Chapter 34 Chapter 34 She is indeed heartless.

In the room, the girl put her arms around the young man's neck, leaning her upper body slightly, in a completely defenseless posture.

Shangguan Xu tilted his head, looking rather dependent. "I've noticed that since Lord Su from the Ministry of Rites returned to Beijing, Lord Xu's attitude towards our relationship has changed."

Xu Qing'an was silent for a moment, put one hand on her waist, held her arm with the other, and gently pulled her into his arms.

The corners of his lips curled up and he smiled again: "What's the difference?"

Shangguan Xu: "It seems like I have more doubts."

There was a glint in Xu Qing'an's eyes.

He suddenly scoffed, "Why should I doubt it? Why does Your Majesty feel this way?"

Shangguan Xu lowered his eyes.

Why does she feel this way?

I just felt that he mentioned Su Shang too many times for no reason.

But what did he really have to doubt? He couldn't be worried about her and Su Shang forming a secret alliance, could he?

Speaking of this, she was more worried that he would side with the Su family in the future, otherwise she wouldn't be here pretending to be nice to him in the middle of the night.

She was too lazy to explain: "I can't tell, maybe I'm wrong."

She let go of her hands and tried to sit up slowly, but he seemed to have noticed her intention. He suddenly exerted force and brought her down directly onto the couch.

He leaned over and embraced her, his lips pressed against her ear, brushing against it faintly, then sniffed deeply, and said softly in a whisper, "My Lady, please don't wrongly accuse me again."

She tilted her face slightly, and her delicate fingers and breath also touched his cheek: "Of course."

——

After Xu Qing'an helped Shangguan Xu up, he stood up and sat on the cushion beside him, his posture now being decent.

He said: "I came here tonight for the Jiangnan water transport."

"When I discussed this matter with Her Majesty, we mentioned that we've already weakened Prime Minister Su's power both politically and militarily. The next thing is money. However, in today's world, money can do so much. For example, Prime Minister Su's constant effort to cultivate public support relies on his financial resources. Therefore, if we attack his financial resources, we're effectively attacking his power in many areas. I'm afraid he'll launch a powerful counterattack."

"So before Jiangnan's plan is implemented, I believe we need to first find a way out, or rather, a barrier that can help us block that wave of counterattacks."

Shangguan Xu looked over and sneered, "Xu Qing didn't come to me tonight to make a choice, did he? He must have already made up his mind."

Xu Qing'an lowered his head and smiled, "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Your Majesty." His words were righteous, but his eyebrows were slightly raised. "A minister should always consider everything for his lord. How can I ask him how to solve every problem?"

Shangguan Xu turned her head away. She had no interest in his official tone.

Xu Qing'an then spoke to himself, "I believe that seeking a retreat would be a retreat before it's too late. As long as Prime Minister Su finds out who's behind this, he'll definitely retaliate. Granted, this might take a long time, by which time Your Majesty will no longer be afraid of his threats. But I'm afraid that this timeframe is too short, and Your Majesty will be powerless to resist."

"And nowadays, there's a saying in the world: 'If you can't have it easy yourself, don't make it easy for others.' The other person in this context is your competitor."

"If Prime Minister Su's power is damaged, then logically the ones who would benefit are his rivals in the court. Unfortunately, even though the Empress's power is far less than his, she is indeed the one who would benefit the most."

Shangguan Xu asked, "So you think that even if we find a way out and he can't find any trace of our attack, he will still drag me down with him because of the court struggle?"

Xu Qing'an nodded. "That's right. That's why I think we should not only clean up all traces of our actions, but also find a scapegoat in advance to divert Prime Minister Su's attention. That way, even if the gods fight and the innocent are affected, it's better than a direct attack from a huge wave."

This time, he didn't keep anyone in suspense and said directly, "Recently, due to Xue Hong's incident, many generals in the army have been quite critical of Prime Minister Su. Furthermore, the subsequent internal transfers within the Imperial Guards have caused a stir, as many generals with important positions have been made idle. Therefore, I think they are the most suitable scapegoats."

