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

Prince Jing is a man of noble character and wields immense power. By relying on him, she can more quickly acquire a force of her own.

At that time, whether it's a divorce or settling down with Prince Jing, it will be a good choice.

If she breaks off her engagement with Prince Jing, she probably will never find such a suitable husband again.

Thinking of this, Wen Shuyao's gaze became even more determined.

Seeing this, Old Madam Chu sighed inwardly.

“Since you’ve made up your mind, I won’t say anything more.” She gently patted Wen Shuyao’s shoulder and whispered, “But since you’re going to marry Prince Jing, your dowry will need to be increased a bit.”

After saying that, she took Wen Shuyao's hand and continued walking outside.

Wen Shuyao blinked in surprise: "Grandmother, is there anything else we need?"

"I'll take you to a good place," Old Madam Chu said in a low voice. "This is related to your future happiness."

Upon hearing this, Wen Shuyao's head throbbed with fear, and she immediately sensed something was wrong. She subconsciously took a few steps back and said, "Grandmother, please explain in more detail."

"How much more detailed can it be?" Old Madam Chu's eyes widened. "There are people coming and going on this street. If I were to go into more detail, wouldn't I lose face?"

Upon hearing her words, Wen Shuyao's ominous premonition came true.

Ignoring her resistance, Old Madam Chu grabbed her and pulled her into the carriage.

"Yaoyao, let me tell you, a woman's life is meant to be enjoyed," Old Madam Chu earnestly instructed. "You must never be discouraged!"

“I am not discouraged!” Wen Shuyao looked directly at Madam Chu with the most sincere eyes. “Grandmother, I think His Highness Prince Jing is good in every way… even his impotence… is good.”

Upon hearing this, Old Madam Chu was taken aback.

Then, she poked Wen Shuyao's head with a look of exasperation and said irritably, "Nonsense! You're still an inexperienced little girl, how would you know the importance of this matter?"

"If everyone weren't worried about Prince Jing's impotence, do you think you would have gotten the position of Princess Jing, given his looks and status?" Old Madam Chu said irritably. "Perhaps Wen Yitong also didn't want to marry a cripple, which is why she wanted to exchange wives with you."

As she spoke, Old Madam Chu became increasingly agitated.

She became even angrier when she saw that Wen Shuyao still looked completely indifferent.

“I know a master,” Old Madam Chu said in a low voice, “who lives on Yanshan Mountain. Many ladies in the capital have gone to him to get medicine.”

"I've heard it's a cure-all." The old lady Chu spoke with the same expression as a mystical Taoist priest. "Do you know Madam Wei? Her twins got their medicine from this master."

While speaking, Old Madam Chu kept a close eye on Wen Shuyao's expression.

Wen Shuyao's nonchalant expression was already clearly visible to her.

"Whether you agree or disagree," Old Madam Chu declared definitively, "you absolutely must go to Yanshan!"

Before Wen Shuyao could speak, she continued, "Have you forgotten? Tomorrow morning, the Emperor and Empress will personally lead all the officials to Jinhua Temple."

Upon hearing this, Wen Shuyao was taken aback.

Only after being reminded by Madam Chu did she realize this.

After a moment of silence, she whispered, "Grandmother, about the trip to Jinhua Temple..."

"You must go." Old Madam Chu said firmly, "That vicious woman Zhang treats you badly every day. She doesn't even let you attend the banquets in the mansion. Everyone in the capital only knows the second young lady of the Wen family, not the eldest young lady of the Wen family."

"I absolutely cannot let her evil scheme succeed!" Old Madam Chu said coldly. "Shu Yao, you have the blood of the Chu family in your veins. We, the Chu family, will not tolerate such grievances!"

The next morning, the procession of officials followed closely behind the emperor and empress's palanquins, slowly making their way towards Jinhua Temple.

Jinhua Temple was a royal temple and its incense was very popular.

The Emperor and Empress went there today to pay homage to their ancestors.

This was a matter of utmost importance; the roads on both sides were densely packed with Imperial Guards.

Sitting in the Chu family's carriage, seeing the trees gradually becoming more lush, Wen Shuyao's heart leaped with excitement. She knew this was a sign that they were about to reach Yanshan.

The master that Old Lady Chu mentioned was in Yanshan.

When the emperor and empress held ancestral worship ceremonies, officials and their families were not allowed to participate; instead, everyone would gather at Jinhua Temple.

Madam Chu was preparing to take advantage of this opportunity to bring Wen Shuyao to find that master.

Thinking about the situation she was about to face, Wen Shuyao felt her scalp tingle and wished she could jump off the cliff.

However, once Madam Chu made a decision, she would never change it.

Seeing Wen Shuyao's reluctance, she advised again, "You're still young. You should listen to the experience of those who have been through it. Your grandmother has seen many things like this. The way husband and wife get along isn't just about..."

“Grandmother, let’s go find the master.” Wen Shuyao really didn’t want to hear these words from Old Madam Chu again, so she quickly interrupted her and whispered, “There are so many people coming and going, I’m afraid of being recognized.”

"As you know, Prince Jing's reputation..."

Wen Shuyao lowered her voice and carefully reminded him.

Upon hearing this, Old Madam Chu suddenly realized what had happened: "I was the one who was foolish! Quickly put your veil on!"

Wen Shuyao looked at the veil handed to her, feeling like crying but having no tears. She didn't mean to cover her face.

Rather, it was Old Madam Chu who shouldn't have brought her here so hastily. The carriage still bore the Chu family crest, so everyone would know that Old Madam Chu had come.

A man's pride is most fragile, and if she displeases Prince Jing... then her carefully laid plans will be ruined.

Wen Shuyao muttered to herself, but now that she had reached the temple, there was no turning back, so she might as well just go in openly.

So Wen Shuyao followed behind Old Madam Chu, looking very obedient.

Madam Chu nodded in satisfaction: "Yaoyao, that's more like it."

Wen Shuyao nodded haphazardly, hoping to see the master as soon as possible: "Grandmother, let's hurry."

To onlookers, these words sounded like an eagerness to diagnose Xie Jinghan's impotence.

The guard with excellent hearing almost couldn't suppress his laughter; his lips twitched, and his eyes kept glancing at Xie Jinghan beside him.

Xie Jinghan's expression turned slightly cold, and his eyes swept over the guards indifferently.

The guards immediately fell silent.

"Let's go." Xie Jinghan looked at the temple in front of him and strode inside.

Jinhua Temple is quite famous throughout northern China. In addition to its expertise in treating men's ailments, it has become the most popular temple in the north thanks to Master Zhiming.

Madam Chu was a regular at Jinhua Temple. Over the years, the eternal lamp she lit for her daughter had never been extinguished. Every year when she came to the capital, the first thing she did was to come to Jinhua Temple to pay the incense money so that the eternal lamp could shine brightly year after year.