Jade of Another World

As dawn broke, after the Crown Prince rose and left, Lin Wan hurriedly summoned her trusted maid, took out a pre-written letter, and solemnly instructed, "Find a reliable person and make sure this letter reaches Grand Tutor Liu as soon as possible. This matter is of great importance, and no mistakes can be tolerated." The maid acknowledged and carefully took the letter out.

After receiving Lin Wan's letter, Grand Tutor Liu opened it and chuckled inwardly, thinking that Lin Wan was truly foolish. In the letter, Lin Wan earnestly requested Grand Tutor Liu's help to become the Crown Princess, her words filled with longing and eagerness for that prestigious position.

Grand Tutor Liu shook his head slightly, a mocking smile on his face, before picking up his pen to reply to Lin Wan. In the letter, he wrote bluntly: "Lin Wan, don't let your imagination run wild. Even if Peng Yingchun is never found, the Crown Prince will never make you his Crown Princess. Look at the current situation; the Crown Prince's mind is entirely focused on Lin Ning, scheming every day how to get her. You, in the Crown Prince's heart, are nothing but a dispensable person; don't waste your energy."

After receiving Grand Tutor Liu's reply, Lin Wan was so angry that her face turned red. She crumpled the letter into a ball and said through gritted teeth, "How dare you look down on me like this! I will make the Crown Prince look at me with new eyes, and I will definitely become the Crown Princess!" Although she was so defiant, she secretly felt that what Grand Tutor Liu said might have some truth to it. However, the position of Crown Princess was like a precious jade that radiated an alluring light, which she could not bear to part with and was unwilling to give up.

That day, the Crown Prince returned to his residence with a gloomy expression, still seething with anger over being turned away at Lin Ning's place again. When Lin Wan saw the Crown Prince return, she hurriedly went to greet him, offering tea and showing concern for his well-being, doing everything she could to win his favor.

Seeing that the Crown Prince's expression had softened slightly, Lin Wan felt the time was right and said sweetly, "Your Highness, I have an idea that I would like to share with you." The Crown Prince raised his eyelids and casually replied, "Oh? Go ahead."

Lin Wan took a deep breath and mustered her courage to say, "Your Highness, I have always loved you wholeheartedly. Ever since I entered this Crown Prince's residence, my heart and eyes have been filled with you. I believe that if I were fortunate enough to become the Crown Princess, I could better accompany you and share your burdens. I hope Your Highness will grant my request. After all, Yingchun is currently unavailable, and this residence needs a woman to manage it..."

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince's already irritable mood instantly worsened. He had been rebuffed by Lin Ning earlier that day, and had nowhere to vent his frustration. Now, Lin Wan was bringing up the matter of becoming the Crown Princess, which was just asking for trouble.

The Crown Prince slammed his teacup down on the table with a loud "bang," stood up, his face terribly grim, and scolded, "You wish! Don't you know your place? How dare you make such a request to me? You're utterly ignorant of your own limitations!"

Lin Wan was startled by the Crown Prince's sudden outburst, but she also felt wronged. She bit her lip and argued, "Your Highness, since I entered the palace, I have served you wholeheartedly. Even regarding what happened to you before, I considered your reputation and bore the consequences myself. I have never had any disloyalty. Yet Your Highness won't even give me the position I deserve. How can I stand here in this palace? If this is the case, then I might as well leave the Crown Prince's palace!"

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince flew into a rage, coldly snorting, "Leave? Do you think this Crown Prince's residence is a place you can come and go as you please? You used a fake pregnancy to marry into the Crown Prince's residence; that was a crime of deceiving the Emperor! If you don't think things through, I have plenty of ways to make you wish you were dead! You'd better stay obediently in this Crown Prince's residence. Once I get my hands on Lin Ning, considering your past obedience, I might consider giving you the position of a concubine. So don't even dream about becoming the Crown Princess!"

Upon hearing the Crown Prince's harsh words, Lin Wan turned deathly pale, tears welling in her eyes. She never imagined that her attempt to fight for her would result in such a terrible outcome. But now that things had come to this, she dared not continue to contradict the Crown Prince. However, her hatred for him intensified, and she also became increasingly jealous of Lin Ning.

The two parted on bad terms, and the once peaceful Crown Prince's residence was now filled with a tense and oppressive atmosphere due to the argument.

After hearing what the Crown Prince said, Lin Wan paced back and forth in the room, her mind in complete turmoil, utterly at a loss for what to do. She had originally hoped that Grand Tutor Liu could help her, but she hadn't expected that Grand Tutor Liu would completely disregard her and even reply with such a mocking tone.

