Jade of Another World

In the secluded study, the atmosphere was as tense as a taut bowstring. Following the instructions, Lin Ning dripped a drop of prepared blood onto the crystal box. In an instant, the box emitted a soft light and, accompanied by a slight "click," slowly opened.

However, the moment the box was opened, the mother Gu that should have been resting inside vanished without a trace. Nangong Jin and Lin Ning stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief.

"This... How is this possible?" Lin Ning broke the silence first, her eyes filled with shock and confusion. She quickly moved closer to the crystal box, examining it carefully, trying to find any clues as to why the mother Gu had disappeared.

Nangong Jin's expression instantly turned serious. He knew that the disappearance of the mother Gu meant the situation was becoming even more complicated. "Could it be that someone secretly did something?" he muttered to himself, a sinister glint in his eyes.

Nangong Jin took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. After a moment of thought, he said, "There must be something fishy about this. Su Jin, send people to investigate immediately. From the moment the crystal box entered the palace, no one who came into contact with it should be overlooked. See if anyone noticed our plan and moved the mother Gu in advance."

Lin Ning nodded and said, “Your Majesty. We were extremely cautious in this operation involving the Mother Gu. I didn’t even have time to tell Prince Gong. Now that the Mother Gu has escaped, finding it again will be even more difficult.”

Nangong Jin frowned slightly, his gaze resolute: "Even if there are many difficulties, we must find it. I am very worried as long as this mother Gu is not eliminated. To be able to switch it without anyone noticing is no easy task."

Lin Ning didn't say anything more. She also felt that this matter was not simple; it could be said to be very strange. She needed to go back and investigate this matter. Nangong Jin pondered, "He only told Consort Rou about this, but Consort Rou doesn't seem to have the ability to switch the mother Gu. But who could be hiding in the shadows, posing a threat to me?"

He thought to himself that he should immediately arrange for his secret guard, Mo Yuan, to investigate who was behind these conspiracies.

Only Nangong Jin remained in the secret chamber. He knew that the disappearance of the mother Gu had made the already complex situation even more severe, and an even more difficult battle might have just begun.

After the mother Gu disappeared, Nangong Jin seemed like a different person. In court, when ministers reported on matters, he would fly into a rage if there was even the slightest mistake, slamming his fist on the table and frightening the ministers into trembling. Before, he would always listen patiently and discuss countermeasures with the ministers, but now he would often impatiently interrupt, forcibly pushing forward with his own ideas, completely disregarding the opposition of the masses.

The following morning at court, a minister cautiously mentioned that a certain tax policy might increase the burden on the people and suggested a slight adjustment. Nangong Jin, however, frowned deeply, a fierce glint in his eyes, and sternly said, "How dare you question my decisions! If you can't even handle such a small matter, what use are you?" The minister turned pale with fright and immediately knelt down to beg for forgiveness. Seeing this, all the civil and military officials lowered their heads in silence, and a tense atmosphere filled the court.

Back in his palace, Nangong Jin's temper remained unchanged. Even the slightest carelessness by the palace maids and eunuchs would result in severe punishment. Once, a junior eunuch accidentally spilled a few drops of tea while serving it. Nangong Jin smashed the teacup at him, roaring, "So clumsy! What use are you?!" The junior eunuch collapsed to the ground in terror, trembling all over, and was dragged out and beaten until he was lifeless.

Consort Rou observed this with growing concern. She knew that Nangong Jin's change was related to the disappearance of the mother Gu and the effects of the Gu poison. One day, taking advantage of Nangong Jin's slightly calmer mood, she cautiously advised, "Your Majesty, you seem to be overworked lately. Why not take some rest? The ministers will handle the affairs of the court. Don't be too anxious."

Nangong Jin waved his hand impatiently: "What do you know! As long as that mother Gu is not eliminated, I will not have a moment's peace. If we don't act quickly now, Da Yu may face a great calamity!" Liu Yushu felt wronged, but still said softly: "Your Majesty, I understand your good intentions. However, your body will not be able to withstand such hardship. Moreover, although the ministers dare not speak out, they will inevitably harbor resentment, which is not good for you or for Da Yu."

