Jade of Another World

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the palace, Consort De and Consort Xi were secretly delighted upon learning of the conflict between Nangong Jin and Lin Ning. They felt that cracks were beginning to appear in Nangong Jin's seemingly impregnable power base, which presented an excellent opportunity for their plans. Consort De intensified her efforts to urge Prince Yu back to the country, while simultaneously discussing with Consort Xi how to further exploit Nangong Jin's current situation to incite court officials and expand the forces opposing him.

Meanwhile, Nangong Jin, back in his palace, was still consumed by rage. He sat at the table, gripping his wine cup tightly, the images of Lin Ning and Xuan Yuanche flashing through his mind, suspicion growing wildly within him like weeds. The torment of the poison made it impossible for him to think clearly; he didn't know how much longer he could hold on on this precarious edge.

Lin Ning anxiously flipped through ancient books in the library, her eyes bloodshot from prolonged concentration. Just as she was almost in despair, a servant rushed in, presenting the old priest's reply. Lin Ning eagerly unfolded the letter, her eyes quickly scanning the handwriting. As she read, her expression first froze, then a look of realization flashed in her eyes.

In the letter, the old priest mentioned that the mother Gu might not have truly disappeared, but rather, through some mysterious connection, had quietly entered Nangong Jin's body and merged with the Gu poison he had previously been afflicted with. This fusion caused the Gu poison to rapidly worsen, leading to a drastic change in Nangong Jin's temperament and increasingly violent behavior.

Lin Ning knew that this news was like a key that might unlock the current predicament. She dared not delay and immediately got up and headed straight for Xuan Yuanche.

At this moment, Xuan Yuanche was busy questioning relevant personnel, trying to find clues about the disappearance of the mother Gu from them. Seeing Lin Ning rushing over, he stopped what he was doing and went to greet him.

"Xuanyuan Che, we have made a major discovery!" Lin Ning handed him the old priest's letter and said, "The mother Gu has most likely entered His Highness's body and merged with the original Gu poison, which is why His Highness's Gu poison has worsened."

Xuanyuan Che quickly finished reading the letter, his brows furrowed, his expression grave: "So the situation is even more critical than we imagined. If we cannot separate or eliminate this fused Gu poison as soon as possible, His Majesty may..." He didn't finish his sentence, but both of them understood the gravity of the situation.

Lin Ning took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. After thinking for a moment, he said, "We can't panic. Now that we know the reason, we have a direction. Since the old priest knows this characteristic of the mother Gu, he may also have a way to deal with it. I will write another letter immediately to ask him for advice on how to break the curse."

Xuanyuan Che nodded in agreement: "Alright, I will also speed up the investigation to see if we can find any other clues that can help to remove the poison. In addition, we need to find a way to keep His Majesty calm and buy as much time as possible until we receive a reply from the old priest."

“However, His Majesty is now suspicious of us and it’s difficult for him to listen to advice.” Lin Ning looked troubled.

Xuanyuan Che pondered for a moment and said, "Perhaps we can let Consort Rou give it a try. His Majesty has deep feelings for her, and Consort Rou is very righteous. She has also been through a lot with His Highness, so perhaps she can soothe His Highness's emotions."

Lin Ning thought the plan was feasible: "Okay, I'll go and discuss it with Consort Rou right away. If there's any progress in your investigation, please let me know immediately."

The two quickly separated. Lin Ning hurriedly went to find Liu Yushu, explained the situation to her, and pleaded with her to help appease Nangong Jin. Upon hearing this, Liu Yushu agreed without hesitation.

Meanwhile, Xuan Yuanche continued his intense investigation, leaving no detail overlooked that might be related to the Gu poison. A gloomy atmosphere hung over the entire palace as everyone raced against time, hoping to find a way to save Nangong Jin before the Gu poison completely consumed him.

That day, a secret guard reported that Consort De and Prince Xiaoyu had made some moves, and it seemed that many veteran officials in the capital had sided with Prince Xiaoyu. Upon hearing this, Nangong Jin flew into a rage. Learning of Consort De and Prince Xiaoyu's actions and the news of the many veteran officials supporting Prince Xiaoyu, he was like a powder keg ignited, his anger exploding instantly. His eyes were bloodshot, and he slammed his fist on the table, causing the teacups to jump.

"How dare you plot something under my very nose!" Nangong Jin roared through gritted teeth, his anger threatening to overwhelm his reason like a surging tide.

In a fit of rage, Nangong Jin immediately summoned his trusted confidants, his eyes filled with ruthlessness and determination: "I order you to immediately establish an assassination battalion. This assassination battalion will be directly under my command and will not need to go through anyone else."

The confidant was slightly taken aback, but seeing Nangong Jin's stern expression, he dared not ask any further questions and hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant will do his utmost."

Nangong Jin paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, each step seemingly carrying immense weight: "Investigate every minister in detail, not even the slightest sign of disloyalty should be overlooked. List their crimes one by one, and I will make these treacherous individuals pay the price for their actions!"

The trusted confidant accepted the order and quickly set about forming an assassination squad. The atmosphere inside and outside the palace grew increasingly tense, and a hidden storm was quietly brewing.

Meanwhile, Lin Ning and Liu Yushu were discussing how to appease Nangong Jin. Lin Ning said worriedly, "His Highness's emotions are bound to be even more difficult to control now. What should we do?"

Consort Rou frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Since things have come to this, we can only try to calm His Highness down first, and then make a more careful plan."

The two arrived at Nangong Jin's palace. As soon as they stepped through the gates, they felt a suffocating atmosphere wash over them. Nangong Jin sat on the dragon throne, his face as gloomy as the sky before a storm.

Liu Yushu stepped forward first, bowed gracefully, and said softly, "Your Highness, please take care of your health. Although the situation is complicated now, if you get sick from anger, you will fall into someone else's trap."

Nangong Jin looked at Consort Rou, the anger in his eyes lessening slightly, but he still said coldly, "Hmph, those people all hope that I will fall from power so they can install that brat on the throne. How could I grant their wish!"

Lin Ning stepped forward and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, Consort Rou is absolutely right. We must remain calm and work together to find a solution. While your decision to establish an assassination squad is certainly a good idea, we must also prevent this from causing even greater turmoil."

Nangong Jin snorted coldly: "Are we just going to let them do this behind our backs?"

Liu Yushu raised his head, looking firmly at Nangong Jin: "Your Majesty, that is not our intention. We only hope that you can weigh the pros and cons and prioritize the overall situation. Perhaps we can investigate while simultaneously dividing their forces, making them hesitant to act rashly."

Nangong Jin listened to their words and fell into deep thought. After a long while, he slowly said, "What you said makes sense. However, my mind is made up."

Seeing this, Lin Ning quickly said, "Your Majesty, we understand your feelings. But this is precisely the time when you need to make a calm decision. We will do our best to assist you in overcoming this difficulty."

Nangong Jin nodded slightly, took a deep breath, and tried to suppress the anger in his heart: "Alright, you may all leave now."

Lin Ning and Liu Yushu exchanged a glance, bowed, and slowly withdrew from the palace. They knew that although Nangong Jin had temporarily heeded their advice, the matter was already settled, and the future of the Dayu Dynasty would inevitably be filled with bloodshed and turmoil.