My wife has a secret

Chapter 92 Doting
Maybe the relationship between him and the fourth room is very weak, but judging from the current situation, Qin Shuying is not an unforgivable person.

As for what happened in Suzhou City, Xu Qing had let it go long ago.

One is that compared with the poisoning by Dongzang Shi and the frame-up by Prince Dongwan, Qin's matter was not a big deal. If she really had the intention to kill, how could he walk out of the Exiled Immortal Tower alive?
The second reason is that what Qin wanted did not conflict much with himself. A woman who wanted to live a stable and wealthy life was more like a friend with whom he could cooperate.

The third is the swordsmanship that Qin has mastered. If he is really an expert in swordsmanship, wouldn’t he be a free bodyguard in the backyard? A free thug in the future?
When Xu Qing thought about this, he finally understood why Miss Shen insisted on having Qin Shuying always by her side.

The yamen runners and constables of Suzhou Prefecture were all illusions. The one who really protected him... was actually this charming and attractive fourth wife.

"Aunt, I feel that Qin still has feelings for me..."

Empress Dowager Xu looked at Xu Qing with her bright eyes, and her expression changed from restrained sharpness to gentleness.

She naturally knew the situation of each of Xu Qing's wives and concubines, and understood that Xu Qing's statement was an excuse.

But this shrewd woman would not embarrass her beloved nephew and changed the subject calmly.

"Qing'er, what about the daughter of the Lu family in Suzhou? What do you think?"

Ever since Xu Qing came here, the people around him that he is most worried about are Xiaohuan and Lu Wanhe from the third room.

Xiaohuan was worried that she was stupid, that she only thought about her master in everything and didn't know how to think about herself.

I have a vague feeling for the third wife.

In his previous life, Xu Qing had never had a serious relationship because of his busy work, but he could also feel some tenderness from the other person's changed attitude.

The gentleness and virtue of the Jiangnan woman were also fully displayed in the other person.

Compared with the characteristics of other rooms, Xu Qing prefers this simple, pure and rustic feeling.

"Um……"

But how could Xu Qing dare to express this idea in front of the Queen Mother?
He hesitated slightly, not knowing what to say.

"Look at how impatient Auntie is. I haven't seen Qing'er for a long time, and she just left you outside the screen... This is the place for their servants to kneel, not a place for us to talk."

Queen Mother Xu approached Xu Qing and reached out to help him smooth out the loose hair on his forehead.

After her nephew behaved properly, Empress Dowager Xu smiled with satisfaction and took Xu Qing's hand and walked behind the screen.

As the Queen Mother of Qi's noble bedroom, usually only the palace maids who served her closely were allowed to enter.

Even the little emperor or empress who came to pay their respects would usually stand outside the screen and wait for her orders.

But Xu Qing, who had limited knowledge of palace affairs, naturally didn't know these palace rules.

He only remembered that there was an indescribable feeling of flesh in the Queen Mother's palm.

Even though the other person's fingers are slender and look slim and beautiful, but for some reason... Xu Qing can always feel the softness and plumpness from her body.

Accompanied by the spices specially supplied by the royal family, Xu Qing hardly paid much attention to the things around him.

The structure inside the bedroom is five points different from the shape seen outside the screen. In addition to the phoenix couch wrapped in rosewood scented curtains and the cauldron with fragrant aroma wafting around it, the blind spot of the visual field is also utilized here to free up a dressing table and a Buddhist shrine.

Queen Mother Xu brought Xu Qing to her bed and let him sit on it without any hesitation.

If Lord Lianhua witnessed this scene in the house, his opinion of the empress dowager would definitely change drastically, and he would feel as if he was in a dream.

"The girl from the Lu family is good, she is kind and has a good temper...but her health is too poor. The medicinal diet prescriptions in recent years have not improved her physical condition."

Empress Dowager Xu talked about Lu Wanhe and took the initiative to praise this girl.

Xu Qing felt relieved after hearing this and took the initiative to say, "Don't worry, auntie, Qing'er will take good care of Wanhe."

Queen Mother Xu slightly curved her eyebrows, raised her almond eyes, and praised: "Among the men in this world, no one is better than Qing'er."

Xu Qing also realized at this time that Empress Dowager Xu had an extremely exaggerated filter for him. No matter what he said or did, it was unconditionally good in her eyes.

The relationship between an ordinary aunt and nephew is close, but it doesn't seem to be so unreasonable.

The feeling that Empress Dowager Xu gave Xu Qing was more like unconditional pampering.

"What a pity. Although the Lu family's child is a good person, she doesn't have much time left to live. If it weren't for this body, aunt wouldn't have broken the contract and let the Lu family become a concubine."

