Jade of Another World

Lin Ning finally found the doorway in the underground warehouse, and a spark of hope ignited in her heart. She hurried along, determined to escape this dangerous place. But just as she was about to step out of the door leading to the outside world, several people suddenly rushed out and blocked her way. Leading them were none other than Little Jade King and his bodyguards.

Xiao Yu Wang's face was cold and stern, with a complex emotion in his eyes. He slightly raised his hand, signaling his guards to stop Lin Ning. "Sister Lin, are you in such a hurry to leave that you don't even want to say goodbye?" Xiao Yu Wang's voice was deep and echoed in the quiet corridor.

Lin Ning inwardly cried out in alarm, but she forced herself to remain calm and looked directly into the eyes of the Jade King, saying, "Your Highness, what do you mean by this? I only wandered into this place by chance and had no ill intentions."

Little Jade King sneered, "A coincidence? Miss Lin, your repeated visits to my residence are unlikely to be as simple as a coincidence." With that, he waved his hand, "Take her away."

The guards swarmed forward, lifted Lin Ning up, and headed towards the Little Jade King's study. Lin Ning was extremely anxious, but helpless. He could only suppress his emotions and think of a solution.

Upon entering the study, Prince Xiaoyu sat in the main seat and gestured for the guards to leave. He looked at Lin Ning and said slowly, "Sister Lin, I respect you as a woman of courage. I doubt that your purpose in coming here is simply to reminisce with me."

Lin Ning knew in her heart that this matter could not be easily exposed. She calmly said, "Your Highness, I was just worried when I heard that you were seriously injured, so I wanted to come and see if I could help. I had no ill intentions, and Consort De is aware of this."

Xiao Yu Wang frowned slightly, seemingly not believing Lin Ning's words. "Sister Lin, how can you be so foolish? Are you still going to risk everything for Nangong Jin?"

Lin Ning's heart skipped a beat. It seemed that the Little Jade King believed she had come under the orders of Nangong Jin. She decided to play along and said, "Your Highness, to be honest, the situation in the court is currently turbulent, and the misunderstanding between Your Highness and His Majesty is deepening. I simply do not want to see Dayu fall into internal strife because of the conflict between the two of you, so I wish to mediate. I have no ill intentions."

Little Jade King stared at Lin Ning for a long time, seemingly trying to determine the truthfulness of her words. After a while, he slowly said, "Sister Lin, what you said makes some sense. However, my affairs are none of your business, as an outsider. What is your status in speaking here now? Are you here for me? Or for him?"

Having said that, the young Jade King stood up and walked to Lin Ning's side, almost touching her face. Looking at the young Jade King before her, Lin Ning's mind drifted back to the warm-hearted boy she had met at the banquet in Nangong Jin's palace when he asked for a marriage decree. In the blink of an eye, that child had grown so much—tall, handsome, with a serious expression and a touch of childishness amidst his ruthlessness. The child who had stayed by Lin Ning's side to comfort her had grown up, capable of standing on his own, and of course, willing to do anything for the throne. Indeed, power was a curse; such a lovely child, now… Lin Ning felt a sudden pang of sorrow. At that moment, the young Jade King pressed himself against her. The feeling was somehow ambiguous. He was still a child; what was she thinking…? Lin Ning blushed, unable to look at him.

He said wickedly, "My brother has married two women now, but neither of them are you. It seems you haven't been doing very well while I was away. Why don't you become my woman? I said I would marry you, and I will definitely keep my promise. What do you say, Sister Lin?"

Lin Ning couldn't believe her ears. She stared at him in disbelief.

"What? Forgot? You've forgotten what I told you when my unreliable brother proposed to Rosa?" Xiaoyu Wang said.

"No, I... I didn't pay attention at the time," Lin Ning said, unsure how to answer.

"Didn't care? What do you mean? Do you think I'm not as handsome as my brother? Or do you think I'm not as rich as my brother? What do you mean by 'didn't care'? I'm not just saying this casually."

Lin Ning was completely bewildered by his words. What was going on? She didn't seem to know him very well.

"I still think you're a child," Lin Ning said apologetically.

“Child, I’m taller than Nangong Jin, and I’m already this old. I don’t look like a child at all,” he said.

Lin Ning feels more like a child now.

"No, that's not what I meant. I just thought you were young back then, and I guess you were just saying it casually."

"...Now you know I didn't just say that casually. I've come back to reclaim everything that belongs to me—my status and my woman," Little Jade King said confidently.

Lin Ning couldn't help but smile. This was so childish; just how childish could he be? Lin Ning thought, he had to stop him from doing something stupid. He was still just a child; he certainly didn't have Nangong Jin's cunning. He would be killed. Now it seemed he was mostly being used. Lin Ning resolved to find a way to make the two brothers reconcile.

