Prince of Pingyang stopped his hand from scratching and looked at Lingfeng.
"Is it very red? A large patch?"
Lingfeng nodded vigorously. "Yes! Your Highness, this subordinate will fetch a physician!"
With that, Lingfeng quickly ran out of the room.
Prince of Pingyang felt the area on his neck begin to burn with a fiery pain.
After a while, his face also started to itch.
Even his hands began to break out in red rashes, prickly and unbearably itchy.
Prince of Pingyang didn't know what poison he had been afflicted with.
He forced himself to calm down and recall everything he had touched or eaten today.
Today, he had been just like any other day.
Whether it was food or drink, nothing was different.
In the evening, having no appetite, he hadn't eaten anything.
Wait!
He had eaten something!
That peach blossom pastry!
Duoduo happily ran back to Bamboo Pavilion and went straight to Nanny Li first.
"Nanny, I'm back!"
"Has His Highness had his evening meal?" Nanny Li inquired with great concern.
Duoduo looked at Nanny Li curiously. Why did she feel Nanny Li's tone was so gentle today?
Moreover, Nanny Li was even smiling.
This was truly like the sun rising in the west!
Duoduo tilted her head and thought. Had Prince of Pingyang eaten anything today?
She had eaten the day's meals, but Prince of Pingyang had not.
However, Prince of Pingyang had eaten her peach blossom pastry, so that counted as eating something.
"Reporting to Nanny, His Highness did eat!"
Duoduo didn't dare look at Nanny Li. The peach blossom pastry she had prepared for Nanny Li had been eaten by Prince of Pingyang.
She was afraid Nanny would be angry.
She planned to find Lüdou again tomorrow to make some more; she could tell Nanny Li liked it very much.
Hmm, Prince of Pingyang seemed to like it too.
Hearing Duoduo's words, Nanny Li nodded.
"Alright then. I don't need your service here anymore. You may go back and rest."
Nanny Li instructed Duoduo with a kindly expression.
"Yes."
Duoduo happily bowed and prepared to go back and thoroughly review what she had learned today.
Returning to her room, Duoduo eagerly took out the prepared brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, intending to practice her calligraphy.
Suddenly, a guard pushed the door open directly and, without a word, hoisted her onto his shoulder and carried her off.
Duoduo was terrified. She wanted to cry out, only to find a cloth stuffed in her mouth.
She struggled with all her might, but the guard remained unmoved.
Before long, Duoduo found herself once again in front of Prince of Pingyang.
Duoduo saw that Lüdou was also in the room.
She was similarly bound tightly, with a cloth gagging her mouth.
Seeing Duoduo, Lüdou became agitated, making "Mmph! Mmph!" sounds.
Duoduo was thrown down beside Lüdou. Frightened, she moved closer to her.
At that moment, Lingfeng rushed in, carrying a white-bearded old man.
"You brute! How can you be so barbaric? Who carries people off like this?"
"This old man is merely a physician. I don't have much money. Kidnapping me is useless!"
The white-bearded old man, once set down by Lingfeng, began chattering incessantly.
Seeing the two tightly bound maids on the floor, Duoduo and Lüdou, he felt extremely frightened.
"Physician, please examine our Prince. What is wrong with him?"
Lingfeng cupped his hands in salute. "Earlier, I was too hasty. I beg your forgiveness!"
Hearing that Lingfeng had seized him only to treat someone, the white-bearded old man felt relieved.
He glanced again at the two maids on the floor and decided self-preservation came first for now.
Prince of Pingyang's consciousness was already somewhat hazy.
When he saw a figure approaching him and reaching a hand toward him,
Prince of Pingyang, swift as lightning, instantly grabbed the physician by the throat.
"Who goes there?" he barked sternly.
"Your Highness, it is this subordinate. I brought a physician to diagnose you. Please loosen your grip."
Hearing Lingfeng's voice, Prince of Pingyang released his hand.
The physician sat down heavily on the floor. For a moment there, he thought he was going to meet the King of Hell.
Prince of Pingyang lay back down. He felt as if his entire skin was burning, unbearably painful.
"Physician, please hurry and take a look."
Lingfeng helped the physician up from the floor.
The physician trembled as he approached the bedside, fearful that Prince of Pingyang might reach out and strangle him again.
With shaking hands, the physician began taking the pulse.
After finishing, he cautiously looked at Lingfeng.
"May this old man look at His Highness's arm?"
Lingfeng hurried forward and rolled up Prince of Pingyang's sleeve. His arm was also covered in large patches of red rash.
"Physician, what exactly is wrong with the Prince? How did he break out in so many rashes?"
Lingfeng clearly noticed something was off about Prince of Pingyang's condition.
The physician carefully observed the shape of the rashes.
"These are hives. The Prince likely ate something that caused this reaction."
"Ate something? But the Prince's daily fare is nearly the same. He hasn't eaten anything different, has he?"
Lingfeng was very puzzled.
When he saw Duoduo and Lüdou on the floor, he suddenly understood.
He had just been wondering: clearly, the Prince's attitude towards this Duoduo was noticeably different.
Why would the Prince have her bound and brought here?
Now he understood. The Prince must have realized something.
"Physician, is the Prince's condition serious?"
"Well, that varies from person to person. Some may lose their lives, others may have no consequences at all."
The physician spoke ambiguously.
"You must cure our Prince. The Pingyang Prince's residence will surely reward you handsomely." Lingfeng bowed respectfully to the physician.
The physician quickly waved his hands. "Healing the sick is this old man's duty."
"Looking at the Prince's condition, I will prescribe two doses of medicinal decoction: one for internal consumption, one for external application."
"In three days, these rashes should completely dissipate."
"Then please write the prescription!" Lingfeng was very anxious.
Seeing Prince of Pingyang's state, the physician also knew there was no time to waste.
He immediately wrote out the prescription.
"Quick, have someone fetch the medicine. Once it's brewed, have the Prince take it immediately."
Lingfeng took the prescription and immediately sent someone to get the medicine.
Seeing that Prince of Pingyang had already fainted, he grabbed the physician's hand.
"The Prince has lost consciousness, physician! Think of something, quickly!"
The physician took out his medical kit, retrieved silver needles from it, and began applying acupuncture to Prince of Pingyang.
Duoduo, pressed against Lüdou, watched the physician take out the needles with great curiosity.
From her angle, she could see the acupuncture procedure clearly.
Duoduo committed the physician's needle-inserting movements firmly to memory.
The physician withdrew the needles. Seeing Prince of Pingyang still hadn't woken up, Lingfeng looked at him.
"Why hasn't our Prince awakened yet?"
The physician shook his head. "Not waking is better; it means less suffering. It's also due to his strong will. An ordinary person could hardly endure this kind of pain."
Hearing the physician say this, Lingfeng finally understood the torment Prince of Pingyang was enduring.
His gaze towards Duoduo turned somewhat hostile.
Ever since this girl came to the Prince's side, misfortunes had befallen the Prince without end.
First, falling into the water and injuring his knee, then being scalded by boiling water.
And now, this torment!
This child really is a jinx!
"Guards! Lock these two in the woodshed. Do not give them a single drop of water or a bite of food!"
