Chapter 182: Chapter 182: Life and Death (Part 3)
She thought about it and shook her head again, then smiled helplessly. He might hear about Tong Xiyan’s matters from outsiders, but how could he possibly know the fate of those nameless maids in the mansion?
Suddenly, she wanted to see Madam Xia, very much wanted to see her. She immediately tossed away the embroidery frame and tried to get out of bed. Chunyan quickly stepped forward and held her down, saying, "Miss, the physician said that your knee has caught a chill. If you don’t take good care of it, it might leave a chronic condition. You absolutely must not go out these days!"
Xiqiu sighed and nodded, saying, "I won’t go out, then. You can go visit Madam Xia for me, and then check on the Seventh Young Master in the outer courtyard. See if he’s dressed warmly. With the recent heavy snow, he should wear the pair of boots I made with tread on the soles to prevent slipping."
Chunyan nodded repeatedly, "I’ll go right away!" Just as Xiqiu suddenly called her back, "Wear a cloak!" This year’s winter was exceptionally cold. It was only November, yet it had already snowed three times. Today’s sun had barely come out for half a day, but the temperature dropped significantly, making it even colder!
At this moment, compared to Xinzhu’s desolation, Chunyan felt a warm feeling in her heart from Xiqiu’s concern. Smiling, she lifted the curtain and went out the door.
Xiqiu leaned against the pillow. With her understanding of Tong Xiyan, she was afraid this matter would not end just like that. After a while, Chunyan returned, and with her was Siliu, who hadn’t shown up for a long time. Xiqiu smiled, sat up, and looked at her plumper body and large belly, saying, "The ground is slippery, if you have anything, let the little maid come in and inform me. Why come in person?"
Sixing brought a chair for Siliu to sit by the edge of the heated bed. Siliu caressed her belly with a sweet, blushing face and said, "It’s my husband who sent me." Sixing covered her mouth and laughed, "Look at this, calling him husband now. Our fearless and money-eyed Siliu is finally subdued by Fugui."
Siliu gave Sixing a sidelong glance, still pouting her lips as she did in the past when angry, "Not at all, I just give him some face outside the house. At home, he dares not disobey me."
Xiqiu also laughed, looking at Siliu’s belly, asking, "Why does your belly look so large? Have you had a physician look at it?" She remembered Tong Xihua’s belly wasn’t this big at five months.
Siliu giggled, "I did consult one, and they said...said it’s a twin pregnancy... So I wanted to visit you while my belly is still manageable. After six months, I’m afraid I won’t even be able to walk."
Xiqiu gasped in surprise and couldn’t help but reach out to touch Siliu’s belly, her face full of joy, "That’s wonderful, having two at once saves a lot of trouble." She suddenly thought, "Is the midwife arranged? One might not be enough. I’ll make a list for you later, so before giving birth, have Fugui prepare everything according to it. Make sure to follow the list." The risk of childbirth was truly great, especially since there were no disinfected facilities or quarantined rooms at the time. If there was any infection or carelessness during the process, the consequences would be unthinkable.
Siliu nodded repeatedly, "I’ve already instructed Fugui long ago. I still remember everything you taught me before, but if you could make a list, that would be even better."
Chunyan smiled and handed tea to Siliu, squatting down to touch her belly, she couldn’t help but say, "This time having two, there’s no escaping one becoming my godson." Sixing and Siliu laughed aloud, "Look at her, unmarried yet already thinking about having a son."
Xiqiu also smiled, genuinely happy for Siliu.
Siliu smiled, then paused, glanced at the door curtain, and lowered her voice to Xiqiu, "Miss, it seems Jiang Shilin isn’t going to make it." Xiqiu’s heart skipped a beat, she looked at her nervously, "Who did you hear that from?"
"You may not know in the mansion, but it’s spread everywhere outside. They say the Emperor transferred more than a dozen imperial physicians from the palace, but even after a whole night, they couldn’t wake him. It’s said that early this morning they sounded the death knell in the mansion!"
Is he really dead? Xiqiu couldn’t believe it. For the scholars of Great Zhou, Jiang Shilin was like a legend; springing from a commoner family to become a universally admired explorer of Great Zhou, receiving countless praises from the Emperor during the final imperial examination. He was once a promising future pillar of the court, but because of differing political views with the Third Prince, he left in anger!
He opened a private school outside the city to teach the common people’s children, yet because his reputation was too great, he had to continuously expand the private school, gradually forming the well-known Qianshan Academy in Great Zhou. Someone like that, just died?
"Did the death knell truly come from the Jiang Mansion?"
Siliu nodded, "That’s what they all say!" Xiqiu pulled Siliu, asking, "Is there any news outside about the Fourth Miss of the Tong Mansion?"
"No, my husband even went out to check, and no one knows about the Fourth Miss’s matters. Miss, you don’t have to worry." Xiqiu breathed a sigh of relief, for now, everyone’s concern was on the war in Fujian, and now that there’s a matter with Jiang Shilin, Tong Xiyan’s smaller affairs might have been covered up by Tong Shen Zhi or drowned out by the affairs of Jiang Shilin and Fujian.
Xiqiu leaned silently on the dark swan flower-patterned pillow. Siliu and Sixing looked at her worriedly, and Chunyan laughed, pulling Siliu, "It’s rare for you to come, let’s go to my room for a while. I made a few pairs of shoes recently, you can take them back."
Siliu nodded and quietly rose, supported by Chunyan and Sixing on either side, "Is Miss worried about Fourth Miss?"
Chunyan nodded, "Afraid that Fourth Miss will cause more trouble." She sighed as she spoke, and the three of them walked out in succession.
On Tong Xiyan’s side, indeed all was not well. She was holding Nanny Fang’s hand, pleading with her, "Nanny, I know it’s difficult for you; I won’t ask you to do anything else, just bring Big Brother here for me."
Nanny Fang looked hesitantly at the door, then heartbreakingly at Tong Xiyan’s small, thin face, thought for a moment, and finally nodded, "Alright, Nanny will make a trip for you."
Tong Xiyan cried, thanking Nanny Fang, and after leaving the room, Nanny Fang went to the Lady’s quarters. The Lady was sitting at the bed drinking tea, and seeing Nanny Fang come in, she asked, "What did she say?"
Nanny Fang replied, "She said she wants to see the master."
The Lady furrowed her brows and, after a moment, nodded, "Shenzhi has a straightforward personality and doesn’t beat around the bush. Letting him speak might actually be better, cutting off her hopes once and for all, so she won’t harbor any expectations!" Nanny Fang sighed and went to the outer courtyard to call Tong Shen Zhi. Coincidentally, Xu Tianqing was also there. The two were discussing something, but Nanny Fang only heard the phrase "Young Master Jiang," missing everything else. She went in with a smile and told Tong Shen Zhi about Tong Xiyan’s request.
Tong Shen Zhi stood up and said to Xu Tianqing, "Please sit for a moment; I’ll go take a look."
Xu Tianqing didn’t look very good himself, nodding, "I’ll go to the Jiang Mansion and see." With that, he walked out the door side by side with Tong Shen Zhi.