Jade of Another World

Finally, Lin Ning and Lin Wan figured out the truth of the matter and reported it to Nangong Jin. Nangong Jin ordered his men to bring Consort Rou to him. Soon after, Consort Rou was brought before everyone. Although she tried to appear calm, her slightly trembling hands betrayed her inner fear. Nangong Jin sat in the main seat with a gloomy expression, his eyes filled with anger and disappointment. Lin Ning and Lin Wan stood to the side, their expressions serious.

Lin Wan stepped forward, cleared her throat, and began to speak: "Your Majesty, esteemed ministers. The cause of all this is that Consort Rou is pregnant, but the child is not Your Majesty's. I imagine that after Consort Rou discovered her pregnancy, she was extremely distressed and did not know what to do."

Upon hearing this, Consort Rou's face turned deathly pale, but she still stubbornly retorted, "You...you mustn't make false accusations!"

Nangong Jin roared, "Shut up! Let Miss Lin finish speaking. If she tells even the slightest lie, I will not let her off easily! But if it is true, you will not escape punishment either!"

Lin Wan continued, "Just as Consort Rou was deeply worried about this, the lame female worker appeared. This female worker was originally a washerwoman outside the palace. While washing clothes for her sister for the concubines in the palace, she noticed that Consort Rou had not had her period and guessed that the Consort was pregnant. She wanted to ask the Consort for some reward money. Her appearance undoubtedly made the already flustered Consort Rou even more worried that the matter would be exposed, so she decided to kill her to silence her."

Lin Wan paused slightly, observing Roufei's expression. She noticed that Roufei's eyes were darting around, and she dared not meet the eyes of the others.

"Unfortunately, this lame seamstress was also quite cunning. She told Consort Rou that she had given the information to an important person, and that if she were to meet with misfortune, the relevant letters would be leaked. Consort Rou was hesitant to act rashly and had no choice but to abandon her murder plan and instead summon the seamstress to the palace to serve her."

Lin Wan paused, looked around, and seeing that everyone was engrossed in her story, continued, "Because this seamstress could freely leave the palace, Consort Rou used her to deliver messages, presumably to the child's biological father. No secrets stay hidden forever. One day, the seamstress accidentally lost the message, which happened to be found by Consort Zhao. Your Majesty, as you know, Consort Zhao is always meticulous and curious; upon seeing this secret letter, she would surely open it. Sure enough, the contents confirmed her suspicions—it was a letter from Consort Rou to a man outside the palace arranging a meeting."

Upon hearing this, Nangong Jin trembled with rage and shouted, "That vile woman, how dare she do such a heinous thing!"

Lin Wan continued, "Consort Zhao knew the importance of this matter. If she could find evidence of Consort Rou's affair with a man outside the palace, her position in the palace would be secure. So, she secretly followed her during the meeting under the cover of darkness. However, perhaps she was not careful enough, as the meeting place was in a secluded spot outside the palace, and the surrounding situation was complicated."

Lin Wan frowned slightly, her expression serious as she analyzed, "Perhaps Consort Rou and that other man noticed Zhao Meiren following them during their meeting, or perhaps it was a trap they set for her. In any case, Zhao Meiren never returned. She discovered a secret she shouldn't have, and the person behind that secret, to protect it, didn't hesitate to kill her. Poor Zhao Meiren, she lost her life in vain."

After Lin Wan finished speaking, the room fell silent. Everyone was shocked by the intrigue and bloodshed within the harem.

Consort Rou vehemently objected, saying, "Your Majesty, I am innocent! I am not pregnant. These are all their speculations. Lin Ning is ambitious. She can't stand your kindness to me, so she had her sister spread these rumors about me. You must stand up for me!"

Nangong Jin remained silent for a long time, his eyes filled with grief and anger. He slowly spoke, "Miss Lin, do you have any evidence?"

Lin Ning and Lin Wan exchanged a glance and nodded firmly: "Your Majesty, rest assured, we will not make baseless accusations without evidence."

Lin Ning and Lin Wan summoned the imperial physician. Consort Rou curled up on the ground, her eyes revealing a hint of fear and despair, but she still tried to remain calm.

The imperial physician respectfully approached Consort Rou, preparing to take her pulse again. Consort Rou tried to resist, but was forcibly restrained by the guards. The imperial physician placed his fingers on Consort Rou's wrist, his expression focused, carefully feeling her pulse. After a moment, the imperial physician frowned, stood up, and reported to Lin Ning and Lin Wan: "Your Majesty, ladies, this diagnosis confirms that Her Majesty is indeed not pregnant."

Upon hearing this, Lin Wan felt a pang of anxiety and looked at Lin Ning with eyes full of doubt and unease.

Lin Ning remained calm. She looked at the imperial physician and asked unhurriedly, "In the imperial physician's opinion, if Her Majesty is not pregnant, can you diagnose any signs of miscarriage?"

The imperial physician paused slightly, then bent down again to examine Consort Rou more carefully. After a while, the physician straightened up and solemnly said, "Your Majesty, ladies, after careful examination, Her Majesty does indeed show signs of miscarriage."

