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

As a mother, she had treated Wen Yitong like a precious gem all these years, always considering her needs in every way. But she never expected that Wen Yitong would treat her like this.

Madam Wen watched Wen Yitong's retreating figure with disappointment, remained silent for a long time, and then gritted her teeth and said, "This matter must not be left like this."

Wen Yitong is her daughter, so naturally she can't blame her for anything.

But Wen Shuyao...

A fierce glint flashed in her eyes.

Seeing this, Granny Lin secretly felt a pang of anxiety.

“Madam, you must think this over carefully…” Lin Mama lowered her voice, “Now that the eldest young lady’s status is extraordinary and the Chu family has returned, I’m afraid we can’t do anything to her.”

Madam Wen sneered: "That's precisely why we need to bring her down as soon as possible before she becomes the real Princess Consort of Jing."

She could never swallow this insult.

In Madam Wen's eyes, this was a great disgrace.

For the sake of that money, she broke her promise once again and was exposed for what she truly was.

She never wanted to experience being treated like a plaything again.

Lin Mama felt extremely sorry for her and gently patted her thin back: "Madam, this matter needs to be considered carefully. After all, as you said, the marriage between the eldest daughter and Prince Jing is related to the entire Wen State Duke's Mansion."

"If it were our second young lady..."

There was no need for Granny Lin to say anything more, as Madam Wen's expression gradually regained its composure.

"There is ample time……"

Mrs. Wen said in a low voice.

The fierceness in her eyes had not diminished in the slightest.

Wen Shuyao...

She kept that name in her heart, and her hatred grew wildly.

Back in the courtyard, Wen Shuyao leaned against the soft couch, casually counting the dowry list in her hand.

The magpie beamed with joy, its face radiating happiness: "Miss, we're going to be rich!"

Such a large dowry is now all in Wen Shuyao's hands! From now on, they will no longer have to worry about the choking charcoal fire in winter.

Wen Shuyao chuckled softly, her tone languid: "This is nothing."

“This was originally mine,” she said calmly. “It’s just being returned now. What I really want to take back from them is not this dowry.”

Upon hearing this, the magpie blinked.

She heard a jolt in her heart, and then tentatively looked up.

Wen Shuyao's eyes were dark and unfathomable; she could clearly see that the flames of revenge were burning within those phoenix eyes.

"You still won't give up..."

The magpie murmured.

Wen Shuyao raised her eyes and said in a deep voice, "Should I give up?"

"Magpie, I was only four years old when my mother passed away, but I already remember things."

"My mother's health was clearly improving, but overnight, she suddenly fell ill and passed away!"

"Coincidentally, my maternal grandparents were fighting for the country at that time, and by the time they arrived, my mother had already been buried."

Mentioning this matter, Wen Shuyao slowly tightened her grip on the armrest.

The cool wooden handrail slightly suppressed her anger.

She calmly said, "There is no such thing as a coincidence in this world. This must have been carefully planned by someone."

“Zhang entered the house after her mother’s death, and at present, she is the most suspicious person.”

"Even if she isn't the mastermind, she must be inextricably linked to this matter."

Wen Shuyao spoke each word with conviction.

Her pretty little face was as stern as ice and snow.

Upon seeing this, the magpie pondered for only a moment before solemnly declaring, "Madam treats me like her second parents. For Madam's sake, I am willing to go through fire and water without hesitation!"

"Don't worry." Wen Shuyao rubbed her head, her tone light and cheerful. "I've already made progress on this matter, and I'm just waiting for the five hundred guards to arrive tomorrow."

My mother's death was suspicious, but she was of noble status, and the cause of her death was carefully examined by the imperial physicians.

Based solely on this evidence, it is indeed impossible to discern who is at fault.

But who could blame her for being blessed by fate and given a second chance at life?

"Do this tomorrow."

Wen Shuyao leaned close to the magpie's ear and whispered something.

Magpie's eyes widened instantly, and she gasped, "Are you really going to do this?"

Wen Shuyao raised her eyes, and Xique immediately understood, replying, "This servant will do it right away! Don't worry! This is something this servant is best at!"

……

That night, the Duke of Wen, filled with rage, ended up spending the night in Concubine Hua's room.

Aunt Hua is gentle and considerate, and young and beautiful. No matter how you look at it, she is more to your liking than Madam Wen.

"Master, please have a drink." Aunt Hua said sweetly, holding a handkerchief. "This is a bottle of wine that I bought from the distillery with my own money. They say it's the most popular pear blossom white wine right now."

Hearing Aunt Hua's words, Duke Wen was deeply moved.

After taking a sip of wine, he said, "This wine probably cost you a lot of money. Go to the account tomorrow to collect it..."

After saying this, Duke Wen fell silent again.

Only then did he realize that there was no money left in the account.

Today, he decided to add to Wen Shuyao's dowry and even had to sell a piece of land.

The legacy left by their ancestors was ruined by a woman.

The Duke of Wen's face was flushed with anger, even more so than when he was drunk.

He muttered, "That idiot Zhang! I've entrusted this family to her for over a decade, and this is how she treats me! This huge Duke's mansion is being lived in worse condition than an Earl's!"

He couldn't even afford to keep his concubine happy.

Aunt Hua's eyes were full of heartache: "No money is no money! I have saved up all the money that Master has given me over the years. Even if... even if one day we run out of money, I can still support Master."

Her words struck a chord with the Duke of Wen.

Drunk, Duke Wen was even more captivated by Consort Hua. He slurred as he helped her up, murmuring, "How come I never realized you were such a thoughtful person?"

Aunt Hua lowered her head shyly: "Master, you and Madam were inseparable before, so naturally... naturally you couldn't see someone as lowly as me."

"Her?" Duke Wen sneered. "She has committed such a grave mistake. If it weren't for... if it weren't for our past marriage, I would have divorced her long ago!"

Aunt Hua was always good at reading people's expressions, and she keenly noticed that when Duke Wen gave this reason, he paused for a moment.

Moreover, Duke Wen's flushed face turned quite pale.

She knew that the reason why Duke Wen did not divorce Lady Wen was definitely not what he said.

Just as the young lady said, their relationship was much closer than it usually appeared.

These two people probably harbor this big secret!

Or perhaps... Lady Wen has something on Duke Wen's hands!