Chapter 311

The midwife held the infant with his head slightly downward and slapped his bottom hard twice. The child finally cried. Qingfeng secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but the child's cry was not very loud, and it didn't last long before he went silent again.

Fuling used warm water to wash the blood and filth off the child, then picked up a pure white cloth to wrap him up.

Qingfeng asked curiously, "Let me see." Fuling brought the infant to Qingfeng. Qingfeng reached out to take him. Once she actually held the child in her arms, Qingfeng marveled; the little thing was impossibly soft, as if he had no bones. His skin was no longer purple, but it wasn't fair either—it was pink. Qingfeng reached out and gently poked the child's cheek; the texture was soft and smooth. The little guy even smacked his lips. Qingfeng chuckled and asked, "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"It is a prince."

Great! Qingfeng's heart leaped with joy. The next moment, however, the thumping sound of someone pounding on the door outside startled her so much she almost couldn't hold the child steady.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Except for Zhen Zhen, who lay on the bed nearly unconscious, and the child in her arms who knew nothing, everyone's face turned pale. Terrified gazes turned in unison toward Qingfeng.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The person outside seemed very patient. Listening to the rhythmic knocking, Qingfeng guessed that it was most likely Gao Jin. Taking a deep breath, Qingfeng tightened her hold on the soft little infant. If it were Gao Jin, he wouldn't be hard to deal with; as long as she didn't let him in, no matter how observant he was, he would certainly not be able to see anything.

"Qingfeng... Qingfeng... Qing..."

Just as Qingfeng was about to order Fuling to answer the door, Zhen Zhen, who had been semi-conscious since giving birth, suddenly began to call out. Her voice wasn't loud, but she kept calling out incessantly.

Qingfeng walked quickly to the bed and replied, "I am here."

"Child... child..." She didn't know if Zhen Zhen was truly awake or if she was just calling out from her subconscious because she was worried about the child. Qingfeng slightly raised the child she was holding so that Zhen Zhen could see the infant's little face, and replied softly, "The child is fine. It's a boy."

Her unfocused eyes squinted again and again. It took a long time for her focus to settle on the child's face. Zhen Zhen wanted to raise her hand to touch the child's pink, tender face, but unfortunately, she only raised it a little before it dropped powerlessly. Seeing how difficult it was for her to even move, Qingfeng was about to place the child by her bedside when she suddenly saw a faint smile curl at the corners of Zhen Zhen's mouth. That look of relief and contentment made Qingfeng inexplicably terrified. Sure enough, the next moment, Zhen Zhen slowly closed her eyes as if she were truly exhausted. Qingfeng urged anxiously, "Zhen Zhen? Zhen Zhen, what's wrong with you?"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The person outside kept knocking persistently, and the person on the bed had fainted again. Qingfeng's heart was anxious and chaotic, but she could not show it in the slightest.

"Lin Feng, quickly see what's wrong with her!" Holding the child, she moved away from the bedside to let Lin Feng treat her. Qingfeng then instructed Fuling, who was beside her, "Fuling, go see who it is. If it's Gao Jin, tell him I'm fine, just tired and want to rest."

Fuling nodded, calculating how to handle it. Qingfeng suddenly added, "Whoever it is, block them outside. Don't let anyone in."

Sensing the urgency in Qingfeng's words, Fuling said in a low voice, "Don't worry, Master." The celebration hadn't ended yet, so it definitely couldn't be the Emperor, the Empress, or the Empress Dowager outside. As long as it wasn't those three, she could stop anyone.

Lin Feng applied needles to Zhen Zhen, and she woke up after a while. But as soon as she woke up, she started calling out again: "Qing... feng..."

Fearing she would shout louder and louder, Qingfeng hurried to the bedside, lowered her voice, and urged, "Stop calling. I'm here."

Zhen Zhen slowly turned her head to look at Qingfeng by the bed, then glanced at the child Qingfeng held tightly in her arms. Zhen Zhen's eyes filled with tears. She bit her lower lip tightly and choked out, "If... if... I die, I beg you to help me take care of this child..."

