Jade of Another World

While in the Prime Minister's residence, Lin Ning remained somewhat worried about Nangong Yu's situation. Recalling the past, although Consort De was ruthless and heinous, Nangong Yu was once an innocent child in her eyes, and she had genuinely treated him as a younger brother.

Although Nangong Yu participated in the scheme set up by Consort De to force her to marry him, Lin Ning knew in her heart that it was nothing more than Nangong Yu being bewitched by Consort De and indulging in wishful thinking; no real relationship had occurred between the two. Thinking of this, Lin Ning ultimately softened.

She summoned a trusted servant and whispered, "Go and arrange for someone to go to the Heavenly Prison to check on Nangong Yu's situation. Be extremely careful and don't let anyone discover you." The servant obeyed and immediately disguised himself and quietly went to the Heavenly Prison.

Not long after, the servant returned to the Prime Minister's residence in a hurry. Upon seeing Lin Ning, he said with a shocked expression, "Miss, something terrible has happened! Nangong Yu has been severely injured and is lying in the prison cell on the verge of death. He looks extremely pitiful and I'm afraid his days are numbered."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ning's heart clenched, her face filled with astonishment. She truly hadn't expected Xuan Yuanche to be so ruthless towards Nangong Yu. "How could this be..." Lin Ning murmured to herself, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She knew that Xuan Yuanche deeply hated Consort De and Nangong Yu's actions, but hearing the news of Nangong Yu's serious injuries still left her unsettled. After a moment's thought, Lin Ning decided to go to the Imperial Prison herself.

"Prepare the carriage, I'm going to the Imperial Prison," Lin Ning said firmly. The maid beside her looked worried: "Miss, going to the Imperial Prison at this time might not be appropriate. What if His Majesty blames you..."

Lin Ning frowned slightly. "I can't worry about that now. He's seriously injured. I won't be able to rest easy if I don't go see him." With that, ignoring the maid's advice, she resolutely boarded the carriage and sped towards the prison.

When Lin Ning arrived at the prison and saw the battered, critically injured Nangong Yu in his cell, a pang of pain shot through her heart. She quickly went to Nangong Yu's side, knelt down, and whispered, "Little Jade King, you… how did you get so badly injured…" Nangong Yu slightly opened his eyes, and upon seeing Lin Ning, a complex expression flashed in his eyes—guilt, and a glimmer of hope…

Lin Ning was extremely anxious seeing the seriously injured Nangong Yu. She immediately instructed her maid to bring out a medical kit to treat Nangong Yu, and also arranged for people to prepare various precious medicinal herbs. Under Lin Ning's meticulous care, Nangong Yu's injuries gradually stabilized, and his body began to recover.

The prison guards reported Lin Ning's rescue of Nangong Yu to Xuan Yuanche in detail. Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuanche merely frowned slightly but did not issue an order to stop it. He had his own plans in mind.

Xuan Yuanche knew Lin Ning was kind-hearted, and he wasn't surprised that she helped Nangong Yu out of consideration for their past relationship. Moreover, he wanted to use this incident to see how Lin Ning truly felt about Nangong Yu. After all, Lin Ning held a special place in his heart, and he didn't want Nangong Yu's situation to affect his relationship with her.

Furthermore, keeping Nangong Yu alive might serve other purposes. Although Nangong Yu has been stripped of his princely status, he still wields considerable influence within the Dayu court and among certain factions. Keeping him alive might draw out some hidden forces, thereby completely eliminating the remaining power of Consort De's faction and consolidating one's rule.

And so, with Lin Ning's help, Nangong Yu's health gradually improved. He was filled with gratitude towards Lin Ning, and at the same time, he felt deep remorse for his past actions. In his cell, he often reflected on his mistakes, secretly vowing that if given the chance, he would make amends for the sins he had committed.

Lin Ning found herself in a dilemma while rescuing Nangong Yu. On one hand, she hoped Nangong Yu could repent and start anew; on the other hand, she worried that her actions would displease Xuan Yuanche. She didn't know what Xuan Yuanche thought of her helping Nangong Yu, and couldn't help but feel uneasy.

