Lin Qingwan looked directly at them and said, "Jiang Yanwan enjoys all the good fortune, and if anyone dies, it's her who dies with you."

"Aren't Mother and Young Master Jiang trying to ask for my forgiveness?"

"All I need now is a piece of paper to sever ties."

Her expression was firm and cold, not at all like she was joking.

Tears welled up in Lin's eyes, and she leaned on Jiang Su's shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.

During the days Lin Qingwan was away, she couldn't sleep every night because of her sadness. In her husband's arms, she talked about how she would make it up to her daughter. She knew that Lin Qingwan was stubborn and would not forgive her easily.

But no one expected that she would want to sever ties with them.

Lin felt a kind of sadness, like opening her arms to embrace the flowers, only to have them wither and fall before her very eyes.

Cracks appeared on Jiang Su's usually impassive face. As he lowered his gaze, the lines around his eyes deepened, revealing a weariness he had never shown in public before. He held Lin Shi tightly in his arms.

Jiang Zhenlin's eyes also reddened, and he trembled with anger. "What are you afraid of! Father is still standing here safely, so the Jiang family may not be in any danger."

"Even if we can't escape, I will make sure you get out safely. You don't have to sever ties with us."

Lin Qingwan sneered, and the sound made Jiang Zhenlin feel uncomfortable. This feeling continued to spread, and he couldn't control it no matter what he did.

"You didn't understand."

"I want to sever all ties with you, regardless of whether the Prime Minister's residence rises to heaven or falls to hell in the future."

Jiang Zhenlin couldn't take it anymore and growled, "Lin Qingwan!"

“We are family! No matter what you do, you can’t sever the blood ties between us.”

“It was our fault before, we were not good. But Mother was also deceived by Cheng. After she found out the truth, she cried every day, thinking about how to make it up to you, and even spent a lot of money to find a miracle doctor all over the world.”

"He even said that if he could, he would be willing to die in your place."

"Can't you just give her a chance?!"

"She is your mother!"

Jiang Zhenlin also included his own regret, looking over with bloodshot eyes, his hoarse voice filled with pleading.

Lin Qingwan's heart still ached uncontrollably, as if the nail had reached its deepest point and could not be pulled out; even the slightest touch caused her pain.

But she wasn't so scared anymore.

Lin Qingwan's cold smile gradually widened, and her eyes grew colder, making Jiang Zhenlin shudder.

Not everything can be fixed.

“My mother has had a good life for the past fifteen years. She has a well-behaved and lovely daughter by her side. It doesn’t matter who it is. What matters is that she can meet her needs as a mother to carefully raise her child.”

"She raised the ideal eldest daughter of the Jiang family, without tarnishing the reputation of the Lin and Jiang families."

"So when I, the wild daughter, came back, my mother was unhappy. Because it was too late to teach me now, and I was unruly and unlikable."

Every word Lin Qingwan uttered felt like a mountain pressing down on Lin Shi's heart; she barely had the strength to even sob.

But Lin Qingwan didn't stop. "When I exposed Jiang Yanwan and Cheng Shi's true colors, my mother blamed herself for being deceived, placed all the responsibility and mistakes on the deceased Cheng Shi, and let everyone know that she treated Jiang Yanwan coldly."

"It's as if that makes her innocent, as if she's also a victim."

“My attitude made her sad and disappointed, and she also felt innocent and wronged.”

Lin Qingwan said indifferently, "If it wasn't me who got close to the Crown Prince today, but Jiang Yanwan, would Mother still feel wronged?"

"Qingwan," Madam Lin said in a trembling voice, "whether you believe it or not, your mother truly wants to make it up to you."

Lin Qingwan's throat tightened. "If taking this seriously makes you feel better, then it's fine."

"But I no longer need your compensation."

"Qingwan." Madam Lin gripped her husband's clothes tightly with both hands, choking back tears.

