Ding Mujie had initially planned to leave without further involvement, but after a moment of thought, he decided it would be better to give the servant a warning. It might indirectly cause Lin Dan to stop her actions as well. So, he paused and said, “The further we walk, the more secluded it becomes. This is clearly the inner courtyard. How could this be a resting place for male guests? Don’t lead me around carelessly.”

The servant, barely holding back his panic, argued, “Young Master Ding, how could I dare deceive you? If I offend any female guest, I wouldn’t live to see another day.”

Indeed, if he were to offend a female guest, this servant would be in serious trouble. In his past life, Ding Mujie had been caught red-handed by the other guests of the Jiang family and there had been no way to explain himself. He hadn’t even had the chance to confront the servant before being taken away by the Lin family. Lin Dan had gotten exactly what she wanted, overjoyed beyond measure that she didn’t even have the time to thank the servant. Moreover, this was the Jiang family’s residence. ‘They’ve’ committed such a shameful act themselves yet still want to splash dirty water on Marquis Jiang’s head? It would offend not just Marquis Jiang but a lot of people. Even the Lin family wouldn’t dare provoke the Jiang family too much, let alone someone like him, a powerless commoner.

In his past life, the servant escaped unscathed and eventually became the head steward of the Jiang family. But now, even though Ding Mujie knew this, he couldn’t do much about it. He could grab the servant, drag him in front of Young Master Jiang, and expose his lies, making the servant pay the price. But then what? If the servant couldn’t keep his mouth shut and revealed Lin Dan’s involvement, what would happen? Lin Dan was still waiting at Linshui Pavilion, and being caught there would create another major issue.

Although he disliked Lin Dan’s entanglement with him, he didn’t hate her. In the end, he owed her more in his past life. He had reluctantly married her, treating her like a stranger and never showing her any care. When the Lin family faced disaster later on, he locked Lin Dan in the house for five years, afraid she might do something foolish. He watched her wither like a flower, passing away quietly right after her twenty-fifth birthday. He had been thousands of miles away at the time and hadn’t made it back in time to see her one last time.

Similarly, he had wronged Lin Wan, leaving her to lose face after breaking off their engagement which forced her to marry Prince Kang as a concubine. She eventually died at the hands of the prince’s favorite concubine, poisoned to death. He had spent half his life silently protecting Lin Wan, only to be left with a memorial tablet. He could never forget how her emaciated hand had clung to his, her voice weak as she whispered, “Mujie, if not for my older sister…… If only I could have married you…… how wonderful that would’ve been……” Before she could finish her sentence, she passed away, leaving him heartbroken.

Now that he had returned to this dream, back to a time when nothing had happened yet, all he wanted was to change everyone’s fate, to rewrite those tragedies, not to seek revenge on anyone.

He glanced deeply at the servant and said with a meaningful tone, “This place is too secluded and remote. It doesn’t feel right. It’s a sunny day anyway and the wine stains on my clothes will dry soon. There’s no need to change. I don’t care why you brought me here, and I don’t wish to know. You may go. It’s not easy being a servant. Take care not to offend the wrong people.”

As soon as his words fell, a playful voice came from behind him, “Has that servant offended Young Master Ding?”

The two of them turned to see Young Master Jiang standing among the flowers, smiling at them. Ding Mujie’s expression remained unchanged as he quickly dismissed the matter in a few words. However, the servant was so terrified that his face turned pale as joss paper, scared out of his wits. Young Master Jiang did not pursue the matter further and escorted Ding Mujie back to the front courtyard. After a while, Young Master Jiang found an excuse to take his leave.

Once he reached the study, he looked at the servant being held down by two guards and asked in a deep voice, “Tell me, what happened just now? Why did you take Ding Mujie to the back courtyard?”

At first, the servant tried to lie, but after having several fingers broken by the guards, he broke down in tears and confessed, “Young Master, it was the eldest daughter of the Lin family who bribed me. She told me to bring Young Master Ding to Linshui Pavilion. As for what she intended to do, I really don’t know!”

“The eldest daughter of the Lin family, Lin Dan?” Young Master Jiang muttered, a sharp gleam flickering in his eyes.

———pr


Lin Dan was awakened by a wave of scorching heat. She felt weak all over, her limbs limp, and there was a burning sensation in her abdomen that made her incredibly uncomfortable. She wanted to jump into ice water to cool off, and at the same time, she wanted to cry out and moan. She was on the verge of losing control.

“Get out of here quickly!” A hoarse voice whispered in her ear, and it was only then that she realized she was lying beside a young man on a bed. Judging by his flushed face and unfocused eyes, he too had been drugged.

Not good! She had been plotted against! Lin Dan didn’t have time to think about who she was or where she came from. The first thought that flashed through her mind was the danger. She tried to get up but found herself tied tightly with a rope, unable to move. The young man, though not bound, was clearly deeply affected by the drug, struggling just to control his instincts, let alone help Lin Dan untie herself.

If she asked for his help, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t take the opportunity to satisfy his beastly desires.

Lin Dan took a deep breath to calm herself. Despite the confusion of not knowing where she was, her body instinctively adjusted its breathing and entered a meditative state. This body possessed martial arts skills, with extraordinary potential, but it hadn’t developed any inner strength yet. Though she didn’t know who she was, her mind automatically retrieved useful information in the face of danger, enabling her to escape more easily.

