c95 (1/2)

Chapter 95: The Pain From The Death Of A Child

Zhuo Qing followed Fu Ling and rushed into Qing Feng Hall. When they pushed the door to enter, they saw a group of people kneeling at the inner chambers. When they approached near the screen, a wave of heat hit them. Qing Feng then found out that there was actually seven to eight brazier in the room, making the air steam and Qing Feng was kneeling in front of the bed motionless.

Zhuo Qing’s brows wrinkled and her face turn cold. She walked to the window and opened the tightly closed frames. The cold wind hit her face and broke the burning sensation of the heat.

Zhuo Qing walked to Qing Feng and saw the silent and unbreathing child. Her heart burst with irritation as she faced the entire floor of kneeling people, “Everyone leave and bring the braziers out.” The servants in Qing Feng Hall all raised their head and Fu Ling nodded her head slightly before all of them dared to move the braziers out. The two Imperial Physicians also left the house quivering.

Zhuo Qing squatted down and called, “Qing Feng?”

Qing Feng was still staring blankly at the child on the bed and was deaf to any other sounds.

Zhuo Qing lacked of a better option and could only give a sigh. She grabbed onto Qing Feng’s shoulder to turn her to face her and coldly said, “Qing Feng, wake up!”

After a long time, Qing Feng then gently replied, “Eldest Sister?” Her naturally fair skin seems greyer and that clear eyes had become chaotic.

Zhuo Qing softly replied, “It’s me.”

“He… He fell asleep…”

The low and soft murmuring that Zhuo Qing heard made her heart ached, she soften her voice, “I know. You go over there and let me take a look at him alright?”

Qing Feng was somewhat taken aback and somewhat at a loss as she nodded.

“Fu Ling.” Qing Feng gave a look and Fu Ling immediately approached and supported the already weakened Qing Feng. She initially wanted to help her to the chair outside to rest but Qing Feng sat down on the head of the bed and Fu Ling could only stand at the side to accompany her.

The child was quietly lying on the bed and his face, eyes and lips were all purple grey in colour. Zhuo Qing gently opened the child’s mouth and could see the swelling in his throat. It seemed that the cause of death was respiratory failure. Zhuo Qing picked the child up a little and found that the body was showing slight signs of livor mortis. Zhuo Qing frowned. Even though the temperature in the room was way high and would have moved the livor mortis of the body earlier, but this… Was too fast. Zhuo Qing rolled the child over and took a closer observation as her brows tightened.

A normal livor mortis should be dark purple and red in colour but this child’s livor mortis was greyish in colour, could it be that…

Zhuo Qing softly called, “Fu Ling.”

Fu Ling look at Qing Feng sitting quietly beside her, without saying anything or moving, and walked to Zhuo Qing’s side a.s.sured.

“Who was taking care of the child in the afternoon?”

“It is this servant.”

As Zhuo Qing was continuingly checking the child’s body for any external injuries, she was also calmly asking, “Did you hear if the child had any shortness of breath or cries?”

Fu Ling thought a little and replied, “No. The Little Prince drank milk this afternoon and also the medicine that the Imperial Physician had prepared. He then fell asleep very quickly and was all the while quiet.”

Medicine? Zhuo Qing looked up and asked, “Where is the medicine?”

“It has been finished.” The medicine dosage was small today and she saw Mistress feeding the Prince.

“The medicine dregs?”

Medicine dregs? Fu Ling understood the meaning of Zhuo Qing’s intention and immediately said, “This servant will go and find it now.” Fu Ling took two steps and looked back at Qing Feng who was sitting at the foot of the bed with sluggish eyes and she could not help but got worried. Fu Ling instructed Ru Yi to take good care of Qing Feng before running towards the Medical Court.

Zhuo Qing held the child’s hand to check. All ten fingers were relaxed and there was no signs of injuries. The child’s hand was hanging at his sides naturally from the beginning and there was no external injuries on the face or body. According to Fu Ling’s words, she did not hear the child’s cries and this was not quite right. Whether it was a poison or a respiratory failure caused by his illness, death would be very painful and the child would have been struggling and crying loudly but not be so peaceful.

At this moment Zhuo Qing’s head started to hurt. This incident is very suspicious and in order to figure out the child’s death, performing an autopsy was the only way to confirm if the child’s death was caused by a respiratory failure from his illness or by consumption of poison, so as to unlock the mystery of such a peaceful death.

But to perform the autopsy… Zhuo Qing turned and looked at Qing Feng. She had a lifeless expression but her eyes did not leave the child on the bed for a moment.

Just as Zhuo Qing was at an awkward position, the many calls of arrival sounded with chaotic footsteps came from outside the courtyard—

“The Emperor has arrived!”

“The Empress Dowager has arrived!”

“The Empress has arrived!”

They were here and she would definitely not have any opportunity to access to the child. Zhuo Qing instructed the palace maid beside her, “Go and get me a clean silk handkerchief now.”