Mysteries in the Imperial Harem: Chapter 62
Finally a short chapter.
“Emperor, it is time for morning court.”
At the fixed shichen, the fixed voice and even the same pitch sounded. Qing Feng finally know the reason why regardless of how tired the day was before or how late he slept the night before, Yan Hong Tian could wake up immediately when the first time this voice sounded. If you have woken up everyday at this same time and heard this same voice for over ten years, you will also wake. Now even she would also wake up at this time.
“Come in.”
Feeling that Yan Hong Tian had gotten up, the eunuchs came in to assist him in dressing up. Qing Feng gently opened her eyes, ensure if it was because she was too tired the night before or because she caught a cold, her head started to throbbing. Qing Feng unconsciously coughed lightly as she close her eyes and pressed her temples.
“What is wrong?” The drapery moved and the deep voice was heard.
Qing Feng paused and she open her eyes to see Yan Hong Tian sitting by the bedside, clad with bright yellow robes, with the purple gold crown and an white jade hanging from his waist. The normally dark black eyes were different but he still portrayed the majesty of a monarch. Qing Feng’s breath hitch up unknowingly and she quickly shut her eyes and only replied after a while, “Having some headache.”
It must be she had caught a chill the night before, “Will summon Huang Jiao in a while to take a look at you.” Yan Hong Tian raised his hand and touched Qing Feng’s smooth forehead and felt that there was no rise in temperature before he loosen his frowning brows a little.
Grabbing her hands and feeling his smooth breathing, Qing Feng then opened her eyes and replied, “I heard that he was studying some medicine painstakingly and next month he will head to Feng Ming Mountain to pick herbs. Thus should not bother him with this small cold. Will later summon the other physicians over to take a look.”
“That is also good. Go and sleep a while.” Pulling the thin quilts to cover her body and leaving that sentence, Yan Hong Tian lift the curtain to stride away.
Qing Feng lied on the bed but she was unable to fall asleep after flipping over and over again. Just now he did not say anything much but why did her heartbeat thump so fast? Since when did her heartbeat increase because of Yan Hong Tian? Is this all right?
After laying on the bed for half a shichen (1 shichen = 2 hours), she was unable to sleep and did not want to think about Yan Hong Tian. Qing Feng got up and called towards the door, “Ru Yi.”
“Servant is here.” Ru Yi carried a basin of hot water into the chambers.
Qing Feng took the hot towel from Ru Yi and said, “Go to the Medical Courtyard and summon Imperial Physician Lin Feng over.”
“Yes.” Ru Yi slightly looked up at Qing Feng’s expression and found that there was nothing wrong. However she dare not delay and quickly exited the room.
Fu Ling just entered and heard that Qing Feng wanted to summon an Imperial Physician. She quickly went to Qing Feng’s side and urgently questioned, “Mistress, where do you feel unwell?”
Qing Feng smiled as she patted her hand and replied, “Just a little cold.”
Fu Ling expressed disbelief, this Mistress greatest dislike was to see a physician and normally any small issues would just tolerated it. She did not even allow her to write a prescription and for her to actually summon an Imperial Physician, it would definitely not be a small illness. Qing Feng was helpless and could only automatically place her hand in front of Fu Ling so that she can take her pulse. After verifying that it was indeed a small cold, her hanging heart could finally settle down. Mistress was currently pregnant and there must not be the slightness carelessness.
Just as Fu Ling finished freshening up Qing Feng, Ru Yi’s voice was heard, “Your Ladyship, Imperial Physician Lin is here.”
Qing Feng did not move and just sat in front of the bronze mirror and nodded. Fu Ling spoke out, “Let him come in.”
Ru Yi led Lin Feng into the inner chambers. After walking pass the screen, Lin Feng saw Qing Feng’s back view and knelt down immediately, “This official Lin Feng greets your Ladyship Imperial Concubine Qing. May your Ladyship have thousand of fortune and peace.”
Qing Feng did not even turn around and took a jade hairpin to place it near her hair for comparison and said, “Ru Yi you can withdraw. Imperial Physician Lin is diagnosing Bengong, no one is allowed to disturb.”
At this moment, her Ladyship doesn’t look sickly at all? Ru Yi secretly wondered but she knew that she should not know and the best was that she did not know about Mistress’s stuff. Quickly bowing and exiting, she did not forget to shut the room doors.
Hearing the sound of the shutting doors, Lin Feng’s heart suddenly shook and he dare not look at Qing Feng. His eyes was fixed tightly on the floor.
Qing Feng slowly put her hair up in a bun and as she was looking into the bronze mirror, she was spoke randomly, “Heard that Imperial Physician Lin previously took Chen Zhen’s pulse and diagnose her and should understand the type of medication pregnant woman should use. Bengong have a small cold and specially invite Imperial Physician Lin to take a look at Bengong.”
Pregnant woman… These two words made Lin Feng felt cold from his head to his feet and could not say a single word.
Qing Feng finally turned around and looked at the still kneeling and sweating Lin Feng. Pretending to be puzzled, she smiled, “Is Imperial Physician Lin warm?”
“This official is… Not warm. Not warm.” Is was not warm here. He was now in cold sweat.
With her hands lightly resting on the cushion that Fu Ling laid, Qing Feng smiled, “Then why you have not take Bengong’s pulse?”
“Yes yes yes.” Lin Feng finally recover his thoughts and got up to walk over to Qing Feng’s side. Taking her pulse, he replied in a relaxed tone, “Your Ladyship’s health is very well and the child is also well. This official will write a prescription. May your Ladyship take it for the next two day and the cold symptoms will subside.”
