At dawn the next day, a carriage left the Prince Ning's suburban villa and drove into the city towards the Marquis Ding'an's Mansion.
Song Nanxin was sitting in the carriage, accompanied by Nanny Zhao and a maid.
For some reason, perhaps because Nanny Zhao had told her yesterday that Song Yihuan had asked the Abbess Mingfa about two birth - dates at the Changyue Nunnery, Song Nanxin felt a strange uneasiness on the way back to the Marquis Ding'an's Mansion.
Why did Song Yihuan suddenly ask about those two birth - dates?
Had she sensed something?
"Miss, Miss?" Nanny Zhao called out several times before Song Nanxin came back to her senses.
"We're at the Marquis's Mansion, Miss. It's time to get off," Nanny Zhao said.
Song Nanxin steadied her mind and got off the carriage with the support of Nanny Zhao and the other maid. Remembering that Ji Lingchuan had said he would return to the Marquis's Mansion with her today to pay a visit, Song Nanxin didn't go inside but waited in place for a while.
Before long, two carriages were seen slowly approaching. The one in the front was very imposing, while the one behind was quite ordinary.
Song Nanxin exchanged a look with Nanny Zhao beside her, both wondering who was in the carriage behind.
When the carriages drew near, Song Nanxin put on a smile and stepped forward. After the carriages stopped, Ji Lingchuan got out. To Song Nanxin's surprise, it was Nanny Chen, who served beside the Princess Ning, who emerged from the carriage behind.
Song Nanxin clenched her fists. Why had Nanny Chen come too?
Song Nanxin suppressed her thoughts and stepped forward to curtsy to Ji Lingchuan. "Your humble wife pays respects to the Heir Apparent."
Ji Lingchuan responded with a faint grunt. His eyes didn't even land on her. Instead, he seemed to sense something and looked towards the side gate of the Marquis's Mansion.
The next moment, Song Yihuan, wearing a light - pink cape, walked out with two maids.
"I thought I misheard when the gatekeeper came to report. I didn't expect the Heir Apparent, the young lady, and Nanny to come today," Song Yihuan said with a faint smile on her face. Then she looked at Nanny Chen, who was standing behind.
"Nanny Chen, it's been a few days. How is the Princess?"
Nanny Chen stepped forward and replied, "The Princess has been in good health recently. Learning that the Marquis and his wife have fallen ill, she specially sent this old servant here with some top - grade ginseng and ganoderma to pay a visit."
Song Yihuan said, "The Princess is so kind."
She smiled gently. "I walk slowly, making everyone wait outside for a while. I hope you'll forgive me. It's windy outside. Let's go inside quickly and have a cup of hot tea."
Seeing Song Yihuan acting like the mistress of the Marquis's Mansion, Song Nanxin snorted coldly in her heart and said, "You're pregnant now. It's natural for you to walk slowly. If you accidentally stumble and hurt the baby in your belly, it would be a great loss."
Song Yihuan heard the implicit threat in Song Nanxin's words, but she showed no sign of annoyance. "Thank you, sister, for understanding my difficulties. For the sake of the baby in my belly, I'll surely be careful."
After saying that, she looked at Ji Lingchuan with her bright eyes. Although she didn't say a word, her eyes seemed to contain a thousand words.
Ji Lingchuan's Adam's apple bobbed up and down. He slightly avoided her gaze and strode towards the Marquis's Mansion, looking cold. "I heard that the Marquis and the Marchioness are ill. Are they feeling better now?"
"Not only are they not better, but their conditions have even worsened. After Father and Mother fell ill, I invited several doctors in the city, but they were all at a loss about Father and Mother's symptoms," Song Yihuan said as she walked beside him. Although there was some distance between them, their steps were in sync. From behind, they looked extremely well - matched.
This made Nanny Chen narrow her eyes slightly.
Song Yihuan's voice came from the front. "It's already the third day that Father has been in a coma with a high fever, and Mother..."
Song Nanxin asked anxiously, "What's wrong with Mother?!"
