"Oh dear, no wonder my brother keeps saying it's getting hot even though it's not summer yet!" Su Youran said with a smile. "So he's someone who loves to cool off! I bet he really likes that Azure Cloud Fan!"

She didn't forget to give a verbal advertisement.

Her unintentional remark made Zhou Qingqian strongly identify with her childhood sweetheart cousin.

If she married Yun Tianbai, wouldn't she be able to go back to her parents' home for a month every summer? At that time, it would be a sweet world just for the two of them, with no third person in sight!

Once she got into the role, she couldn't help but empathize with the storyline and even came up with countless other ways to crush the matriarch.

Finally, Su Youran sighed softly, "Ah, it's such a pity. My sister-in-law Xia and my eldest brother seem to have been childhood sweethearts. Cousin Qingqian, do you think that since she was robbed of her position as the Crown Prince's wife by sister-in-law Xinxin, will she, like the cousin in this play, harbor resentment and... develop feelings she shouldn't have? My eldest brother dotes on her so much!"

Zhou Qingqian's heart skipped a beat. Yes, if something happened to Wu Xinxin, then Shi Wenxia would be the first suspect!

Zhou Qingqian immediately recalled the last time at the Yun family's house, in Shi Wenxia's courtyard, when Shi Wenxia subtly asked if the Zhou family owned a manor in the suburbs of Beijing. She said that a distant cousin had been framed and was coming to seek refuge with her, and wanted to ask her aunt to borrow a manor to hide him.

They even said that in such a large rural village, hiding someone wouldn't be difficult.

He added that it was fortunate it was his cousin; if it had been his cousin, hiding her inside would have been extremely inappropriate, as it would have ruined her reputation.

She immediately realized that Shi Wenxia wanted to use her to bring Wu Xinxin into the manor.

But Wu Xinxin is the daughter of a marquis, and she is always surrounded by maids, servants, and guards. How could she possibly make a move against her?

As she read on, a certain thought in Zhou Qingqian's mind became more and more resolute!

Because she suddenly discovered that the childhood sweetheart in her cousin's heart was actually that bitch Shi Wenxia!

So, Wu Xinxin wasn't the only one blocking his path; Shi Wenxia was too!

I increasingly feel that to eliminate obstacles, we must leave none behind!

There are plenty of shady dealings going on in the inner quarters. If she's careful, she might be able to frame someone first, then make them fight amongst themselves! Wouldn't that give her a chance in the end?

As the two were about to leave after watching the play, Su Youran heard a somewhat familiar voice coming from the private room next door.

It was Princess Qingping.

Out of instinct, she sat back down, saying she was thirsty and wanted another drink, and asked her cousin to go ahead.

Zhou Qingqian smiled and went out first.

Su Youran had a gut feeling that Princess Qingping was up to no good, so she released her little notebook.

Sure enough, the next moment, the conversation between Princess Qingping and a woman in the room reached her ears.

The woman asked, "Do you still want the Brain-Eating Gu from last time?"

"This time it needs to be done quickly, this princess can't wait another three or five years!" Princess Qingping's voice was somewhat anxious.

The woman was silent for a moment before saying, "There is a kind of 'Seven-Seven Gu' that can cause someone to bleed from all seven orifices and die within seven days, and their face will be completely disfigured when they die. That's where its name comes from."

Princess Qingping was clearly excited. "This is it! It should be so gruesome that the woman's face is unrecognizable and her death is miserable!"

"However..." the woman continued, "unlike the brain-devouring Gu, those who die from the Seven-Seven Gu are obviously victims of unnatural causes, easily suspected of being poisoned or cursed. If someone investigates in this direction..."

The princess said nonchalantly, "What's there to be afraid of? You only come to the capital once every three years. Do you really think someone will find out about you?"

“Just because they traced me doesn’t mean they’ll trace my clan. I don’t want this matter to implicate my clan,” the woman said.

"Don't worry, once that woman is dead, I will make sure the Jingzhao Prefecture dares not investigate any further!" Princess Qingping said confidently. "You can go into the manor at this time to release the poison!"

Then there was a slight sound as if a note was being opened. The woman was silent for a moment, then her voice was somewhat bitter, "Last time it was the Marquis of Yun's residence, this time it's the Princess's residence, I'm afraid it will be... even more difficult..."

Princess Qingping snorted, "I will arrange everything myself!"

The woman then asked, seemingly unintentionally, "Excuse me for asking, but is the Princess's attack on her... for the sake of the Imperial Preceptor? If it is for the Imperial Preceptor, why doesn't the Princess consider using the Heart-Connecting Gu?"

Princess Qingping sighed, "I would like to this time too, but it is said that the Imperial Preceptor is proficient in Qimen Dunjia, witchcraft, medicine, and Gu poison. I'm afraid he would easily detect me."

The woman suddenly lowered her voice and said, "In recent years, I have acquired a new kind of 'Heart-Connecting Gu' that, as long as we are having sex... will be absolutely impossible for anyone to detect."

"Really?" Princess Qingping was overjoyed.

"Hmm. Princess, you might as well give it a try." The woman took out a small box and whispered how to use it, "If the princess can find a way to put this in... this thing... it can enter a man's body without him noticing... and after that, he will be devoted to you and love you endlessly."

Princess Qingping was clearly tempted and accepted the box.

"However... Princess, please remember, if this Gu is used, the lives of the two of you will be tied. If he lives, you live; if he dies, you die."

Su Youran suddenly felt sorry for her master; he hadn't even won over the person he loved yet, and he was already being chased by unwanted suitors.

Moreover, this rotten peach blossom is clearly going to target the stepmother.

How could she tolerate this?

I definitely couldn't stand it.

So when the woman quietly left, she quietly opened the door and followed her.

But when they reached the entrance of an alley, the woman was suddenly grabbed by a hand and pulled into a doorway.

She lightly leaped onto the wall and discovered that it was Zhou Qingqian who had intercepted her.

It turned out that she was eavesdropping inside the room, while Zhou Qingqian, who had gone ahead, was eavesdropping outside the princess's private room and overheard most of their conversation.

Zhou Qingqian sought out the woman not to investigate their conspiracy, but to discuss business with her.

The deal involved having the woman cast a seven-seven poison spell on Wu Xinxin, and Zhou Qingqian promised to pay a large sum of money in return.

The woman dared not agree easily, so Zhou Qingqian used what she had just heard as leverage.

But the woman insisted, "Gu worms are difficult to raise. There is only one Seven-Seven Gu, and I have already promised the princess. Even if you kill me, I will not be able to produce any more."

Zhou Qingqian frowned, "Then what other Gu poison do you have?"

“It is that brain-devouring gu,” the woman replied.

What is a brain-eating gu?

"This Gu enters the body without the person feeling it, but it will gradually enter the brain from the blood vessels and gnaw at the brain every day. It will take at least three years and at most five years for the person to die." Seeing Zhou Qingqian frown, she added, "After death, no one will be able to find out the cause of death; they will just assume that the person died of a brain disease. So although this Gu takes effect slowly, it is extremely safe."

Zhou Qingqian's eyes darted around, and she immediately agreed, "How do we administer this Gu?"