Prince of Pingyang did not answer. Lingfeng saw Duoduo hiding outside the door as he escorted the physician out, but he did not even greet her.
Duoduo felt deeply sorrowful. She lowered her head and walked aimlessly outside.
Where could she go?
Her birth parents had sold her, and the man who bought her was now injured because he saved her.
It was all because of her!
She was nothing but a jinx!
She would bring harm to everyone who was kind to her!
Lüdou followed behind Duoduo, very worried. It was the first time she had seen such despair emanating from Duoduo.
"Lüdou, don't follow me! I'll bring you harm!"
Duoduo glared at Lüdou, forbidding her from following.
"Miss!"
"Don't follow me!"
Duoduo was angry, furious at herself!
She broke into a quick run, and Lüdou hurriedly chased after her.
Lingfeng returned to the room, having changed into clean clothes.
Lingfeng took out a letter. "Your Highness, it was my negligence in safeguarding it. This letter has gotten wet."
Prince of Pingyang took it. It was the memorial he had just written to the emperor, petitioning to formally adopt Duoduo as his foster daughter.
"If such is heaven's will, then discard it," Prince of Pingyang said with a wave of his hand.
"Lingfeng, have someone spread the word, say..."
Lingfeng leaned in attentively to listen. "Understood, Your Highness. I will see to it immediately."
Lingfeng left. Princess Consort of Pingyang looked at her husband with a puzzled expression.
"Your Highness, why are you doing this?"
"This prince wishes to see. Since someone deliberately sent her to my side, what action will they take upon hearing good news?"
"Your Highness, why not just send her away? She is merely a child."
Although Princess Consort of Pingyang did not like Duoduo, after spending time with the child earlier, she felt the child was innocent.
"Let us observe first," Prince of Pingyang said, not dismissing the idea outright.
Princess Consort of Pingyang took the medicinal ointment from the table. "Your Highness, let me apply this for you."
"Thank you for your trouble, Princess Consort."
Prince of Pingyang patted the back of her hand.
Princess Consort of Pingyang smiled sadly. "It is my duty."
"There is not much I can do for Your Highness."
"Do not grieve, Princess Consort. All is fate. There is no need for self-reproach."
Prince of Pingyang closed his eyes. Princess Consort of Pingyang rolled up his trouser leg and applied the ointment to his knee.
Because the physician had said Prince of Pingyang might develop a high fever, Princess Consort of Pingyang insisted on personally watching over her husband.
"Then I will guard outside the door. If anything is amiss with His Highness, please call for me, Princess Consort."
Lingfeng went out and stood guard outside.
The sky gradually darkened, and candles were lit in the room.
Princess Consort of Pingyang kept watch over her husband, and gradually, her eyelids grew heavy.
A small figure appeared outside the window.
Duoduo clumsily climbed onto the windowsill and then carefully climbed down from the window into the room.
Duoduo jumped down from the chair to the floor, accidentally twisting her foot. She grimaced.
Then, she quickly covered her mouth to prevent any sound.
After a long moment, Duoduo gritted her teeth and walked to the bedside.
Duoduo saw Princess Consort of Pingyang sitting on a chair by the bed, propping her cheek with one hand, already asleep.
Duoduo tiptoed to the bedside. Prince of Pingyang on the bed was also asleep.
The sleeping Prince of Pingyang did not look as intimidating as he did during the day.
However, perhaps feeling physical pain, his brows were tightly furrowed.
Duoduo stood on her tiptoes, stretched out her small hand, and gently rubbed the space between Prince of Pingyang's brows. He seemed to find it soothing, and his brow relaxed.
Duoduo lowered her hand. She stood on her tiptoes again to look at Prince of Pingyang's knee.
Princess Consort of Pingyang had not rolled down the trouser leg, wanting the wound to heal faster.
Duoduo saw the wound on Prince of Pingyang's knee, a bloody, mangled mess.
Duoduo's eyes dimmed as she lowered her gaze, but then she looked up again.
She stretched out her small hands, placing one on Prince of Pingyang's knee, the other reaching towards golden characters floating in the air.
The characters dispersed like a shower of golden light, enveloping Duoduo.
The wound on Prince of Pingyang's knee began to heal visibly.
If one could see through, they would witness the shattered kneecap beginning to reassemble and fuse together seamlessly, as if it had never been broken.
Duoduo wanted to stay longer, to let more golden light enter Prince of Pingyang's body.
But suddenly, she saw Princess Consort of Pingyang stir.
Oh no!
Duoduo hastily withdrew her hand and quickly ducked under the bed.
Princess Consort of Pingyang stood up and felt her husband's forehead.
Good, no fever!
Relieved, she got up and paced around the room to keep herself from falling asleep again.
Huh? Why is this window open so wide?
Princess Consort of Pingyang found it strange and reached out to close the window a bit.
Hiding under the bed, Duoduo only heard the sound of the Princess Consort walking back and forth.
She waited for a long time, but the Princess Consort did not stop.
Duoduo waited until she fell asleep.
The maid Lüdou, having realized she had lost track of her young miss, was scared out of her wits.
She dared not make a fuss, afraid that if Prince of Pingyang found out, he might reject Miss Duoduo.
Lüdou cried quietly as she carefully searched everywhere in the prince's mansion for Duoduo.
The next day, everyone in Xianyang was asking each other.
"Did you hear? Yesterday, Magistrate Song's family jinx was sold to Prince of Pingyang as a lucky star!"
"I heard Prince of Pingyang fell into a pond and nearly died!"
"No, I heard Prince of Pingyang's life is beyond saving!"
"Right, they say Prince of Pingyang is being 'overcome' by the jinx and is about to die!"
"I can attest to that. I saw a physician enter the prince's mansion, and when he came out, he was shaking his head and sighing."
"Prince of Pingyang's mansion is closed to visitors today. Even the servants going in and out have long faces."
"Ah, Prince of Pingyang surely doesn't have much time left. It seems the House of Pingyang is about to fall!"
"Magistrate Song actually dared to sell a jinx as a lucky star to Prince of Pingyang. Does he not want to live?"
"What does he have to fear? Doesn't his family still have a real lucky star? As long as the lucky star is there, he'll be fine."
"Poor Prince of Pingyang, lost his mother young, was almost made Crown Prince but then became crippled, and now, about to lose his life!"
"It's all the Emperor's fault for not appointing a Crown Prince for so long, causing strife among the princes!"
"Shh!"
The rumors spread like wildfire, eventually morphing into a tale that Magistrate Song had aligned with another prince and deliberately harmed Prince of Pingyang.
Magistrate Song sat in his yamen, seeing his advisor's hesitant expression, and his face stiffened.
"Speak plainly if you have something to say. What's with the hesitation?"
Seeing Magistrate Song was angry, the advisor hurried forward and told him about the rumors circulating in the city.
Thud!
The brush in Magistrate Song's hand fell onto the desk.
Without bothering to tidy up, he rushed out in a panic.
At the Song residence, Old Madam Song had also heard the rumors from the streets. She laughed heartily.
"Excellent! It seems the jinx has finally done one good deed!"
Beside her, Song Shuyu didn't understand. "Grandmother, what good deed?"
The old madam stroked Song Shuyu's cheek. "My dear darling, you truly are a great lucky star!"
Song Shuyu lifted her chin with a proud, playful air. "Grandmother, of course I'm your little lucky star! I'll make sure you live a life of happiness and comfort in the years to come!"
