Song Nanxin stepped forward. By the light, she scrutinized Song Yihuan's current appearance and showed a satisfied smile.
"You really do look alike. Thanks to Baishao's miraculous disguise skills, from now on, when Yihuan takes my place to sleep with the heir apparent, we don't have to worry about being recognized by him."
However, Song Yihuan felt as if her heart had fallen into a freezing cold pool in the abyss. Her limbs went numb with cold.
She had planned step by step. She had anticipated that the Princess of Ningqin would invite the imperial physician to examine her elder sister, and that her elder sister would ask for her help. But she never thought that without Baizhi, there would be another maid named Baishao with disguise skills by her elder sister's side!
Now that things had come to this, it was useless to say more. This time, she had indeed made a wrong move. But it didn't matter. If she could get rid of Baizhi, she could also get rid of Baishao. And regarding the things her elder sister was hiding, she could also take this opportunity to investigate thoroughly.
"Alright, since you're already dressed up, go into the room quickly and get ready."
Song Nanxin didn't give Song Yihuan much time to think and immediately urged her.
Song Yihuan responded and got up to change into the clothes Song Nanxin handed her. Her drooping eyelashes covered the deep thoughts in her eyes. She hesitated and whispered, "Sister, if Physician Zhong is really skilled in medicine, you might as well find an opportunity to let him take a look. Maybe he can find a way to cure you."
Song Nanxin immediately said, "Are you crazy? How could I let him treat me?"
Song Yihuan glanced at "Baishao" and said, "What's so difficult about this? Now that I'm disguised as you, you can also disguise as me."
Song Nanxin's heart skipped a beat. She turned to look at "Baishao".
Right! She couldn't let Physician Zhong examine her in her true appearance, but she could disguise as Song Yihuan just like this!
"Baishao" thought for a while and said, "This is indeed a good idea." Then she looked at Song Yihuan with a smile. "Miss Song the Fourth is really considerate of the Princess of the Heir Apparent. I wonder if this idea comes from your true heart or if there's another motive?"
Song Yihuan calmly said, "Elder sister is the one who has been the kindest to me in the Ding'an Marquis Mansion. If it weren't for sister's help, Xuan'er and I wouldn't have been able to find peace in the Princess of Ningqin's Mansion. Only when sister is well can I be well."
Song Nanxin held her hand and said with a smile, "Yihuan, you're truly my good younger sister. Sister will remember your kindness."
There was a secret room between the side room and the main room. After Song Yihuan made full preparations, she passed through the secret room and entered the Yixiang Pavilion.
Nanny Zhao was waiting outside the door. As soon as she saw Song Yihuan, she grabbed her wrist and led her to the bedside.
After Song Yihuan lay down, Nanny Zhao covered her with a thin quilt and whispered in her ear, "The heir apparent is currently entertaining Physician Zhong in the waterside pavilion by the Star - Picking Lake. I've told everyone that the eldest miss is asleep. In a cup of tea's time, I'll tell the heir apparent that the eldest miss has woken up, and then the physician will come in to examine you, Miss the Fourth."
"Miss the Fourth, do you know what to do?"
Song Yihuan pulled the thin quilt around her and drooped her eyelashes. "Don't worry, Nanny. I'll do my duty."
Seeing how obedient and well - behaved she was, Nanny Zhao couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking of how Song Nanxin had been so willful as to bring that actor into the room, which had caused her to bleed again.
She lowered the bed curtain and the bead curtain, deliberately making Song Yihuan's figure look more illusory. Then she got up and left.
In the waterside pavilion by the Star - Picking Lake.
Ji Lingchuan seemed to sense something and looked towards the Yixiang Pavilion across the lake. His eyebrows frowned slightly. Physician Zhong couldn't help but ask, "What are you looking at, Your Highness?"
Ji Lingchuan withdrew his gaze from the quiet Yixiang Pavilion and said indifferently, "It's nothing."
He was skilled in martial arts and had excellent hearing. All he could hear were the sounds of the teapot boiling water, the flowing water, the wind, and the clinking of the tea sets when the maids poured tea. There were no other noises.
But for a moment just now, a sense of restlessness welled up in his heart, as if there was something there that could disrupt his peace of mind.
At this moment, the door of the Yixiang Pavilion was opened from the inside. Nanny Zhao walked out and came towards the waterside pavilion.
"Your Highness, the Princess of the Heir Apparent has woken up. She requests that Your Highness and Physician Zhong move to the Yixiang Pavilion."
Ji Lingchuan stood up. His sleeve gently brushed across the chessboard on the table and he strode towards the Yixiang Pavilion. Physician Zhong picked up his medicine box and followed behind him.
After entering the room and passing through two moon - shaped gates, Ji Lingchuan looked up and saw a slender figure lying on the big bed behind the screen in the bedroom.
The hanging bead curtain and the bed curtain covered most of her figure. But with just this fleeting glance, his heart seemed to be gently tugged, and he subconsciously took a step forward.
Hearing the sound, the person lying on the bed propped herself up and said weakly, "Your Highness, please stop. My complexion is not good at the moment. I don't want to scare Your Highness."
Ji Lingchuan stopped and asked in a deep voice, "Why did you suddenly fall ill? How do you feel now?"
On the couch, even though she was shielded by the bed curtain and the bead curtain, Song Yihuan could feel Ji Lingchuan's gaze on her. This made her whole body tense up subconsciously. She softened her tone and replied in her elder sister's tone and voice,
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I'm not seriously ill. I just felt weak all over when I woke up this morning. By the way, is this Physician Zhong that the Princess Mother mentioned?"
She shifted the topic to Physician Zhong beside her.
Hearing his name being mentioned, Physician Zhong bowed with his hands clasped,
"I'm Zhong Yi. Greetings to the Princess of the Heir Apparent."
Song Yihuan said softly, "Physician Zhong, there's no need for such formalities."
After Physician Zhong stood up, he smiled very gently. "I've been summoned by the Princess of Ningqin to examine and prescribe treatments for the noble people in the Princess of Ningqin's Mansion. Coincidentally, the Princess of the Heir Apparent is not feeling well, so I've come. Princess of the Heir Apparent, shall we start now?"
Song Yihuan said, "Thank you for your trouble, Physician Zhong."
Nanny Zhao told the maids to come forward and prepare. Song Yihuan half - leaned against the head of the bed and stretched out her hand. The gauze bed curtain covered her face. Even though the room was very bright, only a faint side face could be seen.
Ji Lingchuan didn't completely avoid the situation. Since she was shy to show herself, he stood far outside but always paid close attention to what was going on inside.
For some reason, looking at the figure on the couch today, he unexpectedly felt a little pity in his heart.
Was it because she was ill?
But this emotion had never appeared when it came to her before.
Physician Zhong sat down on the chair, opened his medicine box, took out a handkerchief to cover the fair hand in front of him to avoid direct contact with the noble lady, and then placed his fingers on it.
When Physician Zhong was examining the pulse, no one dared to make a sound to disturb him. The Yixiang Pavilion was completely silent. Song Yihuan lowered her eyes and looked at the fingers on her wrist through the gauze curtain, occasionally letting out two almost inaudible coughs.
She could feel that an unignorable gaze had been fixed on her without moving away.
Physician Zhong said, "Your Highness the Princess of the Heir Apparent's heart is beating a bit fast."