Jade of Another World

The news of the Crown Prince's wedding caused a stir throughout the capital, with everyone talking about the upcoming grand celebration. However, when Lin Wan heard the news, she was struck dumb, her face instantly turning ashen. A surge of resentment and anger welled up within her, and she immediately rushed towards Lin Ning's residence.

Lin Wan hurried along and arrived at Lin Ning's courtyard. Ignoring the maid's attempts to stop her, she rushed straight into the house. Lin Ning was sitting by the window, holding a medical book and studying it carefully. Startled by the sudden commotion, she looked up and saw Lin Wan. Her brows furrowed slightly, and she already knew why Lin Wan had come.

Lin Wan stood in the center of the room, her chest heaving violently, her eyes wide open, pointing at Lin Ning and roaring, "Lin Ning, what exactly are you doing? You promised to help me marry into the Crown Prince's household, but now the news of the Crown Prince's wedding is known to everyone, and that bitch Peng Yingchun is going to become the Crown Princess, and what about me? Did you never intend to genuinely help me and have just been fobbing me off all along!"

Lin Ning gently closed the medical book, stood up, and maintained a calm expression. She said slowly, "The Crown Prince marrying his principal wife was inevitable, and it's exactly the result we wanted. Think about it, the royal family values ​​etiquette above all else. If the Crown Prince doesn't even marry his principal wife, what's the point of having a concubine? Now that Peng Yingchun has become the Crown Princess, it's a foregone conclusion. Only after marrying the principal wife can we take a concubine. After all, the Crown Prince is different from other princes; he has to be careful in everything he says and does. Given Consort Xi's personality, she won't allow the Crown Prince to have any stain on his reputation. So if you want to marry into the family, the Crown Prince needs to marry his principal wife first before we can start planning."

Lin Wan was stunned by Lin Ning's words. Although she felt there was some truth to them, jealousy and resentment still churned within her. She gritted her teeth and said bitterly, "Hmph, even if what you say makes sense, I just can't swallow this! Why can Peng Yingchun become the Crown Princess so gloriously first, while I have to be inferior to her? How long am I supposed to wait!"

Looking at Lin Wan's embarrassed and helpless appearance, Lin Ning secretly found it amusing, but still patiently continued to persuade her: "I know you're not feeling well, but this is the situation now, and we can only go with the flow. Right now, we can only take it one step at a time, and we must not be impatient."

Lin Wan completely ignored Lin Ning's advice. She walked up to Lin Ning, stared at her intently, and said in a firm tone, "No! I don't care what method you use, I must marry into the Crown Prince's residence with Peng Yingchun. I don't want to enter after her. How can I hold my head up in the Crown Prince's residence then? If you can't do it, hmph, you can forget about finding out where your mother's body is!"

Lin Ning was both angry and resentful of Lin Wan's shameless behavior, but when she thought of her mother's body still being held in Lin Wan's hands, she could only suppress her anger and said, "Marrying into the Crown Prince's residence is not such a simple matter. There are many factors to consider. Please give me some time so that I can think of a solution."

Lin Wan snorted coldly, crossed her arms, and said, "I don't have that much patience to wait for you. You'd better come up with a solution quickly, or we'll see!" After saying that, she turned and left, her hurried footsteps seemingly venting her resentment.

Watching Lin Wan's departing figure, Lin Ning sighed helplessly, thinking to herself that Lin Wan had truly been blinded by power and vanity, becoming increasingly unreasonable. However, since she was so eager to court death, what reason did she have not to grant her wish?

The day of the Crown Prince's wedding arrived quickly, and the entire capital was immersed in a lively and joyous atmosphere. The streets and alleys were decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and bright red lanterns hung from the eaves of every household, their vibrant colors seemingly dyeing the sky a festive red.

