A few days later, at the Ning King's manor.
"Your Highness, Huai Shu's mother has brought the Beauty Gu," the Ning King Jun Mo Xiao's personal guard reminded him from outside the study.
"Let her in," the Ning King said impatiently.
He had just been worrying about this matter. Tomorrow was his wedding, and everything was ready. Now he was just waiting for someone to bring him the Beauty Gu to restore Qin Xi Xue's appearance.
He hadn't expected Huai Shu's mother to bring him the Beauty Gu, and so promptly too.
Afterward, Granny Zhong (Miao Qing Dai) was led into the Ning King's study, carrying a small round basket covered with a bamboo lid.
"This commoner greets Your Highness, the Ning King!"
Granny Zhong gave the Ning King a polite bow.
"Rise!"
Upon hearing this, the Ning King gestured for Granny Zhong to rise.
"Your Highness, the Beauty Gu you asked me to cultivate is successful. Can I have the antidote for Huai Shu now?" Granny Zhong said expressionlessly.
"Yes, but I must first inspect the Beauty Gu in your possession before I hand over Huai Shu's antidote," the Ning King replied seriously.
"Very well, then Your Highness may inspect it."
Granny Zhong agreed readily and handed the small round basket in her hand to the guard beside the Ning King.
The guard took Granny Zhong's small round basket and carefully placed it on the Ning King's desk.
"Your Highness, should I examine this small round basket first?" the Ning King's personal guard asked, being very accommodating.
"No need, I'll do it myself." With that, the Ning King lifted the small round basket on the desk.
He lowered his gaze and saw a tiny golden-yellow Beauty Gu, no bigger than a fingernail, crawling around inside the basket.
"Huai Shu's mother, I didn't expect you to actually have the ability to cultivate the Beauty Gu," the Ning King said happily.
Then, he added, "I've heard of the process of cultivating the Beauty Gu. It starts as a black worm, as thin as a strand of hair, which is then fed with the heart's blood of a young boy for a period of time. Gradually, it is cultivated into a green worm, and after another period of feeding, the Beauty Gu finally matures into a golden-yellow color. Am I correct?"
"Yes, Your Highness, the method of cultivating the Beauty Gu is indeed like that."
Granny Zhong nodded seriously.
"Alright, since you have successfully cultivated the Beauty Gu for me, I shall give you Huai Shu's antidote."
As the Ning King spoke, he took out a small box from his desk drawer, threw it directly to Granny Zhong, and then instructed his personal guard to take Granny Zhong to the Ning King's manor's dungeon to retrieve her son.
Granny Zhong swiftly caught the small box and then followed the Ning King's guard out of the Ning King's study and into the manor's dungeon.
At that moment, in the dungeon, Granny Zhong's son, Huai Shu, was covered in blood, his hair disheveled, with wounds on his head, face, and hands. His limbs were bound by chains to the dungeon walls, and his complexion was dark, likely due to poisoning.
She had no idea what wrong her child had committed, nor why the Ning King had treated him so cruelly.
But seeing her son like this, Granny Zhong couldn't stop her tears from flowing.
"Child, child, are you alright? Mother has come to save you," Granny Zhong cried.
The man slowly raised his eyes to look at Granny Zhong and said weakly, "Mother, why have you come here? Quickly, quickly leave this place!"
"Child, I've come to save you." Granny Zhong replied.
Following that, the Ning King's personal guard retrieved the keys from the jailer and opened the cell door where Huai Shu was held.
Then, he unlocked the chains on Huai Shu's hands and feet. Huai Shu was instantly freed but almost fell to the ground, only to be caught by Granny Zhong.
Without a word, Granny Zhong picked up her son and, gritting her teeth, carried him out of the Ning King's dungeon.
Her son was injured and urgently needed a physician to treat him.
Thus, Granny Zhong, carrying her son, made her way through the streets of the capital. All the medical clinics in the city were closed, so she remembered that Leng Ruo Li also knew medicine. She then slowly walked towards the Leng King's manor.
After being announced by the gate guards, Granny Zhong successfully entered the Leng King's manor. At this moment, Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mo Han had just come out after having dinner in the space.
As they walked out of their room, they heard Ye Ying announce that Granny Zhong of Buye Tian Zhuang had arrived.
Therefore, the couple hurried to the living room of the Leng King's manor. As they entered, they saw Granny Zhong tending to a man.
"Granny Zhong, what happened to him?"
Leng Ruo Li frowned and asked.
"Princess Consort, please save my son," Granny Zhong pleaded upon seeing Leng Ruo Li.
Upon hearing this, Leng Ruo Li frowned.
"Granny Zhong, what is your son's condition?" Leng Ruo Li asked curiously.
"My son was imprisoned in the dungeon by the Ning King and beaten badly, sustaining many injuries. Moreover, he is poisoned. I fear for his life, so I brought him to you, Princess Consort," Granny Zhong explained anxiously.
"Did you manage to exchange your son's antidote?"
Hearing this, Granny Zhong nodded.
"Princess Consort, I used the Beauty Gu you cultivated to exchange for the antidote from the Ning King, but I dare not give it to my son immediately. Princess Consort, can you help me examine the antidote the Ning King gave my son?"
"Yes, but let's tend to your son's wounds first. Afterward, I'll examine the antidote for you."
With that, Leng Ruo Li instructed Xing'er to fetch a basin of warm water and asked Granny Zhong to wipe the blood off her son.
Leng Ruo Li immediately took Huai Shu's pulse and found that his injuries were not very severe. The main issues were starvation and poisoning.
Next, after Leng Ruo Li applied medicine to Granny Zhong's son, she asked Granny Zhong to show her the antidote she had exchanged.
Granny Zhong took out the antidote the Ning King had given her from her sleeve and handed it to Leng Ruo Li.
Leng Ruo Li quickly opened the small box containing the antidote, took out the black pill, and brought it to her nose to smell.
Instantly, Leng Ruo Li's expression darkened.
"Granny Zhong, the pill the Ning King gave you is for healing, not the antidote for the poison your son has."
Leng Ruo Li said with a hint of helplessness.
"What? The Ning King lied to me! This is too much. I'm going to settle the score with him now!"
"No need. The poison in your son's body is not difficult to resolve. I can detoxify him."
As Leng Ruo Li finished speaking, she immediately moved a detoxification pill from her space and had Granny Zhong administer it to her son.
Following that, Leng Ruo Li instructed Xing'er to have the Leng King's manor's main kitchen prepare some light porridge for Granny Zhong's son and for Granny Zhong to feed it to him slowly.
Granny Zhong's son's complexion gradually began to improve.