Jade of Another World

Later that evening, Lin Ning arranged for her men to go and capture the person behind the artificial hill. She thought she would interrogate him to see if he could confess. However, when Xiao Cui and her men secretly went there, they did not find the person.

"Miss, something bad has happened! The person isn't over there!" Xiao Cui rushed back to report.

"Oh? It's nothing, he probably ran away, but that injection was enough to make him suffer." Lin Ning said unhurriedly.

"Won't he gossip about it, Miss?" Xiao Cui asked worriedly.

“It’s alright. Since it wasn’t an on-the-spot identification, all the nonsense is just rumors. In Chongqing’s laws, spreading rumors is a criminal offense, so he wouldn’t dare.”

Xiao Cui was still a little shaken and worried, so Lin Ning comforted her.

On the trees outside the mansion.

"Master, shouldn't we keep Miss Lin in the dark about taking her away?" Hei Yuan said.

"No need," Nangong Jin said coldly.

Doing good deeds anonymously, I don't know what he's thinking. He always sneaks over to climb the tree to see if his master has fallen for that Miss Lin. Hei Yuan, dressed in black night clothes, stood in the tree with Nangong Jin, pondering, but he just couldn't figure it out.

What about that person?

"Lock him up first."

"Yes, Master".

As the night breeze stirred, two dark figures silently departed.

On Lin Wan's side, seeing that her scheme to frame Lin Ning for having an affair not only failed to ruin Lin Ning's reputation, but also resulted in her being accused of bullying and framing her elder sister, the fire of jealousy and hatred in her heart burned even more fiercely. How could she give up so easily? So she came up with another vicious plan.

She secretly ordered her men to find several gossipy women in the capital who were known for spreading rumors and gossip. She secretly gave them a considerable amount of money and instructed them to spread rumors, saying that Lin Ning, the legitimate daughter of the Lin family, abused her status and bullied her half-sister in the household. She appeared pitiful on the surface, but in reality, she was a ruthless and cruel person.

Those gossipy women, their eyes lit up with greed, readily agreed and immediately began spreading the rumor throughout the streets, alleys, teahouses, and taverns of the capital.

"Do you know? Lin Ning, the legitimate daughter of the Lin family, looks so delicate, but she's actually quite domineering. Her half-sister, Lin Wan, suffers at her hands in the mansion. Lin Ning takes all the good things from her, and beats and scolds Lin Wan at the slightest provocation. She's not like what she says at all." A woman dressed in flamboyant clothes sat in the teahouse, speaking animatedly to the people around her. Hearing this, the people around her immediately became interested and gathered around to listen to her continue.

"That's right. I've also heard that every time the illegitimate daughter Lin Wan sees the legitimate daughter Lin Ning, she has to be extremely careful, barely daring to breathe, for fear of displeasing Lin Ning. But even so, she still can't avoid being harassed by Lin Ning. It's truly pitiful." Another woman chimed in, shaking her head and sighing as she spoke, as if she had witnessed it firsthand.

The rumors spread like wildfire throughout the capital, and soon everyone in the streets and alleys was talking about Lin Ning's "misdeeds." Many people who were unaware of the facts pointed fingers at Lin Ning after hearing these rumors, and even those who had previously been somewhat fond of her began to have doubts, wondering if the eldest daughter of the Lin family was really as domineering and abusive as the rumors suggested.

Meanwhile, inside the Lin residence, Lin Ning soon heard these rumors. Her brows furrowed, and she knew this was another of Lin Wan's tactics. Lin Ning knew she was in for another job.

She called Xiao Cui over and instructed her, "Xiao Cui, go and spread the rumor, and it would be best if it could continue to spread like this forever."

Xiao Cui was puzzled.

"It's okay, just do as I say."

Lin Ning sat in the room, deep in thought.

After Lin Ning had the rumors spread widely, she waited quietly. She knew that to completely shatter Lin Wan's conspiracy, everyone had to see the truth for themselves. Lin Wan might even have to thank her after this.

A few days later, Peng Yingchun, the daughter of the Right Chancellor, couldn't contain herself any longer and arrived at the Lin Chancellor's residence in a huff with a group of noble ladies. Although the Chancellor and his wife were helpless, they couldn't turn them away.

"Go and invite the young lady here," Lin Xiang said.

"Tell them I'm not available and I won't go," Lin Ning told the maid.

Peng Yingchun said, "Is she afraid to see us? Let's go over there now and see what's wrong with this young lady that makes her so difficult to invite."

