Jade of Another World

After Lin Ning left, Lin Wan threw herself onto the old lady's lap.

"Grandmother, look at my sister, what's wrong with her..." She pretended to sob, covering her face. "Grandmother, I've never said I was the legitimate daughter outside, but my sister's words... If she doesn't marry the Prince of Xian, then I'll marry him myself. My sister has suffered a lot away from home for so many years, and it's understandable that she harbors resentment towards our family. It's all my fault, Grandmother..."

"Don't worry, Wan'er, Grandma will help you find a way," the old lady comforted Lin Wan by stroking her head.

"Liu Shi, don't be so angry there. Take Wan'er downstairs to rest. I have something to say to the Prime Minister."

"Yes, Mother," Liu said, helping Lin Wan out.

"Do you feel that little bitch is different now? She's become so sharp-tongued," Liu was about to say.

"Mother, let's talk about it when we get back." The two left with the help of the maid.

The members of the second branch of the family also left, since they had no say and were merely decorations. Only Prime Minister Lin and the old lady remained in the room.

"Ning girl seems different from before," the old lady said.

“Indeed,” Lin Xiang agreed.

“If she is sensible, we can make use of her. The situation in the court is complicated right now, the emperor is in his prime, and there are many uncertainties in the future. If they can all achieve good things, you will be of help in the court, which will also be very good for Jun’er.”

"You mean... Wan'er doesn't need to marry in place of another?"

"We still need to substitute, but we also need to give Ning'er some incentives. Wan'er has her uses, and Ning'er has hers. Although the Crown Prince has great prestige, the Prince Xian holds military power and cannot be ignored. I think that one is also shrewd; if we can make good use of him, that would be good."

"But what about Wan'er..." Prime Minister Lin thought that being nice to Ning'er wouldn't work, as it would upset Wan'er, and Aunt Liu might cause trouble again.

“Wan’er is not only the granddaughter of our Lin family, but also the granddaughter of the Liu family. You know how close her mother and your aunt are to the Liu family. Although Jun’er has entered the court, he is only a guard captain. In contrast, Wan’er’s two cousins ​​in the Liu family are both deputy generals. Although Wan’er is the most promising granddaughter, she also has her own selfish motives. I think she is not as close to Jun’er as she is to her two cousins. Before, we had no choice but to accept Ning’er’s absence. Now we have Ning’er as our trump card. Ning’er has no mother, and her elder brother from the same mother is missing. Now we are her only family.”

"But we sent her to the estate before, won't he hold a grudge against us like Wan'er said?"

"She probably would have before, but now I think she's figured it out. Smart people can analyze the pros and cons. If we treat her well, she'll know what to do."

"What my mother said is true. Tomorrow, I will send someone to deliver some satin and jewelry to her, and have a few clothes made. I think the child is dressed rather shabbily."

Lin Ning returned to her residence, completely unaware of what her father and grandmother were plotting against her. She only knew that this was far from over. She would use the greatest possible advantage to secure her eventual substitution in marriage.

Furthermore, she needed to go to the pawnshop in the west of the city; her memory kept revolving around finding Manager Wang there. She didn't know why Lin Ning wanted her to go, but her intuition told her she had to go as soon as possible.

Aunt Liu and Lin Wan returned to the house.

"Wan'er, have you noticed that that little slut is different from before?" Aunt Lin asked.

“Indeed, Mother, didn’t you arrange for someone to keep an eye on her, saying you were going to spoil her rotten? How come she didn’t come back like that old woman said?” Lin Wan said.

"That old woman Zhao is notoriously ruthless. I gave her money, so she's not going to let her have an easy time. They've been reporting to me constantly that she hasn't had a single good day. She's been working every day without food, and sometimes she has to go up the mountain to dig for vegetables and wild fruits to eat. They're just keeping her alive. If it weren't for the trouble I'd have with your father, I wouldn't have planned to keep her. If it weren't for... I wouldn't have brought her back."

"But now that she's back, she's the real her, not like she's changed. How come her personality is so different?" Lin Wan wondered.

"What should we do, daughter?" Madam Liu was stunned again.

"It's alright. Even if she comes to her senses, she's just a useless brat and can't cause any trouble. I'll go visit my dear sister in a few days," Lin Wan said.

The next day, the old lady sent Lin Ning some brocade and jewelry. Lin Ning instructed Xiao Cui to keep only one set that she could use and exchange the rest for silver. She had quite a few things she needed to buy. First, she needed to have a batch of silver needles made. In this dangerous household, she needed weapons to protect herself. In that era, these all needed to be handcrafted and were very expensive.

The next day, Lin Wanming walked into Lin Ning's courtyard with seemingly light but actually cautious steps.

She wore a friendly smile, but a hint of cunning flashed in her eyes.

"Sister, I've come to see you." Lin Wan said sweetly as soon as she entered the door, holding a beautiful box of pastries in her hand, as if she really was just a younger sister who cared about her older sister.

Lin Ning was sitting by the window in a daze when she heard the voice. She looked up and saw Lin Wan. Her lips curled up slightly, and she gave a polite smile: "Little sister is here. Please sit down."

Lin Wan placed the pastry box on the table, sat down next to Lin Ning, took her hand, and looked at her with concern: "Sister, I haven't been feeling well lately. Ever since you returned to the manor, I've been thinking about you constantly. I only managed to come and visit you today. Sister, you must have had a very hard time in the countryside all these years."

Looking into Lin Wan's seemingly sincere eyes, Lin Ning felt a surge of disdain. If she cared about her, she should have brought some snacks; why not bring some valuables and just a few small cakes? So stingy.

