Chapter 36 Chapter 36 "My Lady, please smell it for a while, the second half..."

In Da'an Temple, Shangguan Xu has been here, oblivious to what is happening outside for several days. Qinghe and Azheng have been accompanying her these days. There is nothing important on her side, but the little emperor in the palace needs someone to go back and check on him from time to time.

Ah Zheng is good at martial arts, and riding back and forth between Da'an Temple and Taiji Palace is very easy for her, so she will go back to the palace today to see how the little emperor is doing.

Before leaving, the monk from the temple brought something to Shangguan Xu and said, "Your Highness, this is the jade pendant I found when I was cleaning Lord Su's room after he left. Do you think it belongs to Lord Su?"

Shangguan Xu took a closer look and said, "It's his. I think he dropped it accidentally."

Monk: "Then you see..."

Shangguan Xu understood. Da'an Temple was a royal temple, rarely visited by outsiders. The monks in the temple also had daily rituals to perform and rarely left the temple. Therefore, this jade pendant...

"I'll send someone to deliver it to him another day." Shangguan Xu took the jade pendant in his hand.

Ah Zheng said, "Why don't you let me go and take you there? I'm going back to Taiji Palace today, so it's just on my way."

Shangguan Xu tilted his head to look at A Zheng and nodded, "That's fine. This jade pendant was given to him by his mother. He's always treasured it and always carried it with him. Now it's been here for a few days and he hasn't come to retrieve it. I guess he's been busy with family matters and didn't notice it. Or maybe he just can't remember where he left it and is frantically looking for it. So let's give it to him first."

——

Before returning to Taiji Palace, A Zheng went to Su Mansion first. She wanted to hand the things to the servants of Su Mansion and leave, but Su Shang invited her over, so she had to return the jade pendant to him personally.

"Thank you, Azheng, for making this trip." Su Shang placed the jade pendant in his palm and looked at it, thanking him with a smile.

Ah Zheng smiled and said, "Her Majesty said this jade pendant was something Lord Su treasured, so she sent it to Lord Su as soon as she found it."

"Really?" Su Shang raised his eyebrows, his eyes clear, "Then thank His Highness for me."

Immediately, he asked again, "By the way, has everything been going well with His Highness these days?"

A Zheng: "Well, everything went well."

Su Shang: "Did you say when you would return to the palace?"

Ah Zheng shook her head. "It hasn't been decided yet. The Empress and the Abbot have arranged a few more Buddhist ceremonies this time, so the date for returning to the palace hasn't been finalized."

"So..." Su Shang looked gloomy for a moment, then immediately smiled and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Azheng, to run back and forth between Da'an Temple and Taiji Palace."

Ah Zheng smiled faintly and said, "I don't think it's a big deal. Maybe it's because I used to practice martial arts, but now if I don't exercise for a day, I feel uncomfortable all over."

Su Shang laughed a few times, shook his head and said "you, you" repeatedly, then calmed down and asked with concern: "You have been with His Highness for almost four years, right? Can't you remember the past?"

Su Shang often paid attention to Shangguan Xu, so naturally he heard about the people around her.

A Zheng's eyes revealed regret. "There are some scattered fragments now and then, but they're not very clear. However, in the past two years, past scenes have definitely flashed through my mind more often."

Su Shang comforted him, "That will be soon. I believe that one day you will remember everything. Besides, you are a master of martial arts, who knows, you might be the daughter of a general."

Ah Zheng: "Master Su, please stop teasing me."

The two of them laughed together.

"My dear, everyone is here." During the pause, the servant of the Su Mansion came to Su Shang and whispered.

Su Shang looked towards the yard, and A Zheng followed his gaze and looked outside, but her eyes paused for a moment.

The heads of several major shipping companies in Jiangnan have arrived.

The two of them were standing in the corridor. When the heads of the families came in, they saw Su Shang and stopped to bow to him.

Su Shang nodded slightly in response, but he actually said to A Zheng beside him: "It seems that I can't talk to A Zheng today."

He turned to face her.

Ah Zheng readily agreed: "Master Su's business is more important."

Su Shang said softly, "Give His Highness my regards for me."

A Zheng walked away along the corridor, and on the way she glanced at the people in the yard a few more times. During this time, she even made eye contact with them twice, and she felt more hesitant inexplicably.

After A Zheng left, Su Shang did not immediately turn around and go towards the conference room. Instead, he raised his hand, sighed helplessly at the jade pendant in his palm, and smiled again.

Why did you send it back to me? I have to find another reason to see you.

——

Later that night, A Zheng returned to Da'an Temple from Taiji Palace, and she reported the little emperor's recent situation to Shangguan Xu.

"His Majesty is doing well and has not missed any of his studies. He told Your Majesty not to worry about him. He also said that Your Majesty should eat and live simply in the temple and should pay more attention to her health."

Shangguan Xu was relieved: "As long as everything is fine."

After she finished speaking, she saw that A Zheng looked hesitant, as if she wanted to say something.

"What's wrong, Zheng? Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

Ah Zheng raised her eyes and said, "Today... I saw a group of people in the Su Mansion."

Shangguan Xu recalled the news he had recently received: "Is it the owners of those ship merchants from Jiangnan?"

A Zheng: "That's probably it. I didn't ask Lord Su any further questions at the time, fearing I might alert the enemy and delay Her Majesty's plans. However... there was one person among them who I felt very familiar with when I saw him. I even had some images in my mind for a moment."

Shangguan Xu perked up: "He's an old friend of yours?"