The roads leading from the palace to the Crown Prince's residence were already packed with people who had come to witness the ceremony. Their faces beamed with excitement and curiosity, eager to see this rare and grand spectacle. Street vendors were also busy, selling various celebratory trinkets: exquisite paper-cut "double happiness" characters, auspicious sachets, and love knots tied with red silk. Their shouts and laughter mingled together, making the already bustling street even more lively.

Inside the palace, everything was resplendent in gold and jade, showcasing the majesty and luxury of the imperial family. Outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, rows of officials dressed in magnificent court robes stood in neat rows, their embroidered garments shimmering brilliantly in the sunlight. Each of them wore a respectful and obsequious smile, offering their most sincere blessings to the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince was dressed in an incomparably magnificent wedding robe, predominantly bright yellow, embroidered with lifelike dragon and phoenix patterns in gold thread. Every stitch and thread reflected the exquisite skills of the court embroiderers, making the dragons and phoenixes seem to soar and swim within the robe, exuding an air of nobility. Wearing a golden crown, the jewels inlaid on it shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight. Tall and handsome, his face radiant with the joy of his impending marriage, he stood before the palace, awaiting the auspicious hour for the wedding procession.

Meanwhile, Peng Yingchun's residence was also bustling with activity. The entire Peng family was a flurry of activity, with maids coming and going, making final preparations for Peng Yingchun's upcoming departure. Peng Yingchun wore a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe. The coronet, adorned with pearls and gemstones, swayed gently with her movements, emitting a soft sheen. The embroidery on the robe was exquisite and delicate, every detail revealing the nobility bestowed by the imperial court. Sitting before her dressing table, she looked at her radiant reflection in the mirror, feeling both joy and disappointment; after all, this was a momentous occasion that would determine her fate.

At the auspicious hour, the wedding procession set off in a grand procession. Leading the way were guards on tall horses, each one spirited and sharp, their armor gleaming in the sunlight. Following behind was an extremely luxurious sedan chair, crafted entirely from the finest golden nanmu wood and inlaid with various precious gems. The curtains were made of the finest red silk, embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in the water, symbolizing marital harmony. Around the sedan chair were numerous palace maids carrying trays filled with various auspicious items. Wherever the wedding procession went, the people cheered and shouted, and firecrackers crackled and popped incessantly, the deafening sound seemingly spreading the joy to every corner of the capital. The entire capital was enveloped in this grand celebration, and this wedding, like a dazzling symbol, was etched into everyone's memory, becoming a topic of conversation among people. However, behind this prosperity and joy, how many people harbored ulterior motives and secretly plotted their own schemes? Everything was quietly surging beneath the lively surface.

At the wedding banquet, guests gathered in large numbers, and the entire banquet hall was bustling with activity, filled with a festive atmosphere. Round tables laden with delicacies were arranged in an orderly fashion, the cups and saucers on them all exquisite porcelain, gleaming warmly in the candlelight. The air was filled with the aroma of food and the rich scent of wine, intertwining to create a truly intoxicating ambiance.

Officials, dressed in magnificent court robes, took their seats with their families. With polite smiles on their faces, they stepped forward one by one to present the Crown Prince and Crown Princess with carefully prepared congratulatory gifts, uttering various auspicious and wishing them a long and happy marriage. Their words were full of respect and flattery towards the royal family.

The Lin and Liu families also attended the banquet. Their arrival was a spectacular sight, drawing admiring glances from onlookers. The Liu family head had not yet returned to the capital, so his wife was dressed in her finest attire. Her jewels shone brightly under the lights, but her brow was slightly furrowed, as if she were preoccupied. As she walked, she lowered her voice and solemnly instructed Lin Wan beside her, “Wan’er, you must remain calm in this situation. Don’t act impulsively or do anything foolish. Although the situation seems unfavorable right now, as long as we stay composed, we still have a chance to turn things around when your grandfather returns. Do you understand?”

Lin Wan nodded slightly and replied, "Grandmother, I understand." But she didn't take the words of the Liu family matriarch to heart at all. Her gaze was fixed on the Crown Prince and Peng Yingchun not far ahead. Seeing their happy faces, the jealousy in her heart grew wildly like weeds, and she couldn't stop it.

