As for Prince Ning, after obtaining the beauty gu, he returned to Prime Minister Qin’s manor under the cover of night.
This time, he didn't alarm anyone in the Qin manor and went directly to Qin Xixue's courtyard.
At this moment, Qin Xixue was also awake in her room, looking happily at the bright red wedding dress hanging on the screen.
Her wedding dress was made from precious Yun Jin fabric, specially procured by Prince Ning from Southern Zhao. Although it wasn't as magnificent and eye-catching as the wedding dress the Empress Dowager had made for Leng Ruoli, it would still be the most exquisite wedding dress in the capital.
Furthermore, Prince Ning had commissioned over a dozen new sets of jewelry for her, each exquisitely designed and crafted by imperial artisans.
Although she couldn't marry her beloved Prince Leng and become his consort as she wished, marrying Prince Ning and becoming his consort was a good alternative. Moreover, her father was currently assisting Prince Ning in consolidating his power in the court, preparing for his ascension to the throne.
If Prince Ning were to become Emperor in the future, then Qin Xixue would be Empress, and she would have anything she desired.
The only regret Qin Xixue felt at the moment was that Prince Ning had not yet managed to help her cultivate the beauty gu, and her facial appearance had not yet been restored. This was what concerned her the most.
Qin Xixue mused.
Just then, her room door was knocked.
"Xue'er, are you asleep yet?" Prince Ning asked in a low voice.
Upon hearing Prince Ning's voice, Qin Xixue eagerly hurried to open the door.
"Your Highness, tomorrow is our wedding day. We are not supposed to see each other for three days before the wedding."
Qin Xixue chided him playfully.
"Xue'er, I snuck in tonight. I didn't inform Prime Minister Qin or Madam Qin through any of the manor's servants. Besides, it is already late at night. Except for the guards at the entrance, all the masters and servants in the Qin manor are already asleep. Very few people have seen me enter the Qin manor," Prince Ning said with a smile.
"It's so late tonight, why have you come to my courtyard with something important?" Qin Xixue asked curiously.
"Xue'er, I've brought you something good. Guess what it is?" Prince Ning said mysteriously.
Hearing this, Qin Xixue's large eyes darted about, as if in thought. If her face hadn't been disfigured, she would have been quite attractive.
Tonight, she was alone in her room, and her maids had all gone to sleep, so she hadn't covered her disfigured face with bandages.
"Something good? What good thing?" Qin Xixue asked somewhat eagerly. Then, her thoughts shifted, and she giggled, "Could it be that Your Highness has brought me the beauty gu?"
Prince Ning chuckled upon hearing this, not answering her directly. He immediately took out a small, covered round basket from his wide sleeve.
"This is the good thing I've brought for you."
Prince Ning dangled the small round basket in front of Qin Xixue.
"Your Highness, could this really be the beauty gu?"
"Let's go inside the room and open it to see."
Prince Ning pursed his lips and smiled again.
Seeing Prince Ning's expression, Qin Xixue guessed it was almost certainly what she had thought.
Immediately, unable to contain her excitement, she turned and went back into the room, placing the small round basket on the small table inside. Prince Ning followed closely behind Qin Xixue into her room and casually bolted the door.
Once inside, Qin Xixue eagerly lifted the lid of the small round basket and looked inside. It contained a tiny, shimmering golden worm.
"Your Highness, is this the legendary beauty gu? It's so beautiful," Qin Xixue couldn't help but praise it.
In fact, in Qin Xixue's heart, as long as this thing could restore her appearance, even if it looked as ugly as a pile of dung, Qin Xixue at this moment would still find it beautiful.
"Your Highness, how do we use this beauty gu?" Qin Xixue asked urgently.
"It's very simple. You just need to make a small cut on your face, let it crawl into your body through the wound, and then you will face a heart-wrenching pain. As long as you can endure this pain, your face will be restored," Prince Ning explained to Qin Xixue carefully.
"That's it? No other requirements?" Qin Xixue found it somewhat unbelievable after hearing this.
"Yes, it's that simple!" Prince Ning nodded at her words.
Upon receiving Prince Ning's affirmative answer, Qin Xixue impatiently went to her dressing table, found a dagger from a drawer, and with firm resolve, made a small cut on her chin with the dagger. Immediately, Qin Xixue let out a cry of pain, and then she picked up the gu worm from the small round basket and placed it on the wound she had just made.
The worm, upon sensing the scent of blood, became exceptionally excited. It wriggled its body twice and then burrowed into the wound.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Qin Xixue's face began to throb with excruciating pain. Cold sweat, the size of large beans, seeped from her forehead, quickly soaking her hair and her clothes.
"Ah…"
"My face really hurts so much!"
In pain, Qin Xixue clutched her head with both hands and collapsed onto her bed, curling into a ball.
Upon hearing their young lady's screams, everyone in Qin Xixue's courtyard quickly got out of bed and gathered outside Qin Xixue's room.
"Miss, Miss, are you alright?"
Qin Xixue's personal maid, with a face full of anxiety, pounded hard on Qin Xixue's door.
However, there was no response from Qin Xixue's room. Then, Qin Xixue's screams echoed from within the room again.
"Ah…"
"My face really hurts so much!"
"I can barely hold on."
Hearing Qin Xixue’s words, the little maid outside the door turned pale with fear, thinking that an intruder had entered Qin Xixue's room.
"Miss, if you don't open the door, I will call for Master and Madam."
Qin Xixue's little maid turned to run out and call for help.
But at that moment, a deep, melodious male voice came from Qin Xixue's room.
"Do not disturb your Master and Madam!"
The little maid paused slightly upon hearing the familiar voice.
Isn't this Prince Ning's voice?
Could it be that Prince Ning is in her young lady's boudoir?
However, according to custom, the bride and groom are not supposed to see each other for three days before the wedding, otherwise, their future path would be very inauspicious.
What… what is happening in there?
"Your Highness, how is my young lady?" the little maid asked curiously.
The little maid was surprised that Prince Ning answered her question so readily this time.
"Your young lady is recovering her appearance. You should all go back and rest," Prince Ning replied seriously.
Later, seeing Prince Ning in her young lady's room, the little maid dared not ask further. After standing outside her young lady's door for a while, she dispersed the servants in the small courtyard, asking them to return to their rooms and sleep.
She also returned to her own room to rest.