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

She was naturally satisfied.

She learned this shocking secret in just one brief meeting.

Having accepted all the gifts, Wen Shuyao, escorted by Si Qing, boarded a carriage leaving the palace.

Inside the car, Magpie's face was deathly pale.

Even thick layers of powder couldn't hide the terror in her heart.

"Miss!" she whispered, her voice barely audible, "That man last night...was..."

"It's the Second Prince." Wen Shuyao said calmly, stating directly what she dared not say aloud.

The magpie looked around in fright, its face showing unease and its eyes filled with fear: "Be careful! The walls have ears!"

She was guarding against Si Qing.

Hearing this, Wen Shuyao smiled helplessly: "Do you think he couldn't hear you when you were speaking so softly just now?"

Magpie was taken aback. Wen Shuyao continued, "I not only know that the man last night was the Second Prince, but I also know who the woman he was having an affair with is."

"Who is it?" the magpie asked in surprise. "Did you see it too?"

"Silly girl." Wen Shuyao patted her head in an annoyed tone and said, word by word, "Sometimes you not only have to look, but also use your brain."

"Think about it, the only ones he can call Your Majesty are the concubines in the palace, right? And the Empress herself said that Consort Zhang left the wedding banquet early yesterday."

This sentence was short, but it took the magpie a long time to process.

"You mean...that woman was Consort Zhang?"

“That’s right.” Wen Shuyao nodded. “The two people who met in secret last night were the Second Prince and Consort Zhang.”

Outside the door, Si Qing coughed loudly.

He had excellent hearing, and the conversation between Wen Shuyao and the other person inside the carriage inevitably reached his ears. He hadn't taken it to heart and hadn't paid any special attention to it.

To his surprise, the magpie's cautious movements piqued his interest, and Wen Shuyao's last words caused his expression to change drastically.

Through the carriage curtain, he cautiously reminded her, "Your Highness, you mustn't say such things carelessly."

A prince having an affair with a concubine is not only a capital offense, but also a shocking scandal! Anything that damages the royal family's reputation has always resulted in bloodshed.

With just one sentence from Wen Shuyao, a bloody storm could be unleashed.

He cautiously reminded them, but no sound came from inside the carriage for a long time.

For a moment, he was filled with anxiety and didn't know what to do.

Just then, there was a knock on the car door.

"Si Qing, what is my status now?"

Upon hearing the voice, he straightened his back.

"You are the mistress of the Jing Prince's Mansion, Princess Jing."

He said it almost subconsciously.

A soft laugh came from inside the car.

A moment later, he heard Wen Shuyao's reply: "In that case, I want you to do something."

Si Qing felt a chill run down his spine. His intuition told him that this was definitely not a good thing, and it might even be related to what Wen Shuyao had just mentioned.

But he quickly became excited again: "Your Highness, what you want to do, is it perhaps..."

He shook his head quickly, saying, "No! This matter is of great importance. We should wait until His Highness returns before making a decision."

“Smart,” Wen Shuyao said softly. “I want you to help me investigate this matter.”

"It is no small matter for a concubine to have an affair with a prince. Moreover, the second prince is gaining the upper hand in the struggle for the throne. It is hard to guarantee that Consort Zhang may have played a role in this. If the two of them collude, at best it will damage the reputation of the royal family, and at worst it will endanger the very foundation of the country."

"Tell me, should this be investigated or not?"

Wen Shuyao lowered her voice, her tone seductive.

Si Qing looked distressed: "Your Highness, please forgive me! I dare not make such a decision lightly."

However, a hand reached out from inside the carriage curtain the next moment.

The hand was as white as jade, but what Si Qing saw at a glance was the token held in it.

When Si Qing saw the token, he felt dizzy.

Isn't this the token Xie Jinghan gave Wen Shuyao before he left? With this token, Wen Shuyao can mobilize all the manpower and resources of the Jingwang Mansion. Including him, no one has the chance to say "no" once they see this token.

"Your subordinate obeys," Si Qing replied with difficulty.

Wen Shuyao took back the token with satisfaction and added, "Don't worry, I will tell the Prince everything about this. If you can't wait, you can write to Yanzhou now."

Upon hearing this, Si Qing secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The carriage arrived smoothly at Prince Jing's residence.

This was Wen Shuyao's first time visiting the Prince Jing's residence.

Or rather, it's the first time I've ever been here.

In her previous life, she had also visited the Prince Jing's mansion as a member of Wen Yitong's maternal family.

However, Wen Yitong was always suspicious. After glancing at Xie Jinghan, who was rumored to be impotent, at the banquet, Wen Yitong never invited her again.

Xie Jinghan was deeply favored by the Emperor and Empress. His mansion was the largest among the many aristocratic families in the capital. Before he reached the age to leave the palace and establish his own mansion, the Emperor overruled the objections of the censors and blocked the impeachment, thus completing the construction of the Jingwang Mansion.

"May Your Highness be well."

As soon as Wen Shuyao stepped off the carriage, she heard a loud shout.

The servants of Prince Jing's mansion stood in two neat rows at the entrance, each one bowing respectfully to her.

"Magpie, give the order." Wen Shuyao was in a good mood and smiled with her eyes crinkling. "Today, everyone in the manor will receive an extra month's salary."

Upon hearing this, the flattering smiles on everyone's faces appeared even more sincere.

The Prince Jing's mansion had no mistress for many years, and the master was obsessed with official duties.

They honestly receive their monthly allowance, only receiving a little more during holidays and festivals.

There is no one in this world who thinks they have too much money.

Wen Shuyao won over most people's hearts by simply rewarding them with a month's salary.

Si Qing watched from the side, marveling inwardly.

With such formidable skills, who exactly leaked the information that the eldest daughter of the Wen family was just a pretty face with no substance?

His heart was filled with admiration for Wen Shuyao. Unconsciously, his contempt for Wen Shuyao had dissipated. He walked quickly ahead of Wen Shuyao, introducing the Jing Prince's Mansion as he went.

……

In the palace at this time.

Consort Zhang's long fingernails scratched across the drawing paper in front of her, and her beautiful face twisted into a grimace in an instant.

The old woman beside her immediately knelt down, and then all the palace servants in the hall knelt down in a group. However, there was no fear on their faces, only numbness.

Consort Zhang's temper was unpredictable, and they were already used to it.

"A hundred children bring blessings..."

She chuckled softly.

Ping, the old nanny who had served Consort Zhang for many years, was terrified: "Your Highness! Please calm down!"

Consort Zhang raised her sharp eyes and stared intently at Granny Ping: "Calm down? How can I calm down?"

"Everyone can give birth, but I alone cannot! Why is that?"

"Even the Empress has conceived a seventh prince!"