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

Three days later, Yong'an Palace

Inside the magnificent palace, Consort An angrily smashed all the porcelain on the table to pieces.

"Get out of here, all of you! I don't want to see you!"

As soon as she finished speaking, all the palace maids in the hall hurriedly withdrew.

The only one left behind was Qingwu, the personal maid she had brought from the Pei family since childhood.

Qingwu was a few years younger than An Ruyi, but serving Consort An, she was more like her older sister. At this moment, she gently brushed aside the porcelain shards on the ground and slowly stepped forward to help An Ruyi out of the rubble.

"Your Highness, please don't be angry. In the end, she's just the second young lady of the Pei family. It's not worth Your Highness getting so upset over her."

"Angry? Ha, you must be blind. If it weren't for the fact that she used to keep coming to my Yong'an Palace, I would have almost believed her deep affection for my son!"

An Ruyi was trembling with anger. She watched as Qingwu brought out the medicine box and carefully applied ointment to her hand.

These are things that only Qingwu can usually do.

She always felt that other people were clumsy and indecisive.

"Perhaps the second young lady of the Pei family inherited her father's temperament; she's probably cunning as well. Wasn't Prime Minister Pei previously at odds with our master in court?"

Qingwu understood An Ruyi's temperament, and with just a few words, he managed to calm An Ruyi down.

As she applied the medicine to An Ruyi, she secretly glanced at An Ruyi's expression and said...

"Your Majesty, please don't get up. Don't disturb your pregnancy."

Upon hearing this, An Ruyi hurriedly lowered her head to check, her slender fingers gently stroking her belly as if she could sense the baby inside. Her gradually softening expression became even more gentle.

"I'm not angry, but I can't get angry!" She glanced at Qingwu with an unreadable expression.

"Yes, Your Highness, our master is still hoping that Your Highness will have another child!"

Qingwu put the medicine back in the box and then turned around and walked behind An Ruyi to massage her shoulders.

"Your Majesty, it seems that Prime Minister Pei didn't care that his daughter was in love with our Third Prince, which is why he apologized to the Emperor and continued to serve as an official. Originally, Qingwu thought that Prime Minister Pei resigned for his daughter's sake."

"Hmph, how sincere can he be? If he really couldn't bear to give up the position of prime minister, he wouldn't need to go through all this trouble." An Ruyi's words were full of sarcasm towards Pei Zhiheng.

Ultimately, if Prime Minister Pei really insisted on resigning from his post, she would actually think more highly of him.

Now that the emperor has actually agreed to his request to resign, he eagerly went to ask the emperor to hand out a decree.

Only the Pei family could do something like this!

"Yes, Your Majesty, Prime Minister Pei is not like our master to you; he is genuinely good to you!"

"You're absolutely right!"

An Ruyi nodded with a light smile, as if she had listened to Qingwu's words and was quite pleased.

"But ultimately, do you think the Emperor has any intention of taking Prime Minister Pei's eldest daughter as a concubine?" At first, she didn't believe the rumor.

But then she remembered the report from her spy who had been planted next to Duan Yuan that day, saying that while she was unconscious on the Emperor's birthday, Pei Nanyue had actually seduced the Emperor outside the main hall!

Fortunately, the emperor was not fooled and sent the two sisters back to the main hall.

But when she thought of Pei Nanyue's face, she was afraid that even she herself would be a little tempted.

Let alone the emperor.

Therefore, it's hard to say whether this rumor is entirely unfounded.

Seeing this, Qingwu quickly composed himself and slowly explained.

"Your Majesty is overthinking it. Although the eldest daughter of the Pei family is of marriageable age, she is still quite a bit inferior to our Emperor."

"Quite different? Ha, didn't the late emperor also take in several concubines in his later years? The youngest of those concubines was even a few years younger than the emperor's youngest brother."

Although An Ruyi genuinely loved the Emperor, when it came to men having multiple wives and concubines...

In the end, she knew exactly what was going on.

Just listen to what a man says. Never take it to heart, or you'll only end up hurting yourself.

"Your Majesty, please don't worry. His Majesty has always been the one who dotes on you the most. How could the Pei family possibly catch His Majesty's eye?" Qingwu had barely finished speaking when she heard some noise outside and quickly shut her mouth.

Before long, An Ruyi, who had been resting with her eyes closed, noticed that the force on her body was different. She quickly opened her eyes and saw Duan Yuan gazing at her affectionately.

She quickly stood up and bowed.

"I have met the emperor."

“I already said no need for formalities. You’ll have to work hard these days, so we can save you from these empty formalities.” Duan Yuan quickly helped An Ruyi up.

Since the birth of the fourth princess, there has been no movement in the harem.

Now that An Ruyi is pregnant, he cherishes her even more.

After all, he was not very satisfied with any of the three princes he had.

Because of her pregnancy, An Ruyi's sense of smell was quite sensitive. She faintly caught a whiff of the strange fragrance emanating from Duan Yuan, and her expression betrayed a hint of disgust.

"I'm afraid His Majesty has only just remembered me."

"How could that be! I came to see my beloved concubine as soon as I finished court." Duan Yuan pulled An Ruyi into the house.

An Ruyi turned her head and gave Qingwu a wink.

"Go to the small kitchen and get me some sour jujubes, the sourest kind."

"Yes, madam!"

Qingwu nodded and hurriedly walked out of the main hall.

Consort An turned and sat down on the cushion, carefully wiping her hands with the handkerchief in her bosom, as if she particularly disliked the Emperor's touch earlier.

Duan Yuan wasn't angry when he saw this, he just said softly

"What? My beloved concubine's hands are so delicate, do you still need to wipe them?" He grabbed An Ruyi's hand and pulled her into his arms.

An Ruyi said coquettishly

"It's all out of anger! I finally convinced myself to accept the second young lady of the Pei family as Chuan'er's concubine. How could I have imagined that they would be the first to go back on their word!"

Ultimately, she was still seething with anger; the Pei family had to give the An family an explanation.

It was the Pei family who said they wanted to marry off their daughter.

It was the Pei family who said they didn't want to marry off their daughter.

Now that they've settled down, they've become the laughingstock of the entire Nanyang.

Duan Yuan stared thoughtfully at his small hand clasped in his large one, seemingly lost in thought.

"Prime Minister Pei is just being stubborn with me. He is a veteran official of two dynasties, so you can relax. I have given your younger brother a sinecure, and he will be able to take up the post soon."

"Really?" Consort An's face lit up with joy, and she leaned into Duan Yuan's arms with a smile.

Duan Yuan was in his prime, and although he took pills on time every day, he was still quite strong and healthy.

They had fought on horseback before.

He pulled An Ruyi into his arms, his eyes filled with barely concealed desire.

"Since I have spoken, it means I have agreed. How could I possibly lie to you, Ruyi?"

"Then I will thank Your Majesty on behalf of my brother."

An Ruyi wrapped her arms around his neck and gently pecked his cheek. Her actions were like those of a young maiden, tinged with shyness, which only aroused Duan Yuan's interest.

Just as the two were about to go to bed for a more intimate conversation, a message suddenly came from outside the room from the palace eunuch.

"Your Majesty, the Second Prince is requesting an audience outside the palace!"