My wife has a secret

Chapter 251 Reason
"..."

Xu Qing had wanted to ask this question early in the morning.

But what disappointed him was that after a moment of surprise showed on Empress Dowager Xu's beautiful face, she seemed to be avoiding him, and turned her eyes away, looking elsewhere.

"You haven't eaten yet? Lianhua Jun should still be waiting outside the palace. Call her to the kitchen."

An excuse made up on the spot is no different from kicking someone off.

Xu Qing sensed something, and when Empress Dowager Xu let go of her hand and walked back, he somehow got the courage from where he came up with, and took the initiative to grab the other person's elbow.

The skin feels cool, smooth and moist, yet slightly warm, and has an extremely comfortable feel.

"Qing'er!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Qing realized that he was being rude and quickly let go of her hand.

"How disrespectful! How disrespectful!"

Empress Dowager Xu frowned slightly, looked at Xu Qing with some displeasure and scolded him a few words.

But from the corner of Xu Qing's eye, he just happened to see that the other person's cheek was slightly flushed, just like the physiological reaction when one blushes and feels irritated when telling a lie.

Xu Qing, who was ready to get to the bottom of the matter, was also prepared to risk it all, so he just knelt down with a plop.

"Qing'er, you..."

Xu Qing lowered her head and asked in a slightly aggrieved tone: "Aunt, Qing'er is not a child anymore, why don't you tell Qing'er the truth."

Sure enough, compared with other methods, this method of surrendering and acting coquettishly is most acceptable to my aunt.

The other party was caught in a dilemma, which made the atmosphere between the aunt and nephew become stiff.

In the end, Empress Dowager Xu seemed unable to overcome the childish Xu Qing and sighed softly.

"You are grown up now. I can't hide it from you anymore."

After Empress Dowager Xu sat on the bed in the inner room of the palace, she continued to extend her hand to beckon Xu Qing in, and softly called, "Come in and talk."

Xu Qing got up from the ground, rubbed his sore legs and feet, and was about to step in, but stopped again.

The reason he hesitated was because this was his aunt's bedroom.

Although the emperor often summoned officials in his bedroom to handle government affairs and memorials, it was different when he actually slept.

What's more, my aunt is the empress, and the rules are much stricter than those of emperors in previous dynasties. Just meeting me in this casual clothes before going to bed is already an exception.

Following the door frame in the hall, I could vaguely see my aunt sitting on the bed, combing a lock of her long, shiny black hair to her neck.

This unintentional movement just hit the bulging collar of the clothes, making Xu Qing's mind full of the exaggerated and scary outline.

"Qing'er, just stand here and listen."

"There are palace maids patrolling outside the palace with lanterns, waiting for orders. I don't want my family affairs to be known to everyone."

Xu Qing just remembered this when he heard this.

Although no one is allowed to enter Feishuang Palace, there are masters from the imperial palace stationed around the palace to perform supervisory duties at all times.

However, the emperor's daily sleeping and sleeping still needed the care of personal palace maids. Most of these people were waiting around Feishuang Palace, taking turns to respond to the saint's requests at all times.

Xu Qing walked into the house and saw his aunt getting up to light an incense burner in the house.

"The incense in the stove is the soothing incense sent from the South China Sea... After so many years, my aunt is not used to other incense and falls asleep every night smelling this incense."

Empress Dowager Xu was not in a hurry to explain the whole story to Xu Qing, but instead started chatting about family matters and mentioned the living habits in the palace.

"Thank you for your hard work, aunt."

"Hard work? It's just fear."

Queen Mother Xu said in a soft, melodious, and serene voice, "I am getting older, but I am getting less courageous... When I first married into the palace, I was frightened and developed a hidden illness."

Xu Qing wanted to ask the reason behind this, but Empress Dowager Xu was obviously unwilling to talk about it and told him about the past.

"Qing'er, you didn't remember much when you were little, so you might not know that your aunt wasn't originally a child of the Xu family. She was an orphan that your mother picked up from outside and brought to the Xu family."

"what?"

Empress Dowager Xu spoke in a calm and quiet voice, which caught Xu Qing off guard and he opened his mouth wide.

Aunt, is not the biological aunt of this original body?
"Back then, floods ravaged the area and displaced residents along the Changhe River. Orphans and widows were common, and it was not uncommon... My aunt was lucky. When she was seven or eight years old and was about to starve to death on a mountain road, she happened to meet my elder sister, who was traveling with my father and was familiar with the business. She was your mother."

