After thinking for a moment, Wei Shuwan returned to the palace. As soon as she sat down next to Li Qingchen, she heard him mutter to himself, "This time you came back quickly."

Wei Shuwan suddenly turned her gaze to Li Qingchen, wanting to question him: it's fine to meddle in other people's business, but isn't it a bit too much to meddle in how often and how quickly people go to the toilet?

However, remembering that she still needed his help, she held back her anger and forced a smile, saying, "Young Prince, thank you so much for what you did just now. Let me offer you another toast."

As she spoke, Wei Shuwan went to fetch a wine cup.

Li Qingchen reminded her, "You already thanked me once, and you've already offered me a toast."

"But the young prince doesn't know how important this matter is to Shuwan. Only by offering three cups can Shuwan express her gratitude." After saying this, she dismounted, raised her head slightly, and drank the fruit wine in her cup.

Seeing that the young lady had already drunk, Li Qingchen couldn't refuse, so he picked up his own wine cup and tilted his head back to drink as well. However, just as the wine cup touched his lips, he saw a hand bumping towards his arm through the slits of his lowered eyelids. He didn't dodge, letting the other person have their way, successfully knocking the wine cup out of his hand and soaking his sleeve.

Li Qingchen looked at Wei Shuwan, wondering what she was up to. Wei Shuwan frowned apologetically, wiping his wet sleeves with a handkerchief while saying in a fluster, "Oh dear, it's all my fault. I...I'll go get some dry clothes for the young prince right away."

She knew that the Emperor had once bestowed upon Li Qingchen a residence in the palace, Yongning Palace. As long as she used the excuse of fetching clothes for Li Qingchen, she could leave Jiying Palace without arousing anyone's suspicion.

However, things did not go so smoothly. Li Qingchen sighed slightly and then said, "Just send Yuan Que."

Wei Shuwan had already prepared her response: "How can I express my remorse? You just did me a huge favor, and I ended up spilling wine all over you when I tried to toast you. This is just too much!"

Li Qingchen smiled, surprisingly easy to talk to Wei Shuwan: "Alright, then I'll trouble you to make this trip."

Wei Shuwan was overjoyed and turned to the young eunuch serving beside her, saying, "Please trouble you to show me the way, sir."

The young eunuch quickly bowed low, saying, "No, please, Madam Wei."

With a legitimate reason, Wei Shuwan followed the little eunuch out of the Jiying Hall without incident.

As night fell, the Daye Palace appeared even more magnificent and dazzling than when she had arrived during the day. Everywhere was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, exuding a festive atmosphere. The stone lanterns and glass lanterns in the palace alleys complemented each other, and the light and shadow made the entire Daye Palace shine with golden splendor.

After turning countless corners and passing through numerous alleys, Wei Shuwan looked up at the palace before her when the eunuch suddenly stopped, knowing that they had arrived at Yongning Palace.

"Madam Wei, this is the sleeping quarters of the young Prince Qiaochuan. It is inconvenient for me to go in, so I will wait for you here."

Wei Shuwan was also very polite: "Thank you for showing me the way, sir. The night wind is biting outside, so you don't need to wait for me. I remember the way I came. I'll just take my clothes and go back by myself later."

"this……"

Seeing that the other party seemed somewhat embarrassed, Wei Shuwan raised her hand to her forehead and said somewhat apologetically, "I drank a few too many cups tonight, and the young prince just secretly allowed me to rest and sober up in his bedchamber, so..."

Upon hearing this, the young eunuch quickly and sensibly said, "If that's the case, then I won't bother you any longer. Please make yourself at home, Madam Wei."

After saying this, the young eunuch bowed and turned to leave.

Wei Shuwan entered Changning Palace with Li Qingchen's token, but instead of rushing to get his new robe, she stole a palace maid's dress under the cover of night, changed into an empty room, and then quietly left Changning Palace through the back door, heading towards the inner palace.

She had attended the plum blossom viewing banquet before, so she was not completely unfamiliar with Daye Palace. In addition, she had pretended to be curious and asked the little eunuch a lot of questions along the way, so she already had a map of Daye Palace in her mind.

Soon, Wei Shuwan slipped into Lanxinzhai without any secrecy. She boldly stepped forward and said to a palace maid, "Sister, I am here on the orders of Consort Jieyu to retrieve the hangover pills she usually takes."

Wei Shuwan did not make this up entirely. She had indeed heard that after Consort Wen gained favor with the emperor, she often accompanied Emperor Pingjia to drink and make merry, and even specially ordered the imperial physician to prepare a convenient hangover remedy for her.

Therefore, the palace maid did not suspect anything, but said with some concern, "Your Highness is drunk again? Then please come with me quickly."

Wei Shuwan followed the palace maid directly into Consort Wen's bedchamber and learned where Consort Wen usually hid her medicine. After receiving the hangover pill, she looked anxious and said, "I'll take it to Consort Wen right away!"

After saying this, Wei Shuwan hurriedly left Consort Wen's bedchamber. When the palace maid followed her out, she found that Wei Shuwan had already disappeared. The palace maid shook her head and continued with her own tasks.

At this moment, Wei Shuwan walked out from behind the Taihu stone backdrop, and after seeing that the person had indeed gone far away, she nimbly slipped into Consort Wen's bedchamber.

She rummaged through the small cabinet where the palace maid had previously retrieved medicine, but couldn't find the aphrodisiac powder. Somewhat disappointed, she put the items back in their place, closed the cabinet door, and then looked around again.

She inwardly blamed herself for her foolishness; how could Wen Chan have so openly placed something so taboo in the medicine cabinet? It must have been hidden in an easily accessible yet extremely concealed place.

She walked to the bedside and felt around the wall for hidden compartments. She quickly noticed something unusual in one of them. After knocking twice to confirm it was hollow, Wei Shuwan began to search for the key. With some effort, she finally opened the compartment and found a box inside. Inside were pre-packaged packets of medicinal powder.

Wei Shuwan breathed a sigh of relief, thinking she had succeeded, but the moment she turned around, she froze completely...

Wen Chan stood right in front of her, still wearing the half-gold-threaded mask, quietly watching her. It was unclear when she had entered.

Wei Shuwan gasped, opened her mouth, but couldn't think of any plausible reason. Finally, thinking she should at least try, she relied on their brief encounter at the plum garden and spoke in a half-pleading, half-threatening tone:

“Miss Wen, I have come here today to retrieve this item because it is of great importance. I beg you to grant my request. As long as you do not call anyone and let me leave, I guarantee that no one but me will know the secret of how you hid these items.”

Although it was a bit unpleasant to hear, Wei Shuwan felt that Wen Chan would agree. After all, if things got out of hand, neither side would fare well, and the Wen family might even suffer more than her.

But Wen Chan's reaction was beyond her expectations.

Wen Chan looked at her with some surprise and asked, "Do you recognize me?"