Shangguan Xu agreed: "Those people used to act so arrogantly with Xue Hong. Now that they've been disciplined, I imagine they must be filled with resentment. It's completely understandable that they would take revenge."

Xu Qing'an: "This way, we can divert the trouble eastwards and give them an opportunity to settle old and new grudges."

Although evil will be punished by evil, Xu Qing'an's words were too light-hearted and high-sounding.

However, Shangguan Xu had long been accustomed to his temperament. How much mercy could a man who was so heartless to his childhood sweetheart who died young be able to have on others?

Shangguan Xu shifted his gaze to the incense burner on the small table: "What are you bringing this for?"

A lot of incense must have been added to the incense burner at the beginning, and wisps of smoke are still wafting from it.

Xu Qing'an didn't answer her first, only saying, "The incense minister here spent a long time blending the scent similar to the one your majesty usually uses—a scent of peony flowers, not strong or garish, but light and lingering."

"Does the Queen like it?"

Shangguan Xu was surprised and said, "You don't seem to use perfume."

Xu Qing'an nodded.

"Then how did you remember the smell of the incense I used?"

How could I not remember? I have been by your side since you started using incense. We have known each other for more than ten years, and have been together day and night for two years. How could I forget those subtle scents that linger in my nostrils?

How can I bear to forget?

Xu Qing'an didn't think about the last sentence in his mind.

He asked, "Does your Majesty still remember that you gave me a handkerchief in the Royal Forest Garden the day before the Spring Hunt?"

Send? Shangguan Xu complained in his heart, when did she ever say such a thing?

What a shameless person.

However, he had already used the handkerchief, and she would not ask for it back, so she was too lazy to argue about it.

Xu Qing'an continued, "That handkerchief is something Her Majesty carries with her all year round. It's used to scent clothes and rooms. It's been with Her Majesty for so long that even after washing, the fragrance remains. So, I used the scent of that handkerchief to adjust the incense in this censer."

Shangguan Xu, after hearing so much and still not getting the answer to her original question, couldn't help but frown: "But you still haven't told me why you brought this incense burner here, and why you went to all that trouble to mix the incense for me?"

Xu Qing'an raised an eyebrow and said lightly, "Because my family's miracle doctor said that I have a scent of peony flowers on my body."

"You smell like peonies?" Shangguan Xu asked in surprise, "You don't use perfume, so how can you..."

She suddenly fell silent, realizing something.

Shangguan Xu raised her eyes and saw Xu Qing'an also looking at her. The light from the lamppost in the courtyard scattered in, falling into his eyes like stars, adding several layers of meaning to his already obscure eyes.

Shangguan Xu realized that he must have thought of the same thing as she did.

She lowered her voice and said, "Not really. It was just a short while ago. The fragrance on your body shouldn't last that long."

"Yes." Xu Qing'an said, "That's not the case. What my genius doctor smelled was actually the scent of the handkerchief. Plus, his sense of smell is more sensitive than that of ordinary people, so he was able to detect the subtle changes in my scent."

"But it did serve as a reminder to me."

Xu Qing'an's eyes were fixed on Shangguan Xu's cheek.

When they were alone, she didn't like bright lights, and she even wanted to block out the moonlight. But he actually wanted to see her closely like this, to see the texture of her skin, the direction of her face, and all the subtle changes in her expression in the dim light. In addition, the lights were on in the courtyard tonight, so everything was more obvious. It was not like when they were in the palace, they both hid in the dark to avoid being discovered, and could only see each other by the moonlight.

Compared to being in the palace, he really likes it like this tonight.

He said, "There's no guarantee that Your Majesty and I will ever be alone together in private like we are now. If we spend enough time together, our scents will blend, and perhaps one day I might even be scented with Your Majesty's."

"What do you mean by 'my fragrance'? That's the fragrance of peony flowers." Shangguan Xu immediately retorted.

