My wife has a secret

Chapter 235 Returning home
"I will present the memorial and the list at the court tomorrow morning."

"Thank you for your hard work, my dear Yuchi."

The empress's body was swaying slightly in the swaying pearlescent curtain. It seemed that she had been sitting for too long, so she moved back slightly and leaned on the back of the chair.

Then, a calm voice came from above the dragon throne.

"The war situation at the border is tense. You have worked so hard for the country and the people of Da Qi... At this point, the Liao army cannot be dealt with in a day's negotiation. Go back and rest."

All the ministers knew that the empress was tired and this was a disguised way of driving them out of the palace, so they all knew the situation and kowtowed, kneeled, bowed and saluted.

"Long live my emperor."

Only Xu Qing, who was standing in the middle, felt a chill in his heart and was somewhat surprised.

I had just said a few words, how come it ended?

When he was struggling over whether to follow the officials and leave, Lianhua Jun beside the Queen Mother raised her beautiful eyes and waved at him.

"Marquis Guangping stays."

Obviously, this is to give him special treatment.

This feeling of oppression on Xu Qing was just like when he was a child and was kept after class and the teacher called him to ask his parents.

There was a sense of uneasiness lingering in my heart, as if telling myself that it was hard to predict whether this night would bring good or bad fortune.

After about half an hour, the scene in the palace disappeared, and the civil and military officials left one after another, leaving only teams of imperial guards patrolling various places in the palace.

Inside the palace hall, the personal maid holding the fan was also sent away by Lord Lianhua, leaving the huge space vacant.

"Saint, Lord Lianhua will take his leave first."

Lianhua Jun obviously understood Empress Dowager Xu's intentions very well. He went through a simple formality, left Xu Qing, who was a little at a loss, and went out to wait outside.

Several guards worked together to push up the heavy front of the hall and "locked" the aunt and nephew inside.

At this moment, the powerful empress who dominated the fate of Qi was sitting behind the pearl curtain, staring at Xu Qing, and she had not moved her eyes away for a long time.

Although he couldn't see the real appearance of Empress Dowager Xu, Xu Qing could feel the attention focused on him through her gaze.

In order not to anger the old lady, Xu Qing finally decided to give in and use family ties to bring the two closer.

"aunt……"

"You know, call me aunt."

Xu Qing felt a little embarrassed when he heard this, and smiled awkwardly: "Of course Xu Qing remembers."

"Do you really remember? Auntie thinks that after you went to Liao, you were able to get involved with the Yang family and become a live-in son-in-law of Huangling Pass."

I don’t know if it was Xu Qing’s illusion, but he always felt that his aunt’s words were a bit sour, as if she was jealous.

After just a moment, Xu Qing put this unrealistic idea behind him.

After all, the person sitting on the dragon throne was his mother's younger sister, a remarkable woman who stood out among the many concubines in the harem and ascended to the throne by various means.

If you think about the deeds and biography of the female emperor surnamed Wu in the previous life, you will know the true character of this aunt.

Although Empress Dowager Xu would provide a lot of support and help to her relatives out of consideration for family affection, this was also for the sake of being able to better rule the world, and she would not give important official positions to relatives who would suffer together with her.

For this kind of strong woman, the most important thing is the country and the people.

"Aunt, you're joking. During the days when Qing'er was out there, she always kept in mind... that she was a member of the Xu family and belonged to Aunt."

What Xu Qing wanted to express was to let Empress Dowager Xu rest assured that his surname was Xu.

"Aunt is not one of those pedantic people in the Li Qi royal family who cling to some power and delay important things... You can rest assured that the war against the Liao Kingdom will be commanded by Yang Xianning."

I don’t know if what I just said had any effect, but Empress Dowager Xu actually spoke up for the first time and expressed her thoughts in front of others.

If other ministers in the court or Lord Lianhua came here, they would be stunned by the scene before them.

When Empress Dowager Xu discussed political and military affairs with others, she would basically not express her opinions before making a decision.

Because she herself knew that the emperor's thoughts and inclinations would most likely guide the development of the entire matter, making the discussion meaningless.

But today, the empress made an exception in front of her own nephew.

"Thank you, aunt."

Xu Qing heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that his advice and the "self-torture tactic" had worked.

If the battle at the border is led by Yang Xianning, there will be more confidence... She saw through Xiao Chong's thoughts at Jieting, and there is no doubt that she will become a more dazzling general.

But the times now are special. Even if he is there to defend against the enemies in the Qinling Mountains, I cannot live a peaceful life.

