Jade of Another World

As evening fell, the afterglow of the setting sun bathed the courtyard of the Prime Minister's residence in a soft golden light. However, Lin Qing had no heart to appreciate this usually pleasant scenery. Filled with trepidation and anticipation, she walked toward the courtyard where Lin Ning lived.

Upon arriving at Lin Ning's courtyard, Lin Qing took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and gently knocked on the door. A moment later, the door creaked open, and Lin Ning's maid, Cui Liu, peeked out. Seeing Lin Qing, she paused slightly, then asked, "Miss Lin Qing, what brings you here…?"

Lin Qing quickly said, "Little sister Cui'er, I'd like to see my elder sister. Do you have some free time right now?"

Cui Liu glanced at Lin Qing's slightly nervous expression, hesitated for a moment, but still stepped aside to let her into the courtyard, saying, "Miss is inside. Please wait a moment while I go and inform her."

A moment later, Xiao Cui came out and led Lin Qing into the house. Lin Ning was sitting by the window reading a book. When she saw Lin Qing arrive, she was a little puzzled, but she still got up to greet her and said with a smile, "Sister, what brings you here today? Please have a seat."

Looking at Lin Ning's gentle face, Lin Qing's eyes reddened, and she almost burst into tears. She forced back her tears, walked to sit opposite Lin Ning, hesitated for a long time, and then slowly said, "Big sister, I came to find you today because... because I have nowhere else to turn. I want to talk to you and beg you to help me."

Seeing Lin Qing's appearance, Lin Ning guessed that she was probably in trouble, so she said softly, "Sister, please speak frankly. If there is anything I can do to help, I will certainly not stand idly by."

Hearing this, Lin Qing felt a warmth in her heart, and tears streamed down her face. As she wiped away her tears, she choked out, "Sister, you don't know how miserable I've been in this mansion all these years. Aunt Liu and her daughter have always looked down on us and bullied us at every turn. Just because I'm from the second wife's family and my mother has no background, they think I'm inferior. They make me do all the dirty and hard work, and if I don't do something right, they beat and scold me."

As Lin Ning listened to Lin Qing's story, her brows furrowed slightly, and a wave of sympathy welled up in her heart. She hadn't expected Lin Qing to suffer such injustice in this mansion, and said softly, "My sister has suffered."

Lin Qing wiped away her tears and continued, "Sister, in order to make Lin Wan more powerful with the Crown Prince, Aunt Liu actually wants to marry me off to Consort Xi's cousin as a concubine. Sister, do you know that Consort Xi's cousin is over fifty years old, and if I'm still a concubine, then there's no hope for the future. I have no room to resist at all."

As she spoke, Lin Qing began to sob again, taking a while to calm down before continuing, "Sister, on the day of the palace banquet, I knew Lin Wan had plotted against you. I... I followed the path you took to escape into that room. I really had no other choice. I thought I was already so old, always being controlled and without a husband. This was a rare opportunity, even though it was shameful, I wanted someone to rely on... This was my only chance, so I... I went into that trap. But now Wang Zhi hasn't come to propose, and my reputation is ruined. Sister, I really don't know what to do. Please, for the sake of us being daughters of the Lin family, help me."

Hearing Lin Qing's tearful account, Lin Ning felt a mix of emotions. She hadn't expected Lin Qing to share such a complex and heartbreaking experience, and now she understood why Lin Qing had been in that room in the first place. Lin Ning remained silent for a while, pondering. While Lin Qing was acting in her own self-interest, she had also been forced into it. If she could help her, it would be a good deed. At least in Lin Ning's memory, Lin Qing hadn't harmed any of the few people Lin Ning knew. Moreover, in her previous life, she had indeed been married off as a concubine to her cousin, the Consort Xi, and seemed to have been tortured to death not long afterward. Her aunt from the second branch of the family had also fallen seriously ill as a result and almost didn't survive.

