Chapter 21 Chapter 21 She hates him!
On the mountain, Xu Qing'an frowned slightly, his face showing difficulty, and he was really confused. "Where should I start? Well... since Your Majesty has already investigated me, I will start with the part that Your Majesty couldn't find."
"Liu Chang." Xu Qing'an raised his eyes and smiled. "Liu Chang's words were indeed provoked by me, but the Queen is also right. He doesn't think he has lived too long and is seeking death. On the contrary, he is very afraid of death."
"So I lied to him a little bit, saying I could save his life if he just said those words."
Shangguan Xu was curious: "Lie?"
"Hide the truth and come back to life."
Xu Qing'an said these eight words with a profound meaning.
Shangguan Xu pondered for a moment and then said, "Faked death?" He sneered again, "What an idiot, you believe that."
Xu Qing'an defended Liu Chang, "Alas, he had nowhere else to turn. No one was willing to save him. If he wanted to live, he had no choice but to trust me. But I deceived him after all. I didn't tell Your Majesty about this before because I felt guilty and worried that telling her would give her a bad impression of me."
After saying this, he asked again, "Or perhaps Your Majesty wants to know how I convinced him? Then I will explain it in detail..."
Shangguan Xu glanced at me and interrupted, "No need. I already know how you did it, so I'm not interested in the details."
Xu Qing'an nodded in agreement: "Okay."
But Shangguan Xu continued to ask: "What about the others?"
"Other things..." Xu Qing'an pondered, "Mr. Zhang is indeed my teacher, but to be fair, even so, the Queen is a better choice than the teacher."
He said, "In fact, my choice of teacher is the same as my choice of Su Xianggong. Although teacher is Xianggong for a period of time, judging from the current situation, the position of teacher and Su Xianggong is actually very different."
"Although the Jin Dynasty practices a system of group prime ministers, the current situation is... the word 'group' is not clear. Even the teacher cannot guarantee the authority that comes with the position, so when will I, a direct descendant, have the opportunity to realize my ambitions?"
"Wait until the day when Master can command the ministers like Prime Minister Su?" Xu Qing'an smiled helplessly. "Instead of waiting for that day, why don't I just show my goodwill to Prime Minister Su and gradually work my way up the ranks under him, becoming his confidant and letting him use me directly?"
Shangguan Xu said, "Your words remind me. You said earlier that you didn't choose Lord Su because he has so many confidants and nephews, and it would be difficult for you to be promoted. But Lord Xu, you are so intelligent, it shouldn't be difficult to gain his trust, right? Even if it takes some time, the opportunities under his command are far greater than mine."
Xu Qing'an replied, "Your Majesty has said that it will take some time, but time is of the utmost importance to me. Your Majesty has seen how miserable I am. How much time do you think I have left to live?"
Shangguan Xu recalled what the imperial physician had told her: the medicine he was taking was only to prolong his life.
But although these were clearly sad words, he still smiled, as if the short-lived person he was talking about was someone who had nothing to do with him.
Shangguan Xu smiled faintly: "But it seems that Lord Xu is in a good mood?"
Xu Qing'an then sighed, "Life is a journey of life, and we should live each day to the fullest. Why dwell on things that have already happened? It's better to enjoy life while we can. But because of this, many things that should be fought for still need to be fought for."
Shangguan Xu stared at him: "You and your teacher are really different."
"What's the difference?"
“He’s even more inactive.”
"What about me?" Xu Qing'an asked.
Shangguan Xu chuckled, "You're more flamboyant." She narrowed her eyes slightly and asked curiously, "You were still young when you became Zhang Fan's apprentice. Logically, there shouldn't be such a big difference between you, the teacher and the student."
Xu Qing'an nodded, curled his lips and said, "It seems that Your Majesty has investigated my life in detail."
He said, "It is true that I became Zhang Gong's disciple at the age of five, and it has been nearly twenty years now. But Your Majesty, don't you know that not long after I became his disciple, he went to the capital to take part in the imperial examination, and then passed the examination and became an official in the province?"
"Your Majesty, you should also know that I have a brother who is a few years older than me. He became your disciple before me. In fact, he is your most favored disciple. I am only fortunate enough to be your disciple because of his influence."
