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

"Your Majesty has misunderstood!"

Qingwu, disregarding the wrath of the Holy One, spoke first and knelt on the ground.

Her voice was hoarse and trembling, perhaps because she had caught a cold, clearly showing that she was terrified of An Ruyi, who was now coming to interrogate her.

An Ruyi glanced at the Emperor beside her, and seeing that Duan Yuan had no reaction, she spoke first.

"It's a misunderstanding... It's an honor for you that His Majesty would allow you to serve him at this hour. How can there be any misunderstanding?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the gentleness in her eyes seemed to melt away all of Duan Yuan's last remaining doubts.

After all, he had already heard about An Ruyi's frequent outbursts of temper towards the people in the palace ever since she became pregnant.

If it weren't for the fact that he really needed Qingwu's help at this moment, he wouldn't have let Qingwu assist him at this time.

"Your Majesty...this servant was wrong."

Seeing that the Emperor would not help her, Qingwu could only keep kowtowing in the direction of An Ruyi. After all, if she lost her usefulness to the Emperor, she would eventually have to return to Yong'an Palace.

"What good is it to beg me? It's better to see what the Emperor thinks..."

An Ruyi, having achieved her goal, tilted her head and looked at Duan Yuan. Duan Yuan, knowing her intentions, felt a strange unease.

His gaze slowly slid from An Ruyi's delicate face to her slightly protruding belly, as if he had finally made a decision, before he slowly spoke.

"My beloved concubine misunderstands. I planted spies in the Southern Barbarian army several years ago. Now that war between the Southern Barbarians and Nanyang is imminent, they have taken the opportunity to intercept several secret letters. It's just a pity that the Southern Barbarians were not using our language..."

"Your Majesty means..."

An Ruyi was startled; she had never heard of Qingwu being fluent in the language of the southern barbarians.

Duan Yuanchong nodded to her, temporarily releasing his large hand from her waist, placing his hands behind his back, and said in a deep voice.

"She is the offspring of a southern barbarian and a southern Yang person. You, who grew up with her since childhood, don't know that?"

"Your Majesty, are you referring to Qingwu?"

An Ruyi was somewhat taken aback. She looked up at Qingwu, who was kneeling beside the table, her face full of disbelief.

She had never heard of Qingwu's background.

Back when she was still unmarried, Qingwu was bought by the head steward of the mansion to be her personal maid. At that time, she was a little girl who had been snatched from human traffickers.

In the blink of an eye, nearly twenty years of getting along seemed like a joke to An Ruyi.

She was even less aware than outsiders about Qingwu's background!

"So I told you not to be so suspicious all the time. I was just borrowing your palace maid for a while, and I was afraid you would overthink things, so I wanted to come over while you were asleep at night. And you actually came to interrogate me."

Duan Yuan patted her on the shoulder, then turned and walked back to the table.

He glanced at Qingwu, who was lying on the ground beside him, and a nameless anger surged within him. Before the two of them could speak, he spoke again.

"It's late, my dear consort, you should go back and rest early. I'll return Qingwu to you now, so you won't have any more worries."

Upon hearing the Emperor's somewhat cold tone, An Ruyi immediately turned around and lowered her head.

"Your Majesty, that's not what I meant."

"Whether it is or not, I don't want to hear it. Go back, I still have some memorials to review."

"emperor……"

"Go."

Duan Yuan frowned, his displeasure making An Ruyi swallow back the words she wanted to beg for mercy.

After all, the fact that the Emperor didn't reprimand him for barging into the Imperial Study today is already an act of mercy!

She bowed her head in greeting and made her way out of the imperial study.

The road back to the palace was dark and cold.

The torrential rain arrived as expected.

Xiang'er held the umbrella over An Ruyi's head, while she herself lay half a body length outside, completely unconcerned that the torrential rain was soaking her to the bone.

At this moment, Qingwu was like a child who had done something wrong, keeping his head down and following closely behind Xiang'er.

An unexpected event caused Qingwu and her to completely switch identities.

Xiang'er glanced at the disheveled Qingwu behind her and slowly spoke.

"Your Majesty, since Aunt Qingwu is going to help the Emperor with state affairs, you don't need to be angry with her. It's just that I didn't expect that Aunt Qingwu is actually half a southern barbarian."

Upon hearing this, An Ruyi glanced coldly at Qingwu behind her, her lips parted slightly.

"This is the first time I've heard of this. I never imagined that even the Emperor could know something that I didn't. I wonder if it's because our Qingwu Palace is too high-minded and looks down on my Yong'an Palace."

Her words were barbed, full of resentment.

If she had known Qingwu's identity earlier, she would never have dared to trespass into the Imperial Study.

Although the Emperor did not blame her, it was clear from the glimpse of Duan Yuan's face she had secretly seen when she left the Imperial Study that he must have held a grudge against her.

"Your Majesty, Qingwu didn't mean to hide it from you, it's just..."

"What do you mean? Have I treated you badly?"

An Ruyi was unsure of the source of her anger, and her cold tone made Qingwu dare not refute her further.

“Your Majesty, I don’t think Aunt Qingwu intentionally concealed this matter. After all, Nanyang is about to go to war with the Nanman. Perhaps Aunt Qingwu was afraid that if Your Majesty knew her identity, it would be detrimental to Your Majesty.”

"War? Yes, you are a southern barbarian. Why don't I obtain an imperial decree to send you back?"

As if she had found an outlet for her anger, An Ruyi suddenly stopped in her tracks, turned around, and looked at Qingwu.

"This servant dares not, please forgive me, Your Majesty."

Qingwu immediately knelt on the ground, the icy rain making her already chilled body even more swaying.

But she knew that she had to do everything she could to stay by An Ruyi's side in order to complete the task assigned to her by her master.

Otherwise, her remaining family members would be in mortal danger.

"Dare not? I see this isn't the first time you've served in the Imperial Study. Are you waiting until you've been favored by the Emperor before informing me?"

An Ruyi's words made Qingwu bury his head deep in the ground, and he dared not speak recklessly.

"Your Majesty, this servant really only went to help the Emperor translate those secret letters..."

"Then tell Her Majesty what exactly was written in those secret letters? If you can't answer, it can only prove that you are deliberately seducing the Emperor."

Xiang'er's words jolted An Ruyi awake.

She glanced at Xiang'er beside her, her already furrowed brows furrowing even more; Xiang'er had completely forgotten about the matter.

"Yes, if you can tell me the contents of those secret letters in detail, I might spare your life and let you serve me."

Blinded by rage, An Ruyi had forgotten that what she was saying was utterly rebellious.