C96 (1/2)
Chapter 96: Rather Die Than Live (Part 1)
Yous.h.i.+ (modern timing: 5 – 7pm) should be timing when the Emperor was most free but when Lou Xi Yan arrived at the Imperial Study, he found that the doors were tightly closed and Gao Jing and Xiao you were standing outside the doors with serious expression and some feeling of loss of what to do.
Seeing Lou Xi Yan approaching the hall, Gao Jing immediately went forward to welcome, “Prime Minister Lou.”
Seeing the tightly closed doors, Lou Xi Yan asked in a whisper, “Is the Emperor in?”
“Yes. But…” Gao Jing face was filled with worry as he hesitantly replied. He had followed by the Emperor’s side for so many years and had never seen the Emperor like this. He did not let the Imperial Physician bandage the wound on his hands and just let the blood flow like that. When he entered the Imperial Study, he only said, “Get out.” Gao Jing felt his entire body gone cold. He guessed that at this moment the Emperor did not want to see anyone.
It was fortunate that Prime Minister Lou did not forcefully insist and replied indifferently, “It’s nothing. I will go first.” He then left Zheng Yang Palace. But the Prime Minister Lou’s face which was usually smiling warmly, was infected by the moodiness.
Zhuo Qing accompanied Qing Feng in Qing Feng Hall but when it was almost time for the Palace gates to close, Qing Feng had yet to wake thus Zhuo Qing had no choice but to leave. The winter nights came especially early thus when Zhuo Qing walked out of the Palace gates, the skies were dark and the red lanterns by the Palace gates lit the road in a sea of red. In the middle of the red light, there was a familiar horse carriage stopped not too far away and a tall figure stood on the road beside the carriage and there was the usual warm smile on the face.
Seeing Lou Xi Yan, Zhuo Qing quickened her pace, “Why did you come?”
Lou Xi Yan looked at her and that cool voiced was filled with warmth, “To fetch you home.”
It was rare that Zhuo Qing held his hands and spoke gloomily, “Xi Yan, can we walk?” Even though she has seen so much death, what happened today was like a rock weighting down on her heart and made her terribly depressed.
Placing her hand in his palm, Lou Xi Yan softly replied, “Alright.”
As it was almost about to enter the twelfth lunar month, the wind at night cut the faces, making it painful. There were gradually lesser people on the streets as two of them silently walked.
“The child… Is gone.” Zhuo Qing only said those few words after a long time. Lou Xi Yan tightened the hand holding her as he calmly responded, “I know.”
The night wind whistled as it scratched pa.s.s their ears and it made both of their clothes fluttered. Zhuo Qing suddenly stopped and as Lou Xi Yan knew that she had something to say, he also stopped. Zhuo Qing thought for a while before saying, “I felt that the child’s cause of death is suspicious.”
A flash crossed that long and narrow eyes, “What have you discovered?”
“When I rushed over, the body was already cold. From the stage of the livor mortis, the child was dead for at least 1 s.h.i.+chen (1 s.h.i.+chen = 2 hours). His face was dark red, lips was dark purple and it seems that it looks seventh tenth that it was a respiratory failure caused by the fever. But I have discovered that the colour of the livor mortis was actually greyish beige in colour.”
She emphasised on the colour of the livor mortis… Lou Xi Yan’s voice was forcefully lowered, “Are you saying that the Prince was poisoned to death?”
Zhuo Qing reluctantly shook her head, “This was not entirely confirmed. The child is too young and it is possible that there are other complication that caused the death. Now that there are doubts existed, can we request to provide an autopsy for the child?” Like that, she would be able to determine the cause of death!
Zhuo Qing felt emotionally pressed for the child’s autopsy to be done and thus her voice could not help but sounded a little high. However seeing Lou Xi Yan’s calm and deep eyes, she knew that she was a lunatic raving. The Imperial Physicians had insisted that the child died due to the illness and the child did indeed had continuous days of fever. There were countless of children dying in Qiong Yue due to fever and from their view, this matter was already very clear, how would they allow her to do an autopsy?!
She always believed that the corpse was the last voice of the death and she would definitely help them to say the words out but to not be able to do it now made her felt frustrated. She cannot perform the autopsy and the dregs were gone. Zhuo Qing felt completely useless and could not help but sighed softly, “It would be good if she was here.”
The sudden burst of wind made Zhuo Qing shudder and thinking that Xi Yan’s health was all along not good, Zhuo Qing lead Xi Yan back to the horse carriage but only realised after taking two steps that he was still standing in the same spot.
Zhuo Qing finally noticed that Lou Xi Yan had been very quiet the entire night. He appeared to be listening to her but that slightly narrowed eyes made one unable to figure out what he was thinking. Zhuo Qing asked him in a whispered, “What are you thinking?”
Lowering his head to look at her, Lou Xi Yan lightly coughed and smiled, “Nothing. Naturally listening to Furen’s words.”
Zhuo Qing gave a look of disbelief which made Lou Xi Yan smiled as he continued, “This time Qing Mo accompanied General Su to besiege the pirates and it is considered to be dangerous, thus by informing her now, it would affect her and at the same time affect General Su.”
He actually heard her words?! Thinking of a moment, Zhuo Qing replied, “Then… I will now send someone to the East Sea and wait in Mao City till their victory before informing her.”