Mysteries in the Imperial Harem: Chapter 97
My heart breaks as Qing Feng grieves… And I pity Yan Hong Tian more as he takes everything in…
Fu Ling burst into the room and saw Qing Feng tightly clutching Ru Yi's shoulders. In order for Mistress to rest well, she and Ru Yi did not lit any lights in the inner chambers. Under the lighted candle outside the screen, Qing Feng's hair was down and her eyes were staring deadly at Ru Yi, looking exceptionally ferocious tonight with the scars on her cheeks.
Ru Yi had personally saw how her Ladyship bit the Emperor without letting go and she was truly afraid that her Ladyship had gone insane that her face was pale as she kept trembling.
Ming Ze stood outside the screen looking at that blurry figure. That foot that moved forward stopped and ultimately he did not go in but also did not leave.
Fu Ling ran to the bedside and pull Qing Feng's hands down from Ru Yi's shoulders and gently said, "Mistress. What is wrong? I am Fu Ling."
"Fu Ling?" Qing Feng stared at Fu Ling's face for some time before her face started to soften a little but her hoarse voice sounded like in some sort of trance, "What time of the watch is it now?"
"It's already the third of the five watch periods (modern timing: 11 pm - 1 am)." Mistress's palm was filled with sweat and her fingers were cold. As Fu Ling spoke, she took out a handkerchief to wipe her hands gently.
Qing Feng sat stiffly for a while before she suddenly said, "Where is Zhi-er? Is he hungry already? Quickly carry him over to me to see."
"Mistress…" Fu Ling's movements froze. Her nose started to sniff and tears started to appear but she dared not raise her head to look at Qing Feng or answer her words as she was afraid that she herself would not help but cry.
Fu Ling looked down and did not move. Qing Feng urgently spoke, "Quickly go."
Fu Ling's head hung lower and her shoulders trembled. "I will go myself!" Like she had remembered something, Qing Feng's eyes showed a trace of panic and fear as she pushed her way out barefooted.
"Mistress!" Fu Ling quickly went forward to catch up and hold onto her shoulders with her arms. That eyes filled with tears looked at Qing Feng with a frightened face as Fu Ling kept on shaking her head. She did not know if Mistress really did not remember that the Little Prince was already… At this moment she dare not mention. Dare not mention that word.
Qing Feng was pulled back by Fu Ling as tears fell onto her arms. As each tear fell, her face became paler and she no longer struggled as she stood in front of the bed as she kept murmuring, "Zhi-er… Zhi-er…"
A lot of things happened in the day. Other than having a little porridge, Qing Feng did not consume a single grain and not even drink a mouth of water. In the pale white chapped lips, there was a trace of bloodstain. Seeing that Qing Feng seemed to have quieten down, Ru Yi poured a cup of water and cautiously said, "Your Ladyship, please… Please drink a little water."
As the warm cup touched her fingertips, Qing Feng shrank her hand back as if she had receive a shock before yanking the cup over and gripping tightly onto it, as if eager to absorb the warm temperature from the cup. It was just that her grip was too tight and as her hand shook, the water spilt all over. Since it was water that was drunk during winter, it was naturally hot but she did not feel it when the hot water landed on her hands.
Fu Ling gradually found that there was something wrong with her and wiped the tear away. Fu Ling quickly reach out to wrestle the cup from her hand but Qing Feng's hand was getting tighter and tighter. Both hands focus their rage on the cub and Fu Ling could even hear the thin white porcelain cup making a tiny sound of pressure. Fu Ling anxiously spoke, "Mistress, you mustn't be like this!"
Qing Feng ignored the smell and used all her strength to hold on to the cup till her entire body was shaking, as if it was the only way for her not to go mad.
"Kuang dang" sounded and the white porcelain cup in Qing Feng's hands suddenly broken. Qing Feng still refused to let go and the sharp pieces of porcelain fiercely penetrated into her flesh and blood quickly welled up.+
"Ah!" Staring at that dark red blood, Ru Yi was so scared that she took a step back.
"Mistress, you must let go!" Fu Ling was so frightened that her cold sweat kept coming out. She wanted to remove the porcelain pieces from her hands but Qing Feng did not want to let go and in the middle of struggling, Fu Ling felt a warm liquid flowing out from her wrist all the way down, instantly staining Qing Feng's sleeves, filling the room with the scent of blood.
"Ru Yi, quickly, quickly go invite the Imperial Physician over!" This wound of Mistress was deep and if the blood continue to flow like this, Mistress would not be able to bare it.
"Yes yes!" Ru Yi finally recovered from her panic before quickly running out and almost bump into Ming Ze who was just coming in. Seeing that the situation was critical, Ru Yi did not think anything more and just ran out quickly.
