Duoduo looked at her right hand. There was no pain, nor anything unusual.
It only felt slightly warm.
Duoduo used her left hand to feel the pulse in her right wrist. It was steady and strong, with no abnormalities.
Relieved, Duoduo continued her observation.
Princess Consort Rui found this a bit strange. She turned her head and looked at Duoduo.
"What's wrong?"
Duoduo gave her a reassuring smile.
"Wait a moment. I need to see where to place the needles so as not to harm you or the baby in your womb."
Hearing Duoduo mention the child in her belly, Princess Consort Rui asked no more questions.
As long as it was good for the baby, she wouldn't mind even if she had to lie in bed for days.
Duoduo saw that the black mist was quickly absorbed entirely by her right hand.
Two distinct tooth marks appeared where Princess Consort Rui had been bitten.
With the toxins gone, beads of red blood welled up from the tooth marks.
Duoduo withdrew her right hand and took a moment to check her own pulse.
Her pulse was fine, which put her mind at ease.
She certainly didn't possess the noble virtue of risking her own life to save others.
Especially someone completely unrelated to her.
"Bear with it a little, it will hurt a bit."
Duoduo decided to apply a few needles anyway; otherwise, it would be hard to explain.
"Mhm, go ahead." Princess Consort Rui bit down on her handkerchief.
Duoduo swiftly inserted a few needles around the tooth marks.
She squeezed out the surface blood.
"Mmph," Princess Consort Rui grunted in pain.
"I need to squeeze out this poisoned blood, or it will be bad for your body," Duoduo explained.
Before long, Duoduo removed the silver needles, took out a small bottle, scooped out some ointment, and applied it to the snakebite.
Princess Consort Rui felt her previously numb lower back suddenly become cool and refreshed.
She couldn't believe it.
"Changle, I can feel a cooling sensation."
Duoduo smiled obediently and explained.
"I just applied some ointment I made myself."
"This ointment clears heat, detoxifies, promotes blood circulation, and regenerates tissue. It works very well."
"The wound on your waist isn't large. Don't let it touch water tonight, and it will be fine by tomorrow."
Princess Consort Rui was very surprised. "Really? Will it really heal?"
After securing the cap on the ointment, Duoduo put it back into her sleeve.
"For now, I've only treated the bite. As for the toxins in the fetus, that will take time."
"Sit up, let me check your pulse."
Duoduo helped Princess Consort Rui sit up.
The look of disbelief on Princess Consort Rui's face was gone, replaced by hopeful anticipation.
"Princess Changle, you must save my son!"
Duoduo nodded and placed her hand on Princess Consort Rui's wrist.
Since the imperial physicians had suggested transferring the toxins to the fetus, the poison on Princess Consort Rui's back must have been just the tip of the iceberg.
Thinking of this, Duoduo's expression grew solemn.
Seeing Duoduo's expression, Princess Consort Rui's heart instantly sank.
Was there still no hope?
This feeling of being given hope only to have it snatched away was a fate worse than death!
It would have been better to have no hope from the start!
Princess Consort Rui's heart was filled with mixed emotions.
After checking the pulse, Duoduo found a slight discrepancy from what she had expected.
"Didn't you just say the imperial physicians suggested transferring all the toxins to the fetus?" Duoduo asked.
Princess Consort Rui lowered her head, gently stroking her belly with a look of tender pity.
"Yes, that's what the imperial physicians said."
"However, I didn't agree," Princess Consort Rui said, looking up.
"The final decision was for the physicians to find a way to suppress the toxins for now, and see if there was a way to clear them later."
"My imperial child has only absorbed a portion of it. This way, his life can be preserved."
"But, if the imperial physicians still can't find a solution later on, these toxins will eventually be absorbed by my child..."
Princess Consort Rui's voice trailed off as she spoke.
This was already the best solution the imperial physicians could come up with.
Duoduo understood.
The imperial physicians were using a stalling tactic.
As a mother, it would be very difficult for Princess Consort Rui to accept suddenly losing her child.
It would also be detrimental to her health.
Given more time, Princess Consort Rui would naturally come to accept the reality.
This way, at least Princess Consort Rui would still have the chance to be a mother in the future.
Duoduo nodded.
"The imperial physicians handled it correctly."
"Fortunately, the fetus hasn't been poisoned for long. I can give it a try."
"But I must state first that I can only do my best. I cannot guarantee whether this toxin will have other effects on the fetus."
Duoduo looked at Princess Consort Rui with a serious expression.
The child in Princess Consort Rui's womb was already over four months along.
The child was right in the middle of development.
Duoduo couldn't be sure what impact this toxin might have on the baby.
She could only manage to extract the toxins, but she couldn't change certain other facts.
Princess Consort Rui froze.
"Other effects? Like what?"
Duoduo counted on her fingers. "Gender, intelligence, appearance, or perhaps something else."
Princess Consort Rui looked at Duoduo suspiciously. "Gender?"
She suddenly grabbed Duoduo. "The imperial physician said the child in my belly is a son!"
Duoduo pursed her lips. Thinking of the pulse she had just felt, she said nothing.
Looking at Duoduo's expression, Princess Consort Rui was stunned for a long moment before suddenly slumping back onto the soft couch.
"It's actually another daughter? Impossible! The imperial physician clearly said it was a son."
Duoduo remained silent.
She didn't understand. Was there a difference between a son and a daughter?
Didn't both sons and daughters require ten months of pregnancy to be born?
Her father had said that whatever a man could do, a woman could do too!
Duoduo lowered her eyes.
"Princess Consort Rui, do you still want to be treated?"
Princess Consort Rui was so shocked by Duoduo's words that she couldn't recover her wits for a long time.
"I need to think. Give me a moment to think."
Duoduo nodded.
"Alright, I'll wait outside."
Duoduo walked out, leaving Princess Consort Rui to her thoughts.
Seeing Duoduo come out, Li Jin and Princess Consort Rui's maid hurried forward to meet her.
"How is the Princess Consort?" the maid asked anxiously.
"Princess Consort Rui is fine. She just has some things to think over right now."
Duoduo walked over to Li Jin. "Teacher, I'm hungry."
Duoduo and the others had been traveling continuously, only eating some dry rations along the way.
Duoduo's stomach was already rumbling.
"This servant will have someone prepare food for you right away."
"Oh, here are some pastries. You can have these to tide you over for now."
"This servant will go inside to check on the Princess Consort."
After hurriedly making the arrangements, the maid knocked on the door and went in.
Duoduo picked up a pastry from the table and began taking small bites.
Li Jin looked at Duoduo. "Is everything sorted out?"
Duoduo stopped eating and gently shook her head.
Li Jin was a bit surprised. "Did you run into a problem?"
Duoduo shook her head, then nodded.
Li Jin leaned closer to Duoduo. "What is it? Tell your teacher. Maybe I can help you come up with an idea."
Duoduo shook her head. "Teacher, you can't help with this."
"This is a problem Princess Consort Rui must solve herself."
Duoduo's words left Li Jin completely baffled, but he also knew that if Duoduo didn't want to elaborate, she surely had her reasons.
Inside the room, Princess Consort Rui was burying her face in a soft pillow, weeping.
