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

Chapter 123 Treating Her as Before

Xie Jinghan frowned deeply, and when Granny Qi saw this, she felt uneasy.

"Your Highness, what this old servant said is entirely reasonable."

If it were anyone else from the Prince Jing's mansion, they would probably have hesitated to leave because of Xie Jinghan's expression. But Granny Qi was different. She was Xie Jinghan's wet nurse, and even the Emperor and Empress had not spent as much time with him as she had.

Granny Qi thought Xie Jinghan was misled by those rumors, and her gaze became increasingly dissatisfied.

"Granny, I haven't finished speaking yet."

Xie Jinghan felt somewhat helpless.

Seeing Qi Mama's displeasure, he continued, "These rumors are secretly slandering the Princess's innocence and must be severely punished."

"And what about the princess?" Granny Qi asked warily.

Severely punishing these people may be for the sake of the Prince Jing's reputation, but not for the sake of the Princess Consort.

Xie Jinghan sighed: "Does the old woman think I'm such a cold-blooded person?"

“She is my wife. She has suffered this calamity because of me. How could I abandon her because of some unfounded rumors?” Xie Jinghan’s tone gradually became firm under Qi Mama’s gaze. “Besides, she is the wife I personally chose.”

Xie Jinghan did not hide his true intentions from Granny Qi.

Hearing this, Granny Qi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Your Highness, you had better remember what you said today."

She was still worried and repeatedly warned, "It is our blessing that such a good person as the Princess Consort has married into our Jingwang Mansion."

Granny Qi was not exaggerating when she said this.

She had met Wen Yitong before, who was praised to the skies. Wen Yitong was indeed a well-bred lady with a reputation for talent, and on the surface, she was indeed a good mistress.

Unfortunately, she was raised by her mother and had the same appetite as her mother. Even before marrying into the Jing Prince's Mansion, she regarded the Jing Prince's Mansion as her private property.

If she were the Princess Consort of Jing, after all these events, she probably wouldn't even respect her anymore and would be wary of her. The matter at Quanshui Manor would be far from over.

In contrast, Wen Shuyao, though talented, knew how to conceal her abilities and was also skilled in managing a household. She never beat or scolded her servants.

With such a kind mistress, the Prince Jing's mansion was able to get through these days peacefully.

Xie Jinghan holds a high position and enjoys a glamorous public image, but the hardships he endures behind the scenes are only visible to those close to him.

At this time, Wen Shuyao's presence becomes crucial.

Despite Granny Qi's repeated admonitions, Xie Jinghan didn't take them to heart.

Once he's made up his mind, even the emperor can't change it.

Wen Shuyao was the princess he had chosen.

Seeing that Granny Qi was about to continue, Xie Jinghan said helplessly, "Granny, I grew up in the army. For more than 20 years, I have spent 20 years at the border. The border is adjacent to the Northern Di, and you are familiar with the customs of the Northern Di."

“I’ve seen that kind of custom before. Even if the princess is innocent, or even if…” He paused for a moment, and continued under the shocked gaze of Granny Qi, “no matter what happens to her, she is still my princess.”

He is not a rigid or conservative person; if he were, he would not have achieved what he has today.

Granny Qi was first shocked, then smiled knowingly.

"This old servant knows all that," she said with a smile. "You like the Princess Consort, so in your eyes, the Princess Consort is naturally perfect in every way."

"Now this old servant only hopes that the Prince's Mansion can have a young prince or a young princess." As she spoke, she bowed to the sky, "If the Empress Dowager is watching over us, please bless the Princess with a happy pregnancy soon."

Xie Jinghan said helplessly, "You know perfectly well..."

Granny Qi waved her hand, saying, "This old servant knows nothing."

Even knowing that Xie Jinghan and Wen Shuyao don't have any feelings for each other yet, Xie Jinghan's different attitude towards Wen Shuyao has already shown signs. If the two spend more time together, how can they not have feelings for each other?

Even a woman over fifty years old like Wen Shuyao couldn't help but be moved by her face, let alone Xie Jinghan.

Such a beauty could surely melt Xie Jinghan's heart.

Just then, the maid inside the room whispered, "The princess has woken up."

Upon hearing this, Xie Jinghan lifted his foot to go inside, only to find that Granny Qi was looking at him with a smile.

He stopped in his tracks, only to see Granny Qi wave her hand.

She smiled knowingly; "Your Highness, please wait here. This old servant will go to the kitchen to check on the medicinal cuisine."

Seeing Xie Jinghan and Wen Shuyao get along well, she was happier than anyone else.

Seeing that Dean Zhou was about to leave, she quickly stepped forward.

"Director Zhou, this old servant has a favor to ask."

Knowing Qi Mama's status in the Prince Jing's mansion, the head of the Imperial Academy, Zhou, dared not accept her bow and quickly returned the greeting: "Mama, please speak frankly."

"This..." Granny Qi smiled, leaned closer to Chief Physician Zhou, and asked in a low voice, "Chief Physician Zhou has been in the Imperial Hospital for many years and has read countless ancient books and prescriptions. Does he know of any... medicinal diet recipes that can enhance the enjoyment without harming the body?"

Before Zhou Yuanzheng could ask, she explained, "As you know, our Prince is over twenty years old and has no children. It's not just a small person like me; even His Majesty and the Empress are very worried about him."

Upon hearing this, Chief Physician Zhou nodded knowingly: "Of course, I will send someone to deliver the prescription another day."

Unexpectedly, Granny Qi waved her hand and said, "Don't wait for another day. Write the prescription down for me today so I can try it out. If it works, I'll brew it for Your Highness."

She was very anxious. Before Zhou Yuanzheng could think it over, she had already pulled him to a side hall. Paper, ink, brush and inkstone were all laid out in front of him. After only a moment of contemplation, Zhou Yuanzheng gave several prescriptions.

Granny Qi looked at the prescriptions and carefully memorized what Doctor Zhou had said, taking it very seriously.

In the bedroom, Xie Jinghan looked at Wen Shuyao who had woken up, and before she could speak, he considerately brought her a glass of warm water.

"The imperial physician said that you were overwhelmed with worry, which is why you fell into a deep sleep." Xie Jinghan felt a softening in his heart as he watched her sip warm water.

Wen Shuyao felt quite uncomfortable being stared at by him, and lowered her eyes to avoid his gaze.

When Xie Jinghan woke up, he seemed like a completely different person.

Before she knew it, a strand of her hair fell down, tickling her neck. She moved her head, but before she could reach out, a large hand was already in front of her.

It turned out that Xie Jinghan had reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair from her temple behind her ear.

Wen Shuyao was stunned, and Xie Jinghan, realizing what he had done, also froze on the spot.

The two looked at each other, and Wen Shuyao quickly lowered her head again.

A faint blush spread across Wen Shuyao's face. She stammered, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I'm fine. If there's nothing else..."

"I have something to say." Xie Jinghan spoke, leaving Wen Shuyao with no excuse to turn her away.