eurekapd Chapter 464 You haven't seen me for so long, don't you miss me?
Chapter 464 You haven't seen me for so long, don't you miss me?
Xu Fenghua watched from beginning to end, remaining silent and lost in thought.
She stood beside Qin Mu, her gaze fixed on the closed palace door, on the direction where Liu Ruolan and her two daughters had disappeared. Her brows were slightly furrowed, and a faint knot formed between them.
When Qin Mu said, "How will Han Zhong become my traitor in the future?", her fingers curled slightly inside her sleeve.
She understood.
His Majesty went through all this trouble, all to turn Han Zhong into a hidden pawn.
But she still had too many doubts in her heart, like a thick fog that obscured her vision, making her unable to see anything clearly.
She couldn't understand why Qin Mu would do this.
After staging such a grand show, was it to make Han Zhong a hidden pawn, or to get Han Zhong's wife and daughter into the palace?
Or perhaps both?
The images from earlier kept replaying in her mind.
Was Qin Mu really just planting a hidden agent?
Or perhaps he had his eye on the twins all along?
Qin Mu previously said that Han Zhong was suspected of treason. Is this true or false?
If it's true, then who did Han Zhong conspire with to rebel?
Would Qin Mu really let a general who was plotting a rebellion go?
How could a general who commanded 50,000 elite troops and enjoyed immense prestige in the army be allowed to continue serving the court after committing the crime of deceiving the emperor and rebelling, and was only allowed to "atone for his crimes through meritorious service"?
She had never heard of such a precedent.
Treason was a capital offense in any dynasty, punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family; no one could escape the prison alive.
But Qin Mu deliberately released Han Zhong, not only refraining from killing him but also intending to use him.
But if it's fake, why would Qin Mu say that to him?
The sentence, "Han Zhong committed the crime of deceiving the emperor and rebelling," was said specifically to her.
Was he giving her a warning, or was he hinting at something?
Xu Fenghua's mind was in turmoil, and she couldn't sort it out no matter what she did.
She recalled Qin Mu's actions over the past few days.
They annexed Liyang, married the Empress, and drove the Moon Goddess Sect to the brink of destruction. Now they've laid such a deep trap for Han Zhong.
Every move is like playing chess; the pieces are placed silently, yet each move is deadly.
Xu Fenghua thought she understood him very well, that she had seen through his methods, his thoughts, and his weaknesses.
But at this moment she suddenly realized that she had never truly understood him.
She couldn't understand why he said those things to her, why he brought her to meet Han Zhong's wife, or why he wanted her to know about the "mole's" plan.
Is it trust? Or a test?
Xu Fenghua's fingers slowly tightened inside her sleeve, and her palms were sweating.
"What are you thinking about?"
Qin Mu's voice came from beside him.
Xu Fenghua suddenly came to her senses, her eyelashes trembling slightly.
She turned her head and looked at Qin Mu.
He leaned back on the soft couch, his posture languid, a familiar, ambiguous smile playing on his lips.
The candlelight shone on his face, casting his handsome features in a half-light, half-shadow.
Those deep eyes were fixed on her face, smiling gently without revealing any emotion.
Xu Fenghua's heart skipped a beat.
She lowered her eyes, suppressing the turbulent emotions surging within her.
She raised her head, a slight smile playing on her lips, a smile that was just right, neither too deep nor too shallow.
"Your Majesty is truly insightful and far-sighted. I admire you."
Her voice was soft, carrying just the right amount of admiration and awe.
Qin Mu looked at her, and the smile on his lips deepened.
"Is that so? I thought you were wondering why I was telling you all this."
Xu Fenghua's heart skipped a beat.
Her face remained expressionless; she simply lowered her head slightly and spoke even softer.
"Your Majesty, I dare not. How could I possibly fathom Your Majesty's thoughts?"
Qin Mu smiled, withdrew his gaze, and looked out at the deep night outside the window.
"If you can't figure it out, don't guess. Just listen to what I tell you. Don't ask about what I don't say. That way, you'll live longer."
Xu Fenghua's back was covered in cold sweat.
She lowered her head and spoke softly.
"Yes, Your Majesty understands."
The hall fell silent.
The candlelight burned quietly inside the lampshade, casting the shadows of the two people on the wall, one tall and one short.
Xu Fenghua stood beside Qin Mu, her hands at her sides, her head bowed, not daring to look at him or speak.
Her heart, however, felt like a pot of boiling water, and she couldn't calm down.
Xu Fenghua now desperately wants to leave this place and then send all the information she learned tonight back to the Northern Border.
But she dared not suggest leaving, for fear of arousing Qin Mu's suspicion.
What worried her more was whether Qin Mu had deliberately leaked this information to her so that she would reveal her own flaws.
Otherwise, there's no way to explain why Qin Mu brought her along when interrogating Han Zhong's family.
So Xu Fenghua is in a dilemma right now.
On the one hand, she was eager to send the news back to the North and tell Xu Longxiang.
On the other hand, she was worried about being exposed, about her communication channels being exposed, and about all of this being a trap set by Qin Mu, waiting for her to fall into it.
