Jade of Another World

Three days later, following the Emperor's decree, the Crown Prince toned down his usual arrogance, donned simple yet humble attire, and, accompanied by a retinue, headed towards the residence of Grand Tutor Liu. Upon arriving at the Liu residence, the Crown Prince alighted from his carriage and personally knocked on the door. The gatekeeper, recognizing the Crown Prince, hurried inside to announce his arrival. Shortly after, Grand Tutor Liu emerged with a stern face. Seeing this, the Crown Prince quickly bowed respectfully and said, "Grand Tutor, I acted rashly and improperly a few days ago, and have offended you greatly. Today I have come to apologize to you and hope that you will forgive me and allow me to bring Lin Wan back to the residence."

Grand Tutor Liu snorted coldly, sizing up the Crown Prince with disdain in his eyes, and said, "Your Highness, as the heir apparent, you should be a role model for the people. My poor granddaughter is devoted to you, yet you treat her with such contempt. She suffered humiliation on her wedding day, and you ignored her when she returned home. Is this how you treat your teacher? Is this how the royal family treats its teachers?"

The Crown Prince's face flushed red and then turned pale as he was reprimanded so mercilessly by Grand Tutor Liu. Although he was filled with resentment, he could only say, "Grand Tutor is right. I was indeed wrong. I will definitely correct my mistakes and treat Lin Wan well in the future. I hope you will not hold it against me anymore."

Grand Tutor Liu, however, remained unconvinced and continued, "What you say is true, but who knows what you really think? My Liu family's granddaughter was pampered and spoiled since childhood, yet she has to suffer such grievances in your household. If you truly wish to change your ways, you must show it through concrete actions, not just empty words to deceive us old folks."

The attendants around him were so frightened by Grand Tutor Liu's blunt criticism of the Crown Prince that they dared not breathe. They knew that the Crown Prince was usually very concerned about his reputation and had never been humiliated like this before. They were all secretly worried that the Crown Prince would lose his temper on the spot.

But the Crown Prince suppressed his anger and forced a smile, saying, "Grand Tutor, rest assured, I will remember your teachings today and will never let Wan'er suffer again. Please allow me to take her back to my residence."

Seeing that the Crown Prince's attitude was sincere, Grand Tutor Liu nodded slightly and ordered someone to bring Lin Wan out. Lin Wan felt a mix of emotions upon seeing the Crown Prince. She was happy to be able to return to the Crown Prince's residence, but she was also worried that the Crown Prince would take his anger out on her because of what had happened today.

The Crown Prince looked at Lin Wan, forced a smile, and said, "My beloved consort, let's go back to the manor." Lin Wan quickly agreed and followed the Crown Prince into the carriage.

Throughout the journey, the Crown Prince remained silent with a gloomy face. Lin Wan sat beside him, feeling uneasy and not daring to speak. Upon returning to the Crown Prince's residence, the moment he stepped out of the carriage, his expression turned ferocious. He barked at the servants beside him, "Take Consort Lin to the side courtyard and keep a close watch on her. Without my order, she is not to step out of her room!"

The servants hesitated, given Lin Wan's pregnancy, but seeing the Crown Prince's furious expression, they dared not disobey the order and could only lift Lin Wan up and head towards the side courtyard. Lin Wan, terrified, cried out, "Your Highness, why are you doing this? I'm carrying your child! You can't treat me like this!"

The Crown Prince seemed not to hear him, snorted coldly, turned and left, thinking bitterly to himself, "It's all because of this woman that I was punished by the Emperor and lost face in front of Grand Tutor Liu. If I don't teach her a lesson today, how can I swallow this anger!"

Upon arriving at the side courtyard, the Crown Prince instructed his servants to reduce Lin Wan's food rations, remove some of the charcoal from the room to make it cold and damp, and forbade the maids from properly serving her, providing only rough bedding. Lin Wan was cold and hungry in that room, filled with despair. She never imagined the Crown Prince would treat her so cruelly, completely disregarding the child in her womb. Now, isolated and helpless, she could only weep silently, hoping the Crown Prince would soon calm down and spare her.

In that gloomy and desolate secluded courtyard, Lin Wan's nightmare seemed endless. The Crown Prince's resentment did not diminish with the passage of time; on the contrary, he tormented Lin Wan even more severely.

