The night was as cool as water. After Ji Lingchuan left, Song Yihuan lay on the wooden bed where she had slept for more than a decade. She found it increasingly difficult to fall asleep.
The room in front of her was extremely familiar. It was the place where Song Yihuan had lived for more than a decade since childhood. She should have felt nostalgic, but for some reason, perhaps because many people were missing, she felt that the room was incredibly empty. Even though there was a charcoal brazier burning, she couldn't shake off the chill that kept seeping into her body.
Back then, it was Song Yihuan's stepmother, Meng Shi, who was first found to be pregnant. Not long after Meng Shi spread the good news, Song Yihuan's mother was also diagnosed with pregnancy.
When Marquis Ding'an forced himself on Song Yihuan's mother, Meng Shi was already pregnant. At that time, her belly was starting to show, and the time when Song Yihuan's mother and Meng Shi conceived their second children was even closer.
Ever since Song Yihuan's mother became a concubine in the Marquis's Mansion, Meng Shi had been trying every means to make trouble for her. After Song Yihuan's mother conceived Xuan'er, she was worried that Meng Shi would find fault with them again. However, Meng Shi had a difficult pregnancy this time, which tortured her so much that she had no time to care about others. Only then did Song Yihuan's mother get a chance to catch her breath.
In contrast, Song Yihuan's mother had a very stable pregnancy. Xuan'er was extremely well - behaved and didn't cause his mother too much trouble. Sure enough, after he was born, he had a very calm disposition.
The real change happened when Song Yihuan's mother was eight or nine months pregnant. As Chun Xing said, Meng Shi almost miscarried in July, and the mansion invited a female Buddhist nun to pray for blessings. Calculating in this way, the time matched.
She absent - mindedly placed her fingers on her lower abdomen.
It was really not easy for a woman to be pregnant for ten months. Only the woman herself knew the hardships. Song Yihuan's mother had been so cautious for so long, thinking that she could give birth to the child safely. Who would have thought that she would suffer such torture.
What would happen if she had a child one day?
She then laughed at herself.
What kind of dream was she having?
The Princess of Ningqin had such a deep prejudice against her. If she really had a child, everything would be set in stone.
Moreover, she had slept with Ji Lingchuan many times but still hadn't conceived. Perhaps this was also God's warning to her that their social statuses were so different that they were simply not suitable for each other.
It was almost dawn before Song Yihuan finally fell into a hazy sleep. When she woke up again, it was almost noon.
There was a sound of footsteps outside. Song Yihuan got up and looked out of the door. She saw Chun Xing walking towards her with a tray in her arms. The tray was full of food, and Chun Xing was smiling happily.
"Fourth Miss, come and take a look. Since we came back from Xingzhou, these people don't dare to look down on us anymore. The breakfast, which used to be rationed to only two or three mouthfuls, is all prepared today."
The little maid's mind was very simple. She would be overjoyed just to get something to eat.
Song Yihuan looked at the food Chun Xing had brought back. The porridge was hot, and the cakes were freshly made. It was indeed different from before.
Song Yihuan was really hungry. She picked up the bowl and was about to eat when Fei Xue stopped her. "Miss, wait a moment."
Fei Xue took out a silver needle from her bosom. She carefully tested the porridge for poison, then tasted it herself. After confirming that the food was safe, she let Song Yihuan eat.
Song Yihuan was hungry at first, but after the food entered her mouth, she lost her appetite. She could only eat a few mouthfuls and couldn't eat anymore. Not wanting the two maids to worry, she still forced herself to swallow most of it.
Chun Xing wiped the corners of Song Yihuan's lips and said happily, "Fourth Miss, when I came back just now, I quietly heard someone say that the Marquis's wife fell ill as soon as she got up this morning, and a doctor was invited to see her."
Song Yihuan curled her lips. "She fell ill so soon? She's really a coward."
Meng Shi probably never thought that the so - called "seeing a ghost" was man - made, and this was just the beginning. There would be more difficult days ahead for her.
Fei Xue also said, "I also received news from the Prince of Ningqin's Mansion this morning. I heard that last night, the Princess of the Heir Apparent wanted to stay in the Prince's Mansion because of her injury, but the Heir Apparent drove her out overnight. Finally, she took a carriage to the other courtyard."
Song Yihuan's smile became even broader.
She knew that her elder sister wouldn't be willing to go to the other courtyard, but she couldn't resist Ji Lingchuan's tough attitude. In some ways, he was really a heartless man. She had also suffered a lot from his cold - shouldering back then.
Remembering that Ji Lingchuan had said that he hated being deceived the most when the truth was exposed, her smile faded. She raised her hand and touched her lower abdomen.
After breakfast, it was already noon.
The weather was excellent today. The snow outside had stopped, and the thick clouds that had been hanging over the capital city had dispersed. The bright sunlight shone on the ground, adding a unique beauty to the snow scene in the capital.
At six quarters past noon, Chun Xing walked in from outside and stuffed a note into Song Yihuan's hand.
"Fourth Miss, this was just given to me by a beggar. Hurry up and open it to have a look." Chun Xing said in a low voice.
Qi Lei usually set up a noodle stall at the painting boat dock. He not only knew many boatmen but also often gave the leftover noodles to the beggars near the dock. The beggars were very grateful to Qi Lei and would usually help him run errands.
Now, these beggars had become Song Yihuan's most important means of gathering information.
Song Yihuan unfolded the crumpled paper in her hand and couldn't help but chuckle after reading the words on it.
Her dear elder sister, after being driven to the other courtyard overnight, couldn't wait to return to the city the next day. But she didn't go back to the Prince of Ningqin's Mansion. Instead, she went to the Qionglimei Troupe.
If her elder sister hadn't been so impatient, Song Yihuan might still have had some doubts. But seeing her like this, the identities of "Bai Shao" and the man who had chased and killed her in the Yangjing Mountain forest that day were obvious.
Perhaps, Xuan'er's death was also related to that man.
After making some preparations, Song Yihuan took her two maids, Chun Xing and Fei Xue, out of the Marquis's Mansion and headed towards a certain place in the city.
...
In the Prince of Ningqin's Mansion, Ji Lingchuan was sitting in the study, writing his "Miscellaneous Notes on Yangshan" with a brush. There was a knock on the door, and Fuzhou then pushed the door open and walked in.
"My lord, the Princess of the Heir Apparent took a carriage and left the other courtyard at three quarters past the hour of the snake and went into the city to the Qionglimei Troupe."
Ji Lingchuan didn't reply immediately. Instead, he continued to focus on writing his article. After finishing the last stroke, he put down the brush and spread out the paper so that the ink on it would dry faster.
He moved his wrist a little and looked at Fuzhou. "Was she alone?"
Fuzhou replied, "Yes."
Ji Lingchuan's eyes were deep. He asked Fuzhou, "How about Jiang Heng? How is that maid now?"
Fuzhou said, "She's still unconscious, but with Brother Jiang taking care of her personally, there shouldn't be any problems."
He stood up and said, "Get ready. Come with me out."
Fuzhou responded and followed behind Ji Lingchuan. He asked, "My lord, are you going to see that girl named Fuling?"
Ji Lingchuan glanced at him and said coldly, "No. We're going to the Qionglimei Troupe."