attractive.

Especially the skin that was faintly visible through the gauze dress was almost the same color as snow-white milk. Even though she was wearing only clothes, it did not prevent Xu Qing from imagining how seductive this charming body was.

If you take off your coat...

When Xu Qing thought of this, he suddenly woke up and realized how ridiculous his previous thought was.

Although Empress Dowager Xu was not his aunt in the true sense, she was Mrs. Xu's child after all, and had a real blood relationship with this body.

I am a little bit lustful, but as a well-educated young person of the 21st century, how can I have such a beautiful fantasy?
"Qing'er is here?"

Empress Dowager Xu removed her right hand from her forehead and brushed away the bangs that were hanging down from her forehead. Her tone to Xu Qing was gentle and delicate.

For some reason, Xu Qing always felt that every time he met Queen Mother Xu, his mood would calm down, especially in such a cold environment as the imperial palace.

"aunt."

"Thank you for your hard work during the trip to Falun Temple the past two days."

Empress Dowager Xu stood up from the bed curtain and stood in front of Xu Qing face to face.

She was wearing a red and yellow floor-length dress with a golden dragon embroidered on it, which highlighted her elegance and extraordinary destiny.

Xu Qing vaguely realized something, and bowed his head and said, "Aunt, you are too kind. It was Qing'er's fault for not doing his job well, and he was captured by the Prince of Dongwan by mistake... And during this trip to Falun Temple, we still didn't catch the real Prince of Dongwan. We don't know where he is hiding."

"Don't worry too much about it. It's just a bug in the gutter. It will just survive wherever it hides."

The beautiful Queen Mother Xu was plump and had a warm and peaceful smile on her face, but the contempt and disdain in her eyes could not be concealed at all, as if she had never taken the Prince of Dongwan seriously from the beginning to the end.

"Auntie...what you said is absolutely true."

Xu Qing paused for a moment, and finally decided to follow Empress Dowager Xu's wishes.

Now that he has lost power in the court and his last group of loyal subordinates, it is not a big problem for the Prince of Dongwan, but the White Lotus Sect is a hidden disaster.

"Aunt, but in this incident at Falun Temple, it is shown everywhere... that someone from the White Lotus Sect was involved, and that man-made thunderbolt was closely related to Envoy Chunsheng, so it is very likely that it was his work..."

"Qing'er."

The relaxed look on Queen Mother Xu's face disappeared, replaced by a cold expression. After being interrupted, Xu Qing suddenly remembered that the last time he met the Queen Mother, it was because he talked about the White Lotus Sect that the Queen Mother lost interest in continuing the conversation.

But fortunately, this time was different from before. The expression on Empress Dowager Xu's beautiful face changed again and again, and finally she regained her composure and said softly, "Well, Qing'er, go on."

Xu Qing's mood just now was like riding a roller coaster. He had no idea whether Queen Mother Xu would suddenly lose her temper and drive him out of the palace.

But the matter of the White Lotus Sect had indeed become an imminent problem. Apart from the fact that those people were causing chaos and bringing disaster to the people, disregarding human lives and making a mess everywhere, he had a more important reason.

That is, Chunshengshi of the White Lotus Sect defined himself as a man of destiny. Who knows what kind of treatment a man of destiny will enjoy in the White Lotus Sect?
If I were caught by those lunatics, had my limbs chopped off, and eaten as Tang Monk's flesh, what kind of suffering would I have to endure?

This is also the reason why Xu Qing, who hated trouble, took over Chengxuanfang+ handed over to him by Empress Dowager Xu.

He also hoped to rely on the Empress Dowager as a big tree to eradicate the White Lotus Sect and eliminate its roots.

Therefore, we have to talk about what happened in the White Lotus Sect today.

After calming down his thoughts, Xu Qing coughed lightly and said, "Aunt, according to my nephew's speculation, the White Lotus Sect's plan for the Thunder and Fire incident this time is to control the people's hearts. If we condone their actions, the White Lotus Sect, which controls the people's hearts, will definitely become a stumbling block on your road."

Queen Mother Xu was silent for a moment and said nothing.

Seeing this, Xu Qing continued, "So Qing'er dared to ask Auntie, hoping that Auntie would release Miss Shen from the ban because of her meritorious service in command, and let her take over Chengxuanfang."

"This last sentence is the real purpose of what you have been laying the groundwork for for so long, Qing'er, right?"

Empress Dowager Xu snorted lightly, her thin eyebrows slightly frowned, and she asked with a half-smile on her face: "Qing'er, you talked with Shuang Xu on the way to Falun Temple. What you just said should also be her speculation, right?"