Ming Ze heard the sound of the cup shattering and quickly smelt the scent of blood. He knew that something was wrong and rushed quickly across the screen. Both Fu Ling and Qing Feng seemed to be fighting over something and when Ming Ze squinted his eyes, he saw Qing Feng's scarlet hands. Fu Ling wanted to released her hands but Qing Feng still clutched it so tightly that Fu Ling had no way to stop her.
Ming Ze grabbed Qing Feng's wrist and pried her fingers open so that the few pieces of porceline fell onto the ground. When Ming Ze came over to help, Fu Ling's hear calmed down as she looked that her cold hands that was filled with blood. As she was afraid of how much blood would flow before the Imperial Physician arrived, Fu Ling urgently said, "I. I will go and find for medication to stop bleeding." After which, Fu Ling stumbled as she ran out.
Naturally Qing Feng's strength was of no match to Ming Ze and she could only let him clutch of her wrist but her delicate hands was still clenching on tightly into fist. Ming Ze's sharp eyes spotted that she was still clutching a few fragments in her palm and that originally white porcelain has soaked in the dark red blood.
"Let go!" Ming Ze, who was always indifferent to things, saw her torment herself like this, became somewhat irritated. He use one of his hand to pin her wrists down and the other hand to force her palm open. That sharp porcelain piece dug deep into her flesh and just by looking at that bloody hand one would feel pain. This woman seemed to think that it was not enough and her slender fingers was moving constantly like they wanted to embed all the porcelain pieces into her flesh before she was satisfied. With Qing Feng struggling, her blood spilt onto the ground quicker, making Ming Ze completely irritated by her as he coldly said, "Your son is already dead. Even if you drain all the blood out and torture yourself to death, he would not come back alive."
Your son is dead …
Dead…
That angry voice scolded her and those facts that she was long aware but did not want to believe and together with the fear and despair entered her heart. Qing Feng no longer struggled and stumbled onto the ground. Ming Ze was agile and clutched his hand around her waist to slow down the falling speed as his other hand removed the pieces of porcelain from her hands and flung to the corner of the wall.
Qing Feng slumped onto the floor as she curled up. She felt so cold, like her entire body was immersed in icy water. She could not help but hope that she would sink into the darkness and never wake up. But her mind was unusually sober as she remembered everything that happened today. Remembering Zhi-er's giggling laughter. Remembering his sweet smile. And also remembering his greenish purple face. And most of all, remembering his ice cold hands!
Zhi-er, are you now as cold as your mother? Your mother really want to accompany you!
Qing Feng woodenly sat on the floor as her hands tightly hugged her kneels, not caring or stopping the trickle of blood dripping onto the floor. Tears silently covered her face as she fell silent. She had such a heartbroken look that even though Ming Ze did not regret saying those words, he felt the real heartache. He reached out to support her but stopped the moment when he touched her shoulder.
When Fu Ling returned after finding the medication and cotton cloth, she saw her Mistress curling up her body and sitting quietly on the floor. Both of Ming Ze's hands was hanging at his side but was very close with Mistress, close enough to be able to embrace her. As the night was dark and she was unable to see their expression, but that pair of eyes that she thought was always cold was hiding a little heartache and pity?! Fu Ling was stunned motionless. He…
Just when Fu Ling was at a loss, the main doors of Qing Feng Hall was opened from the outside and the doors was slammed onto the nearby wall. It seems that the person coming had enormous strength.
Fu Ling hurriedly took two steps back from the door and see and was so shocked that her eyes widen. The person coming was… The Emperor?!
In front of the dark courtyard, the Emperor's black robe seems to blend into the night and his pace was very fast. The Emperor actually came alone, without any eunuchs or Imperial Physician, and even Gao Jing who often followed the Emperor around was not seen. Fu Ling was alarmed as she thought about the two person in the inner chambers. If the Emperor saw them together…
Fu Ling's heart was beating wildly as she ran back to the inner chambers. She did not gave any thoughts as she use an arm to put Qing Feng in her arms before the room doors were open as Fu Ling pushed Ming Ze away with the other as she exclaimed loudly, "Mistress, this servant will dress your wound."
It was dark in the inner chambers, Qing Feng long hair was draped behind her as she sat on the floor barefooted, wearing only middle layer of clothes with its sleeves and area around the knees filled with blood. Even the small inner chambers was filled with traces of blood. When that tall figure entered, not one word was spoken but no one in the room could have mistaken his anger as that deep unfathomable black eyes lock tightly on Qing Feng. Because of his person terrible anger, Fu Ling's hand that was holding onto the bottle of medication keep trembling. Seeing her being clumsy, Yan Hong Tian's face became even darker.
"Leave! Zhen want all of you to leave!"
