Peach Blossom.

The light in the room was dim, and Xiaowan didn't have time to see clearly. In a blink of an eye, Chen Ji had let go of her and disappeared.

A group of maids crowded in front of her, two of them were holding lanterns, but Cai Ling was not among them.

"Did Shuyuan just dream?"

"Official...why isn't the official here?"

The maids looked at the empty couch and Xiaowan standing on the ground in surprise.

At this time, Xiaowan had to maintain a calm attitude: "The government is busy and has gone back. I'm fine, you all can go down!"

The maids looked at each other, as if communicating something with their eyes, and then they all obeyed the order and left.

When the maids had gone away, Xiaowan picked up the candlestick, lit the lamp again, and looked around the room for any trace of Chen Ji.

"I'm here." Chen Ji jumped down from the beam and landed in front of Xiaowan.

Xiaowan was once again frightened by Chen Ji's sudden appearance. The candlestick in her hand fell to the ground, the candlelight went out, and her heart was pounding with fear.

In the dim light, Chen Ji's mocking voice could be heard: "How dare you enter the palace to be a concubine when you are so timid?"

"You...are you a human or a ghost?" Xiaowan was so nervous that she could hardly move her whole body. She stared at the figure opposite her that she could not see clearly.

Chen Ji stretched out a hand towards Xiao Wan and grinned: "Touch my hand, and you will know, right?"

Xiaowan did not touch Chen Ji's hand. She remembered that when Chen Ji covered her mouth with his hand just now, the hand was warm.

After confirming that Chen Ji was alive, she was not so scared anymore.

Xiao Wan lit the lamp again, put the candlestick away, and looked at Chen Ji again to confirm that he was wearing the same clothes that Cai Ling often wore: "Did you kidnap Cai Ling? Or... was she originally yours?"

"What do you guess?" Chen Ji moved closer to Xiaowan and winked at her.

Xiao Wan took a step back. She didn't dare to make a blind guess, but she thought, after all, Chen Ji had been a royal consort for six years. If he had a few loyal warriors in the princess's mansion or even in the palace who could help him enter and leave the palace, it would not be a surprising thing!

"You and Tao Ye are so close, I thought she had told you about me in private a long time ago!" Chen Ji smiled faintly and sat casually on Xiaowan's couch.

Xiao Wan was a little surprised: "You mean... Sister Tao Ye knows that you are still alive?"

"Of course, if she hadn't acted so hard, how could I have faked my death and fooled my brother?" Chen Ji had already crossed his legs, feeling relaxed, as if this was his territory.

"Why did she...why did she lie to me?" Xiaowan asked in a very low voice.

Chen Ji didn't hear clearly, nor did he care.

Xiaowan fell into deep thought. She clearly remembered that on the day Taoye came to Fangle Palace for the first time, they talked about Chen Ji for a long time. Moreover, they were the only two people in the room. Taoye could have told her the truth, but he didn't.

She looked up at Chen Ji, full of curiosity: "Since you faked your death, why did you come to the palace? Are you looking for me? How long have you been in the room?"

Chen Ji did not answer Xiao Wan's doubts, but just smiled and said, "Tao Ye told me that you like me, is that true?"

Xiaowan nodded and couldn't help blushing.

"Well, now I tell you, I like you too. Are you willing to go with me?" Chen Ji seemed to be quite serious when he spoke.

Xiao Wan lowered her head, her eyes filled with inferiority complex: "You have been showing your loyalty to Princess Si Yao for many years, and then you showed your interest in Tao Ye, but in the end it turned out that it was all fake. I don't have the princess's prominent family background that no other woman in the world can match, nor do I have Tao Ye's rare and graceful appearance. How could you possibly like me?"

Chen Ji twitched his eyebrows twice, revealing a flattering smile, which seemed to comfort and flatter: "Hey, don't be so modest! Si Yao is the only legitimate princess of Qi State, so her status is naturally noble, and Tao Ye's beauty is indeed unparalleled in the world, but... they have one thing in common - stupidity! Two idiots are making a scene, and they have messed up the Wang family. How can I look down on them? And you, who have great wisdom, are most suitable to be my good wife!"

Xiao Wan felt that Chen Ji's words were unlikely to be true, and seemed to be a drug to lure her. She tentatively guessed: "You...you...are you...doing something that requires me right now?"

"It's really easy to talk to a smart woman!" Chen Ji narrowed his eyes and smiled flatteringly: "I want to ask you for help, are you willing to help me?"

"How can I help you?" Xiaowan had already anticipated that this would not be an easy task before she got the answer.

"Help me... go to the official's Hanzhang Palace and steal something..." Chen Ji lowered his voice very low.

Xiao Wan couldn't help but frown when she heard this: "Stealing things from the government? You really have wild ideas!"

Chen Ji smiled slyly again: "You are now Shuyuan, one of the nine concubines, so you naturally have the "ability" to get his things."

"But why should I help you?"

"Didn't you say you liked me?"