Countless thoughts churned in Xu Fenghua's mind.
She couldn't think of a way to satisfy everyone, how to send the message out under Qin Mu's nose, or how to escape if it really was a trap.
Just as she was struggling with her dilemma and feeling uneasy, Qin Mu's voice suddenly rang out.
"My beloved concubine, it's been so long since you've seen me, don't you miss me?"
Xu Fenghua's spirits lifted suddenly.
She quickly looked up, forcing a smile onto her face.
"Of course I do. I think about Your Majesty every day."
Qin Mu leaned back on the soft couch, propping his chin up with one hand, and the smile on his lips deepened.
"Really? But I feel you don't really want to. It's been so long, and you haven't come over to let me hug you."
Xu Fenghua's face flushed slightly, the blush spreading from her cheekbones to her ears, making her look exceptionally beautiful in the candlelight.
She hesitated for a moment, bit her lip, stood up, and walked to Qin Mu's side.
She sat down on the edge of the soft couch, turned slightly to the side, and leaned into his arms.
Qin Mu reached out and gently put his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him.
His chin rested on the top of her head, his eyes closed, his breathing steady and long.
"I've been in seclusion these past few days. Have you been bored all alone in the palace?"
Xu Fenghua leaned against his chest, listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat, and the turbulent waves in her heart gradually calmed down.
Her hand rested gently on his chest, her fingers slightly curled.
"It's so depressing. With His Majesty gone, this palace feels like an icebox. All I do every day is read and embroider; I don't know what else to do."
There was a hint of resentment in her voice.
Qin Mu gently stroked her waist twice with his fingers.
"Then I will spend more time with you from now on."
Xu Fenghua's heart skipped a beat.
She didn't know if Qin Mu was being sincere or just making a casual remark.
She dared not ask, nor dared she believe.
She simply nodded slightly, her voice very soft.
"Um."
The hall fell silent.
The candlelight burned quietly inside the lampshade, casting the shadows of the two people close together on the wall.
After a long while, Qin Mu suddenly spoke, his voice even softer than before, as if he were talking to himself.
"So, what is Xu Longxiang doing right now?"
Xu Fenghua's body stiffened abruptly.
Her heart was pounding like a drum, and her breathing became rapid.
Qin Mu seemed oblivious to her unusual behavior, his eyes still closed, his fingers still gently caressing her waist.
"I suspect he's cursing me. Cursing me as a tyrant, cursing me for indiscriminately killing innocent people, cursing me for killing Han Zhong."
His voice was soft, with a hint of a smile, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him.
Xu Fenghua's throat was dry.
She wanted to say something, but couldn't squeeze out a single word.
She simply leaned against him, motionless, like a lifeless statue.
Qin Mu opened his eyes and looked down at her.
His gaze fell on her slightly pale face, and the smile on his lips deepened.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Am I wrong?"
Xu Fenghua took a deep breath.
She looked up, met his gaze, and forced a smile.
"Your Majesty is too kind. How would I know what Xu Longxiang is thinking? I haven't been in contact with him for a long time."
Her voice was very steady, so steady that even she herself was a little surprised.
Qin Mu looked at her, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes.
"Indeed. You are my Consort Hua, not Miss Xu from the Northern Border. There is no longer any relationship between you two."
His fingers gently pinched her waist.
"Right?"
Xu Fenghua's body stiffened again.
She bit her lip and nodded gently.
"Yes. Your Majesty is right."
Qin Mu smiled and said nothing more.
He leaned back on the soft couch, closed his eyes, and gently stroked her waist with his fingers.
Xu Fenghua leaned against him, closed her eyes, and felt a mix of emotions.
While she was still thinking about these random things, Qin Mu's lips landed on hers.
Xu Fenghua's eyelashes trembled suddenly, like two startled butterflies.
She closed her eyes, placed her hands on his shoulders, her fingertips trembling slightly.
Qin Mu's hand slid down from her waist and slowly moved up her back.
His kiss moved away from her lips and landed on her ear, his voice soft and tinged with amusement.
"I haven't seen you in a while, and you've gotten thinner."
Xu Fenghua's heart skipped a beat.
She leaned against him, her voice soft.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I miss you so much I can't eat or drink. How could I not lose weight?"
Qin Mu smiled, reached out, and gently placed his hand on her lower abdomen.
The palm was warm, pressing against her flat stomach through the thin fabric of her clothes.
He pressed his finger lightly and raised his eyebrows slightly.
"Really? But why do I feel like you've gained weight?"
Xu Fenghua's body suddenly stiffened!
Almost instinctively, she reached out and covered her lower abdomen.
My palms pressed against that thin layer of fabric, feeling that smooth, warm skin.
There was no obvious sign of pregnancy.
It remained flat as ever, and I couldn't feel anything.
The weight that had been hanging over her heart for so long eased slightly, and a smile appeared on her lips, her voice carrying a hint of coquettishness.
"Your Majesty always makes fun of me. Where am I fat? It's clearly Your Majesty's imagination."
Qin Mu looked at her, and the smile on his lips deepened.
"Is that so? Then let me feel it more carefully."