Lin Ning's lips curled up slightly, revealing an expression of "I knew it." Lin Wan then realized what was going on, and her worries dissipated.

It turned out that after Consort Rou learned that Consort Zhao had discovered her secret, she knew that the matter could be exposed at any time. In order to cover up the shameful fact that she had become pregnant through an affair with another man, she desperately sought a cure and had her father buy abortifacients on the black market, cruelly aborting the fetus in her womb.

In the Great Yu Kingdom, abortion was a serious violation of the Jade Code, and if discovered, it would be severely punished. Consort Rou's actions undoubtedly led her further down the wrong path.

Lin Ning looked at Consort Rou with disdain in her eyes and said coldly, "Consort Rou, you have done such a heinous thing to cover up your crimes. Now that the evidence is conclusive, what else do you have to say?"

Consort Rou collapsed to the ground, her face ashen, and muttered to herself, "You can only prove that I am pregnant, but the death of Consort Zhao is a frame-up you made against me..." She knew that she could only admit to the pregnancy now, as the evidence could not be erased, but she would never admit to the murder.

Lin Ning looked down at the collapsed Consort Rou with a knowing smile on his face and said slowly, "Consort Rou, do you think that killing Consort Zhao will make this matter impossible to prove? You are too naive."

Upon hearing this, a look of fear flashed in Consort Rou's eyes. She subconsciously raised her head to look at Lin Ning, her lips trembling, but she could not utter a word.

Lin Ning continued, "To be honest, we found a witness—that lame palace maid. You know very well why she ran away, right? It's because she witnessed you cruelly murdering Consort Zhao. She knew that if she didn't escape quickly, she would be next to die. And you, in order to silence her, sent people to hunt her down. Unfortunately, the net of heaven is vast, and though its meshes are wide, nothing escapes it."

Consort Rou's face turned deathly pale, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Lin Ning continued in detail: "Just as the assassins you arranged were about to catch up with her, we arrived in time. With the help of the secret guards sent by His Majesty, we successfully rescued her. She told us everything she had seen with her own eyes, including how you colluded with other men and how you murdered Consort Zhao."

At this moment, the palace maids who had been loyal to Consort Rou, realizing that all was lost, also turned against her. One of the maids knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I have been coerced and tempted by Consort Rou and dared not tell the truth. Now, I can no longer bear to hide it, and I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness." Then, she revealed some of Consort Rou's previous secrets.

Faced with overwhelming evidence, Consort Rou knew she could no longer deny it. In despair, she closed her eyes, two lines of tears streaming down her face, and finally collapsed to the ground, prostrating herself in confession: "Your Majesty, I deserve to die a thousand deaths. I beg Your Majesty to grant me death."

Nangong Jin sat on the dragon throne, his face so dark it seemed to drip water. He glared at Consort Rou, gritting his teeth as he said, "You have committed such heinous crimes, I will not let you off easily. Not only did you betray me, but you also cruelly murdered the innocent Consort Zhao, your crimes are unforgivable! Guards, throw Consort Rou into the Cold Palace to await further punishment. At the same time, make sure to apprehend the man who had an affair with Consort Rou as soon as possible. I will make you pay a heavy price for your actions!"

The guards obeyed and dragged Consort Rou away. Lin Ning and Lin Wan watched this scene, their hearts filled with mixed emotions. Although they had successfully uncovered the truth and brought justice to Consort Zhao, the intrigues and cruelty within the harem still left them feeling deeply helpless and sorrowful.

Through this experience, Lin Ning and Lin Wan understood even more clearly that behind the seemingly magnificent palace lay countless dangers and darkness. And they would carry this experience with them as they continued their journey through this era, upholding the justice and kindness in their hearts…

Lin Ning and Lin Wan returned to the Prime Minister's residence, finally able to rest after days of arduous travel and tense investigation. The tranquility of the residence contrasted sharply with the treacherous atmosphere of the palace, allowing their tense nerves to gradually relax. However, the situation in the palace did not calm down despite the capture of Consort Rou. Nangong Jin was determined to find the man who had been having an affair with Consort Rou, but the numerous secret guards she had dispatched seemed to have vanished without a trace. This man's identity was mysterious, and he acted cautiously, as if he had disappeared into thin air.

Nangong Jin was extremely anxious about this matter. He knew that if it wasn't resolved quickly, it would not only damage the nation's reputation but also cause him to lose face. Every day after finishing his official duties, he would lock himself in his study, repeatedly pondering various clues, but he still couldn't find a breakthrough.

As time went by, Nangong Jin's anxiety grew increasingly severe. One day, he paced back and forth in the imperial study, overwhelmed by a torrent of frustration. Suddenly, a mouthful of blood spurted from his mouth, staining the table before him crimson.

The palace servants were terrified upon seeing this and hurriedly ran to summon the imperial physician. Before long, the physician arrived in a hurry. After examining the patient, he reported back: "Your Majesty, this is caused by excessive anxiety. You need to calm down and recuperate. You must not worry excessively."