Jiang Su, who had been silent all along, finally spoke, "If the Jiang family cannot escape death, you will not be able to escape it either."

"The crime of exterminating nine generations of your family applies regardless of whether you have severed ties with them or not."

Jiang Su narrowed his eyes. "If you don't want to die, then there's only one way."

"The Crown Prince is the victor in this battle; he is your way out, and the Jiang family is the reason you are qualified to stand by his side."

Lin Qingwan seemed to have heard a joke, and the disdain in her eyes made Jiang Su purse his lips.

“Father, you have such a beautiful dream, but have you forgotten that I don’t have long to live? What way out do I need?”

“From the first day I returned to the Prime Minister’s residence, I knew I had no way out but death.”

Jiang Su's expression changed. "You don't want to die. Why would someone who wants to die bother to help the Crown Prince concoct a medicine to treat the plague, and why would you happen to be in the Crown Prince's tent when he fell ill?"

"A person who wants to die would not be someone the Crown Prince would risk turning against Consort Ning to save."

Jiang Su believed he had mastered the art of understanding people's hearts, yet he had never truly seen through his own daughter.

Not only did she seduce Prince Jing, but she also managed to board the Crown Prince's ship while carrying a complicated and unspeakable reputation.

He used to disbelieve in the power of seduction, but Consort Ning was an exception. However, after all these years, a woman is still a woman.

Therefore, he was ruthless in taking advantage of Lin Qingwan, and as he said, family background is always something a woman can rely on.

As long as Lin Qingwan wants to climb higher, he will always find a way.

Lin Qingwan had long known that her father had malicious intentions, but when he revealed his true colors, she still couldn't control her disgust and anger.

"Alright, then Father will see if the Crown Prince is like His Majesty, someone who would change for the sake of a woman."

Jiang Su gritted his teeth.

Before leaving, Lin Qingwan swept away the bowl containing the cold bracken salad; the broken pieces were just like her relationship with them.

*

In the following days, the news of the Ning family's downfall spread like wildfire in the capital. Jiang Su was on tenterhooks every day, fearing that the Crown Prince would suddenly make a move against him, but the Crown Prince never touched him.

At first, he still harbored a glimmer of hope because of Lin Qingwan, until the Crown Prince brought up the matter of how he was prevented from returning to the capital years ago, and how Consort Ning forged letters of treason to frame him...

Jiang Su then realized that the Crown Prince wasn't ignoring him, but rather slowly boiling him like a frog in water, throwing out a few clues every day, and then suddenly stopping just when he thought he couldn't escape.

This torment of teasing cats and dogs aged him considerably in just a few days.

Finally, Jiang Su fell ill.

Sadly, no one dared to visit him.

After recovering from her grief, Madam Lin began arranging Jiang Yanwan's marriage.

Lin Qingwan's words made her re-evaluate herself, and when the servants told her that Jiang Yanwan had attempted suicide again, Lin had a serious talk with her.

Jiang Yanwan knew she had no hope and agreed to marry him.

She thought her mother would choose a good family out of old affection, but when the invitation arrived, she found out it was the second son of the Hu family who had a limp.

Just as she was getting angry, Xia Yan said, "Miss, Lin Qingwan has gone out to see Prince Jing."

Respect to the King!

Jiang Yanwan's nails dug deep into her flesh. Even being Prince Jing's concubine was better than being that cripple's wife! Besides, Consort Ning was imprisoned, but Prince Jing got away scot-free.

His Majesty will ensure his lifelong wealth and honor; even if he returns to his fiefdom, he will still be a prince.

So, half an incense stick later, Jiang Yanwan secretly left the mansion wearing Xia Yan's clothes.

At the same time, Mu Xue said to Lin Qingwan through the sedan curtain, "Miss, she's taken the bait."

Lin Qingwan smiled cruelly, "Has the second son of the Hu family arrived?"

Mu Xue nodded.

"Act according to the plan."