Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Sweet with betrayal and lingering...
"I know Your Majesty dislikes light when she kisses me, so please allow me to shield her this time."
The moment he heard those words, Shangguan Xu's mind suddenly went blank.
She had only kissed him once, but he had noticed that she didn't want anyone to be around her when they were intimate.
This time his kiss came so suddenly, and she was distracted by his words. By the time she came to her senses, he had already pressed her against the back of the chair, kissing her.
But she didn't feel any discomfort, because his other hand was blocking her back and pressing on the back of the chair. She could even feel the unevenness brought by the gauze on his palm.
After he blindfolded her again, he left his seat, knelt in front of her, and lifted her chin with a condescending and leading kiss, and lingered with her.
With a swish sound, she felt his movement stumble, and he pushed the table between the seats away with his legs. He then moved closer and kissed her more deeply.
Keep your palms over your eyes at all times.
She still couldn't see him clearly.
But unlike that night, this night was hotter, gentler, and more affectionate.
Shangguan Xu's hands were resting on his shoulders. Under such warmth and moisture, a lingering dizziness spread in her heart.
——
In the Su Mansion, a candle in a bedroom burned for a long time. Su Shang sat at the desk and thought about what happened today.
He never paid attention to what happened on the spring hunting ground. From beginning to end, all he wanted was to be with someone.
However, today was different. The person he cared about seemed to have an extra companion.
More importantly, he also felt a sense of crisis from that person that he had never felt in the past four years.
So he reappeared in the spring hunting ground today. Even when he hadn't hunted what he wanted for a long time, he subconsciously looked for that person's traces, wanting to find out about his hunting situation.
Xu Qing'an, Xu Yanrong...
He passed the selection in October last year, and in March this year he was promoted to the sixth rank.
Su Shang lowered his eyes, then suddenly raised them and slammed his fist on the table.
He must have bad intentions in approaching her!
——
In the Empress Dowager's Hall in the temporary palace, Shangguan Xu sat in front of the dressing mirror and stroked his still numb lips with his fingers.
After the passionate kiss just now, both of their heads were buzzing. For a moment, the surroundings were silent, with only the sound of breathing remaining.
At that time, he was still kneeling beside her, but the hand covering his eyes had been removed and moved to the side of his face, tracing her face with his eyes.
The light returned to her eyes and she could see his face clearly.
However, even though her body was still in the warm afterglow of the kiss, she still decisively turned her head away and did not look at him.
So he paused, stepped back, and said goodbye as if in a trance.
She sensed a frustrated and embarrassed air about him.
But how could she not be embarrassed? She actually found some touching warmth and seductive comfort in his kiss.
She didn't care about the touch on her skin, but the feeling that invaded her heart made her extremely uneasy.
Shangguan Xu sat in front of the makeup mirror, rubbing her lips fiercely with her fingers, and her breathing became increasingly difficult.
Late at night, she drank cup after cup of tea. She was not sleepy at all and even hoped that she could be more awake and throw away all those unbearable feelings.
Finally, the teacup fell on the table, and she finally pulled herself out.
hateful.
She let him do whatever he wanted today only because she thought she had something to tell him, and what he wanted to say was of great importance. She wanted to give him some benefits in advance so that he would help her. She didn't expect that he would lead her astray and delay her business.
After regulating his breathing, Shangguan Xu called Qinghe in. "Tell Your Majesty when you listen to the shadow play tomorrow that, considering his recent studies and his imminent return to the capital, he will be allowed to play for another day. As for what he wants to play, he can decide for himself."
Even if you feel upset today, you should not give up because of it. The important things are more important.
Qinghe understood what Shangguan Xu had instructed.
He chose to tell His Majesty such happy news while listening to the shadow play, just to let Lord Xu seize the opportunity to ask His Majesty to keep him for another day.
——
Another night party.
Ever since the two began their nightly meetings in the side hall, Xu Qing'an was always the first to arrive whenever they met. Sometimes, Shangguan Xu even saw him holding his forehead with his hand when he arrived, and when he called him, his movements were drowsy as if he had just woken up.
Shangguan Xu didn't know how long in advance he had arrived, nor did he know why he had arrived so early.
But she didn't care.
Only this time, the two met outside the palace gate.
He stopped a few feet away and saluted her.
She continued forward, turned around, pushed open the door of the hall, and walked in.
After she entered the hall, she went straight to where the two of them usually sat, but he came in a few steps later and closed the door as usual.
Perhaps it takes time for the human eye to adapt to the light. She saw the night light coming in from outside the palace door gradually narrower and narrower with the sound of the door closing until it disappeared. After a few breaths, she heard the young man's footsteps.