Following her instincts, she began to focus on her dantian. In just a moment, a wave of heat gathered in her abdomen, which not only intensified the burning desire but also restored some of her strength. She didn’t have time to continue cultivating, nor did she dare to. A voice in her mind warned her that if she reached a certain point, something terrible might happen.

When Lin Dan closed her eyes to meditate, the young man said while gritting his teeth, “Who are you and why are you here?” His tone was full of suspicion, and it was clear he had already regarded Lin Dan as the culprit.

Lin Dan ignored him, feeling a massive surge of power coursing through her body. Only then did she open her eyes and struggle slightly. With a loud snap, the ropes binding her broke into several pieces and fell to the ground. She stood up, feeling dizzy and weak from the overwhelming heat within her, but she managed to steady herself.

The young man stared at Lin Dan in shock, clearly stunned by her immense strength.

In order to stay clear-headed, Lin Dan pulled out a golden hairpin and lifted her skirt, revealing her legs clad in white undergarments.

The young man, assuming she had been completely overtaken by the drug and was about to undress, quickly shouted, “I am Prince Zhuang, Li Xian. You’d better think carefully before you act— can you bear the consequences of provoking the imperial family?”

Li Xian had been affected by a palace drug known as ‘Soul-Scattering Powder’, which initially caused weakness in the limbs, making it impossible to move. When the desire reaches its peak, the person loses all reason. He was currently in the stage where he couldn’t move his limbs and leave, so naturally, he believed Lin Dan had already reached the uncontrollable stage.

Lin Dan didn’t even spare him a glance as she fiercely stabbed the hairpin into her own thigh. She seemed accustomed to pain, as this small injury only made her furrow her brows slightly and did nothing to clear her mind. Left with no choice, she continued to stab herself repeatedly, only stopping when her thigh was drenched in blood.

To prevent others from noticing anything unusual, she tore off a piece of curtain and wrapped the bleeding wound layer by layer, tying it tightly before lowering her skirt to cover it. Every step she took sent a sharp pain through her legs, yet instead of weakening her, it made her more alert.

As she did all this, the memories of the body’s original owner began flooding into her mind, but they didn’t help Lin Dan understand the current situation. She only knew that her name was also Lin Dan, granddaughter of Lin Ji, Grand General Dingguo, and Di daughter of Lin Tie, Grand General Yangwei. She had drunk a few too many cups of wine at the banquet hosted by the Jiang family, felt dizzy, and came to this place to rest. But when she opened her eyes again, she had been drugged and tied up, lying next to a young man.

After learning the other person’s identity, she quickly realized that this trap wasn’t set for her but was targeting the Lin family and Prince Zhuang. She said in a deep voice, “Don’t worry, I fear provoking a prince more than anyone. I am Lin Dan, the eldest Di daughter of the Lin family.”

Li Xian had been terrified by her ruthless stabbing of her own thigh and it took him a long time to realize that she was explaining herself to him. She didn’t say anything more, but merely revealing her identity was enough for Li Xian to understand. The Lin family would never frame a prince.

The Lin family had a long history of loyalty and righteousness. For generations, the men had died defending the borders, their hearts devoted only to the emperor and the nation, without personal ambitions. Because of this, successive emperors had always trusted the Lin family and entrusted them with important responsibilities. To maintain their integrity, the Lin family remained loyal only to the monarch and never aligned themselves with any prince, let alone meddle in the struggle for the throne.

If Lin Dan truly had an affair with Prince Zhuang, even if they were caught in the act, the Lin family wouldn’t allow her to marry into the imperial family. Instead, they would force her to don a nun’s robe and send her to a temple. She wouldn’t benefit at all from scheming against herself.

With this in mind, Li Xian’s gaze towards her was no longer as wary as before.

However, Lin Dan couldn’t trust him at all. She picked up the rope from the ground and tightly bound his hands and feet to the bedpost, explaining, “I have no choice but to take this measure to prevent you from losing control. Since you are Prince Zhuang, you should also understand the consequences of provoking me.”

Li Xian had been somewhat angry, but upon hearing her words, he immediately fell silent. Indeed, like Lin Dan, he couldn’t afford to provoke the Lin family. He had always stayed out of the power struggles at court, earning his imperial father’s trust. To avoid being affected by the Crown Prince and Prince Kang’s both open and covert fight, he had submitted a memorial requesting to fight at the border. To build his military achievements and connections, he still needed the support of Lin Ji and Lin Tie.

If he laid a hand on Lin Dan today, not only would Lin Ji and Lin Tie despise him, but his imperial father’s opinion of him would plummet. The image of indifference he had carefully cultivated over the years would instantly crumble, leaving his imperial father with the impression that he was opportunistic and ruthless. He wouldn’t just lose his chance to join the military; he’d be confined to the capital under close watch, making it increasingly inconvenient to act. At that point, both the Crown Prince and Prince Kang would see him as their primary enemy and do everything they could to eliminate him, for his consort mother, the late Noble Consort^[1]ranked second to the empress Shu, had once been the emperor’s favorite, and even though she had been dead for over a decade, she still held a special place in his imperial father’s heart.