c99 (1/2)

Chapter 99: Facial Appearance

Zhuo Qing told Gu Yun in detail the situation during this period and also the result of the check on the body. Both of them discussed a while and was unable to come to a conclusion at that moment of time, thus Gu Yun decided to enter the Palace to take a look at Qing Feng.

As Zhuo Qing had the token from Yan Hong Tian, both of them could enter the Palace smoothly. When they entered Qing Feng Hall, they saw a small baby cradle under a big tree in the middle of the courtyard and beside it, Qing Feng, clad in a simple was at the side half kneeing as she kept her eyes on the small cradle with only Fu Ling accompanying her.

Seeing that they had arrived, Fu Ling bent down as if afraid that she would scare her and said in a very light voice, “Mistress, Lou Furen and Miss Qing are here to see you.”

Gu Yun’s brow tightly knitted together, the Qing Feng now and during the full month banquet were two different persons. Her chin was thin, her eyes were dull, her pale face and her frail body, made her look like she would faint at any moment. With a bitterness piercing her heart, Gu Yun softly called out, “Elder Sister.”

After a long time Qing Feng then turned around and her eyes stopped at Gu Yun’s face for a long time before she seemed to recognise who she was. She then calmly said, “You have returned. Sit then.” The hoa.r.s.e voice sounded weak, like it was blown away by the win, it seemed that she had immersed herself in endless grief and disregard everyone and everything around her. Gu Yun softly consoled, “A person would not be able to come back to life after death. You must restrain your grief and don’t ruin your health.”

Qing Feng seemed like she did not hear anything and just stared at the child’s little cradle unblinkingly. From time to time, there was a hint of a smile on her face, but that smile was filled with bitterness.

A fire emerge suddenly in Gu Yun’s heart. Who was so vicious that even a baby was not spared?! And to torment a mother to such a state! If it was truly a homicide, she wanted to seek justice for that child.

“Come over here for a while.”

Fu Ling did not understand why Gu Yun called for her but Qing Feng did not stop it so she followed Gu Yun to the other side of the courtyard. When both of them stood still, Gu Yu asked, “Who was the first to discover the child’s death?”

Fu Ling hesitated and replied in a whisper, “It’s this servant.”

“Repeat again what happened on the day of the incident. Think about it clearly and do not miss out any details.”

Fu Ling hesitated for a moment and she slightly turned around to look at the direction of Qing Feng. Gu Yun blocked her line of sight and spoke lowly, “Speak the truth.”

Gu Yun’s voice was not loud but it had a kind of imposing manner that one would not dare to defy. After thinking for a long time, Fu Ling then whispered in reply, “After the full month banquet, the Prince had contracted a cold and was constantly having fever. The Imperial Physician would come every day at Sis.h.i.+ (modern timing: 9 – 11 am) to diagnose and perform treatment. That morning, before Sis.h.i.+, Imperial Physician Hu and Imperial Physician w.a.n.g came…”

“Don’t talk about it anymore. Withdraw.” Fu Ling only said a sentence before Qing Feng scolded her severely. Fu Ling was scared and quickly stepped out.

Qing Feng’s face was livid and no longer had a numb expression. She seemed to be suppressing a certain sentiment so Gu Yun walked up to her and asked, “Why stop her from speaking?”

Turning her head to the other side, Qing Feng did not meet Gu Yun eyes as she softly reply, “Imperial son is gone, I do not wish for this matter to be mentioned again.”

Her obvious evading and avoiding reply made Gu Yun felt more suspicious and Zhuo Qing was also puzzled. She remembered the last time when Qing Feng question her on how her child died, it was certainly not like how it was now. Gu Yun asked tentatively, “Knowing that he did not die due to an illness, you do not intend to pursue the matter?”

Qing Feng abruptly raised her hand and stared at Gu Yun with pain in her eyes and a hoa.r.s.e voice that sounded miserable as it grips one’s heart, “How do you want to pursue? All the Imperial Physicians said that the Prince died due to the illness, who do I pursue with? Even if his death was not caused by illness, the events in the Inner Palace would not be managed by the Ministry of Justice and at the end it would fall upon Lou Shu Xin and Xin Yue Ning to investigate! He is already dead, what is the use of investigating it so clearly!”

Her weak body could not withstand such a big agitation and she started to cough. She clutched her chest before turning over and said unyieldingly, “The child has been put to rest so you both should not be bothered about this matter. I am tired so you both can leave.”

Zhuo Qing and Gu Yun exchanged a look and they did not provoke her further. They then left Qing Feng Hall together.

Gu Yun sombrely said, “Qing Feng should know that this matter is suspicious and must have gotten a clue but do not want to get us involved.” And she had seen Qing Feng suppressing immensely the cold violence on her face when she was talking to her. This was definitely not a person who would not intend to pursue the matter.

Zhuo Qing apparently could also see it and sighed as she whispered, “This matter is very different from the cases that you previously handled. It is not just a homicide case as it also involve with many political powers. Yan Hong Tian is also not a fool, he already had two sons that died prematurely, why was he still indifferent. There are many checks and balances and the conflicting interests are far more complicated than we would imagine. In short, you must not act rashly.”

Naturally Zhuo Qing understand clearly the implication that Zhuo Qing mentioned and she could not help but scowled, “It’s truly troublesome.”

Zhuo Qing pat Gu Yun’s hand and lowered her voice to speak, “I know that you are a person who can distinguish right from wrong and everything in your heart would be either black or white. But the Inner Palace is a grey place where everything cannot be too clear and cannot be too muddled. The first time when I saw Qing Feng, she is intensely stubborn and now she already slowly understand how to survive in the Palace. This matter is something we cannot not care about but also manage it with great fanfare. Since she is not willing for us to be intervene then we will investigate it in secret and look for opportunity to help her since she would not let it go with her temperament.”

Gu Yun was silent for a long time but she finally nodded, “Alright. Will follow as you say.” She believed in the logic in laws but never understood politics.

After Zhuo Qing and Gu Yun left, Qing Feng stood up from the cradle and sat at the stone stool, where her grieving expression seemed lesser. After a while, she then faced Fu Ling to speak, “In the future if they were to ask you any questions privately, you can just speak truthfully.”

“Yes.” These days Fu Ling’s brows were not relaxed as her Mistress was becoming stranger and more elusive. At times she would be in extreme grief, at times she would be indifferent. If this continued on, what could be done?

Fu Ling had a face of concern which made Qing Feng sighed in her heart. She gently pulled Fu Ling’s hand and softly said, “Fu Ling, I am a little hungry.”

“Ah?” How long has it been for Mistress to take the initiative to say that she was hungry? Fu Ling happily nodded, “Yes. This servant will call for the meal now.”

When Fu Ling just leave, Ru Yi walked in from outside and stood by Qing Feng, “Your Ladys.h.i.+p.”

“How was it?” Qing Feng’s voice was cold and no longer warm like she was speaking to Fu Ling.

Ru Yi glance at the outside of the door before bending down slightly and said some sentence at Qing Feng’s side.