"Your Majesty, are you going to discuss serious matters with me today? Do you want to open the window?" The footsteps stopped not far in front of him, followed by the young man's cold voice.
Although his question was mainly about whether to open the window, it actually implied what happened last night, or more deeply, it contained the intimate secrets between her and him.
What is the purpose of opening the window?
What's the point of not opening the window?
I was just asking her if she wanted to do what happened last night again tonight.
Shangguan Xu naturally said, "Open it! The moon is beautiful tonight. Wouldn't it be a waste if we don't open the window?"
In the dim light, she heard him laugh very softly, and then he opened the window.
After opening the window, Xu Qing'an held onto the window frame, looked up at the moon and said, "Today is the eleventh day of the lunar calendar. The moon is rounder than last night. It happens to be a cloudless night, so the moonlight should be brighter." He turned sideways to look at her.
The light at night was not too bright, but it was just enough for her to see the other meanings hidden in his calm eyes.
He asked her if she liked the night scene where the moon was hidden among the clouds.
She answered in the affirmative.
That would contradict what she said tonight.
However, what was different from the past was that she really needed the help of the faint moonlight to see his face clearly, so as to avoid the same situation as last night in her mind.
She didn't respond, and he didn't go on to pick out her past answers to his questions.
He should have thought of it, but perhaps like her, he didn't have those thoughts.
The young man walked back and sat down beside her.
Shangguan Xuxian said, "I heard Qinghe say that when she went to look for His Majesty today, you were making shadow puppets for him. Shadow puppets are new and it takes a day to make them. So after His Majesty heard the news Qinghe brought him, he immediately kept you here?"
Xu Qing'an nodded, hummed softly, and said truthfully, "That's right."
Shangguan Xu shook his head and sighed, "Then it seems that asking Qinghe to pass on the message was unnecessary. Even if I don't let her go, you still have a way to stay for another night."
"It's still different." Xu Qing'an said, "My attempt to stay here is just my own idea. Only when Your Majesty sent Qinghe Manager to Your Majesty today can it be proved that this is our common intention."
"Did you have anything left to say last night?" Shangguan Xu asked.
Xu Qing'an: "Just like the Empress, now that the Jinwu Guard incident has come to an end, I'm thinking about preparing for the next step."
He met her gaze.
Shangguan Xu: "Do you have any ideas?"
Xu Qing'an was silent for a moment, his eyes moving to her arm leaning on the back of the chair.
He reached out, his knuckled fingers closing around her wrist, pulling her towards him.
Shangguan Xu struggled subconsciously at first, but seeing that his strength was gentle and there was no intention of offending him, he relaxed temporarily and let him do it.
After Xu Qing'an pulled her hand over, he turned her palm over, with the palm facing up, and slid his thumb from the wrist to the palm and then to the fingers.
Starting from his index finger, he gently pressed her fingers one by one, and answered her casually, "First, the authority of the Censorate and the Ministry of Works was blocked and weakened, then the Xue Hong incident caused a major change in the Imperial Guards. Now that both the government and the military are in motion, the next step should be..."
He deliberately did not finish his words, and the movement of his hand returned to her palm. He touched her very lightly, as if cherishing a beloved object, carefully and reluctantly.
He wrote a word on her palm -
money.
Shangguan Xu said softly: "Jiangnan water transport."
Xu Qing'an raised his eyelids and said with a curled lip, "It seems that Your Majesty and I share the same thoughts."
Shangguan Xu also looked at him.
The reason why Su Wang has been able to gather so many forces so far is that money is a very important factor, which also includes the ways he provides others to make money.
The water transportation in the south of the Yangtze River is prosperous, but in recent years it has been monopolized by a few merchants. Shangguan Xu has investigated and found that the backer behind those merchants is Su Wang.
Su Wang has won over many people in recent years by relying on the water routes in the south of the Yangtze River, either through trade routes or goods. All kinds of business are intertwined. Almost all the top shops and big families in the south of the Yangtze River have relationships with him.
So what Shangguan Xu has to do now is to cut off all the channels he can provide, and even take control of those channels into his own hands.
Xu Qing'an smiled when she saw him looking at him, and then said, "I was born in Yangzhou, so of course I know more about the situation in Jiangnan. Moreover, what Mr. Su did in Jiangnan was not low-key. Anyone with a keen eye can always find some clues with a little investigation."
After answering her questions, he continued, "Over the years, there's been a saying circulating throughout the country: 'All scholars in the world regard Su Gong as their leader.' While this saying was made from the perspective of a scholar, its widespread popularity couldn't have been solely due to the officialdom actions of the person mentioned. There must have been other factors contributing to it."