"When your mother saw Aunt, she felt pity for her and insisted on taking her back to the Xu family. The master and grandmother of the Xu family couldn't persuade her, so they took Aunt back and raised her in the side yard."

When she said this, Empress Dowager Xu seemed to be immersed in the memories of that time, and her eyes were full of love as she looked at Xu Qing.

The latter could vaguely feel that this deep care and love was probably inherited from his mother.

"In the whole courtyard, only your mother is on my side, doting on me and treating me well... I still remember when the people from the branch family came to celebrate the old lady's birthday, some elders saw that aunt was pretty and wanted to bring her home to continue the family line. It was your mother who overturned the whole table of food, and only then did everyone in the mansion shut up."

Xu Qing became more and more confused as he listened. He never expected that the Xu Mansion that his aunt mentioned was the same place as the Xu Mansion where he was reborn.

No wonder my aunt’s attitude towards the Xu family was ambiguous. Even after she entered the palace and became the queen, she did not give them too many privileges.

I felt strange at the time. In my previous life, a certain Yang family could dominate the court and the country just because their daughter was favored and was named a noble concubine. Why did the Xu family still live in a corner? They only dared to bully in Suzhou City?
"My aunt had originally thought that if she and your mother stayed in the Xu Mansion for the rest of their lives, they would be able to live a peaceful and happy life... But that old man followed others' example of giving gifts to high officials, and was implicated in a case involving a high-ranking official in the capital. As a result, the Xu family's situation has become worse and worse every year."

Xu Qing had also heard about this matter.

After all, the Xu family came from a business background. If they didn’t pay to manage those officials, how could they ensure smooth trade routes and avoid being harassed?
"Later, your mother passed away in an accident, leaving you behind in your cradle. Your aunt watched over you and kept watch over you, hoping every night that you would grow up."

The long hair on Empress Dowager Xu's forehead was slightly fluffy, adding a touch of laziness and casualness.

When talking about the past, the look in his eyes towards Xu Qing became more and more loving.

"But auntie gradually found out that the old man of the Xu family was beheaded, and the business of the mansion was declining. Even if you grow up, I'm afraid you will cry and starve outside, just like auntie when she was a child... auntie loves you and doesn't want you to suffer in the future, so she took the opportunity when the examiner of the show passed by Suzhou Inn to slip her name list into the inn."

If the previous incident surprised Xu Qing, then he was completely dumbfounded when he heard this.

Who would have thought that the current emperor had obtained the quota for the concubines to enter the palace secretly.

But when I think about it carefully, I find that there is something unreasonable here.

The Xu family was not a family of scholars or nobles. They were selected to enter the palace as a merchant family, so they must have used a backdoor. "For this reason, my aunt patiently learned all the rules and etiquette from scratch, and also learned to read books, play chess, drink tea and arrange flowers like the young ladies of the official families... When the eunuchs from the palace came to the Xu Mansion to pick them up, everyone in the mansion, including the old lady, was dumbfounded."

When Empress Dowager Xu said this, there was still a hint of mischievous smile on her pretty face, like the expression of someone who had succeeded in a prank.

But after saying this, Empress Dowager Xu's expression became somewhat gloomy.

"But life in the palace is far from something a clever girl can understand. I have lived in this palace for almost ten years. I started as a maid who served tea and water and cleaned spittoons, and climbed up to my current position step by step. There were several times when I thought it was enough and I should stop... But if you don't want to climb up, someone will want to step on you to get to the top. Only when you are the one who is above everyone else can you ignore other people's opinions."

Xu Qing was deeply touched by these words. His aunt had talked to him about this before, but he did not understand these things at that time and did not have too many thoughts about it.

Now, after listening to Empress Dowager Xu's experience, I realized that she was also a living person. The hardships and sorrows she experienced from being a palace maid to becoming an empress are beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

"Qing'er, the reason why aunt left you in Suzhou all these years after entering the palace is because she was afraid that things in the palace would become complicated and that the Xu family would be implicated if she wasn't careful, and that you would be dragged into it... Only when everything was settled did aunt dare to bring you from Suzhou to the capital, to love you and to protect you."

Faced with the true feelings expressed by Empress Dowager Xu, Xu Qing didn't know what to say and could only respond.

"That's why my aunt told you that in this world, we are the only family. Your wives, concubines, and subordinates are not as kind to you as my aunt is to you."

Queen Mother Xu sighed again and asked softly, "Do you understand?"

"Qing'er understands."

