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

Upon hearing this, Madam Wen felt a tightness in her chest, unable to dissipate the anger she had been holding in.

"Besides her, who else would scheme so deliberately to harm me?" Lady Wen tugged at Duke Wen's sleeve, her eyes brimming with tears. "Husband, you must seek justice for me!"

If she did this normally, the Duke of Wen would surely have made the decision for her.

However, Madam Wen forgot that even if she looked pitiful, she still appeared repulsive in her current state.

Her face was covered with handprints and red marks from the sharp fingernails of the Duchess of Su, and with seemingly endless tears, she looked as terrifying as a demon crawling out of hell.

Duke Wen felt nauseous. He turned cold and turned his hand away.

"You have something to say."

Madam Wen's expression froze, and before she could speak, she heard Wen Shuyao start to cry softly.

"Why would you frame me for no reason, Madam? I know nothing." She cried as she tried to sober up the Duke of Wen. "I just went to sober up, and when I came back, you were all gone, leaving me all alone."

“Some people even deliberately came to me and said some inappropriate things, but I refuted them all on behalf of Madam.” Her voice grew louder and louder. “Madam is usually very dignified. How could she have an affair with the Duke of Su?”

When the matter was brought up, Duke Wen's face gradually darkened.

At the banquet today, his colleagues looked at him with knowing eyes, as if a green hat had already been placed on his head.

Madam Wen's heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly interrupted Wen Shuyao: "I have absolutely no connection with the Duke of Su! Where did you hear this rumor from?"

"I'm asking you, did you deliberately leave that handkerchief on the Duke of Su's person there?"

"You said you went to sober up, but no one saw you. Did you go to sober up, or did you go to mingle with the Duke of Su?"

Upon hearing this, not only Wen Shuyao, but also Duke Wen and Wen Yitong stared wide-eyed at Madam Wen in disbelief.

"What did you say?" Duke Wen felt a surge of anger rush to his head. "Who's involved with whom?"

Madam Wen insisted that Wen Shuyao was having an affair with the Duke of Su.

However, in his extreme anger, Duke Wen sneered: "She's so young, and she'll be marrying Prince Jing soon. Why would she go and fool around with Duke Su? I think you've lost your mind!"

Wen Shuyao opened her mouth slightly, looking at Madam Wen, tears falling one by one, "Madam, even if you want to clear your name, you shouldn't... throw this mud at me."

"I was drunk and not here today. I only learned about what happened at the banquet from someone else," Wen Shuyao said, tears streaming down her face. "What wrong have I done? Why would Madam want to harm me like this?"

Madam Wen sneered, "You say you're going to sober up, but is there anyone who can vouch for you?"

“That handkerchief was indeed embroidered by me, but it was for my master. I’ve always kept it next to my dressing case, and only you touched it yesterday!” Madam Wen’s attitude was extremely firm. “Even if you weren’t having an affair with the Duke of Su, you deliberately threw this handkerchief at him to frame me!”

As she spoke, she turned to Duke Wen and cried out, "Over the years, I have believed that I have done my best for her and have never been biased towards her, yet she has harmed me like this!"

"My husband, you must stand up for me!"

Madam Wen was also in tears, her eyes filled with grievance.

Duke Wen hesitated for a moment, then heard Lady Wen say, "I showed you that handkerchief before! If I really had an affair with Duke Su, why would I openly show it to you?"

After Lady Wen said these words, Duke Wen thought carefully, but only had scattered memories.

However, after more than twenty years of marriage with Madam Wen, when he saw her in such a pitiful state, his heart was ultimately won over by his reluctance to see her suffer.

"Since you said you went to sober up, do you have any witnesses?"

Wen Shuyao snorted inwardly; she had already anticipated that Madam Wen would persist.

However, she was prepared.

Under the watchful gaze of Duke Wen, she said with composure, "I met Prince Jing by the Taiye Pond."

"If Father doesn't believe me, he can go and invite Prince Jing over to ask him the truth."

Duke Wen frowned deeply. Prince Jing?

Prince Jing was a favorite of the emperor, with unparalleled power. How could he be summoned so easily?

Lady Wen gritted her teeth inwardly: "You saw Prince Jing? Could it be just a made-up excuse to cover up your shameful deeds?"

Duke Wen thought the same thing.

His gaze toward Wen Shuyao was disapproving: "Shuyao, if it really was you who did it, just admit your mistake and the matter will be over. Do you know what the consequences will be if Prince Jing is involved?"

Wen Shuyao straightened her back and said, word by word, "Prince Jing is right outside the door. He can make the decision for my daughter."

Upon hearing this, Lady Wen was stunned, as was Duke Wen.

After being shocked, Wen Yitong stared wide-eyed at Wen Shuyao in disbelief.

What did she just hear?

Has Wen Shuyao lost her mind? She actually dragged Prince Jing into this.

Others may not know King Jing's temperament, but she had been his wife for over a decade. Didn't she know it?

King Jing was a cold-hearted and indifferent man who never considered the needs of outsiders.

Back then, as the Princess Consort of Jing, she never felt a trace of warmth from the Prince of Jing. How could Wen Shuyao dare to involve the Prince of Jing in these family matters?

Did she think that she could make Prince Jing fall head over heels for her with her looks?

A nameless rage rose in Wen Yitong's heart, and she couldn't help but sneer.

"Prince Jing will testify for you? Big sister, have you lost your mind! Everyone knows Prince Jing..."

As she spoke, her eyes glared fiercely at Wen Shuyao, her gaze so venomous it seemed she wanted to devour Wen Shuyao alive.

Such a scene would be quite astonishing to onlookers.

Madam Wen was both anxious and resentful. If Wen Yitong had acted this way before, it would have been understandable. But now she had abandoned her engagement with Prince Jing and was with that poor boy Chen Che.

This attitude is truly... utterly shameful!

She coughed loudly, and Lin Mama understood, immediately tugging at Wen Yitong.

"Second Miss, Madam is calling for you."

She was not paying attention to the commotion outside while she was speaking, and naturally did not see the tall figure striding in from outside the door.

"I can testify on behalf of Shu Yao."

The newcomer was tall and handsome, but his amorous peach blossom eyes were like sharp swords, sweeping over everyone present.

Upon seeing him, the Duke of Wen, who had been shocked, became excited and quickly took a few steps forward.

"Your Highness! What brings you here?"

Duke Wen's face was full of smiles, and he was extremely attentive.

Wen Yitong was stunned.

The person who arrived was none other than her cold-hearted husband from her dreams—King Jing.