Chapter 340

"What's going on?" The Emperor's expression was slightly angry, and every word that fell was very light, as if he were afraid of waking the person inside, but to Fuling, her heart trembled uncontrollably, and it took a long time for her to find her voice: "Yesterday was the full moon, and Prince Zhi seemed to have caught a cold. He started running a fever today. The Imperial Physician has seen him and said there are no major issues. My mistress has been taking care of the prince carefully these two days, so she is probably... tired."

"Take good care of him."

"Yes."

It was not until Yan Hongtian's figure disappeared from the room that Fuling dared to look up. Quietly walking into the inner chamber, her mistress and the little prince were both sleeping well, and an extra quilt had been added to them. Fuling smiled slightly; the days ahead should get better and better.

The fire in the Cold Palace had actually passed just like that. Qingfeng felt that something was not quite right in her heart, but at this moment, it was indeed calm, and coupled with the fact that the child's fever never seemed to get better, it took up most of her energy, so she could only wait and see what happened with other things.

On weekdays, Wang Zhiyang would come to ask about the condition at the Si hour. Today, before the Si hour had arrived, he had already come, and beside him was a man slightly older than him. That man had a withered figure, and his goat-like beard was the most eye-catching. Qingfeng glanced at him and asked: "Imperial Physician Wang, who is this?"

Wang Zhiyang hurriedly replied: "Imperial Physician Hu and I are both students of the old Imperial Physician Huang, and he serves by the Western Empress Dowager's side. Yesterday, he returned to the palace to get some medicinal materials, so I specially invited him to come and treat the little prince together."

"May Your Ladyship be blessed." That Imperial Physician Hu performed the salute and then quietly retreated to the side, his eyes fixed on the prince on the bed.

His gaze made Qingfeng feel a bit uncomfortable, so she asked casually: "Is the Western Empress Dowager well?"

"The Empress Dowager is well." That Imperial Physician Hu replied, but his eyes still did not leave the prince, and he even walked to the child's bed and began to take his pulse.

Qingfeng saw his expression was serious and his brows were tightly furrowed, so her heart could not help but rise again, and she asked: "The prince has been running a fever repeatedly for five or six days now, why is he still not getting better?"

Imperial Physician Hu slowly withdrew his hand, the worry on his face had faded, and he replied: "Illness comes like a mountain collapse, and illness goes like pulling silk. The winter weather is cold and changeable, and the prince's body is weak, so we did not dare to use heavy medicine at the beginning. However, Your Ladyship need not worry. Yesterday, this humble servant and Imperial Physician Wang deliberated repeatedly, and as long as two more medicines are added, he will definitely be cured."

Cured? So confident? Qingfeng looked at him twice more before replying: "I have troubled you, Imperial Physician."

The two took their diagnostic tools and retreated. Qingfeng thought that the so-called medicine should be delivered soon, but who knew that by the time of lunch, Ruyi, who had accompanied them to get the medicine, had not returned.

Qingfeng had been holding the child, and her hands were a bit numb. She gently placed the child on the bed, rubbing her arms while yawning.

Fuling walked into the inner chamber and happened to see Qingfeng's exhausted appearance, and could not help but smile. Her mistress had been sleeping very late these past few nights, and would easily wake up at the slightest movement. She was stubborn and naturally would not admit it, but Fuling guessed that she was afraid that the Emperor would come again at night and she would miss him like last time.

Walking to Qingfeng's side, she gently helped her rub her shoulders, and Fuling smiled: "You have been tired these days, why don't you take a nap after lunch?"

The soft strength on her shoulders was very comfortable. Qingfeng nodded lightly. Looking up, she saw that Shen Yao, who had been in the room all morning, did not know where she had gone. Qingfeng said in a low voice: "Go and call Shen Yao over."

"Yes."

Fuling walked around the courtyard but did not see Shen Yao. Walking to her room door, she found the door locked. Just as she was about to go somewhere else to look, she saw shadows moving inside. The servants' rooms were naturally not comparable to the mistress's room; there were no screens or gauze curtains inside, and through the thin window paper, one could still vaguely see things inside if one looked closely.

Fuling leaned closer and narrowed her eyes, and saw a woman sitting in front of the bed, unbuttoning her own collar. Fuling blushed a bit; she looked like she was peeking at someone changing clothes. Taking a step back and coughing lightly, Fuling called out: "Shen Yao?"

"Clatter." A light sound came from inside, very light, not knowing what had fallen. Fuling was about to ask again when the door opened lightly. Shen Yao's expression was a bit flustered, and one button of her clothes was not yet fastened.

Fuling guessed that she had been startled by herself while changing clothes, smiled apologetically, and said: "Prince Zhi is hungry, and the mistress wants you to go over."

"Yes, coming right away." Shen Yao nodded, and the expression on her face had returned to normal.

Xu Ji was indeed very attentive to Qingfeng's diet, preparing many good soups to nourish her body. After lunch, Qingfeng felt her body warm and was indeed a bit tired.

Returning to the inner chamber, Shen Yao had also fed the child. The child had been ill for several days and had eaten little, and his complexion was sallow. Qingfeng touched the little guy's cheeks with heartache. At this time, Ruyi finally returned.

Qingfeng frowned: "Why so long?"

Ruyi was a bit aggrieved, and while taking out the medicine bowl, she replied: "Imperial Physician Hu took half an hour just to prepare the medicine, so..."

Qingfeng took the medicine bowl. Today's medicine was actually less than usual. In the small porcelain white bowl, there was only half of the medicine juice, which was black, but had no special smell.

