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

Chapter 145 I just want her dead

“But so many years have passed.” Granny Qi glanced at Wen Shuyao’s face and said in a low voice, “Even if we know what kind of poison was used, it’s probably impossible to trace back. Besides… this is just a letter. If we want to convict Madam Wen, we’ll probably need concrete evidence.”

Upon hearing this, Wen Shuyao smiled gently: "Convict?"

"Why convict them?" she said lightly as her last words. "I just want her dead."

The incident back then was shrouded in mystery, and most of those who knew the truth had been eliminated by them. How difficult it would be to convict Madam Wen.

Her current investigation into the events of that year is simply to find all those who caused her mother's death, and then eliminate them one by one. Everyone who harmed her mother will pay the price they deserve.

A sharp glint flashed in Wen Shuyao's eyes as she looked at Manager Yuan and asked, word by word, "Besides this, what else do you know?"

Although she was asking a question, her clear, bright eyes made Manager Yuan's heart sink, and he couldn't tell a lie.

"We have indeed discovered some clues, but..." Manager Yuan smiled awkwardly, "I can't be sure yet."

"Please speak freely, Manager Yuan." Wen Shuyao raised her hand meaningfully, "I also have a few shops on Zhuque Street. If Manager Yuan doesn't mind, you can go there and continue to work as a manager."

Upon hearing this, Manager Yuan's anxious heart suddenly felt at ease.

Since Wen Shuyao is willing to use her, it proves that she still has value to Wen Shuyao. Moreover, any one of the shops on Zhuque Street is good enough.

So she racked her brains, trying to tell all her discoveries over the years.

"Madam Wen dared to do this not only because she had Prince Xin's backing, but also because she was closely related to the Zhang family," Manager Yuan said in a low voice. "Back then, Consort Zhang received constant imperial favor as soon as she entered the palace, and Madam Wen also had her support behind her."

Wen Shuyao nodded slightly. Consort Zhang must be trying to win over the Duke of Wen's family to the Zhang family's side. If she could give birth to a prince, the Duke of Wen's family could provide assistance to the prince.

However, what she did not expect was that after more than ten years in the palace, she had not given birth to a single child, nor had she ever become pregnant.

Wen Shuyao's eyes flickered slightly as she silently thought of these people.

Lady Wen, Duke Wen, Consort Zhang, and Prince Xin.

She won't let any of these four people go!

After a moment, she said to Granny Qi, "I hope you can investigate this matter for me. Yixianhong is a forbidden drug from the previous dynasty, and it has only become rarer in the present day. There are not many people who can possess it."

"I'm afraid I can only rely on the Prince's Mansion's influence to investigate the whereabouts of Yixianhong," she said helplessly.

Upon hearing this, Granny Qi immediately exclaimed, "What's so difficult about that? You are the mistress of our Prince's Mansion! Just give the order, and this old servant will send someone to investigate right away!"

However, she rolled her eyes and asked in a low voice, "But... Your Highness, should the Prince know about this?"

"There's no need to hide it," Wen Shuyao said considerately. "Since we need to use the Prince's manpower, we naturally can't hide it from the Prince."

She always kept in mind that her relationship with Xie Jinghan was merely a business partnership, and that she should inform him before using his business partner.

However, these words had a different meaning in Granny Qi's ears.

—The princess confides everything to the prince, which shows how deep her feelings for him are.

She was deeply moved and nodded vigorously: "This old servant will take care of it right away."

Only Wen Shuyao and Manager Yuan remained in the place.

Shopkeeper Yuan tensed up and hurriedly bowed to Wen Shuyao: "I wonder which shop Your Highness is referring to..."

"Under Manager Yuan's management, Baohua Pavilion is thriving and making a fortune every day." Wen Shuyao smiled and said, "This shows Manager Yuan's talent in business. I now want Manager Yuan to help me open a new Baohua Pavilion."

Upon hearing this, Manager Yuan stared at Wen Shuyao in shock: "Open another Baohua Pavilion?"

“Shops like Baohua Pavilion that only sell rare and precious treasures are extremely rare in the capital,” Wen Shuyao said in a low voice. “But when powerful and wealthy families exchange gifts, they mostly seek out valuable treasures. That’s why Baohua Pavilion has been able to stand firm in the capital.”

“That’s true.” Manager Yuan’s expression turned serious as he mentioned his life’s work. “Besides that, it’s also because Baohua Pavilion has a stable supply of goods.”

"With Consort Zhang's help, Baohua Pavilion can trace most of the tribute items sent to the capital back to their source. In this way, we can collect many fine treasures. In addition, we also have a special route to the Western Regions, which can transport the rare treasures of the Abbasid Caliphate to the capital."

"In fact, the rare treasures of the Abbasid Caliphate are what the powerful and wealthy truly cherish," Manager Yuan glanced at Wen Shuyao's expression, and seeing that she showed no displeasure, continued, "especially those gemstones..."

“What if I also had a trade route? And this trade route would be more stable than the one provided by Consort Zhang, with more frequent exchanges throughout the year,” Wen Shuyao interrupted Manager Yuan.

Upon hearing this, Manager Yuan's eyes widened: "Really?"

However, after a moment, she realized that Wen Shuyao's husband was Prince Jing!

Who is King Jing? He holds almost all the military power in the entire Dali Kingdom, making it easy for him to open up a safe trade route.

Her eyes darted around, and she immediately replied, "If that's the case, then I'm sure I can make this new shop a great success, even... even better than Baohua Pavilion!"

Baohua Pavilion has grown to its current size thanks to her hard work and dedication. Madam Wen does not engage in production; she only knows how to ask her for money. Last time, in order to make up for the shortfall in Wen Shuyao's dowry, Baohua Pavilion did not have any cash in its accounts for a whole month.

Without cash, it is impossible to pay for the goods.

After a month, I don't know how much I've lost.

But Wen Shuyao is different. She understands these business principles and doesn't interfere. For her, this is another vast world.

She remains unmarried to this day, precisely for the sake of this world.

Thinking of this, Manager Yuan suppressed his excitement and whispered, "I will certainly not let the Princess down!"

"Manager Yuan, your current goal is to suppress Baohua Pavilion." Wen Shuyao took out several stacks of silver notes from her sleeve and placed them in Manager Yuan's palm.

"Baohua Pavilion has been shut down for three months, which is a perfect opportunity for you to show your skills," Wen Shuyao said meaningfully. "Don't you want revenge?"

Upon hearing this, Manager Yuan's eyes turned cold.

Then, she nodded emphatically: "If I have the chance, I will definitely repay her for all the humiliation I suffered in prison!"

How could she forget such humiliation?