Jade of Another World

As the banquet drew to a close, the palace remained brightly lit, but everyone was slightly tipsy, and the atmosphere was no longer as lively and tense as before.

Lin Wan was determined to spend more time alone with the Crown Prince to deepen their relationship and solidify her position in his heart. Taking advantage of the others' inattention, she secretly sent someone to the Crown Prince's side and slip him a note. The note read: "Your Highness, the moonlight is perfect tonight, and the flowers in the garden are in full bloom. I await your arrival."

The Crown Prince frowned slightly, glanced at the crowd around him, and then at Lin Wan's expectant eyes. He knew that if he were to leave with her alone at this moment, it would likely attract a lot of gossip. Moreover, his father and mother were both present today, and he also sensed something unusual about Consort Xi's attitude. So he immediately refused.

When Lin Wan received the message of rejection from the maid, she felt a pang of disappointment. Her eyes, which had been full of expectation, dimmed. But she couldn't say anything more. She could only bite her lip and look at the Crown Prince's distant figure, her heart filled with resentment and grievance.

Lin Wan grew angrier the more she thought about it. She blamed all her misfortunes on Lin Ning, feeling that if Lin Ning hadn't stolen the spotlight at the banquet, the Crown Prince wouldn't have been so cold to her. The resentment in her heart grew wildly like weeds, and a vicious plan gradually took shape in her mind.

Lin Wan knew that Liu Erlang (Liu Si) was on duty in the palace today. She quickly found an opportunity to secretly meet with him and told him that the gifts her mother had spent most of her family's savings on that day hadn't earned her any special treatment from Consort Xi. She blamed it all on Lin Ning for ruining her plans, making them precarious. It was all that bitch Lin Ning's fault. So she came up with a wicked plan and revealed it to Liu Erlang, asking for his help.

Upon hearing this, Liu Erlang hesitated for a moment. After all, this was in the palace, and if things were exposed, they would be in deep trouble. But looking at Lin Wan, he thought about it again. The Liu family and the Lin family were now inextricably linked, and if Lin Wan became the Crown Princess, their Liu family would have a better future. In the end, he gritted his teeth and agreed.

So, taking advantage of the banquet ending and the gradual departure of the crowd, as well as the slight relaxation of the palace guards, Liu Erlang secretly slipped the drug into the water of the Imperial Guard leader. The leader, completely unaware, drank it and soon felt dizzy, feverish, and his consciousness began to fade. Liu Erlang had someone help him to a secluded, empty courtyard within the palace. This courtyard was the former residence of the deceased Consort Wan. Because Consort Wan had died a violent death, the courtyard was always very deserted, and almost no one dared to go there.

Meanwhile, a palace maid, feigning panic, ran to Lin Ning's side and said urgently, "Miss Lin, something terrible has happened! Princess Ruoli has fallen and injured herself in the garden over there. Please come with me to see her quickly."

Although Lin Ning had her suspicions, she hadn't seen Princess Ruoli for quite some time. Hearing the maid's words, she became genuinely worried and decided to go check first, then escape immediately if anything went wrong. So, she followed the maid towards the secluded garden, initially not noticing anything amiss. She hadn't gone far into the garden when, by the moonlight, she saw a woman lying on the ground not far ahead. Judging from her figure and clothing, she vaguely recognized her as Princess Nangong Ruoli.

Lin Ning's heart tightened suddenly, filled with anxiety. Without thinking, she rushed over, calling out urgently, "Your Highness, Your Highness, what's wrong?"

As she ran to the woman's side and crouched down to examine her closely, the woman suddenly rolled over, holding a handkerchief soaked in a sleeping potion, and abruptly covered Lin Ning's mouth and nose. Lin Ning was terrified and instinctively struggled, but the potion was extremely potent. In no time, she felt dizzy, her vision blurred, and she finally lost consciousness, collapsing to the ground.

Seeing that Lin Ning had been drugged, the woman curled up a triumphant sneer and beckoned to the shadows. Immediately, two burly old women came out and nimbly lifted Lin Ning up, heading towards Consort Wan's room.

As she was being carried away, Lin Ning was only vaguely conscious. She felt dizzy and weak all over, but she already knew in her heart that she had been tricked. She gritted her teeth and thought to herself that she must stay awake.

Before long, Lin Ning was brought to Consort Wan's room. The two old women looked around and, seeing no one was nearby, pushed open the door, carried Lin Ning inside, and placed her on the bed. Then, as arranged beforehand, the two old women dragged in the Imperial Guard leader, who had already been drugged and was unconscious, and placed him on the bed as well. They deliberately made their clothes disheveled to create the illusion that the two were having an affair.

After doing all this, the two old women exchanged a smile, and one of them said in a low voice, "Hmph, this time we'll just wait and see the show." With that, the two quietly left the house and stood guard outside the door, waiting for someone to discover this "shameful affair" so that Lin Ning would be completely ruined.

Although Lin Ning was still not fully conscious, he had already guessed their sinister intentions.

Lin Ning lay on the bed, beside the drugged and delirious Imperial Guard leader. She knew her situation was extremely critical; time was running out. They might return in a few minutes, and she had to find a way to escape. She tried her best to concentrate.

Suddenly, she remembered the earrings she was wearing; the tips of those earrings were quite sharp. Lin Ning gritted her teeth, struggled to raise her hand, groped her way to remove the earrings, and then, steeling herself, plunged one of the earrings into her finger. A sharp pain shot through her, and blood instantly welled up from her fingertip. The excruciating pain brought her back to her senses somewhat.

