For some reason, perhaps because of what the Marquise of Ding'an had said in Tinglan Courtyard that day, Song Yihuan had a most restless night and a nightmare that tortured her.
She dreamt of the day her concubine mother died in childbirth.
She remembered it vividly. It was the Lesser Fullness day because she had made an appointment to meet a long - awaited friend that day.
She had been full of anticipation for that day. She had planned to go out after lunch, but her concubine mother said she had a headache after the meal and wanted to rest. Concerned about her mother, Song Yihuan decided to postpone her outing.
Not long after, her mother suddenly went into labor.
But it wasn't supposed to be the due date. The baby in her mother's womb was not yet full - term.
Her mother seemed to be in extreme pain. She clutched her belly and rolled on the bed, her shrill and terrifying screams scaring the thirteen - year - old Song Yihuan.
Banxia told Song Yihuan and Chunxing to stay and take care of her mother while she rushed to the front courtyard to ask the mistress to send for a midwife.
Although the mistress was extremely harsh on them, when it came to the offspring of the Marquis's Mansion, the midwife arrived fairly quickly this time.
After the midwife came, she got busy with the delivery. Song Yihuan and Chunxing were too young to help, so they were driven out of the room and could only wait anxiously in the courtyard.
Her mother's shrill cries lasted from day until night. Hearing her mother's increasingly weak voice, Song Yihuan was frantic. She broke free from Chunxing, rammed open the door, and witnessed a scene that would haunt her for the rest of her life.
Her mother lay on the bed with her big belly. Her face was pale and distorted. Her limbs were held down on the bed by the strong - built midwife as she gasped for breath.
Banxia kept wiping the sweat off her mother's face and choked with sobs, "Madam, push! Push harder! The baby's head is almost out."
Song Yihuan cried out, "Mother!" Rou Xiniang turned her head towards her. She tried to smile, but she had no strength left.
"Mother, don't worry. Yihuan will go out and find the best doctor for you. Yihuan will definitely make sure you give birth to the baby safely!" Song Yihuan wiped the tears from her face and rushed out of the door.
She ran and ran in the Marquis's Mansion. When she reached the side gate, she met her elder sister, Song Nanxin.
Song Nanxin saw how urgently she was running and asked with concern what she was going to do.
Her elder sister had always been the kindest to her in the Marquis's Mansion. Song Yihuan felt like she had found a savior. She grabbed her sister and told her about her mother's difficult labor.
Her sister held her hand and comforted her. She said she was just about to go out and could take Song Yihuan in her carriage to find a doctor, which would save time.
Song Yihuan was so touched that she got on the carriage with her sister.
To her disappointment, all the doctors in the city seemed to have disappeared that day. They visited countless clinics but couldn't find a single doctor.
By the time they returned to the Marquis's Mansion, it was too late.
Her mother finally died in childbirth, and the baby boy she had struggled to give birth to was stillborn.
Overwhelmed by guilt and self - blame for not being able to find a doctor, Song Yihuan rushed into the blood - filled room like a madwoman and snatched the stillborn baby from the midwife who was about to throw it away.
She couldn't save her mother, but she would do everything in her power to save her brother.
Perhaps God took pity on them. After Song Yihuan's strenuous efforts, the stillborn baby began to breathe and let out a faint cry, astonishing everyone.
Holding the brother she had saved with all her might, Song Yihuan knelt in front of her mother's corpse and swore that she would raise her brother well and never let him be hurt.
At this point, the dream ended.
Song Yihuan opened her eyes and found that it was already dawn.
A dull pain in her chest made it hard for her to breathe, as if she was the one suffering from heart disease.
She covered her chest and propped herself up, only to find that her tears had soaked a large area of the pillowcase and the quilt.
She wiped her tears and sat on the edge of the bed for a while before getting up to splash cold water on her face.
The cold water gradually soothed the grief that the dream had brought.
