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

Although it's unclear why an assassin would appear inside Jinhua Temple, the fact that Xie Jinghan, such a powerful figure, was involved suggests that this assassin is no ordinary person.

Worried about Madam Chu's safety, she kept looking around, trying to find a way to leave.

Xie Jinghan seemed to see through her thoughts, and his deep voice rang out: "There is a reason for this. I hope that Miss Wen and Madam Chu will stay here for a while. After this matter is resolved, I will definitely send you both back to the capital safely."

Upon hearing this, Wen Shuyao's heart skipped a beat.

She tried hard to recall all the information about Jinhua Temple from her previous life, but all she knew about Jinhua Temple was Master Zhiming.

Upon catching a glimpse of Xie Jinghan's cold and handsome face, Wen Shuyao abandoned the idea of ​​asking him anything.

She was certain she wouldn't get an answer from Xie Jinghan.

only……

As she thought to herself, she turned her gaze to the opposite side.

The arrow was shot directly at the bamboo forest ahead.

What kind of assassin could be so arrogant in front of Xie Jinghan?

Xie Jinghan has served as the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review in the capital for many years, but in reality, he is also the commander of 200,000 troops on the border, and even the 30,000 Imperial Guards in the capital are all under his command.

An assassin who can be personally apprehended by him must have committed a serious crime.

Wen Shuyao's eyes flickered slightly, her mind filled with many guesses.

Old Madam Chu held her hand tightly: "Yaoyao, don't run around."

She warned, "With His Highness Prince Jing here, he will surely protect our safety."

Wen Shuyao nodded naturally. She had never doubted Xie Jinghan's abilities, and immediately replied, "Of course. His Highness Prince Jing's martial arts are unparalleled, and these petty villains are certainly not someone he can contend with."

but……

Wen Shuyao glanced at the bamboo forest, which had been silent since she shot the arrow, and thought to herself, "Could it be that the assassin has already escaped?"

As she was thinking, a barrage of arrows rained down on them.

The rain of arrows was so dense that it inspired fear.

Then, a force from behind pushed her and Old Madam Chu behind the artificial hill.

Then came the sounds of clashing weapons.

Wen Shuyao cautiously peeked out and saw Xie Jinghan leading a group of people who looked like imperial guards, fighting with the assassins who had rushed out.

These assassins were highly skilled in martial arts, and their every move revealed a strange sense of familiarity.

As Wen Shuyao pondered carefully, she suddenly realized that a dark shadow had enveloped her.

She looked up and saw a handsome, indifferent face.

"Miss Wen, the crisis is over," he said in a deep voice. "I will send someone to escort you back."

Upon hearing this, Wen Shuyao subconsciously looked outside and saw dozens of corpses lying haphazardly on the ground.

Such a small temple as Jinhua Temple could harbor so many assassins...

She suppressed her shock, but her eyes flickered involuntarily when she caught a glimpse of the tattoos on the assassins' necks.

It's that tattoo again.

Could these assassins have been sent by Lady Wen's lover?

If Lady Wen's lover had such abilities, why would she have bothered marrying Duke Wen?

After much thought, she still hadn't found the answer, so she subconsciously looked at Xie Jinghan, hoping to get it from him.

At the same time, Xie Jinghan lowered his eyes and looked at his fiancée.

Wen Shuyao was exceptionally beautiful. Even Xie Jinghan, who had seen many beauties, had to admit that Wen Shuyao possessed a face that was uniquely blessed by the heavens.

"It's the same group of people."

Xie Jinghan said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Wen Shuyao's heart skipped a beat: "Then... is there any risk involved in this trip?"

The emperor, empress, and all the civil and military officials are here. The appearance of these assassins... is probably aimed at the emperor and empress.

In that case, wouldn't Old Madam Chu's safety be...?

Xie Jinghan narrowed his sharp, peach-blossom eyes slightly. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke to reassure them: "Don't worry, the appearance of these people is all part of my plan."

Wen Shuyao steadied herself, her crystal-clear eyes staring straight at him, lost in thought.

Since Xie Jinghan dared to say that, he must be confident.

The two of them gazing at each other like that, if you ignored the corpses lying haphazardly behind them, would quite resemble tender whispers between lovers.

"Cough cough."

Old Madam Chu coughed lightly, breaking the quiet atmosphere.

Wen Shuyao used the excuse of Old Madam Chu to try to extricate herself.

"Thank you for saving me, Your Highness." She was very obedient. "My grandmother is old and has been frightened. I'm afraid she needs to go down the mountain to find a doctor as soon as possible."

"No need." Xie Jinghan raised his hand, his large, well-defined hand blocking the sunlight from falling on Wen Shuyao's face. "These assassins have not been completely wiped out yet, and there may be ambushes on the way down the mountain."

Upon hearing this, Old Madam Chu immediately regretted her decision, saying, "I should have known better than to come."

She's quite old, so it's not a big deal for her, but Wen Shuyao is so young, what if she encounters danger...

"Why don't you and Miss Wen rest in the back courtyard of the temple for a while?" Xie Jinghan said gently and politely. "After all the assassins have been wiped out, I will personally escort you back to the front hall."

Wen Shuyao paused for a moment, feeling that Xie Jinghan's eyes lingered on her for a while when he said those words.

While Madam Chu was still alive, she was unwilling to have much contact with Xie Jinghan.

To everyone's surprise, Madam Chu smiled broadly upon hearing this and immediately agreed: "No rush. There are Imperial Guards in the front hall on both sides, so they can't get close to His Majesty and the Empress. It's fine for Shuyao and me to rest in the backyard."

This is a great opportunity to deepen the relationship between Wen Shuyao and Xie Jinghan.

"Si Qing, escort Miss Wen and the old lady to their rooms," Xie Jinghan immediately ordered.

Si Qing had already arrived and stood in front of them upon hearing this, her attitude very courteous: "Miss, Madam, this way please."

Old Madam Chu patted Wen Shuyao's shoulder with a smile and led the reluctant Wen Shuyao forward.

"Smile more," Old Madam Chu said irritably. "Your smile is usually the most beautiful, so why do you look like a mouse seeing a cat when you see Prince Jing? Yesterday I saw you and Prince Jing chatting very happily."

Upon hearing this, Wen Shuyao's lips moved slightly, but she swallowed her words back.

She wouldn't ignore Si Qing's constantly probing gaze.

Now that she has said something, Si Qing will definitely relay it to Xie Jinghan in detail when she gets back.

She couldn't very well say that she had collaborated with Xie Jinghan, could she?

Jinhua Temple is a popular place of worship, and even the Chu family would find it difficult to own a long-term room there.

However, the room that Si Qing brought the grandfather and grandson to was a small courtyard, located in a quiet place, yet with a view of the main hall outside where incense smoke wafted.

Si Qing showed great respect to Madam Chu and Wen Shuyao. He walked very slowly, precisely to take care of Madam Chu, who was old.

Seeing this, Old Madam Chu's satisfaction grew even more.