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

Upon hearing this, Wen Yitong's eyes widened in disbelief.

Her eyes were filled with resentment as she glared angrily at Aunt Hua.

"What nonsense are you spouting?" she said through gritted teeth. "When did I ever say such a thing? Besides, you're just a concubine, a worthless thing, how dare you stand in for my mother to drink this cup of tea?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she met the furious gaze of the Duke of Wen.

The next moment, Duke Wen slapped Wen Yitong hard across the face.

"Insolence!" Duke Wen said coldly, "Do you think your mother is really ill?"

He sneered and glanced at Chen Che out of the corner of his eye.

"I originally intended to cover for her," Duke Wen said coldly. "But now it seems there's no need for that anymore."

"She looks down on the Chen family, so naturally she doesn't want to have anything to say about this."

After these words were spoken, the front hall fell silent.

Wen Yitong's face turned from blue to purple, then from purple to red.

She opened her mouth, trying to explain to Chen Che, but Madam Wen, who was not present, rendered all her explanations futile.

Chen Che's face flushed red, and he shook off Wen Yitong's outstretched hand without hesitation.

"The Wen family is of such high social standing," he said in a deep voice, "that our Chen family cannot possibly be worthy of their status!"

After saying that, he left without paying any attention to Wen Yitong's unpleasant expression.

The lobby fell silent.

Wen Yitong stared in disbelief at his departing figure, her voice already hoarse from shouting, "Today is the homecoming banquet!"

However, Chen Che left without looking back.

At this moment, Wen Yitong was extremely flustered. She resented Madam Wen's flattery and belittling, and also resented Duke Wen's ruthlessness.

Chen Che was already sensitive and suspicious; now that the conflict between the two families had been brought to the forefront, wouldn't that be...?

Wen Yitong gritted her teeth and tried to follow.

Since waking up from this dream today, she has thought about many things.

The matter was already settled, and there was no other choice but to repair the relationship with Chen Che.

Seeing this, Granny Lin quickly followed.

Wen Shuyao came all the way here to see the excitement, and was in a very good mood.

But the moment Duke Wen's gaze swept over her, she lowered her eyes and brought up her purpose for the day.

“Father, I would like to visit Mother’s villa.”

Upon hearing this, Duke Wen's expression stiffened.

But it only lasted a moment, and everything returned to normal.

"Why did you suddenly decide to go to your mother's yard?"

Wen Shuyao's eyes were filled with sadness: "My daughter has been dreaming about her mother a lot lately."

“My daughter passed away when she was three years old, and now…” she sighed softly, “when my daughter misses her mother, she can only look at the lonely moon in the sky…”

Before she could finish speaking, Duke Wen raised his hand.

"In that case, then go ahead."

He believed Wen Shuyao's words without a doubt, and that's why he had a few tears in his eyes.

“Go and see her,” he whispered. “She misses you too.”

Such affectionate words would make anyone who heard them feel the deep affection of the Duke of Wen.

However, Wen Shuyao only felt disgusted when she heard this.

She closed her eyes briefly, then feigned a sad expression and quickly walked out.

Xie Jinghan was waiting outside the door. When he saw her come out, he followed her, leaving the Duke of Wen behind him no time to ask him to stay for a meal.

Today's homecoming banquet is a joyous occasion, but the atmosphere in the entire Duke Wen's mansion is far from pleasant.

"Today's homecoming banquet is almost turning into a funeral."

"You didn't see the look on the second son-in-law's face when he went out; he must have suffered a lot of grievances."

"You know our lady's temperament. No one can accept their son-in-law going from Prince Jing to the second son-in-law!"

As soon as Wen Yitong stepped out the door, she heard whispers behind her.

Her face turned extremely ugly, and her eyes pierced the maids who were speaking with sharp blades.

"Guards!" she said coldly, "Drag these two scoundrels away immediately for gossiping about their master!"

Just then, Granny Lin stepped forward and, upon hearing this, quickly advised Wen Yitong, "Miss, please don't upset yourself."

"What? Do I not even have the power to deal with the servants in this manor?" Her voice became sharp. "No matter who I marry, I will always be the second young lady of the Duke's manor!"

“Of course,” Lin Mama nodded immediately. “But these things can be handled by this old servant.” Lin Mama gently advised, “Why dirty your hands?”

After saying that, Granny Lin turned around and gave the two maids a look.

The two maids, who had been discussing animatedly, turned ashen-faced. Their lips moved slightly, but before they could utter a word of pleading, they heard the cold and ruthless voice of Granny Lin.

"Hurry up and drag these two ungrateful servants away and beat them to death." As Lin Mama spoke, she glanced around. "From now on, if there are any more people like this who dare to defy their superiors in the mansion, they shall all be beaten to death."

"The Duke's mansion has no shortage of servants," she sneered. "Think before you speak, and consider your own status."

After these words were spoken, the surroundings fell silent.

Granny Lin was considered a kind and gentle old woman in the Duke's mansion.

Who would have thought that speaking today would cost two lives?

Besides, it was just a couple of words spoken behind his back...

Upon hearing Lin Mama's decision, Wen Yitong's expression softened considerably: "Mama still loves me the most."

"This old servant has watched you grow up, Miss." Lin Mama gently patted Wen Yitong's shoulder. "Of course, I've always been thinking of things for you."

“These servants are so tactless as to offend you,” Lin Mama said in a low voice. “This old servant cannot let them off easily. Otherwise, if the madam finds out, I’m afraid I’ll get a scolding from her.”

Mentioning Madam Wen made Wen Yitong's expression turn much more unpleasant.

Her eyes turned slightly cold as she said, "Why bring her up, Granny? In her heart, I'm afraid she no longer considers me her daughter."

"Why can't you understand Madam's good intentions, Second Miss?" Granny Lin quickly interjected. "Madam is doing this all for your sake, Miss!"

Upon hearing this, Wen Yitong's eyes widened in disbelief: "For me? She avoided seeing me today, which not only humiliated Chen Che, but also... humiliated me!"

“Chen Che is a genius, he will surely win the third place in this year’s imperial examination, why doesn’t Mother believe it?” She was eager to tell her about her dream.

However, when Lin Mama heard this, she pretended not to hear it.

What, the third-place scholar?

Given Chen Che's appearance, it would be incredibly lucky if he could pass the imperial examination.

"Miss, have you forgotten the humiliation of your wedding day?" Lin Mama lowered her voice to remind her, "On your wedding day, all the prominent families in the capital came to witness the ceremony, but do you still remember the expressions on their faces when they left?"

"Even if you forget, the lady will not forget."