Chapter 345

Lou Xiyan shook his head lightly and sighed: "The prince has already been encoffined and was buried in the Imperial Mausoleum yesterday."

What? Already buried? Zhuo Qing was a bit angry, "How could Yan Hongtian do this? Could it really be..." Feeling the hand Lou Xiyan wrapped around her waist tighten, and his chin resting on her shoulder, his clear voice said in a low voice: "Things have come to this, let's wait and see."

Lou Xiyan's exhausted voice made Zhuo Qing swallow the words she wanted to say. Placing the token on the desk to the side, Zhuo Qing pulled his hand over and asked while taking his pulse: "Very tired?"

She had been studying Traditional Chinese Medicine for several months. Fortunately, she originally had a foundation in medicine and often found opportunities to learn and communicate with famous doctors in the capital. After several months, she had gained some insights into simple pulse diagnosis.

Watching Zhuo Qing focus on taking his pulse, a smile crossed Lou Xiyan's mouth.

The pulse was still stable. Zhuo Qing let go of his hand, "Your body cannot be too tired." Asthma was also considered a rich man's disease, and spring was coming soon, so she was afraid that his asthma would flare up again.

"Yes, my wife." Pulling her into his arms again, Lou Xiyan said in a low voice: "Didn't my wife just say she couldn't sleep? I happen to be not very sleepy either, why don't we..."

"Mm?"

"Let's go back to the room and be romantic."

Ah?

Zhuo Qing's face flushed red, and at the same time, she felt a bit between laughter and tears. She didn't explain what romantic meant clearly back then, it was really... a tragedy...

The snow fell scattered for five or six days. Although it was intermittent and not heavy, it still covered the capital in a silver-white coat.

Zhuo Qing went out with Lou Xiyan early in the morning. He went to court, and she hurried to see Qingfeng. With Yan Hongtian's token, she did not encounter any obstacles entering the palace. Walking on the quiet palace road, palace maids and eunuchs passed by from time to time. Everyone lowered their heads, but when they walked near her, they all performed a neat salute before hurrying away. Looking at those people who were like marionettes, Zhuo Qing suddenly felt a bit suffocated in her chest, and her footsteps toward Qingfeng Palace quickened.

It was just past the morning hour. Zhuo Qing came over so early, actually wanting to chat with Fuling first and ask about Qingfeng's situation. She did not expect that just as Zhuo Qing arrived at the entrance of Qingfeng Palace, she saw that half of the big gate was already open. Through that half-open door, Zhuo Qing could see a thin figure in plain clothes standing in the courtyard, almost blending into that piece of snow.

Zhuo Qing had not yet walked into Qingfeng Palace when she felt a sharp gaze hit her. Looking up, it was a man dressed as a guard. Seeing that it was her, the man silently withdrew his gaze. There was no expression on that still-handsome face. Zhuo Qing approached, and he neither stopped her nor gave way to her.

Zhuo Qing felt that this person was quite interesting and looked at him twice more. He was still standing there indifferently, as if Zhuo Qing did not exist at all. Zhuo Qing raised her brows slightly, but did not look at him anymore, pushed open the other slightly ajar door, and walked in.

Hearing the sound of the door, Fuling turned her head. Seeing that it was Zhuo Qing, she was happy in her heart and hurriedly greeted her: "Lady Lou."

Zhuo Qing nodded. Qingfeng in the courtyard seemed not to see her coming, nor did she hear her speak, still looking forward woodenly, her complexion gray and white, her eyes dim and lusterless.

Zhuo Qing furrowed her brows: "How long has she been like this?"

Fuling's eyes were a bit red, "My mistress accompanied the little prince in Chuxiu Palace until he was buried yesterday. After returning, she has been standing in the snow like this. No matter how I persuade her, it's useless."

"Stood for a whole night?" Zhuo Qing was shocked.

Fuling nodded lightly, "Mm."

This person was indeed stubborn enough. Zhuo Qing was very angry at this behavior of not knowing how to cherish her own body, but she also knew that now was not the time to get angry. Zhuo Qing walked in front of Qingfeng. Those dim eyes did not move at all. Zhuo Qing was not in a hurry either, and called out softly: "Qingfeng."

Qingfeng did not respond to her. Zhuo Qing continued to call: "Qingfeng, I've come to see you." As she said this, Zhuo Qing reached out and gently held Qingfeng's hand. Just as she held it, Zhuo Qing shivered immediately. Her hand felt as cold as a piece of ice. Zhuo Qing looked down and discovered that her two hands were actually wrapped in cotton cloth.

Injured? Zhuo Qing looked at Fuling. Fuling opened her mouth but did not say a word. Zhuo Qing did not look at her anymore and continued to call Qingfeng's name softly.

After calling her name a dozen times like this, the ice-sculpture-like person finally moved. Her bloodshot eyes stared at Zhuo Qing for a long time, as if she had finally recognized who she was, and replied very calmly: "You're here."

Zhuo Qing secretly let out a sigh of relief, "It's cold, let's go inside and talk." As she said this, Zhuo Qing held Qingfeng's hand and walked slowly into the room. This time Qingfeng did not resist and followed Zhuo Qing into the inner room. Fuling wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and hurriedly followed, but because she had stood for a whole night and frozen for a whole night, and walked in a hurry, she almost fell.

Ming Ze watched that stumbling figure, a trace of irritability flashing across his eyes, but he quickly returned to calm.

