Guarding the Stepmother? My Mom and I Don’t Need You Chapter 41
Chapter 41 The Crown Prince’s Move
After Wenren Yi and his friend left the Jin Yu Tower, Wen Xueling emerged from the shadows, watching the carriage's retreating back thoughtfully.
She truly hadn’t been mistaken; that gaze had indeed come from him.
Wen Xueling didn’t rush back to the Prime Minister’s Estate, instead going to an abandoned house in Guihua Lane in the southern suburbs. She only returned to the estate as night fell.
As soon as she entered the Small Building in the North Courtyard, Tang Chun hurried over with news.
Wen Jinli had been sitting in the courtyard for a long time. The moment Mu Qingyu returned, he rushed to her, complaining about Wen Xueling’s ingratitude.
He was eventually thrown out by Mu Qingyu.
She frowned slightly. “If he comes again, don’t let him into the courtyard.”
He was clearly there to get his stepsister's house arrest lifted.
Wen Xueling sneered. He truly gained age without gaining sense. Wanting to approach the Crown Prince to lift the ban? Only if the Crown Prince had that power.
The emperor of Rong Kingdom now was still the one in the palace.
Just with a “Qin Tian Ink” formula, he wanted the Crown Prince to offend his imperial father, who already didn't want to let Wen Jin’an off.
Unless......the Crown Prince didn’t want to be Crown Prince anymore.
Wen Xueling’s eyes darkened. Since he didn’t get the ink formula from her today, he and Wen Jin’an would surely not give up.
Remembering the Crown Prince’s misfortune in her previous life, an idea suddenly formed in her mind.
After chatting with Mu Qingyu for a while, Wen Xueling returned to her room to continue meticulously examining the items she’d brought back from Guihua Lane.
That night, the Grand Preceptor’s Estate.
Wenren Yi had just returned to Moju Courtyard from outside when he saw the snowman, which had already melted under the sunlight, reappear on his study window sill.
In......an entirely new form.
The hidden guard knelt.
“Miss Wen climbed in through the back gate’s ladder, built the snowman, and then left. She did not enter the study.”
By the window, a poker-faced small snowman stood in front, with a brightly smiling small snowman beside it, holding a candy fruit and offering it to his lips, seemingly trying to coax him.
Wenren Yi’s gaze paused only for an instant, his brows furrowing slightly as he coldly commanded, “Throw it out.”
The hidden guard was about to act when he suddenly heard that cold, indifferent voice again.
Inside the study, the moonlight-white brocade robe shimmered with silver light under the candlelight. Wenren Yi removed his mask, his peripheral vision lightly glancing at the window sill, muttering “childish” to himself.
The next day, the Small Building in the North Courtyard.
Having endured all those agonizing experiences in her previous life, Wen Xueling deeply understood the importance of a strong physique.
At least, if another snow forest escape were to happen, she could run faster, even faster.
She practiced horse stances in the morning, ran laps around the small courtyard, and even learned a few self-defense moves from the Tang Chun sisters.
Just as she finished her workout and changed, she saw the uninvited Wen Jinli again.
He was blocked outside the courtyard by the Tang Chun sisters, his face unpleasant. Just as he was about to reprimand them, he met Wen Xueling’s cold gaze.
“In the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the Crown Prince will personally arrive at the Prime Minister’s Estate to retrieve the ink-making formula.”
“You still have time to write the ink-making formula now. If you can’t produce the formula later and anger the Crown Prince, Mother will also suffer.”
Knowing that Mu Qingyu was the person Wen Xueling cared about most, Wen Jin’an had given him this idea.
Hearing his coercive words, a flicker of disgust crossed Wen Xueling’s eyes.
But thinking of what she had discussed with her mother last night......
She looked at Wen Jinli’s repulsive face and said something that surprised him.
“If you don’t do as I say, Mother will suffer with you......Hmm? What did you just say?”
Wen Jinli’s eyes widened, suspecting he had misheard.
The courtyard gate was closed.
The dazed Wen Jinli was shut out.
Wen Xueling turned her head and saw Mu Qingyu emerging from the adjacent room.
Mother and daughter’s eyes met.
Mu Qingyu spoke first, “Ling’er, are you all prepared? What if the Crown Prince finds out we’ve schemed against him......”
Although her daughter had told her the plan last night, Mu Qingyu still felt a little worried.
“Don’t worry, Mother.”
Wen Xueling held her hand, comforting her with a smile, “Everything is ready, except for the last push.”
Since Wen Jin’an regarded the Crown Prince as her last resort, she would personally pull this straw away right in front of her.
And let her taste the feeling of her last shred of hope being dashed.
After an incense stick’s worth of time.
When Wen Jinli respectfully led the Crown Prince to the Prime Minister’s Estate’s library, Wen Jin’an had already changed into splendid robes and was waiting there with her face veiled.
“An’an greets His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince.”
Although the Emperor did not permit her to leave the Prime Minister’s Estate, she could still move freely within the residence.
The handsome and dashing man before her was her hope for lifting the house arrest. Wen Jin’an fully displayed a young lady’s shyness, attempting to evoke the Crown Prince’s pity with her delicate and vulnerable appearance.
However, the Crown Prince merely waved his hand, his tone indifferent, “Rise.”
He was more concerned about the ink formula that had been lost for a hundred years. His brow slightly raised, he asked, “Jinli, where is that ink formula now?”
Wen Jinli was about to speak when he heard Wen Xueling’s tardy voice from behind him.
Wen Xueling walked out with a beaming smile, curtseying to the Crown Prince.
“Your Royal Highness, the ink formula is with your humble servant.”
She shook the letter paper in her hand, the ink still fresh, without even an envelope.
Seeing her casual behavior, Wen Jinli frowned and scolded, “Ling’er, don’t be rude to His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince!”
“No matter.” Crown Prince Rong Chen tugged at the corner of his mouth, revealing a gentle and warm smile.
Wen Jinli glared at her. He had already sent a servant boy to call Wen Xueling over, yet she still arrived a step later than the Crown Prince.
She truly was a crude and brainless country sister, unlike An’an, who had a sense of time.
Wen Xueling handed the paper to the Crown Prince’s attendant, not worrying about them seeing the contents.
That paper only contained the necessary raw materials, without any mention of the ink-making steps.
To produce a good ink stick, the process involved was quite profound.
Wen Xueling sipped the hot tea served by a servant, her smile not reaching her eyes.
The middle-aged man who accompanied the Crown Prince was the capital’s foremost ink-maker, specifically for the Imperial Palace, overseeing all the major ink merchants in the realm.
He took the formula from the attendant and examined it carefully. However, every raw material listed on it was not significantly different from what they ordinarily used for ink-making.
“Aside from the pine needles sourced from the foot of Mount Tianshan in the northern regions, there are no other rare raw materials. Is this truly the ‘Qin Tian Ink’ formula?”
Facing his skepticism, Wen Xueling showed no displeasure on her face, but her words sharply rebuked him.
“If you don’t believe it, then you write it?”
“Wen Xueling!” Wen Jinli’s heart leaped. How could she be so rude?
“Why is older brother so angry?”
She put on a bewildered expression, “You threatened and forced me with Mother to get the formula, and now that I’ve given you the formula, what more are you dissatisfied with?”
Wen Jin’an said with disappointment, “Sister, how can you speak to Fourth Brother like that?”
“He’s also doing this so that Qin Tian Ink won’t be lost again. Such a vast and magnanimous heart, yet you misunderstand it as a threat and coercion. Do you know how painful these words are to Fourth Brother?”
“An’an.” Wen Jinli was moved by her words. Indeed, this younger sister understood him better.