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

Upon hearing this, Hernándash turned around and saw Duan Yuchuan walking towards him.

"Greetings, Third Prince." He vaguely remembered that he had the honor of meeting him a few years ago when he brought congratulatory gifts to Nanyang, but at that time Duan Yuchuan was still seriously ill and could not hide his sickness.

"Is Young Master Helian looking at the Pei family's car?" Duan Yuchuan couldn't hide the shrewdness in his eyes. He had looked closely just now and the person in the car was indeed the eldest daughter of the Pei family. Helian Nash must have taken a liking to her.

Herlenash's eyes paused for a moment, then he twitched the corner of his mouth and explained.

"I thought I had met Lord Pei Zhiheng. I must have mistaken him for someone else."

"Young Master Helian knows Lord Pei?" Duan Yuchuan paused, surprised that someone from the Western Regions had also heard of Prime Minister Pei of Nanyang.

"I met him a few times when I came to Nanyang with the Khan when I was a child. Lord Pei is also one of my most respected teachers." Helian Nash recalled those childhood scenes, which were probably some of the happiest times in his life.

"We'll see him at the banquet this time."

"Really?" Hernash couldn't hide the smile on his lips, whether from the joy of seeing his teacher again or from the celestial being he had just seen.

Duan Yuchuan pretended not to notice his shy expression and casually asked...

"I remember, Young Master Helian is not yet married, is he?"

"No, the internal strife in the Western Regions has not been quelled, and I have no such intention." Helian Nash shook his head simply. Before coming to Nanyang, he had already found out that his men were plotting with Nanyang, but he had not yet found out the identity of the person in Nanyang who was receiving him, so he dared not expose him rashly.

"Why don't you take a look at the women of Nanyang?" Duan Yuchuan patted Helian Nash on the shoulder as if they were old acquaintances.

"I'm afraid I'll scare them." Helian Nash wanted to find an excuse to leave. He didn't like dealing with the people in front of him and felt a strange unease.

“I think that Miss Pei from earlier would be quite suitable, especially since she’s also the daughter of your master,” Duan Yuchuan said, seeing right through his thoughts. He asked in a probing tone.

Hernández's expression visibly stiffened. He suppressed his surprise and shook his head, but he still couldn't hide the panic in his heart.

"I am not worthy of you, Your Highness. I have other matters to attend to, so I will take my leave now." He didn't want to play games with Duan Yuchuan any longer, so he hurriedly got into the carriage.

Duan Yuchuan's face gradually darkened, his fierce eyes fixed on the departing carriage, while he secretly made a plan. He seemed to have figured out the best way to resolve the current trouble.

Night is falling

Having changed into a loose robe, Shen Mu sat in the pavilion in the middle of the lake, looking at the book in his hands, his handsome face expressionless.

Not far away, a fiery red figure came rushing in.

Zhou Jinghuai specifically chose this place, which is surrounded by lake water, leaving no possibility for others to eavesdrop.

He sat down next to Shen Mu, slightly out of breath.

"Thirteen asked Pei Suisui to deliver a note to me today."

"She contacted you? What did she say?" Shen Mu didn't look up at him, still focused on the book in her hands.

"She said that the most beautiful courtesan from the Drunken Immortal Pavilion had contacted her."

Upon hearing this, Shen Mu lifted his eyelids and looked at Zhou Jinghuai, "The courtesan?"

"That Yi Sisi we bought from Zuixianlou last month." Zhou Jinghuai curled his lip, knowing that this guy didn't remember the girl at all.

"Thirteen didn't stay overnight that night, so what could she possibly want with him?" Shen Mu withdrew his gaze and lowered his head to stare at the book in his hands.

"She wanted to buy poison from Thirteen, and came to exchange it for the information," Zhou Jinghuai said in a low voice, glancing around as he did so.

"what news?"

"The one who broke into my residence to steal is the young marquis of Anguo Mansion." As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Mu finally raised his head and met his gaze.

In an instant, Shen Mu understood; the question he had been trying to understand had been answered.

"What are you going to do?"

“Of course I’ll steal it back.” Zhou Jinghuai felt as if he had been provoked, that someone could steal something right under his nose.

"What are your plans, Young Master Zhou?" Shen Mu's expression relaxed slightly as he leaned against the pillar, a barely perceptible smile appearing on his lips.

“As planned, we’ll make our move when everyone’s attention is on the palace during the Emperor’s birthday celebrations.” Zhou Jinghuai confidently raised an eyebrow at him.

"You stole the blueprints and set them on fire! Do you even know where the blueprints are?" Shen Muqing's cold voice extinguished Zhou Jinghuai's enthusiasm. He had come in a hurry and hadn't even considered who might have the blueprints.

If it was the young master of the Duke of Anguo's mansion who stole it, then it would most likely be at the instigation of the Duke of Anguo. But the blueprints might not even be in the Duke of Anguo's mansion.

Seeing Zhou Jinghuai's somewhat bewildered expression, Shen Mu asked again, "Don't forget that the Duke of Anguo's own daughter is the most favored concubine in the palace. I won't say who has this picture. One is the harem, and the other is a marquis's mansion. You probably can't handle it all by yourself."

A few words were enough to leave Zhou Jinghuai frozen in place. He had intended to say that he could easily find out who had the blueprints using some magic, but he forgot that this was the mortal realm. His injuries had not yet healed, and he couldn't withstand the backlash of divine power.

A fawning smile curled at the corner of his lips. "Isn't there Shen Mu here? You're not going to make me go alone again, are you?"

Shen Mu seemed to have anticipated his question, and pulled a drawing from the scroll in his hand, tossing it to him. "This is the defense plan for the Emperor's birthday. The palace is heavily guarded, and the Emperor will definitely be watching me closely. I can't leave, but I will have Haojing help you."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jinghuai's face lit up with joy. But after he looked closely at the defenses on the blueprint, he paused. "This isn't a blueprint from the palace, it's... from Yong'an Palace?" He looked at Shen Mu in astonishment.

"So you knew all along that the blueprints were in Yong'an Palace?"

"I don't know, I just happened to see someone having a secret meeting with Consort An a few days ago." Shen Mu then turned his gaze back to the book.

Zhou Jinghuai touched his nose, feeling that something about what he said was off. Suddenly, he asked with a puzzled look, "Wait, how could you stumble upon a secret meeting at Yong'an Palace? And you're even interested in the Imperial Concubine?"

Before he could finish speaking, Shen Mu threw the book in his hand at him. He turned his head and dodged it, and the book fell into the calm lake water.

"Fine, you're getting impatient. Why are you going there?" Zhou Jinghuai said as he moved further away, carefully tucking the blueprints into his sleeve.

"Of course, my subordinates told me." Shen Mu's eyes flickered slightly. It was just a coincidence that day. Thirteen entered the palace to take Consort An's pulse. He paid a few more glances and happened to see Consort An's half-brother enter the palace to pay his respects to the Consort.

An Jingwei, the youngest son of the Duke of Anguo, was originally the Duke of Anguo's illegitimate son.

The Duke of Anguo's principal wife had already given birth to Consort An and her younger brother An Jinglian, but she later died in childbirth. The Duke of Anguo favored his concubine over his wife, and before the mourning period was over, he elevated his concubine, Lady Yu, to the status of a secondary wife, and even forced her illegitimate son to become the legitimate son, intending to pass on the title of Marquis of Anguo to his youngest son.

Logically speaking, Consort An and her half-brother should not have a good relationship. Why did she suddenly send a letter to the palace a couple of days ago, which led Shen Mu to discover it by chance? It may be related to him stealing the blueprints.