Chapter 207 Strategizing (Part 1)
Qiao Yuanyao didn't care about Li Sanqi's attitude and continued with a smile, "Right now, the Crown Princess is only relying on the child in her womb. What if the Crown Princess miscarries?"
"Is the Crown Prince's doting on the Crown Princess truly a deep and unwavering love? Don't forget, men are creatures that are prone to getting bored with the old and seeking the new."
"And will the crown prince always be the crown prince?"
"How dare you!" Li Sanqi slammed his hand on the table and stood up, glaring angrily. "You mere commoner, do you know what you're saying?"
Qiao Yuanyao was not afraid at all. She straightened her back and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "I am planning for the future of the Seventh Princess."
Although Li Sanqi appeared to be angry, he wasn't actually angry at all.
To be honest, what Qiao Yuanyao said coincided with her and her mother's thoughts.
She sat down again, looking at Qiao Yuanyao with deep eyes, "Tell me more about it."
Qiao Yuanyao smiled, looking confident. "I had someone add something to the painting I gave to the princess. It's colorless and odorless, yet it can cause someone to miscarry unintentionally."
Li Sanqi was shocked and immediately withdrew his hand from the wooden box.
Seeing her panic, Qiao Yuanyao quickly reassured her, "Princess, don't be afraid. That thing only works on pregnant women. It won't harm ordinary people."
Li Sanqi twitched his lips, clearly somewhat disbelieving, "Such a thing exists in this world?"
As he spoke, Li Sanqi's face immediately darkened: "You want me to give this painting to the Crown Princess?"
"How dare you scheme against me, the princess!"
If the painting is delivered to the Crown Princess through her, and ultimately causes the Crown Princess to miscarry, wouldn't it be possible to trace the blame back to her through the painting?
Li Sanqi was furious and about to explode when Qiao Yuanyao quickly calmed her down, saying, "Seventh Princess, please calm down."
"This thing is colorless and odorless, and naturally there is no trace of it."
Li Sanqi didn't believe it. "How could we not be able to trace it? Do you think I'm a three-year-old child that you can fool?"
Qiao Yuanyao patiently explained, "Does the Seventh Princess still remember Madam Zheng and the deceased Old Madam Sun?"
Li Sanqi frowned slightly, "You mean..."
Qiao Yuanyao nodded: "When Madam Zheng lost control of her bladder, it was indeed because Old Madam Sun poisoned her."
"And when Madam Sun lost control of her bladder in public at the banquet at the Marquis of Annan's residence, it was also because she had been poisoned."
"But as it turned out, neither the doctors in the capital nor the imperial physicians in the palace could detect any signs of poisoning, could they?"
Li Sanqi was startled, then suddenly remembered something, "The one who cured Madam Zheng's poison..."
Qiao Yuanyao nodded silently.
Li Sanqi was still somewhat incredulous. "Are you sure the imperial physician can't find anything?"
"I'm sure." Qiao Yuanyao was very certain.
Li Sanqi thought for a moment and then instructed the only female official who remained by his side to serve him: "Go and summon the head of the Imperial Medical Academy to me."
"Yes." The female official accepted the order and left.
"If even the chief physician can't find anything, then I'll believe what you're saying."
Li Sanqi had been silently observing Qiao Yuanyao's expression. "You still have a chance to back out before the academy head arrives. But if the academy head finds something wrong with your painting, I won't protect you later."
Qiao Yuanyao remained calm and composed, saying, "This humble woman awaits the examiner's inspection."
Soon, the head of the Imperial Medical Academy arrived.
The head physician was an old man who was nearly sixty years old. He had been a royal physician his whole life and was recognized as the most skilled doctor in the Imperial Medical Academy at present.
"This old minister pays his respects to the Seventh Princess."
"No need for formalities. I would like to trouble you, Your Excellency, to take a look at this painting for me."
