Chapter 308: Prayer Ceremony (2)

Just as she was about to leave, Fuling's wrist suddenly hurt. "Be careful." The deliberately lowered voice and the pain on her wrist showed the panic in Qingfeng's heart. Fuling nodded forcefully and replied: "Master, rest assured."

Today was the celebration, and envoys from various countries were coming to pay homage. There were twice as many imperial guards in the palace as usual. Even the Cold Palace, which was rarely visited on weekdays, probably had imperial guards patrolling at this time. Qingfeng cursed inwardly, Zhen Zhen, why couldn't you give birth earlier or later, but had to choose this time!

"Did something happen?" A gentle inquiry sounded behind her. Qingfeng was still startled. Looking back, her sister was looking at her with concern. Qingfeng hurriedly replied: "Nothing."

Saying there was nothing, but her face still looked terrified. Zhuo Qing sighed: "If there's anything, don't keep it to yourself. Say it out, and we will try our best to help you." Qingfeng was, after all, a young girl in her teens, and her personality was fierce, often doing things without considering the consequences. Looking at the scars on her face, which were much deeper than her own and Gu Yun's, Zhuo Qing always felt a sense of trepidation. She guessed that the last time she helped her steal the Empress Dowager's private seal, it must have been full of danger and she had spared no effort. Having occupied her sister's body and enjoying the affection she had for her sister, Zhuo Qing had long decided to take care of Qingfeng as a younger sister.

The cold voice wasn't gentle, but it was more confident and determined than usual. Her sister was indeed different from before. The warm current flowing in her chest calmed the panic in her heart. Qingfeng nodded and replied: "I know, there really is nothing."

Clearly, she didn't want to say. Thinking about the affairs in the harem, she didn't seem to be able to help much, so Zhuo Qing didn't ask any more questions. The two chatted idly for a few sentences. Qingfeng was clearly distracted, and Zhuo Qing simply stopped talking. At noon, a ceremonial official walked onto the stone steps in front of Ganyang Hall, standing straight at the top of the steps. Without saying a word, the originally noisy open space gradually became quiet. The person beside her was still immersed in her own thoughts. Zhuo Qing pushed Qingfeng's shoulder lightly and said: "It looks like the ceremony is about to start. You should go over."

"Hm?" Qingfeng came back to her senses and looked up. She saw a procession of a hundred people walking out from behind Ganyang Hall. Looking at the formation, the person coming must be Yan Hongtian. Qingfeng looked apologetically at Zhuo Qing. It was rare to have a chance to be close to her sister today, but she... Qingfeng was full of sorrow. Zhuo Qing just laughed heartily. Although reluctant, Qingfeng could only walk toward Ganyang Hall. The empty seat under the white jade stone steps was her place.

"The Emperor has arrived!"

Just as Qingfeng stood still, a deep male voice, different from the shrill eunuch's cry of the past, sounded. The calls came one after another from far to near. Except for the imperial guards who were still standing majestically, everyone else knelt on the ground at the same time to pay their respects.

Qingfeng was pregnant and it was inconvenient to kneel, so she could only kneel halfway. Because of this, the moment Yan Hongtian appeared, she saw him at a glance. Yan Hongtian was wearing a dark black ceremonial robe today. On the shoulders and sleeves, two flying golden dragons were embroidered with gold thread. He wore a red jade belt around his waist, and the purple-gold hair crown shone with dazzling golden light in the sun. His usually cold eyes were even deeper at this moment, and the slightly raised corners of his mouth didn't make him look any more approachable, instead revealing a kingly spirit that could not be looked at directly. Xin Yuening and Lou Suxin, whom she hadn't seen for a long time, walked on Yan Hongtian's left and right. Both were dressed in exquisite ceremonial robes, full of nobility. The floor-length skirt of Xin Yuening's dark red ceremonial robe was also embroidered with a hundred-year phoenix worship map, echoing the golden dragons of Yan Hongtian, manifesting supreme nobility.

"Long live the Emperor, long live, long live."

"Long live the Qiong Emperor, long live, long live."

From the moment Yan Hongtian stepped onto the white jade stone steps, thousands of people shouted "Long live" at the same time. The call that shook the sky made Qingfeng's ears numb and her heart tremble. Qingfeng raised her eyes slightly to look. On Ganyang Hall, he stood tall, his gaze coldly looking at the people who were bowing down. At this moment, Qingfeng truly felt what was called the heavenly majesty of paying homage from the six kingdoms, what was called the supreme royal dignity. Yan Hongtian just stood there quietly, as if he were the only person standing between heaven and earth, accepting the homage from all directions.

Yan Hongtian took his seat, and the shouting stopped.

"Rise." After a long silence, the deep male voice sounded. Qingfeng felt as if she and everyone else had let out a long sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Thank you, Qiong Emperor."

Yan Hongtian waved his hand slightly, and the long horns on the palace gate blew at the same time. The loud horn sound made people's spirits lift. After a while, the horn stopped. A group of strong men, three in a group, holding large drums, ran into the narrow open space in front of Ganyang Hall. Only then did everyone notice that a wooden platform one *zhang* high had been set up in the center of the open space.

The strong men began to beat the big drums one by one. At this time, a woman dressed in red, stepping on the drumbeat, walked slowly from the palace gate, holding the emerald zither that was even greener. She walked very slowly, and everyone's eyes were focused on her. Her slender figure walked among the strong men waving their arms, the contrast between strength and weakness revealing a heart-wrenching beauty. The woman walked to the high platform surrounded by several big drums, and walked up with light steps, walking like a willow in the wind, manifesting the softness of a woman. On the high platform, the woman actually sat cross-legged, placing the zither on her knees, and between her gestures, a faint free and easy and detached air flowed.