Because war is not only a competition of human lives, but also a clash of national strength between two countries and a protracted consumption.

"Someone has already reported your experience in Liao to my aunt... If you feel pressured to investigate the White Lotus Sect, just entrust the matter to Shen Shuangxu."

Hearing Empress Dowager Xu's nonchalant tone, Xu Qing felt as if he had been pricked by a needle and his mind instantly became clear.

The other party may be feeling sorry for himself, but he may also be doubting his own abilities and feeling that he is not up to the task.

It is not wrong to think so. After all, since the emergence of the White Lotus Sect until now, I have basically been led by the nose.

The rare breakthroughs were not because he saw through the White Lotus's plan, but were due to chance or the other party had a trick up their sleeve.

but……

Giving up like this made Xu Qing feel a little uneasy.

From the moment they arrived in Beijing, the White Lotus became extremely persistent and appeared frequently.

Even in this Liao-Qi war, there is the shadow of the White Lotus Sect.

Moreover, he has found some clues and thinks this thing may be an opportunity to uncover the secrets of the White Lotus Sect.

"Qing'er wants to continue investigating the White Lotus Sect."

Queen Mother Xu was slightly startled, and looked at Xu Qing below again, and said calmly: "Okay."

Her expression was much calmer than before, and her tone was noticeably softer.

When holding court in the main hall, Empress Dowager Xu's voice often exudes a confident tone and voice, like an irresistible command.

Empress Dowager Xu did not dwell too much on the issue of the White Lotus Sect, but continued, "The White Lotus Sect's affairs need to be investigated, but before that, there are two things that need to be dealt with in advance."

"Auntie, please tell me."

Hearing this, Xu Qing did not dare to be negligent in the slightest.

"I told you before that there is a problem inside Chengxuanfang and we need to clean up the mess... Shen Shuangxu returned to the capital two days earlier than you and it seems that there has been some progress. You can cooperate with her to deal with this matter."

"Yes."

Xu Qing was a little puzzled. There might be only a few spies, and Shen Shuangxu had been in Chengxuanfang for so long, how could he not even handle the suspect properly and need his help?
Theoretically speaking, this job should be done by Shan Yongpei, right?

Of course, he only dared to think about these questions in his mind. Since it was something ordered by his aunt, he naturally had to hurry up and deal with it. "There is another matter, which is also related to the White Lotus Sect."

"whats the matter?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Qing immediately became fully alert.

"Princess Danyang has signed and confessed her close relationship with the White Lotus Sect... Now, she is being held under house arrest in the Princess's Mansion by the Imperial Guards."

If Empress Dowager Xu hadn't mentioned this, Xu Qing would have almost forgotten about Princess Danyang.

In the past few years, she has lived the most free and easy life in the capital, and almost no one has not heard of the title of Princess Danyang.

The gold and silver jewellery and rare treasures found in the mansion alone were worth ten years' worth of taxes collected by the State of Qi.

When she heard that she was missing, Princess Danyang became even more arrogant in her actions in the mansion. She took this opportunity to make a huge amount of wealth, just like a corrupt official.

Previously, perhaps because she was worried about her whereabouts and information, Empress Dowager Xu turned a blind eye and allowed Princess Danyang to make trouble in the capital.

When he left Liao and stepped into the territory of Qi, Princess Danyang was deprived of power and her property was confiscated, and she fell into the situation she is in today.

"Aunt, I'm planning to take her..."

Xu Qing asked in a somewhat tactful way. Although he was the one who dealt with Princess Danyang, he had to find out the emperor's intentions and thoughts on this matter clearly before he could get things done properly.

If he remembered correctly, Princess Danyang was quite favored by Empress Dowager Xu.

"Although Princess Danyang is a member of the White Lotus Sect, she is doing my job and fulfilling her duties... You can go there in person and make your own decision on how to deal with it."

Empress Dowager Xu was not a person who cared about old friendships, and she simply ignored the matter of Princess Danyang's child.

It seems that whether Princess Danyang is alive or dead is of no importance to him.

Xu Qing replied honestly: "Qing'er knows."

……

The long-awaited reunion between aunt and nephew did not last long.

After receiving the imperial order, Xu Qing was driven out of the imperial palace by Empress Dowager Xu and returned to his own Guangping Marquis Mansion.

From beginning to end, he was never allowed to see his aunt's true face again.

However, Xu Qing also understood in his heart that the previous conversation between the aunt and nephew was most likely a means for the emperor to win over the hearts of the people, and he did not need to think of the relationship between the two as too close.

