Poisonous Goddess: I'm just lazing around in the mortal realm.

"What Prime Minister Pei means is what we all mean."

Hai Jingcheng patted Cui Shen's somewhat thin shoulder, then nodded heavily to Pei Zhiheng.

His weathered face was tinged with a hint of excitement.

It seems he's been in the capital for too long; even his old bones are getting a bit loose.

If he could truly return to the battlefield in his lifetime, then his death would have been worthwhile.

"Then there's no need to actually send you all to fight on the battlefield, making me, the prime minister, just a figurehead?"

Pei Zhiheng's eyes crinkled with a slight smile. These two brothers of his had been through thick and thin with him.

He certainly couldn't put them in danger unnecessarily.

His plan today is to put forward the Third Prince to replace the Crown Prince and lead the troops to attack the Southern Barbarians.

Although the emperor punished them because of his request.

But all of this was within his expectations.

"Does Your Excellency mean we shouldn't go?" Hai Jingcheng asked somewhat nervously, even though he had long disliked the Emperor of Nanyang.

But isn't it a bit too early to openly break off relations at this point?

After all, although they were also part of the Crown Prince's faction, the Crown Prince was the Emperor's legitimate son and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, would be the next ruler of Nanyang.

However, the Crown Prince's power base is not yet secure, and the An family and the Third Prince are eyeing him covetously.

Beset by internal and external troubles, how can we act rashly?

Cui Shen scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly and smiled.

"My lord, are we to disobey the imperial decree?" He would rather disobey the imperial decree than go to the battlefield.

After all, he had long disliked the emperor, just like Pei Zhiheng.

He caught a glimpse of Hai Jingcheng's slightly disdainful gaze out of the corner of his eye, and quickly realized what was happening, and began to explain.

"What I mean is, I'll go all the way! If Prime Minister Pei wants to defy the imperial decree, I'll stand with you!" Cui Shen patted his chest solemnly.

He almost starved to death on the streets when he was studying in his early years. If it weren't for Prime Minister Pei giving him food and saving his life, he wouldn't be where he is today.

He had long regarded Pei Xiang as his own family.

"cut--"

Seeing Cui Shen's prejudice against him, Hai Jing couldn't help but roll his eyes inwardly. Even someone with gray hair like him dared to go to the battlefield.

Ironically, this youngest and most cunning one is also incredibly timid.

As expected, the only things these civil officials could actually lift were paper and pen.

Pei Zhiheng smiled without speaking, slowly lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, glanced at the palace receding into the distance outside the carriage, and then slowly said...

“I do not intend for you to disobey the imperial decree.”

"My lord?" Hai Jingcheng's eyes were filled with undisguised excitement. He was naturally willing to follow Prime Minister Pei to the battlefield to protect him.

If it weren't for the letter Pei Zhiheng wrote to him back then, urgently summoning him back to the capital, he would never have casually returned to the capital to become some kind of censor.

Pei Zhiheng slowly lowered the carriage curtain and then said...

"We'll go with the army and make a trip to the southern barbarians."

As night deepened, Pei Zhiheng finally returned home.

He glanced at A-Meng standing in the corner and said...

"Has the young lady come out yet?" He had naturally been concerned about his daughter, but recently the emperor's plan to send troops to attack the southern barbarians had come up.

It was so heavy that he could hardly breathe.

Not to mention that today in the Imperial Study, the Emperor once again became angry with them.

"The young lady sent me to invite you to her study," A-Meng replied truthfully. She hadn't expected the young lady to choose this time to meet someone.

As expected, the second young lady is the most effective.

"Oh, right, where is the Second Miss?" Pei Zhiheng asked, glancing at A Meng who was following behind him as he walked toward the study.

Without a second thought, A-Meng answered directly.

"She should be resting inside. The second young lady visited the eldest young lady today." She thought about it carefully. Since Aru hadn't come to inform her, the second young lady of the Pei family should be in her Tingyu Pavilion.

"Take this to her." Pei Zhiheng casually handed the pastries packed from Fengyazhai to A Meng. Although he didn't care about Pei Suisui as much as Pei Nanyue did.

However, every time he passed by Fengya Zhai, he would personally bring back some snacks for his youngest daughter.

"Yes, sir." A-Meng nodded, then picked up the food box and headed towards Tingyuxuan.

Inside the study, Pei Nanyue looked distressed, leaning back in her armchair with her head bowed as she pondered something.

She didn't even notice when Pei Zhiheng entered the room.

It wasn't until Pei Zhiheng slowly walked up to her that Pei Nanyue realized her father had arrived, and she quickly stood up and said...

"I've seen Father. Father has returned?" Her voice was hoarse, clearly from crying.

Although Pei Zhiheng didn't say it, the concern in his eyes still showed.

"Are you... alright?" he asked hesitantly, afraid of touching on his daughter's sadness.

Although he had been busy with official business these days, he had inevitably heard some gossip. He knew his eldest daughter best.

If it wasn't about Pei Suisui, then it must be about that person that caused her to lose her composure and lock herself in her room.

Pei Nanyue composed herself and slowly shook her head.

"I'm fine. I heard the Emperor was angry in the palace again today?"

She had naturally heard that the emperor had vented his anger on her father in the imperial study today, which is why she hurriedly waited for him there.

"As you expected."

Pei Zhiheng walked to the desk and sat down, then pulled out the letter that had been lying under the desk for a long time.

"This is?"

Pei Nanyue's gaze fell on the long-yellowed letter, and she was slightly taken aback.

She was always worried that the people in the mansion might not do things properly, or that they might rummage through her father's study, leaving him unable to find what he needed.

Therefore, she was always the one tidying up her father's study.

"How come I've never seen this letter before?" Even after tidying up for so long, she had never seen the letter in her father's hand.

Pei Zhiheng stared at the letter for a long time, deliberating before finally tossing it onto the table.

“This is what that kid wrote to you back then. He secretly put it by the door while you were asleep, and I took it.”

"Take it?" Perhaps it had been a long time, but Pei Nanyue couldn't quite remember who her father was talking about.

She frowned slightly and stepped forward to examine the signature on the letter more closely.

"Autumn Harvest?"

She froze slightly, stunned, and looked up blankly at her father.

"Father, did Helian Nash leave this?" Her tone was somewhat impatient. Qiu Shi was Helian Nash's original name during the years he was held hostage in Nanyang.

It was only after he returned to the Western Regions and succeeded to the position of Khan that he changed his name to Helian Nash.

Pei Zhiheng leaned back in his chair and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. In the end, he couldn't hide it from her after all!

"Yes, this is what that boy left for you on his last night before he left. I was afraid that you would lose your mind and want to follow him to the Western Regions, so I took it away because I was afraid something would happen to you."

His cloudy eyes were tinged with a hint of guilt.

At that time, Helian Nash risked his life to return to the Western Regions and reclaim his rightful throne.

He couldn't bear to see his daughter suffer with him, so he made the decision on his own.