Shen Muyu did not expect to see the King of Qin's secret guards again so soon.

She thought it was Shen Youying trying to persuade her, but instead the guard handed her a letter: "The prince says that since you are willing to stay in the Chen Prince's mansion, he wants to make a deal with you."

What kind of deal could the King of Qin make with her?

Shen Muyu took the letter with some skepticism. After reading it, her casual expression turned serious. By the end, her knuckles even turned pale from gripping it too tightly.

"This is a life-or-death task. If I agree, what benefits will the prince give me?"

The guard said, "The prince said that if the lady can complete the task, as long as it is not something that is difficult for her, she can name her own terms."

Shen Muyu smiled: "Can you offer me the position of Princess Qin?"

The guard remained expressionless: "Madam is joking."

Shen Muyu stopped joking, gripped the letter tightly, pondered for a moment, and said, "After this is done, I want a clean identity, a mansion on Jiangnan Road, and ten thousand taels of gold."

The guard said, "I will convey the lady's request to the prince."

Upon hearing this, Shen Muyu's eyes revealed a hint of determination: "Then I agree."

However, she had become much wiser and said, "King Chen is currently insane and not so easily fooled. Because of my second sister's matter, he hates everything related to her. If I were to approach him now, not only would I not gain his trust, but I might not even know how I died. If King Qin wants to cooperate with me, he should at least show some sincerity, right?"

The guard took a small porcelain bottle from his waist and handed it to her: "No one can cure Prince Chen's illness. If you grind this pill into powder and mix it into the incense when you go to see him, he will definitely not be willing to kill you. As for whether you can win him over afterward, that depends on your skills."

"What is this?" Shen Muyu opened the seal of the porcelain bottle and sniffed it, only to smell an extremely strong fishy and pungent odor.

“You’ll understand once you use it, Madam.” The guard didn’t want to explain further, so he handed her a stack of silver notes and a bone whistle: “These silver notes are a deposit, which can be used by Madam to improve her life and win people’s hearts. As for this bone whistle, it is used to secretly send messages. If Madam has a message to send, just find an open space and blow it. I will appear within a quarter of an hour when I hear it.”

After the two confirmed the details, the bodyguard left quietly.

Looking at the open window, Shen Muyu felt a wildfire reignite in her previously desolate heart, making her radiant.

She called Dongqing in: "Go and fetch the spices, I need to make incense. Also, prepare a dress, something in a simple color, loose and light."

Dongqing asked, puzzled, "It's so late, is the young lady still going out?"

Shen Muyu did not explain; she did not intend to tell Dongqing about this matter, but simply urged her to do her work.

Holly, filled with doubt, delivered the spices and clothes.

After driving the people out and locking the doors and windows, Shen Muyu carefully took out a reddish-brown pill from the porcelain bottle, carefully ground it into powder, and mixed it with the fragrant spices.

She put the prepared spices into a sachet, and then put the excess into an incense burner to scent the dress she was going to wear later.

Only then did she call Dongqing in and have her do her hair and makeup.

She has lost a lot of weight and can no longer pull off overly glamorous makeup, so she has opted for a simple and elegant look, like a sickly beauty. Her long eyebrows are lightly drawn, her cheeks are lightly powdered, and she adds a touch of pink lipstick. Her long, cloud-like hair is loosely tied back with a white jade magnolia hairpin, with a few strands of hair falling from her ears, adding to her charm.

She tucked her stray hairs behind her ear, changed into a light, scented dress, and then draped a thick rabbit fur cloak over it before picking up a lantern and leaving the Banana Garden.

Dongqing was completely confused and asked, "Miss, where are we going?"

"Go find Prince Chen." The lantern light reflected in Shen Muyu's eyes, as if a fire was burning within them.

Dongqing was startled, recalling the horrifying rumors of the past few days, and quickly grabbed her: "Why are you going to look for Prince Chen, young lady? I heard that Prince Chen has gone mad, and another of his wives died yesterday."

Shen Muyu gently pried her hands away and said softly, "I have my own plans. I'm not going to my death." Afraid that Dongqing would ruin her plans, she added, "I know you don't understand, and you don't need to understand. Just listen to my instructions. If anyone asks, don't say anything."

Dongqing nodded blankly, feeling as if the girl had come back to life tonight.

Shen Muyu turned around and walked towards Chen Wang's courtyard without flinching. Dong Qing hurriedly carried a lantern and led the way.

The Prince of Chen's courtyard was guarded by his trusted men. When they saw her arrive late at night, they stopped her, saying, "Madam, please stop. The Prince of Chen has already retired for the night."

"The lights are still on inside. Why is Your Highness resting so early?" Shen Muyu handed a silver ingot to the guard, adding a touch of shyness. "Your Highness hasn't been to the Banana Garden for a long time. I thought Your Highness liked my hibiscus cake the most, so I specially made some and brought them over. Please be lenient and pass on a message to Your Highness."

The guard weighed the silver ingot in his hand, thinking that the concubines in the backyard were all afraid of being summoned by Prince Chen to serve them, but he didn't expect that someone would be so fearless as to come forward on their own.

"Wait here, I'll go and inform them."

When Prince Chen heard that Shen Muyu was requesting an audience, a look of surprise flashed across his face. But then he remembered the incident that had been abruptly cut short that day, and a ruthless glint appeared in his eyes: "Let her in."

The guards quickly returned and let Shen Muyu in.

Shen Muyu told Dongqing to wait outside while she slowly walked in carrying the pastries.

It was winter, and the Chen Prince's courtyard was heated by an underfloor heating system. As soon as the door opened, a sweet and warm fragrance wafted out. Shen Muyu glanced to the side and saw two familiar concubines huddled together, naked, their bodies covered in horrific whip marks.

The culprit, however, sat barefoot at the head of the table with his shirt open, staring at her like a ghost in the night.

Shen Muyu's heart started racing, and her palms became sweaty.

She swallowed, then slowly walked to Prince Chen and bowed gracefully: "I have brought you hibiscus cake, Your Highness."

Prince Chen looked at her with an inscrutable expression, kicked the hibiscus cake aside, and pulled her into his arms amidst Shen Muyu's exclamation. He patted her cheek with the handle of his whip: "You're not afraid of death. I didn't remember looking for you, but you came looking for me yourself."

Shen Muyu felt her heart pounding in her throat, and goosebumps rose on the spots where Prince Chen had touched her. She closed her eyes, letting the tears of panic stream down her face, but instead of struggling, she leaned closer and whispered, "My family must already know what I've done. Father has always favored my second sister, and he probably won't acknowledge me anymore..." She pressed her face weakly against Prince Chen's chest, wondering why the medicine hadn't worked yet, but she continued, "I have nothing left, only Your Highness..."