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

She lives near Jinhua Temple and knows perfectly well why it is so popular with worshippers.

Why did Old Madam Chu suddenly bring Wen Shuyao to Jinhua Temple? It was probably for that medicine at Jinhua Temple.

Thinking about this, Granny Qi couldn't help but mutter worriedly, "What should we do? Such rumors can't be easily cleared up."

Moreover, this is just a baseless rumor; if we were to try to clarify it, wouldn't that only make people believe it even more?

Si Qing lowered his voice again and said, "Besides, over the years, I haven't seen any woman by Your Highness's side... Do you think... Your Highness might really..."

"This..." Granny Qi fell into deep thought.

As the two were talking, a tall and imposing figure walked in.

Upon seeing Xie Jinghan, both the old man and the child fell silent.

Si Qing, in particular, kept glancing around, but dared not look at Xie Jinghan.

Xie Jinghan glanced at him indifferently, and Si Qing panicked.

"See Your Highness."

"Why are you here, grandma?"

Xie Jinghan ignored Si Qing and spoke gently to Granny Qi.

Granny Qi's face was filled with worry and hesitation. After some deliberation, she finally said, "Master Zhiming of Jinhua Temple has excellent medical skills. Your Highness might as well go and have a look?"

Xie Jinghan's expression, which had been gentle just moments before, turned completely cold after hearing Qi Mama's words.

"Granny, do you really believe these rumors?"

Upon hearing this, Granny Qi sighed helplessly, "I don't want to believe it, but these rumors are getting more and more rampant, and I have no choice but to believe them."

"You're about to start a family, so if outsiders misunderstand..."

Granny Qi spoke tactfully yet directly, and Si Qing and the others immediately knew that she was referring to Old Madam Chu's visit to Master Zhiming.

Si Qing barely dared to look up at Xie Jinghan's face. He lowered his head, forcing himself to suppress the urge to laugh out loud.

"The king knows."

"As for you... have you all completed your missions?"

Xie Jinghan glanced at them, and the expressions on Si Qing and the others' faces changed instantly.

"My subordinates will do it now."

Si Qing immediately spoke up and took the lead in fleeing the area.

The news of the assassination attempt at Jinhua Temple quickly spread like wildfire.

The fact that Wen Shuyao and Madam Chu were not among the officials' wives caused everyone to feel uneasy.

"Could it be that something bad has happened to them..." some people secretly speculated.

Several hours have passed, yet there's still no sign of the two, making one ponder deeply.

Wen Yitong stood to the side, listening to these speculations, and kept looking outside.

For her, if Wen Shuyao were to have an accident at this moment, it would be the best news imaginable.

For a moment, the joy on her face was almost impossible to hide.

However, before she could be happy for long, a familiar figure walked up to her.

Upon seeing who it was, her heart skipped a beat.

It was Granny Qi!

Upon seeing Granny Qi, Wen Yitong felt a chill run down her spine.

Granny Qi was Xie Jinghan's wet nurse, and she personally cared for Xie Jinghan as he grew up. She held an extremely high position in the Jingwang Mansion.

While she was at Prince Jing's residence, she suffered a lot of mistreatment from Granny Qi.

What's most infuriating is that everyone in Prince Jing's mansion sided with Granny Qi.

Thinking of this, Wen Yitong's face darkened.

However, the next moment, her expression turned even more unpleasant.

It was only because Wen Shuyao's figure suddenly appeared behind Granny Qi.

What made her grit her teeth even more was Qi Mama's attitude towards Wen Shuyao.

"Miss, please be careful," Granny Qi said softly. "The road here is slippery."

She greatly admired Wen Shuyao, especially since Wen Shuyao was Xie Jinghan's personally chosen princess.

Whether it's appreciation or simply a case of loving something because of it.

Everyone could see the special treatment she gave Wen Shuyao.

Wen Yitong was almost blinded by jealousy. Her gaze was fixed on the front, and resentment and hatred welled up in her heart inch by inch.

Before the two even reached her, she ran out with a livid face.

Madam Wen was talking to her best friend when she noticed Wen Yitong's unusual behavior out of the corner of her eye and immediately followed her.

As soon as she returned to her room, Wen Yitong could not control her anger.

When Madam Wen arrived at the door, she heard the sound of a teacup being smashed.

"Madam has arrived!"

When the maids serving Wen Yitong saw Madam Wen coming, they all looked as if they had seen a savior.

The room was now a complete mess.

Madam Wen glanced at the scene and her chest heaved with anger.

She had finally managed to dispel the suspicions of many ladies, but before she could even calm down, she heard the news that Wen Yitong had gone mad.

"stop!"

As soon as Madam Wen entered, she saw Wen Yitong pick up a vase and smash it on the ground.

She scolded Wen Yitong, her eyes filled with reproach.

"What are you doing? You're making such a fuss, are you afraid others won't know how much you resent not being able to marry Prince Jing?"

Upon hearing this, Wen Yitong's eyes widened in disbelief: "I'm so resentful that I can't marry Prince Jing?"

"How could that be!" Almost instantly, she rejected Madam Wen's guess without hesitation.

Madam Wen sneered, "If that's not the case, why were you so agitated when you saw Granny Qi treating Wen Shuyao with such courtesy?"

"Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back," Madam Wen said sternly. "You should have thought of this day when you insisted on marrying Chen Che."

"I just..." Wen Yitong's words were on the tip of her tongue, but she didn't know where to begin.

A hint of confusion appeared in her eyes; she just felt that things shouldn't have turned out this way.

So what if Wen Shuyao is beautiful? Xie Jinghan has no heart at all! He is not a man who can be deceived by appearances.

In her past life, she encountered setbacks at every turn with Xie Jinghan. Even though she abandoned all dignity, Xie Jinghan remained unmoved. Their most intimate contact was probably the nuptial wine they shared on their wedding day.

Xie Jinghan is a cold-hearted and extremely cold-blooded person who has never known what consideration is.

When she returned to her parents' home that year, a military order forced Xie Jinghan to abandon her and go to the border.

She spent several months alone in her newlywed home, and Xie Jinghan never made any move to express his feelings.

But why is everything different when it comes to Wen Shuyao?

Xie Jinghan personally visited her to stand up for her.

He even couldn't wait to move up the wedding date because of her!

Why?

Wen Yitong's eyes turned bloodshot. She clenched her hands tightly and kept asking herself, "Why? Why is everything different for Wen Shuyao?"

How many times have they met?

I'm afraid you could count them on one hand!

Does Wen Shuyao possess such great charm?

Wen Yitong was filled with fear and trembling. She collapsed to the ground, as if she had no strength left.

Madam Wen had a reprimand on the tip of her tongue, but when she saw Wen Yitong's pitiful appearance, she swallowed it back.

She closed her eyes and said in a deep voice, "I understand even less now. What exactly are you up to?"