Lanqin helped Nianxue walk towards Minqing Palace, but when they reached Yangxing Gate, they saw a familiar figure—Cui Niang.

"This servant greets Consort Lanqin!" Cui Niang greeted Lanqin from afar.

Lanqin, supporting Nianxue's hand, quickly walked towards the figure, and sure enough, it was Cui Niang.

"Cui Niang, what are you doing here?" Lanqin helped Cui Niang up.

“This servant is here specifically to wait for the concubine,” said Cui Niang.

"Wait for me?" Lanqin looked at Cui Niang with a flicker in her eyes, not understanding her meaning.

"I've come to ask if what Consort said last time still holds true?" Cui Niang asked bluntly.

Lanqin stared at Cui Niang with slight surprise. Last time, when she asked Cui Niang to come out of the palace with her, Cui Niang had also refused very firmly.

“This servant wishes to leave the palace with Consort Cui,” said Cui Niang resolutely.

"Really? Cui Niang? Why do you suddenly want to go out again?" Lanqin knew that something must have happened to make Cui Niang make this decision.

“It’s not safe for me to stay in the palace. Rather than stay like this, I’d rather go out with the concubine,” said Cui Niang.

Lanqin looked at Cui Niang in surprise and asked, "What exactly happened? Come on, let's go over there and talk."

Lanqin took Cui Niang's hand and led her to the spot where she and Fourth Master had sat last time.

“I thought she had forgotten me, but now it seems she hasn’t forgotten me, and she has already taken action. Consort, do you still remember the little custard cat that accompanied Cui Niang?” Cui Niang said, “Yesterday, that cat died. It was poisoned.”

Lanqin looked at Cui Niang, gesturing for her to continue. She knew that Cui Niang loved that cat very much; in the lonely depths of the palace, it was that cat that kept Cui Niang company when she was alone in the Fourth Prince's quarters.

“Yesterday, because my stomach wasn’t feeling well, I didn’t eat much for dinner, barely touching any of the dishes. Perhaps Heaven took pity on me, because I escaped death. It’s just a pity that Little Custard took this calamity for me. I thought it would be a waste to throw away the dishes, so I gave the fish in them to Little Custard, but little did I know, I would harm it…”

Lanqin understood; someone had poisoned Cui Niang's food.

"How do you know it was the Fujin who sent someone to poison him? After all, she's outside the palace," Lanqin asked after a moment's thought.

“It must be her. I have no grudges against anyone in the palace. Who would want to kill me? Only her. Only she has a motive.” Cui Niang said firmly. “Besides Granny Li, I am the only person who knows what she has done. Even Chunliu and Xiahe do not know as much as I do.”

Lanqin held Cui Niang's hand and said, "Alright, I originally wanted you to go out and help me. Since that's the case, I'll go and talk to the Fourth Prince and ask him to get you out of the palace."

Cui Niang stood up excitedly, intending to bow to Lan Qin, but was stopped by her, who said, "Cui Niang, what are you doing? You are not my servant yet, and even if you were, I don't like people kneeling down so easily."

Nianxue quickly added, "Yes, the concubine never makes us kneel."

“Very well, since Consort Cui doesn’t like it, then I won’t kneel. Consort Cui, I have another request, and I hope you can help me.” Consort Cui said, half-squatting.

"You want me to save your family?" Lanqin had already guessed.

“That’s right. I can’t leave the palace now, but I’m worried that if she sees that I haven’t been harmed, she might go and take my family members away to threaten me. Consort, this is all the savings I’ve accumulated in the palace over the years. Please give it to them. Let them go, go far away.” Tears welled up in Cui Niang’s eyes as she pulled a bulging bag from her bosom, which looked like it contained some silver.

Lanqin felt a pang of sadness. She gestured for Nianxue to take the bag, then pulled Cui Niang up and said, "Don't worry, I'll go find your family as soon as I leave the palace tomorrow. I'll ask the Fourth Prince to settle them in a safe place. If he's suspicious, I'll just say it's something I promised a friend."

With tears of gratitude in her eyes, Cui Niang wanted to bow again, but Lan Qin stopped her, saying, "The kindness of the Consort to Cui Niang can only be repaid by serving her wholeheartedly. Now that the Consort has entered the palace, she must have sent spies to monitor your every move."

Lanqin was startled and said, "I understand. Now I must go and pay my respects to Consort Li in the Crown Prince's Palace."

After thinking for a moment, Cui Niang said, "It's best if the concubine doesn't go. These days, the Crown Prince hasn't been peaceful. There's a rumor circulating in the palace that even the Emperor has started investigating secretly."

Lanqin was startled, wondering if Zheng Chunhua's affair with the Crown Prince had been discovered, and quickly asked, "What rumors?"

Cui Niang looked around before lowering her voice and saying, "I've heard that the Crown Prince is dissolute and favors male lovers."

Lanqin sighed inwardly and said in disbelief, "Then I still have to go and pay my respects to Consort Li. Everyone is avoiding the Crown Prince because of the suspicion surrounding him. But rumors are just rumors. The Emperor may not believe them and may even think that someone is deliberately trying to smear the Crown Prince."

Cui Niang nodded and said, "The Consort's mind is extraordinary. I have learned a lot. I will go back now and wait for the Consort's good news."

Lanqin nodded, and Cui Niang curtsied before leaving the pavilion and going back inside.

Seeing that Lanqin was sitting silently, Nianxue asked, "Consort, are you still going to Consort Li's place?"

Lanqin nodded and helped Nianxue to her feet. Looking up at the nine-tiered palace, she suddenly had a feeling that she was about to be caught in a vortex.

After the mistress and servant left, a eunuch emerged from a small alley and followed in the direction Lanqin had gone.

When Lanqin and her maid arrived at Minqing Palace, they waited at the entrance for a while before being led inside by palace servants.

Lanqin couldn't help but look towards the main hall.

"This concubine greets Consort Li~" Lanqin entered the side hall and saw Consort Li sitting on the main couch, smiling at her.

"Sister, get up quickly. It's been so long since I've seen you. How are you?" Madam Li stood up and grabbed Lanqin's hand.

"My sister is alright, but how about my older sister?" Lanqin actually felt that Li was being overly enthusiastic towards her. She didn't really have any special relationship with her.

"I'm still the same as always. I heard that Consort De summoned my younger sister to the palace to attend to her during her illness, so I was thinking of finding an opportunity to see her. I never expected that my younger sister would come today." Madam Li pulled Lanqin to sit down and then instructed the palace maids to pour tea and serve refreshments.

"It's all my fault, I should be the one paying my respects to my elder sister. I should be the one to invite her," Lanqin said. She recalled what Cui Niang had just said and suddenly felt a pang of pity for the woman in front of her.