Xu Qing'an's lips curled up, and he continued as if he hadn't heard anything, "So I'm taking precautions and creating a 'floral fragrance' environment for myself. However, since this incense is your Majesty's favorite, I brought it to you for your appreciation as soon as I mixed it."

Shangguan Xu understood what he meant. He was worried that if the two of them were alone for too long, he would be exposed to the scent of her incense and others would discover what was going on between them. So he placed himself in an environment where he could smell the scent of peony flowers. If others asked about it later, he would have an excuse to evade them.

This is indeed a solution.

But Shangguan Xu added, "Peony scent is often associated with women. Wouldn't it be inappropriate for you to use this scent? If others think about it carefully, it might even seem like you're trying to cover up something."

She pondered for a moment and came up with an idea: "How about this? Someday I'll find an opportunity to give you a scent suitable for men. You can use it in your house or wear it on your body."

"But I don't like to use perfume." Xu Qing'an stared at her, seeming to refuse but not to refuse.

Ah...but he has the habit of using incense.

Shangguan Xu ignored Xu Qing'an's words and said, "Then develop this habit. Otherwise, it's not right to spend all day tinkering with perfume when you don't even deserve it."

Xu Qingan said quietly, "Then what kind of men's fragrance would you like to give me, Your Majesty?"

Shangguan Xu said without further ado: "You'll know when the time comes."

——

After finishing talking about everything, Xu Qing'an stood up and prepared to leave.

Perhaps it was the warmth of being alone in the dark night that made people feel a little more intimate. When Xu Qing'an reached the window, he paused, turned around, and asked, as if possessed by a strange impulse: "When does Your Majesty plan to return to the palace?"

Shangguan Xu was surprised by his question and sneered, "Of course I'll wait until the Jiangnan affairs are over. Otherwise, why do you think I haven't planned a return trip?"

Even though the main purpose of this trip was to chant scriptures and pray for Emperor Zhao, Shangguan Xu did have other thoughts.

Shangguan Xu had already considered the fact that Xu Qing'an mentioned that Su Wang would fight back, so she wanted to get herself out of trouble in advance by chanting scriptures at Da'an Temple.

Because she had said before coming here that she wanted to concentrate on chanting scriptures and performing Buddhist rituals for Emperor Zhao, so during this period she would not participate in any affairs of the court, and would leave it to the three ministries to decide. With such a big concession, it would be difficult for others to suspect that she had ulterior motives.

Shangguan Xu also admitted that after so many years, she was no longer as pure as she was back then, just like how she was taking advantage of everything he did.

But she thought that he would definitely understand her in the Nine Heavens.

Xu Qing'an stood by the window. The dim light outside shone on the window pane, casting a shadow that enveloped him.

He clenched his fists and remained motionless.

She really is heartless.

All people and things can be used by her. Even if it is not enough for him when he is alive, she will not let him go even after he dies.

That's ridiculous.

He had thought that she would at least feel uneasy and have a trace of guilt or pity when she came to Da'an Guo Temple, but it was just the same as before, she was just being used.

She really is heartless.

The light was dim, and Shangguan Xu couldn't see his expression clearly. He just stood there without saying a word. She thought he didn't expect her intention of coming to Da'an Guo Temple, and hadn't found a way to get rid of him.

She took a few steps forward, wanting to see his expression more clearly, and whispered, "Could it be that Xu Qing also wants to take shelter here?" She nodded and pondered for a moment. "Actually, if you want to come, it's not impossible. I can find a reason to have each of the nine temples and six departments send one person to chant sutras for the late emperor, and then we can transfer you here."

Xu Qing'an sneered and said in a strange voice, "Shall I recite scriptures for the late emperor?"

"What's wrong?" She was puzzled by his reaction and asked sarcastically, "Isn't it a blessing for you to recite scriptures and pray for the late emperor's blessings?"

He laughed in anger and nodded repeatedly, but fortunately his tone was controlled normally: "Your Majesty's peace and tranquility are more important. I will not take this honor."

After saying that, he opened the window, climbed over alone, and left.