So many things had happened today, and there were already a lot of questions in Chun Xing's mind. Seeing Song Yihuan so calm at this moment, as if she was not at all surprised about the Princess of Ning's invitation to see her, she couldn't help but ask,
"Miss, why don't you seem scared at all? And, how, how could you..."
"Be pregnant?" Song Yihuan finished her sentence for her.
"You'll know when we get to the princess's place later. If the princess asks you anything, just tell the truth. Don't worry about me."
Chun Xing was completely confused, but seeing that Song Yihuan was not afraid, her panicked heart gradually calmed down.
In the Princess of Ning's room, she was sitting on a chair, closing her eyes and turning the Buddhist beads in her hand. There was no expression on her face.
Ji Lingchuan was sitting beside her. He was still wearing the armor he had on yesterday. The silver light on the armor exuded a coldness that made people feel intimidated.
Below, Marquis Ding'an, Lady Meng, as well as Song Nanxin and Song Nanzhe were all present.
Marquis Ding'an and Lady Meng were suddenly summoned by the Princess of Ning. They thought the princess had called them here because of the missing Song Yixuan. However, they had been sitting here for so long, but the princess had remained silent all the time, which left an uneasiness lingering in their hearts.
There were three knocks on the door, and Chun Xing's voice came from outside.
"Princess, our miss has gotten up. She has come especially to pay her respects to you."
The Princess of Ning, who had been closing her eyes and turning the Buddhist beads, and Ji Lingchuan, who had been silent, both raised their heads at the same time and looked towards the door.
The door was opened, and Song Yihuan walked in from outside. Her face was full of grief, and her steps were heavy. Coupled with her charming appearance and delicate figure, even the Princess of Ning felt pity for her.
Chun Xing was simply amazed. She had never noticed that her miss could change her expression so quickly. Clearly, she had been calm outside the door, but in front of the princess and the young master, she looked heart - broken.
Seeing Song Yihuan coming, Song Nanxin tightly grasped the armrest of the chair. Her originally clear, elegant and flawless face now looked a bit distorted because of resentment.
Because she often took pills, at this moment, she felt as if her chest was about to explode. There was a breath stuck in her chest, and she couldn't let it out.
Marquis Ding'an and Lady Meng glanced at each other. They didn't know what the Princess of Ning was up to.
Song Yihuan walked up to the Princess of Ning, bent her knees and saluted, "Yihuan pays respects to the princess."
The Princess of Ning paused in her movement of turning the Buddhist beads and said indifferently, "You're in a weak state. Sit down over there."
"Yes." Song Yihuan replied with her head down and sat down in the empty seat beside.
Marquis Ding'an couldn't hold back anymore and asked, "Princess, Young Master, you've summoned us here. What exactly is the matter?"
Song Yixuan was missing, but the people from the Marquis Ding'an's Mansion didn't seem to be in a hurry at all. There was not the slightest trace of grief on their faces. They seemed not to be Song Yixuan's relatives at all. They had been sitting here for so long and hadn't even asked a single concerned word.
Oh, no wonder they could raise a daughter like Song Nanxin who was so audacious.
The Princess of Ning's face turned even colder. She said softly, "I've summoned the marquis and the marquis's wife here today. There is indeed a very urgent matter."
"Please feel free to speak, Princess." Lady Meng said with a smile.
"The marriage between the Mansion of the Prince of Ning and the Marquis Ding'an's Mansion was bestowed by the Empress Dowager. If it weren't for the imperial bestowal, with the status of the Marquis Ding'an's Mansion, the young master's wife would only be worthy of being a concubine for Chuan'er."
As soon as the Princess of Ning said this, the smiles on Marquis Ding'an and Lady Meng's faces disappeared without a trace.
What this meant was that if it weren't for the imperial bestowal, with the status of their marquis's mansion, Song Nanxin would never have been qualified to marry into the Mansion of the Prince of Ning.
This was indeed the truth.
The Prince of Ning was the real - blooded brother of the late emperor, and the Princess of Ning was the younger sister of the current Empress Dowager. Ji Lingchuan was deeply trusted by the emperor. The Mansion of the Prince of Ning was extremely powerful.
Among the dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts and barons, if they were to choose a young master's wife, there were many unmarried daughters in the Duke Jiang's Mansion. It wouldn't be Song Nanxin's turn.
But for the Princess of Ning to say it so bluntly was to slap the face of the Marquis Ding'an's Mansion. It also showed that the Princess of Ning was already dissatisfied with this marriage.
Hearing this, Song Yihuan's eyelashes trembled slightly. She also understood that the Princess of Ning was taking this opportunity to warn her not to have any unrealistic ideas.
If the eldest sister was only worthy of being a concubine, then what about her?
Marquis Ding'an forced a smile and said, "The princess is right. We are also deeply honored to become relatives with the prince's mansion."
"Deeply honored?" The Princess of Ning repeated these four words and let out a soft laugh. "But your good daughter doesn't think so."
The Princess of Ning looked at Song Nanxin, her gaze as sharp as a knife. "She married Chuan'er, but had an affair with someone else. She got pregnant with someone else's child behind Chuan'er's back, and had a miscarriage, which made her unable to conceive again. She even found her younger sister to consummate the marriage and gain favor, intending to have a child through surrogacy. Is this the family education of your Marquis Ding'an's Mansion?"
The Princess of Ning's words were like two thunderbolts, striking hard on Marquis Ding'an and Lady Meng's heads. Marquis Ding'an was shocked and immediately looked at Song Nanxin, blurting out,
"Is this really true?"
Then he looked at the Princess of Ning again and quickly explained, "Xin'er has been very obedient and well - behaved since she was a child. She has always been the most worry - free for us. How could she do such a thing? Is there some misunderstanding in this?"
After Lady Meng came to her senses, she also quickly said, "Misunderstanding. This must be a misunderstanding!"
"Misunderstanding?" The Princess of Ning sneered. "Doctor Zhong from the palace said it himself. Where is the misunderstanding? Today, the Marquis Ding'an's Mansion must give me an explanation!"
Song Nanxin bit her lower lip. She got up and knelt firmly in front of the Princess of Ning, crying,
"Mother - in - law, I'm sorry. I've let down the young master and the good intentions of the Empress Dowager."
"I... I did lose my virginity. I was pregnant once and took medicine to abort the fetus. I admit all these. But mother - in - law, it wasn't my will. I, I was forced!"
"Xin'er!" Lady Meng blurted out, with tears streaming down her face. "You, you're so foolish!"
Hearing Song Nanxin admit it with her own ears, the Princess of Ning finally felt relieved. But catching the key word in her words, she frowned again.
"Forced? According to Doctor Zhong's diagnosis, you had the abortion after you married into the Mansion of the Prince of Ning. At that time, the young master was not in the capital. Who in the Mansion of the Prince of Ning was so audacious to force you, the young master's wife?"
Ji Lingchuan also looked at Song Nanxin, who was crying like a delicate flower in the rain, waiting for her to give an explanation.
Song Nanxin sobbed and said, "Mother - in - law, do you still remember that I went out once in March this year and went to the Changyue Nunnery to pray for the young master?"
The Princess of Ning remembered this and frowned. "There are only nuns in the Changyue Nunnery. You can't tell me that the nuns forced you to get pregnant?"
Song Yihuan frowned. She had a bad premonition in her heart.
Song Nanxin cried, "No. After I left the Changyue Nunnery, on my way back, I was... defiled by a bandit!"
As soon as these words were said, everyone's faces in the room changed.