"Your Majesty, do you know that although Mr. Su hasn't been to Jiangnan in recent years, he has always been present in many things happening there. His official duties and administration are self-evidently not worth mentioning. However, even in the history of Jiangnan's good deeds, the one with the highest merit is actually our husband who is far away in Chang'an."
"By building libraries and donating grain and cloth, he took everyone into consideration, from scholars to the common people. With such popular support, how could the saying 'Su Gong is the leader among all scholars in the world' not spread far and wide?"
Shangguan Xu sneered, "Whether they are scholars or the poor, they are all common people. It is of course wonderful for officials to consider them in everything, and it is also a blessing for the court."
Shangguan Xu didn't finish his words, but added in his mind: I'm afraid that what those scholars and common people think are the things that are helped by others are actually what they should have gotten long ago, and what they get "helped" now are just the leftovers given to them after being robbed by others. In this way, not only are they kept in the dark, but they also have to sincerely praise the nobility of the people behind the scenes after being exploited.
Xu Qing'an understood her expression and said the second half of the sentence for her: "But the reality is always the opposite of what we want."
He raised an eyebrow at her gaze and returned to the previous topic, "Those shipping merchants in Jiangnan are not clean. Smuggling goods and underpaying taxes are just the smallest things they do. If Your Majesty wants to make a move on Jiangnan's water transportation, you can start with these few companies."
Shangguan Xu initially thought so, but after his suggestion, she asked, "You were injured by Xue Hong in prison before. After you recovered, you met Su Wang in a teahouse. What did you talk about?"
She went straight to the point and didn't try to ask him who he met, but directly asked what he and Su Wang talked about.
Xu Qing'an was surprised and said, "The Queen actually knew about this."
He took a deep breath and nodded, "I did meet Lord Su at that time. But, Your Majesty, when you ask me this, aren't you afraid that I'll lie to you?"
Shangguan Xu: "Whether you tell it or not is your business, but whether you believe it or not is my business."
Xu Qing'an hummed a long "hmm," seeming quite pleased. He said, "Actually, I didn't tell Her Majesty about this because I didn't think it was very meaningful. He just asked me about Xue Hong's situation in prison and who, in my opinion, would be the most suitable person to take over his position."
Shangguan Xu asked, "Then how did you answer?"
Xu Qing'an scoffed, "How else can I answer? I'll answer the first question truthfully, and the second question will be a complete evasion. At most, I'll add a little hope that my successor can work with him to stabilize the military's morale. As for the rest, I don't want to get involved in his messy waters."
He emphasized: "I am the queen's man."
"The successor can work with him to reassure the army..." Shangguan Xu ignored his last sentence and only pondered his previous words, "So you had already decided to let Xie Qian replace Xue Hong."
Xu Qing'an didn't deny it, "It's better to be prepared." He then asked, "What about the queen? Do you believe my answer?"
The Jiangnan water transportation is Su Wang's main source of money, and money is the foundation of everything he does. If the Jiangnan water transportation is disturbed, Su Wang will not give up easily. Therefore, if Shangguan Xu wants to do this, he cannot use an indecisive person.
Now, after hearing Xu Qing'an's answer, she felt much more relieved about him - one of the keys to Xie Qian's smooth replacement of Xue Hong at that time was Su Wang's attitude. She felt that it was too smooth at the time, and it turned out that Xu Qing'an had planted the seeds in Su Wang's heart in advance.
Shangguan Xu smiled brightly and gave a comforting answer, "Of course I believed Xu Qing. It's just that some things that remain unanswered always feel like a stone weighing on my heart. Now that Xu Qing has removed this stone for me, I can't thank you enough. How could I not believe it?"
"Xu Qing, you are truly an important support for me on this journey."
Xu Qing'an listened to her hypocritical words with a smile in his eyes.
He had long been accustomed to this way of getting along with her.
Suspicion, comfort, temptation, reconciliation, over and over again, they are allies, but exploitation and suspicion are the norm in their relationship. But if she occasionally reveals her true feelings, he will be as happy to accept it as a dry desert meeting water.
For example, that time in the flower garden, she bandaged him and refuted his words that "you are young and don't know true love."
For example, last night, she gasped uncontrollably when she kissed him.
So he deliberately remembered every time of her false feelings, to see how many times he could get a bit of her true feelings. The more false feelings she showed, the more he hated her, but the more false feelings she showed, the sweeter she felt that bit of true feelings was, and that sweetness was tinged with betrayal and lingering feelings.
Although there was moonlight, it was ultimately not as bright as the daytime. In the darkness where the moonlight could not penetrate, she did not notice the twisted smile at the corner of his lips.
Xu Qing'an's voice was hoarse: "Yes, after all, I am the queen's man."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