"Go and call the second young lady quickly," the old woman ordered her servant.

"What's wrong, Grandmother?" Lin Wan pretended to rush over.

"Go and see, they've gone to find your elder sister."

"You should all go back now, don't bully my elder sister," Lin Wan said, feigning urgency and pleading with a wronged expression.

"It's because you're kind that you've been bullied like this. We're going to stand up for you today." Strangely enough, Lin Wan, who usually stood by her side, was actually trying to persuade her today. Peng Yingchun remembered that Lin Wan had come to see her a couple of days ago, and when she asked about this matter, Lin Wan had been crying and looked very aggrieved. If she hadn't felt that her good friend had suffered such injustice, Peng Yingchun wouldn't have been so angry.

Peng Yingchun is a simple-minded, kind-hearted, and warm-hearted person. She and Lin Wan are good friends, but it's more accurate to say that she's Lin Wan's scapegoat. Too often, she feels sorry for Lin Wan, so she can't help but stand up for her. And today was no exception.

Upon receiving the news, Lin Ning calmly walked out of her secluded courtyard and arrived at the gate. Peng Yingchun and the others looked at Lin Ning with scrutiny and disdain in their eyes. They were convinced that Lin Ning was the one who bullied others by relying on her power, and they were determined to humiliate her in public today and seek justice for Lin Wan.

Lin Ning, however, seemed oblivious, and simply said politely, "Miss Peng, everyone, what brings you here today?"

Peng Yingchun and the others were furious when they heard this, and shouted, "What is it? You're bullying people by abusing your power! You bullied Lin Wan, and you still have the nerve to ask what it is?"

"If you're just being unreasonable, I'm not going to put up with it."

"Don't leave!"

Lin Ning strode into the house, and the others followed her in, unwilling to give up.

The group entered the room and found it extremely cramped, a world apart from the living quarters of the other young ladies in the manor. Pushing open the creaking door, they found the furnishings incredibly simple: an old table, a chair, and a hard-looking bed with faded bedding. In the corner stood a shabby wardrobe. Lin Ning went over and opened it; the wardrobe contained very few clothes, most of which appeared to be made of rough, worn fabric. It seemed only the outfit she was wearing was decent, but it seemed she always wore the same one.

The group of noble ladies exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with shock. They never imagined that Lin Ning, the legitimate daughter of the Lin family, would live in such a humble place, leading such a meager life. Peng Yingchun's face flushed red and then paled. She had initially thought Lin Ning was domineering and bullying Lin Wan, but this scene was a stark contrast to her expectations. This kind of life just didn't make sense…

Looking at everyone's reaction, Lin Ning's eyes flashed with a barely perceptible hint of mockery. She slowly said, "Miss Peng, everyone, you have all seen it now. This is how I have been living in the Lin family mansion. Since I returned to the mansion, I have never received any special treatment, so how could there be any talk of bullying Lin Wan? These rumors outside are nothing but lies fabricated by people with ulterior motives. Now that the facts are before us, I'm sure everyone understands."

Peng Yingchun opened her mouth, wanting to say something to save face, but didn't know how to start. After a long while, she finally managed to stammer, "This... perhaps there are other reasons. We can't just say the rumor is false based on this alone." But as soon as she said this, she felt unsure of herself, and the noble ladies around her stopped agreeing with her. After all, the facts spoke louder than words. Living such a miserable life and still being able to bully others didn't seem like the life of a proud legitimate daughter. The lie that Lin Ning bullied Lin Wan had already fallen apart.

Lin Xiang and his wife watched from the side, their faces grim. They hadn't expected Lin Ning to respond in this way, nor had they anticipated that Lin Wan's fabricated lies would be so easily exposed. How would the Lin family's reputation be restored now? The two were filled with worry, yet could only stand there, unsure how to end the situation. They could only say, "Ladies, please have some tea and refreshments in the hall." Everyone felt their behavior was unreasonable and ignored Lin Xiang's words, only wanting to leave as quickly as possible.

As the group walked back through the corridors of the Lin residence, they began to realize something was amiss. The path was remarkably secluded, and the surrounding scenery was desolate and bleak. They hadn't noticed anything amiss while they were so angry.

"Yeah, someone living such a miserable life, who would they bully? They're obviously the one being bullied!"

"Even my maid lives better than her!"

"The clothes in her closet all look like they're from ten years ago!"

"Can I send her something? Do you think she'll accept it?"

