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

The moment she said those words, Madam Wen regretted it.

But faced with the Duke of Wen's furious gaze, she kept her mouth shut, refusing to back down no matter what.

"My lord, all these years I have served you with utmost care. Whether you asked for money or goods, I would get them to you without hesitation," Madam Wen choked back tears. "But how have you treated me?"

"Don't you know how ugly Wen Shuyao's face was today?" Madam Wen became more and more angry as she spoke. "She trampled on my dignity! I've lost all face! Didn't you see the way those ladies looked at me today?"

"Although I don't care for her as much as I do for Tong'er, I haven't mistreated her either. Look at her appearance, isn't every feature of her delicate skin meticulously cared for?"

As Madam Wen spoke these words, tears welled up in her eyes.

Her words and expression gradually calmed the Duke of Wen's anger.

After a moment of silence, Duke Wen closed his eyes and asked, "Then tell me, how should this matter be resolved?"

As soon as he spoke, Madam Wen almost lost control of her expression.

Even now, despite her pitiful act, it still doesn't compare to official career and reputation in the eyes of Duke Wen.

He was determined to make himself take the blame for the loan sharking!

Realizing this, the last trace of affection in Madam Wen's heart vanished.

She lowered her eyes, her mind racing.

The two faced each other in silence.

"Don't worry, sir." Madam Wen's eyes flickered a few times, but her face remained calm and composed. "I stopped this business half a month ago. This usury has nothing to do with our Duke Wen's mansion."

Duke Wen was skeptical, but Lady Wen remained calm, and he could not discern any clue from her expression.

After a moment, he sighed, "I trust you, madam. Let's go back and rest."

The sun is high in the sky now, when is it time to rest?

Madam Wen merely sneered inwardly, without exposing his guilty conscience.

Ultimately, Duke Wen was greedy. He wanted the large dividends from usury to support his lifestyle, but he didn't want to take any risks.

Mrs. Wen's eyes were lowered, and as the years passed, fine lines had already appeared on her face.

Duke Wen glanced at her again and felt nauseous. He waved his hand and left the front hall before Madam Wen could follow.

Seeing his hurried departure, Madam Wen's face turned pale.

"Fine!" Madam Wen sneered. "He actually dares to look down on me?"

Seeing her contorted expression and the imminent outburst of wild words, Granny Lin quickly interjected, "Madam! Now that things have come to this, you should think about how to control the rumors circulating in the capital!"

Madam Wen closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again, clenching her hands tightly: "What other way is there besides finding him?"

"The matter of usury must be dealt with thoroughly," Madam Wen said coldly. "As for the rumors circulating in the capital..."

Her eyes were filled with coldness and resentment.

"Today's incident must have been orchestrated by Wen Shuyao." Madam Wen's smile was sinister. "She's quite the good person, even concerned about Wen Zhu's marriage. I'd like to see if she can still be so kind when she's overwhelmed with her own troubles."

When Lin Mama caught a glimpse of her expression, she almost dared not breathe.

Fortunately, Madam Wen was very good at maintaining her composure, and she calmed down in a few breaths.

"The only way to salvage our reputation is to find Wenzhu a good family." Madam Wen said this through gritted teeth, each word distinct. "It's truly laughable that my own daughter married a man like Chen Che... and yet, I have to find a good family for Wenzhu!"

"Any one of those families that they all think is good... is better than Chen Che!" Madam Wen gritted her teeth in hatred. "In the end, all my hard work has been for nothing!"

Upon hearing this, Granny Lin inwardly knew something was wrong.

No wonder Madam Wen was so angry; after all, the Chen family is...

"Fortunately, the Chen family is of low status. As long as our Duke Wen's mansion stands, they will not dare to disrespect Miss." Lin Mama could only comfort her in this way after racking her brains. "On the other hand, although the eldest young lady is married to Prince Jing, if one day her beauty fades and Prince Jing becomes disgusted with her, she will have nowhere to cry."

"The Chu family has many children, and the old couple in the Chu family would never risk going against Prince Jing for her sake."

Having served Madam Wen for many years, Lin Mama naturally understood what Madam Wen wanted to hear.

As expected, Madam Wen's complexion improved considerably.

“What you say is absolutely right, Granny.” Madam Wen raised her head proudly. “Beauty fades and love wanes. Besides, there are no shortage of beauties in the entire capital. Just the fact that Prince Jing has his own confidantes is enough to keep her busy.”

After the master and servant finished speaking, their expressions improved considerably.

As Madam Wen left the front hall, she instructed Granny Lin, "Granny, remember to deliver this message to the Chen family."

Upon hearing that it concerned Wen Yitong, Lin Mama's expression immediately became serious: "Rest assured, I will naturally handle Miss's affairs properly."

……

Because of this marriage, the Chen family was already in chaos.

The Wen family was a prominent and prestigious clan, and their eldest daughter was naturally treated with the utmost respect and privilege.

Madam Chen had prepared the betrothal gifts long ago, but Madam Wen sent a message implying that the gifts were too little.

She was never a good-tempered person to begin with, and after seeing Lin Mama off, she started cursing loudly at home.

"Don't you even know your place? You dare to compare your dowry with that of Princess Jing!" She stood with her hands on her hips, her fat face jiggling. "She fell into the water and was saved by my son. The whole capital knows they've been intimate. Her reputation is ruined. Who else can she marry but my son?"

"Madam, please calm down!" Bihe, the maid beside her, comforted her softly. "After all, she is a young lady from the Duke's mansion, so it's inevitable that she's a bit arrogant."

Madam Chen flung Bihe's hand away and sneered, "Our Chen family's wealth is all we have. Giving such a large dowry is already a great achievement. How dare she send a servant to reprimand me?"

“In that case, I don’t need to give her a nice look anymore.” A glint flashed in Madam Chen’s eyes, and then she laughed.

The marriage is almost finalized. Who else could Wen Yitong marry besides the Chen family?

In the capital, let alone powerful families, even ordinary households would not want a woman who had intimate relations with a man before marriage and then went back on her word before the wedding.

Therefore, this marriage must go through, regardless of the amount of the betrothal gifts!

Since that's the case, she doesn't need to spend so much on betrothal gifts; she might as well save some money to supplement her household income.

Seeing her expression change from anger to joy, Bihe couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Judging from this, things are likely to go wrong on the wedding day.