How to describe it? It was much smaller than when Honghui was born, weighing only a little over four pounds. Its body was covered with purplish-blue marks left from spending too much time in the womb. Its breathing was barely audible. It lay motionless in the imperial physician's arms, a child who looked like it would be difficult to raise.
Yinzhen's face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and he looked at the weak child as if he were breathing fire.
"Imperial Physician, this child looks like he has a deficiency of vital energy. Is there any chance he can survive?"
The imperial physician hesitated, saying, "Fourth Prince, if the young prince can safely get through tonight and drink human milk, this servant may give it a try."
This meant there was almost no hope. Yinzhen pursed his lips, suppressing his anger: "I'll trouble the imperial physician to watch over him tonight."
"It is my duty." The imperial physician carried the young prince to the room that had been prepared in advance and immediately wrote out a prescription.
Seeing that there were no outsiders in the room, Yi Hua got up and knelt down to beg for forgiveness: "Master entrusted the backyard to me, and I have failed in my duty."
Yinzhen was in a terrible mood, but he did not suspect Yihua. He gestured for Yihua to get up: "It has nothing to do with the Fujin. No matter how careful you are, can you control Li Shi's affairs in her room?"
“I heard from Su Peisheng that the eldest princess is with Honghui. These past few days, the Fujin has been working hard to take care of that child. Li Shi can’t come back yet.” Yinzhen patted Yihua’s hand and continued, “You should go back too. Honghui will make a fuss if he can’t see you at night.”
"My lord, I will investigate this matter thoroughly. There must be a clear answer to this natural disaster and man-made calamity." Yi Hua felt a surge of anger when she saw the child who was about to die.
In the adult world, any means of deception and manipulation are acceptable, but to harm children is the act of a coward. There cannot be any executioners in her backyard who specialize in harming young children.
Yinzhen looked at Yihua and for the first time realized that the proper and upright nature of his wife was not without its advantages; at least she wouldn't harm anyone, which was good enough.
***
Back to the main courtyard
After washing away the smell of blood, Yi Hua sat down and watched as the eldest princess and Hong Hui were playfully pushing each other, without disturbing them.
"Yu Xiao, A Bao, this matter must be investigated thoroughly. Start investigating from a few days ago. Who entered the garden, what did they do, and are there any witnesses? No matter how long it takes, we must find out the truth." Yi Hua became more and more angry as she thought about it. Now she had a healthy prince under her care, but Li Gege's pregnancy had problems. In the eyes of outsiders, it was not as if she, the Fourth Princess Consort, could not tolerate a son born out of wedlock.
She was even more wronged than Dou E!
The next day, Ms. Li finally woke up, and she broke down the moment she saw her child.
Upon hearing that Lady Li had fainted, Yinzhen stayed by her side. Seeing his son's breathing gradually weakening and his concubine crying incessantly, Yinzhen felt as if his heart was being torn apart.
However, there are always things in this world that are beyond human control.
The young prince didn't drink a single drop of the medicine that the imperial physician had painstakingly prepared.
It died on the third day after birth.
According to the old calendar of the Qing Dynasty, such a child could not be named according to his birth order. However, Yinzhen witnessed him die in front of him. Such intense grief led him to ask Emperor Kangxi for a favor, and he was given the name Hongfen, which could be considered proof that he had existed in this world.
After the funeral was over, Li finally came to her senses.
"My lord, I am useless. I failed to give birth to Hongfen healthy. But he was safe and sound in my belly for so long, eight months now, without any problems. It was only because I fell that day that someone rubbed oil on my foot. Who is so heartless as to not tolerate my child and me?" Li Shi tugged at Yinzhen's sleeve, crying pitifully, and pointedly directed her anger at Yihua.
Yinzhen, mindful that she had just lost her child, gently comforted her, saying, "I will investigate this matter thoroughly. Take good care of yourself; you can have another child in the future."
Madam Li gritted her teeth in hatred. This was either the work of the Fujin (Prince's wife) or Song Shi (Madam Song). There were only a few prominent women in the household; what was the point of investigating? According to her, they should all be executed, to be buried with her son, Hongfen.
"Waaah, Master, even if we have another child in the future, it won't be Hongfen." The more Li Shi longed for this child before, the more pain she felt now.
Yinzhen stayed with Li Shi until she fell asleep, and then, exhausted, he left the east courtyard. He originally wanted to go back to his study to write and calm his mind, but then he remembered that he hadn't seen Honghui in a while, so he turned around and went to the main courtyard.
At this moment, in the main courtyard, the eldest princess and Honghui were flanking Yihua on either side.
Although the eldest princess was young and didn't talk much, she was quite intelligent: "My mother, did she give birth to a little brother?"
Yi Hua patted her bun: "Yes."
The eldest princess blinked her eyes and smiled happily: "Then Mother must be happy. I want to go back to see Mother, and my younger brother, my stepmother. Can I go back?"
Unlike Li, the eldest princess was very well-mannered, spoke and acted with grace and poise, and was very quiet.
Yi Hua shook her head: "Not yet, Eldest Princess. Your little brother is unwell, and your mother is so heartbroken that she's fallen ill too. Aren't you happy playing with Hong Hui here with your stepmother?"
"I'm happy." After saying that, the eldest princess hesitated, "I miss my mother."
"Good girl," Yi Hua comforted her. "Once your mother is better, you can go back. Tomorrow, your stepmother will take you to see your mother, and then you can come back and play with your little brother Hong Hui, okay?"
"Okay." The little girl's voice was soft and sweet, but she sounded a little disappointed.
"Your little brother has become a star in the sky. If you miss him, just look at the sky and say whatever you want. He'll understand." Yi Hua sighed. Such a young child doesn't understand what life and death are.
"Yes, I remember, thank you, Mother." The eldest princess held Honghui's hand, and the two huddled together, babbling in a way that no one else could understand.
Yinzhen listened at the door for a while, then lifted the curtain and entered the inner room: "Thank you for taking such good care of the two children."
Seeing that Yinzhen looked exhausted, Yihua ordered someone to prepare hot water. After washing her hands and wiping her face, she said, "Your Majesty, it is certainly heartbreaking that Hongfen is gone, but you must take care of yourself. I had someone light an eternal lamp for him at Huangjue Temple, hoping that he can live a peaceful, joyful, and healthy life in his next life."
"You've put your heart into this." Yinzhen's tense heart, which had been pounding for several days, finally relaxed a lot, and he rested in the main courtyard.
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