"Your Majesty, let this servant help you lie down," Eunuch Li asked tentatively.
The Emperor nodded.
Eunuch Li hurried forward, supporting the Emperor as he lay down.
Eunuch Li covered the Emperor with the quilt and stood with his hands at his sides by the bed.
"Xiao Lizi, take that bowl of medicine to Imperial Physician Li and have it examined," the Emperor suddenly ordered.
"Remember, only you are to go. Do not entrust it to anyone else."
Eunuch Li's heart gave a start.
"Yes, this servant will go at once."
Eunuch Li bowed, picked up the bowl of medicine, and walked out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
The Emperor lay in bed, staring at the canopy, a cold smile curling at the corners of his lips.
He had only been lying here half a day and had already witnessed such a performance.
He wondered what kind of scene would unfold if he remained unconscious forever.
An incense stick later, Eunuch Li crept back in softly.
The Emperor was not asleep; he heard the footsteps.
"Xiao Lizi?"
Eunuch Li shuffled forward in small steps. "Your Majesty, this servant is here."
"How did it go?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, Imperial Physician Li has examined it. The medicine is fine," Eunuch Li hesitated before continuing.
"But Imperial Physician Li checked the dregs and said there was an ingredient in them that is incompatible with his prescription."
"If Your Majesty takes it, you would gradually lose consciousness..."
Eunuch Li saw the Emperor, who had had his eyes closed, suddenly open them.
He dared not continue.
"Heh! Good! Good! Good!"
The Emperor uttered three "goods" in a row, and then spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Your Majesty!" Eunuch Li cried out in fright.
The Emperor waved his hand.
"It's nothing. Spit it out, and I feel much better inside."
Eunuch Li took out a handkerchief and wiped the blood clean from the Emperor.
The Emperor gasped a few times.
"Xiao Lizi, go to the Imperial Prison and bring Changle here."
Eunuch Li was taken aback. "Yes, this servant will go at once."
Eunuch Li called for a young eunuch to attend to the Emperor and hurried off toward the Imperial Prison.
At the Imperial Prison.
Duoduo felt something land on her.
At first she paid it no mind, thinking it was dust from the rafters.
She buried her head against Lü Dou's body, ready to sleep again.
But another object came flying.
Duoduo opened her eyes in annoyance.
She froze, for she saw that what had struck her was a ball of straw.
Puzzled, she looked around.
Then she spotted the Minister of War on her right.
The Minister of War was waving at her.
Duoduo rubbed her eyes.
She thought she was imagining things.
But when she opened her eyes again, she saw the Minister of War still waving.
Duoduo hesitated, then stood up and cautiously walked over.
In the cell to the right, over a dozen men lay sleeping.
Only the Minister of War was awake.
Duoduo drew closer and caught a sharp, rank smell of blood.
She frowned, stopped, and did not advance further.
Seeing Duoduo halt a full step away from him, the Minister of War studied her.
Duoduo had grown recently, now about the height of a five-year-old child.
But the expression on her face was far more composed than that of a four- or five-year-old.
As the adopted daughter of the Prince of Pingyang, Princess Changle, he naturally knew Duoduo's background.
Xiao Yi's concern for Duoduo today had surprised the Minister of War.
A mere officer's daughter—with that "jinx" reputation. Why would the Prince of Pingyang care so much about her?
Though puzzled, the Minister of War was not curious.
He only cared whether this Princess Changle was worth his gamble.
Duoduo stopping a step away from him had sparked a flicker of curiosity in the Minister of War.
This Princess Changle was somewhat clever.
"Do you know me?" the Minister of War tested Duoduo.
Duoduo said nothing, simply staring at him.
The Minister of War understood.
The Prince of Pingyang must have told her about him.
Disappointment flickered in his eyes.
He had thought this Princess Changle was clever enough to be worth the risk.
The smell of blood made Duoduo uncomfortable.
Seeing the Minister of War’s dejected look, she turned to go back.
"Wait!" the Minister of War called out hastily.
He was at a critical juncture and had to act!
Duoduo turned her head to look at him.
The Minister of War grabbed the bars and struggled to straighten up.
Duoduo's gaze lingered for a moment on his hands, covered in wounds.
The smell of blood came from there.
"Old man has a favor to ask of the Princess," the Minister of War said bluntly, afraid she would leave again.
"Why should I?" Duoduo asked in her childish voice.
The Minister of War was taken aback.
Yes. Why should she?
He released the bars and fell to his knees with a thud before Duoduo.
Duoduo quickly stepped aside, staring in astonishment at the Minister of War.
The Minister of War was old enough to be her grandfather.
An old man with white hair, kneeling to her.
She could not deny her shock.
The Minister of War knocked his head against the floor three times, thumping heavily.
"Saving a life is worth more than building a seven-story pagoda."
"Even beneath the Yellow Springs, this old man will be grateful to the Princess."
Duoduo tilted her head.
"What does your matter have to do with me?"
"Besides, if I save you, I'd be going against Imperial Grandfather."
"Do you think I'm that foolish?"
The Minister of War lifted his head.
From his bosom, he pulled out a blood-soaked letter.
"This is a memorial about corruption and the buying and selling of officials."
"This old man has only one request: ask the Prince of Pingyang to spare my young grandson."
Duoduo's eyes flickered.
Buying and selling officials?
Wasn't that the Ministry of Personnel's affair?
The Ministry of Personnel was the Queen’s father—Prince Rui's in-laws.
This Minister of War was trying to use Father's hand to drag Prince Rui down!
If this Minister of War knew that his household’s downfall was due to Her father,
Would he spit blood and drop dead on the spot?
If she could take down Prince Rui, Father would have one fewer rival.
But his request—to spare his young grandson—
That was absolutely out of the question.
Thinking this over, Duoduo blinked.
"You want to hand this to Imperial Grandfather?"
Hearing Duoduo's words, the Minister of War looked up in surprise.
He saw Duoduo staring at him with an innocent face.
He began to doubt his own judgment.
Princess Changle was just a four-year-old child.
The Minister of War felt dizzy and collapsed to the ground.
Earlier, to write that blood letter, he had bitten through several of his fingers.
Then he had forced himself to speak with Duoduo for a while.
His health had been declining since he entered the prison.
Having lost so much blood all at once, he could not bear it.
Duoduo stepped cautiously over and had just picked up the blood letter when she heard footsteps approaching from the distance.