With a raise of her plain hands, the drum sound stopped abruptly. A string of clear sounds rang out, the melody melodious, like the woman on the high platform, with a bit of free and easy spirit in her tenderness. The zither sound gradually weakened, and several big drums sounded at the same time, breaking the clear and cold sound of the ancient zither. Listening carefully, the piece was slightly different from the last performance, with the sound of bells and drums combined. *Qiu Tu* displayed a magnificent momentum, very integrated with the atmosphere of the celebration, manifesting the demeanor of a great country of Qiongyue. This piece by Yu Handan would also spread among the six kingdoms in the next three years.

The performance was wonderful, but it was a pity that Qingfeng's heart was tied to the matter of Consort Hui giving birth, and she had no mood to appreciate it.

The celebration performances in previous years were decided by the Empress Dowager and the Ministry of Rites, and most of them were nothing special. This year's performance, however, seemed to be very much to the Emperor's liking. Yan Hongtian's eyes rarely followed the crowd's gaze and fell on the red-clothed woman. Just because listening to this piece of music, he would inexplicably think of the hunting scene painted by Qingfeng. The music and the painting complemented each other, but were slightly different. The music was vigorous and atmospheric, like a group of hunters who were planning and strategizing chasing prey that was clearly already in their pockets, while Qingfeng's hunting scene was more interesting—it was a confrontation between a brave and warlike hunter and cunning and ferocious prey.

A smile rose at the corners of his mouth. Yan Hongtian looked at Qingfeng under the stone steps, but saw her eyes staring straight at the tea in her hand, not knowing what she was thinking.

"Master..."

Qingfeng waited for more than half an hour, and Fuling finally returned. Not daring to move too much, she still sat like that, but the teacup she was holding tightened, and she asked in a low voice: "How is it?"

The sound of bells and drums was very loud, and even normal speaking might not be heard clearly, but Fuling still cautiously lowered her voice, close to Qingfeng's ear, "The midwife is still delivering the baby for her, but she hasn't been able to give birth, it is estimated that it is a difficult birth..."

Difficult birth...

The heart that had been held up sank suddenly. The teacup in Qingfeng's hand fell onto the table with a *pa* sound, splashing water all over the table.

The sound wasn't loud, but it still attracted several concerned gazes, one of which came from the man in the high position. Qingfeng didn't dare to look at him, and with a flash of inspiration, she covered her belly with her hand, revealing a look of pain.

Fuling exclaimed: "Master?" Could it be that she was frightened and moved the fetus?

Just as Fuling was anxious to take her pulse, Qingfeng grabbed her hand, tightened it slightly, her face painful, but her voice replied calmly: "I'm fine."

Yan Hongtian had long since withdrawn his gaze, his black eyes still looking at the red figure performing on the high platform, but he no longer had the mood to appreciate it. He called out in a low voice: "Gao Jin."

"Yes." Without needing Yan Hongtian to say much, Gao Jin walked quickly to Qingfeng's side and asked in a low voice: "Consort Qing, what's wrong with you?"

Qingfeng covered her belly with her hand, her brows furrowed slightly, and she smiled somewhat reluctantly, "It's nothing, just... my stomach suddenly hurts a little."

"Someone, summon Imperial Physician Wang."

Qingfeng didn't expect Gao Jin to summon Imperial Physician Wang and said urgently: "Don't!" Except for Huang Jiao, Imperial Physician Wang was Yan Hongtian's personal physician, and his medical skills went without saying. But if he came, wouldn't she be exposed? Feeling that her tone was too urgent and Gao Jin was suspicious, Qingfeng supported her waist and explained with a smile: "It's nothing serious. Just summon Lin Feng to take a look for me. He has been nourishing and diagnosing me these days and knows my body better."

Gao Jin looked at her for a while before saying to the eunuch behind him: "Summon Imperial Physician Lin to diagnose the Lady."

"Yes." The eunuch ran away in a hurry, but Gao Jin didn't return to Yan Hongtian's side, instead standing more than a *zhang* away behind Qingfeng. It seemed he wouldn't leave until he heard what the imperial physician said.

Determining that Gao Jin couldn't hear her speaking, Qingfeng continued to ask in a low voice: "How is she now?"

Pretending to pat Qingfeng's back to soothe her, Fuling replied with a heavy tone: "Not very good. There is no hot water in the Cold Palace. Wu'er fetched some last night, but it hasn't been hot for a long time. It's late autumn, and they have always been covered with thin quilts. The food is poor, and Consort Hui has been sick for half a month. The midwife said she didn't have much strength to give birth to the child, and now the fetus is in the wrong position, so it's even harder. Before this servant came over, Consort Hui... was bleeding. If this continues, the child definitely won't be saved, and she will die too."

The heavy drumbeats combined with the zither sound, Qingfeng felt every beat hitting her heart. If she didn't care now, it would be two lives lost. If she did care, how to care? At this time, telling the Emperor that Zhen Zhen was having a difficult birth and the child was his? Not to mention that the Empress would definitely interfere, Yan Hongtian's face would be lost, and Qiongyue's face would be lost, just because a concubine in the Cold Palace was giving birth during the celebration and no one in the palace knew about it. She couldn't say it, at least not now. Qingfeng's hand habitually stroked her protruding belly, her gaze drifting to the man in the main seat, thinking more and more deeply. She might not necessarily give birth to a son in this pregnancy. Yan Hongtian had only one son in ten years, which was too strange and too dangerous. This child of Zhen Zhen must be born!

Much deliberation in her heart, after a long silence, Qingfeng finally opened her mouth: "Then... take a risk!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 309 =====