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

Duan Yuchuan was slightly taken aback; he hadn't expected his sister to have acted first.

He originally thought his sister was a fool, but he never expected that she would allow him to poison the Crown Prince without him noticing, even though he had planted spies in the Eastern Palace!

Thinking of this, Duan Yuchuan said in a somewhat displeased tone.

"You're really bold. I thought you were just joking." He put down the pen he had been playing with and continued.

"Aren't you afraid that the Crown Prince will discover your plan before you do? Or that he'll find out you've been poisoned?"

Duan Yuchuan would clearly not make a move easily without being completely certain of success.

Duan Yuyan stared at her brother for a long time, then chuckled softly, thinking he was joking with her.

"Brother, you don't think you're the only one who can reach into the Eastern Palace, do you?"

Upon hearing this, Duan Yuchuan's breathing became noticeably rapid. Although he could guess how his sister had poisoned the Crown Prince, she actually knew that he also had spies in the Eastern Palace.

This really surprised him.

He raised his head, his indifferent pupils suddenly widening in shock, as if he were truly stunned by her words.

Seeing this, Duan Yuyan thought she had really fooled her brother, and then she reverted to her original arrogant demeanor.

"If the Crown Prince is unable to send troops this time, it will be my gift to my brother. I hope my brother will not disappoint me."

She nodded to Duan Yuchuan, and then left the study on her own.

After she left, Yongcheng finally let out a soft sigh and stepped out from the shadows.

He observed carefully. If what the Fourth Princess said was true, that she personally poisoned the Crown Prince, this crime alone would be enough to strip her of her title as a princess.

But coincidentally, the Fourth Princess was not afraid at all, and even told the Third Prince about it openly.

Is he truly incredibly stupid, or is he deliberately testing the Third Prince?

Thinking of this, he slowly walked forward and saw Duan Yuchuan sitting in a round-backed chair with a thoughtful expression.

Duan Yuchuan's expression did not show much surprise.

After seeing the fourth princess off, his gaze fell on the air, while his peripheral vision swept to the side.

It would be a lie to say I wasn't surprised.

He never believed his own sister from beginning to end. Even just now, when she said that she had personally poisoned the Crown Prince, he still felt that she was lying to him.

but……

"Go and ask around to see if what the Fourth Princess said is true."

“Your Highness…” Yongcheng was stunned upon hearing this. He hadn’t expected that the Third Prince would actually believe it.

Duan Yuchuan slowly came back to his senses. His slender fingers tapped on the table, and his already effeminate face, illuminated by the candlelight, gained a darker, more sinister air.

"I don't believe it, but if the Fourth Princess is really so ruthless, it would actually help us."

"Yes, Your Highness." Yongcheng nodded upon hearing this.

Since it was the Third Prince who gave the order, he would obey and carry it out.

Although, he didn't believe it either.

Yongcheng turned to leave, but just as he opened the door, Duan Yuchuan called him back.

"Wait a moment."

"Does Your Highness have any further instructions?" Yongcheng paused slightly as he stood at the door.

"If this is true, I think those people placed in the East Palace are pretty useless. Let's kill them."

Duan Yuchuan spoke in a calm tone, as if he were talking about something completely ordinary.

He slowly closed his eyes, continuing to immerse himself in his emotions.

Yongcheng glanced at his master sitting in the armchair, a fleeting emotion flashing across his eyes, before he stepped out of the study.

The wooden door was gently closed.

Duan Yuchuan was the only one left in the entire study.

He slowly opened his eyes and looked out the window. There was a lush, green flowerbed with a faint fragrance.

But he had no interest in any of this.

He didn't care at all whether his sister was really going to marry into the Western Regions, nor did he care whether the Western Regions would change hands, or even whether the Crown Prince would be poisoned.

All he cares about is wanting the people he cares about to care about him in return.

That's it.

But fate was unfair, and he didn't have much time left.

He lowered his eyes and stared intently at the folded book at the very bottom of the stack of books.

That was a grand gift he had prepared for his beloved mother.

Yong'an Palace

Feeling a bit tired lately, An Ruyi leaned back on the comfortable and soft couch, enjoying the cool breeze that gently blew by outside.

It's almost May in Nanyang, and the weather is getting warmer.

The heat was especially oppressive for An Ruyi, who was two months pregnant.

Qingwu stood beside her, gently fanning himself with a cloud-shaped fan to ease An Ruyi's boredom.

An Ruyi was very careful about the baby in her womb. After all, she was getting on in years and had already learned before she became pregnant that this was her only chance in her life to give birth to another son for the Emperor.

Especially in the harem, given that the Third Prince and the Fourth Princess were both born to her, no other concubine could possibly gain favor and become pregnant again.

Except for the beauties presented by the Second Prince during the Emperor's birthday celebration!

Although the Western Region beauty that Duan Yumou presented that day was extremely secretive, few people knew about it.

However, the emperor had clearly been captivated by that beauty, and since the Emperor's birthday celebrations, he had rarely visited her Yong'an Palace.

Thinking of this, An Ruyi slowly opened her eyes and glanced at Qingwu beside her.

Where is the Emperor now?

Upon hearing this, Qingwu looked up at the sun outside the window and slowly said...

"Your Majesty, he should be handling state affairs in the Imperial Study."

"Handling state affairs? I bet he's keeping a mistress in that palace." An Ruyi's tone naturally carried some of her own emotions; she was clearly quite dissatisfied with the emperor's exclusive favor.

However, her pregnancy is not very stable at the moment, and she is not yet three months pregnant.

When the imperial physicians came to take her pulse, they repeatedly warned her not to move around carelessly, lest she harm the dragon fetus in her womb.

Therefore, no matter how dissatisfied An Ruyi was with the Emperor's exclusive favor towards that Western Region beauty, she had no choice but to go out and move around freely at the moment.

She slowly recalled that a few days ago, she had specially prepared food and sent it to the Imperial Study, hoping to meet the Emperor.

Unexpectedly, Eunuch Tao stopped her on the palace road, preventing her from reaching the Imperial Study.

What do you mean, the Emperor is handling state affairs?

I'm afraid he's keeping a mistress hidden away and doesn't want her to know.

Qingwu looked down at An Ruyi, whose expression was slightly tinged with anger, and quickly explained in a soft voice.

"Your Majesty, there is no need to be angry. Once we have recovered and given birth to another son for the Emperor, even if the Second Prince sends several more beauties to the Emperor, it will not shake your position."

Qingwu handed the fan to the palace maid behind her, rolled up her sleeves herself, and stood behind An Ruyi, massaging her shoulders.

An Ruyi was very pleased.

After all, Qingwu had been by her side for more than ten years, so he naturally knew how to soothe her emotions.

Especially now that she is pregnant, she should not get angry easily.