She knew that Lin Wan had come to test her. Although Zhang Yin could live a life of compromise and subservience like Lin Ning had before, she was Zhang Yin. Her personality wouldn't allow her to do that. She didn't want to live a life of being bullied and humiliated. She had already transmigrated here, wading through pebbles, and she didn't know which step was the main quest. She could only proceed step by step, dealing with each move as it came. In the Lin family mansion, everyone was ruthless and merciless.

"Thank you for your concern, sister. Those days were tough, but we got through them."

Lin Wan gently patted Lin Ning's hand and continued, "Sister, at this Grandmother's birthday banquet, Grandmother will definitely introduce you, the eldest daughter, to everyone. Then everyone in the capital will know of your existence. The old lady has high hopes for you." As she spoke, she carefully observed Lin Ning's expression, trying to find a flaw in her subtle reactions.

Lin Ning frowned slightly, sensing the probing intent in Lin Wanming's words: "Sister, you are joking. I am merely following the family's arrangements. There is no unfounded expectation on my part."

Lin Wanming's smile deepened, but it didn't reach her eyes: "Sister, please don't be modest. Everyone in this manor knows that you are the eldest daughter of the family. The eldest daughter is destined to marry the Prince Xian. I wonder if you are willing?"

Lin Ning knew that Lin Wan was pressing her, trying to find out her true thoughts on the marriage. "It's a family matter, and I should prioritize the overall situation," Lin Ning replied calmly.

A sly glint flashed in Lin Wan's eyes. She felt that Lin Ning was indeed not simple, and her words were watertight. At the same time, she did not have any intention of resisting, but she was not entirely sure.

“Sister, you are so wise and righteous, I truly admire you. But, that wise king… are you really not afraid?” she continued to probe.

Lin Ningshen seemed to be trying to calm himself down: "What are you afraid of? Of course you're afraid? How about your sister marries him instead?" Lin Ningshen's words startled Lin Wan.

“The Prince Xian wants to marry his eldest daughter,” Lin Wan said.

“Sister, it’s not that the Prince Xian wants to marry the eldest daughter of the legitimate wife, but which young man in the capital wouldn’t want to marry the eldest daughter of the legitimate wife? There is a difference between legitimate and illegitimate children. Sister, do you think the Crown Prince’s mother, Consort Xi, would want the Crown Prince to marry an illegitimate daughter?”

Lin Wan, seemingly suppressing her emotions, walked out of the courtyard in a daze. The smile on her lips vanished, replaced by a sinister glint in her eyes: "Lin Ning, you just wait."

Lin Wan returned to her warm and fragrant residence, and Aunt Liu came over immediately.

"How to say"

“Mother, Lin Ning is indeed not the same as before. We must be careful in the future.”

"Things have really changed; it's almost unbelievable."

She asked me, "Doesn't the Crown Prince need to marry a legitimate daughter?"

"What? She actually asked that? Could she know something?"

"Probably not. Our plan hasn't even started yet; she couldn't possibly know."

"What do we do now, daughter?"

"Given her current situation, Father and Grandmother seem inclined to promote her as well. Mother, we must eliminate any future troubles after this is done, otherwise even if my brother, the Crown Prince, is willing, it will be difficult for me to marry into the royal family as the legitimate daughter. This is my only hope, and this time we must make sure it's flawless," Lin Wan said sinisterly.

"The old lady's birthday is coming up, do we need to...?" Aunt Liu asked. They certainly wouldn't let such a good opportunity pass them by.

"Let's not worry about it for now. I saw her hands today; they do have a lot of chilblains, her skin is dark, and her hair is like dry straw. Even if she's the legitimate daughter, she might not be liked by powerful families. We don't need to worry too much. Even if, as Father said, we give Lin Ning a chance to shine, she won't do anything good. Mother, don't worry. However, with so many people here, it would be a waste to do nothing. We should at least punish her. You..."

"That's good. Even if she's the legitimate daughter, let's label her as morally corrupt and incredibly ugly, and see how she can still be so arrogant in the future."

"Hahaha...."

After Lin Wan left, Lin Ning didn't rest either. She tore off her disguise and continued applying the herbal masks she had prepared earlier to her face and hands. Later, she would need to take a medicinal bath; she wanted to revert to her previous appearance at the old lady's birthday banquet. Royal nobles were the most hypocritical, and none of them weren't obsessed with appearances. However, Zhang Yin didn't want it to be like this, but these old wounds always reminded her of Lin Ning's tragic experience. In fact, even if she changed her current appearance, the inner pain still often woke her up from nightmares.

"Miss, you're getting more and more beautiful," Xiao Cui said with a smile.

"Really? Thank you, Xiao Cui. This formula works great. I'll apply it to you later."

"No, no, Miss, I'm just a servant and don't need it."

Lin Ning said seriously, "Xiao Cui, I've said it many times, I don't treat you like a servant, you're my sister. I was born an unfavored young lady, and you've suffered with me. Things will get better for me in the future. I will no longer spoil them, and I will not allow them to bully us. I will take good care of you. When I get married, if you're willing to come with me, I will definitely take you with me. But you also know that Prince Xian has a bad reputation. If you don't want to go, I will give you some money and help you find a good family."

"Miss... Xiao Cui doesn't want to. If you dislike Xiao Cui, Xiao Cui won't leave unless you don't want Xiao Cui anymore," Xiao Cui said, kneeling down.

"Don't kneel. I don't mind. You'll stay with me from now on. Once I'm better, I'll find Xiao Cui a good husband," Lin Ning said with a smile.

"Miss, I don't want to find a husband."

The two of them were laughing and joking around.

This scene was witnessed by someone hiding in a tree outside the window.

"Master, this eldest daughter of the Lin family seems different from the rumors."

"Hmm, how's the thing I asked you to do last time?"

"My subordinates have already sent people to search again, but there are no leads yet."

Where is the shadow?

"Lost them"

Don't let me down again.