jdhmnovel Chapter 167 Release from Prison
Chapter 167 Release from Prison
The words spoken by the Northern Di princess at the welcoming banquet quickly spread throughout the city.
No one expected that the previous rumors would come true on this day.
Xie Jinghan is the God of War of Dali. It is because of him that Dali's borders can live in peace.
His existence is of paramount importance to Dali.
But now, Xie Jinghan has become entangled with the Northern Di princess.
Immediately, the court was abuzz with discussion, and even the common people in the capital began to have doubts.
Today, it happens that Madam Wen has just been released from prison.
She was exposed to the long-awaited sunlight, the intense sunlight stinging her eyes and causing them to tear up incessantly.
These tears also brought out the pent-up frustration in her heart.
A simple carriage was waiting nearby, without even the insignia of the Duke of Wen's mansion.
Lady Wen, however, sensed in her heart that this was the carriage that had come to pick her up.
"Mother!"
Wen Yitong lifted the car curtain, her eyes filled with unease.
"Please come up quickly!"
At that moment, Granny Lin jumped off the carriage and ran towards Madam Wen.
When Madam Wen saw them, her tears flowed even more fiercely.
God knows how she's been getting through these days!
Although only five days had passed, it felt like she had been inside for five years. The saying "each day feels like a year" perfectly describes it!
Seeing that she looked haggard and listless, Lin Mama felt sorry for her and helped her to her side: "Madam, don't be afraid, your servant and Miss have come to take you home."
Madam Wen leaned helplessly against Granny Lin, but the closer she got to the carriage, the more puzzled she became.
Even the carriages used by the servants of the Duke of Wen's mansion for purchasing goods should not look like this!
Thinking of this, Madam Wen's face grew even more unpleasant.
She was not stupid; once she calmed down, she realized that this might be the Duke of Wen's intention.
"Where is he?" Madam Wen gritted her teeth in hatred. "Most of Baohua Pavilion's income over the years has gone into his pocket. I suffered for him, and this is how he treats me?"
Meeting Madam Wen's hateful eyes, Granny Lin sighed softly to herself, "Madam, please don't be angry with Master, after all, things are different now..."
Now that Madam Wen's reputation is ruined, she can't return to the Zhang family, and she has no one to rely on in the palace. If she doesn't stay in the Duke Wen's mansion, where else can she go? After the Baohua Pavilion incident, almost all of Madam Wen's private property was confiscated by the government.
Seeing Madam Wen's unpleasant expression, Lin Mama thought long and hard before finally telling Madam Wen about the current situation.
So much has happened in just five days.
Upon learning that her private property had been confiscated by the government, Madam Wen was stunned: "How could this be? What right do they have...?"
"The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review personally led the men here. Even though the master was heartbroken, he still obediently allowed them to open the storeroom door." As Lin Mama said this, there was a hint of resentment towards Duke Wen in her tone.
If Duke Wen had not been weak and incompetent, how could Madam Wen have ended up like this?
There were quite a few noble ladies in the capital who lent money at exorbitant interest rates, but only Madam Wen was arrested and imprisoned in the Dali Temple. This was not only due to Wen Shuyao's secret interference, but also inseparable from the weakness of Duke Wen.
If they weren't already homeless, she would never have wanted Madam Wen to return to that den of wolves.
Over the years, Duke Wen has been enjoying himself with the dowry left by Chu Wanqing, and the money he lost has been made up by Madam Wen. Not only does he not know how to be grateful, but he also feels that he deserves it all.
Of all the people Lin Mama had ever met in her life, if Duke Wen claimed to be second, no one would dare to claim to be first.
Madam Wen's vision went black. She gripped the window sill of the carriage tightly and said hatefully, "If I have to go back to the Duke of Wen's mansion, then my face will have been completely trampled under his feet!"
She didn't need to guess to imagine the smug look on Duke Wen's face.
At this moment, Wen Yitong, who had been silent all along, suddenly said, "Mother, why don't you come to my place?"
“The courtyard you prepared for me before was small, with only three courtyards, but it was enough for us to live in.” As she said this, she secretly clenched her hands. “It’s just that with that old hag around, I’m worried that she might say something outrageous to you, Mother.”
Lin Mama's eyes lit up; this was indeed a good idea.
The Duke of Wen has squandered almost all of his ancestors' wealth over the years. If Madam Wen goes back, she will be facing a huge mess. It would be better for her to go to Wen Yitong's place to lay low for a while and wait for Consort Zhang's reply...
After thinking it over carefully, Granny Lin realized that Wen Yitong's suggestion was a good one.
Madam Wen's eyes welled up with tears: "Tong'er, you've suffered so much."
“Wait for your aunt’s reply…” she said, her face darkening, “I’m going to make Wen Shuyao pay!”
Having been to the Dali Temple, she now hates Wen Shuyao to the core and wants to skin her alive!
Mentioning Wen Shuyao, Wen Yitong gritted her teeth in hatred: "Mother, once...that person's plan succeeds, Wen Shuyao will definitely not have a good end! Don't worry! She will get her retribution sooner or later!"
