As noon approached, Duoduo ran back happily.
The hair buns on her head were already tottering and about to fall.
If it weren't for the silk ribbons tying them, her hair would probably have completely come loose.
"Father, my hair came loose!"
Duoduo ran cheerfully up to the Prince of Pingyang.
The Prince of Pingyang frowned as he looked at Duoduo's hair.
Ultimately, he compromised.
"Go get the comb."
"Okay!"
Duoduo jumped up happily and ran to fetch the comb.
The Prince of Pingyang carefully removed the silk ribbons and undid her hair.
"Father, I saw baby chicks today!"
"It turns out that chicks hatch from eggs!"
"Chicks are so tiny. As soon as they are born, they chirp 'cheep cheep cheep'. It's so fun."
"They say that ducklings and goslings also hatch out of eggs!"
"But, Father, why aren't lambs and calves hatched from eggs?"
The Prince of Pingyang held Duoduo's head steady to stop her from moving around.
"Father, tell me, why are they different?"
"Every animal has a different way of being born because their ancestors had different ways of being born."
Having gained experience from the morning, the Prince of Pingyang quickly tied up a little hair bun.
"Then why did their ancestors have different ways of being born?"
Duoduo insisted on getting to the bottom of it.
"Because when their ancestors faced difficulties, they had their own ideas."
"They chose different methods of reproduction to ensure their offspring could survive safely."
The Prince of Pingyang finally finished tying her hair.
He reached out his hand toward Duoduo, and Duoduo raised the silk ribbons in her hand high, handing them to the Prince of Pingyang.
The Prince of Pingyang took the ribbons and tied them for Duoduo.
Duoduo shook her head, a smile as bright as a flower blooming on her face.
"Thank you, Father! Everyone praised my hair for looking so pretty today!"
"I told them that my father did my hair! My father is the most amazing!"
The corners of the Prince of Pingyang's mouth curled up uncontrollably.
He placed a fist against his lips and coughed lightly.
"Father has a task for you."
Upon hearing this, Duoduo immediately perked up her ears, looking utterly serious.
"Tell me, Father! I promise to complete it!"
The Prince of Pingyang looked at Duoduo.
Her large eyes reflected his cold and stern expression.
At this moment, the little one had an extremely earnest look on her face.
The Prince of Pingyang paused for a moment.
"I asked you this morning. Since you can treat my legs, can you think of a way to make them look the way they used to?"
A look of confusion appeared on Duoduo's face.
"Why do you want them to be the way they were? They are so good now!"
"You can walk and run, and if you encounter danger, you can protect yourself."
The Prince of Pingyang recalled the time he was in danger; if his legs hadn't been able to move, he might have truly been buried in that pond.
"Sit down, and Father will explain it to you in detail."
The Prince of Pingyang knew this matter could not be explained clearly in just a sentence or two.
Duoduo obediently pushed a chair and placed it in front of the Prince of Pingyang.
Using both her hands and feet, she climbed up and sat down properly.
"His Majesty the Emperor is already fifty years old, but he has yet to appoint a Crown Prince."
"His Majesty has many children. As for the princes, there are over a dozen who have survived."
"Currently, there are seven who have reached adulthood and are capable of inheriting the throne."
"These seven do not include Father."
Duoduo blinked.
"Why don't they include Father? Is Father not His Majesty's child?"
The Prince of Pingyang patted his own legs.
"Because, since ancient times, there has never been a crippled Emperor!"
"But Father, your legs are already healed! In that case, you are qualified too!"
The Prince of Pingyang nodded.
"Do you know why I went to the Song Manor to adopt a child in the first place?"
Speaking of their initial entanglement, Duoduo's face turned serious.
"One of my aides told me that Magistrate Song had a daughter who was a lucky star."
"It was said that this lucky star could double a person's good fortune and make their dreams come true."
"At the time, I went there half-believing and half-doubting."
"As a result, because someone in the Song Manor was secretly manipulating things, they sent you to me instead."
"Furthermore, they even got His Majesty to issue an imperial decree, making you and me father and daughter."
"Meanwhile, your older sister, who held the title of the lucky star, was sent to Prince Ling's Manor."
Duoduo already knew this.
"Currently, the person with the most hope of becoming the Crown Prince is Prince Ling."
Duoduo blinked.
"Is Prince Ling your enemy?"
"Yes!" The Prince of Pingyang looked at Duoduo encouragingly.
"In fact, anyone who can sit in that position is an enemy to one another."
"But, Father, didn't you say earlier that the qualified princes do not include you?"
"Why do they still treat you as an enemy?"
Duoduo had a very good memory.
The Prince of Pingyang's gaze became hollow.
He stared at an empty spot in the air.
"Because I used to command the three armies, and my prestige in the military was extremely high."
"In their eyes, as long as I am not dead, I will always be their strongest opponent."
"They are too bad!" Duoduo puffed out her cheeks angrily.
"How could they bully Father like this! It's too despicable!"
Duoduo felt a strong sense of injustice for the Prince of Pingyang.
"Father, then why don't you tell your father? He will definitely help you!"
A cold smile appeared on the corners of the Prince of Pingyang's mouth.
"In his eyes, I am nothing but a useless pawn!"
The Prince of Pingyang's gaze returned to Duoduo once more.
"I once investigated the cause of my fall from the horse back then, and all the evidence pointed to him!"
"Do you think that if I ask him for help, he would save me?"
Duoduo opened her mouth wide; she saw the pain that flashed through the Prince of Pingyang's eyes.
Duoduo felt that being abandoned by her biological parents was already miserable enough.
She hadn't expected that her father was actually paralyzed because of his own father.
This was even more miserable than her!
Duoduo jumped down from the chair, raising her arms to hug the Prince of Pingyang.
"Father, I'll save you! I'll protect you!"
The pain in the Prince of Pingyang's eyes slowly disappeared.
He gently pulled Duoduo back and had her sit back on the chair.
"When we go to the capital this time, His Majesty will definitely have the imperial physicians examine me."
"Absolutely no one else can know that my legs are already healed."
"Therefore, I need to think of a way to deceive the imperial physicians during their examination."
Duoduo blinked her eyes.
"Deceive the imperial physicians? But Master Zhang said that the imperial physicians in the palace have highly brilliant medical skills."
The Prince of Pingyang nodded.
"Yes, but Father believes in you. You must be even more brilliant than them!"
Duoduo frowned.
"Then can I ask the master? The master is experienced and knowledgeable; he will definitely have a better idea."
The Prince of Pingyang rubbed his fingers together.
"You can, but you must not tell him the reason."
Duoduo nodded.
"Then let's go back to the manor right away! I will definitely find a way!"
"Father cannot leave just yet. After you eat, go back with Li Jin."
"Father is having an artisan make a new and different wheelchair for me."
"There is an artisan here with very skilled hands who can make all sorts of things with hidden mechanisms."
Duoduo's eyes lit up.
"Father, can I have one too?"
