Li Jin gently squeezed Duoduo's palm.
Duoduo had heard it too.
She gave Li Jin a slight shake of her head.
"May I ask the doctor's surname?" A very weak woman's voice came from behind the folding screen.
Just as Li Jin was about to speak, Duoduo tugged at him.
"Your voice is weak and lacks breath. You must usually suffer from cold hands and feet, and dislike moving around."
"Every month when your courses arrive, you suffer from abdominal pain for days and cannot get out of bed."
Hearing this childish, milky voice, the woman behind the screen revealed a look of astonishment.
When she clearly registered the content of the words, her astonishment turned into surprise and curiosity.
The maid behind her stepped forward, leaned in close to Princess Consort Rui's ear, and whispered a few words.
Princess Consort Ling revealed a knowing smile.
"So it is Princess Changle."
"Could it be that the doctor the Prince of Pingyang mentioned is actually you?"
Duoduo flashed a well-behaved smile at the faint silhouette behind the screen and curtsied.
"Changle greets Princess Consort Rui!"
"Please rise quickly. We are all family, there is no need for such formalities."
"And may I ask who the gentleman beside you is..."
"To answer Princess Consort Rui, I am the princess's tutor. I accompanied her here," Li Jin bowed.
"Someone, please invite the tutor to sit in the outer room for a moment." As soon as Princess Consort Rui gave the order, a maid immediately came over to show Li Jin out.
Li Jin looked at Duoduo with concern, but she gave him a comforting smile.
Since Princess Consort Rui had pointed out her identity, she certainly wouldn't harm her.
Li Jin was led away, and the folding screen in the room was removed.
Duoduo saw a woman with an oval face sitting in the seat of honor. Adorned with pearl hairpins and jade pendants, she looked exceptionally elegant and luxurious.
Princess Consort Rui was also observing Duoduo.
She had heard her husband mention a few things about this princess adopted by the Prince of Pingyang.
This child was the jinx among the twin sisters.
After the Prince of Pingyang adopted her, misfortunes occurred one after another, making for a very miserable situation.
When the Prince of Pingyang sent someone to say he could save the child in her womb, Princess Consort Rui agreed immediately, as if clutching at a life-saving straw.
The imperial physicians had told her that if she rashly aborted the child in her womb, she might forever lose the chance to be a mother again.
And as Princess Consort Rui, having only one daughter meant something she naturally understood all too well.
Especially when her husband returned to the capital with his concubines, leaving her all alone.
Princess Consort Rui became even more determined that she had to find a way to save the child in her womb!
Her maiden family had already secretly hired doctors to diagnose her.
The conclusion of every doctor after diagnosis was consistent with what the previous physicians had said.
The best method was to expel the toxins into the fetus. Eventually, the fetus would miscarry on its own due to the toxins.
Not a single person could offer a solution that would save both.
But right at that moment, the Prince of Pingyang sent someone to say there was a way to achieve the best of both worlds.
The condition proposed was also very low, just a meeting gift.
With the wealth of Prince Rui's estate, how could they not afford a mere meeting gift?
To save both herself and the child, Princess Consort Rui agreed to meet the doctor the Prince of Pingyang spoke of.
However, she never in a million years expected that the doctor the Prince of Pingyang mentioned would actually be this child!
A flash of anger crossed Princess Consort Rui's heart for a moment.
The Prince of Pingyang was definitely making a fool of her!
How could a four or five-year-old child possibly solve a problem that even the imperial physicians in the palace had no remedy for!
Princess Consort Rui's hands clenched into fists inside her sleeves.
She knew that with just one order, she could have this child in front of her, along with the man outside, apprehended together.
But she hesitated.
She had a premonition that perhaps this was her one and only chance.
If she missed it, the child in her womb might truly have no chance of survival.
Furthermore, if the Prince of Pingyang really wanted to humiliate her, there was absolutely no need to send this child over.
After all, this child was Princess Changle, personally titled by His Majesty.
Unless, the Prince of Pingyang wanted to borrow her hands to get rid of this jinx, and ultimately frame Prince Rui's estate for it...
In just a brief moment, a multitude of thoughts had already raced through Princess Consort Rui's mind.
No matter what, nothing could happen to this child while she was here!
Princess Consort Rui quietly observed Duoduo without showing any emotion.
She saw that Duoduo was also observing her, the child's large eyes full of vivid intelligence.
Duoduo's attire was very simple: a goose-yellow scholar's top, a matching skirt below, and a white bodice.
Her hair was tied up into two simple little buns, fastened with two goose-yellow silk ribbons.
She wore no jewelry at all, save for a massive jade pendant tied at her waist.
The child looked so endearing that one couldn't help but feel a surge of tender affection for her.
Princess Consort Rui's gaze lingered on the jade pendant at Duoduo's waist for a second.
Her eyes flickered, and she beckoned to Duoduo.
"Come, step closer to me."
Duoduo curtsied before slowly walking toward Princess Consort Rui.
When she was about a meter away from Princess Consort Rui, she stopped.
The maid behind Princess Consort Rui relaxed her stiff body slightly.
"Judging from your tone just now, do you understand medicine?" Princess Consort Rui looked at Duoduo gently.
Duoduo blinked her big eyes.
"Just a little bit."
A glimmer of light flashed in Princess Consort Rui's eyes.
"Do you know that my illness is no simple ailment?"
Duoduo revealed a calm smile. "Princess Consort Rui, can I check your pulse first before we talk?"
The maid behind Princess Consort Rui seemed to want to speak up to stop her.
Princess Consort Rui raised a hand, and the maid shut her mouth and stepped back.
"Of course you can."
Saying this, Princess Consort Rui placed her hand on the table.
Duoduo took small steps forward and rested her fingers on Princess Consort Rui's wrist.
Princess Consort Rui's hand was very cold.
Even though summer had already arrived, her hand still felt like a block of ice.
As soon as Duoduo's fingers touched the pulse, her little face turned serious.
Her solemn expression looked exactly like that of an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor with years of experience.
Princess Consort Rui had only agreed to let Duoduo check her pulse by some strange twist of fate.
But when she saw Duoduo's expression, a bizarre thought popped into her mind.
This Princess Changle might actually be able to save her child.
As soon as Princess Consort Rui thought of this possibility, her heart began to race.
Taking her pulse, Duoduo felt it immediately.
"Please don't be nervous. Take deep breaths and relax. This will be good for the fetus in your womb."
Hearing this, Princess Consort Rui immediately took a few deep breaths, trying hard to steady her breathing.
After checking the right hand, Duoduo checked the left hand.
Then, she asked a few more questions.
These were all questions that the consulting doctors had previously asked.
"Can I see where you were bitten by the snake?" Duoduo asked finally.
Princess Consort Rui was stunned, and the maid behind her immediately spoke up.
"No, you cannot."
Duoduo looked back at the maid very strangely, then turned back to look at Princess Consort Rui.
"Why can't I look? Didn't you say you were bitten by a snake?"