Upon hearing this, Madam Wen's face stiffened.
She suddenly remembered that Wen Yitong already knew her true identity.
"You've suffered so much..." She patted Wen Yitong's shoulder, her eyes filled with resentment, as if recalling the past. "Back then, the Princess Consort of Xin was very jealous. If she had known about my relationship with the Prince of Xin, and about your existence, neither my daughter nor I would have escaped."
What she didn't say was that back then, Prince Xin's decline was already evident, and coupled with his lack of self-restraint, he almost followed in the footsteps of several other princes who were executed. After discussing it with her sister, she ultimately chose Duke Wen.
Duke Wen was handsome and came from a prestigious family. He was a highly sought-after young talent in the court at the time.
In addition, she always harbored a competitive spirit towards Chu Wanqing. If she could steal Chu Wanqing's man and see the always aloof Chu Wanqing suffering unbearable pain, she would feel refreshed and invigorated.
So she seduced the Duke of Wen and forgot all about Prince Xin.
Fortunately, she had broken off contact with Prince Xin before, so her actions could not be considered a betrayal of his trust.
Who would have thought that her one night of intimacy with Prince Xin would result in the birth of Wen Yitong.
In order to ensure Wen Yitong's safe delivery, she chose to expose her affair with Duke Wen to Chu Wanqing.
Then, Chu Wanqing discovered the secret that Prince Xin's legs were intact. She personally fed poison to Chu Wanqing and watched the lively Chu Wanqing die in front of her.
She and Chu Wanqing were best friends who grew up together.
She had always known how good Chu Wanqing had been to her.
But the women of the Zhang family have always been more ambitious than this; what they want has never been these small favors.
She wanted to be the Duchess of the State, or perhaps she also wanted to become the Empress!
Looking back now, keeping Wen Yitong was truly the best thing she ever did.
She broke off her relationship with Prince Xin long ago, and only reconnected with him after Chu Wanqing's death. By then, Prince Xin's legs were crippled and he had become unpredictable.
Princess Xin was also accidentally killed by Prince Xin during one of his drunken episodes. It was only then that she learned that Prince Xin's health had been ruined by the drugs she had used over the years.
He could no longer have sexual relations, so naturally he had no offspring.
Her Tong'er will be the only bloodline of Prince Xin!
After learning this, and given the gradual decline of the Wen State Duke's Mansion over the years, Madam Wen shifted her focus back to Prince Xin.
In a chance encounter, Prince Xin learned of Wen Yitong's true identity. Overjoyed, he even considered marrying her. However, he had to be careful not to attract the emperor's attention again, so he suppressed his feelings.
However, due to her sister's plans and her own selfish desires, she had no choice but to stay in the Duke of Wen's mansion.
However, the two maintained contact in secret and even met privately every month.
"If it weren't for that one wrong decision I made back then..." Madam Wen murmured, "you should have been a princess."
“If you were a princess, Wen Shuyao wouldn’t even be worthy to carry your shoes!” Madam Wen’s face twisted as she spoke. “Tong’er, it’s all my fault.”
Although Wen Yitong felt regretful, upon hearing Madam Wen's words, she quickly shook her head: "Mother, how can you blame me? In the past ten years or so, I have lived no worse than those princesses."
"It's only because Wen Shuyao is too cunning that my daughter and I have ended up in this state," Wen Yitong said bitterly. "That bitch must have deliberately plotted against you! I will never let her get away with this!"
As she spoke, she gripped Lady Wen's hand tightly: "I have already spoken to my father, and he said he will make sure Wen Shuyao tastes the humiliation you have suffered! You can rest assured!"
When she uttered the words "Father," Wen Yitong was beaming with pride.
She never imagined that she could have such a noble status.
Wen Shuyao is nothing but a nobody; how can she compare to her naturally noble bloodline?
Madam Wen noticed her expression and felt a chill run down her spine. She quickly reminded her, "Tong'er, you can't say such things carelessly."
Seeing that Wen Yitong didn't seem to care, Madam Wen thought it over and decided to tell her the truth: "Your father is planning something big. If it succeeds, your status will be hundreds of times higher than this. If it fails... it will be a fatal disaster!"
"Besides the three of us, no one else can know your true identity." Madam Wen said solemnly, "Do you understand?"
Wen Yitong's heart trembled. Being from a noble family, she was much more sensitive to these things than ordinary people. After Madam Wen said these words, she realized that her father might be plotting a rebellion!
"rebellion!"
As soon as Wen Yitong opened her mouth to say those two words, Madam Wen covered her mouth tightly.
Madam Wen had been tortured in prison for five days and was already exhausted, but Wen Yitong's words instantly alerted her, and she stared at Wen Yitong with fierce eyes.
Wen Yitong was almost out of breath, but Lin Mama kept urging her, "Madam, please give Miss a break!"
"Stop talking nonsense!" Although Madam Wen released her grip, her eyes remained fierce. "This could cost you your head!"
Wen Yitong quickly shook her head: "Mother, I was just too surprised! Don't worry, I will never say such things again!"
Even so, her heart was still pounding with this guess.