"It's a pity that over three years ago, during the flood in Luozhou, my eldest brother passed away while passing by. I didn't receive much instruction from him, nor did I receive much true teaching from my teacher, so my style is probably not similar to theirs."
Having said this, Xu Qing'an paused, looking lonely, as if reminiscing about an old friend.
Then he continued, "My brother passed away young, and I myself have been ill for a long time. Your Majesty, do you think that after all I've been through, I should take a gradual approach to my ambitions?"
Shangguan Xu thought that he really didn't have that much time.
He saw what she was thinking and continued, "Others, pursuing their ambitions, are competing with their competitors and themselves. I, on top of that, must also compete with time. Therefore, if I want to realize my ambitions as soon as possible, I cannot waste all my time on things that require routine."
Shangguan Xu continued, "So you chose me because you felt I had few people you could use, and factional scrambles for power have always been the fastest path to power. Furthermore, if I use you to plan something, you'll be a great contributor once it's accomplished, and you'll also get what you want."
Her voice was slightly deep and stern: "You are dragging me into gambling with you!"
"Is it a bet?" Xu Qing'an looked over. "Doesn't Her Majesty also want to support the imperial power?"
He sighed softly, "Even if it's a gamble, it's a gamble between me and you. Since I've decided to devote myself to Your Majesty, I'll naturally stand before Her Majesty in everything, whether it's clearing the way or fending off enemies. I'm nothing more than a knife in Her Majesty's hand. If Her Majesty ever feels that I'm useless and a burden to you, you can simply discard me. There's no need to worry about me getting in your way."
He smiled and said, "My life span is already determined, so I can be open-minded about these things."
Even though we don't know whether it's true or not, what they say does make sense.
Shangguan Xu was silent.
Xu Qing'an watched her expression intently, then suddenly fixed his gaze on her and said, "Also... I have another reason why I must choose Your Majesty."
Shangguan Xu looked over: "What?"
His eyes were full of emotion and he said, "I still...admire your majesty."
——
Even though he knew that he always loved sweet talk, Shangguan Xu was still shocked when he heard this.
She was slightly dazed and frowned, "What did you say?"
"Your Majesty, I love you." He did not avoid her gaze at all. On the contrary, compared to the previous sentence, he said it even more seriously this time.
Shangguan Xu felt that he was about to be deceived by him.
Xu Qing'an bowed, "From the moment I laid eyes on Her Majesty at the Apricot Garden banquet, I felt captivated. Initially, I thought it was merely a fleeting glimpse, a moment of stunning beauty. A figure as bright as the moon, such as Her Majesty, would naturally attract admiration, and I was merely one such admirer. Later, however, as Her Majesty and I continued to interact, I realized I had developed feelings for her that were not my proper place."
Shangguan Xu chuckled: "Since you know it's something you shouldn't have, why did you say it out loud?"
Xu Qing'an: "If we're talking about the relationship between ruler and subject, this is certainly immoral and presumptuous, but what if we're just talking about men and women? Can't I express my feelings?"
Shangguan Xu was speechless, suddenly remembering his movements when he came out from behind the hillside just now...
It turns out that he had impure intentions a long time ago, and he was just...!
hateful.
Seeing that she didn't say anything, Xu Qing'an moved a few inches to the side, tilted his head and looked for her gaze with a smile.
"Your Majesty, don't worry. I know it was my own wishful thinking, but I just couldn't help myself today and said it out loud. I won't ask Your Majesty to explain it to me."
Shangguan Xu sneered: "Do you still want to explain?"
Xu Qing'an bowed and said, "I made a mistake."
As he lowered his head, he glanced up at her stealthily and said, "My words today were indeed abrupt and disturbed Your Majesty. To express my apology, how about I make a gift of compensation for Your Majesty?"
"Another gift?" Shangguan Xu teased. "Last time, Lord Xu threw the Censorate into chaos when we sent him a gift. What's he targeting this time?"
Xu Qing'an smiled and said simply, "Didn't Her Majesty say that the Censorate is in chaos, so it must be cleaned up."
"Oh? You want to..." Shangguan Xu understood the meaning of his words and was about to say anything.