Qingfeng kept staring at the medicine bowl without speaking. Ruyi hurriedly explained: "Imperial Physician Hu said that only this much is needed for the first day."

Qingfeng seemed to be thinking about something, and after a long time, she asked again: "Fuling, do you know this Imperial Physician Hu?"

"I know him. When this servant entered the palace, he was already an Imperial Physician in the palace, and his medical skills were also very good. He used to treat the Emperor as well, but for some reason, he fell seriously ill a few years ago, so he rarely walked around the palace. I didn't expect that he is now serving the Western Empress Dowager."

Fuling spoke very highly of this Imperial Physician Hu. Qingfeng nodded and then fed the child the medicine in small sips. Perhaps because he had just eaten and taken the medicine, the little guy fell asleep after a while.

Qingfeng also felt a bit tired, so she slept with the child for a while. When she woke up, the little guy beside her was still sleeping quietly. Qingfeng gently touched his forehead, and the temperature had actually dropped a lot. Qingfeng secretly let out a sigh of relief.

Fuling saw that she was awake and came over to help her. Qingfeng smiled: "He is actually obedient today."

Seeing that her mood had finally improved, Fuling smiled: "It must be that Imperial Physician Hu's medicine is effective."

"I hope so. He has been tossed around enough these days, let him sleep for a while. I haven't read a book for a long time, I want to go to the study and take a look."

Fuling took the clothes and draped them over her. The study was not far from the inner chamber, and through the screen, one could still see the little person on the bed. There was a small couch in the study, which was for Fuling and the others to sleep on when they were on night duty. Qingfeng leaned on the soft couch and flipped through the book.

What she held in her hand was the miscellaneous notes of Taishifu Yu from the previous dynasty. Qingfeng was absorbed in reading, and she did not know how much time had passed. Fuling brought in a bowl of porridge, and a gentle voice sounded in her ear: "Mistress, drink some bird's nest porridge."

"Mm?" Coming back to her senses, she had almost finished a book. Qingfeng took the porridge and ate two mouthfuls before she realized she was really quite hungry. Looking at the inner chamber, it was still that quiet, and she smiled: "The prince has slept for a long time. He hasn't eaten for half a day, so he should be hungry. Go and check on him, and if he wakes up, carry him out."

"Yes." Fuling walked into the inner chamber, and after a while, Qingfeng heard a low cry from inside: "Ah!"

"Mis-mistress... Mistress!" Fuling's voice was filled with panic and even a hint of sobbing. Qingfeng's heart skipped a beat, and she trotted to the inner chamber, only to see Fuling half-kneeling in front of the bed, holding the child's wrist with one hand, her face full of terror.

"How could this happen?" Seeing the dark purple and black face on the bed, Qingfeng's legs went soft, and she fell in front of the bed, almost crawling to the child's side. Qingfeng grabbed the child's small hand, and the ice-cold temperature was like an ice blade, stabbing into her heart.

"How could this happen?!" Qingfeng grabbed the child's limp wrist, not daring to touch his face. Her brain was buzzing with pain. Suddenly, as if she remembered something, she shouted: "Imperial Physician! Imperial Physician!"

Qingfeng suddenly stood up violently and wanted to run out of the door, but her weak footsteps made her stagger and almost fall. Fuling finally came back to her senses, supported Qingfeng, and said anxiously: "Mistress, be careful. You stay with the prince, and this servant will have Ruyi go and invite the Imperial Physician."

Helping Qingfeng back to the bedside, Fuling turned and ran out of the room. After a while, the outside of the room was in a mess. Qingfeng could not hear all the noisy sounds, her eyes fixed on the person on the bed who was not moving. This time, she did not even dare to touch him with her hands. Shrinking to the side of the bed, she said in a low voice: "Son... son, don't scare mother..."

Fuling returned to the room and saw Qingfeng staring blankly at the little prince, her trembling voice muttering to herself, not knowing what she was saying. Fuling squatted down and called out softly: "Mistress..."

Qingfeng immediately turned her head and grabbed her hand, as if grabbing a life-saving straw: "Fuling, Fuling, he won't answer me, his hands are so cold! What do I do? What do I do?"

Qingfeng stared straight at her, repeating "What do I do" over and over again. That hollow gaze made Fuling feel cold from her hands to her feet. She had just checked the prince's pulse, and it was already... but she dared not say anything now, and could only comfort her incessantly: "It's okay, the Imperial Physician... the Imperial Physician will be here soon, the little prince... he will be fine."

Fuling's voice trembled like fallen leaves in autumn, and her words could not provide any comfort at all. At this moment, a calm and indifferent face flashed before her eyes; it seemed that only that firm and sharp gaze could soothe her. Qingfeng said anxiously: "You go, go and find my sister! Go quickly!"

"Yes." Fuling nodded hurriedly.

After Fuling left, a chill rose from the bottom of Qingfeng's heart, and her whole body was cold.

"Son..." Qingfeng tremblingly stretched out her hand and held that delicate, soft little hand. In the past, as long as she stretched her hand over, he would definitely open his tiny fingers, grab one of her fingers, and then giggle. He also liked to grab her hair, and his strength was quite great; sometimes he would grab her and hurt her, and seeing her frown, he would giggle again...

"Son..." Qingfeng held that ice-cold little hand tightly. No matter how she held it, he was always this cold. Why was he so cold? Getting colder and colder, he would catch a cold! He would catch a cold! Qingfeng suddenly shouted: "Someone! Someone! Go and bring charcoal fire over, quickly, the more the better, the more the better!"

(End of chapter)