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

Gu Shining crossed her arms, a lingering sadness in her eyes.

Although she wasn't as well-educated as the women in the capital who were raised in secluded mansions and were well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics, she had learned military strategy from her father and had a basic understanding of conduct and interpersonal relationships.

She could naturally see that the emperor had his own selfish motives in arranging for them to marry the third prince at this time.

Thinking of this, her gaze fell absently on the tea on the table, and she remained lost in thought for a long time.

Wang sat beside her, silently observing her daughter. She could naturally guess what her daughter was thinking.

However, they were, after all, citizens of Nanyang, and the only person who truly held power in Nanyang was the Emperor.

Since the Emperor has given his word, there is no possibility of revoking the decree.

"Regardless of whether the Emperor's purpose in sending you back to the capital was to marry the Third Prince, your marriage to him is imminent and it's a done deal that cannot be changed."

Wang sighed softly; she understood the pain of two people who were in love but couldn't end up together.

Fortunately, she and Lord Gu had fallen in love at first sight, and since they were a good match, they were able to get married smoothly.

Neither she nor her husband were skilled in court affairs, so they simply requested an imperial decree to go and guard the border.

This stay lasted for more than a decade.

“Mother…” Gu Shining’s expression changed slightly, and she subconsciously touched the jade pendant at her waist.

That was the only memento he left her!

Although Wang loved her daughter dearly, she and her husband had discussed the matter before returning to the capital.

First of all, they are still subjects of Nanyang, and are subject to His Majesty's orders.

Secondly, although the Gu family army is far away on the border, in recent years, thanks to her husband's effective rule and the army's well-trained discipline, the number of wounded soldiers has been decreasing every time they repel the southern barbarians.

His fame on the border was so great that it was known to everyone and praised by all.

As the saying goes, "A tall tree catches the wind," and they were well aware that the emperor's marriage proposal was an attempt to recruit them.

They feared that one day, the Gu family army might harbor rebellious intentions!

"There was some trouble in the palace a few days ago. Did you go out of the city to see him then?" Madam Wang asked calmly, as if she were not referring to her own daughter.

Gu Shining's hand, which was about to pick up the teacup, paused in mid-air. When she looked up again, her eyes were filled with panic.

She never imagined that her mother had already figured it out!

"I...I was in the city that day." She tried to argue, but her flustered and trembling voice ultimately betrayed her.

Wang slowly shook her head, looking exhausted, as if she hadn't had a proper rest in a long time.

"Since I can ask you, it means I already know the answer. Why did you meet that day?" Her gaze towards Gu Shining was filled with disbelief.

The capital was already on the verge of chaos, but her daughter was truly foolish to dare to leave the city at this time and meet with that man!

"Mother, I was wrong, I will never do it again!"

Gu Shining's guilty look betrayed her true feelings at that moment.

"Are you planning to elope or to sever all ties between you?" Madam Wang was naturally not buying it; she was probably already aware of the story between her daughter and that man.

She feared that there were many spies lurking in the shadows in the capital, and they might use this incident to threaten the Gu family.

“There was no elopement! My daughter is the daughter of Marquis Gu, how could there be any elopement?”

Gu Shining was as if awakened by her mother's words. She suddenly remembered how that person had scolded her in front of her when they were at the border.

He mocked her naivety and innocence; she would remember his words for the rest of her life, until her death!

Wang remained silent for a long time, observing her daughter's reaction in quiet contemplation.

But her daughter's face didn't show the happiness she had imagined, so she couldn't help but ask...

"So you met with him just to clarify your relationship?"

Gu Shining was pulled back to reality by her mother's words. She raised her head, her eyes seemingly brimming with tears, and nodded blankly.

"I have already made it very clear. Since I have no more thoughts about this marriage, I beg my mother to plead with the Emperor to cancel it."

She carefully observed her mother's expression, afraid that she might miss something.

Seeing this, Wang took a deep breath.

"This is not something you or I can decide!" She naturally understood her daughter's thoughts at this moment.

But there was nothing she could do!

"Mother, I beg you! I've already lost enough, I don't want to be held in someone else's hands for the rest of my life!"

To Wang's surprise, Gu Shining knelt down, but her hand hit the corner of the table, pulling the tablecloth down with it.

The teacup, which was originally full of tea, spilled onto the table.

A plume of foul-smelling black smoke instantly rose from the wet spot on the tablecloth.

When the two looked over, billowing black smoke had completely turned the tablecloth and the glass of water into smoke.

“Is there something wrong with this water?”

Gu Shining instinctively cried out in alarm and quickly pulled Wang Shi away, fearing that the sparks coming out of the black smoke would ignite their clothes.

"What happened?" Wang's face turned ashen.

Despite her constant vigilance, she still couldn't prevent a thief from within her own ranks from attacking them!

"I do not know."

Gu Shining quickly shook his head and pulled Wang Shi aside.

The two watched as the tablecloth gradually burned away, eventually turning into a handful of ashes.

Gu Shining boldly walked forward, touched the dust on the table with her hand, and smelled it again and again.

"Can you smell anything?" Wang tilted her head slightly as she crushed the ash and kneaded it in her hands.

"I can't tell. Should I take it to the imperial physician for a look?" Gu Shining didn't think too much about it and prepared to put the ash in a handkerchief.

At this moment, Wang interrupted her.

"If you really send it to the Imperial Hospital, I'm afraid next time the poison won't be in our tea." Her serious expression made Gu Shining gasp for breath.

"Mother, do you mean someone poisoned me?" Gu Shining was clearly unaware that something was mixed in with the ash; she thought it was an accident.

"Don't forget who you're going to marry," Madam Wang kindly reminded him, as she collected all the ashes on the table into a brocade pouch.

"The Third Prince? Mother, do you mean the Third Prince poisoned me?"

Gu Shining's face was inevitably pale. Not to mention that she had no connection with the Third Prince, even though the Emperor had bestowed the marriage upon her, she had never met that sickly man alone.

Given this, why would she personally ask the Third Prince to poison her?

"What I mean is that things have been rather unsettled in the court lately. The marriage between the Gu and An families is probably because the people behind it don't want you to marry the Third Prince."