Xu Qing'an glanced down the mountain along the trail and asked, "What do you think of that Lord Su Madam just now?"
Shangguan Xu understood immediately, fixed his gaze, and said solemnly, "He is Lord Su's most valued nephew."
Xu Qing'an said, "Before him, Su Silang should have been the most respected, right? Ha, but he ended up like that."
"Mr. Su is a big tree with deep roots. Whether your majesty wants to uproot him or suppress his power, a head-on confrontation will definitely not yield any benefits. You can only start from the side, chopping off his branches and trimming his wings."
"So you chose Su Xingzheng first?" Shangguan Xu's tone was unclear. "When we were in the Censorate, he was your superior. How could you treat him like this?"
"Your Majesty, your words are surprising," Xu Qing'an continued, a look of resentment between his brows. "Although he is my superior, the true identity of Liu Chang's back is well known to you and me. The marks of the whip are still on my back, and I dare not forget the pain. Now that things have come to this, I know exactly how he will treat me. Therefore, this is at best just a self-protection."
"Besides, the ancients said, 'In the art of war, attacking the heart is better than attacking the city; psychological warfare is better than physical warfare'[1]. This also applies to court struggles. I chose him first because it is just as Your Majesty said - this Lord Su is highly regarded. If the most highly regarded person were to fail and fall from power, would the people he nurtured also suffer physical and mental damage and suffer a great loss of vitality?"
He smiled slightly, his expression gentle and seemingly harmless, but he said the most cruel and terrifying words -
"Even though a centipede is still alive after death, let its legs be severed before it dies."
——
The wind rustles the trees and the grass leaves.
In the dense forest, Shangguan Xu and Xu Qing'an looked at each other in silence for a long time.
She finally understood why she clearly resisted him but needed him, yet also felt a sense of unreasonable malice.
It was because his eyes and brows carried the aura of an old friend whom she had not seen for many years, and whenever she looked at him, her gaze could not help but linger on him.
But that's why she hates him!
The old man had a clean and noble temperament, and she thought he was the most beautiful man in the world. However, this similar person now was doing something completely different from him!
Even though the person has many different faces, Shangguan Xuque always feels that he carries the shadow of an old friend.
The bright moon is noble and elegant, while he is sinister and filthy. He is certainly far inferior to his old friend, but he is like the water in a dark pool at night. Even if the bright moon is high in the sky, he can always reflect a hint of turbid light.
Isn't this also a disgrace to the old friend?
Shangguan Xu stared at him deeply, anger surging in his heart.
But on second thought, so what?
The old friend is gone, and there is no one in the world to replace him. What she has to do now is those dirty and despicable conspiracies and tricks. How much does this contradict her past?
Since she had decided to walk in the filth that could not be seen in the light, she was looking for someone who could be of use to her in the dark night.
And isn't it just right that he's hypocritical, vicious, and unscrupulous? The fact that he can have some of the charm of an old friend is just an unexpected gain.
Isn’t it a good thing in another sense if you think about it this way?
She suddenly suppressed her emotions, yet laughed a few times wantonly.
Well, well, it doesn't matter how sincere such a person is, whether he is being used or pretending to be nice, as long as he can be used by her. Otherwise, if he really switches to Su Wang's side, it will be an endless disaster.
And if he really has feelings for her, she doesn't have to avoid him like the plague. On the contrary, that would be her best weapon to control him.
Xu Qing'an had no idea what she was thinking at the moment. He only felt that her smile was wanton and arrogant. His heart suddenly sank, and he felt a dull pain and became annoyed.
"My Lady..." He called her softly, without a trace of smile in his voice.
Shangguan Xu calmed down, the smile still in the corners of his eyes, and his eyes were full of joy: "Okay, from today on, you and I will work together to plan things."
"If you win, I will establish the imperial power and you will ascend to the sky. If you lose..."
"I lost. I'll go to hell, your majesty..." Xu Qing'an's eyes flickered for a moment, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. "I'll find another opportunity to make a comeback."
——
"Empress!"
As he was speaking, Qinghe's loud shout suddenly came from the foot of the mountain, and at the same time, other shouts also sounded.
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