Song Xizhi showed no emotion, simply responding with a faint "yes" before asking the old woman to leave.

However, she continued to do what she was supposed to do. Palace affairs were busy, and she would go to the Imperial Hospital to work early every morning, returning only after dark.

Huang got up early and waited in vain. She was so angry that she felt dizzy, but she knew that Song Xizhi had to go to the Imperial Hospital every day to do his duty. She had nowhere to vent her anger and felt like she was about to vomit blood.

She waited for several more days, but still couldn't see Song Xizhi. Finally, on the day Song Xizhi had a day off, he was about to go out to look at the incense shop when Huang finally had a chance to stop him.

Song Xizhi followed the nanny sent by Madam Huang to Madam Huang's courtyard, where she saw Song Ruoan sitting leisurely at the table, holding her belly with one hand as she ate her breakfast.

Huang sat down next to Song Ruoan, beckoned to Song Xizhi to sit down beside her, her face expressionless.

Song Xizhi nodded, looking at Song Ruoan's cautious appearance, and felt that her actions were a little strange, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was strange about her.

She was about to speak, but before Song Xizhi could, Madam Huang spoke up disapprovingly:

“Now that your sister is pregnant, she still comes to my courtyard every day for meals and tea, but you are hard to invite, always making excuses and refusing to come.”

Song Xizhi smiled and slowly shifted his gaze from Song Ruoan to Huang Shi's face: "I work at the Imperial Hospital, as you know, Mother-in-law."

"However, you must be careful not to let word get out that my sister is pregnant and has been dining in your courtyard every day. Otherwise, if it reaches the ears of the Empress Dowager, it won't just be my sister who will be disobeying the imperial decree, but you as well."

Song Xizhi's words, though seemingly gentle, were actually sharp and insidious. They not only made Huang Shi choke, but also made Song Ruo'an, who was eating nearby, choke and start coughing.

Huang looked embarrassed and quickly glanced at Song Ruoan. Seeing that she was alright, she sighed and then spoke to Song Xizhi, "I know you're busy, so I don't have much to say."

"However, lately, I've been having trouble sleeping because I think about Jingyan's mother."

Song Xizhi raised his eyebrows slightly: "Did she appear in your dream? Or did you do something wrong that you can't sleep at night?"

Huang choked again, gritted her teeth, and began to exert her strength: "I'm afraid the one who has let down our ancestors is you!"

"You know medicine, why don't you take care of yourself? Is it really that you can't have children? You've been in the Marquis's mansion for so long, and your sister is already pregnant, but there's not a single sign of pregnancy in your belly. Anyone who didn't know better would think you were a hen that couldn't lay eggs!"

Huang shouted loudly, and the courtyard was silent. Only her sobbing voice could be heard: "As their mother, I have always treated both of them equally, no matter what. But if this news gets out, people will think that I am biased and have mistreated Jingyan!"

Seeing her crying and making a scene, but without any reaction on her face, Song Xizhi asked impatiently, "So what do you want to do?"

Madam Huang wiped away her tears and continued, "If you can't conceive, don't be so jealous. Making Jingyan leave the backyard empty for you—are you trying to drive the entire Marquis's mansion to its death?"

Oh, so this trap was set to get her to agree to let He Jingyan take a concubine.

Hearing this, Song Xizhi wasn't angry; she just smiled. She was one to say what she meant.

"After you came in, didn't you also leave Father's backyard empty? Not only did you get rid of all those women from before without a trace, but even the children disappeared without a trace, and Father didn't say anything. Now that you're living a comfortable life, you want to make things difficult for me?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Huang's face darkened, and she slammed her hand on the table: "What do you mean by that?"

“I can give birth; I gave birth to a son for Jianbai. How can we be compared?”

"Besides, now that you have an official position, you're always out and about, rarely home. Not only can I, your mother-in-law, not take care of you, but Jingyan is even less able to. There must be someone to serve him!"

As Huang spoke, she turned her head and waved to the nanny.

The old woman understood immediately and soon brought someone up.

The woman was wearing a light blue dress embroidered with delicate begonia patterns. Although the fabric was not particularly luxurious, it looked elegant and appropriate on her, and surprisingly beautiful.

The woman had an oval face, neither too wide nor too narrow, and a gentle and graceful demeanor. The corners of her eyes and eyebrows had just the right curves. Although she didn't have the innocent and lively charm of a woman of marriageable age, she exuded composure and dignity.

Song Xizhi looked at the person in front of him and frowned slightly, feeling that her appearance was somewhat familiar: "Who is this person?"

“This is my distant niece, named Huang Suyi. I met Jingyan at the estate before.”

Upon hearing this, Song Xizhi seemed to suddenly remember something, and then asked, "Is this girl quite old?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Suyi trembled and stared at Song Xizhi's face in disbelief.

Mrs. Huang was also very surprised. She had just met the girl yesterday and thought she was so pretty that she couldn't tell her age at all.

Moreover, although she appears dignified and proper on the surface, a quick glance from her dark eyes reveals that she is restless and unsettled at heart.

It makes sense. If she were a proper girl, how could she have fallen in love at first sight when she was young, and then stubbornly refused to get married, waiting anxiously for him?

If she were placed in He Jingyan's courtyard, Song Xizhi would be too busy to care for her, and she might actually steal all of Song Xizhi's favor.

After all, what man in the world doesn't need a woman's tender and gentle companionship?

But she didn't expect that Song Xizhi could tell her age at a glance.

Huang grabbed Huang Suyi's hand, shook it slightly to comfort her, and then explained to Song Xizhi, "She is six years older than Jingyan, but what does that matter?"

"The ancients said that one should repay a life-saving favor with one's own body. Eleven years ago, when Jing Yan and the Marquis were resting at the estate, they went out hunting one day and rescued my distant niece."

"This girl truly loves him, and since then, her heart has been unable to hold anyone else. She hasn't been engaged yet. She says that even if she marries into the Marquis's mansion, she'd be happy to be a maid. But looking at her, I think even being a concubine would be worthwhile!"

Song Xizhi recalled the time he fell into the lake and calculated the time. He figured that He Jingyan must have been there when he saw injustice and saved the young lady Huang in front of him.

She sighed, "Was my husband only nine years old at that time?"

Madam Huang knew that Song Xizhi was going to bring up the issue of age, so she immediately spoke earnestly:

"Don't be too jealous or too preoccupied. If I were you, I'm afraid I would be searching for concubines for my husband without my mother-in-law even having to say anything."

"What does age matter? As long as the lineage of the Marquis of Anding continues, that's all that matters!"