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

Wen Shuyao caught a glimpse of Old Madam Chu's expression and immediately knew something was wrong.

Only Xie Jinghan noticed the unusual thing about her just now. Old Madam Chu probably still thinks that Xie Jinghan is satisfied with his fiancée, which is why he sent his personal guard to accompany her.

Thinking of this, Wen Shuyao felt a headache coming on.

How should we explain this to Madam Chu?

Upon arriving at the side room, Si Qing did not linger and respectfully bowed to Madam Chu: "Madam, if you have any requests, please feel free to give them, and I will certainly take care of them for you."

"But..." He hesitated for a moment before saying, "I hope that the old lady and young lady will stay here and not move around. After all, those assassins are hiding in the shadows, and if they become desperate, they may harm innocent people."

“Of course.” Old Madam Chu nodded slightly. “Given the current situation, we will certainly act cautiously. For the next few days, we will simply stay in this courtyard and not go anywhere.”

Hearing this, Si Qing breathed a sigh of relief.

He glanced at Wen Shuyao out of the corner of his eye. Even though he had seen Wen Shuyao several times, he couldn't help but be amazed by her bright and dazzling face.

No wonder His Highness is so concerned.

He muttered to himself, then put on a smile and said, "I still have a mission to complete. If the old lady and young lady have any instructions, just tell the guards at the door."

Madam Chu nodded, and seeing Si Qing leave, she couldn't suppress the smile on her face.

"His Highness Prince Jing is indeed an excellent husband," Old Madam Chu said softly.

Upon hearing this, Wen Shuyao's eyes flickered slightly, and she subconsciously met the gaze of Old Madam Chu. When she saw the regret in Old Madam Chu's eyes, she immediately sensed something was wrong.

Sure enough, the next moment, her hand was gently grasped by Old Madam Chu.

"If Prince Jing's illness can be cured, then your marriage will be perfect." Old Madam Chu said in a low voice.

“Grandmother, why are you still thinking about this at a time like this?” Wen Shuyao’s face turned red as she hurriedly interrupted her.

Although she had never interacted with Xie Jinghan, she knew from his ruthless methods that he was someone who wanted to control all unstable factors.

Right now, in this small courtyard, there are probably people eavesdropping on him.

If these words from Old Madam Chu were to reach Xie Jinghan's ears and hurt his feelings, then her marriage would be in jeopardy.

Old Madam Chu rolled her eyes at her: "This is of utmost importance!"

Wen Shuyao hurriedly said, "Grandmother, we might as well think about how to communicate with Grandfather. Grandfather is still in the front hall. Once news of the assassin comes out, he will definitely worry about our safety."

Upon hearing this, Old Madam Chu slapped her forehead: "I had completely forgotten about this."

"I'll go ask the guards at the gate if I can send a message to the main hall," she said to herself, and walked out.

Wen Shuyao remained alone in the small courtyard, looking at the quiet courtyard before her, but her heart was still in turmoil and she couldn't calm down.

A short while later, Old Madam Chu returned.

"Yaoyao."

Old Madam Chu's eyes were full of smiles.

Behind her followed a middle-aged woman who looked like a nanny.

Upon seeing Wen Shuyao, the middle-aged woman immediately knelt down and bowed deeply to her.

"Greetings, Your Highness."

Upon hearing this, although Old Madam Chu's face was full of smiles, she still offered a few words of advice with restraint: "The marriage between Yaoyao and His Highness Prince Jing has not yet been decided."

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged woman smiled politely: "But apart from the future Princess Jing, there is no one else who can live in this small courtyard."

Upon hearing these words, Wen Shuyao realized that this small courtyard held an unusual status.

The middle-aged woman stopped short of ordering, and she also carried a food box, which she placed the dishes one by one with swift and efficient movements.

"These are dishes that His Highness instructed me to prepare specially." She stopped to the side. "Please enjoy."

Madam Chu's expression of satisfaction deepened. The fact that Xie Jinghan was able to prepare such a large meal in the temple was a testament to how much he valued Wen Shuyao.

Unfortunately……

Thinking of those rumors, she felt even more regretful.

No one is perfect. If you can wholeheartedly treat Yao Yao well, then it would be a good marriage.

……

The moon rises above the willow branches, and the starlight dims.

Security was tight inside Jinhua Temple, and everyone was forced to remain in their rooms to await the search.

Si Qing finally managed to handle these matters and hurriedly went to report to Xie Jinghan. However, when he entered the room, he saw the middle-aged woman who was originally in Wen Shuyao's courtyard.

"Granny Qi, what brings you here?"

Granny Qi was Xie Jinghan's wet nurse, and in the Jingwang Mansion, she was practically a mistress.

Si Qing and the others respected her greatly. Now, Granny Qi has been arranged by Xie Jinghan to live out her days in a manor near Jinhua Temple.

Therefore, Si Qing was very surprised when she saw Granny Qi.

A meaningful smile appeared on Granny Qi's wrinkled face: "His Highness invited me here."

Si Qing's mind worked quickly. Upon hearing this, her eyes widened, and she murmured, "Could it be for Miss Wen?"

“That’s right.” Granny Qi said with a smile, “Miss Wen and Old Madam Chu are both powerless to protect themselves. His Highness was worried about their safety, so he specially asked me to come up the mountain.”

Despite her advanced age, Granny Qi's martial arts skills are no less than Si Qing's.

Si Qing's eyes widened like saucers, and he muttered to himself, "Could it be that His Highness has really fallen in love with Miss Wen at first sight?"

"I didn't know that." Granny Qi waved her hand, but under Si Qing's gaze, she lowered her voice again, "Judging from His Highness's demeanor, Miss Wen's position in his heart is quite extraordinary."

Si Qing nodded repeatedly: "That's right! I've been by Your Highness's side for so many years, but I've never seen Your Highness have such an expression towards a woman." As he spoke, he told Granny Qi about what had happened in the Hall of Supreme Harmony that day.

Granny Qi nodded repeatedly, her smile deepening: "I originally thought that His Highness had cultivated to become an immortal, and that I would never have the chance to see His Highness get married in this lifetime."

"Unexpectedly... Miss Wen appeared out of nowhere." Granny Qi recalled the scene just now, extremely satisfied. "I found Miss Wen to be poised and beautiful, the perfect match for our Prince."

Si Qing echoed, but what he was thinking about at that moment was the conversation he had overheard on the artificial hill that day.

Seeing Si Qing's stiff smile, Granny Qi couldn't help but ask.

Si Qing lowered his voice: "Over the years, I don't know who has been spreading rumors behind your back, saying that His Highness... suffers from impotence! I think Miss Wen seems to believe it to be true."

As he spoke, he slapped his forehead in frustration: "Who on earth is so vicious as to slander His Highness behind his back?"

Upon hearing this, Granny Qi's smile froze.