Standing in front of the window, Song Yihuan noticed a morning glory vine that had quietly climbed onto the window lattice. She reached out and gently touched it, staring at it for a long time.
"Mother, don't worry. Yihuan will definitely raise Xuan'er well, and I will also find out the truth about your death," she whispered softly, a voice only she could hear.
After making sure she looked normal in the bronze mirror, Song Yihuan opened the door and walked out.
Song Yixuan was already up. When he saw her, he jumped off the chair and ran over, hugging her leg and saying sweetly,
"Fourth sister, the eldest sister sent some fruits. They are so sweet. Come and have some!"
The eldest sister? Song Yihuan looked up and saw Baizhi sitting in the courtyard, chatting and laughing with Fuling.
After comforting her brother, Song Yihuan walked towards Baizhi.
Baizhi was in the middle of talking. When she noticed Song Yihuan approaching, she wanted to put on the airs of the eldest miss's maid, but when she met Song Yihuan's gaze, her heart skipped a beat and she involuntarily showed a hint of fear.
Why did the Fourth Miss seem different today?
But when she took a closer look, Song Yihuan was back to her fragile and pitiful self.
It must be an illusion.
Baizhi had come today to confirm with Song Yihuan whether she was feeling better and when she could start receiving the Marquis's favor.
Song Yihuan lowered her eyes and said softly, "Go back and tell the eldest sister that I'm fine and can go to Yixiang Pavilion to accompany her anytime."
Baizhi smiled and said, "That's good. This servant will take her leave."
Song Yihuan's menstrual period was over, and she could continue to pretend to be Song Nanxin and receive the Marquis's favor as planned.
However, although Song Yihuan was ready, she didn't receive a summons from her elder sister for several days.
She secretly sent Chunxing to find out what was going on. It turned out that Ji Lingchuan had been busy with a case for several days and hadn't returned to the mansion.
Since she couldn't receive the Marquis's favor, Song Yihuan was glad for the peace.
One day, she was sitting in the courtyard, concentrating on embroidering a handkerchief. Chunxing came running back briskly from outside and said excitedly,
"Miss, they say the street is really bustling today! The imperial examination has ended, and the new champion, the second - place finisher, and the third - place finisher have all been announced. They are riding through the streets in their official uniforms. Let's go and have a look!"
"I heard that the second - place finisher this year is a young and handsome gentleman. All the women in the city are crazy about him. I heard from the common people that his surname is Gu, and he's from Yunzhou."
"Ouch!" A sharp pain shot through her fingertip. Song Yihuan suddenly came back to her senses. Looking down, she saw that the blood from her finger had stained the cloth and formed a blotch on the handkerchief.
"Gu? From Yunzhou?" Song Yihuan murmured, "The new second - place finisher?"
Chunxing nodded vigorously, "Yes!"
A genuine smile spread across Song Yihuan's face.
Gu Yunzheng had really made something of himself. He had won the second - place in the imperial examination. She knew that with his talent, he was bound to have a bright future.
It was a pity that their paths would never cross.
"It's so hot. There must be a lot of people outside. I don't want to join the crowd," Song Yihuan shook her head.
Seeing her brother looking disappointed, she pinched his cheek and said, "Xuan'er, if you're envious, you can take the imperial examination in the future and become the champion. Sister wants to see you riding through the streets in your official uniform more than anyone else."
Song Yixuan took her words seriously and straightened his back, saying, "Then from today on, Xuan'er will study hard."
His serious look made the mistress and the servants burst out laughing.
Song Yihuan avoided the excitement of the new scholars' parade, but she didn't expect the excitement to come to her.
Early the next morning, a servant suddenly came to Tinglan Courtyard. He bowed to Song Yihuan and said,
"The new second - place finisher, Lord Gu, has come to the mansion and specifically asked to see the Fourth Miss Song. The steward sent me to ask if the Fourth Miss would like to go and meet him."