My wife has a secret

Chapter 85: Substitution
"As the wife of the emperor and the head of the harem, how can I not keep my word? If you can't even trust my words, who else can you trust?"

Even if this noble queen swore on her throne, Xu Qing still couldn't trust her.

The conversation previously overheard on the rooftop had already involved palace secrets.

If it were me, I would definitely kill the eavesdropper to prevent future trouble.

But Empress Gongsun never showed any intention to kill him from beginning to end, which was unreasonable.

The other party must have other purposes in trying to win me over so eagerly.

Xu Qing lowered his head, pretending not to dare to raise it, and whispered: "I dare to ask, what does the Queen want me to do..."

Shui Haozi was a tomb robber, as small as an ant in the eyes of these royal nobles.

The only trump card in his hand is this secret passage that can lead to escape from the palace.

But Changle Palace was Empress Gongsun's bedroom, and she must have known about the secret passage.

Xu Qing wanted to find out what the other party was thinking before making any plans.

"You little guy, you may look stupid on the surface, but you are actually quite smart."

Empress Gongsun slowly stepped back and sat upright on the gorgeous pear blossom chair.

She raised her orchid finger and smiled slightly, "You don't have to try to deceive me. Once this is done, I will be able to take charge of the harem and will naturally not treat you unfairly."

Empress Gongsun was much more difficult to deal with than Xu Qing thought, and she guessed his little thoughts.

Xu Qing glanced at the eunuch bowing beside him and knew that he had no other choice but to cooperate with Empress Gongsun.

"In this case, please, Queen, take good care of me and look after me, Water Rat."

Seeing that Xu Qing had agreed to her invitation, Empress Gongsun smiled and felt much better than before.

She said leisurely, "Water Rat, everyone has to prove their worth, so I will not keep mediocre people around me... Someone will help you bathe and change clothes, and teach you the etiquette and rules of the palace. You have to learn the basics in the time it takes to stick an incense stick."

Xu Qing felt a chill in his heart and felt a chill in the middle of his trouser legs.

Damn Empress Gongsun, she asked people to teach him etiquette and rules, did she want to keep him by her side as a eunuch?
"I'm not very smart and I learn things slowly."

The palace rules were complicated, and Xu Qing wanted to get away with it, but he didn't expect Empress Gongsun to act out of character and be completely different from her previous gentle attitude.

Her voice also turned cold, "If you can't learn these palace rules, there is no need for me to keep you."

After saying this, Empress Gongsun walked out with a group of personal maids.

When Xu Qing was allowed to raise his head, the eunuch was the only one left in the entire bedroom.

This eunuch's abilities were average, so Xu Qing was not afraid of him.

As long as there is any movement in the house, the people outside will call the imperial guards.

Moreover, the roof beams were broken. How could I escape?

"Although I don't know why the queen likes you, you are lucky."

Xu Qing didn't understand what he meant and was about to ask something when he was interrupted by Zhang Yong.

"You should have a proper appearance, a harmonious complexion, and a smooth speech... You should wear your hat and clothes properly, have a proper appearance, a harmonious complexion, and smooth speech. Just take a few steps and see for yourself."

As Xu Qing took a step forward, the eunuch named Zhang Yong approached him and put his hand on his shoulder.

"You're taking such big steps. Do you understand the rules?"

Xu Qing really didn't expect that this eunuch would actually teach him from the very beginning.

Fortunately, he was not too stupid, and he soon did what the eunuch asked and took steady steps.

"good."

Zhang Yong didn't expect Xu Qing to learn so quickly, so he walked outside, called the palace maid to bring a bathtub, and rubbed Xu Qing's back and changed his clothes.

When Xu Qing was at home, Xiaohuan helped him wash his body. Now, under the pressure of outsiders, he had to take off all his clothes and get into the bathtub, to be molested by the palace maids.

"The clothes are held there so they can't get wet."

Xu Qing heard Zhang Yong's shrill voice coming from outside the screen and quickly stretched his head to take a look. He was afraid that the other party had prepared a set of eunuch's clothes.

It would be fine if you didn't look at it, but once you do, you'll be shocked.

Xu Qing never expected that what the two palace maids were holding up with their hands was actually a five-clawed dragon robe.

Under the candlelight, the dragon robe gleamed brightly, and the delicate dragon pattern came alive on the silk as delicate as a cicada's wing, exuding a majestic and mysterious atmosphere.

When Zhang Yong saw that Xu Qing had discovered this, he no longer hid it from him.

He approached Xu Qing, his face darkened, and said, "Being the emperor for a day is something that ordinary people dare not even think about."