Xu Qing was slightly stunned and ignored what Empress Dowager Xu said next.

His mind was filled with words like "time is running out" and his heart was at a loss.

"Aunt, Wan He..."

"You don't seem to know about this matter. Hmm... it's also my aunt's fault for talking too much and revealing your private affairs. But she is now living in the residence of Master Nie, a doctor of the Imperial College. You can visit her someday when you have time."

Hearing that Lu Wanhe had also come to the capital, Xu Qing was stunned and asked, "Why is she in the capital?"

"Silly child, of course I came here for you."

Queen Mother Xu touched Xu Qing's arm and said earnestly, "You two still need to explain yourselves."

"Yes, Qing'er will follow your aunt's instructions."

Seeing that Xu Qing was so sensible, Empress Dowager Xu couldn't help but touch his face again.

This intimate gesture made Xu Qing's face blush.

In this inner courtyard of the imperial palace, he seemed to be completely suppressed by Empress Dowager Xu. The love she showed was so strong that her every move was filled with heartache and love.

"I'm sorry for putting you through this matter with the Second House."

"Don't worry, aunt. In fact, Qing'er has seen the soldiers heading south from Huangling Pass. From the soldiers led by General Yang, we can see that they have made great contributions in guarding the border and do not seem to have ulterior motives."

When it comes to the affairs of Huangling Pass, Xu Qing feels that he has some say.

Because of the bloody lessons of his previous life, he knew clearly what the consequences would be if the barbarians and Tartars entered the pass.

Moreover, the topography of this world is not exactly the same as that of the previous life. In addition to the nomadic Mongols, there are also the established Jin and Liao dynasties.

Jin and Liao had vast territories, and any country had extremely strong military strength. If it weren't for the fear that invading Qi from the south would give the other side an opportunity, the country of Qi would have been in danger long ago. Xu Qing also wanted to live a leisurely life, so he naturally hoped to have a brave general guarding the border.

Even if he is not a god of war like Yue Fei or Huo Qubing, he must be able to defend the vital throat of Huangling Pass.

Therefore, Xu Qing took the initiative to speak up, hoping that the Queen Mother would change her mind, soften her attitude towards Huangling Pass, and supply the other party with the food, fodder and military equipment that they urgently needed.

"Qing'er, the reason why auntie can get to where she is today is because she never trusts anyone around her."

Empress Dowager Xu held Xu Qing's left cheek with her right hand and said softly, "When my aunt first entered the palace, she was walking on thin ice every day. But even so, she was in danger several times. Do you know why?"

"why?"

"Because people's hearts are hidden, even your best friend who you are confiding in today will betray you the next moment for the sake of interests, status, and power... The only thing that can control people's nature is their handles."

Xu Qing was unable to refute Empress Dowager Xu's words because he did not understand the struggles in the palace and could not imagine the hardships that Empress Dowager Xu had experienced.

"Only by being ruthless can you prevent others from bullying you... Think about it again, didn't the late emperor, who was once praised by the ministers of the noble families as a wise and brave emperor who revived the country, die on the dragon bed because he believed in my aunt in the end?"

"aunt……"

Xu Qing was stunned and his breathing stopped suddenly.

He had never expected that his aunt would be so bold as to hint in front of him that the emperor died at her hands.

And judging from Empress Dowager Xu's tone, it seemed that she had no respect for the late emperor, even though he was her husband.

"That's how it is in the palace. Only when you become a superior person, you don't have to worry about other people's opinions and live in fear."

Empress Dowager Xu, on the other hand, was dismissive of this and continued to teach Xu Qing earnestly.

"The reason why my aunt wants to purge the ministers in the palace to this point is to overthrow the old and outdated system and create a Great Qi centered on my aunt... Only in this way can we do whatever we want without any worries."

Queen Mother Xu put down her warm and fragrant palm and said slowly: "Although the overall situation in the court will be determined after tonight, the Yang family in Huangling Pass is still an unstable factor."

"Aunt, Qing'er has interviewed the common people. The Yang family has a very good reputation among them, and they don't seem to be treacherous ministers."

Queen Mother Xu nodded and smiled softly, "Auntie naturally knows that the girls of this generation of the Yang family have good character and are working for the great cause... But Qing'er, Auntie has just told you that human hearts are unpredictable. Even if they are loyal to the people now, what about in the future?"

Xu Qing frowned when he was asked. Although he thought about the importance of the border, he had not seriously thought about the question and angle raised by Empress Dowager Xu.

"Ten years, twenty years? Thirty years, forty years?"

Queen Mother Xu sighed after asking, "The Yang family holds the lifeline of the Great Qi, and has been in Huangling Pass for generations. The troops on the border have become their own troops loyal only to them... Even if Yang Xianning has no intention of rebelling and can hold the border until she dies of old age, what about her successor?"