Was this entrusting her child to her? Staring at Zhen Zhen, Qingfeng didn't even think about it. Her voice was both urgent and cold as she replied, "Impossible. If you die, I will not look after this child."

"You..." Zhen Zhen hadn't expected such a cold rejection from Qingfeng. She wanted to say something more, but her already weak body couldn't support it. She could only breathe with difficulty, her teary eyes staring straight at Qingfeng, full of hope and pleading.

Qingfeng turned her head away to avoid looking at her. Lin Feng didn't know when he had taken a small medicine jar out of his medical kit. He poured out a bowl of thick, black medicinal liquid and handed it to Wu'er, who was nearby: "Give this to her to drink."

Wu'er helped the weak Zhen Zhen up and used a spoon to feed the medicine into her mouth. But despite Wu'er's great effort, she couldn't swallow any of it. The dark brown liquid spilled out along the corners of her mouth, running down her fair neck and soaking entirely into her clothes, which were already damp with sweat. Wu'er looked at Lin Feng, at a loss. Her master didn't even have the strength to swallow now; how was she supposed to feed her?

Lin Feng was also anxious: "You must find a way to feed it to her." This medicine was specially prepared before he came, specifically for postpartum yin deficiency; it could replenish blood and regulate Qi. If she couldn't swallow it, Zhen Zhen might not make it through the day.

"Hold him." Qingfeng shoved the child into the midwife's arms, took the medicine bowl from Wu'er with one hand, and pinched Zhen Zhen's chin with the other, saying, "Wu'er, lift her head higher."

Wu'er did as she was told, stunned. Qingfeng gripped the bowl of medicine tightly. Not caring that she was heavily pregnant herself or how cold the floor was, she sat down on the ground, leaned over close to Zhen Zhen, and said bitterly in her ear, "Zhen Zhen, I'm telling you, I didn't go to all this trouble just to adopt an orphan. If you live today, he lives. If you die, he can only die too!"

She knew it was shameless to use a child to threaten a dying person at a time like this, but she had no choice. Saving the mother and child was already bringing trouble upon herself. If Zhen Zhen died, she would have to go to great lengths to prove the child was Yan Hongtian's. Furthermore, if a concubine from the Cold Palace died in her room, no matter how she explained it, it would be futile. She also didn't know what to do with the child, so Zhen Zhen absolutely could not die.

Clearly, Qingfeng's threat was effective. The person who had been so weak that her eyelids were drooping suddenly shuddered all over. "No..." Not giving Zhen Zhen much chance to speak, Qingfeng raised the medicine bowl to her lips and poured it in little by little. Seeing the liquid about to spill out again, Qingfeng urged, "If you don't want him to die, swallow it for me!"

Qingfeng stubbornly held up her chin, not letting the medicine spill out. After a long while, Zhen Zhen's throat moved. Wu'er cried out in surprise and a low voice, "She swallowed it!"

Finally, she had swallowed it. Qingfeng was also covered in sweat. After repeating this, they had finally managed to feed her half a bowl.

"Master." Fuling's voice sounded from outside the screen, soft and devoid of any emotion.

"Take care of your master." Handing the remaining half bowl of medicine to Wu'er, Qingfeng walked out quickly. Once out of the inner chamber, she saw Fuling standing there quietly, her face calm. Qingfeng's heart relaxed, and she asked wearily, "What is it? Who is outside?"

"It is Lady Lou."

"Ah?!" Qingfeng had never expected that the person outside would be her own sister.

After a moment of contemplation, Fuling continued, "And... Shui Xin."

Her heart, which had just relaxed, tightened again. Qingfeng frowned: "Why did they come together?"

"Shui Xin said that the Empress was very worried when she saw you were unwell and left the celebration. Thinking that it was rare for Lady Lou to enter the palace, she asked her to come over to keep you company."

