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

Chapter 301 Take action

Madam Chen thought so too; the appearance of Granny Lin had truly caught them off guard.

The gentle breeze blowing across the river did little to ease their spirits; on the contrary, the further south they traveled, the heavier their hearts became.

“But it might be a little inconvenient to do it here…” Madam Chen looked worried.

The best place to make a move along the route south from the capital is the waterway near Jiangnan, where bandits are elusive and many people and boats disappear mysteriously every year.

The imperial court dispatched countless soldiers to suppress the bandits, but in the end, it was still difficult to wipe them all out.

As a result, those who escaped the net regrouped and their power continued to grow. This situation repeated itself, and these river bandits became a major threat to the imperial court.

Fortunately, in recent years, thanks to the peace and tranquility of the border, the imperial court has had more manpower to deal with these river bandits, and the waterway has become much calmer.

Even so, the method proposed by Madam Chen and Chen Che is still the most feasible.

The two planned to kill Wen Yitong at that body of water and then dump her body in the lush reeds to destroy the evidence. However, unexpectedly, Granny Lin appeared out of nowhere.

Madam Chen had dealt with Granny Lin before, and the moment she saw Granny Lin, she knew that her method was likely to go awry.

Her expression changed several times. After thinking it over carefully, she looked at Chen Che.

After hesitating for a moment, Chen Che was about to speak when Madam Chen said, "Che'er, we must kill her before we reach the next dock..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Che closed his eyes.

"If that's the case, then let's get started."

The waterways here are narrow and there are many boats, so it's not a good place to destroy evidence.

But there are always more solutions than problems.

Wen Yitong's current identity is something that cannot be revealed, and her maids and servants have all disappeared. If they can disfigure Wen Yitong's face so that no one can recognize her, they can successfully escape suspicion.

The neighbors near the Chen family in the capital all knew that they had been implicated by the Duke of Wen's mansion and had hurriedly fled to Jiangnan. They did not abandon Wen Yitong, which earned them a good reputation among the neighbors.

Therefore, no one would know that Wen Yitong died on her way to Jiangnan, and no one would suspect her and her son.

They only need to use Wen Yitong's dowry to establish themselves in Jiangnan.

With victory within reach, they absolutely could not give up.

Madam Chen and Chen Che exchanged a glance, both seeing a determined resolve in each other's eyes.

Inside the cabin, Wen Yitong finally had a premonition of the impending danger.

She locked the door tightly and even piled all the tables and chairs at the entrance, but even so, it did not lessen her fear in the slightest.

The sudden appearance of Granny Lin today, and her impulsive decision to agree to let the Chen family mother and son leave Jiangnan...

Every corner exudes a strangeness.

And now, with her last reliance gone, she is no different from a fish on a chopping board in the eyes of Chen Che and his wife, that vile woman.

She was currently on a large ship, surrounded by water and the Chen family members. Looking around, she didn't even have a chance to escape.

Thinking of this, she became increasingly uneasy.

Wen Yitong sat on the bed with her knees bent, her heart beating faster and faster.

Just then, footsteps sounded at the door.

For a moment, the hairs on her body stood on end.

"Tong'er".

Outside the door came Madam Chen's gentle voice. She knocked on the door, her face expressionless, but her voice was so gentle it seemed to melt your heart.

However, after careful consideration, Wen Yitong's heart pounded when she heard Madam Chen speak.

"What is it?" She controlled her anxious heart, her tone extremely harsh. "If there's nothing, then don't bother me."

Madam Chen's face stiffened. The woman she had married for her son was a powerful figure, and a foolish woman who couldn't see the situation clearly.

Wen Yitong is such a fool. Her family has already fallen on hard times, yet she still acts so high and mighty. Does she really think she is still the young lady of the Wen State Duke's Mansion?

Madam Chen clenched her fists tightly, a fierce look in her eyes.

"You haven't eaten anything all day," Madam Chen said softly. "Why don't you come out and eat something?"

"How can you blame me for this?" Wen Yitong wasn't pretending. After hearing Madam Chen's words, she spoke her mind without thinking. "The food was worse than pig slop, and the boat you chose was dilapidated and unappetizing."

Wen Yitong pointed out all the shortcomings of what Madam Chen and Chen Che had done, which was true, but it still made Madam Chen furious.

The Chen family was just this kind of family, how could they possibly live on delicacies like the Duke of Wen's mansion every day?

The boat she chose was the cheapest one because she was short of money. It wasn't that Wen Yitong was stingy and unwilling to spend money, which is why she ended up staying on such a boat.

Wen Yitong isn't used to living here, but does she think she is?

Ultimately, it was Wen Yitong who was stingy; with so much dowry, she wasn't even willing to part with a single penny to improve the Chen family's miserable life.

The more Madam Chen thought about it, the angrier she became.

Madam Chen remained silent outside the door for a long time. Wen Yitong knew what Madam Chen was thinking, but she had no desire to argue with her. Just thinking about Madam Chen made her feel cold all over.

She knew that Madam Chen and Chen Che probably intended to kill her.

Wen Yitong's expression changed several times, and she simply stopped talking.

There was no movement inside the cabin for a long time. Madam Chen's face was also very ugly. She stared at the door in front of her with a cold expression. After a long time, she left.

Wen Yitong dared not close her eyes, for as soon as she did, she would think of Madam Chen and Chen Che's greedy eyes.

She tossed and turned all night, and finally, at that moment, she came up with a brilliant idea.

"Guards!" she shouted sharply, "I want to see Chen Che!"

She said coldly, "If Chen Che doesn't show up soon, I'll jump off this cliff!"

Wen Yitong's voice was so loud that it almost overturned the entire cabin.

Upon hearing this, those outside dared not delay and quickly went to spread the word.

Chen Che's expression changed upon hearing Wen Yitong's words.

Madam Chen had just returned from being rebuffed by Wen Yitong, and her face was also grim: "What is she trying to do?"

"We'll only know once we get there." Chen Che suppressed his anger. "Now is not a good time to take action; we must keep her calm."

"Very well," Madam Chen gritted her teeth, "Go and take a look."