Lin lowered her head and wiped away her tears.
Lin Qingwan felt aggrieved. "I'm not going to die yet, you don't need to cry in front of others."
These words were vicious, and Madam Lin said anxiously, "Don't curse yourself like that, it's my fault."
"It was Mother who mistrusted Cheng Min, causing you to suffer all these years. I am the one who deserves to die."
Lin Qingwan frowned. "It's no use saying all this now."
The anxiety that had been hanging over Lin for days was finally shattered and could never be pieced back together.
Yes, what's the use of my concern? It will only make Qingwan dislike me and misunderstand that I have ulterior motives.
Back at the Prime Minister's residence.
Jiang Zhenlin also looked Lin Qingwan up and down, and before he could breathe a sigh of relief, he saw that his mother's eyes were red and swollen.
"Has Mother been crying?" Jiang Zhenlin frowned, looking fierce as if he were about to hit someone. "Who made you angry?"
Lin shook her head and remained silent.
The more he acted this way, the angrier Jiang Zhenlin became. "Are there still people from the Imperial Concubine and the Prince there? Are they making things difficult for you?"
"No." Madam Lin glanced at Lin Qingwan. "Don't ask anymore, Mother is fine."
"Your eyes are swollen and you say you're fine?" Jiang Zhenlin raised his voice and asked Qin Ma, who was standing next to Lin Shi, "Tell me!"
Qin Ma glanced timidly at Lin Qingwan, not daring to speak.
Jiang Zhenlin looked over. If it were before, he would have grabbed her clothes and questioned her, and might even have hit her. But this time he hesitated.
Lin Qingwan could feel the gaze behind her. Suppressing the surging displeasure in her heart, she turned around and said, "I caused this. Young Master Jiang, do you want to hit me or kick me?"
Jiang Zhenlin had been arrogant for over a decade, and this was the first time someone had spoken to him in such a provocative tone.
He must be furious and will likely cause a scene for a long time.
But she is Lin Qingwan.
She was his blood-related older sister, taken away by the wicked Cheng Min at birth, abused and raised for fifteen years, and then forced to return home after being given a deadly poison. And after her return…
They should have been the people who loved and cared for her the most in the world, but because they were afraid that Jiang Yanwan would be unhappy and treat her coldly, they misunderstood her many times.
Jiang Zhenlin wasn't even qualified to clench his fist in front of her.
He lowered his eyes upon hearing this, his chest heaving slightly. "What exactly happened?"
Lin Qingwan was somewhat surprised by his reaction, but whether he hit her or not, she didn't care that much. "My mother asked me a couple of insincere questions and then started plotting against me and the Crown Prince. I didn't give her a kind look."
"That's how it is. Young Master Jiang, are you still going to kick it?"
"I'm leaving if you don't kick me."
Jiang Zhenlin looked on incredulously.
Lin held him tightly, afraid he would act impulsively. "It's alright, Qingwan misunderstood. I'll explain to her after she's rested."
Even her father had never shown her such a look.
Jiang Zhenlin was angry, but he couldn't ignite his anger, and he felt extremely frustrated.
When Lin Qingwan returned to Ningsi Garden, Qiu Hong had cleaned it spotless inside and out, and placed her favorite tea and snacks on the table.
Lin Qingwan's expression warmed; no one had ever waited for her to come home before.
She watched as the anger between her mother and Jiang Zhenlin gradually dissipated.
After bathing and changing, Qiu Hong told her about what had happened at the Prime Minister's residence during this period. Jiang Yanwan knelt in front of Lin's door every day to beg for forgiveness on behalf of her birth mother. She also bribed the servants around Lin to serve her when she ate or rested. She also inquired about and cared for Jiang Zhenlin in every way, just like before.
However, everything changed, and no matter what Jiang Yanwan did, she couldn't appease her mother.
Later, Madam Lin grew tired of it and forbade her from going to Lan Garden anymore.
Jiang Yanwan could only try to win over Jiang Zhenlin, but Jiang Zhenlin's words were even harsher.
I heard that there was a big commotion the night before last, and Lin was so angry that she had a headache. After Jiang Su returned, he put Jiang Yanwan under house arrest.
