She cleared her throat, lowered her head, and reported even more respectfully: “There is another matter. With the continuous defeats of the Northern Desert army, the capital has sent word to dispatch Prince Zhennan to lead 50,000 soldiers to reinforce the northern region and jointly defend against the enemy.”

“As expected.” Pei Yuanshao caressed the beauty mark at the corner of his eye, a smile that wasn’t quite a smile: “The group of old ministers in the cabinet must want to take this opportunity to infiltrate Prince Zhennan’s personal troops into the Northern Desert! Huh? You send someone to deliver this message to my aunt. I want to see who the biggest traitor in the Northern Desert army really is…”

Pei Yuanshao finished speaking and took out a letter from his bosom, handing it to her.

Guan Yunyun received it with both hands. Although she didn’t know how His Highness would arrange the situation this time, if someone wanted to make a move on the 300,000-strong Northern Desert army, His Highness definitely wouldn’t sit back and wait.

She tucked the letter into her bosom and bowed, asking, “Is there anything else Your Highness commands for Beihuanxian?”

Pei Yuanshao had his hands behind his back. Earlier, he had carried manure buckets, so his clothes emanated an indescribable stench.

He frowned and smoothed the creases on his shoulders.

Turning around, he casually said, “There is indeed one matter on your side.”

Guan Yunyun stood quietly to the side, attentively listening.

“It is very likely that Pei Yunzhi will send assassins to Huashi Town today, with an 80% chance of wanting to put me to death. Your husband can be pulled out to block them. After all, the illegitimate son of the Marquis of Yongan is the nephew of that Chief Attendant in the palace. If someone he wants to protect is harmed, that person is not someone to be trifled with.”

Guan Yunyun raised her eyebrows: “Second Prince? He… Why would he suddenly make a move?”

Pei Yuanshao’s lips curled into a smile, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes: “Just a fool, manipulated by others to be their pawn.”

He finished speaking and glanced at the manure buckets not far away, narrowing his eyes with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile: “Tomorrow, the news of my miserable appearance carrying manure buckets must reach your husband’s ears. With his temperament, after hearing that my peasant wife-master is at the end of her rope, bedridden and unable to get up, and that my future situation will become increasingly difficult, his mood will definitely be good. What could drain his anger more than this?”

Guan Yunyun understood: “At this time, if that person in the capital sends assassins, this subordinate will have someone inadvertently leak the information to the Chen family. With the grudge he holds against the Second Prince from back then, he will surely protect Your Highness!”

Pei Yuanshao nodded imperceptibly.

Back then, Chen Nianci had seduced the Prince of Zhennan and orchestrated a clumsy drowning plot, which Pei Yunzhi had stumbled upon. The entire city of Jinling knew that Second Prince Pei Yunzhi was fond of the Prince of Zhennan.

No noble young master dared to have any improper thoughts about the Prince of Zhennan, except for Chen Nianci, who relied on his uncle’s favor and dared to approach. Unfortunately, he was stupid and foolish. He had designed a drowning scheme but ended up losing both the chicken and the rice.

Pei Yunzhi had caught his mistake and forced him to marry the daughter of a county magistrate in the Northern Desert.

Therefore, the hatred between the two was as deep as the sea of blood. The Chen family had always been as narrow-minded as a needle hole. If they knew that the assassins sent to kill him were dispatched by Pei Yunzhi, they would definitely interfere.

Anything that made Pei Yunzhi unhappy, he would do with even greater pleasure.

Compared to his jealousy and hatred towards him, the Chen family’s enmity towards Pei Yunzhi was like a small sorcerer meeting a great one.

Moreover, his current living situation was miserable. His peasant wife-master was sick in bed, and he had pitifully fallen to the point of burning incense at night. In such a difficult situation, wouldn’t it be more gratifying than death?

After talking with Guan Yunyun for a while, the night was no longer early. Pei Yuanshao, who loved cleanliness, was reeking. After a brief exchange, he told her to withdraw.

He carried the manure buckets home, entered the washroom, and bathed for a full half-hour before getting dressed.

When he entered the kitchen, he came face to face with Liu Changning.

Liu Changning had eaten cooked food and was in a good mood. She took the initiative to greet him: “Has the incense burner returned?”

Pei Yuanshao had an expressionless face. He passed by her, intending to pour a cup of tea in the kitchen. It was just a casual glance, but in the corner of the wall where the straw was stacked, he saw a basket of herbs, among which two black lingzhi mushrooms with roots were particularly eye-catching.