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

Inside the Imperial Study Room

Duan Yuan, refreshed after a night of passion, looked at Shen Mu with a hint of displeasure.

"So you mean someone else poisoned the Third Prince?"

"Yes."

Shen Mu nodded, staring blankly at the ground in front of him.

He had just submitted his memorial to the emperor, briefly explaining his suspicions that the Third Prince had been poisoned.

Although it's just speculation, the truth will likely come to light soon. Right now, the most important thing is to rescue Thirteen from Duan Yuyan's clutches as soon as possible!

The Imperial Study was eerily quiet at this moment. The man on the dragon throne tapped his fingers on the table, making a haphazard sound.

After pondering for a long time, Duan Yuan raised his hand and threw the memorial on the table at Shen Mu's feet, then slowly said...

"I used to think of you as my right-hand man, and you always handled the tasks I gave you perfectly. How come this time..."

Shen Mu bent down to pick up the memorial, and when he opened it, he found it was from Vice Minister Xu. It clearly stated that an eyewitness had seen a person dressed in the uniform of the Embroidered Uniform Guard appear in Mingyue Palace last night.

This directly points to Shen Mu as the mastermind behind the arson.

Shen Mu's expression faltered slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. Logically speaking, no one in the palace should have seen Xie Qiao last night.

He calmly closed the memorial, looked up, and met the emperor's probing gaze.

"Your humble servant has never done such a thing."

His clear eyes and calm demeanor made Duan Yuan suspicious, wondering if Minister Xu was deliberately trying to frame him.

After all, everyone in Nanyang knew that Vice Minister Xu had once been a retainer of the Duke of Anguo.

However, if it was indeed at the behest of the Duke of Anguo, then his methods were still rather crude.

"How can you prove it?" Duan Yuan narrowed his eyes, making no attempt to hide the doubt in them.

“It’s already under investigation.” Shen Mu frowned. He had thought about this for a long time when he entered the palace, and it was clear that now was not the best time to expose the evidence.

Duan Yuan looked at Shen Mu's calm expression, as always, and couldn't help but chuckle.

"I remember last night I ordered you and the Duke of Anguo to find the arsonist. You not only failed to find the culprit, but you also dare to tell me to release that quack doctor?"

In his opinion, it was utterly absurd!

"Wei Chen dare not."

Shen Mu's response was neither too strong nor too weak, but Duan Yuan perceived it as a provocation.

"What else do you dare not do? You probably haven't even read Governor Zhang's memorial!"

As Duan Yuan finished speaking, a memorial landed at Shen Mu's feet. The memorial was thrown aside, and its contents revealed that some members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard were buying and selling official titles.

The position of Jinyiwei was established by the current emperor of Nanyang to monitor officials for any behavior that violated moral principles, formed cliques, or engaged in other corrupt practices.

Now, he's being investigated and impeached for buying and selling official positions, defying the law?

That's a huge joke!

Shen Mu, closing the memorial, spoke with a hint of panic in his voice.

"I dare to guarantee that no one in the Embroidered Uniform Guard would dare to buy or sell official titles." His expression grew increasingly serious. Who was Imperial Censor Zhang? He was a man of Prime Minister Pei, the mortal enemy of Duke Anguo.

To expose him at this time with such a background is clearly an attempt to stop him from saving Thirteen.

What guarantee do you have?

Duan Yuan slammed his hand on the table, his loud voice echoing throughout the imperial study, startling the eunuchs inside who all knelt on the ground, heads bowed, not daring to breathe heavily.

"..."

Shen Mu also bowed down and did not answer.

As Duan Yuan grew enraged, fine beads of sweat began to appear on his forehead again. He took a handkerchief from the table and wiped the sweat away, staring at Shen Mu for a long time before speaking.

"Given that there are people within the Embroidered Uniform Guard who are privately buying and selling official positions, you, as the commander, are guilty of negligence."

Duan Yuan subtly shifted his gaze to the folded documents on the table and said...

"Whether it's true or not, you should have investigated the matter of Mingyue Palace for me, but you came to plead with me because of your friendship with that quack doctor."

He couldn't help but recall what Yan'er had told him that morning: Shen Mu and the Third Prince's physician were good friends, and she had repeatedly warned him not to let the Imperial Guards get involved in this matter. He hadn't quite believed it at first.

It seems that Shen Mu should avoid suspicion in this matter. Right now, what he cares about most is the murderer who burned down Mingyue Palace!

Thinking of this, Duan Yuan's expression grew even colder.

"Take Shen Mu away and give him fifty strokes of the cane. Shen Mu, I will give you three more days to hand over the arsonist, or I will punish you."

Duan Yuan waved his hand, and guards came in and escorted Shen Mu out.

As the door to the Imperial Study opened, Duan Yuan, sitting on the dragon throne, saw the man who had been waiting outside the hall for a long time, and his brows furrowed slightly.

"Why is Prime Minister Pei here too?"

At this moment, he couldn't help but curse these meddlesome fellows in his heart. It wasn't that he hadn't punished Thirteen yet, but he had ordered Duan Yuyan to bring the person back first, and they took turns bothering him like this.

They're becoming increasingly arrogant and ignorant.

Pei Zhiheng glanced at Shen Mu's departing figure and slowly stepped into the Imperial Study.

"Wei Chen has met the emperor."

Duan Yuan composed himself and asked.

"Did Prime Minister Pei come to me to plead for the Thirteenth Prince?"

Pei Zhiheng feigned surprise, then quickly shook his head and said loudly.

"Your Majesty, I have come to beg you to do me justice!"

He lifted his official robe with one hand and knelt down. His thin frame appeared even more frail as he knelt in the vast imperial study.

Although Duan Yuan inwardly resented Prime Minister Pei's often aggressive manner, which often put him in an awkward position, he was taken aback by Pei's rare earnestness.

He quickly got up and went down the steps, helping Pei Xiangdao to his feet.

"In all of Nanyang, who would dare to bully Prime Minister Pei?"

Although his words were words of concern, Duan Yuan's earnest gaze was utterly cold.

Pei Xiang lowered his head, his eyes filled with sorrow, looking somewhat like a hero in his twilight years.

"Your Majesty, you must seek justice for this humble subject!"

"What exactly happened?"

“It’s the Fourth Princess.” Pei Zhiheng’s trembling appearance dispelled some of Duan Yuan’s doubts.

"Yan'er? What happened to her?" Duan Yuan's hand froze, and he immediately sensed something was wrong.

"The Fourth Princess had some kind of argument with my son and sent someone to push him off a cliff. I beg Your Majesty to do justice for my son!"

After Pei Zhiheng finished speaking, he knelt on the ground again. His words were earnest and full of concern for his daughter.

"And your daughter..."

"Fortunately, the Fourth Princess spared my son's life. It was the Third Young Master of the Zhou family who happened to be passing by and rescued him, bringing him back to the manor."

Pei Zhiheng could not hide the sadness in his eyes, and silently watched as the hand that was supporting him quietly withdrew.

Duan Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, staring at Pei Zhiheng with a suspicious expression. He was quite surprised, though. He only remembered that Yan'er had come to him to ask for help right after court that morning, saying that she had been ordered to arrest Thirteen on behalf of her brother.

"How come Yan'er and your daughter..." He paused, unsure of what to say.

Seeing this, Pei Zhiheng quickly replied

"When I saw Young Master Zhou bring my son back, he had already fainted. I don't know why he had a dispute with the Fourth Princess. If it was my son's fault, I will definitely bring Sui Sui to apologize in person!"