Hearing his words, Lin Ning couldn't help but chuckle. "Your Highness, are you joking? This Great Yu land is not something you can just take as you please. Besides, the woman you want to take back, please don't mention me. I am not worthy of you."

Xiao Yuwang narrowed his eyes slightly, revealing a hint of affection and determination in them. "Sister Lin, you know I am in love with you. I already said back then that I would definitely marry you in the future. As for this empire, it is rightfully mine. Nangong Jin is nothing but a thief, and I am just taking it back as a matter of course. He killed my elder brother and angered my father to death. What right does he have to become emperor?"

Lin Ning was secretly on guard, but remained calm on the surface: "Your Highness, your idea is too absurd. The throne of Dayu was established by the late emperor, and Nangong Jin's succession is legitimate. If you incite conflict for your own selfish desires, you will only plunge the people of Dayu into misery."

Little Jade King, however, was unconvinced. He slowly paced back and forth, his hands clasped behind his back. "Sister Lin, you don't need to defend Nangong Jin anymore. He's acting erratically now, and the court is in a state of panic. This is a sign of his moral failings. I've returned to follow the will of Heaven, clean up this mess, and at the same time, win you back by my side."

Lin Ning understood that the Little Jade King was blinded by ambition, and persuading him would be no easy task. "Your Highness, what you say makes some sense, but this matter is of great importance and requires careful consideration. Your rash actions will only make the situation more chaotic."

Little Jade King stopped and looked at Lin Ning, his expression softening: "Sister Lin, you don't need to worry about me. I have made all the necessary preparations. Once I ascend the throne, I will certainly not mistreat you. You just need to stay by my side and be a good woman."

Lin Ning thought to herself that she had to find a way to break the deadlock. A thought struck her, and she said, "Your Highness, you value me so much, but I don't know you very well. Could you tell me how you returned and what you intend to do?"

Xiao Yu Wang paused slightly, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes. But seeing Lin Ning's sincere expression, his guard relaxed a little. "Sister Lin, you don't need to worry about these things while you're by my side. You just need to wait happily for me to finish everything. My friends have already planned everything for me. When I ascend the throne, I will announce to the world that I will marry you and bring you into the palace. Fortunately, Nangong Jin didn't marry you, but even if he did, I will still take you back."

Listening to the persistent Little Jade King, Lin Ning felt more and more that he was being used, and said, "Your Highness, Nangong Jin also has many capable and ambitious people around him, how could he let you succeed so easily?"

Little Jade King smiled confidently: "Don't worry, Sister Lin, I have already considered everything. Once everything is ready, it will be the end for Nangong Jin."

Just then, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the study, as if someone had broken in. Little Jade King's expression changed, and he immediately became alert…

The secret guard reported.

"Your Highness, several people were scouting the palace and were captured by our men. What should we do with them?"

"Take them down and interrogate them severely to find out who sent them. Strengthen the guards of the others to prevent any more spies from infiltrating."

Looking at the confident expression on Xiao Yu Wang's face, which seemed somewhat dazed, Lin Ning felt a sudden pang of heartache for him. Why did this empire possess such allure, causing even the closest and dearest to forget their affections and only desire to seize it? And this naive Xiao Yu Wang made Lin Ning increasingly believe he was being manipulated. He didn't seem like the treacherous usurper who sought to destroy Dayu. He naively believed he could easily reclaim the empire through his schemes, unaware of the far more complex conspiracies lurking behind it all. Lin Ning knew she had to remain calm and find a way to make Xiao Yu Wang understand the situation, preventing the brothers from turning against each other and plunging Dayu into internal strife. Taking advantage of the moment when Prince Xiaoyu was distracted by the noise outside, Lin Ning quickly said, "Your Highness, please don't be hasty. Think about it, if you rashly confront Prince Nangong Jin head-on, even if you eventually ascend the throne, Dayu will be severely weakened. Is that what you want to see? Moreover, are you sure that those who have allied with you are truly only trying to help you reclaim the throne, without any selfish motives?" Prince Xiaoyu frowned upon hearing Lin Ning's words, a hint of doubt creeping into his heart. But he still stubbornly insisted, "Miss Lin, you don't need to persuade me anymore. My mind is made up. Those people share my views and are all deeply dissatisfied with Nangong Jin's actions."

Lin Ning looked at Prince Xiaoyu with sincere and firm eyes: "Your Highness, why don't you think carefully about why these people didn't support you before, but only stood up for you now that Prince Nangong Jin is in such a bad state? Isn't there something fishy about this? Perhaps they just want to use you to achieve their own ulterior motives. You and Prince Nangong Jin are brothers, why ruin your brotherhood and cause the people of Dayu to suffer because of other people's schemes?"