Could it be that Xin Yuening had noticed something unusual? Cold sweat broke out on Qingfeng's palms. Even if Yan Hongtian came today, she could handle it; after all, this child was his own flesh and blood, and Zhen Zhen was someone who had served him for so many years. Even if she were to be blamed, as long as the mother and child were both safe, Yan Hongtian wouldn't do anything to her. But if the Empress found out about this first, that would be the greatest crisis.

Qingfeng clenched her hands, silent for a long time. Fuling said softly, "They are still outside the door. Shui Xin insists on accompanying Lady Lou inside to see you."

Come in? Qingfeng looked toward the inner chamber. Zhen Zhen on the bed was half-dead, and that tiny baby looked like he would shatter at a touch. On the wooden table sat three basins filled with bloody water, not to mention the blood-stained cloths everywhere, and that bed covered in blood was a horrific sight. But if she didn't let Shui Xin see her to check the situation, she feared that Xin Yuening would be the one coming next.

Fuling was also very anxious but couldn't come up with an idea. She saw Qingfeng suddenly walk into the inner chamber and say sternly to the midwife, "Don't let him cry!"

The midwife nodded hurriedly: "Yes."

"And Zhen Zhen, don't let her make any noise either." Regardless of the shocked expressions of Lin Feng and Wu'er, Qingfeng turned to Ruyi and said, "You stay inside and look after them." Then she walked toward the outside of the house without looking back.

Fuling understood and followed Qingfeng to the courtyard. Qingfeng looked down at herself; her clothes were a bit wrinkled, but nothing too unusual. She walked to the lounge chair under the big tree and lay down on her side. Qingfeng gave Fuling a look and closed her eyes.

Arriving at the door, Fuling took a deep breath; everything would have to be improvised. She opened the door gently. Lady Lou and Shui Xin were standing outside just as quietly as before, though Lady Lou's eyes showed worry, and Shui Xin's face still held that calm, unhurried smile.

The two entered the courtyard and were surprised to see Qingfeng actually lying on the lounge chair under the tree. Hearing the movement, she lazily opened her eyes and smiled, "Sister, why are you here?"

Walking to Qingfeng's side, Zhuo Qing half-squatted down and asked, "How are you?" The woman who claimed to be the Empress's female official had suddenly told her that Qingfeng was ill and wanted to see her, which had broken her out in a cold sweat. But looking at it now, it didn't seem to be the case, and that female official was currently standing behind her, relaxed and at ease, without any qualms about having lied just now. What exactly was going on?

Zhuo Qing remained calm, but she rarely took the initiative to hold Qingfeng's hand. Her cold fingers and damp palms were not as peaceful as Qingfeng was pretending to be.

Qingfeng just lay there without moving, replying obediently, "What could be wrong? The drums outside were too noisy, so I hid back here because I wanted some quiet."

Listening to her acting like she was acting spoiled with her sister, Qingfeng's complexion wasn't great, but she didn't look like she was seriously ill either. While listening to the two talking, Shui Xin was unobtrusively observing the small courtyard. Except for a sedan chair blocking the doorway, it was no different from any other day. If there was anything wrong, it was that this Qingfeng Hall was too quiet, and chillingly cold.

Sensing Shui Xin's gaze directed at the sedan chair, Qingfeng sat up slightly and called out, "Shui Xin."

Shui Xin stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said softly, "Greetings, Consort Qing."

To be able to scrutinize her place so unscrupulously and still be so calm after being discovered—she had to be careful in dealing with this Shui Xin. Qingfeng steadied her mind and said softly, "I still want to talk to my sister. You go back. Thank the Empress for her concern on my behalf."

Shui Xin didn't answer Qingfeng's words. She deliberately looked around and asked with concern, "Your Highness's complexion is not very good. Why are there no imperial physicians here to treat you?"

"The imperial physician has already seen me. It's nothing serious."

Just as Qingfeng finished speaking, a light sound suddenly came from inside the room—very light, as if something had been bumped. This little noise was nothing, but Zhuo Qing keenly felt the hands she was holding suddenly tremble. Shui Xin's bright eyes stared straight at the tightly closed window lattice, so sharp it was as if she wanted to see inside the room.

(End of Chapter)