My stepsister tried to steal the prince's hand in marriage, but little did she know I had been

Si Qing had been on tenterhooks, but only after the Empress left did he finally feel at ease.

He kept his head down and followed closely behind Xie Jinghan, only to find that Xie Jinghan was heading straight for Wen Shuyao.

Wen Shuyao, who was talking to the magpie, seemed to sense something. She looked up inadvertently, and her body suddenly stiffened.

It's Xie Jinghan!

She was completely unaware that Xie Jinghan had arrived, nor did she know how long he had been eavesdropping.

In an instant, Wen Shuyao's mind raced, trying to find a good excuse.

However, Xie Jinghan did not give her that chance.

As Xie Jinghan's tall figure drew closer, his silhouette, reflected in the sunlight, enveloped Wen Shuyao completely.

Wen Shuyao felt as if her breath had stopped: "Greetings, Your Highness Prince Jing..."

She lowered her eyes and quickly bowed.

Unexpectedly, Xie Jinghan reached out and firmly grasped her delicate chin with his large, well-defined hand.

The rough touch on her chin made Wen Shuyao feel extremely uncomfortable. She frowned slightly and glared at Xie Jinghan.

"I was also in the Hall of Supreme Harmony just now," Xie Jinghan said in an extremely indifferent voice.

Wen Shuyao's expression was stiff, her mind racing.

Xie Jinghan is here too?

Did he see that I had framed Madam Wen? Is that why he came to me to seek justice for Madam Wen?

No! This is impossible!

Just as Wen Shuyao was pondering, she heard Xie Jinghan chuckle.

Wen Shuyao's phoenix eyes widened slightly. The laughter was deep and pleasant, but she could hear a strong killing intent in it.

"Miss Wen seems to recognize the tattoo on the back of the Duke of Su."

"What tattoo? I've never seen one before."

She spoke coldly, and despite Xie Jinghan's cold face, she mustered her courage to try to clear herself of any wrongdoing.

She was certain that the tattoo seemed to be related to the Northern Di royal court.

The tattoo that Xie Jinghan remembers and wants to explore must be extremely dangerous, and she must not get involved in it.

But clearly, Xie Jinghan was not someone she could dismiss with a casual remark.

The pressure on her chin suddenly increased, and before Wen Shuyao could react, she saw a magnified handsome face.

“Miss Wen, this matter is of great importance. If you know the origin of this tattoo, you would be best to tell the truth.” Xie Jinghan’s eyes turned cold as he stared intently at Wen Shuyao.

"I..." Wen Shuyao cried out in pain, her phoenix eyes filled with anger as she coldly swept her gaze over Xie Jinghan, "Is this how Your Highness asks for help?"

Si Qingli shouted from the side, "How dare you! My lord..."

"It was my rudeness." Xie Jinghan interrupted Si Qing, and immediately released his hand, but his figure still firmly enveloped Wen Shuyao.

“Miss Wen, do you know the origin of this tattoo?”

Although it was phrased as an inquiry, Wen Shuyao knew that Xie Jinghan was already certain she would find out about this.

Xie Jinghan is too shrewd; rather than trying to hide it, she should just tell the truth.

After a moment of silence, Wen Shuyao said, "I've only seen this kind of tattoo in one place."

Upon hearing this, Xie Jinghan's captivating eyes immediately locked onto Wen Shuyao.

Wen Shuyao suppressed her discomfort and said, "Your Highness is unaware of the fact that my stepmother is having an affair with a man."

“That man ran a jewelry shop in Cuiwei Lane. I happened to see a token on his waist with this tattoo pattern engraved on it.”

Her expression was sincere, and her tone was even more earnest.

She was telling the truth, except that she discovered Madam Wen's affair with another man in her previous life, and she had also seen the tattoo on the man's token in her previous life.

Just when she thought Xie Jinghan would let her go, a soft sneer escaped from Xie Jinghan's thin lips.

"is it?"

Xie Jinghan looked at Wen Shuyao with a half-smile.

The woman before him was extremely beautiful, and her crystal-clear eyes looked at him with utmost sincerity.

But he could see clearly that Wen Shuyao's explanation was full of loopholes.

"Before the Chu family returned to the capital, you were nothing more than a daughter of the Duke of Wen's mansion who suffered endless bullying," Xie Jinghan stated the facts calmly. "You left the mansion very few times. How did you discover Madam Wen's affair? And how did you follow Madam Wen?"

Wen Shuyao's eyes flickered slightly, but she did not answer.

The rough, calloused touch of Xie Jinghan's fingertips seemed to linger on her chin. Her hands, hidden in her sleeves, were clenched into fists as she stared at Xie Jinghan without blinking.

No matter how much Xie Jinghan suspected, she could only insist that she had seen it by accident.

However, the expected questioning did not occur.

"But none of this matters."

Xie Jinghan took a step back, and the intimidating pressure finally dissipated somewhat.

The two were now a full arm's length apart.

While Wen Shuyao was still in shock, Xie Jinghan said again, "But the origin of this tattoo will require further explanation from Miss Wen."

Upon hearing this, Wen Shuyao looked puzzled.

"Leave it to me?" Wen Shuyao retorted. "Does Your Highness really think that a weak woman like me, who can't even kill a chicken, can investigate..."

"Today in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Miss Wen was not as weak as she claimed," Xie Jinghan said casually.

Wen Shuyao's beautiful eyes widened: "How can these two be compared?"

"It's alright." Xie Jinghan's thin lips curved slightly. "Today in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, I saw a Miss Wen who was completely different from what people usually think of. I trust Miss Wen."

Wen Shuyao felt a chill run down her spine, inwardly cursing Madam Wen for choosing such a poor location.

Who would have thought that Xie Jinghan was actually inside that dilapidated palace?

Her eyes lowered slightly, but then she heard Xie Jinghan say, "Miss Wen, let's not beat around the bush. With my status, if I were to investigate this matter, it would definitely attract the attention of others and create a lot of obstacles."

"But if it were Miss Wen, the problem would be easily solved."

Wen Shuyao's eyelids twitched; she had a gut feeling that the person behind this was no ordinary individual.

Xie Jinghan is already second only to the emperor. What kind of person could he possibly be worried about?

not……

Before Wen Shuyao could think about it further, Xie Jinghan spoke again.

"If Miss Wen agrees to this matter," Xie Jinghan's tone turned serious, "I can promise Miss Wen three things, what do you say?"

This was the best solution he could think of.

Sending an outsider to investigate this matter will not arouse any suspicion, and many difficulties and obstacles will disappear.

However, this person needs to be able to avoid attracting anyone's attention, and also needs to have the ability and courage.

Looking around, such people are few and far between.

But after seeing Wen Shuyao's movements in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, he had a candidate in mind.

Especially after discovering that Wen Shuyao recognized the tattoo, he knew who he should choose.

This offer is indeed tempting.