Chapter 224: Offering to the Goddess

Concubine Hui looked at Di Hongluan in terror.

Di Hongluan’s reputation as a little lucky star had started ten years ago, the year she was born at the Prince Han’s residence.

At that time, when Di Hongluan was still less than a year old, she had cured the Prince Han’s leg ailment.

The Prince Han and his Concubine publicly attributed it to Di Hongluan’s blessing.

Moreover, Di Hongluan’s birth had been marked by celestial phenomena, and every year on her birthday, the heavens bestowed blessings upon her, further amplifying her fame.

Di Hongluan said in a soft voice, “Has Aunt Hui forgotten what happened five years ago?”

Five years ago…

With those words, Concubine Hui’s mind immediately cleared.

“Five years ago, when the Eighth Prince was three years old, he fell into the water, and I saved him.”

Concubine Hui’s expression froze. The reason Di Xuan was blind was because, at three years old, he had fallen into a lake, hit his head, and was pulled out barely alive.

The imperial doctor had said there was no hope and advised preparing for the worst.

That day, Concubine Hui had knelt on the ground, crying her heart out, fainting multiple times.

Later, a small child had stood not far away and said in a clear, crisp voice, “I can save my brother! I can save my brother!”

That child was five-year-old Di Hongluan.

At that time, Concubine Hui was crying uncontrollably. Di Hongluan ran to the unconscious Di Xuan, held his hand, and muttered something to him. Eventually, Di Xuan had miraculously awakened.

Concubine Hui had actually knelt to Di Hongluan, like she was venerating a living Bodhisattva.

Even the imperial doctors were astonished and asked what method Di Hongluan had used to save Di Xuan.

The five-year-old Di Hongluan only smiled with her little baby teeth and said that Di Xuan’s life was meant to be preserved; she had merely helped him align with his destiny.

At that time, the palace spread tales of this miracle, saying that the Celestial Dynasty had gained a little lucky star, which was the Prince Han’s Di Hongluan.

Later, although Di Xuan’s life was saved, his eyes were damaged, and he lived in darkness ever since.

During the initial period when he was blind, Di Xuan couldn’t sleep at all, crying and making noise day and night, causing constant distress in the Anle Palace.

As a mother, Concubine Hui stayed by her son’s side day and night but couldn’t calm him down.

She was exhausted, desperately trying to help, watching her son suffer more and more, her heart breaking.

During that time, her life had hit rock bottom, thinking that if her son was lost, she would follow him.

But the child was still young, and she couldn’t bear to watch Di Xuan suffer to death. She called in imperial doctors, but they all said it was incurable. Concubine Hui did everything she could, but it was still futile.

Just when she thought her and Di Xuan’s lives were over, Di Hongluan appeared.

She stood at the entrance of the Anle Palace hall, holding a small child in her arms. Di Hongluan even smiled at her and said, “Aunt Hui, I can save Xuan’er.”

At that time, she was in a daze, holding Di Xuan and staring blankly at Di Hongluan.

It was only when the maid brought Di Hongluan and Di Xuan into the inner hall, and after a while, Di Hongluan bounced out while Di Xuan slept peacefully, that she couldn’t believe it. She cried tears of joy and was once again immensely grateful to Di Hongluan.

“Aunt Hui, the Eighth Prince was frightened by falling into the water and couldn’t accept his blindness. He was haunted by water ghosts. If you want him to be truly at peace, you need to pray to the gods for his protection. Di Xuan is a child of destiny, of royal blood, and praying to the gods in his name will surely bring divine blessings and protection.”

Di Hongluan handed the small child she was holding to Concubine Hui, saying it was a little goddess to be worshiped.

That was the first time Concubine Hui had seen the red cloth doll. For Di Xuan’s health, she didn’t believe in imperial doctors or deities but believed in Di Hongluan.

From then on, she dedicated herself to worshipping the red cloth doll, praying every 1st and 15th of the lunar month, without missing a single day.

Surprisingly, since then, Di Xuan indeed stopped causing disturbances. Day and night, he no longer screamed and lost his sanity.

Now, after all these years, Di Xuan, except for his blindness, is no different from a normal person in other respects.

Her heartache is Di Xuan’s eye disease.

As long as she could cure Di Xuan’s eyes, she would be willing to do anything.

“It seems Aunt Hui has remembered,” said Di Hongluan sweetly, perfectly understanding Concubine Hui.

Di Xuan is Concubine Hui’s lifeline!

“Can my son’s eyes really be treated with eye transplantation?” Concubine Hui never doubted Di Hongluan. She firmly believed that over the years, it was Di Hongluan’s little deity who had protected Di Xuan as he grew up.

In fact, she felt a certain degree of gratitude towards Di Hongluan.

This was also the reason she had frequently visited the Prince Han’s residence in recent years, mostly out of respect for Di Hongluan.

This girl was indeed extraordinary.

“Yes, Aunt Hui, trust me as you did five years ago. I won’t let you down,” Di Hongluan said with great confidence, her brows showing a hint of unshakable arrogance.

Concubine Hui’s heart stirred; her child had hope.

“But I saw in that book that the eye transplantation technique… is quite… quite cruel.” Those illustrations were vivid in her mind.

It involved transplanting one person’s eyes onto another. After living in the palace for so many years, Concubine Hui had never seen or heard of such a thing.

“If Di Xuan remains blind, isn’t that cruel for him?”

Concubine Hui was at a loss for words; no one else understood Di Xuan’s suffering.

Who would want to be a blind person!

Moreover, Di Xuan was a prince, and in the palace, he had often been criticized.

“But who would be willing to give their eyes to Xuan’er?” Concubine Hui worried. “Moreover, finding a pair of eyes suitable for Xuan’er is no easy task.”

“I have already found them, Aunt Hui has even seen them.”

Concubine Hui was startled. “You mean…”

“The eyes of the eldest son of the Luo family.”

Concubine Hui immediately stood up, her face turning pale. “Wh-what?”

Little Di Hongluan sat calmly in her chair, radiating a maturity beyond her ten years. “Luo Zifeng’s eyes are heterochromatic, unusual. If his eyes are removed and transplanted to Di Xuan, he will be able to see like a normal person. There’s no other way to cure Di Xuan.”

Concubine Hui shook her head in fear. “No, if we do that, Luo Zifeng will become blind! And…”

The Luo family was always close to Concubine De, and Yun Ci and Concubine De were intimate friends. If Concubine De found out, the Emperor would also know.

Such cruelty, once the Emperor knew, would definitely cause him to blame her, making her life in the palace extremely difficult.

It might also affect Xuan’er’s future.