"The previous dynasty rewarded the founding generals according to their merits and established eight vassal states based on the land of one county. But what happened later? Didn't it still lead to the Rebellion of the Eight Kings? The amount of human suffering caused by their rebellion was less than that caused by the barbarians' southward migration, but it also weakened the country's strength. As a result, the previous dynasty had no strength to march north for a hundred years, and lost a large amount of territory in vain, allowing the Jurchens to take advantage of the opportunity and establish the Jin Dynasty."

Empress Dowager Xu used the example of the previous dynasty to warn Xu Qing of the potential danger of the Yang family.

This made Xu Qing realize that although Empress Dowager Xu treated the Yang family harshly on the surface, she was actually taking the perspective of a more far-sighted emperor.

"Taking advantage of the fact that the current head of the Yang family is kind, Auntie is using despicable means to make her give in, so that the Yang family will fall apart, or it may be inherited by your children. If the Yang family is headed by someone with some selfish motives, it will be a real disaster."

Xu Qing tacitly agreed with Empress Dowager Xu's statement and did not speak any more to defend the Yang family.

Although he didn't know whether Empress Dowager Xu's approach was right or wrong, he had indeed thought things too simply before and did not take the Empress Dowager's position into consideration.

"Qing'er, you are just too kind... Auntie also learned about the food and grass from Chengxuanfang, but a mere 3,000 dan of food is not enough for hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians to survive the winter. Yang Xianning will eventually go to the capital to petition and compromise with Auntie."

Empress Dowager Xu paused and said, "But don't worry, when my aunt ascends the throne, she will take care of all the problems in the court."

From what Xu Qing heard from Empress Dowager Xu, it seemed that she completely regarded herself as the successor.

Xu Qing, who had lost the memory of his previous life, was confused and even worried about the Queen Mother's behavior.

Although being treated like this is a rare blessing, any good thing should not be without reason.

Just like how Lu Wanhe treated her better, it was also because the two of them met and got to know each other at the poetry gathering and the Lu Mansion, and established a certain emotional foundation.

What is the basis of the relationship between Queen Mother Xu and myself?
"In fact, among your four wives and concubines, the one who is the most resourceful and the one who is most like your aunt is Shen."

When Empress Dowager Xu mentioned Shen Shuangxu, she sighed softly, and a hint of regret appeared on her jade cheeks.

"Unfortunately, she is still young and sometimes gets confused and stuck, not knowing how to break the situation."

Xu Qing originally wanted to make a few remarks in defense of the eldest wife, Mrs. Shen. After all, when she first saw him, the chilling coldness from her body almost froze the air.

In front of the eldest wife, Shen, he did not act like a husband who is responsible for his wife at all. He was suppressed by her temperament from beginning to end.

But after listening to Empress Dowager Xu's evaluation, Xu Qing thought about it carefully and found that Shen Shuangxu did have some little girl's temperament in her daily life.

For example, when they were at the post station, he had not expected that this cold-hearted woman would pick up the bowl of rice to protect the food, and her movements and expression were just like those of a kitten.

"This time, the Prince of Dongwan started a rebellion and also won over Prime Minister Shen Nianyan, and involved the Shen family as well."

"Then the Shen family..."

Xu Qing was stunned after hearing this. The Queen Mother seized power today, and tomorrow she would take advantage of this chaos to clear out her political enemies before she ascended the throne.

If the Shen family was also implicated, then his own eldest wife would be doomed as well.

"Aunt allowed Shen Nianyan to participate in the Shen family's affairs, which gave confidence to the Prince of Dongwan and the emperor. After all, Emperor Xuan was also raised by my aunt. Without the support of the Shen family, he naturally wouldn't dare to stand up and disobey my aunt."

Queen Mother Xu said quietly: "But Shuang Xu, after realizing that her father was involved, locked herself in the room after returning home. It's really disappointing."

"Aunt, Shuang Xu is so young, it's not easy... Qing'er has seen her work in the car, not only is she diligent, but she's also working hard."

Unlike Empress Dowager Xu who was disappointed with Shen Shuangxu, Xu Qing actually understood Shen Shuangxu's situation.

With this girl's sharp mind and insight, she will definitely be able to sense that the wind in the capital is not blowing in the right direction.

But when she returned home, she was shocked to find that her father was openly in opposition to his immediate superior, Queen Mother Xu, which would have put anyone in a dilemma.

When Shen Shuangxu was discussing with himself about going to prison as a spy, he never considered his own safety. He just reminded him that the prison of the Ministry of Justice was a safe place. It was obvious that he had anticipated the results of the changes in the palace.

(End of this chapter)