Lin Wan had her own plans in mind. She thought about the plan Lin Ning had told her. Although it was risky, if it succeeded, she could marry into the Crown Prince's residence with Peng Yingchun, even if it was just as a concubine. That would still fulfill her wish. Therefore, she was now focused on finding the right opportunity to implement the plan, and she didn't care about the warning from the Liu family matriarch.

While she was giving perfunctory replies to the matriarch of the Liu family, she silently reviewed each step of her plan in her mind, her eyes discreetly observing the movements of everyone in the banquet hall, waiting for what she considered to be the opportune moment. The surrounding laughter and clinking of glasses seemed to become insignificant background noise to her ears; her mind was entirely focused on how to achieve her ulterior motives.

Seeing Lin Wan's seemingly obedient and docile demeanor, the matriarch of the Liu family assumed that Lin Wan had truly taken her words to heart, and thus relaxed slightly. She began to exchange pleasantries with the other ladies beside her. However, she never imagined that Lin Wan was already determined to marry into the Crown Prince's residence today, and that she had planned everything in her heart.

At the grand and lively Crown Prince's wedding banquet, everyone was immersed in the festive atmosphere, toasting and laughing. But Lin Wan harbored her own sinister intentions, secretly searching for an opportunity.

Taking advantage of the fact that everyone's attention was drawn to the song and dance performances at the banquet after several rounds of drinks, Lin Wan quietly slipped out of the banquet hall, found a clever little maid, stuffed a jade pendant into her hand, and whispered in her ear, "Go and tell the Crown Prince that I have something important to discuss with him. If he doesn't come, I will tear off all pretenses on this joyous day and reveal all the things that happened before. Then everyone will lose face, and he will naturally know what I mean."

Hearing this, the young maid was somewhat frightened, so she hurriedly walked towards the main table where the Crown Prince was. At that moment, the Crown Prince was talking with several important officials. The young maid carefully approached the Crown Prince and whispered Lin Wan's words to him.

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince's face immediately turned extremely ugly. He was both shocked and furious, but he also knew Lin Wan's temperament well. If he really pushed her too far and she made a scene in public, it would be disastrous. Today was his wedding day, and if any scandal broke out, the royal family would lose all face. Helpless, the Crown Prince had to make up an excuse, saying that he had spilled wine on his clothes and needed to change. Then he quietly walked towards the place Lin Wan had indicated.

Lin Wan had been waiting for a long time in a secluded palace room. When she saw the Crown Prince arrive, a triumphant smile appeared on her face. She said coquettishly, "Your Highness, you've finally arrived. I've been waiting for you for so long." As she spoke, she stepped forward and leaned against the Crown Prince's chest, feigning weakness.

The Crown Prince frowned, pushed Lin Wan away with displeasure, and scolded, "Lin Wan, what exactly do you want? Today is my wedding day. Are you trying to ruin my good occasion by making such a fuss?"

Lin Wan, however, paid no heed to the Crown Prince's reprimand. She smiled gently, took out a cup of wine that had been prepared beforehand from her sleeve, and handed it to the Crown Prince. Her eyes were full of seductive charm as she said, "Your Highness, please calm down. Don't you know how distressed I am? Consider this cup of wine my apology to Your Highness."

The Crown Prince refused, knowing Lin Wan's wine was unsafe. However, Lin Wan had indeed drugged the incense in the room. Persuading him to drink was merely a delaying tactic; soon the drug took effect. The Crown Prince felt intensely hot, his consciousness gradually blurring. Lin Wan seized the opportunity to help the Crown Prince to the bedside, a sinister smile on her face, her mind racing.

At that moment, the commotion in the secluded room was noticed by a passing eunuch. This eunuch was one of the people Consort Xi had arranged to watch over the Crown Prince, and he quickly ran to inform Consort Xi of the situation.