"The Prime Minister asked his wife to find her a husband so she can get married in the spring," Qiu Hong said.
Lin Qingwan asked with her eyes closed, "Has anyone been chosen?"
Qiu Hong shook her head, "Madam is worried about you and has no time to arrange this matter."
Lin Qingwan curled her lips into a cold smile, "I remember my mother saying that the Hu family is a scholarly family, and the second son of the Hu family has a very good temperament."
"I think this family is a good match for her."
Qiu Hong shuddered. The second son of the Hu family was a cripple, and he was the one that the madam had originally intended to marry off to Miss Qingwan!
Mu Xue's eyes lit up. "I'll find an opportunity to tell Xia Yan."
Lin Qingwan replied, "I wasn't trying to scare her."
"I really want her to marry him."
She wanted to make Cheng Shi die with regrets, and she wanted Jiang Yanwan to suffer for the rest of her life.
The next day, Jiang Su made a special trip back to have lunch with them.
"These are all things you like." Jiang Su served food to Lin Qingwan, as if nothing had happened.
Lin Qingwan glanced at the cold bracken salad in the bowl. "Muxue, get me a different bowl."
"It's dirty, I don't want to use it."
Jiang Su's face darkened, and Lin's eyes reddened again.
Jiang Zhenlin swapped his with hers, saying, "I haven't used mine yet, here you go."
Lin Qingwan insisted that Mu Xue be given a new one.
Jiang Zhenlin endured it.
Jiang Su waited for her to take a few bites, then put down his chopsticks. "The Taoist priest next to Prince Jing is a member of the Xiongnu royal family."
Lin Qingwan remained expressionless.
Lin and Jiang Zhenlin were greatly surprised.
"The Xiongnu?" Jiang Zhenlin was still shaken. If it weren't for what happened three years ago, he would probably still be Prince Jing's page.
His eyelids twitched, and his gaze toward his father became more profound than ever before.
Lin said, "The Imperial Concubine trusts him very much and has allowed that Taoist priest to enter and leave the inner palace many times."
Jiang Su said in a deep voice, "Today, Consort Ning removed her hairpins in court to plead guilty."
Lin's heart sank; the Ning family was likely doomed.
"The Taoist priest vomited out a lot of things, including the fact that the Crown Prince's ambush at the border years ago was related to Consort Ning."
"The Imperial Concubine and the Ning family have been imprisoned."
"Where is Prince Jing?" Lin asked.
Jiang Su glanced at Lin Qingwan, "Prince Jing used the wrong medicine, sometimes sober and sometimes confused, plus the Consort took all the blame upon herself."
"His Majesty has always favored Prince Jing, and has not yet made a decision about him."
“But even if Prince Jing’s illness can be cured, without Consort Gui and the Ning family…” Jiang Su sighed, “he will not be the Crown Prince.”
Madam Lin's brows were furrowed with worry. The Ning family had fallen. The Prime Minister's residence had once done much for the Imperial Concubine. The Prime Minister was able to return for dinner today, but who knew if he would return tomorrow...
As a member of an official's family, Lin knew that no family could maintain its glory for long.
She thought she would have no regrets, but looking at Lin Qingwan's indifferent face, she felt more sad than she had expected.
Jiang Su said calmly, "It will take several months to investigate the Consort's accounts. In a couple of days, officials may come to the Prime Minister's residence. There is no need to panic."
Even Jiang Zhenlin's expression changed, "Father..."
Before she could finish speaking, Lin Qingwan put down her chopsticks. "The Prime Minister's residence is going to have the Imperial Concubine buried with him because you used to benefit from the Ning family's influence. But I didn't."
"I don't want to die."
"Could you please ask my father and mother to expel me from the Jiang family?"
Her voice was cold and devoid of any emotion, like shards of ice falling on the three people in front of her.
"Qingwan!" Madam Lin choked up.
Jiang Su frowned and remained silent, gazing at her quietly.
Jiang Zhenlin: "Can't you hope for something better?"
Lin Qingwan stated bluntly, "No."
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