May this scumbag husband, who favored his concubine over his wife, rest in peace.

Madam Wen's concerns were not unfounded. Seeing that the matter had passed so easily, the capital was abuzz with discussion.

"I thought Madam Lu took that child very seriously. He even passed the imperial examination for children, but she didn't even hold a banquet. I heard that the whole family just had a meal together. She really doesn't care about that child at all!"

"That's right, that child is unlucky. He was born into a poor family and had an irresponsible stepmother like Madam Lu. I don't know how much more suffering he will have to endure in the future!"

"Such a big matter didn't attract Madam Lu's attention, which shows that the child must have suffered a lot of neglect and grievances at home!"

Suddenly, people in the capital felt sympathy for Wen Xi.

Wen Xi passed the imperial examination for children, and Wen Yuanshu asked for a few days off for him. She originally planned to let him rest well before studying again, but unexpectedly, the emperor issued a notice that he needed to go to the Hongwen Academy. So the leave was extended by a lot. Once the Hongwen Academy finished its business, they would send him there directly.

With nothing else to do, Wen Xi went out to town with the children Wen Chengyi, Wen Chengyang, and Wen Chengsu.

Why aren't my eldest and second brothers here?

“Well, my aunt and my mother are keeping a close eye on things,” Wen Chengyang said. “They’ve been busy lately, but they’ll be free in a couple of days.”

Wen Xi nodded.

Wen Chengyang and Wen Chengsu exchanged a glance, then coughed and said, "By the way, have you heard about those rumors circulating on the streets lately?"

Wen Xi was taken aback: "What rumor?"

"that is……"

Wen Chengyang was about to speak when a voice suddenly rang out from the side.

"Oh, aren't these the young masters of the Wen family!"

Following the sound, everyone saw several women of similar age to Wen Yuanshu looking at them with tender eyes.

His eyes were so gentle they seemed to drip with tenderness, giving the group goosebumps.

"This must be young master Wenxi, right? He's already so handsome at such a young age. He'll definitely be extraordinary when he grows up!" a lady said with a smile.

"That's right, that's right. It's just a pity that Young Master Wenxi's current stepmother is really terrible. The young master must have suffered a lot of grievances at home, right?"

"It's heartbreaking to see someone so young go through so many hardships. If you're ever unhappy at home, come to my house. Just tell me what you want, and I'll make sure you're happy!"

The women talked amongst themselves, leaving Wen Xi increasingly confused.

Where is this going?

He doesn't even know who these people are, so why is he going to their house?

Wen Xi was already shy, and now that she was surrounded by a group of people, she felt even more lost and could only look to Wen Chengyi and the others for help.

Wen Chengyi stepped forward and shielded the people behind him: "Ladies, we're still here. Isn't it inappropriate for you to speak ill of our aunt in front of us?"

The women exchanged glances, finally realizing what had happened.

Their faces darkened, and they fell silent. But Wen Chengyang wasn't about to let it go: "Yes, yes, besides, even if my aunt is no good in a thousand ways, she still raised Xi'er to this age. Have any of you ever given Xi'er a bite to eat or a sip of water to drink? What right do you have to say such things?"

Wen Chengsu followed closely behind: "Although Xi'er has passed the imperial examination for children and has a bright future, you should all know that this has nothing to do with you. You didn't even know Xi'er existed before, but now you're rushing to talk about her. It's embarrassing to even mention it!"

When Wen Chengsu spoke, he immediately exposed the shame of these ladies, leaving them blushing and hastily leaving.

Watching their figures, Wen Chengyi scoffed lightly: "They dare to do such an ugly thing in public, they really have no shame at all."