Chapter 290: Chapter 15: Sisters at Each Other’s Throats (15)

“The Princess should not be too jealous. Look at Mr. Xu; he’s the Great Duke and only has one son, Xu Dong, with not even a single concubine in the house. This is truly too much.”

“Indeed, that girl went out of her way to have her companions help Xu Dong win. Xu Dong should remember to be grateful.”

“Yes, yes, this child is Mr. Xu’s; he should be acknowledged. Otherwise, leaving her outside to fend for herself is really too much.”

The crowd chimed in, each adding fuel to the fire.

Xu Yuan’s face grew increasingly unsightly, and the Princess finally snapped back to reality.

At this moment, the Princess was on the verge of collapse, yet Li Shuning would not sympathize with her.

This woman, in the story, was by no means innocent.

After the Imperial Concubine’s Little Prince became a minor noble, she would frequently visit the Imperial Palace to bully the Imperial Concubine.

She was also the one who allied with the Empress to target the Li Family.

Didn’t Jiang Lin love trampling her sisters and partners to climb higher? Now, she wanted to see if, without good sisters or trusted friends, Jiang Lin would step on her own father and brother to climb up?

With a woman like this, what capability did she have to climb higher?

As Jiang Lin wished, the Duke, under various pressures, eventually brought Jiang Lin back to the Duke Mansion.

Even Jiang Lin’s mother was brought back with her.

Jiang Lin thought the good days were coming. Indeed, she wore luxurious clothing again and ate exquisite food.

However, she did not know that the Princess was never a benevolent person. Otherwise, she wouldn’t keep such tight control over Xu Yuan.

Not long after, Jiang Lin’s mother, while strolling through the garden, fell from a rockery and died.

The attendant claimed she slipped and fell accidentally.

Jiang Lin didn’t believe it.

She still had some feelings for her mother in her heart.

Yet her mother died right in front of her.

The Princess oversaw affairs at the Duke Mansion, and it was obvious this incident was definitely related to her.

The Duke, however, merely handled the funeral perfunctorily without holding anyone accountable. Even the attendant was only whipped a few times.

Jiang Lin hid in her room, her face twisted with rage.

She would not let them off.

Originally, she had high hopes for the Duke, but he never intended to acknowledge her, and so she grew to hate him too.

Jiang Lin’s mother was dead, and the Princess breathed a sigh of relief.

This woman was absolutely not allowed to stay.

As for Jiang Lin, she posed no threat to her.

Killing Jiang Lin would only bring unnecessary trouble.

After all, people outside were saying she was intolerant.

Jiang Lin had long slept with countless men; what future could she possibly have? From now on, she could only depend on them for survival, and the Princess did not believe Jiang Lin had any ability to resist.

Afterward, Jiang Lin’s food and living conditions began to deteriorate.

Jiang Lin didn’t care and even invited a few classmates from the academy.

Those classmates were nobles as well.

Upon arriving at the Duke Mansion, they saw what Jiang Lin ate and used, and though they said nothing to her face, they spread rumors once they left.

Soon, the Princess’s reputation was tarnished.

Abusing Jiang Lin, as well as the death of Jiang Lin’s mother, was brought to light.

In no time, the Duke Mansion was at the center of the storm.

Jiang Lin then approached some of the men she had been involved with.

Those men who had toyed with Jiang Lin previously now had ulterior motives, given her changed status.

However, above Jiang Lin was Xu Dong, and the Duke Mansion would not let Jiang Lin call the shots.

Jiang Lin still harbored thoughts of one day inheriting the Duke Mansion.

She began to curry favor with the Princess while planning to deal with Xu Dong.

The Princess was repulsed by Jiang Lin but couldn’t ignore her.

Xu Dong, being a man, naturally did not understand a woman’s mind and saw Jiang Lin as respectful and caring toward the Princess. Thinking she was sincere, he gradually softened toward this convenient sister.

It was precisely this that gave Jiang Lin the opportunity she sought.

Soon after, Xu Dong went out for training.

Jiang Lin said she wanted to go along to gain experience.

Jiang Lin, being a Water Mage, made it convenient to have her around for where Xu Dong was going.

Thinking his sister’s presence might offer more safety, he brought Jiang Lin along.

He didn’t realize Jiang Lin had already arranged everything.

She directly ruined Xu Dong.

Xu Dong ended up like Li Shuning in the original plot, unable to use magic and becoming a cripple.

Of course, Jiang Lin didn’t make it obvious. When Xu Dong was being crippled, she pretended to save him and got seriously injured herself.

Xu Yuan was infuriated; his cherished son was crippled, and another daughter was seriously injured.

Was someone trying to destroy the Xu Family?

After Jiang Lin recovered, Xu Dong, despite his despair, was still kind to his sister.

After all, Jiang Lin had nearly died saving him.

The Princess, though a bit suspicious, had to acknowledge Jiang Lin’s near-death as the truth.

The Duke Mansion inevitably needed an heir, and Xu Yuan was already old. Without an heir, the Xu Family would only decline.

Hence, Xu Yuan had no choice but to properly instruct Jiang Lin and see if she had any talent.

Unexpectedly, with guidance and resources, Jiang Lin’s abilities began to grow once more.

Gradually, Jiang Lin’s confidence soared.

In contrast, Xu Dong became increasingly disheartened, eventually turning into a true dandy, only interested in fooling around with women.

The Princess was heartbroken yet had to guard against Jiang Lin, becoming more and more haggard.

Jiang Lin never forgot her mother’s death; when Xu Yuan handed over some of the Duke Mansion’s power to her, Jiang Lin began to make her own arrangements.

Soon after, the Princess was kidnapped on her way to the Imperial Palace.

Jiang Lin followed along with her men to chase down the culprits, but when they caught up, the Princess had already been defiled.

A group of Jiang Lin’s guards saw the Princess’s clothes in disarray, her body stained with some fluid.

After the Princess was brought back, she was locked up under the pretense of resting, and soon after, she went insane.

Xu Dong also got into a conflict over a woman and ended up crippled, unable to walk.

Xu Yuan aged overnight, and after making some administrative errors, he was directly ousted by the Li Family and lost all real power. He was even injured in a military campaign and wouldn’t be able to take any action for a while.

The once-grand Duke Mansion fell into decline because of Jiang Lin’s presence.

Knowing Xu Yuan was injured, Jiang Lin served diligently by his bedside every day.

Xu Yuan felt moved; he had once been unwilling to acknowledge this daughter, but now, thinking back, if not for her, the Duke Mansion would be truly finished.

What he didn’t know was that most of these events were orchestrated by Jiang Lin, with only some being Li Shuning’s doing.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep