Chapter 304: Getting Along (3)

After lying in bed for another half an hour, she really couldn't fall asleep, and she didn't want to think about Yan Hongtian anymore. Qingfeng got up and called out toward the door: "Ruyi."

"This servant is here." Ruyi entered the inner chamber carrying a basin of hot water.

Qingfeng took the hot towel Ruyi handed over and said: "Go to the Imperial Medical Garden and summon Lin Feng."

"Yes." Ruyi quietly looked up at Qingfeng's complexion, which showed nothing amiss, but she didn't dare to delay and hurried out the door.

Just as Fuling entered the door, she heard Qingfeng say she wanted to summon an imperial physician. She hurried to Qingfeng's side and asked urgently: "Master, where are you feeling uncomfortable?"

Qingfeng patted her hand with a smile and replied: "Just a little cold."

Fuling's face was full of disbelief. This master disliked seeing imperial physicians the most. Usually, if she had any minor ailments, she would either endure them or have her write a prescription. Today, she had specially sent someone to the Imperial Medical Garden to summon a physician; it definitely couldn't be a minor ailment. Qingfeng was helpless and took the initiative to offer her hand to Fuling. Fuling took her pulse and, after confirming it was just a minor cold, her hanging heart finally settled. The master was pregnant now and couldn't be careless in the slightest.

Just as Fuling finished grooming Qingfeng, Ruyi's voice came from outside the room: "Your Ladyship, Imperial Physician Lin is here."

Qingfeng didn't move, sitting in front of the bronze mirror and nodding. Fuling said loudly: "Let him in."

Ruyi led Lin Feng into the inner chamber. Just as he rounded the screen and saw Qingfeng's back, Lin Feng immediately knelt to pay his respects: "Your subject Lin Feng kowtows to Consort Qing, may Your Ladyship have ten thousand blessings and good health."

Qingfeng didn't even turn her head, holding a jade hairpin and measuring it against her head, saying: "Ruyi, you withdraw. Imperial Physician Lin is going to diagnose me, and no one is allowed to disturb us."

The Lady didn't look sick at all right now? Ruyi was secretly puzzled, but she also knew that it was best not to know things about the master that she shouldn't. She hurriedly bowed and withdrew, not forgetting to close the door.

Hearing the sound of the door clicking shut, Lin Feng's heart gave a violent jolt. He didn't dare look at Qingfeng, his eyes fixed firmly on the ground.

Qingfeng leisurely put on the hairpin, and while looking in the bronze mirror, said casually: "I heard that Imperial Physician Lin often used to take the pulse and diagnose Zhen Zhen. You should be very clear about the taboos of medication for pregnant women. I have a little cold and specially invited Imperial Physician Lin to take a look for me."

Pregnant woman... these two words made Lin Feng feel cold from head to toe, and he couldn't say a word.

Qingfeng finally turned around, glanced at Lin Feng, who was still kneeling on the ground and covered in sweat, and smiled with feigned confusion: "Is Imperial Physician Lin very hot?"

"Your subject... is not hot, not hot." This wasn't heat; he was now breaking out in a cold sweat.

Resting her hand lightly on the soft cushion Fuling had laid out, Qingfeng smiled: "Then why don't you take my pulse?"

"Yes, yes, yes." Lin Feng finally came to his senses, stood up, walked to Qingfeng's side, and took her pulse carefully. He replied in a relaxed tone: "Your Ladyship's body is well-nourished, and the child is also well. I will go back and write a prescription. If Your Ladyship takes it for two days, the symptoms of the cold will surely recede."

Qingfeng slowly withdrew her hand and smiled: "My body is indeed much better than Consort Hui's. Imperial Physician Lin can even nourish her body well, let alone mine?"

Lin Feng's expression stiffened again, and he replied timidly: "Consort Qing is too kind... too kind..."

A flash of impatience crossed Qingfeng's eyes; she had no mood to deal with him anymore and asked coldly: "Then how many months is the child?"

"Your subject... your subject..." From the moment he entered Qingfeng Palace, Lin Feng had felt something was wrong. Consort Qing had always been diagnosed personally by the old Imperial Physician Huang. Even if it wasn't a serious illness, if she wanted to change physicians, there were many in the Imperial Medical Garden with better medical skills than him. Yet Consort Qing had specifically chosen him, and her words kept mentioning Consort Hui. He knew that Consort Qing had summoned him because of Consort Hui's affair. He had intended to continue to prevaricate and pretend to be ignorant to muddle through, but he hadn't expected Qingfeng to suddenly ask this. Fearing that Qingfeng was trying to trap him, Lin Feng stammered for a long time without spitting out a few words.

"Zhen Zhen's belly is right there; the child will have to be born eventually. You were the one who always took her pulse. Do you think you'll be fine if you don't say anything now? Your crime is enough to have your entire family wiped out." Qingfeng's tone was light and unhurried, and the last four words were so soft they almost melted into the breeze. However, Lin Feng fell to his knees with a *thump* and said urgently: "Your Ladyship, spare my life! Your Ladyship, spare my life! Consort Hui is almost... almost nine months pregnant."

Qingfeng was startled: "She's giving birth next month?" Last time she saw Zhen Zhen's belly, it didn't look that big; she didn't expect it to be almost full-term.

"Yes."

"Do you know which day?"

Lin Feng didn't dare to hide it: "Your subject hasn't taken Consort Hui's pulse for a long time. I can't say for sure which day, but it should be around the fifth of next month."

The fifth of next month, less than twenty days away. The first to the third were the days of the celebration, and the fifth was just after the celebration, when everyone was relaxed and the palace guards were also slightly lax, making it easier to act without being discovered. But a woman giving birth was never a small matter; a slight carelessness could result in the death of both mother and child. She had thought she still had some time to prepare, but now it seemed imminent. Not wanting to deal with Lin Feng anymore, Qingfeng said coldly: "If this matter leaks out, you should know very well who will die first."

With a *dong* sound, he kowtowed and hurriedly replied: "Your subject absolutely dares not leak a single word!" He had thought he was doomed today, but he hadn't expected Consort Qing not to want this matter publicized either. In this way, with Consort Qing's intervention, perhaps this matter could really be covered up, and he would be saved. Even if the matter was eventually exposed, he was only acting under orders.

Qingfeng knew that Lin Feng absolutely didn't have the guts to leak it; saying this was just to make him understand her position. This was also good; from now on, Lin Feng wouldn't dare to betray her.

"You may withdraw."

"Yes." Lin Feng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, hurriedly got up from the ground, bowed, and withdrew. This Consort Qing was much harder to serve than Consort Hui.

Lin Feng went out, but Qingfeng fell into deep thought. Fuling didn't disturb her. After a long while, Qingfeng asked again: "Where is Wu'er now?"

"She was originally in the laundry room, but now she is with Beauty Yu, considered her personal palace maid."

"How did she end up there?" Generally, when a concubine is sent to the Cold Palace, her personal maids are sent to the laundry bureau or the servant quarters to do the hardest and most tiring work. The nannies wouldn't reuse them, and no other concubine would dare to use them. They, like their master, would never have a chance to get ahead again. How did Wu'er end up with Beauty Yu?

"Beauty Yu is a distant cousin of Consort Hui and has been under her protection since entering the palace. After Consort Hui was sent to the Cold Palace, Beauty Yu tried every possible way to get Wu'er by her side." This Beauty Yu had average looks and was timid and cowardly; she didn't expect her to do this.

Qingfeng frowned, "Are Beauty Yu and Zhen Zhen very close?" Even if they were distant relatives, she didn't need to risk offending the Empress for a maid by Zhen Zhen's side?

Fuling thought for a moment and shook her head: "No. Everyone in the palace knows that Consort Hui likes quiet and loves embroidery, often not leaving her room for days."

That was true. Zhen Zhen looked elegant and generous, but in reality, she was quite proud and aloof, so she wouldn't be close to anyone. Never mind, a small Beauty, even if she really wanted to do something, she probably wouldn't have the ability.

"Zhen Zhen is about to give birth, you first..." Qingfeng was whispering to Fuling when Ruyi's soft voice sounded outside the door: "Your Ladyship, someone from Yilan Palace is here to see you."

The Empress's people? The two looked at each other. Qingfeng gave her a look. Fuling walked over to open the door and led the little palace maid from outside in.

The girl was very young, pretty, and cute. There was no restraint in her eyes, and she looked around, though she didn't dare to be presumptuous. Even though Consort Qing was standing behind the screen, the girl still bowed and said softly: "This servant Yiyue greets Consort Qing. The Empress invites you to come over."

The Empress had been dormant for so long; she had finally started to make a move. This was also good; she had been keeping still, and Qingfeng had been worried instead. Qingfeng's lips curled slightly. She walked out from behind the screen and replied: "Alright, I haven't seen the Empress for a long time either. I was just thinking of going over to pay my respects!"

When she arrived at Yilan Palace, Qingfeng discovered that Xin Yuening hadn't just called her over. In the spacious main hall, there were more than thirty tables set up. With the main seat as the center line, there were two rows on each side. Behind each table sat a woman, each beautiful as a flower and elegant in demeanor. Behind each woman stood a palace maid, also young and pretty. Looking at them, they were all beauties of different types. Unfortunately, Qingfeng wasn't a man; she only felt dazzled. Thinking that these were all Yan Hongtian's women, she felt a wave of displeasure in her heart.

Qingfeng walked into the main hall, and the atmosphere, which had been quite harmonious, was instantly destroyed. Those who had been talking in low voices didn't dare to speak anymore. Pairs of eyes were fixed on her—some jealous, some envious, some puzzled, and some prying. Even with all kinds of gazes upon her, Qingfeng still walked calmly to the main seat, bowed slightly to pay her respects, "Qingfeng greets the Empress, may Your Ladyship have ten thousand blessings and good health."

Her gaze swept over the clearly protruding belly. Xin Yuening wished she could kick it twice, but she still said politely: "Sister, why be so formal? Your body is precious now. Come over quickly and sit beside me."

In the entire main hall, there was only one empty table below the Empress on the left and right. Qingfeng walked to the table on the lower right and sat down. Not knowing why the Empress had summoned everyone, she decided to remain silent.

Xin Yuening didn't make small talk with her either and said loudly: "Shuxin."

Shuxin led a woman in plain clothes into the main hall. The woman held a seven-stringed zither made of green jade and emerald. The zither body was emerald green all over, and the rich, full green color seemed as if it were about to overflow. The woman was elegant and generous in her demeanor. After bowing to the Empress in front of the main seat, she sat down at the table below the Empress on the left. The ancient zither was placed horizontally on the table, and her slender fingers were already touching the strings.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 305 =====