In this delicate atmosphere, the situation within the Dayu Imperial Palace appears calm on the surface, but undercurrents are surging beneath. The relationship between the three individuals also becomes more complex due to this series of events…

After Xuanyuan Che ascended the throne, the former deputy head of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, along with several underlings, arrived in the capital full of joy. They thought that having weathered many storms with Xuanyuan Che in the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, he would surely receive them warmly now that he was the emperor, giving them a chance to reminisce and perhaps even receive titles and ranks. However, when they met Xuanyuan Che, they were chilled to the bone by his extremely cold attitude. Xuanyuan Che sat on the dragon throne, his eyes filled with aloofness and majesty, showing no joy whatsoever at their arrival. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he hastily ended the meeting, citing the urgency of state affairs. The deputy head and his underlings looked at each other, their hearts filled with disappointment and sadness. They never imagined that their former comrade-in-arms, Xuanyuan Che, had become so unfamiliar. Helpless, knowing that staying any longer would be futile, they could only leave dejectedly.

Just as they were leaving the palace, they happened to run into Lin Ning, who had come to pay his respects to Xuan Yuanche. As they passed by Lin Ning, they couldn't help but whisper among themselves. "It seems he really doesn't care about our past relationship anymore, sigh..." Although their voices were soft, they still reached Lin Ning's ears.

Lin Ning was puzzled. After the group had walked away, she quickened her pace and entered the hall. Upon seeing Xuan Yuanche, she bowed and couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, I just encountered some people who seemed to be acquaintances of yours. They looked quite dejected, and it seemed that you were cold towards them. Why is that?"

Xuan Yuanche frowned slightly, a strange glint in his eyes, and said, “Miss Lin, you may not know this, but as the Emperor of Dayu, every word and action I take is related to the fate of the nation. Although the Tianji Pavilion has a history with me, if I am too enthusiastic towards them now, it will inevitably lead the court officials to suspect that I am colluding with the Jianghu forces, causing unnecessary suspicion and conflict. For the sake of the stability of Dayu, I have no choice but to do this.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Ning suddenly understood and couldn't help but feel more sympathy for Xuan Yuanche's situation. "Your Majesty is far-sighted and puts the Great Yu first in everything, which is truly admirable. However, doing so will inevitably cause resentment among old friends."

Xuanyuan Che sighed softly, "How could I not know? But on this throne, one often has to put aside personal feelings. I only hope that they will understand my predicament in the future." After saying this, a trace of melancholy flashed in Xuanyuan Che's eyes, but he quickly regained his dignified appearance and continued to deal with state affairs.

Lin Ning stood in a corner of the hall, quietly watching Xuan Yuanche. He saw Xuan Yuanche's brows furrowed as he intently reviewed the memorials; his serious expression and composed demeanor were strikingly similar to Nangong Jin's. Lin Ning's gaze gradually drifted away, her thoughts wandering.

Although Xuanyuan Che and Nangong Jin were once twins, their personalities were completely different. Xuanyuan Che was chivalrous and unrestrained, displaying a bold and forthright spirit when traveling the world; while Nangong Jin, as the emperor, was calm and reserved, exuding royal dignity and solemnity in every gesture. They were like two completely different trajectories, moving forward on their respective paths in life. However, at this moment, looking at the busy Xuanyuan Che in front of her, Lin Ning had a strange illusion, as if the person standing in front of her was Nangong Jin. That focused gaze, that slightly pursed lips when thinking, all of them felt both familiar and strange to her.

"How could they be so similar?" Lin Ning murmured to herself, a surge of indescribable emotion welling up within her. She tried to clear her mind, but found that the images of Xuan Yuanche and Nangong Jin in her memory were beginning to blur and overlap.

Perhaps it was a twist of fate, or perhaps it was the change in status, that caused Xuan Yuanche to unknowingly acquire Nangong Jin's temperament. After becoming emperor, he shouldered the heavy responsibility of governing the country, and his former chivalrous spirit was worn down by time and responsibility, gradually becoming calm and reserved.

Lin Ning's consciousness was somewhat hazy; she didn't know if she was looking at Xuan Yuanche or Nangong Jin. This strange feeling left her bewildered, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind, but the similar image lingered in her mind.

Just then, Xuan Yuanche seemed to notice Lin Ning's unusual behavior. He looked up at her with a hint of concern in his eyes: "Miss Lin, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Lin Ning snapped out of her daze and forced a smile: "Your Majesty, I'm fine, I'm just a little tired and would like to take my leave first."

Xuan Yuanche nodded slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, but he didn't ask any further questions: "Then you should go back and rest first. If you need anything, feel free to call for help."

After bowing, Lin Ning turned and walked out of the main hall, her steps somewhat unsteady. She knew she needed time to process this sudden emotion and strange feeling, and the subtle changes between Xuan Yuanche and Nangong Jin also made her feel a little uneasy.