"emperor?"

Xu Qing opened his mouth wide, unable to speak for a long time, his eyes wide open.

Zhang Yong continued, "What you need to learn is the etiquette of the emperor... If there is any mistake, no one in this palace will survive."

After these words were spoken, not only Xu Qing, but even the two palace maids who were cleaning beside him broke out in sweat and dared not utter a word.

"You and the queen need to go to the emperor's bedroom and get the imperial seal. You will use it to command the elite troops that the Prince of Dongwan has brought into the city, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry. Then you will use this cavalry to force Queen Mother Xu to abdicate... and then capture and kill the rebellious Prince of Dongwan."

After hearing Zhang Yong tell him the Queen's entire plan, Xu Qing couldn't believe his ears.

"Let me pretend to be the emperor?"

Zhang Yong stared at Xu Qing and said, "When the emperor was first imprisoned by Prince Kang, your majesty was thinking of a solution to this matter. The eunuchs who were most familiar with the emperor followed him out... If I and your majesty guarantee you, ordinary people will not dare to doubt your identity."

“Why not choose someone else?”

"The men in the harem are either the imperial guards or the eunuchs... The eunuchs have high-pitched voices, which can be heard by others. The imperial guards are strictly inspected and will not enter the inner courtyard of the palace without special orders."

Xu Qing knew clearly the consequences of this matter if it was exposed, but he had no choice at the moment and could only follow the wishes of Empress Gongsun.

But Xu Qing could also feel a little relieved, because he was an extremely important part of the Queen's plan.

If he could control the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, he would have the bargaining chip to negotiate terms.

……

When Xu Qing walked out of the bedroom, the Queen had already summoned the phoenix carriage and was waiting for him in it.

Zhang Yong, who was following behind him, immediately shouted, "The Emperor has arrived."

The maids and eunuchs of the Changle Palace came out in droves, knelt in two rows on the road, and shouted respectfully: "Long live the emperor."

It must be said that Xu Qing enjoyed the treatment of an emperor.

Following Zhang Yong's instructions, Xu Qing slowly approached the Fengluan vehicle and entered the tent.

The Empress Gongsun in the carriage wore a phoenix crown inlaid with gold threads and decorated with gems, and a bright red silk satin robe in front of her.

The robe has wide flowing sleeves and a long skirt that trails on the ground. It is embroidered with golden phoenix patterns and is extremely luxurious.

If Qin Shuying, who loves clothes, saw this skirt, she would definitely be unable to take her eyes off it and would stare at it for a long time.

It’s a pity that this red dress is a dress reserved for the queen.

Because it was the first time that Xu Qing saw Empress Gongsun up close, he paused for a few longer seconds staring at her face.

This not-so-famous queen had a beautiful face. Although she wasn't stunningly beautiful, she had a unique charm. "Not bad, she looks pretty."

Because of the environment in the dungeon and secret passage, Xu Qing was unkempt and looked like a beggar on the street.

Now after taking a shower and washing myself, I feel about 60% more energetic.

"Sit over here."

Empress Gongsun pointed to the main seat beside her and ordered Xu Qing to sit there.

Although according to the rules of palace etiquette, the empress could sit on an equal footing with the emperor, in ancient times when male power was supreme, the empress was always inferior to the emperor and could only sit at the side nearby.

Xu Qing sat in the seat reserved for the emperor and immediately smelled a faint fragrance.

After a moment of distraction, he realized that he was too close to Empress Gongsun and could smell her fragrance.

Empress Gongsun also frowned slightly, noticing that the distance between the two was too close.

In the past, because the little emperor was still young, Empress Gongsun had plenty of room to move around, but Xu Qing was an adult man after all.

Her momentary negligence caused the two of them to lean against each other.

"Draw the curtains and raise the flags!"

The carriage swayed as it moved forward, and Empress Gongsun was displeased with their increasingly close relationship.

She is the queen of a country and the master of the harem.

This water rat is a lowly prisoner. When she is touched by such a person, she gets goose bumps all over her body.

However, because the eunuchs led the way, the dragon chariot and phoenix carriage moved extremely slowly, almost as fast as a person walking.

Seeing that they were still a long way away, Empress Gongsun had no choice but to say, "Your Majesty, please..."

Empress Gongsun stopped talking halfway through her words. She didn't know if it was her illusion, but under the light of the lamp outside the car, she actually saw a smile on Xu Qing's profile.

"Queen, what's wrong?"

Xu Qing turned around pretending to be calm, but secretly reached out from inside the carriage where no one else could see and grabbed Empress Gongsun's fair and slender hand.

