The imperial physician quickly turned his back.
“Your Ladyship, the imperial physician has arrived.” Consort Shu’s personal maid reminded her.
Consort Shu, enduring the intense itching all over her body, said, “Quickly, let him examine me.”
The physician bowed as he approached, reaching out to take her pulse.
After a moment, he withdrew his hand.
“Your Ladyship, your body is unharmed…”
Before the physician could finish, Consort Shu could not help but hurl the teacup beside her at him.
Fortunately, because the itching made her hand tremble, the teacup did not hit him—it only splashed tea all over his face.
The physician hastily prostrated himself, trembling.
“Your Ladyship, this is blood heat, compounded by the summer heat, leading to an excess of toxic heat.”
“All that is needed is a prescription to clear heat and detoxify, and the itching will stop!”
Consort Shu felt as if thousands of ants were crawling all over her.
With the physician present, she could not even scratch.
“Is there any way to stop the itching immediately?” she asked through gritted teeth.
The physician hesitated for a moment.
“Your Ladyship could use ice to cool the body. That would temporarily relieve the itching.”
“However, using ice carries excessive cold, which may be harmful to your Ladyship’s health.”
“Someone, fetch ice!”
Consort Shu did not want to listen to the physician’s further explanations. She only wanted to stop the itching.
It was summer, so ice was a common necessity.
And as Consort Shu was one of the Four Consorts, it did not take long for a eunuch to bring ice from the Imperial Household Department.
Ignoring the cold, Consort Shu picked up a piece and placed it on her hand.
“Sss!”
With the chill, the spot touched by the ice indeed stopped itching.
But the rest of her body remained unbearably itchy.
“Too few! Go get more!”
Consort Shu was extremely irritable.
The physician cautiously suggested, “Your Ladyship, you could place the ice in the bath…”
Upon hearing this, Consort Shu immediately ordered arrangements to be made.
Soon, Consort Shu was soaking in a bath filled with ice water.
Sure enough, her entire body felt comfortable.
“Your Ladyship, the medicine is here.”
A maid walked in carrying a steaming bowl of medicine.
As soon as Consort Shu smelled it, she nearly vomited.
“Why does this medicine smell so foul?”
The maid looked troubled. “The physician said that for a speedy recovery, the dosage had to be strong.”
Consort Shu hesitated, then took a sip.
“Ugh!”
She spat it out at once.
“So bitter!” Consort Shu felt as if her tongue had gone numb from the bitterness.
“How dare you! Are you trying to kill me with bitterness?” Consort Shu raised her hand and smashed the bowl.
The black medicinal liquid splashed all over the floor.
The maid quickly knelt.
“Your Ladyship, spare me! The physician said that to recover quickly, one must endure bitterness!”
“Get out!”
Consort Shu did not want to listen.
“Your Ladyship, the physician said you cannot soak in ice water for too long—it’s harmful to your health!”
The maid risked her life to continue advising.
“If you don’t get out now, I’ll have your life!”
After finally escaping the maddening itching, how could Consort Shu heed such advice?
Besides, it was summer—what harm could a little cold bath do?
The maid dared not argue further and withdrew.
In the Kunming Palace, Lüdou, seeing that the time was right, woke up Duoduo.
“Princess, time to get up.”
Duoduo opened her eyes and stretched widely.
“Lüdou, help me do my hair.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Lüdou helped Duoduo dress properly. When Duoduo sat down at the dressing table, Lüdou picked up a comb and began to do her hair again.
“Princess, that Consort Shu today was too much!”
“She clearly came after you.”
After a whole afternoon, Lüdou had finally realized what had happened.
“I thought that since the Emperor cherished you, he would punish Consort Shu severely!”
“But in the end, he only placed her under house arrest—such a light punishment.”
Lüdou was still indignant for Duoduo’s sake.
Duoduo showed a row of tiny baby teeth.
“She is, after all, Imperial Grandfather’s consort.”
“As Aunt Xu said, there is a hundred days of grace between husband and wife.”
“But I have already taken my revenge!”
Lüdou stopped combing, looking confused.
“Princess, when did you take revenge?”
Duoduo smiled, swinging her little legs.
“Lüdou, you forgot the powder I sprinkled?”
Lüdou thought for a moment. “Didn’t the physician say it was fragrant powder?”
Duoduo shook her head with a smile. “Have you ever seen me use any makeup or powder?”
Lüdou shook her head.
“You, Princess, are naturally beautiful; you don’t need any of those things to look lovely!”
Having said that, Lüdou suddenly realized.
“Princess, was that really medicinal powder? What is it for?”
Lüdou lowered her voice and looked around.
Her old nurse Li had told her to be careful when speaking in the palace, for walls have ears.
Duoduo also lowered her voice. “Itch powder!”
Hearing this, Lüdou looked disappointed.
“Oh, just that?”
Duoduo grinned happily.
“Lüdou, my itch powder is no ordinary itch powder!”
Duoduo’s itch powder was made from the venom of poisonous insects.
Upon first contact, it caused severe itching all over the body.
As the venom spread through the body, it would make a person restless and unable to sleep.
People could endure pain, could endure bitterness, but could not endure itching.
Driven by instinct, they would scratch.
But this kind of itching felt as if it came from deep within the bones.
Even tearing the flesh would not bring relief.
This itching would persist until all the venom was expelled from the body.
And ordinary physicians could not detect it at all.
At most, they diagnosed blood heat or hives.
The physician would certainly prescribe medicines like rhubarb and ox gallstone to clear heat and detoxify.
Tut-tut-tut, the bitterness of that medicine would surely be enough for Consort Shu to remember for a lifetime.
Duoduo did not know why Consort Shu had singled her out.
But it probably had something to do with the throne.
Hmph! Want to provoke her?
Provoking her would be like stepping on cotton!
She was not afraid of fair competition.
As for underhanded tricks, she feared them even less!
Duoduo’s eyes shone with determination.
“Oh, by the way, keep the medicine pouch I gave you.”
“If anyone tries to harm you, just fling it in their face!”
“That will definitely cause them trouble!”
Lüdou had boundless trust in Duoduo. “Yes, I thank the princess for her gift!”
As she spoke, Lüdou finished doing Duoduo’s hair.
Duoduo shook her little head, satisfied, and hopped down from the stool.
Lüdou quickly smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress.
When Lüdou straightened up, she belatedly noticed that something was missing from Duoduo.
The jade pendant that had been hanging at Duoduo’s waist before she slept was gone.
“Eh, Princess, where is the jade pendant the Emperor bestowed upon you?”
Duoduo tilted her little head.
“Hmm, I put it away!”
“If it were lost, that would be a crime worthy of beheading!”
Lüdou immediately nodded upon hearing this.
“As expected, the princess is far-sighted!”
“Alright, let’s go!” Duoduo trotted on her short little legs toward the Imperial Academy.
The news that the Emperor had bestowed upon Duoduo a jade pendant that could pardon her of any crime had spread through the entire palace by noon.
