Jade of Another World

After Lin Ning shared her speculations about Xiao Yu Wang's condition with Nangong Jin and Xuan Yuan Che, the three of them urgently discussed countermeasures in a secret room. Nangong Jin looked grave, pacing back and forth, pondering the pros and cons.

"If Ning'er's guess is true, and the Little Jade King's illness is a hoax, then what exactly is the person behind it all planning?" Nangong Jin frowned, a hint of worry in his eyes.

Xuanyuan Che stroked his chin and analyzed, "I'm afraid they want to use this to incite Consort De and the forces that support Prince Xiaoyu to launch a more intense attack on Your Highness, create chaos, and profit from it."

Lin Ning nodded in agreement and continued, "Therefore, we must find out the truth as soon as possible. I think I should visit Xiaoyu Prince's Mansion under the guise of a doctor; perhaps that will allow me to probe the situation."

Nangong Jin frowned slightly and said with some worry, "This journey will likely be fraught with danger. Consort De now hates me to the bone. If she discovers your intentions, she probably won't let you off easily."

Lin Ning smiled slightly and said confidently, "Your Highness, rest assured, I have already thought of a solution. I will go there under the pretext of being concerned about Prince Xiaoyu's condition. Even if Consort De has doubts, she cannot refuse directly. Moreover, I will act carefully and will not give myself away."

Xuan Yuanche added, "Lin Ning is meticulous and has superb medical skills. This plan is feasible. However, we need to be on standby outside, just in case."

After a moment's thought, Nangong Jin finally made up his mind: "Alright, we'll do as you say. Ning'er, you must be careful on your journey. Xuan Yuanche, arrange for the secret guards to be on standby near the Xiaoyu Prince's residence at any time. If there is any unusual activity, they should provide immediate support."

Lin Ning and Xuan Yuanche responded in unison, "Yes, Your Majesty!"

Afterwards, Lin Ning carefully prepared some precious wound medicines from the palace, and carrying the medicine box, went to the Xiaoyu Prince's Mansion.

Upon arriving at the gate of the Prince's residence, Lin Ning explained her purpose to the guards: "Please announce my arrival. I am Lin Ning, the eldest daughter of Prime Minister Lin and a physician from the Imperial Hospital. I have heard that His Highness the Jade Prince's injuries are serious, and I have come to offer some specially prepared medicines in the hope that they may help His Highness's condition."

After the guard went in to report, he soon came out and led Lin Ning into the palace. Led by the guard, Lin Ning walked through the winding corridors, secretly on guard, paying attention to everything around him.

Arriving outside Prince Xiaoyu's ward, Lin Ning took a deep breath, steadied herself, and gently pushed open the door before entering. Consort De was sitting by the bedside. Seeing Lin Ning enter, a flicker of wariness crossed her eyes: "You were sent by Nangong Jin? What are you doing here?"

Lin Ning quickly bowed and said respectfully, "Your Highness, you should be aware of my medical skills. I have been entrusted by the imperial physicians to treat His Highness Prince Yu. I heard that His Highness's injuries are serious, and I am quite worried. I had some contact with His Highness at the palace banquet before, and he naturally regards me as a friend. I do not wish to see him like this, and I thought that my medicine might be of some help to His Highness's condition."

Consort De sized Lin Ning up and down, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Alright, you can take a look. If anything happens to my son, I'll make you pay with your life!"

Lin Ning remained silent. She now understood: in this dynasty, the most common thing these powerful and influential people did was utter harsh words. Sigh...

She carefully approached the bedside and began to examine Xiao Yu Wang's injuries. As she examined him, she placed her fingers on his pulse, focusing intently on the changes in his pulse while observing his complexion and tongue coating. After a moment, she had a good understanding of his condition.

He continued his examination discreetly, pretending to check the wounds. He gently loosened Xiao Yu Wang's clothes, only to find that the supposed serious injuries were merely minor abrasions, not life-threatening at all. Furthermore, he didn't show the paleness and weakness expected after significant blood loss. Combining this with the pulse, Lin Ning concluded that Xiao Yu Wang was fine; he had simply taken some special drug that had put him in a state similar to a fainting spell from which he couldn't wake up. As for the previously reported symptoms of vomiting blood, they were likely fabricated, merely a ploy to create the illusion that he was on the verge of death.

