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

Shen Mansion Gate

Haojing, who had just finished resting overnight, arrived at the gate of the Shen residence, intending to report to Shen Mu what he hadn't had time to say the day before, when he happened to run into the carriage that had stopped in front of the Shen residence.

The carriage was not decorated much; only a coachman stood aside and waited after parking it.

A young woman in white, wearing a veiled hat, slowly stepped down from the carriage. Although her face was not visible, her graceful demeanor suggested she was not from an ordinary family.

Haojing watched the girl walk towards the Shen residence's gate and hurriedly stepped forward to ask...

"Who are you looking for, young lady?"

The girl who heard the voice turned around and saw Haojing, who looked somewhat familiar, and replied...

"I need to see Lord Shen. Please inform him of this urgent matter."

Hao Jing was taken aback upon hearing this. He recalled the rumors he had overheard on his way here, and his expression darkened. He quickly led the young lady into the mansion.

In the study

After finishing the documents on his desk, Shen Mu reached for a cup of tea, only to have it suddenly crack.

His cold eyes were chilling, and he stared at the open wound, lost in thought.

A sense of unease crept into my heart; could something have happened?

Before his thoughts could be sorted out, Haojing pushed open the study door and said...

"Lord Shen, a young lady requests an audience."

As soon as he finished speaking, a girl wearing a veiled hat followed him into the study.

"Master Shen."

The girl lifted the veil in front of her, revealing a beautiful, aloof face that instantly stunned Haojing.

Shen Mu frowned slightly, calmly gathered the documents on the table and put them aside, then slowly began to speak.

"Miss Pei, is there something you need from me?"

He looked at Pei Nanyue, who had removed her veil; her white dress made her appear even more aloof and refined.

Pei Nanyue kept a low profile during this trip, deliberately avoiding certain people.

Upon meeting Shen Mu, she didn't want to beat around the bush and went straight to the point.

"I wonder if Lord Shen has heard that His Highness the Third Prince was poisoned and fainted last night, and that the Fourth Princess sent a summons to the palace this morning."

"know."

Shen Mu glanced at Hao Jing, and Hao Jing, realizing what was happening, quickly left the study and stood guard outside.

"The Fourth Princess has already received the imperial decree to arrest Mr. Thirteen."

"what?"

Shen Mu's eyes betrayed his surprise, and although a hint of panic flashed across his face, his hand under the table had already quietly clenched.

Today, after court, he went to the Jinyiwei dungeon and did not pay attention to the events in the palace. In addition, Haojing, who should have been guarding the emperor in the palace, had taken leave to rest for the night, so he naturally did not receive the matter of the fourth princess receiving the decree.

A report came from the palace in the morning, only mentioning that the Fourth Princess had submitted a token to enter the palace. He originally thought it was to see the Third Prince, but unexpectedly, she turned around and went to find the Emperor.

Seeing Shen Mu's reaction, Pei Nanyue became somewhat certain of her sister's thoughts and quickly said...

“My sister has already gone to fetch Thirteen out of the city, but I’m afraid they’ll still run into the Fourth Princess. I’d like to come and find Lord Shen to see how we can stop the Fourth Princess.”

After all, it was only a matter of time before the Fourth Princess captured the Thirteenth Prince. She wasn't even sure if her sister could successfully take the Thirteenth Prince away. There were many spies in the capital, and even though the Pei family could send messages through the inner palace, it was hard to guarantee that someone wouldn't send a message to the Fourth Princess.

It wasn't that she was particularly kind; it was simply because Thirteen had done the Pei family a favor over a month ago regarding the Fengya Zhai incident.

Even if it offends the Fourth Princess, they must first plan to take the Thirteenth Princess out of the city to avoid the brunt of the attack.

"Okay, I understand." Shen Mu slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

Pei Nanyue frowned slightly, somewhat puzzled by the man's calm reaction, and a sense of unease began to creep into his heart.