Xu Qing had already roughly figured out that Empress Dowager Xu had experienced a rough life and regarded her mother as her only relative.

When parents died of illness, the other party transferred this feeling to themselves.

It seems that this is no longer a simple emotion, but an emotion stronger than family affection.

"Just understand."

After Empress Dowager Xu finished speaking, she supported her forehead with one hand, and a trace of sleepiness appeared on her face.

Because of the hypnotic effect of the soothing incense next to her, this mature woman with a curvy figure and attractive body looked relaxed and tired.

Coupled with the long-term memories and narration, his mind today is extremely peaceful, as if a heavy stone has been lifted from his heart.

"Let Lianhua-jun take you to the kitchen to eat something. Auntie is a little tired tonight, so she won't go with you..."

Xu Qing lowered his head and just agreed, when he suddenly noticed that the beautiful woman in front of him was breathing evenly and steadily, with a very even rhythm.

After being stunned for a long time without seeing his aunt respond, he raised his head and looked at her.

I saw him leaning on the bed, supporting his head with one arm, and actually fell asleep.

"This……"

Xu Qing was stunned for a moment, and after thinking for a moment, he felt that his aunt might catch a cold, so he took the initiative to step forward and help her adjust her sleeping position.

Empress Dowager Xu had a graceful figure, with all the charm and features of a mature woman. As soon as Xu Qing held her in his arms and lifted her up slightly, he smelled a fragrant fragrance.

The fragrance is like the osmanthus in late autumn, full of elegance and enchanting aroma.

What made Xu Qing almost stop breathing was that his aunt's body was as soft as marshmallow, and the place where he held hands felt extremely comfortable.

"OK……"

Maybe there was something wrong with the way Xu Qing held her, but my aunt let out a moan, leaned her head into Xu Qing’s arms, and continued to sleep.

Xu Qing was glad that the other party did not wake up, otherwise, he really didn't know how to explain it now.

But a new problem also arose. The delicate body in his arms was not only his aunt, but also the empress of the current dynasty... He couldn't just hold her here all night, he had to settle her down as soon as possible.

Having made up his mind, Xu Qing hurriedly lifted the gold-thread quilt and carefully put it in.

Just like the aroma of aged wine, it still lingers in Xu Qing's nose, leaving him with an endless aftertaste that he cannot forget for a long time.

After placing the soft, gentle, charming and beautiful woman on the bed, Xu Qingyuan wanted to leave this place quickly to find Lianhua Jun who was waiting outside the palace.

But he suddenly thought, if he just left like this, and the personal maid waiting by the side of the hall didn't dare to come in, wouldn't his aunt have to stay dressed all night?
Apart from anything else, the daily morning court alone is exhausting. He is loved and protected by his aunt, so he should consider his aunt in everything and help her relieve her worries.

Thinking of this, Xu Qing retracted the foot he had stepped forward and returned to the bed.

He squatted down and took the initiative to help his aunt take off her shoes and placed them neatly next to the footstool.

After taking off the stockings, the exposed instep was white and crystal clear, and the skin was as white as jade.

My aunt's beautiful feet are petite and delicate, with toes as white as pearls and slightly curled, which makes her look particularly attractive.

This kind of beauty is like a crescent moon, sharp, thin, delicate and just right.

Many lists can be held in one hand and feel as soft as boneless, and sink into the water when touched.

"I never thought that my aunt, who is usually dignified and majestic, has such small feet."

After Xu Qing expressed his feelings, he hurried to help his aunt take off her coat.

But I didn't expect that the costumes in the palace were so complicated. It was just a piece of clothing to wear before sleeping, but it seemed to be tightly bound and could not be taken off for a long time.

Gradually, Xu Qing also discovered the source of this difficulty.

Because the collar of the dress was tied behind the aunt's waist, no matter how he tried to take it off, it was all in vain.

Xu Qing sighed and had to climb onto the dragon bed. He stretched out his arms to hug his aunt and groped her lower back little by little.

Finally, he found the end of the belt and untied it.

"Ok?"

Xu Qing, who thought he had accomplished his task, stood there in a daze, because he realized that he had worked so hard for a long time but had not even taken off his clothes.

Because this belt only serves as an auxiliary fixation and is itself a decoration.

This forced Xu Qing to re-examine his aunt's clothes, observing them from head to toe and from top to bottom.

Finally he came to a conclusion.

"It seems... this dress doesn't need to be untied, just unzip the front and take it off."

(End of this chapter)