Just as she was worrying, a sudden inspiration struck her, and she thought of her brother Liu Si. This Liu Si was the most outstanding son of Grand Tutor Liu. In terms of political maneuvering and strategy, he could be said to have inherited Grand Tutor Liu's abilities perfectly. Lin Wan knew that he had few rivals in the capital.

Lin Wan knew perfectly well that if her brother Liu Si had been in the capital when she was in trouble, she wouldn't have needed to ask Lin Ning for help at all. As for Lin Ning, hmph, in her opinion, every suggestion he gave her was never of any benefit and only caused her trouble.

This time, Lin Wan quickly found a reliable servant to pass on a message to her brother Liu Si, asking him to come out and meet her. She sat in the room, anxiously waiting for a reply, constantly praying that her brother Liu Si would agree to come see her.

Fortunately, not long after, a servant returned to report that Brother Liu Si had agreed and arranged a time and place to meet. Lin Wan finally breathed a sigh of relief, and a look of anticipation appeared on her face.

On the appointed day, Lin Wan dressed up carefully and arrived at the agreed place early, eagerly awaiting Liu Si's arrival. As she sat there, her thoughts drifted back to her childhood, when her brother Liu Si always protected her in every way. He would always think of her first when there was something delicious or fun to do, and he was so good to her.

"Brother Liu Si has always been the most loving towards me, and he's so smart. This time, he'll definitely be able to come up with the best way to get me out of this terrible situation. Maybe he can even help me get the Crown Princess position I've always dreamed of." Lin Wan thought to herself, her eyes full of longing, hoping that Liu Si would appear soon and show her the way.

Lin Wan, filled with anticipation, finally saw her brother Liu Si. Upon seeing Liu Si, her eyes welled up with tears, as if she had seen a savior. She hurried forward and called out in a wronged tone, "Brother, you've finally come."

Looking at Lin Wan's appearance, Liu Si frowned slightly. Knowing her situation, he said softly, "Wan-mei, don't worry. Sit down first and tell your brother what happened."

After the two sat down, Lin Wan recounted in detail the Crown Prince's attitude towards her, how she wanted to become the Crown Princess but was scolded by the Crown Prince, and how Grand Tutor Liu refused to help her. As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes again, making her look pitiful.

After listening, Liu Si pondered for a moment and slowly said, "Wanmei, if you want to win the Crown Prince's heart, you must carefully consider what the Crown Prince wants most right now, and then find a way to help him. Only in this way will the Crown Prince possibly look at you differently."

Lin Wan wiped away her tears and asked in confusion, "What does the Crown Prince want most right now?"

Liu Si looked at her meaningfully and said, "Right now, the Crown Prince is obsessed with Lin Ning. If you can help the Crown Prince get Lin Ning, he will definitely change his opinion of you and look at you in a different light."

Upon hearing this, Lin Wan's eyes widened in disbelief. "Brother Liu Si, doesn't that mean I'm handing over the position of Crown Princess to someone else? I've gone through so much trouble, how could I possibly become the Crown Princess for someone else? That won't do."

Liu Si gently shook his head and patiently explained, "Wanmei, listen to your brother. The reason the Crown Prince treats you badly is because there isn't a woman in his residence who is more troublesome or 'difficult' than you. Think about it, if there were someone even more difficult to please than you, the Crown Prince would naturally think you are more obedient and sensible, thus suppressing the other one. Now think about it, with Lin Ning's stubborn personality, would she stay obediently in the Crown Prince's residence? Definitely not. In that case, there will be chaos in the Crown Prince's residence, and the Crown Prince will be too busy having a headache to even compare. Naturally, he will compare and naturally look to you for the better."

Lin Wan frowned slightly upon hearing Liu Si's words. Although she was still somewhat unwilling, she felt there was some truth to them, and she fell into deep thought, pondering whether this was a feasible method. However, the thought of helping the Crown Prince obtain Lin Ning filled her with a bitter and resentful feeling that she couldn't suppress. But knowing Lin Ning's personality, she would definitely make a scene, and the Crown Prince might even beat her the way he had beaten her—that would be incredibly satisfying. This made Lin Wan think more and more, and she increasingly felt that her brother Liu Si's words made sense. Gritting her teeth, she decided to try this method. So, she carefully tidied her appearance, mustered her courage, and walked towards the Crown Prince's study.

