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

They will definitely regret it!

Wen Yitong muttered those words fiercely in her heart.

Seeing this, Madam Wen felt uneasy, and her hatred for Wen Shuyao intensified. At the same time, she instructed Lin Mama beside her to hurry up and prepare to send Wen Yitong back to the courtyard to rest.

"I don't need you to see me off!" Wen Yitong broke free from Lin Mama's hand and said coldly, "I can walk by myself!"

She walked outside step by step, her eyes filled with determination.

In this world, only she knows how right her choice was.

If Gan Yi, who hasn't even entered the cabinet yet, can make my father so obsequious, what about Chen Che, who is a sure thing to enter the cabinet in the future?

Will my father still have that cold, mocking look on his face then?

Wen Yitong let out a cold laugh.

Ruyi stood to the side, feeling a chill run down her spine upon hearing her laughter.

Has the second young lady gone mad?

In the front hall, a large table of dishes was piled up in front of Wen Shuyao, and four or five maids were serving the dishes behind her. If she glanced at a dish, it would appear in her bowl the next moment.

Moreover, Duke Wen was there to offer his concern and care.

Wen Shuyao found it laughable.

However, now is not a good time to break ties with Duke Wen.

While dealing with Duke Wen's warm greetings, she pondered how to extract the truth about her mother's death from him.

Madam Wen sat to the side, staring at her with a sinister look in her eyes, but in that instant, she transformed into a gentle and kind demeanor.

Seeing this, Wen Shuyao had an idea.

To learn the truth about what happened back then from Lady Wen and Duke Wen, that despicable couple, the only way is to crack their seemingly unbreakable alliance.

The way to break up this alliance is simple—both of them are opportunistic people, and they will naturally turn against each other as soon as there is a conflict of interest.

"Father, the Ministry of Justice has been quite lively these past few days," Wen Shuyao casually remarked. "I heard they're investigating families that lend money at exorbitant interest rates."

Upon hearing this, Duke Wen's expression changed: "Why did the investigation suddenly turn to the aristocratic families?"

Wen Shuyao sighed: "Those who lend money at exorbitant interest rates are extremely vicious and have become increasingly rampant in recent years, causing many murders. I heard from the prince that His Majesty is extremely disgusted by this matter and has ordered the Minister of Justice to thoroughly investigate these families that lend money at exorbitant interest rates and to punish them severely."

"Severe punishment?" Duke Wen's eyelids twitched. "How severe?"

"It'll just mean a stumbling trip to prison, the confiscation of property, and the extermination of the entire clan." Wen Shuyao waved her hand. "But that has nothing to do with us. I only heard the prince mention it a few times."

Upon hearing this, both Duke Wen and his wife turned pale.

"How come I didn't hear a word about it?" Duke Wen forced a smile. "It seems that Your Highness received the news earlier."

Wen Shuyao smiled shyly: "It was after the wedding banquet that day... that the prince told me. The prince also said that many aristocratic families lend money at exorbitant interest rates. If His Majesty's wishes are followed, the aristocratic families in the capital will probably be wiped out."

Duke Wen nodded repeatedly, his tone tinged with urgency: "That's right! By then, there will be no one left in the court."

Seeing that Wen Shuyao hadn't noticed anything amiss, he immediately followed up with, "Did Your Highness say how this should be resolved in the end?"

“His Highness did not say it explicitly.” Wen Shuyao shook her head slightly. “However, from what His Highness said, it was nothing more than stopping before the Ministry of Justice found out who it was. In this way, the matter should be reduced to a minor one.”

Upon hearing this, Duke Wen already had a plan in mind.

Seeing the identical unpleasant expressions on his and Madam Wen's faces, Wen Shuyao felt even more pleased.

What she loved most was watching the two of them fight like dogs.

"Father, it's getting late." Wen Shuyao wiped her mouth politely and said softly, "I'll go back now. There are still many matters to attend to at the Prince's Mansion."

"Alright, alright." Duke Wen realized what was happening and wanted to personally see Wen Shuyao out.

Wen Shuyao quickly stopped her: "No matter what your status is outside, at home you are my most respected father. How can an elder send off a junior?"

"Father, please wait."

Her words were so sweet that they made Duke Wen feel completely at ease, and all the whispers and compliments that Lady Wen had given him in bed had vanished without a trace.

"Very good, very good," Duke Wen said happily. "I knew you respected your elders the most."

Wen Shuyao smiled at him and, escorted by Granny Qi and the others, left his sight.

After confirming that Wen Shuyao had left, Duke Wen heard a cold sneer in his ear.

It turned out to be Madam Wen.

Madam Wen's eyes sharpened: "With such an attitude, have you forgotten the blood feud between you and her?"

"My lord, now is not the time to put on a show of fatherly affection," Madam Wen said sarcastically. "You should think about how you will keep your official hat and the Duke of Wen's title once the Ministry of Justice investigates the Duke of Wen's mansion!"

After she finished speaking, she was about to walk past Duke Wen.

Unexpectedly, Duke Wen grabbed her.

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Duke Wen said incredulously. "Loan sharking was your idea! What does it have to do with me? What does it have to do with the Duke Wen's mansion?"

"I am the Duchess of Wen." Madam Wen smiled coldly. "My fate is intertwined with the Wen State Duke's mansion, and with you. We share the same fate!"

Her recent actions had made her lose all hope in him, and when she spoke to him, she no longer pretended as before.

Upon hearing this, Duke Wen's face turned bright red.

He wasn't angry at Madam Wen's pretense; what angered him was Madam Wen's attempt to drag the Duke of Wen's mansion down with her.

"Nonsense!" Duke Wen said coldly. "I advised you to stop lending money at exorbitant interest rates long ago, but what did you do?"

"Not only have you not restrained yourself, but you've become even more outrageous. If it weren't for the matter of Shu Yao's dowry last time, I wouldn't have known that you were so audacious. That was hundreds of thousands of taels of silver! You lent it all out?"

As Duke Wen spoke, he felt a sudden darkness engulf his vision.

At first, he thought he was just lending money at exorbitant interest rates; it wasn't like he was committing murder or arson, so it wasn't a big deal.

It wasn't until Madam Wen's misappropriation of her dowry was exposed that he realized just how audacious Madam Wen truly was!

Upon hearing this, Madam Wen merely gave a few cold laughs.

Her face was pale, and her eyes hinted at a kind of madness.

"So what?" Madam Wen said coldly, "Didn't you use that money?"

"Over the years, if it weren't for me managing the household affairs and overseeing everything, you would probably have sold this Duke's mansion and begged on the streets long ago!" Madam Wen's voice was particularly sharp. "Where do you think your money for going out to drink and carouse comes from? It's all earned by me, penny by penny!"