Xiaowan lowered her head and remained silent. Although she was very young, she would never be blinded by love. She always believed that everyone should love themselves the most, especially an orphan like her who had no parents, she needed to love herself even more.

Chen Ji stood up and changed his look to a serious one: "You can gain a foothold in the palace only because of the protection of the Queen Mother and the support of the Empress. But you should know that the old woman only cares about two things, one is the supreme power, and the other is her precious daughter. She is protecting you now, just to use you to contain Tao Ye and prevent her from hooking up with Wang Jing, and the Empress only acts according to the Queen Mother's mood! With their character, when they don't need you anymore, they might just get rid of you, so that the positions of the nine concubines can be filled with people who are useful to them!"

Xiaowan didn't say anything, but she couldn't help being afraid. Having been in the palace for so long, she already knew everyone and everything in the palace very well. She was afraid that one day she would really end up like what Chen Ji predicted.

"The official's character is reliable, but it's a pity that he doesn't take you to heart... Even if you can win his heart in the future..." Having said this, Chen Ji paused, and the smile on his face became a little cold.

Xiaowan looked up at Chen Ji.

Chen Ji continued, "Even if you conquer him, I'm afraid he's not fit to be an emperor after all!"

Xiao Wan couldn't help but ask: "He's not, are you?"

"I am definitely more suitable than him." Chen Ji approached Xiaowan again and smiled coldly.

Xiaowan did not retreat this time.

"If you can see far enough and know the current situation, you can be my insider. Believe me, I will accomplish great things one day..." Chen Ji's lips were almost touching Xiao Wan's ears: "On that day, you will be my queen."

Xiao Wan hesitated and was worried, not knowing whether she should believe Chen Ji. However, her feelings told her that the man in front of her not only had unfathomable conspiracy and ambition, but also possessed the ability to match his ambition.

Before she could figure out what was going on, her eager heart could no longer resist the temptation: "What are you going to steal?"

Chen Ji still leaned close to Xiao Wan's ear, and lowered his voice very low: "There is a secret letter from a distant place. There is either no words on the envelope, or only a "king" is marked on it. The letter must be in Hanzhang Palace, and most likely it is placed in the drawer of the official's desk where he usually reviews memorials."

"But, I... I won't have the chance to be alone in Hanzhang Palace, how can I steal it..." Xiaowan's heart beat faster and faster.

"Cai Ling will cooperate with you."

Xiao Wan glanced at Chen Ji and said, "She is indeed yours..."

Chen Ji just smiled lightly.

Xiao Wan suddenly remembered that Cai Ling had recommended herself to Si Yao to accompany her into the palace, which made her wonder: "Before Cai Ling accompanied me into the palace, she served the princess for more than two years. At that time... was she already your spy?"

Chen Ji ignored this question. He looked at the sky outside and estimated that it would not be long before daybreak in the east.

"One of your spies is the princess's personal maid. How could you be plotted against by the princess and the Grand Marshal and be deprived of your status as a royal consort?" Curiosity made Xiaowan more and more confused: "Could it be... you did it on purpose?"

Chen Ji glanced at Xiao Wan and gave a cold warning: "Don't ask too much about things that have nothing to do with you. Knowing too much will not do you any good."

Xiaowan bit her lip. The fear in her heart seemed to be even greater than when Chen Ji first appeared. She didn't know if this meant she had agreed to Chen Ji's request for help.

"I'm leaving. I'll come back tonight." After saying that, Chen Ji climbed out the window and disappeared.

Xiaowan didn't have time to say anything else. She knew that the next time Chen Ji came to her, it would be just to ask for that secret letter.

She lay down and closed her eyes for a while, but she did not really fall asleep. Not long after, it was already dawn. She got up again and opened the door. Cai Ling and several other maids were waiting outside the door, holding washbasins, mouthwash bowls and other things in their hands.

The clothes Cai Ling was wearing were the same ones Chen Ji had worn at night.

Xiaowan didn't ask any more questions. She simply put on her makeup, ate a few bites of food, and then told the maids to follow her to Hanzhang Palace.

Tao Ye heard it in the next room, and hurried out to Xiaowan. Before she could say anything, she sneezed loudly.

Xiao Wan looked at Tao Ye and smiled: "Sister caught a cold at night, so you should not go out and have a good rest."

Tao Ye smiled and nodded. Her eyes were sore and her nose was runny, and she was too lazy to move!

Xiaowan then told Caiwei: "You should stay too, to keep Sister Taoye company, so that you can take care of her for me."

"Yes." Caiwei knelt down slightly and bowed.

Xiaowan then left with Cailing and other maids.

Caiwei looked at Xiaowan's back and frowned: "I went out to talk to you last night, she must have seen me."

"So we saw it. Are we not allowed to speak?" Tao Ye didn't quite understand Caiwei's worries.

Caiwei glanced at Taoye and could only sigh.

Tao Ye rubbed her nose and couldn't help sneezing again. She hurriedly wiped her nose and sighed, "Oh... there's not even any toilet paper... I can't even blow my nose!"

"What paper?" Caiwei looked confused.