Ah Zheng said sadly, "I don't know, but at that moment, I definitely had a picture of him raising his glass and drinking with others in my mind. But who exactly is he? I... I've been thinking about it all day and I can't remember."

A Zheng frowned, feeling extremely annoyed.

Shangguan Xu placed his hands on her temples and gently massaged them. "Don't worry. It's great news that you can remember some things now. The rest can come slowly. What's more important is that the person you met today who reminded you of the past might actually be an old friend of yours. If possible, he will be the key to helping you recover your memory in the future."

A Zheng nodded lightly and remained silent again, frowning, trying hard to calm herself down.

——

That night, Shangguan Xu had a dream. She dreamed back to the Shangsi Day in March.

Along the banks of Qujiang Lake, paper-cuts of flowers and birds are hung high, with flickering light and shadows and shimmering water.

He held her wrist and jogged along the riverside trail.

A young girl, dressed in spring clothes, bright and gorgeous.

She looked at the back of the person in front of her, her eyes filled with sweetness. The lights along the coast were just coming on, and a faint halo surrounded the young man in front of her, soft and gentle. She was pulled by him and ran with him for a long time without feeling tired.

The evening breeze was warm on her face, and she enjoyed everything about being with him.

But gradually, the strength in his hands weakened, and his five fingers left her wrist.

She took a deep breath and instantly realized that he was about to leave her again.

Don't, don't go...

She immediately quickened her pace, wanting only to keep up with him. Her appearance as a young girl transformed into that of a young woman.

Turn your head and look at me, turn your head and look at me first.

You know what? I'm so happy for Zheng because she's regained her memory, and I'm even happier that you can come to my dream tonight.

Don't go!

I have so much to say to you, please don't go...

But she was clearly trying hard to catch up, but the distance between them was getting farther and farther.

The halo turned into a mist, corroding the figure in front like Yama.

Tears welled up in Shangguan Xu's eyes, and he kept running.

However, the white mist gathered, as if it were an illusion, and everything became calm.

Why, why did you finally come to see me but you never wanted me to see you?

Shangguan Xu suddenly sobbed and opened his eyes.

Above his head was the roof of the Zen room, and beneath his body was a spread-out cotton mattress.

Was it a good dream, or did the regret deepen once again?

Shangguan Xu slowly regained consciousness and realized that the room was filled with the fragrance of peony flowers.

She turned her head to look into the room.

The movement made a sound, and the people sitting on the other side of the room stood up and looked at her.

"The Queen is awake."

The voice was indifferent, yet as clear as a mountain spring, with a touch of warmth in its alienation.

Shangguan Xu had just woken up and her eyes had not yet adjusted to the darkness in the room, but she knew who the visitor was.

"When did you come?" she asked.

Xu Qing'an said, "I just arrived a short while ago. When I came in, I found that the queen had already gone to bed. I wanted to put down my things and leave, but I didn't expect that the queen had just woken up."

"But am I disturbing your majesty?"

Shangguan Xu lowered her eyes and said nothing. She looked at the silhouette of the young man on the other side again, and an inexplicable feeling came over her heart.

But she only whispered, "There are palace guards on night duty outside."

So if you talk too far away, people might overhear you.

Xu Qing'an understood what she meant. He was silent for a moment, turned around, and slowly walked to the bed.

She saw the incense burner in his hand.

He came again to give her the peony fragrance he had mixed.

The room was dark and silhouettes were moving before my eyes.

Under Shangguan Xu's gaze, Xu Qing'an sat down beside her couch without any hesitation.

He put down the incense burner in his hand and pushed it forward.

Xu Qing'an: "Did you have a nightmare just now?"

Shangguan Xu didn't say anything, but looked away to look at the incense burner he pushed over.

"There's a calming incense in this. It's only the first half of the night, so smell it for a while, Madam. You'll sleep well and have sweet dreams in the second half of the night."

Will there be a good dream? She just wants to see him.

But it has been four years and not once.

The sadness from the dream just now still lingered in his mind. Shangguan Xu tilted his head slightly, and tears as big as beans could not help but slipped out of his eyes, one side accumulated under the bridge of his nose, and the other side slid into his earlobe.

"Why are you still crying?"

The silhouette in front of him made a pitying sound. Shangguan Xu was surprised and looked up.

She originally thought that he couldn't see it. It was so dark around her, and she was just crying silently, so how could he see through it?

But she didn't know that he had long been accustomed to paying attention to everything about her in the dark, and her tears were so crystal clear that they could reflect even a trace of light. How could he not notice it?

The slender bamboo-like fingers stretched out to her. They were cold the moment they touched her, but the feeling she felt when they actually wiped away her tears was warm.

Xu Qing'an seemed oblivious to her surprise and whispered, "Was that dream scary?"

It was a familiar, gentle greeting.

Many emotions were no longer easy to hide, and many thoughts were no longer easy to suppress. Shangguan Xu sat up and stretched out his arms to embrace the person in front of him.

The sudden movement made Xu Qing'an's body stiffen for a moment.

He reached out his hand to wipe her tears because he saw her crying, but when he was about to curse himself inwardly, she suddenly leaned over and hugged him.

He didn't move for a moment, and his fingers raised again and again, but finally they slowly fell on her thin back and soothed her gently.

Shangguan Xu closed her eyes and rested her chin on his shoulder. He didn't use any perfume. When they were so close, she could only smell a very faint scent of orchid used for fumigating clothes.

She felt the touch of his palm on her back, and her eyes became more sore.

"After I return to the palace, find a reason to come see me. Then I'll give you the incense I promised you."