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

Chapter 149 Admiring a Beauty Under the Lamp

Inside the bedroom, only magpies attended to Wen Shuyao.

Ninety-nine percent of the servants in Prince Jing's mansion were men, and in such an important place as the bedroom, Wen Shuyao only assigned two people, Xique and Granny Qi, to serve her.

Upon hearing that Xie Jinghan had returned, Granny Qi went out to greet him early, leaving only Magpie behind.

Magpie was combing Wen Shuyao's hair down when she glanced sideways and saw a tall figure standing at the door.

When she noticed the figure, she immediately put down her comb and bowed to Xie Jinghan.

"See you, Your Majesty."

I wonder how long the prince has been here.

Her mind raced, trying to recall if she had said anything disrespectful in her conversation with Wen Shuyao.

Fortunately, the two were only talking about the household's expenses in the past few days, and there was nothing wrong with it, so he breathed a sigh of relief.

The bronze mirror clearly reflected the changes in the magpie's expression. Wen Shuyao sighed and said, "Magpie, go and wait outside."

Magpie wears her heart on her sleeve. If Xie Jinghan asks her anything difficult to answer later, she only needs to glance at Magpie to know the answer.

Upon hearing this, Magpie nodded hurriedly. She was already terrified of Xie Jinghan, and Wen Shuyao's words made her feel as if she had been granted a pardon. She quickly left the bedroom.

"Why is the prince here?"

Wen Shuyao looked up at Xie Jinghan.

It is said that one can appreciate beauty under the lamplight. Xie Jinghan had never understood the meaning of this saying before, but now, looking at Wen Shuyao under the dim candlelight, his heart suddenly trembled.

Looking at a beautiful woman under the lamplight has a unique charm, because the hazy light shines on her stunning face, enveloping it in a soft glow, and his heart seems to soften because of this soft light.

"I spoke with my elder brother, the Emperor, about some things in the palace," Xie Jinghan said. "It was about the Duke of Wen's mansion."

Upon hearing this, Wen Shuyao's eyes flickered slightly. She had some guesses, but wasn't sure, so she could only tentatively ask, "Your Highness is referring to..."

"The matter of usury is far-reaching, but since it's being handled by the Third Prince, he's likely to let it go leniently in order to curry favor with the aristocratic families," Xie Jinghan said. "And your feelings towards Madam Wen..."

"That's fine." Wen Shuyao waved her hand, quite nonchalantly. "Even if she is severely punished, she is an official's wife and a noblewoman. How can she be punished? Are we going to throw her in jail?"

“Your Highness need not worry about this matter.” Wen Shuyao said calmly. “I have my own plan to deal with her.”

Xie Jinghan paused for a moment. He admired Wen Shuyao's personality the most.

But hearing these words now, he felt uneasy, as if Wen Shuyao was intentionally drawing a line between herself and him.

After a moment of silence, he continued, "However, Madam Wen is probably involved in the previous assassination attempt. Not only Madam Wen, but even Duke Wen... is probably involved as well."

Wen Shuyao's expression changed upon hearing this.

She looked up at Xie Jinghan: "What do you mean by that?"

"The prince already knows..." she hesitated.

But Xie Jinghan nodded in response to her questioning gaze, confirming her suspicions.

"When I returned to the manor, Si Qing told me about today's events." Xie Jinghan nodded and said, "If it is really as you guessed, then my mother-in-law was probably killed to silence her because she discovered that Prince Xin was faking his disability."

Wen Shuyao lowered her eyes and secretly clenched her hands.

“That’s right,” Wen Shuyao said. “My mother was ill for a long time at that time, and she even lost the baby in her womb. But at that time, although she was weak and sickly, her life was not in danger.”

“But it was only three days…” Wen Shuyao would never forget that night fifteen years ago.

She was only three years old, but she had a deep memory, and her mother often praised her for her intelligence.

It was precisely because of her intelligence that she could never forget the day her mother suddenly vomited blood. She had only drunk a bowl of her usual bird's nest soup, but after drinking it, she fell ill and never recovered. In just three days, before she could even inform the Chu family, her mother passed away.

Died of illness...

Such a ridiculous reason would have been obvious to anyone from the Chu family who had taken a closer look.

But the Duke of Wen and his wife, Zhang, acted swiftly, burying their mother in just three days. When their maternal grandparents arrived, all that remained was a small mound of earth.

—My mother died young, and her initial burial was the simplest and most modest funeral I've ever had.

It was only after Old Madam Chu insisted on taking Zhang's head and causing a scene in the capital that Duke Wen was able to hold a grand funeral again.

For Wen Shuyao, however, there was no difference between a simple burial and a lavish one.

She wanted her mother to come back to life and wanted her mother to be with her.

Unfortunately, such a thought could never be realized, so the seeds of hatred were sown in her heart. From the age of three, she made up her mind to make those who killed her mother pay for their crimes in blood.

A sharp glint flashed in Wen Shuyao's eyes: "Has Your Highness made any progress?"

"If nothing unexpected happens..." Xie Jinghan slowly turned the black jade thumb ring on his thumb and said in a deep voice, "a decision will be made tonight."

Upon hearing this, Wen Shuyao looked up in surprise.

"Is Prince Xin's case really that simple?" she asked doubtfully. "Prince Xin is a prince, and even if there is evidence that he is faking his disability, it is impossible to completely eradicate him."

"Once we determine that he is the mastermind behind these assassinations, we can address the problem effectively." Xie Jinghan had already made up his mind. "The most urgent task is to determine as soon as possible whether he is the mastermind behind these assassinations."

“However…” he said apologetically, “convicting him will take at least three months.”

“It’s only three months,” Wen Shuyao waved her hand. “I can wait.”

In her previous life, she spent five whole years trying to get rid of Madam Wen, and even then, she only managed to grasp the basics. In this life, she made such rapid progress in just three months.

"Thank you, Your Highness." She bowed deeply to Xie Jinghan.

Before Xie Jinghan could react, his body had already moved first, helping Wen Shuyao to her feet.

There is no need for thanks between us.

Wen Shuyao was somewhat puzzled, and before she could get an answer from Xie Jinghan, she heard Xie Jinghan continue, "However, as for Zhang Shi... I can deal with him severely."

"Strictly handle it?"

Under Wen Shuyao's questioning gaze, Xie Jinghan stiffened but nodded calmly: "In this case of usury, she lent the most money. With just a little guidance, the Third Prince will make an example of her to scare others."

Wen Shuyao suddenly realized: "The Third Prince has a bad relationship with the Duke of Wen's mansion."

If we want to make an example of someone, who is more suitable than Madam Wen?

Xie Jinghan then added, "As for what you said earlier about Zhang's lover..."