"Will Lord Shen help or not? If he refuses, I will ask my father to submit a memorial to the throne."

She couldn't help but have some doubts. Before she left, her sister told her to ask Shen Mu for help.

Looking at Shen Mu's reaction now, she didn't think he was the kind of person who would interfere and offend the Fourth Princess.

After all, news had already spread throughout Nanyang that the Fourth Princess had long been interested in Shen Mu.

Offending the Fourth Princess? I doubt Shen Mu would dare. How could a mere commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard dare to disobey the imperial decree?

"I will help, please rest assured, Miss Pei. However, I think if your sister really took Thirteen away halfway, she would probably have run into the princess by now."

Shen Mu's tone carried a hint of unintentional coldness. He noticed the slight cracks in Pei Nanyue's usually aloof face, and then said...

"Miss Pei should go and find the second young lady of the Pei family now. Leave the rest to me, and I will certainly live up to the Pei family's expectations."

As soon as Shen Mu finished speaking, Pei Nanyue hurriedly ran out, not even having time to put on her veil.

His words truly reminded Pei Nanyue that if the Fourth Princess didn't catch them, that would be fine, but if they did run into each other, given the Fourth Princess's fiery nature, she certainly wouldn't let Pei Suisui off the hook.

Hao Jing watched Pei Nan Yue leave in a hurry, and couldn't help but enter the study with some curiosity to ask...

"What's going on here?"

Shen Mu said somewhat calmly

"The Emperor issued an edict ordering the Fourth Princess to capture the Thirteenth Princess."

"Arrest Mr. Thirteen?" Hao Jing exclaimed in surprise. How could Shen Mu remain so calm in such an urgent situation? He quickly stepped forward and asked.

"Is Miss Pei here to deliver a message?"

"Ah."

"Then, sir, are you still able to sit still?"

"..."

Hao Jing couldn't help but be suspicious when he saw Shen Mu like this. He had observed Shen Mu carefully last night and found that Shen Mu was wearing official clothes before leaving the palace. How come he changed his clothes when he appeared at the Thirteenth Prince's house?

He always felt that Wan Yan and his master had some kind of relationship, including that Mr. Thirteen.

"Then, sir..."

Haojing swallowed his words again. If his master wasn't in a hurry, why should he be?

Shen Mu looked up and glanced at him, then slowly stood up and said...

"Go find Zhou Jinghuai and tell him to do everything he can to find out the origins of that junior brother from Baiyun Mountain."

"Junior brother?" Hao Jing frowned slightly. What junior brother?

Shen Mu explained somewhat impatiently.

"Chongming ran away a few days ago, leaving a junior brother here. Didn't you notice?"

Hao Jing's heart skipped a beat when he saw the way his master glared at him.

How come he didn't notice?

"I……"

"That's not the point right now. I suspect that Taoist priest has some connection with Duan Yuyan."

Shen Mu walked out, his voice extremely low.

Currently, in order to eliminate all the spies hidden in the Shen residence, they have been holding back their actions.

"Are you saying that the Fourth Princess was responsible for the Third Prince's poisoning?"

Hao Jing was somewhat surprised. It wasn't anything else, but the fact that the Fourth Princess was clearly the Third Prince's younger sister, yet she attacked her own brother just to take the opportunity to get rid of the Thirteenth Prince?

That's a move that someone of Duan Yuyan's level couldn't possibly come up with.

He suddenly remembered that he had passed by the Cining Hall when he went to steal the blueprints last night, and hurriedly asked...

"My lord, yesterday I was in the Cining Palace..."

"Let's talk about it when we get back."

Shen Mu interrupted him and hurriedly left the mansion, leaving him standing alone at the gate. He opened his mouth, but then swallowed his words.

He hadn't had a chance to say it yesterday because of Shi Wanyan, but he had seen a man in the Cining Palace!

A living, breathing man was allowed to freely enter and leave the Empress Dowager's bedchamber!