Hearing Liu Yushu's words, Nangong Jin was touched, but the agitation brought on by the Gu poison made him unable to control himself. He snorted coldly, turned and left, leaving Liu Yushu sighing alone. Helpless, she found Lin Ning and told her about it. Lin Ning was extremely anxious upon learning of Nangong Jin's change. She knew that Nangong Jin's drastic personality change was due to the mother Gu, and the reason had to be found as soon as possible; otherwise, not only would Nangong Jin's health deteriorate, but the entire situation of Dayu would also be in jeopardy. Therefore, she accelerated her investigation, traveling everywhere, not letting go of any clue, hoping to find the mother Gu as soon as possible, solve the problem, and restore Nangong Jin to his former state.

After the Nanzhao delegation left, Xuanyuan Che realized that his country was still not strong enough, so he returned to the army to train his subordinates. Now, Lin Ning, realizing the seriousness of the problem, sent a message to Xuanyuan Che via carrier pigeon, instructing him to return to the capital from his military training.

The night was deep and all was silent, save for the urgent sound of horses' hooves echoing across the empty official road. Upon receiving Lin Ning's message by carrier pigeon, Xuan Yuanche dared not delay for a moment. He immediately selected two of his most elite guards and set off at full speed towards the capital.

The wind whistled past his ears as he traveled, but Xuan Yuanche's heart was filled with deep anxiety. He knew that Lin Ning would not have summoned him back to the capital so hastily unless he had encountered an extremely difficult situation. The second prince of Nanzhao had already left, and Xuan Yuanche had used this time to strengthen the nation's power in the army, but now it seemed that the capital was likely to fall into crisis again.

"Giddy up! Giddy up!" Xuan Yuanche kept waving his whip, urging his horse onward. The two guards beside him followed closely, knowing the urgency of the situation and daring not to slacken their efforts in the slightest.

After a night of travel, as dawn broke, Xuan Yuanche finally arrived in the capital. The city gates slowly opened, and disregarding his exhaustion, he headed straight for Prime Minister Lin's residence.

Inside the Lin family residence, Lin Ning had been anxiously waiting. Seeing Xuan Yuanche arrive, travel-worn, she quickly went to greet him: "You've finally arrived. The situation is worse than I imagined."

Panting heavily, Xuanyuan Che asked, "What exactly happened?"

Lin Ning, with a grave expression, recounted in detail how Nangong Jin's personality had drastically changed after the mother Gu's disappearance. Upon listening, Xuan Yuanche frowned deeply: "I never imagined the mother Gu's disappearance would cause such a commotion. What should we do?"

Lin Ning shook his head slightly, his eyes full of worry: "I don't know either. But His Majesty's current condition is not only harmful to his own health, but also causes panic throughout the court. If it is not resolved soon, there may be unforeseen changes in Dayu."

Xuanyuan Che pondered for a moment and said, "The most urgent task is to find out the reason for His Majesty's drastic change in personality. I have heard in the army that Nanzhao has many secret techniques. Perhaps we can find some help from Nanzhao."

A glimmer of hope flashed in Lin Ning's eyes: "Yes, that's what I was thinking too. I've already sent a message to the High Priest, but I haven't received a reply yet."

Xuanyuan Che stood up, his gaze firm: "I will contact my acquaintances in Nanzhao to see if I can find someone who is proficient in this secret technique. However, we must keep a low profile. If someone is secretly orchestrating this, we must be careful not to alert them."

Lin Ning nodded in agreement: "That's right, we must proceed with caution. In addition, before we find the cause of the problem, we must find a way to stabilize His Majesty's emotions and minimize his rash actions."

Xuan Yuanche wholeheartedly agreed: "I will arrange for reliable people to secretly monitor His Majesty's every move, and intervene promptly if anything goes wrong." The two discussed some specific countermeasures before going their separate ways. Xuan Yuanche hurriedly left the Prime Minister's residence; Lin Ning continued searching through the books, looking for reasons similar to Nangong Jin's situation. A battle against the Gu poison had quietly begun.