Lin Ning thought to himself, it seems that the person behind this really did tamper with Little Jade King's illness, intending to mislead everyone and achieve their ulterior motives.

She raised her head and looked at Consort De, her face displaying the composure and certainty characteristic of a physician: "Your Highness Consort De, His Highness Prince Yu's injuries are not serious. It seems he has taken some kind of medicine, causing him to fall into this comatose state. Once the poison is neutralized, His Highness Prince Yu will awaken."

Upon hearing this, Consort De was first taken aback, then a hint of surprise and suspicion flashed in her eyes: "Is what you say true? Don't try to deceive me. If you dare to joke with my son's life, I will not forgive you!"

Lin Ning quickly replied, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, I would never dare to deceive you. However, this medicine is quite rare, and I need to carefully consider it before I can determine the antidote. I hope Your Majesty will allow me to go back and study it, so that I can detoxify His Highness the Jade Prince as soon as possible."

Consort De hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded: "Very well, you may go back now. If you can revive my son, I will reward you handsomely. But if you deliberately delay and worsen my son's condition, I will make sure you die a horrible death!"

Lin Ning bowed and took her leave, hurriedly leaving the Xiaoyu Prince's Mansion with her medicine box. As soon as she left the mansion, she immediately met up with Xuan Yuanche, who was waiting outside.

"How is the situation?" Xuan Yuanche asked anxiously.

Lin Ning explained her diagnosis to Xuan Yuanche in detail, and said with a serious expression, "The Little Jade King's illness is indeed suspicious, and someone must be manipulating everything behind the scenes. We must inform His Majesty of this as soon as possible and discuss our next steps."

Xuanyuan Che nodded, and the two immediately rushed back to the palace to report this important news to Nangong Jin.

Upon hearing this, Nangong Jin's face darkened: "Just as I expected. It seems that the person behind this is plotting to disrupt the situation in Dayu."

The three sat together and began to discuss how to deal with the situation...

Lin Ning looked at Nangong Jin and Xuan Yuanche and said slowly, "Your Majesty, the situation of the Little Jade King this time is quite strange. However, it is still unclear whether he was a passive victim or actively participated in this scheme."

Nangong Jin frowned slightly and asked, "Why do you have this guess?"

Lin Ning pondered for a moment and said, "Little Jade Prince seems to be unconscious, but I diagnosed that his condition is not as serious as the outside world says. He is likely under the control of drugs. But if he was tricked, how could he be so easily tricked by someone with his intelligence and the guards around him? But if he participated actively, Consort De's grief and indignation do not seem to be faked, so I can't judge for the time being and can only guess."

Nangong Jin nodded, lost in thought. Xuan Yuanche then said, "If the Little Jade Prince actively participates, the conspiracy behind it will likely be even more complex, perhaps involving collusion with more forces. But if he is passively victimized, then the mastermind behind it must be someone else, and ruthless enough to dare to target a member of the royal family."

Lin Ning continued, "That's why I'm thinking of finding some time to go to Xiaoyu Prince's Mansion to investigate again. Perhaps I can find more clues from the details and determine what role Xiaoyu Prince played in this conspiracy."

Nangong Jin's expression was solemn as he said, "We must be extremely careful in this matter. If Prince Xiaoyu is truly involved, your return trip could very well put you in danger. However, this is indeed a crucial step in uncovering the truth. If you take any action, you must inform His Highness and Xuanyuan Che in advance so that we can arrange for their assistance."

Lin Ning nodded and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty. I will act with caution. However, the most urgent task at present, besides finding out about the situation of the young prince, is to keep an eye on the movements of the court officials to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the chaos."

Xuanyuan Che also said, "Indeed, the situation is complex now, and we must take precautions on all fronts. Your Majesty, I will increase manpower to closely monitor the court's movements, and report to you immediately if there is any disturbance."

Nangong Jin took a deep breath and said, "Alright, then I'll have to trouble you two."

The three discussed some details before parting ways to prepare for the impending predicament. Lin Ning understood that her next trip to Xiaoyu Prince's Mansion might uncover an even more astonishing secret, but it would also come with immense danger, and she had to be fully prepared.