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

Duan Yuan, dressed in a dragon robe, came down from the city wall and met the Duke of Anguo, who had been waiting for him for a long time.

He glanced at Eunuch Tao behind him.

Tao Dehai immediately understood and led his servants to stand still, waiting for the emperor.

"emperor--"

Duke Anguo curtsied. He had taken leave specifically for today's farewell to avoid running into Pei Zhiheng.

Duan Yuan put his hands behind his back, and his expression couldn't help but show some weariness, as he had been preoccupied with trivial matters lately.

"Why are you here now? Didn't you say you weren't feeling well?" After saying that, he glanced at Duke Anguo. Even in his opinion, Duke Anguo seemed to be perfectly healthy.

After they finished speaking, the two walked along the palace road toward the main hall.

A gentle breeze was blowing today, and with his thorn in his side gone, Duan Yuan was in a good mood.

"Your Majesty, I sneezed several times at home this morning. I suppose Your Majesty has been thinking of me, so I came to the palace to see Your Majesty now."

Duke Anguo smiled apologetically, explaining that he had taken leave to avoid his mortal enemy.

However, he knew that the emperor could guess his thoughts, so he simply pretended to be stupid as well.

"You...you're still so shameless."

Duan Yuan sneered. Ever since An Ruyi entered the palace, he, the emperor's father-in-law who had never been officially recognized, would always find an opportunity to speak with him.

We didn't talk about national affairs, only about everyday life.

He couldn't very well refuse.

"Shamelessness is my duty, otherwise how could I have sent Prime Minister Pei to Philadelphia?" The Duke of Anguo, taking the Emperor's words as a compliment, quickly lowered his voice and continued.

"I have also prepared a small gift for you, and I expect to receive a letter about it soon."

He looked at Duan Yuan with unwavering confidence, but unexpectedly, Duan Yuan's expression suddenly turned serious.

"What gift? I didn't tell you to give a gift right now! Have you done everything I asked you to do?"

His plan did not allow anyone to interfere, including the Duke of Anguo, whom he had never thought highly of.

Thinking of this, Duan Yuan's expression became even more serious, which made Duke Anguo's expression stiffen, and he stood there awkwardly, quickly explaining...

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I have arranged everything according to Your Majesty's instructions. However, I am unsure of Your Majesty's intentions..."

"What does this mean?"

Duan Yuan glanced at him, took a few steps forward, and only after the two of them were further away from the servants behind them did he speak in a low voice.

"My meaning is very simple: when the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits. I want to be the fisherman for once."

He looked down at Duke Anguo, whose eyes darted around, and a plan immediately formed in his mind.

"Your Majesty understands what I mean. Why don't we just arrange for Prime Minister Pei to die at the hands of General Weiyuan? That way we won't have to go to all that trouble." A ruthless glint flashed across his face.

Even Duan Yuan had to marvel at the ruthlessness of the Duke of Anguo.

Duan Yuan chuckled lightly

"I know nothing. I only hope that when I, the Crown Prince, return in triumph, all those I despise will have disappeared."

All he had ever pursued in his life was the most prestigious position in Nanyang. Ever since he ascended the throne, he had been plagued by nightmares whenever he saw Pei Zhiheng and General Weiyuan.

I recall how he once killed his own brothers and ascended to the throne, the supreme ruler.

Whenever he sees those old ministers, it reminds him of his shameful past.

He wouldn't allow anyone in the world to know about his ugly past.

This includes people who have helped them in the past.

Not to mention, he could also see that ever since the Fourth Princess pushed Pei Zhiheng's daughter off the cliff, the relationship between the emperor and his subject had become extremely precarious.

Rather than waiting to be killed, he prefers to take the initiative.

Thinking of this, Duan Yuan looked at An Guogongdao.

"And those Gu family members in Beijing... have you made arrangements for them all?"

"It has been arranged, but if I may be so bold as to ask, does Your Majesty wish for the Third Prince to marry the former or the latter..." Duke Anguo raised an eyebrow, even he had not expected Duan Yuan to be so ruthless.

"Let's wait a little longer. I also need to think carefully about how to put on this show."

"What about the Fourth Princess..."

Duke Anguo couldn't help but speak up. Although An Ruyi was already pregnant, he didn't dare to be certain that she would give birth to the crown prince.

Between the Third Prince and the Fourth Princess, the Duke of Anguo still preferred Duan Yuyan.

After all, the future crown prince can't be a short-lived man, like Duan Yuchuan.

"You old man?" Duan Yuan looked at Duke Anguo with some displeasure. Even he could guess what Duke Anguo was planning now.

but……

He was naturally reluctant to part with Yan'er, but he couldn't find a more suitable replacement at the moment.

Duke Anguo slightly raised his head, as if catching a glimpse of the Emperor's worry, and slowly spoke.

"I have a candidate in mind, but I don't know if he can meet Your Majesty's approval."

"Do we have other princesses in Nanyang?" Duan Yuan was somewhat surprised.

"Does Your Majesty still remember the Fifth Princess, Duan Yuning?" Duke Anguo composed himself, as he did not want to push this matter onto Duan Yuning, who had always been unknown in the harem.

However, for the sake of his future ambitions, he still had to find a way to keep Duan Yuyan in Nanyang.

“Duan Yuning…” Duan Yuan frowned, as if he couldn’t remember having such a daughter.

Duke Anguo quickly bent down to explain.

"She is the orphan girl left behind by Consort Kang, a maidservant of the late Empress. She has been raised in the inner palace and has never been given to other concubines to take care of. I suppose the Emperor is too busy with affairs and has forgotten about her."

A ruthless glint flashed across Duke Anguo's face. Even he only remembered that the Nanyang royal family had such an unknown princess after being reminded by his strategists.

"Consort Kang? Which palace does she reside in?"

Duan Yuan still couldn't remember whose daughter she was. He frowned and looked at Duke Anguo, his eyes gradually showing some impatience.

"Consort Kang has been gone for a long time, and it is her good friend, Granny Qin, who has been taking care of her."

"Oh? How do you know?"

Duan Yuan couldn't help but glance at him, thinking to himself, how come his own ministers know more about the affairs of his harem than he does?

It seems he overreached.

Duan Yuan's face showed some displeasure.

"I think you've lost your mind lately, even trying to meddle in my family affairs?" He looked displeased, his anger already rising.

Duke Anguo immediately knelt on the ground, his voice trembling slightly.

"I only overheard the palace maids mentioning the Fifth Princess by chance. I thought it was a great taboo for a pearl to be covered in dust, so I dared to speak to Your Majesty!" He spoke with such conviction that it seemed he had even deceived himself.

Duan Yuan glanced at Duke Anguo, naturally understanding his ulterior motives.

"Get up. I didn't ask you to kneel here. This palace is so deserted all of a sudden, I'm not used to it." He looked up at the entire Hall of Supreme Harmony, his eyes filled with emotion.

If he wins this battle, all his enemies will disappear from the world.