It has to be said that Empress Gongsun's long-term life of luxury made her skin extremely well-maintained and as delicate as silk.

Empress Gongsun looked at Xu Qing in disbelief, with anger and shame in her eyes.

She didn't expect that this timid and untouchable person would actually dare to touch her.

I am the queen of Da Qi!
Xu Qing has been pretending to be the grandson for so long, just waiting for this moment when the offensive and defensive situations change.

If he was in Changle Palace, Empress Gongsun might still have the possibility of replacing him, but if he boarded the phoenix carriage, he would be the most critical link in the Empress's entire plan.

The other party would not dare to touch him because of his current status as emperor, let alone turn against him.

That means Xu Qing can do whatever he wants tonight.

"lay down!"

Because the curtains of Feng's carriage were open, the two of them could be seen by the eunuchs and palace maids accompanying them.

Therefore, Empress Gongsun did not dare to show any disrespect to Xu Qing, and could only quietly shout at him to stop him from taking action.

Xu Qing also said in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "What's wrong? I am the emperor now, can't I touch my own wife?"

"you!"

No one dared to say such rumors to Empress Gongsun before or after she entered the palace.

Xu Qing's words made her face as rosy as a peach blossom, and her slightly flushed cheeks were full of shame and anger.

Then, as if she had thought of something, she put down her arrogant attitude and whispered, "If you want women, I can give you fifty... no, one hundred beautiful women to serve you."

Seeing that Xu Qing did not answer, Empress Gongsun thought he was moved and hurriedly raised the stakes.

"The girls selected in the palace are all beautiful women from all corners of the country, with clean backgrounds and slim figures. When the matter is completed, you will not only have a woman, but also a large house."

Empress Gongsun wanted Xu Qing to focus on the reward, but as a new-age office worker who died of overwork, Xu Qing was more familiar with making empty promises than anyone else.

"My Queen, you are not sincere enough to me."

As Xu Qing spoke, he reached his hand into Empress Gongsun's wide sleeves.

The sleeves were wide and big enough for Xu Qing to put both his hands inside.

Even if Empress Gongsun wanted to resist, there was a natural gap between her size and strength and Xu Qing's.

"If the queen gets more aggressive, I will tear the sleeves to pieces. If the clothes remain intact, it will surely arouse suspicion from others."

Upon hearing this, Empress Gongsun stopped resisting.

She felt ashamed and scared, and her heart was pounding wildly.

She felt that her body was dirty after letting such a lowly person touch her skin.

"Your Highness, just obey me. I am a worthless person, and it is impossible for Your Highness to turn against me at this time and die with such a lowly person like me, right?"

Empress Gongsun was defeated by Xu Qing's shameless behavior. She was so angry that her face turned red and she was furious.

"And the Empress, please stop making promises for me. When the real emperor comes back, I will definitely be silenced... It's a matter of time before I die, so why not let me enjoy myself now?"

"Won't……"

Empress Gongsun's beautiful red lips just uttered two words and then suddenly closed.

Because she found that the boy next to her was becoming more and more daring, and was actually unbuttoning her phoenix robe.

The only things worn under the phoenix robe are a skirt and undergarments.

Just now, she almost screamed out because of Xu Qing's excessive actions.

"Dou Yalong, deputy commander of the Imperial Guards, greets His Majesty the Emperor and the Empress."

When the vehicle reached the Yongshou Gate of the harem, it was stopped by the imperial guards who were patrolling there.

Deputy Commander Dou Yalong, who was standing in front of the door, saluted the convoy with his fists.

The imperial guards enjoyed special privileges in the palace and were allowed to salute without kneeling when seeing the dragon chariot or the phoenix carriage.

Dou Yalong was a little puzzled by the sudden appearance of the emperor, because he clearly remembered that the little emperor had left the palace with a group of imperial guards this morning and went to the Ministry of Justice for trial.

The imperial guards hadn't returned yet, so why did the little emperor suddenly return, and appear from the harem?

"No gift."

Because of the darkness of the night, Dou Yalong could not clearly see the face of the man on the phoenix carriage.

When he heard the other party's voice, he frowned, feeling that there were many suspicious points in the matter.

Just as the curtain in the front row was about to move, Dou Yalong raised his hand and shouted, "Wait!"

Then he turned to the carriage, knelt on one knee, and asked: "I stopped the carriage for the sake of the emperor's safety. I dare to ask, is the person sitting in the carriage really the emperor himself?"

Empress Gongsun's stern voice rang out from the carriage.

"Commander Dou, what do you mean by this?"

(End of this chapter)