c90 (1/2)

Chapter 90: Sounding Out (Part 1)

“With the acceptance of the Mandate of Heavens, the Emperor has decreed that Imperial Concubine Qing from the family Qing, has respectful, harmonious and respectful virtues and is warm, charming, and virtuous. Zhen is comforted that the Imperial ancestral are pleased and she had gave birth to a son. Today, my son is full month old, the name: Zhi and Chu Xiu Palace are bestowed upon him. By the Emperor himself.”

In the third quarter of Sis.h.i.+ (modern timing: 9 – 11am), the morning court has ended and the Imperial Decree was immediately sent into Qing Feng Hall. As the eunuch from Imperial household affairs read out the Imperial Decree in his sharp voice, the main mistress just froze there motionless as she knelt on the floor, unsure if she was overjoyed or was not even listening.

Ru Yi knelt behind Qing Feng and hearing not a single movement for quite some time, she quietly looked up and saw her own Mistress staring at the floor and not the Imperial Decree or thanking for the honour. The steward gonggong from the Imperial household affairs held the decree out but did not dare to call her and gave a perplexed look on how to proceed. Ru Yi tookd a small step forward and softly advised, “Your Ladys.h.i.+p?”

Qing Feng was slightly startled and quickly recovered to her senses and took a while before speaking, “Thanking the grace of the Emperor. May the Emperor long live.”

Qing Feng replied dispiritedly but fortunately she had said her thanks. Wu Gonggong gave a sigh of relief in his hard and quickly pa.s.sed the decree to Qing Feng’s hands and knelt down to greet, “Congratulations to Imperial Concubine Qing. Congratulations to Prince Zhi.”

Ru Yi supported Qing Feng to the living area to sit down at the main seat. Qing Feng placed the Imperial decree casually by the side table and coldly said, “All withdraw.”

“Yes.” After giving a bow, Wu Rong immediately exited the house. He has been working in the Palace for almost all his life and had served many mistresses but this Imperial Concubine Qing was the most bizarre one he had seen. Today it’s the big day of the Emperor’s bestowment but she had a cold and lethargic expression. It would seem that this was a Mistress that was hard to serve.

When the roomful of people withdrew, only Shen Yao was left in the inner chambers coaxing the Little Prince. Qing Feng was still uncommunicative and just sat that with a unusual cool expression. Her Ladys.h.i.+p had sat overnight, was she not tired? Seeing the Imperial Decree on the side table, Ru Yi lightly smiled and said, “Your Ladys.h.i.+p, the word ‘Zhi’ that the Emperor bestowed is good. It must be meant ‘true love’ (p.r.o.nounce as Zhi Ai)!”

Qing Feng’s dark expressing eyes slightly raised and her lips slightly arched but it was not like a normal smile. Thinking back on the past few days, he did not even come over to take a glance at both mother and son. True love? Why be so pretentious. Zhi… It also has the meaning of “seizing”, who really knew what his heart was thinking. The most difficult thing to guess was a monarch’s mind and now she did not want to guess. She was waiting. Waitng for Fu Ling to give her an answer.

“Your Ladys.h.i.+p…”

“Bengong wants some peace. You go in and take care of the Little Prince.”

Ru Yi still wanted to say more things to make her happier a little but Qing Feng’s cold voice interrupted her words, so Ru Yi can only quietly retreated back to the inner chambers. When she just entered, she saw Shen Yao feeding the Little Price. As Ru Yi was still an unmarried young lady, she immediately turn her face the other side and naturally did not see Shen Yao placing something quietly back to her sleeves.

Qing Feng never knew that the greatest suffering in the world was actually waiting. Facing with the eagerness to know the answer yet also scared, as the time pa.s.s, she felt more fear. Not even that night in the Imperial Prisons or the attempted suicide at the ruined temple had she felt that life was so difficult.

“Mistress? Mistress…”

As the soft voice floated into her ears, Qing Feng’s head snapped up and it was only then that she found Fu Ling standing by her side, looking at her with concern. She had waited for an entire night and it was for Fu Ling to return. At this moment she was standing in front of her, but Qing Feng was afraid and grabbed Fu Ling’s palms for a while before she finally asked, “How was it?”

Ice cold hands and pale white face. Mistress looked so haggard that it was evident that she was up awake all night in fear. She still could not understand why Mistress would want to investigate her own sisters. Even if it was to investigate, why would it be such urgent and in a state of panic?

Fu Ling did not reply for a long time and Qing Feng got anxious, “Was it checked out or not?”

Qing Feng looked like she was nearing a fainting spell but was still pressing urgently about it. Fu Ling swallowed her words of rests and nodded helplessly.

“Will speak in your room.” Qing Feng grabbed Fu Ling’s hands and rush to the side wing of the side courtyard.

When the doors were just closed, Qing Feng impatiently asked, “How was the investigation?”

Fu Ling closed the door properly and supported Qing Feng to sit on the chair. She did not keep her waiting and told her from how Qing Ling enter the Prime Minister’s residence to how she performed autopsy in the great hall and how she help Dan Yu Lan to break the cold case of the lost gold, to the case of the missing heart in the female corpse. Fu Ling carefully said everything she had investigated, “When Lou Furen initially reached Qiong Yue, before she entered the Prime Minister’s residence, she was kidnapped by the villagers and then…”

In the timespan of a night, Fu Ling could only investigate this much and it was already not easy. Qing Feng was most concerned about one thing. “She… Truly did an autopsy… In the Grand Hall?”

“Yes. This servant found the palace maids and eunuchs who were at the great hall holding up the curtains at the event. From their words, Lou Furen was at the great hall… Performing the autopsy for the Princess of Northern Qi.”

“Was it what they have personally witnessed? Dan Yu Lan did not step forward to help at all?” Qing Feng asked quickly and anxiously which can be seen as aggressive. Fu Ling saw Qing Feng grasping the arms of the wooden chair and felt that it was not quite right but dared not hid anything from her, “They witness it themselves. This servant also interviewed them individually and the details of it matched up. Dan Daren only stood by the side and did not say anything or step up to help.”

It was indeed true? She had heard earlier that Eldest Sister performed an autopsy in the great hall but she never once believed it and always thought that it was Dan Yu Lan who let Eldest Sister to put up a show of doing it but not actually doing it so as to appease the Prince of Northern Qi. So it was just her who was kept in the dark.

Taking a deep breath, Qing Feng cautiously asked, “Qing Mo… How about Qing Mo?”

“The General’s residence is very strict and impartial. Miss Qing also rarely go out of the residence and make contact with others, so it was not easy to investigate. It was fortunate that Miss Qing’s reputation in the Su family army is high and according to the commander of guards of the General’s residence, when Miss Qing entered the residence, she had a compet.i.tion with General Su Yu on training of the new recruits and came out victorious.”