Song Yihuan replied, "She has brought down the fever, but it seems that she has gone crazy and can't recognize anyone."
"What did you say?!"
Song Nanxin didn't expect that Meng would be so seriously ill. Her face turned very ugly after hearing this. Immediately, she lifted her skirt and rushed past Ji Lingchuan towards Meng's Qiushuang Courtyard.
Watching her hurried back, Ji Lingchuan didn't change his pace at all. He still walked forward at the same frequency as before.
"I'll go and check on the Marquis Ding'an," Ji Lingchuan said. Glancing at Song Yihuan beside him, he added, "It's cold and the road is slippery. Walk slowly. There's no need to rush."
Song Yihuan nodded. After watching him leave, she turned to Nanny Chen and said, "Nanny, this way, please."
When Song Nanxin rushed into Meng's room, she saw Meng grabbing Song Nanzhe, trying to strangle him.
Song Nanxin was so scared that her heart almost stopped. She immediately stepped forward to separate them.
"Mother, what are you doing? This is Zhe'er!"
Meng ignored Song Nanxin's words and only wanted to strangle the child in her hand. "This is a ghost fetus, a ghost fetus that crawled out of that slut's belly. He will hinder the future of the entire Marquis's Mansion. I'm going to kill him, kill him!"
Song Nanzhe was only four years old. How could he be a match for Meng? He was being choked until his eyes rolled up. If Song Nanxin hadn't arrived in time, he might really have died in Meng's hands.
After being rescued, Song Nanzhe immediately threw himself into Song Nanxin's arms and cried loudly. Holding her younger brother in her arms, Song Nanxin looked at the crazy Meng. Her heart sank.
Meng's hair was in a mess, her face was pale, her eyes were evasive and listless, and her body had become much thinner. She was completely different from when she had just returned to the capital from Xingzhou a few days ago.
At this time, she had been held back by Nanny Zhao and other maids, but her expression was still very panicked. She kept saying, "There's a ghost, there's a ghost. She, she's come back to take revenge on me."
"Mother, look clearly. It's daytime now. There are no ghosts here!" Song Nanxin shouted.
Song Nanzhe in her arms had come to his senses by now. Pointing at Meng, he shouted angrily, "She's not my mother. She's just a crazy woman! This Heir Apparent will drive her out of the Marquis's Mansion!"
"Shut up!" Song Nanxin scolded. "What are you talking nonsense about? Mother is just ill, not crazy. Someone, take the young Heir Apparent back to his room. He's not allowed to come near Qiushuang Courtyard again!"
Although she was already married, her authority still remained. The servants, who had been scared out of their wits, finally came to their senses and stepped forward to carry Song Nanzhe away in a hurry.
Seeing Song Nanzhe being taken away, Meng's emotions became agitated again. "Kill that little bastard. He's not worthy of being the God of Literature. He's not worthy of being the heir of the Marquis's Mansion! A child born to a low - born maid has no right to compete for the position of the Heir Apparent of the Marquis's Mansion!"
When Song Yihuan brought Nanny Chen to Qiushuang Courtyard, she heard what Meng had just said.
There was no change in Song Yihuan's face, but Nanny Chen's complexion changed slightly.
The person Meng was talking about was probably not Song Nanzhe, but Song Yixuan.
Song Nanxin didn't notice Song Yihuan and Nanny Chen's arrival. She raised her hand and slapped Meng. "That's enough! Wake up! He's the child you carried for nine months. He's the legitimate son of the Marquis's Mansion!"
After receiving this slap, Meng regained a bit of consciousness. But when she caught a glimpse of Song Yihuan's figure from the corner of her eye, her reaction became even more violent.
"Slut! It's you who made my Xin'er about to be divorced. I'm going to kill you!"
She reacted violently, broke free from the maids' restraint, and rushed towards Song Yihuan, her eyes fixed on Song Yihuan's belly.
Nanny Chen's face suddenly changed. She exclaimed, "Miss Four, be careful!"