Chunxiao hesitated for a moment. "The Prince did visit."
Song Shuyu looked at Chunxiao with suspicion.
"Chunxiao, I only kept you by my side as a senior maid because I saw your loyalty to me."
"If you dare to be disloyal to me, I will have you sold off!"
Startled, Chunxiao hurriedly dropped to her knees.
"This servant would not dare lie! The Prince really did come!"
"Moreover, the Prince was very anxious about you, Princess, and he even scolded the Princess Consort severely!"
"The Prince ordered the Princess Consort that until you woke up, she was not allowed to leave."
"The Princess Consort cared for you tirelessly for three days without even taking off her outer robes to sleep. Even when Commandery Princess Anning threw a tantrum and threatened a hunger strike, the Princess Consort did not leave."
A glimmer of light appeared in Song Shuyu's eyes.
"Really?"
Chunxiao nodded vigorously.
"This servant would never dare deceive you, Princess. Every word is the absolute truth."
Song Shuyu immediately felt relieved.
It seemed her second uncle had overthought things.
Prince Ling and the Princess Consort were treating her very well!
However, Song Shuyu glanced around the room. "Then where is Mother?"
Chunxiao hesitated for a split second before answering immediately.
"The Princess Consort just went back to change her clothes. She hasn't slept for three days and three nights, so she might come over after catching up on some sleep."
"Besides, Lord Song was just here, so it wouldn't have been convenient for the Princess Consort to be present."
Song Shuyu nodded.
Song Shuyu forced herself to eat something. Originally, she hadn't had much of an appetite, but the thought of having been unconscious for so long frightened her.
Therefore, she forced herself to swallow some food.
In the past, her grandmother had told her that people must eat.
If there ever came a day when someone could no longer eat, they wouldn't be far from death.
Song Shuyu did not want to die!
After eating, she once again forced herself to drink her medicine.
Not long after drinking the medicine, Song Shuyu felt her eyelids grow incredibly heavy.
"Chunxiao, I don't know why, but I feel so sleepy after drinking the medicine."
Chunxiao lowered her head.
"Princess, your body is weak. The doctor said you need to rest more so you can recover quickly."
"The fact that you want to sleep means your body is getting better."
Song Shuyu nodded and closed her eyes.
"Chunxiao, watch over me. I'm going to sleep for a while."
"Yes, this servant will watch over you." Chunxiao pulled the blanket up for Song Shuyu.
Song Shuyu fell asleep. In her dream, she was walking through a vast, white fog.
"Is anyone there?" Song Shuyu was very scared.
"Duoduo, where are you?"
For the first time, Song Shuyu missed the chance to see Duoduo in her dreams.
At this moment, Duoduo was pressing her lips tightly together as she took out a silver needle that had been soaking in an anesthetic potion.
"Princess, please prick this servant!" Lüdou reached out her hand.
"No! Princess, prick this servant!" Lüyi, who was beside her, also reached out her hand.
"Prick this servant! Prick this servant!" Lüzhu and Lüluo also reached out their hands at the same time.
Holding the silver needle, Duoduo tilted her small head.
"I have to prick it into my own body, then I'll know if it works!"
Emboldened, Lüdou grabbed Duoduo's hand.
"Princess, absolutely not! You have a precious body, how can you casually prick yourself with needles?"
"If you prick this servant, this servant can clearly tell you how it feels!"
"Princess, this servant can too!" the other three maids said in unison.
Duoduo sighed like a little adult.
She pointed at Lüyi. "Aren't you afraid of needles?"
"And you, Lüzhu, didn't you say you can't stand the sight of blood?"
"You two go rest and come back to serve me tomorrow. That's an order!"
"Princess!" Lüyi and Lüzhu were very alarmed.
"What? Do my words no longer count?"
Duoduo put on a stern face.
"Yes, this servant obeys." Seeing that Duoduo was angry, Lüyi and Lüzhu hurriedly bowed and retreated.
Seeing that only she and Lüdou were left, Lüluo was very happy.
"Princess, prick this servant. This servant has thick skin, you can prick me anywhere!"
Duoduo was amused and laughed.
She picked up the silver needle and gestured near Lüluo's face.
"Anywhere? Then how about I prick your face?"
Lüluo was frightened, but she forced herself to stay still.
"The Princess can prick wherever she wants!"
"However, if this servant is ruined from the pricking, I won't be able to serve the Princess anymore."
Lüdou glared at Lüluo.
"If you don't believe in the Princess's medical skills, you can leave too!"
Only then did Lüluo realize she had misspoken.
She hurriedly knelt and kowtowed.
"Princess, this servant didn't mean it that way!"
Duoduo waved her hand dismissively.
"I know. But I'm hungry. Go check the kitchen and see if there's anything to eat."
Lüluo knew the Princess was trying to send her away.
Although unwilling in her heart, she still bowed and walked out.
Finally, Duoduo looked at Lüdou, and Lüdou looked back without showing any weakness.
"Princess, you should test the needles on this servant. If you prick yourself, this servant wouldn't know how to take the needles out for you!"
Duoduo nodded; Lüdou had a point.
"Alright, but I will only prick your hand first, and you must tell me how it feels."
Seeing that she had persuaded Duoduo, Lüdou was very happy.
She stretched out both hands. "Where does the Princess want to prick?"
Duoduo picked up Lüdou's left hand. "Let's prick this one, you need your right hand to do things."
"Mhm! This servant listens to the Princess." Lüdou nodded.
"Then I'm going to prick you." As soon as Duoduo's words fell, the silver needle pierced the back of Lüdou's hand.
It was Lüdou's first time seeing Duoduo perform acupuncture.
She blinked.
"Princess, you are amazing!" Surprise revealed in Lüdou's eyes.
Having returned to serve by Duoduo's side, she realized that the current Duoduo was no longer the master in her memory who needed her protection and doting.
Sometimes, the aura Duoduo emitted even made her feel a sense of fear.
That kind of majestic authority of a superior, just like the Prince's, made people involuntarily submit.
Lüdou was very clear on this.
Duoduo had undergone an earth-shattering transformation.
She was no longer that pitiful little girl in the backyard of the Song residence.
She was now the apple of the Prince of Pingyang's eye, Princess Changle.
"Lüdou, can you still feel anything?" Seeing that Lüdou seemed to be spacing out, Duoduo raised her hand and waved it in front of Lüdou's face.
Lüdou snapped back to reality. "Princess, there is no change in this servant's hand."
Duoduo's brow furrowed. "No change? Can your fingers still move?"
Lüdou nodded, bending her fingers to show Duoduo.
"No feeling at all?" Duoduo was very puzzled.
"Princess, try pricking it once more. Perhaps you did it too quickly just now, and this servant didn't feel it."
Duoduo nodded. She pulled out the silver needle and put it back into the anesthetic potion.
Then, she picked up another silver needle, slowed her speed, and pricked Lüdou's hand again.
This time, Lüdou carefully focused on the sensation brought by the silver needle.
"When the needle went in, there was a momentary tingling numbness, but this servant's hand can still move."
Lüdou wiggled her fingers.
"Only for a moment? Could it be that the needle wasn't soaked for long enough?"
Duoduo pondered as she pulled the silver needle out.
"Then let it soak for a night, and we can try again tomorrow," Lüdou comforted Duoduo.
Duoduo rested her chin in her hands. "How can I make the fingers unable to move?"
