The Prince of Pingyang looked at the small hand gripping his own, then turned his gaze to Duoduo.
"Are you worried I might kill him?"
Duoduo initially wanted to deny it, but she honestly nodded her head.
"Father, every time you are thinking about a problem, you stroke your thumb ring."
"And when you are about to kill someone, you spin it endlessly."
The Prince of Pingyang frowned.
Was he that obvious?
Subconsciously, the Prince of Pingyang reached out to stroke the jade thumb ring.
The next second, he abruptly stopped his hand.
No!
Duoduo looked at her father with some curiosity. "Father, did I say something wrong?"
The Prince of Pingyang looked at Duoduo.
"No."
"On the contrary, you did the right thing!"
"It was father who was careless. You reminded me, and I should thank you!"
Duoduo revealed a brilliant smile.
"You're welcome!"
"Father, please don't kill that old man. He is a good person."
The Prince of Pingyang nodded.
"Alright, father will listen to you."
Duoduo's eyes lit up.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang watched the father and daughter converse with a smile on her face.
"Your Highness, let me push you back to your room."
The Princess Consort of Pingyang felt a pang of heartache.
Because the Prince of Pingyang could not stand, he was confined to a wheelchair.
To avoid causing trouble for those around him, the Prince of Pingyang ate and drank very little.
Today, from the morning until now, the Prince of Pingyang had only relieved himself once.
Moreover, he had been sitting in the chair for a long time.
The imperial physician had said that sitting for too long was bad for his health.
The Prince of Pingyang nodded; he was indeed tired.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang pushed the Prince of Pingyang into the room and noticed that his complexion looked slightly off.
"Your Highness, do you need to change your clothes? Shall I help you?"
The Prince of Pingyang shook his head. "Take Duoduo outside for a while and have the guards come in."
Understanding what he meant, the Princess Consort of Pingyang took Duoduo's hand and led her out of the room.
Waiting outside the room, Duoduo curiously pressed her face against the crack of the door to peek inside.
She saw the guard struggling to lift the Prince of Pingyang and carry him into the side room.
After quite a while, the guard came out carrying the Prince of Pingyang, his face flushed red.
The Prince of Pingyang's face was terrifyingly gloomy.
The guard quickly came out to open the door, hurriedly bowing as he passed the Princess Consort of Pingyang.
"This subordinate is going to fetch a change of clothes for His Highness. His Highness asks that the Princess Consort wait before entering."
The Princess Consort of Pingyang was slightly startled.
But in an instant, she realized what had happened.
The Prince of Pingyang had soiled his clothes!
A look of worry appeared on her face.
Duoduo craned her neck to look up at the Princess Consort of Pingyang.
"Mother, why won't father let us go in?"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang forced a smile.
"It is not convenient for your father right now. We will go in a little later."
Duoduo nodded obediently.
"Mother, father is so pitiful!"
The same emotion welled up in the Princess Consort of Pingyang's heart.
If she had fallen into the Prince of Pingyang's state, she definitely wouldn't want to live anymore.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang recalled the days when the Prince of Pingyang was first injured and receiving treatment in the manor.
The imperial physician came every day to administer acupuncture. The Prince of Pingyang's body would be covered in silver needles, looking just like a hedgehog.
Bowl after bowl of medicinal decoctions were brought in, their smell alone enough to make one nauseous.
Yet, whether it was the acupuncture or the bitter medicine, the Prince of Pingyang accepted it all without changing his expression.
Later, the imperial physician pronounced that the Prince of Pingyang would never stand again for the rest of his life.
Upon hearing this, the Prince of Pingyang merely locked himself in his room for several days and nights in complete silence.
From then on, the Prince of Pingyang seemed to have accepted his reality.
He started eating and exercised his arm strength morning and night.
After some time, he was able to support himself to sit up for a while.
Eventually, the Prince of Pingyang resumed all his daily routines.
Reading, practicing calligraphy, playing chess...
Once the Prince of Pingyang was fully capable of moving around in his wheelchair, he requested to return to his fiefdom.
After a few sighs, the Emperor approved the Prince of Pingyang's petition.
Just like that, the Prince of Pingyang returned to Xianyang.
Out of guilt, the Emperor bestowed many rewards upon the Prince of Pingyang.
Gold, silver, jewels, and fine silks filled several entire carriages.
The guard came running back. The Princess Consort of Pingyang snapped out of her daze and pulled Duoduo, who was trying to peek through the door again, a little further away.
Actually, Duoduo had already seen it.
A large patch of the Prince of Pingyang's trouser leg was wet.
Duoduo tugged at the Princess Consort of Pingyang to pull her down. Looking puzzled, the Princess Consort of Pingyang bent over.
"Mother, father wet his pants!"
Duoduo whispered closely into the Princess Consort of Pingyang's ear.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang covered Duoduo's mouth. "Shh! Your father will be sad if he hears you! We must pretend we know nothing!"
Seeing the sad expression on the Princess Consort of Pingyang's face, Duoduo nodded.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang let go of her hand and looked inside with concern.
Usually, it was Ling Feng who attended to the Prince of Pingyang.
At this moment, Ling Feng had been sent out on an errand.
The guard from just now must have lacked experience, which led to the current situation.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang hoped Ling Feng would return quickly.
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.
Ling Feng walked in from outside with a few guards, a wide smile on his face.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang waved at Ling Feng. Ling Feng hurriedly ordered the other guards to stand by where they were.
"This subordinate greets the Princess Consort. Why are you and the young princess outside?"
Ling Feng came over to bow to the Princess Consort of Pingyang.
"Ling Feng, His Highness asked us to step out. Go inside quickly and help him."
Seeing the Princess Consort of Pingyang's expression, Ling Feng instantly understood what had happened.
Without taking the time to bow properly, he quickly pushed open the door and went inside.
"Get out!"
The Prince of Pingyang's angry voice came from within.
Shortly after, the guard from earlier backed out of the room, his face full of shame.
After a good while, Ling Feng also stepped out.
"Princess Consort, please take the young princess to the backyard for now."
"This subordinate will stand guard here," Ling Feng said, bowing to the Princess Consort of Pingyang.
"His Highness, he..."
The Princess Consort of Pingyang looked inside with worry.
"You need not worry, Princess Consort. His Highness is tired and wishes to sleep for a while."
"His Highness asked that you take the young princess to rest as well. You can bring her back later when it is time for dinner."
After hearing Ling Feng's relayed message, the Princess Consort of Pingyang had no choice but to take Duoduo's hand and walk toward the backyard.
Duoduo did not say a word, silently following the Princess Consort of Pingyang back to the backyard.
Lian Xin bowed to the Princess Consort of Pingyang.
"Princess Consort, this servant has prepared a clean room. I have replaced all the bedding inside."
"I brought the quilts from the carriage and laid them out. Once we get new ones from the manor, I will change them again."
"Thank you for your hard work."
As soon as the Princess Consort of Pingyang entered the room, she instantly felt exhaustion wash over her entire body.
She rarely moved around much on a normal day, and today's physical exertion was already several times her usual amount.
"Duoduo, mother wants to lie down for a bit. What about you?"
Duoduo's mind was preoccupied with her father, and she felt no sleepiness.
"Mother, rest if you are tired. I will go find a book to read by myself."
The Princess Consort of Pingyang was truly exhausted, and she lay down on the bed.
"Duoduo, do not go and disturb your father, do you understand?"
Duoduo nodded. "Mhm, don't worry, mother. I know."
The Princess Consort of Pingyang closed her eyes.
Duoduo tiptoed quietly out of the room.
