"The Empress Dowager's birthday is the day after tomorrow, what will you do about your face?" Madam Qin's entire face was so creased with worry that it was almost a knot.
"Wuwu..."
"Mother, I don't know what to do either? Will my face be disfigured?" Qin Xixue sobbed.
"Little Xue, have you eaten anything strange recently?" Madam Qin asked with concern.
"Mother, I haven't left the manor these past few days, and all my food has been from the manor. Could it be that those lowly bitches in the manor poisoned me?"
Qin Xixue asked with a sinister expression.
"Mother will investigate this matter thoroughly for you, but for now, I will have someone invite two doctors to the manor to examine you," Madam Qin said, daring to glance at Qin Xixue's face again.
Qin Xixue could only nod with pus-filled pustules on her face and red eyes.
"Shu Qin, hurry and go to the medical clinics on the street to invite two doctors to see the eldest young lady?" Madam Qin ordered urgently.
After receiving the command, Madam Qin's maid, Shu Qin, hurried out of the Qin manor to fetch the doctors.
At this moment, Prime Minister Qin Zhihong returned home from the morning court. He heard the servants say that the eldest young lady was throwing a tantrum in her room, so he rushed over.
"Little Xue, what's wrong? Why are you throwing such a big tantrum?" Qin Zhihong called out loudly before he even reached Qin Xixue's door.
"Master, Master, you're back! Little Xue, her face has become like this, what can be done?" Madam Qin said in a cooing voice.
Qin Zhihong was completely confused by Madam Qin's words, and his brows furrowed, not understanding the meaning.
"Madam, what happened to Little Xue's face?" Prime Minister Qin asked directly.
"Alas, why don't you come over and take a look yourself?"
Madam Qin didn't know how to describe her daughter's ugly face, so she had to ask Prime Minister Qin to see it himself.
This made Prime Minister Qin even more puzzled.
He secretly pondered: What exactly happened to Little Xue's face?
So, he frowned and walked to Qin Xixue's side.
"Little Xue, lift your head so Daddy can see your face," Prime Minister Qin said softly upon seeing his eldest daughter with her head lowered.
"Daddy, no, my face is really unbearable to look at. Wuwu..."
Qin Xixue kept her head down, refusing to lift her face to Prime Minister Qin no matter what.
"Little Xue, just lift your head so your father can see it, and he can think of a way to find someone to treat it," Madam Qin said helplessly.
She knew why Little Xue was unwilling to let Qin Zhihong see her face. It was not because there were too many concubine-born young ladies in the Qin manor. Recently, everyone had been racking their brains to gain favor with Qin Zhihong, all hoping for his permission to enter the palace and attend the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet.
If Qin Zhihong saw that Little Xue's face was disfigured, he would definitely be very disappointed in her, and his attention would shift to other concubine-born daughters, leaving herself neglected.
Her mother naturally understood Little Xue's worries, but the Empress Dowager's banquet was the day after tomorrow. If this matter was kept from Qin Zhihong, and Little Xue caused a scene at the banquet, Qin Zhihong would definitely be furious.
It was better to let him know now, and they could all think of a good plan.
"Mother, your daughter is fine. You and Father should go out first. I want some peace and quiet," Qin Xixue said, sobbing.
"Little Xue, Madam, what are you two talking about in riddles?" Prime Minister Qin's curiosity grew stronger as he heard their conversation.
"Master, Little Xue's face has inexplicably developed many pustules?" Madam Qin finally spoke for Qin Xixue.
"What? Little Xue, quickly let your father see your face." Qin Zhihong said anxiously.
"Little Xue, just let your father see your face so he can help you find a renowned doctor to treat it," Madam Qin also urged.
But Qin Xixue still refused to let Qin Zhihong see her face. Later, her actions angered Qin Zhihong, who said a few harsh words, and only then did Qin Xixue obediently raise her head to show him.
Qin Zhihong was also quite startled by her appearance when he first glanced at Qin Xixue's face.
"Little Xue, how did your face become like this? Did you eat anything you shouldn't have recently?" Qin Zhihong asked with a distressed expression.
"Daddy, I didn't eat anything I shouldn't have. My food is all prepared by the main kitchen in the manor... Could someone in the manor have poisoned my food?" Qin Xixue guessed.
"If that's the case, your father will not let him (her) go," Qin Zhihong said through gritted teeth.
With the Empress Dowager's birthday approaching, he had planned to use the banquet to let Qin Xixue stand out and attract the attention of the various princes. Now that this had happened, how could he not be angry?
But at this moment, Madam Qin's maid, Shu Qin, arrived at the door of Qin Xixue's boudoir with two doctors in a hurry.
"Master, Madam, Eldest Young Lady, this servant has invited the doctors," Shu Qin said respectfully from outside the door.
"Bring them in!" Madam Qin said urgently.
Following that, two middle-aged doctors slowly entered Qin Xixue's room with Shu Qin.
"You two, quickly come and examine my Little Xue's face," Qin Zhihong also urged the doctors who had just entered the room.
"Yes, Prime Minister Qin and Madam Qin."
Upon hearing this, Qin Xixue quickly covered her face with her sleeve. The two doctors put down their medical bags and walked to Qin Xixue's side. Although they were both curious about her face, neither of them spoke. One of them first extended his finger to carefully feel her pulse. After finishing, he looked at the other doctor. The other doctor also reached out to feel Qin Xixue's pulse. Then, the two doctors looked at each other, shook their heads, and sighed.
"Doctors, speak quickly, what is my daughter's condition?" Madam Qin asked, her brows tightly furrowed.
"Replying to the Prime Minister and Madam, the Eldest Young Lady has been poisoned by pig pustules. If we are not mistaken, the Eldest Young Lady's face is already covered with pustules," one of the doctors said slowly.
After he finished speaking, Prime Minister Qin and Madam Qin both turned to look at the other doctor.
"Doctor Liao is correct. The Eldest Young Lady has indeed been poisoned by pig pustules, and her pig pustules have worsened due to her self-medicating with incorrect drugs."
"Doctor, what did you say? I didn't eat anything I shouldn't have!" Qin Xixue did not want to admit that she had privately hired doctors and taken medicine.
"Eldest Young Lady, it doesn't matter if you don't admit it, but in the future, do not casually take medication prescribed by charlatans. The medicines they provide are harmful and offer no benefit," the doctor reminded her earnestly.
"Little Xue, what have you been doing recently?" Qin Zhihong asked again.
"Daddy, Mother, a few days ago, I had a few red spots on my face, and they were very painful. So, I had my maid sneak out to find a few doctors to examine me. As a result, after their examination, they all prescribed a lot of medicine. I followed their instructions to get the medicine, have it brewed into a decoction, and drank it. After only a few days of drinking it, my face became like this."
As Qin Xixue spoke, she was on the verge of a breakdown.