However, the imperial physician only knew one side of the story. In reality, Nangong Jin's Gu poison had flared up again. Although Lin Ning had managed to suppress the attack with acupuncture before, the long-term anxiety and stress had caused it to relapse quietly. Nangong Jin seemed to have a premonition, but he couldn't be sure. He only wanted to endure his physical discomfort and continue planning how to find that mysterious outsider.

Meanwhile, Lin Ning and Lin Wan heard the news of Nangong Jin vomiting blood at the Prime Minister's residence, and they were filled with worry. Lin Ning frowned and said, "Wanwan, His Majesty's sudden attack of anger is probably related to the fact that the other man has not yet been brought to justice. If this matter is not resolved as soon as possible, His Majesty's health and the situation in the court will be in jeopardy."

Lin Wan nodded, her expression worried, and said, "Sister, should we go into the palace to see His Majesty? Perhaps we can still be of some help."

After thinking for a moment, Lin Ning said, "Alright, let's go to the palace and see if we can find any clues about that man from other sources."

So the two sisters packed their things and hurried to the palace. Meanwhile, the palace appeared calm on the surface, but undercurrents were surging. A crisis surrounding the mysterious outsider and Nangong Jin's Gu poison was quietly approaching…

As Lin Ning and Lin Wan stepped into Nangong Jin's palace, they saw that he was pale and haggard, and a sense of worry arose in their hearts. Just as the three were exchanging pleasantries, a eunuch's announcement came from outside the door: "Consort De has arrived!"

Nangong Jin frowned slightly, then regained his composure and said, "Summon."

Consort De walked gracefully into the palace with a solemn expression. Upon seeing Nangong Jin, she bowed gracefully and said, "Your Majesty, may you be well."

Nangong Jin raised his hand to gesture for her to stand up and said, "What brings Consort De here today?"

Consort De raised her head and said with a firm gaze, "Your Majesty, Consort Zhao died innocently. Consort Rou committed such a heinous crime and must be severely punished to give Consort Zhao an explanation."

Nangong Jin nodded slightly and said, "I have already banished Consort Rou to the Cold Palace. She will never be able to come out again in this lifetime. This can be considered as giving Consort Zhao an explanation."

Consort De was not satisfied with this and continued, "Now that Consort Zhao and Lord Zhao have both passed away, the Zhao family was full of loyal and devoted people who served the Great Yu with all their might. Now that Consort Zhao has passed away, His Majesty should posthumously confer upon her the title of Consort. Because of Lord Zhao's mourning period, Consort Zhao never received the title of Consort from His Majesty until her death. Now she has died at such a young age, and she has no place to be buried. His Majesty should confer upon Consort Zhao the title and give her a place to rest in peace. This is what His Majesty owes to the Zhao family..." After saying this, she immediately covered her face and wept.

Upon hearing this, Nangong Jin's heart skipped a beat. The matter of posthumously conferring the title of Consort Zhao upon Zhao was something he had considered, but had not yet acted upon. However, the fact that Consort De brought it up now, and specifically emphasized that he "owed the Zhao family," suggested that she might know the hidden story behind Lord Zhao's death.

Nangong Jin felt a sense of unease, but asked calmly, "Why do you say that, Consort De? I will naturally treat the Zhao family well... but is there something wrong with this matter?"

Consort De was slightly taken aback, seemingly not expecting Nangong Jin to ask such a question. She hesitated for a moment before slowly saying, "Your Majesty, I simply feel sorry for the Zhao family, who have suffered such a misfortune. As for Lord Zhao's death, I have only heard some rumors."

Nangong Jin stared intently into Consort De's eyes, trying to glean a clue from her expression, but found her calm and composed, showing no sign of anything amiss. However, his doubts remained; it seemed that a deeper secret was hidden behind this matter.

Lin Ning and Lin Wan observed silently from the side, each pondering their own thoughts. Lin Ning sensed Nangong Jin's unease and guessed that this matter might be related to the previous investigation. It seemed that the mysteries of the palace had not been completely solved with the capture of Consort Rou.

The atmosphere became somewhat heavy for a moment. After pondering for a moment, Nangong Jin said, "I understand Consort De's intentions. I will arrange the posthumous conferment of the title upon Consort Zhao as soon as possible. As for Lord Zhao's death, I personally investigated it and found that it was caused by an epidemic. The evidence is conclusive. If there is any nonsense now, I will not tolerate it."

Consort De's expression turned slightly cold. She bowed slightly and said, "That's good. I'll take my leave now."

After Consort De left, Nangong Jin rubbed his temples and said to Lin Ning and Lin Wan, "Ladies, it seems this matter is not over yet. Consort De's words today make me feel that she also seems to know something about this matter. We can investigate her; perhaps we will find something unexpected."

Lin Ning nodded and said, "Your Majesty, Consort De's words are indeed a bit strange. She seemed to have a good relationship with Consort Zhao before, and now it seems that she is also very concerned about this matter. Perhaps we can find some clues about the other man."

Nangong Jin nodded in agreement and said, "Alright, let's do as Miss Lin Wan says. I will arrange for secret guards to assist you in finding out the truth as soon as possible."

Thus, Lin Ning and Lin Wan are once again drawn into the complex mysteries of the palace, and a new investigation unfolds amidst the undercurrents...