Every night, the Crown Prince would arrive at this secluded courtyard, radiating a murderous aura. Upon entering, seeing Lin Wan's terrified yet fawning expression, he would sneer with disgust, "Hmph, didn't you use every means to seduce me back then? What, are you scared now? Today I'll let you taste the bitter fruit of your own actions, and let you indulge in your lust to the fullest!" With that, he roughly tore off Lin Wan's clothes, completely ignoring her struggles and pleas.

Lin Wan turned pale with fright. She desperately tried to break free from the Crown Prince's grasp while crying, "Your Highness, please, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me. I was so infatuated with you that I did those things in a moment of confusion. Please, have mercy on me!"

But the Crown Prince wouldn't listen. He snorted coldly, threw Lin Wan hard onto the bed, and continued viciously, "Admire me? You call that admiration? It's clearly just shameless and despicable tactics. On our wedding day, I didn't even go to your side in the bridal chamber. You must hate me to the core, right? Hmph, then I'll let you have your fill of the bridal chamber!"

After saying that, the Crown Prince began to attack Lin Wan. His actions were brutal and showed no mercy. Lin Wan felt as if she were in hell, her body being wantonly ravaged. Every inch of her skin was in excruciating pain. Before long, she was tortured until she was covered in wounds and completely broken.

Lin Wan cried her heart out. She could no longer bear the torment. Suddenly remembering that she had lied about being pregnant, she grasped at this last straw and cried out, "Your Highness, I beg you... I am pregnant! You will hurt the child! This is your own flesh and blood! Please, for the sake of the child, spare me this time!"

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince laughed as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world. His laughter, piercing the quiet courtyard, was particularly jarring. After laughing, he leaned closer to Lin Wan, his eyes filled with contempt and suspicion, and said coldly, "You slut, you dare mention children to me? I even doubt if this child in your belly is mine! Maybe you've been having an affair with some wild man and are using it to blackmail me. Hmph, do you think I'd believe you?"

Lin Wan's eyes widened in disbelief. She never expected the Crown Prince to say such a thing. Her brother, the Crown Prince, was a gentle and refined man, but now he made her feel utterly hopeless. She cried out, "Your Highness, how can you say that? This is truly your child! I swear to heaven, there is not a single lie in it. You cannot wrong me!"

However, the Crown Prince completely ignored her cries and continued his cruel torture, as if venting all his pent-up resentment on Lin Wan. Lin Wan felt as if the sky were falling. She didn't know how much longer she could endure it, silently bearing the endless pain and despair, hoping the Crown Prince would suddenly have a change of heart and spare her. But that faint hope seemed so unattainable in this abyss of darkness.

Lin Wan was unaware that the Crown Prince always wore a mask of humility and politeness. In front of everyone, whether ministers in the court or concubines in the harem, he always behaved with gentleness and respect, making people think that this future heir must be a benevolent person. Especially in front of Consort Xi, he was even more obedient and compliant, following her every word as if he were a filial and sensible son. This earned him high praise from others, who believed that the royal family was truly blessed to have such a crown prince.

However, beneath the mask lies an extremely vicious and ruthless heart. His inner world seems shrouded in darkness; anyone who slightly offends him, even unintentionally, is seen as an unforgivable sin, deserving of a thousandfold revenge.

Take Lin Wan for example. Initially, Lin Wan did use some means to try and marry into the Crown Prince's household. Even so, if the Crown Prince were a magnanimous person, he might have reprimanded or warned her to restrain her behavior, or perhaps, out of consideration for her pregnancy and the influence of Grand Tutor Liu, he might have shown her some leniency and given her a chance to reform. But the Crown Prince was completely different. After being angered by Lin Wan's schemes, a raging fire of hatred burned in his heart. This anger not only did not subside with time, but instead grew stronger, leading him to commit such cruel acts against Lin Wan. He completely disregarded her pleas and the unborn child in her womb, only wanting to vent his anger and make Lin Wan suffer endless pain, as if only in this way could he quell the resentment in his heart.

Looking back at the imperial court, there was once an old minister who, during a court discussion, subtly expressed a different opinion on a suggestion made by the Crown Prince. His words contained no disrespect, but rather stemmed from consideration for the affairs of state, hoping to find a better solution. Yet, this small act of "disobedience" was enough for the Crown Prince to harbor a deep grudge. Afterwards, he secretly instructed his subordinates to fabricate various baseless accusations against the old minister, implicating his entire family. The old minister's property was confiscated, he was exiled, and met a miserable end. But that wasn't all. During his exile, the Crown Prince arranged for assassinations, and he coldly watched as the entire family perished. The Crown Prince showed no remorse, as if it were all their deserved fate.

