A gentle breeze blew in, causing the curtains to sway back and forth. The doctor bowed and repeated what he had said to Yan Ning to Fukang'an. A sudden gust of wind lifted the curtains, and Fukang'an's eyes, like cold swords, shot towards Xiang'er, a cold glint that Yan Ning also caught. Yan Ning couldn't help but shudder, understanding why Xiang'er was so worried that Fukang'an knew about her pregnancy.
Fukang'an picked up the pen on the table, changed "An" to "Duo," and stopped looking into the inner room, striding out of Furong Garden. The doctor held a prescription, his hands trembling uncontrollably, his wrinkled face showing deep lines of bewilderment.
After leaving Furong Garden, Fukang'an went to the study in the main room of Liuxiang Garden in the Fu residence and stared at the painting for a long time. The man in the painting had eyes full of love for his wife and children. No matter what, he had done a lot for him, both openly and secretly. And Fukang'an's father had never intended to harm him. Fukang'an glanced at his hand, which had just touched the calligraphy, and looked away in fear. He quickly left Liuxiang Garden.
Xiang'er looked at Yan Ning with fear and anxiety, tears welling up in her eyes. Without needing to say more, Yan Ning knew Xiang'er's thoughts and forced a smile to comfort her, saying she would do her best to help her.
Yan Ning ran out of Furong Garden, but Fukang'an was nowhere to be seen. The medicine had only been simmering for an hour, but Fukang'an's cold gaze had chilled Yan Ning to the bone. Yan Ning wasn't entirely confident that she could persuade Fukang'an.
Spring's colors were fading, yet a lingering mist still hung over the Hibiscus Garden. Yan Ning quickened her pace, turning onto a cobblestone path towards the Peony Hall, at the end of which lay the Chu Fan Pavilion.
The Chu Fan Pavilion is built by the water, surrounded by several ancient trees that are hundreds of years old. The pavilion has intricately carved windows; leaning against them, one can see a vibrant, verdant landscape. The smooth, cool stone tables and chairs are a favorite spot for the women of the Fucha family to chat in the summer. The walls are inscribed with excerpts from the *Li Sao*, and the half-balustrade is connected to swan-neck chairs, all shaped like fans, hence the name Chu Fan Pavilion (Chu Fan Pavilion).
Passing through Chu Shan Pavilion is the shortest route from Furong Garden to Mudan Hall. Zhu Xiang had taken Yan Ning along this route once before, and in a moment of panic, Yan Ning remembered this path.
Since the birthday banquet ended, the Peony Hall had kept its gates tightly shut. Yan Ning gently knocked on the gate, and a maid came out to tell her that the old lady was not seeing anyone. Yan Ning had no choice but to tell her about Xiang'er's pregnancy and ask her to pass on the message.
A moment later, the courtyard gate opened, and Granny Li personally welcomed Yan Ning inside. The old lady, dressed in a casual cheongsam over a black embroidered chrysanthemum-trimmed vest, sat regally in the main seat, a string of black jade prayer beads in her hand. Seeing Yan Ning enter, she asked before Yan Ning could even stand properly, "Is what you said true?"
Yan Ning curtsied and said, "Madam, please come with me. If there is any falsehood in my words, I am willing to accept severe punishment!" The old lady extended her hand, which was adorned with Buddhist prayer beads, and Yan Ning immediately stepped forward to help her up. The group arrived at Furong Garden in complete silence.
Fukang'an ordered Zhao Xing to take a maid to Furong Garden to supervise Xiang'er taking her medicine. Zhu Xiang's side room was tightly closed, so Zhao Xing had to find Mei Xiang to accompany her. When the old lady entered Furong Garden, Mei Xiang had just taken the prepared medicine into the inner room of the main room, and Zhao Xing waited outside for Mei Xiang to come out.
Upon seeing Zhao Xing and the doctor standing guard outside the main house, with the lush green branches swaying in the courtyard, Yan Ning became even more worried about the situation inside. She quickened her pace, supporting the old lady. The old lady, Han Yan, raised an eyebrow, and Yan Ning stopped, bowing apologetically to the old lady before running into the main house.
Xiang'er carried a bowl of soup/medicine, tears streaming down her face, her withered features seemingly overflowing with tears. Her eyes met Yan Ning's figure, and the glimmer of hope vanished instantly; no one could easily change Fukang'an's decision.
Ignoring the pain in her flower-patterned shoes, Yan Ning ran forward and knocked the medicine out of Xiang'er's hand. Hearing the sound of the jade bowl shattering, the old lady hurried into the main room.
The curtains of the inner room were rolled up, revealing eight folding screens, each resting on a figure-eight shaped base. The screen panels were inlaid with hibiscus, crabapple, orchid, and chrysanthemum using the kingfisher feather inlay technique. Each panel had a transparent flat glass panel inside its frame, and the skirt panels were decorated with guilloché patterns at the corners, with gilded sprigs of flowers in the center.
The old lady walked around the screen and saw the jade bowl broken beside the bed. Xiang'er leaned weakly against Rongxi's chest, and Yan Ning looked at her with pleading eyes. Mei Xiang was overjoyed and quickly moved a round sandalwood chair next to the old lady, then placed a brocade cushion on it. Li Mama saw all of this, but the old lady, preoccupied with the disheveled and rude appearance of her two mistresses, didn't notice Mei Xiang's eager attempt to please her.
At Yan Ning's prompting, Xiang'er crawled on her knees all the way from the bed to the old lady, pleading, "Please, old lady, save my child's life!" She kowtowed repeatedly as she spoke.
The old lady was slightly taken aback when she saw Xiang'er's face clearly. Having not seen her for a month, she had assumed Xiang'er was jealous of Yan Ning and had been staying indoors. She hadn't expected Xiang'er to have tormented herself to this state. A slight dissatisfaction welled up within her, but she was preoccupied with Xiang'er's unborn child and didn't show it on her face. Fukang'an and Xiying had been married for six years and only had one child, Delin. Xiang'er, however, had been in the household for five years, only becoming pregnant in her first year, and then suffering a miscarriage after three months, after which there was no further news.
"Granny Li, fetch the doctor!" The old lady glanced at Yan Ning without revealing her expression, and Yan Ning quickly helped Xiang'er up and back to bed. Although Xiang'er struggled to get up, she was afraid of displeasing the old lady, so she reluctantly returned to bed.
The doctor repeated what he had said to Yan Ning to the old lady through the screen, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he spoke. In just half a day, his dry lips had cracked, and his complexion was much worse than Xiang'er's.
Upon hearing the doctor say that Xiang'er was pregnant, Meixiang disregarded the broken jade bowl on the ground and knelt down to kowtow, "This servant did not know that Consort Lian was pregnant. It was Steward Zhao who brought me here, saying that the General had given Consort Lian a bowl of tonic soup and that this servant should watch Consort Lian drink it! This servant really did not know! Please, Madam, spare my life!"
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