Fu Ling was afraid to look at Yan Hong Tian and also dare not wait any longer. She place the medicine to stop the bleeding and the cotton cloth on a short table. When she passed by Ming Ze and was stunned to see that he was still there and thus grabbed his sleeve to pull him out of there.
Hastily closing the doors up, Fu Ling's racing heart then could only eased down a little. After recovering her senses back, she turned around and noticed that Ming Ze was no longer behind her and was back to his usual position. His hands was also filled with blood and she did not know that it belonged to Mistress or was he hurt when he snatch the porcelain pieces over. Fu Ling wanted to go over to ask him but that figure exudes an aloof atmosphere that no one could get close too and that pair of eyes had returned back to its' indifference state.
Fu Ling looked at Ming Ze then looked back to the room, her mind full of thoughts.
Just now… Did she see wrongly?
In the inner chamber, Qing Feng was still squatting on the floor as her head rest on her knees, as if she was the only one in the house. Yan Hong Tian walked to Qing Feng's side and that tall figure squatted down by her side. Qing Feng's thin and weak body was immediately enveloped by darkness as Yan Hong Tian's scent enveloped her. The indifferent Qing Feng suddenly moved and slightly raised her head to see that figure clad in black robe before looking down again.
Her hands were filled with blood and there were still blood dripping down to the floor. Yan Hong Tian grabbed onto her wrist. He thought that Qing Feng would struggle like she did in the afternoon and bit him ferociously but she did not.
She let him dress her wound up and let him carry her to the couch. He lifted her chin to raise her face up and forced her to look at his eyes.
The candlelight reflected from the screen outside. Yan Hong Tian just stood like that in front of the bed with his back facing the candlelight, so she was unable to see his face.
"Zhi-er is dead." That calm but hoarse voice said.
Yan Hong Tian's back stiffen and the hand that held her chin up tightened. Quite some time passed before one could hear him responding with an, "En."
"Zhi-er is dead!" Every word seem to be forced out of her teeth. Qing Feng's hands reached out to his lapel and grabbed onto it as she stared at the face that she could not see clearly in the dark. Qing Feng asked word by word, "Did you not say that he would be alright? Did you not say you will protect us? He is dead…"
"You liar! Liar! Liar…" Each interrogating question accompanied with Qing Feng cries echoed by his ears over and over again. That night, Qing Feng tightly grabbed onto his collar as she buried her face into his embrace. The first time she lost her voice in pain as her body kept trembling and burning tears kept following as waves of pain took over. From the beginning to end, Yan Hong Tian just stood there. Listening. Receiving.
*****
"Who allowed you to kill that child?"
In the dark tunnel, a young man stood deep in the tunnel, cloaked in a blue robe that excludes extravagance, speaking in a suppressed soft voice filled with anger. Beside him, there stood a shadow, which was cladded with a big black cloak. Hearing the male lashing out, a slender hand reached out of the cloak and gently lifted it, exposing a fair face. It was a female.
The female slightly raise her head and it was the Empress's female official - Shui Xin. The big black cloak enveloped her and she lost the gentle and dignified air that everyone knew in the Palace but there was a scary air around her as there was a trace of smile on her lips and she had a look of leisure on her face, without any panic at all. "Didn't that old man said that there should only be one Prince in the Palace?" That voice spoke with a bit of laziness in it, making Xin Yi Heng angry as it seems that she looked down on him.
Xin Yi Heng's tone was increasing getting worst, "That would also depend on timing and opportunity. If there are no orders, you should not have acted on your own initiative!"
"You are now blaming me?" Shui Xin's voice was still as per normal soft as her eyes slightly raised. Xin Yi Heng could not help but shiver a little as her eyes swept to him and his voice also did not sound as powerful as before, "I… Did not say that."
Seeing him putting up that look, Shui Xin coldly snorted, "Yan Hong Tian had already let Dan Yu Lan investigate the case of the army rations, so it is obvious he wants to touch your Xin family. If the child is not dead, he would have handed over the position of the Crown Prince to him. The old things in court are old hands at setting the helm according to the wind and would have most likely defected to Lou Xi Yan and Su Ling. Now that the child is dead, there is one threat lesser. This is something I do to help you all."
He always felt that he was being led by the nose by this female and Xin Yi Heng got irritated as he replied, "In short, father said that must not create any other problems and just watch over Ning-er so that she would not get into trouble.”
She no longer need to care? That would be good. She will now wait to watch a good show. Shui Xin smiled at Xin Yi Heng and gave a rare polite reply, "Yes～". Finishing, Shui Xin did not give another glance to Xin Yi Heng before her slender figure quickly disappeared to the depths of the tunnel.
Over the past decade, he had seen many this female means and actions so that smile that she just gave, gave him the goose bumps. Xin Yi Heng secretly spitted. This female was truly too unpredictable, he did not know why father could use her so assuredly.