Song Yihuan's disguise skills had improved significantly during her time in Xingzhou. Now, disguising herself as Tianqing, the senior maid beside Mrs. Meng, was flawless. Even Chunxing couldn't detect any differences.
The real Tianqing had been knocked out by Feixue and was now placed in an empty wing room.
Mrs. Meng hadn't gone to bed yet. Wrapped in a fox - fur cloak, she leaned on the couch, propping her head up and massaging her temples. Beside her, Song Nanzhe was causing a ruckus.
"Mother, I want that wench's bow. Now that she's back in the Marquis Mansion, go get it for me to play with!"
Mrs. Meng had developed a headache disorder when giving birth to Song Nanzhe. When they returned to the capital, it was snowing. After chatting with Song Yihuan outside the Marquis Mansion for a while, she accidentally caught a chill, and now her head was splitting with pain.
With Song Nanzhe making a fuss beside her, she got so annoyed that she couldn't help but shout:
"Enough! Stop causing trouble! Didn't I tell you that it's a gift from the emperor? No one else but her can touch it. Do you want to bring trouble to the Marquis Mansion?"
Song Nanzhe was stunned for a moment after being shouted at. Then, his mouth twitched, and he burst into tears.
The wet - nurse quickly stepped forward, picked up Song Nanzhe, and cooed softly. Glancing at Mrs. Meng's expression, she carried Song Nanzhe away.
Only then did Song Yihuan step forward with the tray in her hands. Imitating Tianqing's tone and voice, she said, "Madam, this servant has brought the medicinal cuisine. Please have it while it's still hot."
Her ventriloquism skills were excellent, and with Mrs. Meng in such intense pain, she couldn't tell the difference at all. Hearing this, Mrs. Meng sat up, took the bowl of medicinal cuisine from the tray in Song Yihuan's hands, and ate it in small mouthfuls.
Watching Mrs. Meng finish all the medicinal cuisine, Song Yihuan's eyelashes fluttered slightly. Without showing any emotion, she lowered her eyes and stepped forward to massage Mrs. Meng's temples.
Her strength was just right, making Mrs. Meng let out a sigh of comfort. "Your massage skills have improved even more."
Song Yihuan smiled and said, "Isn't it all thanks to your teachings, Madam?"
Whether it was the effect of the medicinal cuisine or Song Yihuan's massage, Mrs. Meng gradually felt drowsy. Seeing this, Song Yihuan said, "Madam, let this servant help you to bed to rest."
Mrs. Meng nodded almost imperceptibly. Song Yihuan then supported Mrs. Meng and helped her lie down on the canopy bed in the back.
As soon as Mrs. Meng's head touched the pillow, she fell into a deep sleep in no time. Song Yihuan sat by the bedside, looking at Mrs. Meng's face, which resembled Song Nanxin's by about six - tenths. Her gaze grew colder and colder.
After a moment, she changed her voice and let out a heart - wrenching sob beside Mrs. Meng's ear.
"Woo - woo - woo. Meng Yulan, I've been suffering so much underground. It's so painful. Come and accompany me soon..."
In the silent room, there came a series of suppressed wails. The sound surrounded the sleeping Mrs. Meng, and she couldn't escape.
Actually, Mrs. Meng wasn't truly asleep. The medicinal cuisine she had just taken was mixed with a special powder that Song Yihuan had put in. This powder was given to her by Qi Lei after paying respects at Rou Caiwei's grave today.
Once a person took this powder, they would fall into a half - awake and half - asleep state. They would think they were asleep, but in fact, they were trapped in a nightmare.
Sure enough, the sobs from Song Yihuan soon made Mrs. Meng react.
"Who, who are you? How do you know my maiden name?" Mrs. Meng frowned and murmured in her sleep.
"Woo - woo - woo. Meng Yulan, how could you not even recognize me? I, I am, I am Rou'er."
Song Yihuan sobbed as she spoke, but her expression was very calm. If someone saw her like this, they would surely be greatly shocked.
Meng Yulan was Mrs. Meng's maiden name. Almost no one in the Marquis Mansion dared to call her this. And Rou'er was the name Rou Caiwei used when serving the Dowager Marquis of Ding'an.
Song Yihuan was taking a gamble, betting that Mrs. Meng would surely react when hearing this name.
"Rou'er, Rou'er... Is that you!" Mrs. Meng frowned tightly, struggling as if she wanted to open her eyes, but the effect of the drug made it impossible for her to get out of the nightmare.
"You've had such a comfortable life these years. Being the mistress of the Marquis Mansion must have been really enjoyable for you! But I died so miserably. I couldn't give birth to such a big baby in my belly. Do you know how painful and desperate I was at that time?"
Mrs. Meng's body trembled uncontrollably at these words.
"Meng Yulan! Why could you give birth to your child smoothly? Why did I have to suffer the pain of a difficult birth? It's all because of you, because of you!"
Song Yihuan's tone became more and more shrill. In the end, she grabbed Mrs. Meng's neck with both hands and tightened her grip slightly.
Mrs. Meng had her throat held down, and her expression became more and more panicked. Trapped in the nightmare, she waved her limbs desperately, trying to break free from the force on her neck that could suffocate her. She said in a flurry:
"It was you who overfed the baby in your belly. What does it have to do with me? You're just a slut who was born charming and seduced the Marquis, which led to the death of the Dowager. This is all your retribution!"
"Humph, retribution?" Song Yihuan sneered and tightened her grip again.
"I'm just a concubine. Where did I get the money to eat and drink extravagantly and overfeed the baby in my belly? It was clearly you who harmed me. Don't think I don't know what you did. You mixed the 'Bēi Mántuó' poison in my clothes, which led to my difficult birth!"
"Every evil thing you've done is clearly recorded in the King of Hell's register. How can you dare to do it but not admit it?"
"What are you talking nonsense about? What 'Bēi Mántuó', what poison? I don't know. I really don't know!" Mrs. Meng waved her limbs desperately. Her eyes were rolling rapidly under her eyelids, looking as if she was about to wake up.
Seeing that she still refused to admit it, Song Yihuan's eyes turned cold, and she tightened her hands forcefully.
"Back then, it was clearly the Marquis who forced himself on me in front of the Dowager, but you guys reversed the truth and ruined my reputation. I was humble and submissive in the Marquis Mansion, not competing with anyone. But you still didn't let me and the baby in my belly go. You caused my difficult birth and death. You poisonous woman, you deserve to die a bad death!"
Feeling the feeling of impending death, Mrs. Meng simply stopped pretending and said, "So what? You're just a low - class maid. What right do you have to give birth to the Wenqu Star? I'm the mistress of the Marquis Mansion. I'm from the Meng family, and my status is much nobler than yours. My child should be the Wenqu Star!"
"I swear to the Buddha that I didn't harm you. I need to accumulate virtue for the Wenqu Star baby in my belly. It's just that your life is as fragile as paper. You killed yourself. You can't blame others. Hahaha..."
Mrs. Meng closed her eyes tightly, her eyelids fluttering rapidly. A triumphant laugh came from her mouth. Song Yihuan's eyes were filled with deep - seated hatred. She wished she could just strangle her step - mother to death to avenge her mother!