After Chunxing finished speaking, she added, "Miss, do you know what news this servant heard in the servants' quarters this morning?"
Song Yihuan had already guessed what Chunxing was going to say. Her expression remained unchanged as she stared at the fabric in her hand and replied indifferently,
"Oh? What is it?"
Chunxing looked around. Taking advantage of Fuling's absence, she lowered her voice even further and said,
"There's a little rumor going around in the servants' quarters. It says that the eldest miss once fell into the water while on her monthly cycle. She caught a chill, which is why it's difficult for her to conceive."
Song Yihuan immediately frowned and said seriously, "How can you take such hearsay seriously? Having a child isn't as simple as you think. When the time is right, the child will come naturally. You can talk about this in our courtyard, but don't spread it outside. We don't want to cause any trouble for the eldest sister."
Chunxing understood her concerns and quickly replied, "This servant knows. I won't tell anyone else."
Just then, Fuling walked back into the courtyard carrying a wooden basin. She glanced at Song Yihuan as if she had something to say, then walked towards the back of the courtyard.
A short while later, she returned to the courtyard with the medicine for Song Yixuan. Chunxing took the medicine bowl and led Song Yixuan into the room. Only Song Yihuan and Fuling were left in the courtyard.
Fuling looked around to make sure no one was there. Then she leaned close to Song Yihuan's ear and whispered,
"Fourth Miss, this servant heard that after the eldest miss went to pay respects to the Princess Consort this morning and returned to Yixiang Pavilion, there was a new maid by her side. Her name is said to be Baishao. It seems she's replacing Baizhi to serve the eldest miss."
Song Yihuan frowned, lost in thought.
The Princess Consort sending a maid to serve her eldest sister should have been a happy thing. But because of Baishao, her eldest sister definitely wouldn't let her serve the prince in bed at this sensitive time.
However, she always had a nagging feeling of unease in her heart. She felt that things wouldn't be resolved so easily.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, Fuling looked at Song Yihuan, looking hesitant to speak. Song Yihuan noticed and, suppressing the uneasiness in her heart, asked, "What's wrong?"
Fuling lowered her voice and asked, "Fourth Miss, is your monthly cycle late?"
Song Yihuan was startled. The silver needle pierced through the embroidery cloth and into her palm. She gasped in pain.
Song Yihuan lowered her head and looked at the blood bead oozing from her finger. Her expression was a bit dazed.
That's right. She had been so focused on finding out the secret of why her eldest sister couldn't conceive that she had forgotten that her own monthly cycle was indeed a few days late.
"This servant remembers that Fourth Miss got her monthly cycle on the second day of last month. It's already the fifth day of the seventh month, and there's still no sign of it. Could it be..." Fuling looked worried.
"Miss, should we go out of the mansion to find a doctor?"
Song Yihuan shook her head. "I don't feel any discomfort in my body. There's no need to find a doctor. Maybe I haven't been resting well recently, which is why my monthly cycle is late."
Since Song Yihuan had said so, Fuling had no choice but to give up.
Back in the room, Song Yihuan sat on the edge of the bed. Her fingers gently touched her stomach, and a look of joy gradually appeared on her face.
The late monthly cycle was very likely a sign that there was a child in her belly.
She had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
Once she had a child, she wouldn't have to take the prince's favor for her eldest sister anymore. She could find a place to rest and take good care of her pregnancy. She could also investigate the truth about why her eldest sister couldn't conceive and the death of her mother.
After she gave birth to the child and gave it to her eldest sister, she and Xuan'er could be completely free.
By then, the sky would be high and the sea would be wide. No one could hold her back.
Seeing the joy on Song Yihuan's face, Fuling felt a mix of emotions. She bent down and whispered in Song Yihuan's ear, "Fourth Miss, does this servant need to go to Shulan Courtyard to tell the eldest miss that your monthly cycle is late?"
Song Yihuan lowered her head and thought for a while. Then she gently shook her head and said, "Wait for two more days. If my monthly cycle still hasn't come after two days, then go and tell the eldest sister. By then, the eldest sister will surely invite a doctor to feel my pulse and confirm."
When Concubine Rou was pregnant with Song Yixuan, Song Yihuan had taken care of her by her side. She knew that the first three months of a woman's pregnancy were the most dangerous. Although she wasn't sure if she was pregnant yet, Song Yihuan still became more careful. She even walked more cautiously.
At night, when she went to bed, she gently touched her stomach and frowned worriedly.
A woman carried a child for ten months. She could hide it for the first three months, but what should she do when her belly got bigger? And how could she hide it from Xuan'er then?
Oh well, she could only cross the bridge when she came to it.
Song Yihuan let her thoughts wander and fell asleep on the pillow.
In the middle of the night, Song Yihuan was awakened by a sharp pain.
Opening her eyes, sweating profusely, Song Yihuan felt a stabbing pain in her lower abdomen. Something was flowing down her thigh. She was very familiar with this feeling - it was her monthly cycle.
It turned out that she wasn't pregnant. Her monthly cycle was just really late.
A sense of helplessness and disappointment overwhelmed Song Yihuan. She tightly grasped the pillowcase, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Why did it fail again?
"Chunxing, Fuling..." she called out. Soon, the two maids pushed open the door and walked in. The candles were lit in the room. Seeing Song Yihuan curled up on the couch with tears all over her face, Chunxing knew what had happened.
After some fuss in Tinglan Courtyard, Song Yihuan changed into a clean set of clothes. She held a hot water bottle in her arms and leaned weakly against the head of the bed, looking so fragile that she seemed to break at a touch.
Chunxing went outside to wash Song Yihuan's handkerchief. Song Yihuan looked at Fuling, who was guarding the head of the bed, and said softly, "Go and tell the eldest sister after dawn tomorrow."
Fuling nodded and replied, "Yes."
Early the next morning, Fuling waited for the right time. Then she made an excuse to leave Tinglan Courtyard and headed towards Yixiang Pavilion.
When she reached the gate of Yixiang Pavilion, Fuling was stopped by a rather tall and strong maid. The maid asked expressionlessly, "Who are you?"
This person looked very unfamiliar. Fuling had never seen her in Yixiang Pavilion before. But then she realized that this must be Baishao, the maid the Princess Consort had placed in Yixiang Pavilion.
Fuling smiled and said, "This younger sister looks unfamiliar. I guess you're a new maid. It's normal that you don't recognize me. My name is Fuling. I'm the dowry maid the Crown Princess brought from the Marquis Mansion to the Prince's Mansion. Now I've been sent by the Crown Princess to take care of Miss Song the Fourth and Young Master Song the Fifth."
"I come here every two days to report Young Master Song the Fifth's health to the Crown Princess. You should know that our Crown Princess is kind - hearted and most concerned about Miss Song the Fourth and Young Master Song the Fifth."
Fuling deliberately spoke loudly to remind Song Nanxin that she had come.
The next moment, Song Nanxin's voice came from inside the room. "Let Fuling in. Baishao, you continue to guard the door well."
Baishao replied with a "Yes" and then stepped aside to let Fuling in.