Li Sanqi didn't waste any words. He glanced at Qiao Yuanyao and, seeing that she remained expressionless, got straight to the point: "I recently acquired a fine painting and wanted to present it to the Crown Princess for her enjoyment. However, I was worried that there might be something wrong with the painting, so I asked the Imperial Academy Master to come and help me take a look."
He then handed the painting to the female official.
The lady-in-waiting quickly summoned two more palace maids to help unfold the painting.
"Could you please take a look and see if there's anything wrong with this painting?"
Li Sanqi looked at the headmaster with a sincere expression.
The academy director bowed and began to carefully examine Qiao Yuanyao's painting.
From top to bottom, front to back, look with your eyes, touch with your hands, smell with your nose...
After a long while, the head of the academy said with a serious expression, "Reporting to the Seventh Princess, there is nothing wrong with this painting."
Li Sanqi feigned composure and said, "Are you sure this painting won't harm the Crown Princess and the child in her womb?"
The abbot nodded: "This old minister is certain. There is nothing wrong with this painting."
Li Sanqi then smiled with relief and said, "That's good! I specially found this painting for the Crown Princess. It would be terrible if something went wrong."
Seeing Li Sanqi's caution, the academy director carefully examined the painting again and finally affirmed, "This painting is indeed without any problems."
After seeing off the head of the palace, all the other palace servants except the female officials also left.
Li Sanqi then smiled and asked Qiao Yuanyao, "Did you really add something to this painting?"
Qiao Yuanyao responded with a smile: "Once this painting reaches the Crown Princess, the princess will be able to witness the result."
This time, Li Sanqi didn't argue with Qiao Yuanyao anymore. Instead, she continued the previous topic, saying, "You just said that men are all fickle and easily bored. Have you met some stunning beauty?"
"You saw the Crown Princess's beauty that day. She is truly a beauty that could topple kingdoms."
Qiao Yuanyao smiled and said, "Your Highness is mistaken."
"Some people like beauty, some like personality, and some like what they can't have..."
Li Sanqi narrowed his eyes. "You mean, this person doesn't necessarily have to be exceptionally good-looking, but must be special enough to attract attention?"
Qiao Yuanyao nodded: "Indeed. There are countless beautiful appearances, but a woman who is interesting and has a unique personality is truly one in a million."
Li Sanqi agreed, saying, "You're right. I think you're much more interesting than the Crown Princess."
She's much more adorable than the delicate, tearful Crown Princess, who dares to discuss such rebellious topics with her.
Thinking of this, Li Sanqi looked at Qiao Yuanyao in disbelief, "The person you're talking about, it's not yourself, is it?"
"You want to become a concubine in the Crown Prince's residence?" Li Sanqi's jaw almost dropped.
Upon hearing this, Qiao Yuanyao was utterly astonished.
She pounded her chest hard to catch her breath before saying, "What is the princess thinking about?"
"I was just advising the princess on how to send the person to the crown prince."
"I don't want to get myself involved!"
Hearing Qiao Yuanyao's disdainful tone, Li Sanqi immediately pouted, "You don't even look down on my Crown Prince brother, do you?"
"If she becomes my elder brother, the Crown Prince, she will become an empress in the harem in the future."
Qiao Yuanyao smiled and said, "Does the Seventh Princess really hope that the Crown Prince's concubine will become an empress in the harem in the future?"
Li Sanqi fell silent.
She doesn't want to!
If the crown prince's concubine becomes a concubine in the harem, doesn't that mean the crown prince has ascended the throne and become emperor?
She didn't want to at all!
Li Sanqi pursed his lips, then took up the topic, saying, "Alright, you pass this one."
"Anything else? I remember you also said something like: 'The crown prince won't always be the crown prince!'"
Qiao Yuanyao thought for a moment and then asked seriously, "Besides the Crown Prince, may I ask which prince is the Seventh Princess's favorite brother?"
Without a second thought, Li Sanqi replied, "Naturally, it is my fifth prince, who shares the same mother as me."
Qiao Yuanyao then asked, "Which prince does the Seventh Princess dislike the most?"
After thinking for a moment, he added, "Except for the Crown Prince."
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