In the Crown Prince's residence, the maids and servants were even more trembling with fear, lest they inadvertently anger the prince. Once, a young maidservant, while serving the prince tea, accidentally spilled some tea on the hem of his robe. Terrified, the maidservant immediately knelt and begged for forgiveness, repeatedly kowtowing and saying, "Your Highness, please forgive me." But the prince remained expressionless, a ruthless glint in his eyes. He immediately ordered the maidservant dragged away and severely beaten with dozens of strokes of the cane, until her skin was torn and she was on the verge of death. He forbade any medical treatment, leaving her to fend for herself until she died, showing no regard for the maidservant's usual diligent service.

The Crown Prince is such a person; his ruthlessness and cruelty are ingrained in his very bones. His facade of benevolence is merely a means to deceive the masses and consolidate his power. Those who truly understand his nature are terrified, but most dare not speak out, cautiously circling around him, fearing that one day they might become his next target of revenge. If the Crown Prince hasn't yet taken revenge on anyone, it only means he doesn't yet have complete control over that person; otherwise, he would retaliate tenfold, a hundredfold. Peng Yingchun, too, is unaware of this side of the Crown Prince; they both only know the surface of him. Lin Wan now only hopes her grandfather can rescue her. However, the Crown Prince has firmly controlled her, forbidding her from any contact with the outside world. She doesn't know when she can escape this endless hell.

Upon hearing about the series of actions taken by Grand Tutor Liu after his return, Lin Ning frowned slightly, pondering to herself. She knew that Grand Tutor Liu was always shrewd and calculating, and was by no means the kind of person who would act rashly and without considering the consequences.

Logically speaking, if someone truly cares about Lin Wan, they should understand that the most taboo thing in the royal family's territory is to openly oppose the royal family and file a complaint against the Crown Prince in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Although it might vent one's anger temporarily, how could the Crown Prince not hold a grudge against Lin Wan in the future? This would undoubtedly push Lin Wan further into the fire pit, making her life in the Crown Prince's residence even more difficult.

Lin Ning paced back and forth in her courtyard, her mind racing with various possibilities. She wondered if Grand Tutor Liu had truly acted impulsively, blinded by anger, leading to his seemingly reckless behavior. But upon closer examination, it seemed unlikely. Grand Tutor Liu had navigated the treacherous waters of court for many years; what storms hadn't he weathered? How could he so easily lose his temper?

Could there be another purpose? Lin Ning stopped and gazed at the scenery outside the window, feeling increasingly uneasy about the situation. Perhaps Grand Tutor Liu wanted to use this opportunity to establish his authority in the court. After all, he had just returned from quelling the rebellion in Nanzhao. Although he had achieved military merit, the situation in the court was constantly changing. Perhaps he wanted to use this action to show everyone his attitude: even when facing the royal family, he would not back down. This would solidify his prestige and influence in the court, deterring those who were initially wary of him or harbored ill intentions from plotting against him.

Or perhaps, Grand Tutor Liu was deliberately trying to escalate the conflict between Lin Wan and the Crown Prince? Lin Ning felt a chill run down his spine at this thought. Maybe he had a deeper scheme, wanting Lin Wan to come to his aid after the Crown Prince's residence fell into trouble, thus making Lin Wan more dependent on him, her maternal grandfather, so that he could better control her in the future and use the various forces Lin Wan was involved with to gain more benefits for himself. Or perhaps he had some other, even greater ambition.

Another possibility is that Grand Tutor Liu wanted to use this incident to test the Emperor's attitude towards the Crown Prince. He wanted to see how much the Emperor valued the Crown Prince, how the Emperor would weigh the various factions in the court when the Crown Prince made a mistake, and what choices he would make. This would allow Grand Tutor Liu to adjust his own position and strategy in court based on the Emperor's attitude, and how he would choose among the princes to secure a more favorable situation for himself and the Liu family.

The more Lin Ning thought about it, the more she felt there was something fishy going on behind the scenes. Liu Taifu's thoughts were truly unfathomable. She secretly decided to pay close attention to Liu Taifu's subsequent actions, hoping to uncover more clues and make some preparations in advance. After all, this matter involved more than just Lin Wan. Judging from her sister's memories from her previous life, she would not only be implicated but might even be killed.