"Wait a moment."
Ji Lingchuan's deep and cold voice rang out. The two maids, Chunxing and Fuling, couldn't help but tremble and immediately stopped what they were doing. They stood respectfully to one side with their hands at their sides.
Ji Lingchuan stood up and walked towards them. He stopped in front of the wooden bucket on the ground and the wet clothes inside.
Among the several clothes of different colors and styles, a light - green dress was hidden. Embroidery of apricot blossoms fluttering in the wind was on it.
...
As soon as she returned to Shulan Courtyard, Song Nanxin shook off Song Yihuan's hand. She looked at her coldly and said, "During the days I was away, did you meet the heir apparent behind my back or say anything to him? Why have the princess and the heir apparent suddenly become so concerned about Xuan'er?"
Song Yihuan whispered, "With such a terrible thing happening in the city, I only dared to stay in my own small courtyard and didn't go anywhere. How could I meet the heir apparent? Sister, you only need to ask the servants in the mansion, and you'll know I'm not lying."
Song Yihuan was familiar with the layout of Prince Ning's Mansion and remembered the patrol times of the guards. She was always extremely careful when going out and was confident that she could hide it from Song Nanxin.
"However..." She hesitated. As expected, Song Nanxin took the bait and asked, "However what?"
Song Yihuan said, "I heard that the heir apparent has been handling a case outside these days, and there seems to be a woman with him."
When she said this, her eyes were full of sincerity and worry for Song Nanxin.
"What did you say? A woman?!" Song Nanxin immediately became alert. She turned to the "Baishao" behind her and said, "Go and check if this is true."
"Baishao" looked at Song Yihuan, with a faint smile on her lips, and replied, "Yes, Princess Heir Apparent."
The matter of Song Yihuan helping the government office solve the case was extremely confidential, and she worked with Ji Lingchuan. She expected that Ji Lingchuan wouldn't let the government office disclose her identity. Even if her elder sister sent someone to inquire, they would only find out that there was indeed a woman with Ji Lingchuan in the past three days, but they wouldn't know that the woman was her.
She had come up with this plan when she learned that she would help Ji Lingchuan solve the case. The purpose, of course, was to make her elder sister nervous and more eager to consolidate her position in Prince Ning's Mansion.
The more she did, the more mistakes she would make.
At this time, there was no one else in the room. Song Nanxin held Song Yihuan's hand and sighed, "Yihuan, I was rude to you just now. I'm sorry."
Song Yihuan shook her head. "I know sister is worried about the heir apparent, so she was anxious. I don't blame sister."
Song Nanxin called Song Yihuan to Shulan Courtyard because of the matter of returning to Marquis Ding'an's Mansion with Ji Lingchuan in a few days.
"The heir apparent wants to take me back to my natal family. I can't refuse. As a young lady of Marquis Ding'an's Mansion, you should also go with us. When we get back to the marquis's mansion, do you know what to do?"
Song Yihuan remembered the rumors she heard at the birthday banquet of the Dowager Duchess of Jiang. Her heart was cold, but she said meekly on the surface, "I know. I won't do anything to make sister embarrassed."
After giving Song Yihuan a few more instructions, Song Nanxin finally let her go and left Shulan Courtyard.
After Song Yihuan left Shulan Courtyard, Song Nanxin immediately called several maids who stayed in the mansion and asked them about the recent movements in Prince Ning's Mansion. She learned that Ji Lingchuan left early and returned late every day and had very little time in the mansion. Then she was sure that Song Yihuan wasn't lying.
About an hour later, Cui Yinger, who was dressed as "Baishao", also came back from outside. Song Nanxin immediately got up and greeted her. "How is it? Is what that little girl said really true?"
Cui Yinger put her arm around Song Nanxin's waist and led her into the room. With a half - smile, she asked, "Are you so worried that there will be other women around the heir apparent? Are you jealous?"
Song Nanxin really felt very uncomfortable. She had tried so hard to please Ji Lingchuan but still couldn't get his special attention. Moreover, she hadn't "served him in bed" for a long time. How could she not be anxious?
But she was reluctant to admit it. She just said, "I'm worried that those coquettish women outside will bewitch him. If a concubine enters the mansion before I have a legitimate son, it will be extremely disadvantageous to me."
Only then did Cui Yinger say, "These days, there has indeed been a woman around him. Judging from her dressing, she seems to be an ordinary person. She always wore a veil hat, so it was hard to see what she looked like or know her name. But after the case was solved, that woman disappeared and didn't continue to pester him."
Song Nanxin breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's good."
However, it was time to find a way to let Song Yihuan serve Ji Lingchuan in bed again. Song Yihuan couldn't stay in Prince Ning's Mansion forever. If things went on like this, one day, it would arouse the suspicion of Princess Ning and Ji Lingchuan.
When Song Yihuan returned to Tinglan Courtyard, there were only the two maids, Fuling and Chunxing, in the yard. She didn't see Song Yixuan.
"Miss Four, you're back." The two maids greeted her when they saw her.
"Where is Xuan'er?" She frowned and asked.
Chunxing pointed to the room and said, "Young Master Five was not feeling well. I fed him some medicine, and he has fallen asleep."
Not feeling well? Song Yihuan looked very worried. Just as she was about to enter the room to check on Song Yixuan, she suddenly stopped and looked at the clothes - drying rope in the yard. There was a very familiar dress hanging on it. The light - green dress fluttered gently in the wind.
It was the apricot - blossom dress that she had changed out and thrown in the corner because it was dirty with mud and water.
Her face changed. She immediately pointed to the dress and asked, "Why is this dress here?"
Fuling said, "When I was tidying up your room, Miss, I found this dress in the corner. Seeing that there was some mud and water on it, I took it to wash. Miss, did I do something wrong?"
Song Yihuan didn't blame Fuling for moving her things. She was just worried...
Taking a deep breath, she tentatively asked the two maids, "Just now, was it the heir apparent who sent Xuan'er back?"
Chunxing and Fuling glanced at each other and nodded together.
"Did the heir apparent say anything when he came to our courtyard?" Song Yihuan asked tentatively.
Fuling said, "No. After the heir apparent sent Young Master Five back, he left. He didn't stay in Tinglan Courtyard for long."
Song Yihuan looked at Chunxing again, and Chunxing also nodded and said, "Fuling is right. The heir apparent left after sending Young Master Five back."
Song Yihuan breathed a sigh of relief. She glanced at the apricot - blossom dress and suppressed the faint uneasiness in her heart.
That day when she accidentally met Ji Lingchuan in the medical hall, she wore a veil to cover her figure. She wasn't sure if he had seen clearly the dress she was wearing. However, it was better to be more careful. She would never wear this dress again in the future!