"She's such a proud person, she definitely wouldn't want it."

"She's so pitiful, I feel like crying..."

The noble ladies left the Prime Minister's residence, chattering amongst themselves.

The Prime Minister's daughter, Peng Yingchun, remained silent. She couldn't understand why Lin Wan had been leading her to cause trouble for Lin Ning while she herself remained uninvolved. This was completely different from her tearful pretense when she spoke. Now, she was the only one who felt used. After escorting the noble ladies away, Prime Minister Lin's face was dark with anger. He didn't know what rumors would circulate about him tomorrow.

Seeing the dilapidated and shabby state of Lin Ning's residence, which shattered the dignity that Prime Minister Lin and the Old Madam had painstakingly maintained for the Lin family, their dissatisfaction with Lin Wan instantly reached its peak. After the group of noble ladies left, Prime Minister Lin, with a dark face, summoned Lin Wan to the main hall. The Old Madam also sat to the side, her face terribly gloomy.

Lin Xiang slammed his hand on the table and roared, "Lin Wan, look what you've done! Now look what's happened! You've brought shame upon the entire Lin family. Do you even have any respect for the Lin family?"

The old lady was so angry that she slammed her cane on the ground and pointed at Lin Wan, scolding her, "Wan'er, you've always been a sensible child, how could you be so foolish this time? Our Lin family has established itself in the capital based on our reputation. Now that you've made a scene, who knows how many people outside are laughing at us? How can we hold our heads high in the capital after this?"

Lin Wan was filled with frustration. She hadn't expected things to develop this way. She had originally planned to use those noble ladies to put pressure on Lin Ning and ruin her reputation, but instead, she had suffered a backlash and found herself in this passive situation. The more she failed to get revenge, the more she hated him. "Where there's life, there's hope," she thought. Tears welled up in Lin Wan's eyes, and she knelt on the ground with a thud, sobbing, "Father, Grandmother, how can you blame me based on Lin Ning's one-sided story? I didn't spread any rumors! You know me; I wouldn't even step on an ant, so how could I do something that would damage the Lin family's reputation? Someone must be jealous of our family and deliberately fabricated these stories to frame me and see us fail! Father, Grandmother, think about it! Damaging the Lin family's reputation is detrimental to me in every way! Father, Grandmother, please understand..."

Looking at Lin Wan's appearance, Lin Xiang was even more puzzled: "If you two had gotten along well, such rumors wouldn't have appeared. These rumors don't come out of thin air. It can't be that Lin Ning spread bad things about herself, can it? Don't think we don't know what you're thinking. If you want to be a good daughter of the Lin family, you'd better behave yourself from today onwards."

The old lady frowned and snorted coldly, "Wan'er, your grandmother loves you the most and has the highest hopes for you. Between you and Lin Ning, we certainly trust you more. But gossip is a fearsome thing. A woman's reputation is the most important thing. We have raised you for so many years. Don't let jealousy blind you and prevent you from seeing your own value. You are precious. Don't always compare yourself to a stone. You need to learn to restrain yourself. Now this matter has forced us to be nicer to Lin Ning."

Hearing this, Lin Wan felt a pang of panic. She knew her father and grandmother favored her, and she knew it was because of her value. But the current situation was certainly not what she wanted. Lin Ning's food, lodging, and clothing were indeed poor, but what was truly frightening was that they had become accustomed to it and forgotten that such conditions were abnormal. Ever since her mother came to the Lin family, Lin Ning had been forced to move to the most remote and smallest room. And for the past ten years, it seemed that no one had ever considered whether to repair the house or move her to a larger one. No one cared whether she ate well or whether her bed was hard. It seemed that the servants were used to ignoring them, and no one had ever asked whether they were alive or dead.

Habits are such a terrible thing. Once a habit is formed, you seem to forget its inherent irrationality and often say, "That's just how it is." However, to outsiders, this irrationality is immediately apparent. Lin Wan knew she had lost this round again. The reputation she had hoped to regain would likely be further damaged. The Crown Prince's mother was holding her birthday banquet next month. As the Emperor's most beloved concubine and the highest-ranking woman in the palace, Lin Wan had to rebuild her reputation before then. After all, she had heard from the Crown Prince that her mother would use the birthday celebration as an opportunity to meet some noble ladies, also looking for suitable concubines for the Crown Prince. Even if the Crown Prince favored her, she still had to seize the opportunity to make everyone in the capital acknowledge that only she was worthy of becoming the Crown Princess.