Chapter 70 Chapter 70 The emotion in her eyes today is so...
The absurd idea in Shangguan Xu's mind did not arise suddenly, but was accumulated bit by bit from the feelings he had felt in these days.
But when the idea first arose, she only felt it was absurd, because it only came from her heart, and it was just some vague feelings that pushed her to think about the possibilities behind it.
However, she was also puzzled by his strange reactions in the past few days. Perhaps it was precisely because of these puzzlements that she was forced to find answers. However, at the critical juncture of life and death, and under the premise of "the person is gone", the answers she came up with now seemed too bizarre.
But after examining the details carefully, she felt that it all made sense.
Especially tonight, what she experienced with him tonight could be said to have once again fueled the absurd thoughts in her mind.
How is it such a coincidence that we bump into some uncommon habits?
Even if we put aside the habit of beating incense and blowing away smoke for the moment, there are also overlaps in other details.
For example, she and he had only been together once in the side room, but he could sense that she felt more comfortable there than anywhere else.
For example, his reaction and the strong emotions he showed when he saw the objects related to his old friends in the side room that night were definitely not caused by his previous ridiculous possessiveness, but seemed to be the outburst of a very delicate, soft but long-suppressed emotion.
Also, when she was lying on his legs just now, the trajectory and strength of his fingertips when they touched her were exactly the same as she remembered.
The room was filled with the fragrance of orchids. When she closed her eyes, she really felt that the person accompanying her at that time was an old friend.
But the old friend is dead...
Shangguan Xu lowered his eyes, and all his thoughts ended at this moment.
So it's more of a guesswork, right?
After all, there are many strange things in the world, so isn't it normal for people to have some similarities?
She closed her eyes, held her forehead, and said, "Qinghe, just think of it as me having hysterics tonight. Don't think too much about it."
Qinghe nodded lightly, but her gaze remained on her queen's face, and the worry between her brows did not diminish in the slightest.
It was because she felt that since this absurd idea had already been generated, how could it be stopped?
How could I be willing to stop?
——
The next day, a strange yet familiar eunuch appeared in Lizheng Hall.
Qinghe sent everyone away before that person came in. Only after there was no one around did that person raise his eyes.
Shangguan Xu immediately lost his previous solemn expression and stopped maintaining the proper distance between himself and the palace maid. Instead, he took a few steps forward and grabbed the man's hand.
"A Zheng."
"Your Majesty..."
Under the eunuch's hat, A Zheng raised her face, curved the corners of her lips, and smiled at Shangguan Xu.
Shangguan Xuyi smiled with relief: "How have you been recently? Given the current situation, it is not convenient for me to leave the palace to see you during this period of time."
Ah Zheng said, "Don't worry, Madam. I am now well again. Thanks to Doctor Xun, I have recovered from the hidden ailments I suffered during the previous assassination attempt."
"That's good." But Shangguan Xu sighed again after breathing a sigh of relief, "It's just that you've been taking medicine for a long time because of your last injury, so it's been inconvenient and restrictive..."
Ah Zheng's eyebrows raised with confusion when she heard this: "Long-term medication? But I haven't taken the medicine for a while."
Shangguan Xu asked, "Didn't you take a life-saving pill before you assassinated Su Wang?"
Ah Zheng nodded after recalling the incident: "That's true, but what does this have to do with me having to take medication for a long time?"
Shangguan Xu's expression froze. "Xu Yanrong once told me that while the medicine could save your life, it was also harmful to your body because it was too potent. Therefore, after taking it, you'd need to take other medicines long-term to suppress it. He said he'd discussed this with you, and you knew about it."
Ah Zheng shook her head. "No, no one ever told me that the medicine would be harmful to my body. Furthermore, whenever it came to recuperation, it was Doctor Xun who told me what to pay attention to. Lord Xu... never got involved."
Ah Zheng thought about it, unsure which of the news she and Shangguan Xu had heard was true, so she softened her voice, "Besides, before I took the medicine, Doctor Xun specifically told me that it was a ginseng pill he had developed that protected the heart and meridians and had no other harmful effects, so I didn't need to worry."
Shangguan Xu's heart trembled, and he let out a trembling breath.
For some reason, after hearing A Zheng's words, she immediately had the answer in her heart - between her and A Zheng, she was the one who was deceived.
After all, A Zheng was the person involved and could sense if there was anything wrong with her body. What Xu Qing'an told her not only didn't match A Zheng, but also didn't match what he said about his conversation with A Zheng.
He had lied to her so many times.
However, Shangguan Xu suppressed those strange emotions first, thinking only that he could verify them later. He regained his composure and said, "It's good that you haven't taken the medicine yet. I feel much more at ease now."
Ah Zheng also nodded lightly, and then said with joy: "My lady, I roughly know who I am now."
Shangguan Xu also looked over with surprise.
Ah Zheng pursed her lips and said, "This matter was discovered with the help of Lord Xu. Logically, I should wait until the dust has settled before telling Your Majesty. However, I am also very happy to meet Your Majesty today, so I want to tell Her Majesty what I know now."
