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

Chapter 280 Kill him

After Wen Shuyao finished speaking, her figure drifted away.

Madam Wen remained standing there, gripping Lin Mama's hand tightly.

At this moment, Madam Wen felt ice-cold all over, as if she were in an ice cellar. No matter what she wanted to say, she could no longer bring herself to speak.

Seeing her ashen face, Lin Mama's heart sank: "Madam, what did you promise her?"

Madam Wen tremblingly raised her head, her gaze falling on a withered chrysanthemum in the distance. Looking at this chrysanthemum, she seemed to see herself in the near future.

She whispered, "Children are all debts."

Upon hearing this, Granny Lin was struck dumb. She hurriedly grabbed Madam Wen's hand: "Madam! It's not worth it! The eldest young lady hates us to the bone. Even if you do as she says, you may not be able to save the second young lady's life."

"Although the young lady is threatening you, it also proves that only you can do what she wants to do. We might as well seize this point and then use the Imperial Concubine..."

"What about the Imperial Concubine?" Madam Wen said weakly. "My sister... has been executed by His Majesty with a white silk ribbon. The Zhang family is doomed. I'm afraid I'm the only one left in the entire Zhang family who will survive."

Upon hearing this, Granny Lin froze on the spot.

Granny Lin clenched her hands nervously, licked her dry lips, and her mind went blank.

Consort Zhang is dead? And the Zhang family is implicated? What serious crime did she commit? Could she have been involved in a rebellion?

She had many questions in her mind, but Madam Wen gave a bitter smile and answered her confusion: "She was having an affair with the Second Prince... and His Majesty caught her red-handed."

Granny Lin opened her mouth wide, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

How could this happen... how could such a thing happen?

Consort Zhang is so audacious! No wonder the Emperor was furious with the Zhang family. No man could bear such a cuckold's horns, let alone the Emperor.

In this way... Madam Wen was truly left all alone.

With pity in her eyes, Lin Mama made her final plea: "Madam, if you still have your life, you will surely be able to avenge Miss. But if you are gone, given Miss's temperament, I'm afraid she will never be able to avenge you in this lifetime."

Madam Wen waved her hand: "I know that you mean well, but... if I agree to Wen Shuyao's request, Tong'er will still have a chance to live. But if I don't agree to Wen Shuyao's request, with her current methods, she has a million ways to make Tong'er and me suffer a terrible death."

"We'll save as many as we can," Madam Wen murmured. "Under the current circumstances, unless time is reversed, we have no other chance."

This was essentially telling Granny Lin that the situation was hopeless.

Lin Mama closed her eyes briefly, then finally sighed, "This servant understands."

“Madam, no matter what you do, I will stay by your side.” She held Madam Wen’s hands tightly. “I will never abandon you, Madam.”

She watched Madam Wen grow up and treated her like her own daughter. Madam Wen was willing to die for her daughter, so she was naturally willing to give everything for Madam Wen.

Madam Wen's eyes were filled with tears: "Granny, I won't be a burden to you."

"You will leave first thing tomorrow morning," she said softly. "I will give you the indenture. You will leave the Duke of Wen's mansion and wait for Tong'er to return... Please take good care of her for me."

Her life was doomed.

She could only think of relying on Granny Lin to protect Wen Yitong. Her mistake was that she spoiled Wen Yitong too much because she felt sorry for her, so much so that Wen Yitong had no scheming or cunning. If she wasn't there, her Tong'er... would only be bullied.

Only with Granny Lin around could she protect her to some extent.

Madam Wen had already planned everything out, and her decision was something that even Granny Lin couldn't change.

After a moment of contemplation, Granny Lin sighed, "I understand, and I will certainly not let you down."

She always did her best for Madam Wen.

Since Madam Wen wants her to live, then she will live.

Madam Wen's eyes were filled with tears, as were those of Granny Lin. The two held hands tightly, and when their eyes met, Granny Lin understood everything.

"This servant will definitely protect you, Miss, and will never let you be harmed again."

Madam Wen nodded and whispered a few words in Lin Mama's ear.

Lin Mama readily agreed, and Madam Wen finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Her gaze fell on the front hall, where she could vaguely see the figure of Duke Wen.

Madam Wen's eyes were sharp, and her last words reached Lin Mama's ears: "I want him dead."

At this moment, her hatred for Duke Wen was unprecedented. She hated Duke Wen to the core, and even if Wen Shuyao didn't say anything, she would never let Duke Wen go.

She is determined to take the life of Duke Wen!

Lin Mama knew where Madam Wen's murderous intent came from, and she knew what Madam Wen was going to do next.

But Lin Mama simply turned a blind eye to it.

"You can do whatever you want."

Lin Mama added at the end, "Anyway, you have no more concerns."

Both Consort Zhang and the Zhang family were once constraints imposed on Madam Wen. For their sake, Madam Wen had to suppress her sharpness and obediently play the role of the Duchess.

But now... the Duke of Wen's mansion is on the verge of collapse, and Consort Zhang and the Zhang family no longer exist. She doesn't need to worry about anything anymore; she only needs to fight her way out for Wen Yitong.

"Tomorrow morning, you will..."

Madam Wen whispered a few words of advice to Granny Lin.

Inside the front hall, Duke Wen was completely unaware of the impending danger.

He sat below Xie Jinghan, rubbing his hands uncomfortably, pondering how he should ask Xie Jinghan to help him gain a foothold in the court.

The Duke of Wen was no longer terrified. He believed that with the Prince of Xin dead, he could still retain his title of Duke.

Catching a fleeting glint of coldness in Xie Jinghan's eyes, Duke Wen's heart trembled, yet he couldn't suppress the yearning in his heart, asking, "Your Highness, there's been a major upheaval in the court, and I'm afraid many positions are vacant. What do you think..."

"After all, I am Shu Yao's father. If I could hold an official position in the court, it would be a great honor for Shu Yao."

Knowing he couldn't speak to Xie Jinghan, he deliberately dragged Wen Shuyao into the situation.

Previously, due to Madam Wen, he had been stripped of his sinecure in the court. Now he was hoping to get a position again through Xie Jinghan, preferably a higher one than before.

Thinking of this, Duke Wen felt a surge of joy.

However, after glancing at him, Xie Jinghan suddenly spoke up: "There are indeed quite a few vacancies in the court, but such an important matter requires the Emperor's decision. I cannot make the decision for the Emperor."

Duke Wen smiled sheepishly, not taking it to heart.

Everyone knows that the emperor dotes on Xie Jinghan, so how could he possibly refuse Xie Jinghan's small request?