Qing Feng took her hand back slowly and smiled, “Bengong’s health is indeed better than Imperial Concubine Hui. Imperial Physician Lin could even nurse her health back, so much less of Bengong?”
Lin Feng’s face stiffen again and hesitatingly replied, “Imperial Concubine Qing is too flattering… Too flattering…”
A flash of impatience crossed Qing Feng’s eyes as she was in no mood to deal with him and asked coldly, “How many months is that child in?”
This official… This official…” Since entering Qing Feng Hall, Lin Feng had already felt something amiss. Imperial Concubine Qing had always been personally attended by Senior Imperial Physician Huang and even though it was not a serious sickness and wanted a change in doctors, there were so many other Imperial Physicians with better skills than him. However, Imperial Concubine Qing purposely looked for him and she kept mentioning about Imperial Concubine Hui. He knew, Imperial Concubine Qing summoned him because of Imperial Concubine Hui. He initially wanted to shirking responsibilities and pretending that he did not know but he did not think that QIng Feng suddenly asked that. Fearing that Qing Feng was picking on his words, Lin Feng could not say much words after blabbering a while.
“Wherever Chen Zhen stomach is placed at, the child would still need to be borne. Previously it was always you who was taking her pulse and you think that if you don’t say anything now you will be safe? This offence is able to destroy your entire clan.” Qing Feng’s tone was brisk but was still unhurried and the last four words were almost as light as the breeze. Lin Feng, however, went down on his kneels with a ‘plop’ sound and urgently said, “Your Ladyship, please have mercy! Your Ladyship, please have mercy! Imperial Concubine Hui is pregnant for… For almost nine months already.”
Qing Feng was surprised, “Give birth next month?” The last time she saw Chen Zhen, her belly was not large and she did not expect that she had reached full-term. (Chinese saying is that pregnancy last for 10 Lunar months)
“Yes.”
“Do you know which day?”
Lin Feng did not dare to hid, “This official had not been taking Imperial Concubine Qing’s pulse for quite some time and would not be able to accurately say which day but it should be around the fifth day of next month.”
The fifth of next month, it was less than twenty days. The first to the third of the month was the period of the celebration and the fifth was just after the ceremony thus everyone would be relaxed and the guards in the Palace would also be a little lax, making things easier. But it was not a small matter for a woman to give birth and even the slightest mistake would result in two deaths. She initially thought that there was still time to prepare but it seems that it was imminent. Not wanted to deal with more nonsense with Lin Feng, Qing Feng coldly said, “If this matter leaks out, you should be very clear whose death is first.”
A “dong” sound was heard as Lin Feng knocked his head on the ground and quickly replied, “This official will not dare to divulge anything at all!” He thought that he would be definitely be dead today. He did not think that her Ladyship Qing Feng also did not want this matter to be spread. If so, then with Imperial Concubine Qing’s protection, it might be possible for this matter to be hidden. Like that he would still live and even if the matter was brought to light, he only did what he was told.
Qing Feng knew that Lin Feng do not have the guts to leak it out but she said it so that he could understand her position. This was good. From now on, Lin Feng would not dare to betray her.
“Withdraw.”
“Yes.” Lin Feng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and quickly got up before he bowed and exited. This Imperial Concubine Qing was much harder to serve than Imperial Concubine Hui.
Lin Feng went out but Qing Feng was lost in her thoughts and Fu Ling did not disturb her. After a long time, Qing Feng then asked, “Where is Wu-er now?”
“She was initially in the Odd Jobs Department but now she is with Beauty Yu’s and is considered her close palace maid.”
“How did she end up there?” Generally when a concubine was banished to the Cold Palace, the close palace maids will be sent to do laundry or some place which was the most tiresome and worst condition. The mamas will also not put them to good use and none of any concubines will dare to use them. They were like their mistresses who will not be able to see the light of day. How did Wu-er end up with Beauty Yu?
“Beauty Yu is Imperial Concubine Hui’s distant cousin and was protected by here ever since she entered the Palace. After Imperial Concubine Hui was banished to the Cold Palace, Beauty Yu find all ways to get Wu-er by her side.” This Beauty Yu’s looks was average and she had little courage. She did not think that she would had done such things.
Qing Feng frowned, “Beauty Yu and Chen Zhen are usually very close?” Even if it was a distant relative, she also did not need to offend the Empress for Chen Zhen’s close palace maid?
Fu Ling thought for a bit and shook her head before replying, “No. The people in the Palace knows that Imperial Concubine Hui love peace and enjoys embroidery and often would not go out of the room for days.”
That was also true. Chen Zhen seemed elegant and generous but in reality she is very aloof and naturally will not be close to anyone. Never mind. Just a low rank Beauty. If she were to do anything, she would still be powerless.
“It is almost time for Chen Zhen to give birth, first you…” Qing Feng was whispering to Fu Ling when Ru Yi soft voice sounded by the door, “Your Ladyship, there is someone from Lan Yi Palace that request your audience.”
Empress’s person? Both of them shared a look and Qing Feng gave her an expression. Fu Ling walked to open the doors and let the palace maid in.
The female was young and lovely and it it seems that her eyes were roaming the surroundings but it was not done presumptuously. Seeing Imperial Concubine Qing standing behind the screen, the female still bowed and greeted softly, “This servant, Yi Yue, greets Imperial Concubine Qing. Her Ladyship, the Empress invited over.”
The Empress have been dormant for so long and finally had began to take action. This was also good. If she kept remaining quiet, Qing Feng would have felt worried. A slight smile appeared on Qing Feng’s lips as she walked out from the screen and replied, “Good. Bengong have not seen the Empress for a long time and was thinking of paying respect.”