"..."

Xu Qing was speechless for a moment. He really wanted to use this incident to change the Queen Mother's opinion of Shen Shuangxu, and let Shen Shuangxu, who was calm and intelligent, take over Chengxuanfang again.

After all, Shen Shuangxu is the person in Da Qi who knows the White Lotus Sect best, and using her to deal with the White Lotus Sect would be twice the result with half the effort.

But for some reason, the current Empress Dowager Xu has a huge grudge against Shen Shuangxu.

"Hey……"

Queen Mother Xu sighed softly, her graceful and beautiful body swaying slightly, and she ordered the servants in the palace in an extremely cold tone: "Lord Lianhua, tell all the palace maids to leave. No one is allowed to enter the palace without my order."

"Yes."

Lianhua Jun, who was waiting at the door, bowed his head and responded, then told the palace maids in the inner room to retreat.

After a while, Xu Qing could hear rustling sounds coming from outside the house, as if many people were leaving the palace quickly.

"Aunt, this is..."

"Qing'er, come in with your aunt."

Empress Dowager Xu naturally stretched out her slender and delicate hand, held Xu Qing's hand, led him to the bed in the room, and sat him on it.

The young woman's perfectly round buttocks formed a semi-arc on the bed, tightening her originally loose skirt. In addition, Xu Qing was looking from a top-down angle and could almost see the perfect cleavage through his aunt's thin bra.

"Qing'er, what are you doing standing there like an idiot? Sit down quickly."

Xu Qing sat down with a red face, feeling a little embarrassed.

Although he confessed his fantasies when he entered the palace, for some reason he just couldn't stop himself from stealing glances at his aunt's seductive figure.

He knew in his heart that this was wrong.

"Ah."

Because of the previous experience, Xu Qing was not surprised by his aunt's slightly intimate behavior. He sat down in the seat she pointed to and leaned against the most powerful woman in the world.

But he suddenly discovered that the distance between them seemed to be much smaller than the last time they talked, especially their legs were touching.

Fortunately, they were separated by clothes, so it was not something worthy of attention.

"Qing'er, when your aunt was a child, she taught you that caution lies in fearing the small, and wisdom lies in governing the big... Now that your aunt is close to the throne, she will naturally know which people in this world are useful and which are useless."

Queen Mother Xu said earnestly: "But the art of being an emperor is not only about identifying talented generals. If we regard governing a country as a game of chess, the emperor needs to see clearly what changes and impacts will be caused by the moves of this and the next step."

Xu Qing frowned slightly, still confused.

"Since Auntie knows that Shen Shuangxu is a rare talent who can take on great responsibilities, why do you deliberately ignore her? And forgive my nephew for speaking frankly, but no one is more suitable than her to be the owner of Chengxuanfang."

Empress Dowager Xu raised her slender left hand slightly upward and gently stroked the back of Xu Qing's head.

Her extremely gentle attitude at this moment was just like a mother teaching her children some common knowledge.

"Qing'er, it's good to see this... But my aunt just said, how can an emperor care about a momentary mistake? You need to look further... Further than the matter of wiping out the White Lotus Sect, to the great cause of thousands of years, the unprecedented achievement, established today."

Empress Dowager Xu said this slowly, "Although my aunt has not been by your side in recent years, she has never missed a single thing about you. Let Chengxuanfang report everything."

Xu Qing felt a little embarrassed when he heard this.

He knew that although Empress Dowager Xu was nominally his aunt, she had grown up with his predecessor and had a special affection for him.

Now it seems that this relationship seems to be closer to that of mother and child.

"Do you remember that after you lost your memory and Shuang Xu first returned to Suzhou, the information passed to Chengxuanfang was accidentally leaked, causing the Dongzang Envoy to misjudge the date and the assassins he sent fell into the trap set by Shuang Xu and returned empty-handed?"

"There is such a thing."

Queen Mother Xu continued to guide Xu Qing's thoughts and asked softly, "What do you think is the biggest problem in this matter?"

"White Lotus Sect?"

"Qing'er, the White Lotus Sect is an external factor. The important thing is not the outsiders, but the problem among us."

Empress Dowager Xu's tireless teaching gave Xu Qing an epiphany and made him realize the issues that the empress dowager was concerned about.

"Qing'er, in my aunt's opinion, the White Lotus Sect and the Prince of Dongwan are just people and things that can be solved. It's nothing more than a matter of order and degree of difficulty... But the information leak of Chengxuanfang is by no means that simple."

(End of this chapter)