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

"That's why I made the Eagle Guard a condition of the deal."

Gu Shining's voice was somewhat hoarse, and his expression betrayed his weariness.

Ever since she and her mother discovered that someone in the mansion had secretly poisoned them, she had been investigating all the idle people in their household every day, but to no avail.

That person must have sneaked into the Gu family's house!

Duan Yumou carefully examined Gu Shining in front of him. She was so angry that she clenched her fists and looked worried. Naturally, she did not notice his gaze.

Seeing Gu Shining so troubled, Duan Yumou finally sighed inwardly.

He still couldn't bear to see her suffer, so he slowly spoke.

"You want to trade the Eagle Guards for me to find out who poisoned the Gu family? That's not a fair deal for you."

Although he desperately wanted to have such a powerful force as the Gu family's Eagle Guards, he still felt a little reluctant when he thought that they were Gu Shining's secret guards.

After all these years of getting along, he naturally knew the extent of Gu Shining's strength.

Gu Shining seemed to have detached herself from the painful emotions she had just experienced, her eyes filled with a cold indifference.

"You don't need to worry about me. I, Gu Shining, have no relation to the Second Prince. You don't need to care so much. It's just..."

"But what?"

Duan Yumou looked somewhat flustered; he still couldn't get used to Gu Shining treating him so unfamiliarly.

"However, His Highness also knows that the Gu family's Eagle Guards are no ordinary force. I'm sure my terms for this exchange are not limited to one..."

"I promise you."

Gu Shining never expected that Duan Yumou would agree to the matter so readily before she could even finish speaking.

She looked up at Duan Yumou in disbelief, momentarily speechless, having forgotten what she was supposed to say next.

Seeing that the other party was frightened, Duan Yumou quickly explained.

"Miss Gu, please don't take it to heart. I only admire the strength of your Gu family's Eagle Guard. Since you are not in the capital most of the year, anything that can be done by me is naturally a small matter."

In order not to make Gu Shining worry too much, he made up a random excuse.

Gu Shining, who had almost believed that Duan Yumou still had feelings for her, suddenly realized that she had been overthinking things after hearing Duan Yumou's explanation.

Feeling mocked, Gu Shining quickly stood up, her tone tinged with anger.

"Then please have the Second Prince deliver a letter to my father on my behalf. My Gu family is currently under surveillance, and I have no one I can trust."

"Alright, I'll have someone disguise themselves as a shopkeeper's servant and go to your residence to collect the letter tomorrow."

"Alright, once the person who poisoned us is found, I will hand over the Gu Family Eagle Guard to you."

After saying that, Gu Shining quickly left the main room.

Duan Yumou was left alone in the room.

Duan Yumou breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the door being slammed shut.

He was just a hair's breadth away from exposing himself!

At this moment, a young man dressed in black leaped down from the roof beam. With a handsome face and delicate features, he quickly crouched down by the window and carefully observed the figure of Gu Shining who had just left.

"No need to look, she won't be eavesdropping at the door."

As soon as Duan Yumou finished speaking, he took off his clothes, revealing a pool of blood on his back.

Sensing something amiss in the room, Qingci turned around upon hearing the sound and found that her master was injured. She immediately stepped forward to help treat his wounds.

"grown ups……"

"I am fine."

Duan Yumou endured the pain in his back, drenched in sweat, just so he could spend a little more time with Gu Shining. However, for the sake of this small wish, his back wound, because it wasn't treated, actually became more serious.

Qingci carefully sprinkled the wound medicine she had prepared on Duan Yumou's back. In an instant, a wave of pain swept over him, almost causing Duan Yumou to faint from the pain.

He forced himself to remain calm and tried his best to control his emotions.

Seeing his master's restraint, Qingci finally couldn't help but speak up.

"Why do you do this, sir? The Gu family is a hot potato to begin with. Why did you agree to Miss Gu's request to recruit the Eagle Guards?"

Ever since Qingci was rescued by Duan Yumou at the border, he has only ever recognized Duan Yumou as his master. Even though he witnessed the relationship between his master and Miss Gu back then.

But now, the matter of Miss Gu marrying the Third Prince is a foregone conclusion.

Ultimately, his emotional master should have avoided any appearance of impropriety.

Duan Yumou forced a pale smile and said...

"She always remembers how she manipulated me. Otherwise, why wouldn't she seek help from her cheap husband?" Ultimately, Duan Yumou knew very well what was going on.

Gu Shining knows herself well enough.

"Are you saying she doesn't trust the Third Prince? But he's her future husband, isn't he? After all, she's going to become the Third Prince's principal wife."

Qingci, of course, did not understand the intricacies involved.

All he knew was that his master had been injured last night and needed to rest. He had rushed to Fengya Zhai early this morning after receiving an invitation from Miss Gu.

But from what he had been peeking at from the rooftop, he felt that Miss Gu was intentionally avoiding his master.

In Qingci's eyes, such a move to avoid suspicion was very strange.

"The principal wife... Heh, that sickly man, he might not even survive..."

"My lord... be careful, walls have ears." Qingci kindly reminded them. Although their men had completely surrounded the area above Fengya Zhai, this was, after all, the capital city.

Not Philadelphia, which is far away on the border.

Ultimately, they are now being secretly watched by the Third Prince's men.

"What's there to be afraid of? Everyone in Nanyang knows that the Third Prince is doomed. Otherwise, why would Consort An insist on giving him another brother?"

Duan Yumou naturally guessed An Ruyi's plan.

After all, they wanted someone to rely on in the future, so how could they put all their bets on Duan Yuchuan alone?

Right now, the Eagle Guards that Gu Shining sent are naturally what he wants most.

"But...but His Majesty has decreed that they will be married next month. Your Excellency, please...please put it aside."

Qingci finished treating the last wound and then got Duan Yumou a clean outer garment to change into. He could guess his master's feelings for Miss Gu.

However, if that day really comes, with the Second Prince's current strength, they will not be able to fight against the others.

Not to mention...

Miss Gu is about to marry the Third Prince, and in less than a month, they cannot stop this marriage.

Even though, from his perspective as an outsider, the current emperor, though not particularly favoring the An family, clearly still values ​​the marriage alliance between the An and Gu families.

In addition, their spies reported today that Eunuch Tao, the emperor's personal eunuch, had delivered congratulatory gifts to the third prince on behalf of the concubines of the harem.

This thoughtfulness ultimately revealed the Emperor's attitude.