Perhaps to Empress Dowager Xu, he was just a male relative who played a certain role.

I haven't been back for a while. The decorations and green plants in Guangping Marquis' Mansion are extremely elegant. The magnolia bonsai has lush green leaves and fills the room with fragrance.

The gorgeous curtains and exquisite furniture complement each other, making the entire mansion look more magnificent and extraordinary.

"Young Master... No, it's the Marquis who is back!"

Before Xu Qing reached his yard, he saw Xiaohuan on the road.

The girl was wearing a dark blue cloth skirt with silver piping on the hem. Her hair was combed into two buns and she wore small hair accessories. Her big watery eyes showed her cleverness.

However, after seeing her own figure and appearance clearly, Xiaohuan's expression turned shy, and her snow-white cheeks were faintly flushed.

"Am I not welcome?"

When Xu Qing saw Xiaohuan, he immediately relaxed.

It was also because of this that he had the leisure and elegance to joke with the other party.

"How could it be! Xiao Huan thinks about you day and night, looking forward to your return. She thinks about you every moment."

After saying this, Xiaohuan realized that there was something strange in her words. If heard by someone with ulterior motives, it would most likely be misunderstood as having other meanings.

In a courtyard with strict hierarchy and clear boundaries between masters and servants, it is natural for servants to respect their masters, but they must not have any other unreasonable thoughts.

Xu Qing seemed not to understand. He walked up to her and touched her head lovingly.

The two of them returned to the courtyard together, and Xu Qing also asked about what happened in the capital while he was away.

"Xiao Huan didn't hear anything. I only know that during the time when the Marquis was away, the Fourth Young Mistress ordered the servants in the mansion to stay at home and not talk about the affairs of the mansion with others."

I have to admit that Qin Shuying from the Fourth House did a pretty good job in dealing with the situation.

Even today, most people who do not understand the internal situation still believe that they were specially sent to the Liao Kingdom by their aunt to prepare for the negotiations between the two countries.

"The other thing worth mentioning is that Princess Danyang visited the Marquis' Mansion."

"Princess Danyang?"

Xu Qing originally thought about what Xiaohuan would say, but he never expected that the other party would actually mention Princess Danyang.

"Yes, Princess Danyang visited the Marquis' Mansion three times during the days when you were away from the Mansion. She said that she was also half a foot into the Xu family and was qualified to come in and take a look."

"Qin Shuying let her in?"

Xiao Huan heard Xu Qing's tone change and his expression was a little unfriendly, so she answered boldly: "Yes, the fourth young lady couldn't persuade the other party, so she let her in."

For Xu Qing, this incident was like eating a rat's shit.

Although the Guangping Marquis Mansion was handed over to the fourth wife Qin Shuying to manage, this place has been regarded as his own territory since he was conferred the title of Guangping Marquis.

Princess Danyang was living well in the Princess's Mansion, so why did she have to come to Marquis Guangping's Mansion?
Xu Qing didn't think that this guy was just in a whim and wanted to visit the structure and scenery of the mansion.

"Master Hou..."

Xiaohuan saw that the two of them had already walked to the gate of the courtyard, but Xu Qing still had a gloomy face and seemed to be thinking about something, so she called out to him softly.

This gentle call brought Xu Qing back to his senses. He nodded towards Xiaohuan to indicate that he was fine.

After opening the gate, Xu Qing was amazed by the brand new, shiny house. The exquisitely carved stained glass windows and the spacious courtyard, almost every detail revealed refinement and grandeur.

"During the time you were away, the Fourth Young Madam renovated the courtyard and made some designs."

Although Qin Shuying was born in a brothel, thanks to this identity, she has seen many buildings and courtyards.

Basically, famous brothels are the ingenious works of contemporary masters.

It is for this reason that Qin Shuying pays great attention to every detail of her living environment and strives for perfection.

Xu Qing was naturally very happy. He didn't expect that his hands-off approach could achieve such miraculous results.

"By the way, where are the people from the Fourth Hospital?"

When Qin Shuying was mentioned, Xu Qing suddenly remembered that the people who should be in the mansion should be Qin Shuying and the two maids beside her, right?

How come along the way, except for Xiaohuan, all the others are new faces who have been recruited.

"The fourth young lady is a guest at the Nie residence today. She is probably playing chess with the third young lady, drinking tea and chatting."

Xu Qing was slightly stunned, obviously not expecting that his two concubines would become so familiar with each other.

(End of this chapter)