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

Duke Wen did this, naturally for his own benefit.

Just by looking at Madam Wen's appearance, he knew that most of the dowry left by Chu Wanqing had probably ended up in Madam Wen's hands.

If we try to cover for Madam Wen now, we will not be able to hide it from Wen Shuyao. Not only that, it will also make Wen Shuyao resent the Duke of Wen's mansion.

His eldest daughter was usually timid and couldn't utter a word for a long time.

But because of her good looks, she won the favor of Prince Jing.

Thus, Wen Shuyao held a special place in the Duke of Wen's heart.

It's better to distance ourselves from Madam Wen's misappropriation of the dowry at this moment, and let Madam Wen bear Wen Shuyao's resentment alone, than to let Wen Shuyao hold a grudge against the entire Duke's Mansion.

At this moment, Lady Wen also understood the Duke Wen's intention in doing so.

She couldn't control her expression, and her face gradually became distorted.

She must have been blind to have fallen for this man!

But Duke Wen had no time to consider her feelings; he was only concerned with distancing himself from Madam Wen.

Even after they arrived at the storeroom, Duke Wen was still having a private conversation with Wen Shuyao.

At this moment, Duke Wen truly resembled a loving and kind father.

Wen Shuyao responded again and again, her expression full of admiration, which greatly satisfied Duke Wen's vanity and at the same time put his mind at ease.

The servant stood trembling in front of the storeroom door, his hands shaking as he took out the key.

With a "whoosh," the warehouse door was opened.

Sunlight streamed into the warehouse, and dust was visible to the naked eye as it billowed around.

Fortunately, the boxes and cages in the warehouse were arranged neatly, and at first glance, one could only see the care and thoughtfulness of the person in charge.

Duke Wen stroked his beard, feeling that he had managed to save face in front of Wen Shuyao.

It seems that Mrs. Wen still knows how to put on a show.

Seeing his expression, Wen Shuyao sneered inwardly.

Under the watchful gaze of Duke Wen, Wen Shuyao casually opened a chest.

The chest contained many silks.

Even after more than twenty years, the top layer of silk still has a warm luster, making it clear at a glance that it is of extraordinary value.

When Duke Wen saw the silk, he looked nostalgic: "This is a treasured item from Ruijinfang in Jiangnan, a seven-colored brocade. If your maternal grandmother hadn't been a close friend of the manager of Ruijinfang, I'm afraid we wouldn't have been able to buy it back then."

Upon hearing this, Wen Shuyao nodded as if she understood: "Ruijinfang has a great reputation. Even in the capital, the fabrics and silks they sell are highly sought after."

As Wen Guozheng was reminiscing about the past, he suddenly noticed out of the corner of his eye that Wen Shuyao had moved a piece of silk aside.

He felt a pang of heartache: "Be careful, these silks are extremely delicate..."

Before he finished speaking, he noticed the dusty gray fabrics hidden under the silk.

It is precisely because of the comparison that the differences between the two are revealed.

Compared to the shimmering silk on top, the fabric below was dull and lackluster, a flawed item that Duke Wen wouldn't even glance at.

He was able to thrive in the court for so many years; he wasn't some ignorant fool.

Upon inspection, it became clear that someone had replaced the colorful brocade with a substandard one.

Prior to this, the key to this warehouse had always been with Madam Wen.

It goes without saying who did this.

Duke Wen's face turned extremely ugly in that instant. He never imagined that Madam Wen would do things so badly.

These silks may be precious, but there are countless items in Chu Wanqing's dowry that are far more valuable than them. How could Madam Wen be so short-sighted?

She wants to touch these things too?

It's just a few pieces of colorful brocade, is it really worth her doing this?

“Father, this seven-colored brocade…it seems there are only a few pieces like these.” A hint of sarcasm appeared in Wen Shuyao’s eyes. She raised her eyes to meet the Duke of Wen’s gaze. “I wonder if this is Father’s intention, or…Madam Wen’s intention?”

"I am a gentleman!" Duke Wen said loudly, his face flushed. "A gentleman's word is as good as his bond. Since I promised to return your mother's dowry to you, I will not resort to such despicable means."

"They're just a few pieces of colorful brocade. When you get married, they will definitely be included in your dowry in their entirety!" Duke Wen said, glaring at Madam Wen.

With that glare, he realized that Madam Wen was wearing a dress made of seven-colored brocade.

Lady Wen's skirt shimmered even more brilliantly in the sunlight, making the Duke of Wen's earlier words seem like utter nonsense compared to the pile of drab fabric in the trunk.

Duke Wen's face turned ugly. Under Wen Shuyao's mocking gaze, he blushed and could no longer utter a word.

He could only glare angrily at Madam Wen.

Madam Wen clenched her hands tightly; she hadn't wanted to make things look so awkward.

Not everyone has as many difficulties as she does!

Wen Shuyao ignored their commotion and swiftly opened several nearby boxes and cages.

Under Madam Wen's desperate gaze and Duke Wen's ashamed eyes, the true nature of the chests was revealed one by one.

These boxes are all the same as the first box containing the colorful brocade. Apart from the top layer of good stuff, the bottom layer is filled with cheap goods.

Even more extreme, there were layers of dry grass underneath.

This scene unfolded before Duke Wen, who wished he could just faint and die.

This is better than facing Wen Shuyao's mocking eyes.

"I will definitely give you an explanation!" Duke Wen said coldly, enunciating each word clearly.

Wen Shuyao shook her head: "Father, I believe in you, but... you've seen the situation now."

“You have already given your instructions, yet Madam Wen has repeatedly disobeyed. Where is Mother’s dowry list?” Wen Shuyao asked. “I need to check it carefully.”

"This is only right." After a moment's thought, Duke Wen agreed to Wen Shuyao's approach.

Madam Wen's actions were not only foolish and short-sighted, but also a disgrace to him.

If they are not severely punished, not only will the Duke of Wen's mansion lose face, but Wen Shuyao will also harbor resentment towards the Duke of Wen's mansion!

"I'll have the steward bring the dowry list right away," Duke Wen ordered, frowning.

Wen Shuyao crossed her arms over her chest and watched Wen Guogong's actions with a cold eye.

This dowry list won't come so easily.

Sure enough, the apprehensive butler appeared empty-handed outside the storeroom.

The moment Duke Wen saw the steward, an ominous premonition arose in his heart. He frowned and asked, "Where is the dowry list?"

The butler lowered his head and whispered, "The dowry list left by the madam disappeared many years ago."

"Do you remember the fire ten years ago?" the butler cautiously reminded him. "Many account books were destroyed in that fire, including the madam's dowry list..."