Zhuo Qing helped Qingfeng to the inner chamber, helped her change out of the padded jacket outside, and took a warm pot to warm her hands and knees. After cleaning up, Ruyi happened to bring breakfast over. Fuling wanted to step forward to take it, but Zhuo Qing patted her on the shoulder and said: "I'll do it, you go change your clothes and use the warm pot to apply to your knees."

"This servant..." Fuling shook her head, but before she could finish speaking, she was forcefully interrupted by Zhuo Qing: "Go quickly, come over when you're cleaned up. She still needs you to take care of her. If you can't even take care of yourself, how can you take care of her."

Fuling hesitated for a while, then looked at the expressionless Qingfeng on the soft couch, and finally nodded, "Yes."

Qingfeng's two hands were wrapped tightly. Zhuo Qing took the porridge bowl and scooped a spoonful to her lips: "Drink some porridge."

"I have something I want to ask you." Qingfeng ignored the warm porridge at her lips, her voice as cold and silent as the snow outside the window.

Zhuo Qing pushed the spoon forward a bit more and replied: "Drink the porridge first."

Qingfeng was silent for a while, opened her mouth, and drank the porridge. Neither of them spoke again. Qingfeng drank the bowl of porridge like chewing wax. During this period, her eyes stared at Zhuo Qing without blinking. Zhuo Qing sighed secretly in her heart, handed the empty bowl to Ruyi, and said: "You withdraw."

The atmosphere between these two did not have the warmth between sisters at all, but rather a feeling of confrontation. Ruyi saw that Qingfeng did not speak, so she did not dare to stay long, performed a salute, and immediately withdrew.

Taking a wooden chair and sitting in front of Qingfeng, Zhuo Qing said: "Ask."

"Why did the child die?"

Zhuo Qing had guessed long ago that Qingfeng would ask her this question, but she had not thought about how she should answer. Not to mention that she failed to perform an autopsy and could not clarify the cause of the child's death at all, just looking at Qingfeng's current mental state, it was best not to be stimulated again at this moment.

Zhuo Qing was silent. Qingfeng's pale complexion became even grayer, her teeth clenched tightly, and then she slowly relaxed, "Don't lie to me. If even you lie to me, I really don't know what else is believable." The hoarse voice carried self-mockery and sorrow, making Zhuo Qing have to look up at her. Facing Qingfeng's cold and silent eyes, Zhuo Qing felt even more powerless and said: "I didn't want to lie to you, it's just that I don't have more evidence to draw a conclusion now."

"Then say what you can be sure of. That day you already examined the child's... body, and even took a silk handkerchief back. Don't tell me that you still can't be sure of anything now."

Zhuo Qing was secretly surprised. Qingfeng was clearly on the verge of collapse that day, could she still notice what she did? Zhuo Qing examined her seriously. Qingfeng's eyes were slightly red, but unusually clear. Perhaps... Qingfeng was not as fragile as she thought. She was logical and meticulous. Since she asked today, if she refused to say, and if she really lost her trust, it would be difficult to communicate with her in the future.

After weighing it in her heart, Zhuo Qing finally told the truth: "The cause of the child's death is indeed suspicious. I detected toxic substances in his mouth, but I have no way to determine what specific poison caused the child's death. There was poison in the child's mouth, which means this thing was eaten by him. That bowl of medicine is the most suspicious, but that day when I had Fuling go find it, the medicine dregs were already gone."

In other words, the child did not die of illness!

She should have guessed it long ago, shouldn't she? She blamed Yan Hongtian for not protecting the child, but what about her? The child was by her side every day, didn't she also fail to protect her own child? That bowl of medicine... was also fed to him by her... mouthful... mouthful...

Why?

Zhi'er was just a child... why wouldn't they let him go?

Qingfeng stopped speaking, her closed eyes could not see her mood at this moment, but Zhuo Qing could feel her pain from her trembling body. As a forensic doctor, most of the deceased who passed through her hands died unjustly, and she never knew how to comfort the family members of the victims, so she would rather face cold corpses than people. Today, she also did not know how to comfort Qingfeng, until she saw Qingfeng's tightly clenched hands, with dots of blood constantly seeping out from the plain white cotton cloth.

Zhuo Qing hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed her wrists, saying anxiously: "Qingfeng, calm down. I have already sent someone to notify... my younger sister. When she returns, we will find a way to investigate. You must not be impulsive, and don't hurt your own body anymore, otherwise, before you figure anything out, you will have lost your own life."

Qingfeng finally let go of her tightly clenched hands, but Zhuo Qing became even more worried, because she saw the hatred in Qingfeng's eyes, like a quagmire that could drown people, when she opened them again.

The child had been gone for almost a month. She did not know what Xiyan was busy with, leaving early and returning late, always looking exhausted when he returned, often lost in thought. He, who had always been indifferent, had also been furrowing his brows recently. Ever since Qingfeng asked about the cause of the child's death that day, she really did not ask anymore. When she went to see her, there was no longer the clarity and sharpness in Qingfeng's eyes, and she was immersed in sorrow all day long, even taking out the cradle the child used and placing it in the courtyard, staring at the cradle all day long. Zhuo Qing prescribed some antidepressant medicine for her, but Qingfeng refused to take it, and when she talked to her, she rarely answered. If this continued, her psychological situation would only get worse and worse.

(End of chapter)