She said, "My surname is Yao. My father was probably a captain of the personal guards in the Zhao Palace. I share the same surname as him, and he also has a son and a daughter. Although my father's face is not very clear in my mind, I have a vague impression of it. Lord Xu has also sent people to find a portrait. Once the portrait arrives, I will carefully identify it."
Shangguan Xu began to think about King Zhao.
However, she remembered that she was still young when Prince Zhao established his palace. Even when he went to his fiefdom, she was just a child in her early ten years old. So she didn't know much about Prince Zhao's palace, and she knew even less about the captains there.
But it's good to have a clue now.
"And I don't know if it's because I'm in better spirits these days, or if the medicine Doctor Xun gave me is still effective, but I often dream about past events, including... the scene when my family was killed by masked men." While Shangguan Xu was still lost in thought, A Zheng spoke again.
The atmosphere suddenly became solemn.
Shangguan Xu's heart seemed to be twisted for a moment because of these words, but when she looked at the person who spoke, A Zheng raised her lips and smiled bitterly.
She said frankly, "It's been so long since the incident happened, and I've come to terms with it. Your Majesty, don't worry. I brought this up because I wanted to tell you that my brother might still be alive."
"Really?" Shangguan Xu's brows relaxed.
Ah Zheng lowered her eyes, hummed softly, and said softly, "Actually, I'm not sure either. It's just that when I repeatedly recalled that tragic scene, I saw my father and mother, but not my brother. So I thought that perhaps my brother was not at home when he suffered that disaster, so I kept hoping for a lucky break."
Shangguan Xu encouraged: "No matter what, it's possible that it's good."
"Can you tell Xu Yanrong about this?"
"Not yet. This is just my guess, so I dare not tell Master Xu directly."
Shangguan Xu immediately tightened his grip on A Zheng's hand and led her out: "It's okay, we have to give it a try. Come on, let's tell him about this first."
——
In the hall where Zhang Fan was resting, Xu Qing'an sent everyone away and sat alone beside the couch to feed Zhang Fan medicine.
"Don't worry, Mr. Zhang. Ziyang said this injury isn't permanent. With proper care, it will heal."
Regarding Zhang Fan's leg condition, Xu Qing'an not only did not give a final word, but also gave him great hope.
Zhang Fan had just managed to escape death, so Xu Qing'an certainly didn't want to provoke him again in other places.
Moreover, officials must be well-proportioned and have no flaws. If one wants to make a difference in the officialdom, no physical disability is acceptable.
Xu Qing'an knew that Zhang Fan still had unfulfilled ambitions, and if his career as an official was cut short, he would probably find it difficult to accept.
But Zhang Fan smiled and said, "My dear, don't worry about me. I've experienced everything in my life, big and small, and I can take many things lightly." He lowered his eyes and sighed, "I had already made up my mind to die, but now I can still survive in this world. Isn't this my blessing?"
Xu Qingan smiled back and said, "Mr. Zhang is truly a good teacher to me. His insight, tenacity, and open-mindedness are all things I should learn from, and they are also things I cannot match."
"Sir, please stop joking."
"I sincerely regret that I didn't get to know you sooner."
The two of them were chatting animatedly in the inner room, while Shangguan Xu stood quietly behind the screen separating the outer room from the inner room, listening to everything they said.
She didn't know why she suddenly had the idea of not letting anyone know before coming in today. She just wanted to listen to what they said first.
Mr. Zhang, it’s Mr. Zhang again.
I remember that he also called Zhang Gong in the hall that day.
If calling Zhang Gong on weekdays is to prevent himself from accidentally calling out the word "teacher" one day, will doing so really change a person's subconscious calling?
That day in the main hall, in such an urgent situation, he actually called out "Mr. Zhang" instead of "Teacher".
Could it be that deep down in his heart, the position of husband has surpassed that of teacher?
But since that day, their teacher-student relationship has no longer been a secret.
Moreover, he just said that he only lamented that he had not been able to meet Zhang Fan earlier, but he became his disciple when he was young, so how much earlier could he have met him?
Zhang Fan was also surprised that he actually addressed him as "Husband" in private, and even showed respect in his words.
Shangguan Xu lowered her head, frowned and pondered for a moment, then raised her hand to Qinghe beside her.
Qing He understood and called out to the inner room, "The Empress Dowager is here—"
Shangguan Xu led his men around the screen and walked into the inner room. Xu Qing'an put down the bowl and stood up from the couch.
He bowed to her.
"Mr. Zhang, there's no need to be so polite." Seeing Zhang Fan about to rise and salute, Shangguan Xu quickly stopped him. After saying that, he turned to the side, raised his hand to support the man, and said softly, "Mr. Xu, there's no need to be so polite either."
This time her hand was not just a vain support, but actually touched his palm, and she also grasped his palm inward to lift him up.
Xu Qing'an raised his eyes following the movement, but was suddenly stopped by the gaze cast at him.
He saw the gaze of the person in front of him shooting straight at him, scorching yet gentle, and also concealing caution, like cotton wool soaked in water, warm and soft but also heavy when covering his body. However, that heaviness was not a shackle but like the warmth emanating from the air when the grass and trees are first born in spring, wisps of it surrounding his whole body and penetrating into his heart.
The emotion in her eyes today was so undisguised.
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