Reaching the study door, Lin Wan took a deep breath, gently knocked, and only after hearing the Crown Prince's voice inside did she slowly push the door open and enter. The Crown Prince was sitting behind his desk, frowning as he looked at the book in his hands. Seeing Lin Wan enter, his expression remained unpleasant, and he simply asked, "What brings you here?"

Lin Wan hurriedly stepped forward, curtsied obediently, and said, "Your Highness, I have come today to tell you that I have come up with a way to help you obtain Lin Ning."

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince's previously gloomy face instantly lit up with a look of surprise. He stood up abruptly, took a few steps to Lin Wan, took her hand, and said, "My beloved consort, is what you say true? If you can really help me get Lin Ning, that would be wonderful!"

Seeing the Crown Prince so happy, Lin Wan felt a little uncomfortable, but she still forced a smile and said, "Your Highness, of course I wouldn't dare to deceive you. I sincerely want to share your burdens and think about the Crown Prince's residence."

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince was overjoyed. He smiled and coaxed Lin Wan, saying, "You're my good Wan'er now. Look at you, if you had been this sensible and considerate of the Crown Prince's residence earlier, you wouldn't have been so distant from me before. Now you've finally come to your senses. I'm the kind of person who always repays kindness. Since you've been good to me, I will definitely not treat you unfairly in the future. As long as this matter can be accomplished, I will try my best to fulfill your desires."

Lin Wan's heart stirred slightly, and a look of anticipation appeared on her face. She quickly said, "Thank you for your praise, Your Highness. I only wish to stay by Your Highness's side and serve you. As long as Your Highness has a place for me in your heart, I will be content."

The Crown Prince laughed heartily and pulled Lin Wan to sit down beside him. The two then discussed in detail how to win Lin Ning's heart. The Crown Prince was overjoyed, dreaming of bringing Lin Ning into his household as soon as possible. Lin Wan, on the other hand, although smiling, felt a mix of emotions. She wondered if she had made the right move and whether she could truly win the Crown Prince's heart and get everything she wanted, as her brother Liu Si had said. But for now, this was all she could do. If she couldn't become the Crown Prince's most beloved person, then she must become his ally, as her brother had told her.

After devising a plan in her mind, Lin Wan quietly summoned her trusted servant and whispered, "Listen carefully and do as I say. Find a reliable person to spread false news about the Crown Princess Peng Yingchun. Say that the Crown Princess has returned to the Crown Prince's residence, but suffered a lot of torture during the kidnapping by those villains, and has suffered double damage to her body and mind."

The servant nodded hurriedly, and Lin Wan continued, "To avoid the Crown Princess being talked about and pointed at behind her back, and thus suffering secondary harm, the manor has not yet released this news to the outside world. You should send a message to Lin Ning in the name of the Crown Princess, and speak earnestly, saying that the Crown Princess hopes that Lin Ning can come and treat her, and that the Crown Princess trusts her medical skills and feels that only she can make her recover as soon as possible."

The servant responded and carried out Lin Wan's instructions.

When Lin Ning met the servant and learned the news, her brows furrowed slightly, and a sense of doubt arose in her heart. She pondered to herself, "This matter seems rather strange. The Crown Princess was abducted and returned to the manor without a sound? And it wasn't even the Emperor who found her, yet no news of it has been leaked to the outside world. This is truly illogical."

But when she thought of Peng Yingchun, who was like a sister to her, and who had been kidnapped to save her, how could she ignore her if she was really injured and waiting for her to treat her? Lin Ning paced back and forth in the room, her heart filled with conflict. If she went, she feared there might be a trap, but if she didn't go, what if the Crown Princess really needed her help? Wouldn't she be too cold-blooded and heartless?

After much internal struggle, Lin Ning gritted her teeth and finally decided to go to the Crown Prince's residence. She thought to herself that no matter what, she should make as many preparations as possible, and as long as she was careful, nothing too serious should happen.

So, Lin Ning first went through her usual medical books again, carefully organizing the medicinal herbs and medical instruments such as acupuncture needles that she might need, packing them into a small box. She then found some easy-to-move clothes in her wardrobe and changed into them, also concealing a small knife for self-defense in her sleeve. After everything was prepared, she took a deep breath and started walking towards the Crown Prince's residence, but along the way, she remained vigilant, constantly watching her surroundings for anything unusual.

Lin Ning stepped into the Crown Prince's residence with a heart full of worry, completely unaware that she was walking step by step into a trap carefully set by Lin Wan.