Looking at Lin Qing's eyes, which were filled with both expectation and despair, Lin Ning said softly, "Little sister, don't worry. I will try my best to find a way to help you. Don't worry."

Upon hearing this, Lin Qing's eyes lit up with joy. She quickly stood up, knelt down before Lin Ning, and said with tears of gratitude, "Sister, if you can help me, you will be my savior. I am eternally grateful and will serve you faithfully from now on."

Lin Ning quickly helped Lin Qing up and said, "Sister, please don't say that. We are sisters from the same household, so it is only right that we help each other. However, I need to think about this method carefully. You should go back first, and I will definitely let you know when I have an idea."

Lin Qing nodded repeatedly, expressing his gratitude as he left Lin Ning's house. Lin Ning, meanwhile, sat inside, lost in thought, pondering how to solve the problem Lin Qing was facing.

After much thought, Lin Ning realized that to help Lin Qing resolve her current predicament, she first needed to understand the specific situation with Wang Zhi. Therefore, she took advantage of the opportunity while treating Nangong Jin to visit his residence and inquire about Wang Zhi's condition.

Nangong Jin was overjoyed to see Lin Ning arrive, as he felt his condition improving recently thanks to her treatment. He quickly welcomed her into the study. After Lin Ning administered acupuncture to clear the toxins from Nangong Jin's body, she frankly asked, "Are you aware of Wang Zhi's condition?"

Nangong Jin frowned slightly. 'Why are you asking him?'

"Naturally, it's for my half-sister."

Nangong Jin pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "The matter of Wang Zhi is rather complicated. Although what happened at the palace banquet was clearly a setup, he was, after all, suspected of dereliction of duty as the commander of the Imperial Guard. Therefore, the emperor issued an edict afterward, demoting him to the position of Vice Minister of War."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ning's heart tightened, and a worried look appeared on her face. She quickly asked, "Won't this demotion have a huge impact on him? His future career will probably be much more difficult." If that's the case, Wang Zhi will probably hate his half-sister to the core.

Nangong Jin waved his hand and continued, "Miss Lin, please don't worry too much. Actually, Father has always valued talent and knows that Wang Zhi is an honest and loyal man. He understands that he was framed and tricked, which is why he ended up in that situation. Therefore, transferring him to the position of Vice Minister of War is not a demotion in the true sense. Rather, it can be seen as Father's way of taking care of this loyal and brave man. Although the scope of authority of the Vice Minister of War is different from that of the Commander of the Imperial Guards, it is still a very important position. As long as he does his job well in the future, he will only have better opportunities."

Lin Ning breathed a slight sigh of relief after hearing Nangong Jin's explanation, and then asked, "Your Highness, do you know what Wang Zhi's thoughts are on marrying Lin Qing? After all, what happened at the palace banquet, Lin Qing can only hope that Wang Zhi will propose marriage, but she has been waiting and waiting without any progress."

Nangong Jin shook his head slightly and said helplessly, "I really don't know about this. Wang Zhi usually devotes himself to official duties and rarely talks about his private affairs, so I don't want to ask him about this matter rashly. However, I recently heard that his mother is sick, and he has been extremely busy taking care of her these days."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ning felt a pang of sympathy. Regardless of Wang Zhi's feelings for Lin Qing, he was currently dealing with both career changes and caring for his ailing mother, and must be exhausted. She secretly pondered that to facilitate this marriage, she would have to consider many factors. She needed to understand Wang Zhi's intentions while also finding a way to prevent Lin Qing's reputation from being tarnished. This was truly a thorny problem.

Seeing Lin Ning's furrowed brows and deep thought, Nangong Jin asked softly, "Miss Lin, you've gone to such lengths to help Lin Qing, which is well-intentioned, but what are your plans?"