Lin Ning knew this was far from enough; the pain alone would likely lull her back into a deep sleep by the drug. She endured the pain in her fingers, groping for the Fengchi acupoint at the back of her head, and then used the sharp end of her earring to stimulate it. Each stimulation brought a tingling, numb sensation, which, combined with the pain in her fingers, made her increasingly alert. Fine beads of sweat gradually appeared on Lin Ning's forehead, and her body trembled slightly from the tension and effort. With this difficult maneuver, Lin Ning was finally able to move. Looking at the meticulously laid trap before her, she was filled with anger. She knew she couldn't delay any longer; she had to leave this dangerous place as soon as possible.

Lin Ning slowly and quietly got off the bed and walked towards the window. She carefully used her hairpin to pry open the window, peeked out, and seeing that no one was around, she gritted her teeth, used all her strength, and climbed out the window.

As soon as she landed, she lost her balance and was about to lie down when suddenly a hand reached out from the side, wrapped around her waist, and lifted her up horizontally. Lin Ning was startled and was about to struggle when she heard a familiar voice whisper in her ear, "Miss Lin, don't be afraid, it's me, Nangong Jin."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ning immediately breathed a sigh of relief, her tense nerves finally relaxing. Nangong Jin released her, noticing her slightly disheveled clothes and the lingering shock on her face. His eyes were filled with concern and worry as he softly asked, "Miss Lin, what happened? I heard you were led here by a palace maid, and sensing something was wrong, I rushed over to check. I couldn't find you for a while, and if it weren't for the commotion here, I probably wouldn't have been able to find you."

Before Nangong Jin could finish speaking, Lin Ning lost her balance and slid down. Nangong Jin wrapped his cloak around Lin Ning and carried her away from the troublesome place. He hurriedly carried Lin Ning to a secluded and tranquil courtyard within his palace, which now became Lin Ning's safe haven.

As soon as Lin Ning entered the room, she felt increasingly unwell. The dizziness caused by the drug had finally subsided somewhat, but now, an unusual heat surged from the bottom of her heart and quickly spread throughout her body. Her cheeks began to flush, her breathing became rapid, and a hazy look gradually appeared in her eyes.

Nangong Jin noticed Lin Ning's unusual behavior and quickly asked with concern, "Miss Lin, what's wrong? Is there anything else that's bothering you?"

Lin Ning bit her lip, trying to stay awake, and said in a trembling voice, "Your Highness, I... I feel something's wrong. It's not just that I was drugged; it seems like the drug was mixed with a lot of aphrodisiac incense. I... I feel so awful right now..."

Upon hearing this, Nangong Jin's expression changed drastically, and he secretly hated the ruthlessness and treachery of those who had committed such a heinous act.

Seeing Lin Ning's pained yet restrained expression, he was extremely anxious and at a loss for what to do. But he knew that he had to find a way to help Lin Ning suppress the effects of the drug.

Nangong Jin looked around, trying to find a way to alleviate the effects of the medicine. He first walked quickly to the table, picked up the teapot, poured a glass of cold water, handed it to Lin Ning, and said, "Miss Lin, drink some water first and see if it makes you feel better."

Lin Ning took the water glass and drank it all in one gulp. The cool water flowed down her throat, making her feverish body feel a little better, but it was only a temporary relief. The effects of the aphrodisiac incense continued to erode her reason.

Nangong Jin frowned, pondered for a moment, then turned around and began searching the room, hoping to find some antidote pills or herbs. But there were no such things in this courtyard at the moment.

Lin Ning's body began to tremble uncontrollably. She clutched her clothes tightly, her forehead covered in fine beads of sweat. Her usually clear eyes were now filled with struggle and pain. With the last shred of her sanity, she weakly said to Nangong Jin, "Your Highness, you...you must leave, I...I—I can't control myself..."

Upon hearing this, Nangong Jin felt a pang of pain in his heart. How could he abandon Lin Ning at this time? He walked to Lin Ning's side, took her hand, and said firmly, "Miss Lin, don't worry, I won't leave. I will definitely find a way to help you. I will not let those who want to harm you get away with it."

Nangong Jin summoned his shadow guards to find the antidote. He desperately wanted to find the imperial physician, but if the physician arrived, his father and the imperial concubines would follow, and with so many guests present, Lin Ning's reputation would be ruined. Although he also had feelings for Lin Ning and might even marry her, he still had important matters to attend to and couldn't marry her now. He paced back and forth in the room, racking his brains for a solution. Meanwhile, Lin Ning's consciousness was gradually fading under the torment of the aphrodisiac incense, and the situation was becoming increasingly critical. A tense and anxious atmosphere enveloped the entire courtyard.

Inside the room, the effects of the drug intensified, and Lin Ning felt as if her reason was shrouded in a thick fog, threatening to vanish at any moment. Yet, she struggled desperately, weakly calling out the name of Prince Xian, Nangong Jin, with the last vestiges of her clarity.

Hearing Lin Ning's call, Nangong Jin hurried to her side. Lin Ning's clothes were soaked with sweat, clinging tightly to her body and subtly outlining her graceful figure. Her rosy face, like a peach blossom in spring, was flushed with an alluring blush, and her thin, bright red lips were slightly parted as she breathed softly—a sight that would make anyone's heart flutter.

Looking at Lin Ning like this, Nangong Jin felt a surge of heat welling up from the bottom of his heart, instantly spreading throughout his body, and his throat became dry. His gaze was fixed on Lin Ning, and for a moment he couldn't look away. It was as if a wild beast was constantly crashing against the cage of reason in his heart, making him almost unable to control himself, and he felt an impulse to pull the person in front of him into his arms and devour her.

Lin Ning was on the verge of collapse from the discomfort. She subconsciously moved closer to Nangong Jin, pressing her body tightly against him. She seemed to feel a slight coolness that made her feel comfortable. Her hands also unconsciously grabbed the hem of his clothes. The posture was too ambiguous, like the most intimate lovers in the world.