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

Herlian Nash's words made Duan Yuyan extremely happy.

She seemed to have not smiled like this in a long time. Her arrival swept away the gloom in her heart, and she quickly led him into her room.

Man'er hid at the entrance of the courtyard and only breathed a sigh of relief after seeing Duan Yuyan close the door herself. She then ran out of the back door of the princess's residence.

Third Prince's Mansion

Duan Yuchuan smiled broadly as he looked at Yongcheng, who was replying to him.

"It seems my sister really liked the gift I gave her; she's already accepted it?"

“I’ve accepted it. The person has already gone into the house with the Fourth Princess, but…” Yongcheng knelt on the ground, hesitating.

"Just what?"

Duan Yuchuan, with a lazy robe draped over his body and leaning against the soft couch, exuded a touch of effeminacy.

Since he started taking that drug, although his overall condition has improved a lot, the side effects of the drug inevitably make him more and more like a woman.

Yongcheng raised his head and looked at Duan Yuchuan.

"But if the princess finds out about this scheme, she might rebel against the emperor's will."

"Disobey?" Duan Yuchuan couldn't help but chuckle.

"If we don't use this tactic, I'm afraid we'll really get what the Duke of Anguo wants and exchange the Fifth Princess for the Fourth Princess. At that point, we'll have no chance to drive the Fourth Princess away from Nanyang."

Duan Yuchuan was a smart man, and he naturally guessed that Duke Anguo had already set his sights on the Fifth Princess, Duan Yuning, for a marriage alliance.

Now that Duke Anguo has already expelled Pei Zhiheng from the capital, if he were to actually keep the Fourth Princess in Nanyang as she wished, it would be very soon for Duke Anguo to rebel.

"But the Duke of Anguo is, after all, your..."

"I am an outcast of the An family, and I think you know that better than I do." Duan Yuchuan's tone instantly turned cold, and his gaze towards Yongcheng was full of icy intent.

Yongcheng couldn't help but shudder, and forced himself to speak.

"Yes, but after all, you are Consort An's own son, so they might not necessarily..."

“But the An family has already made my mother pregnant again. If she really gives birth to a prince in seven months, then my reign as the third prince will be over.”

Duan Yuchuan sneered, then slowly got up and opened the tightly closed door.

The soft moonlight streamed into the room, and it seemed that he only dared to open the door when the night was deep and quiet.

He looked up at the courtyard, where lush greenery stretched as far as the eye could see.

Ever since he became enemies with the thirteenth prince and was poisoned again, he has rarely gone out, let alone gone to the palace to pay his respects to his mother.

But his mother seemed to have forgotten about her son, never sending anyone to inquire about her illness.

After a long period of contemplation, Duan Yuchuan's face was filled with complex emotions.

"Your Highness, what should we do about Man'er?" Yongcheng broke the silence first, surprised that even he hadn't expected that Man'er, Duan Yuyan's personal maid who had been by her side for over ten years, would be involved.

It turns out he's one of the Third Prince's men.

If Man'er hadn't brought that man into the princess's residence, he would never have believed that Man'er would actually obey Duan Yuchuan's orders.

Now that he knows he has used Man'er as a pawn, given Duan Yuchuan's personality, he will definitely not be able to keep Man'er by the Fourth Princess's side any longer.

"Don't kill them yet, keep them alive."

Duan Yuchuan slowly turned around and looked at Yongcheng.

The gloom on his face had long since vanished, replaced by a hint of malice and ruthlessness.

"What if the Fourth Princess discovers Man'er's true identity?"

"They won't stay that long. After all, wasn't that man already sent to the princess's residence by Man'er? If there's still time, my sister will definitely love this wonderful gift."

Duan Yuchuan suddenly chuckled twice. He had specially found a substitute to impersonate the Khan of the Western Regions, all so that Duan Yuyan would willingly marry into the Western Regions.

Only in this way can their plan be guaranteed to be foolproof.

By then, even if Consort An really gave birth to the sixth prince, it would be too late.

"Then I'll let her go back first?" Yongcheng slowly stood up. He originally thought that Duan Yuchuan wanted to spare Man'er's life, and that he had already knocked her unconscious and thrown her into the woodshed.

Right now, he still needs to send Man'er back to the princess's residence.

"Let's go back. By the way, do you know where Thirteen is?" Duan Yuchuan remembered his old friend, whom he hadn't seen for a long time and missed dearly.

"I've never seen her before. I heard that the Imperial Concubine is also looking for her."

"Looking for Thirteen?" Duan Yuchuan was slightly surprised. Ever since his mother became pregnant, he had never summoned Thirteen to the palace.

He originally thought that Thirteen had already been abandoned as a pawn.

Unexpectedly, they would send people to look for them at this time.

"Yes, but just as you thought, it seems that Mr. Thirteen is not in the capital right now." Yongcheng nodded, recalling that when he came out of the palace, he had heard the guards at the palace gate talking.

It is said that the Imperial Concubine sent several groups of people to the South Courtyard, but all of them returned empty-handed.

It seems that since Thirteen hasn't appeared in the South City Courtyard for several days, he must have already left the capital.

Duan Yuchuan tucked his hands into his sleeves, leaned against the door, and couldn't help but sneer.

"Where could an orphan like her go? Could she have been kidnapped by my dear sister and taken to the princess's palace again?"

"No, I just asked Man'er about this. A few days ago, the Fourth Princess secretly entered the palace to see the Imperial Concubine, and the Imperial Concubine asked the Princess to help her find Mr. Thirteen."

Yongcheng's words made Duan Yuchuan fall silent.

Even he hadn't expected that his sister wouldn't mind that Thirteen was still alive.

He waved his hand, suddenly feeling exhausted.

"Keep an eye on that thirteen for me too. I think I'll need her help with things later on."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

湖边

Thirteen couldn't help but sneeze. She looked around awkwardly, feeling a vague sense that someone was thinking of her. She sneezed several times in a row without stopping.

Seeing this, Shen Mu assumed she had caught a chill, so he took off his cloak and draped it over her.

"Didn't you ever think about sending the second young lady of the Pei family back to her carriage?"

He still believed that the trip was too dangerous and that Pei Suisui's body simply wouldn't be able to hold out until they reached Philadelphia.

Thirteen unconsciously gripped the cloak tightly in his hand and slowly spoke.

“She won’t go back. Even if you send someone to take her back, she’ll still sneak out. It’s better to keep her with us; it might be safer that way.”

She naturally understood Pei Suisui.

Given Pei Suisui's personality, she would never stand by and watch her father die.

Thinking of this, Shen Mu had no choice but to give up for the time being.

"Prime Minister Pei and his entourage are following behind the Crown Prince, so tell her to relax."

It seems that the Emperor of Nanyang knew that his decree was somewhat excessive, and ultimately softened his heart, arranging a comfortable carriage so that Prime Minister Pei and the others could suffer less on the journey.

"That's good, so that Sui Sui won't have to worry all the time."