Lin Ning raised her head, looking at Nangong Jin with a determined gaze, and said, "Your Highness, my sister Lin Qing was also forced into this situation by someone who bewitched her. Since I have promised to help her, I will do my best. I think we should first find an opportunity to sound out Wang Zhi's thoughts and see what he really thinks. If he is willing to marry Lin Qing, then we can find a way to help them make it happen, so that my sister can have a good future."

Nangong Jin nodded and said approvingly, "I have to go to the Ministry of War tomorrow, so I can test the waters for you."

Lin Ning smiled gratefully and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."

The next day, after finishing his business at the Ministry of War, Nangong Jin invited Wang Zhi to a secluded teahouse private room. After they sat down, they chatted casually about military matters. Seeing that Wang Zhi's expression was relatively normal, Nangong Jin seemingly casually steered the conversation to the day of the palace banquet and Lin Qing.

Nangong Jin picked up his teacup, took a sip, looked at Wang Zhi, and slowly said, "Brother Wang, you must still be thinking about what happened at the palace banquet that day. Miss Lin Qing from the Lin family is in a difficult situation now. What are your thoughts on this?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhi's face was filled with guilt and anxiety. He sighed heavily and said, "Your Highness, how could I not be concerned about this matter? That night, I was tricked by a villain and drugged. In my dazed state, I had no idea what happened. When I came to, I heard that Miss Lin Qing's reputation was ruined because of me. I feel so guilty. Actually, I was going to the Lin family to propose marriage and bring Miss Lin Qing into my family. But now my mother has suddenly fallen ill and is very ill. I am busy taking care of her every day. Moreover... Moreover, my father died early, and my mother has raised me with great difficulty. According to custom, an elder should be present for the marriage proposal. Now that I have lost my father and my mother is bedridden, I really don't know what to do. I am so anxious."

Upon hearing Wang Zhi's words, Nangong Jin understood his intentions and immediately comforted him, "Brother Wang, don't worry. This matter is indeed troublesome, but since you have such good intentions, we can find a solution. You should focus on taking care of your aunt for now. As for other matters, I and the Lin family will also help to mediate."

Wang Zhi looked at Nangong Jin gratefully and bowed repeatedly to express his thanks.

After returning, Nangong Jin told Lin Ning about Wang Zhi's situation in detail. Lin Ning felt great sympathy for Wang Zhi's plight and thought that she should quickly find a way to help them. After a moment's thought, she proactively said to Nangong Jin, "Your Highness, since Wang Zhi is willing to marry Sister Lin Qing but has been delayed by his mother's illness, and since he will likely be my brother-in-law, I will go and treat Wang Zhi's mother. I have some medical knowledge; perhaps I can help your mother recover quickly and facilitate this marriage."

Upon hearing this, Nangong Jin thought Lin Ning's idea was excellent and nodded in praise, saying, "Miss Lin is so enthusiastic, it's truly rare. This approach can indeed solve the immediate problem."

Lin Ning took Lin Qing with her. She thought that by bringing Lin Qing along, she could show Wang Zhi's mother the care and give the two of them more opportunities to spend time together.

So Lin Ning brought Lin Qing to Wang Zhi's house. Upon entering, Wang Zhi was taken aback when he saw the two of them. After understanding their purpose, his eyes immediately reddened, and he was filled with emotion. He quickly welcomed them inside.

Lin Ning arrived at Wang Zhi's mother's bedside, first carefully taking the old woman's pulse, then examining her condition. She discovered that the old woman had caught a cold, and excessive worry had exacerbated her illness. Having a clear understanding of the situation, Lin Ning took out several herbs from her medicine box and had her maid prepare them. She then patiently instructed Wang Zhi on some precautions for caring for the patient.

Lin Qing was also busy taking care of the old man, feeding him water and wiping his sweat. Her attentiveness and thoughtfulness made Wang Zhi feel even more guilty towards her. At the same time, he felt that this woman was kind-hearted, gentle and virtuous. The goodwill he had for her was now growing wildly in his heart like weeds in spring.