"What?" Master Zhang was greatly startled.
He walked over quickly, picked up the box that held the frog, and took a look. Sure enough, it was completely empty.
Master Zhang also bent down to search around.
"Have you both searched everywhere?"
Duoduo and Lüdou nodded at the same time. "Yes, we've looked everywhere."
"Master, could it have run outside?" Duoduo looked toward the door.
Master Zhang recalled for a moment; when he came in, the door did indeed seem to be slightly ajar.
"Let's go! Hurry and look outside!"
"That frog is poisonous. If anyone in the manor picks it up, we will be in big trouble!"
Master Zhang lifted the hem of his long gown and hurried out.
In such a massive princely manor, finding a lost frog was easier said than done.
The three of them practically scoured every inch of the ground outside the study, but there was no sign of it.
Master Zhang stood up, supporting his lower back.
"Forget it, I guess we won't find it!" He pounded his lower back forcefully.
"I am going to report this to the Prince right away, so that if anyone in the manor sees it, they absolutely must not touch it."
Saying this, Master Zhang hurried to the adjacent study.
Duoduo stood up, looking at Master Zhang's retreating figure with deep guilt.
She didn't mean to do it!
She was just so happy and wanted to share it with the frog.
She never expected that the frog would be startled and suddenly jump out of sight.
"Princess, it is time for lunch," Lüdou reminded Duoduo.
"Alright!" Duoduo walked toward the study, looking back over her shoulder with every step.
In the distance, the Princess Consort of Pingyang was walking over with Lianxin and Baihe.
"Duoduo!" the Princess Consort of Pingyang called out first upon seeing her.
"Mother!" Duoduo greeted the Princess Consort of Pingyang weakly.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang stroked Duoduo's cheek.
"Why do you look so down? What's wrong?" She felt Duoduo's forehead.
"You don't have a fever. What happened? Lüdou, tell me!"
Lüdou hurriedly bowed to the Princess Consort of Pingyang. "To answer Your Highness, a frog that the Master was keeping has gone missing!"
Hearing this, the Princess Consort of Pingyang thought it was such a trivial matter!
"Missing? If it's missing, let it be. At worst, Mother will have someone find another one to compensate Master Zhang."
Duoduo shook her head.
"Mother, that frog is golden!"
"Master said he caught it by chance while wandering the world in the past. It's very rare!"
A golden frog?
It was the first time the Princess Consort of Pingyang had ever heard of such a thing.
But if that was the case, this frog must be very precious!
"If it is so rare, how did it go missing? By the way, where is the Master? Why don't I see him?"
"He went to see Father," Duoduo replied.
"Right, Mother, if anyone sees a golden frog, you absolutely must not let them touch it!"
"That frog is highly venomous! Master went to tell Father about this very thing!"
Duoduo emphasized.
"What? It is venomous?" The Princess Consort of Pingyang looked surprised.
Duoduo nodded. "Yes! So, you must pass down the order."
"Lianxin, quickly pass down the order. If anyone sees a golden frog, they must not act rashly!"
"Yes, this servant will go right away!" Lianxin bowed and left in a hurry.
Seeing that Duoduo was not in high spirits, the Princess Consort of Pingyang comforted her.
"Mother has already made the arrangements, and your father will surely have the guards step up their patrols. Don't worry, nothing will happen in the manor."
Duoduo nodded listlessly.
"Mother, it is all my fault! Master's frog was scared away by me."
A look of surprise flashed across the Princess Consort of Pingyang's eyes.
"You definitely didn't do it on purpose. Later, Mother will discuss it with the Master. We will compensate him with silver, and he certainly won't blame you!"
Duoduo was still very sad.
As they spoke, the two arrived at the door of the study.
Master Zhang had just finished discussing the matter with Xiao Yi and walked out.
He cupped his hands in greeting to the Princess Consort of Pingyang and prepared to leave.
"Master Zhang, I have already asked the servants to keep an eye out for that frog for you."
"If it can be found, it will definitely be returned to you. If it cannot be found, how much silver do you think would be enough for compensation?"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang did not mince words and asked Master Zhang directly.
Master Zhang looked at the guilt-ridden Duoduo and nodded.
"There is no need for silver, but this old man has a request."
"Speak! As long as the princely manor can manage it, it will definitely be done!" The Princess Consort of Pingyang patted Duoduo's head.
Master Zhang stroked his beard, looked at the Princess Consort of Pingyang, and finally looked at Duoduo.
"Your Highness, the young Princess is the one who lost that frog."
"Therefore, this old man wants that bottle of pills she made."
Duoduo raised her head. "That won't do!"
She looked resolute. "Master, if you keep eyeing that bottle of medicine, I would rather throw it into the pond than give it to you!"
Master Zhang's eyes widened, and his beard curled up in anger.
"Her Highness just said that she would compensate this old man."
Duoduo did not back down. "Anything else is fine, except for those few bottles of medicine."
Master Zhang also insisted. "This old man only wants that bottle of medicine, even half of it would do!"
Their argument reached the room, and Xiao Yi wheeled himself out in his wheelchair.
"Duoduo, a teacher for a day is a father for a lifetime!"
"Where are your manners?" Xiao Yi scolded Duoduo with a stern face.
Duoduo was unconvinced. She furrowed her brows and complained.
"Father, it was my fault for scaring away Master's frog! I apologize!"
"But the medicine Master wants is poison!"
"He definitely wants to test the medicine on himself! Don't even think about it!" Duoduo put her hands on her hips and glared angrily at Master Zhang.
Master Zhang shifted his gaze away guiltily and looked up at the sky.
Xiao Yi furrowed his brows. "Poison? Testing poison on himself?"
Duoduo nodded vigorously.
"Yes! I made some pills today and wanted to test them, and then..."
Duoduo had a glib tongue and recounted the whole incident like beans pouring out of a bamboo tube.
She placed special emphasis on the fact that Master Zhang wanted to test the medicine on himself.
"Although that chicken survived in the end, what is the actual condition of its body? Who knows?"
"Master is no longer young. When he was younger, he tasted all kinds of herbs, which originally left his body weak and in poor health."
"If he uses poison again, it will definitely be bad for his health!"
"That is why I refused to give it to him!"
Duoduo did not expose the fact that Master Zhang did not have long to live.
Although she also used her golden light to heal Master Zhang from time to time, she was not certain she could completely cure him.
In this world, who could truly defy the heavens and change fate?
Master Zhang widened his eyes. "This old man knows his own body best!"
"This old man is as strong as an ox now! Your little bit of poison won't affect this old man at all!"
Master Zhang was a doctor himself, so naturally, he understood his own body better than anyone.
Previously, his health was indeed poor.
However, ever since he came to the princely manor, his health had been slowly recovering.
Recently, he could feel his body radiating with new vitality, just like the young grass in spring.
Xiao Yi looked at the two who refused to yield to each other.
"Whether he can handle it or not, Duoduo, won't it be crystal clear if you just take the Master's pulse?"
