Jade of Another World

Lin Ning knew that finding the jade pendant was the key to her return home, so she immediately took action. She found Uncle Zhong and Manager Wang and solemnly explained the importance of the matter to them.

"Uncle Zhong, Manager Wang, there's something extremely important I need your help with. I need to find a jade pendant; it's crucial to my return to my hometown, and it concerns many other things as well," Lin Ning said with a determined look.

Uncle Zhong and Manager Wang exchanged a glance, both seeing seriousness in each other's eyes. They knew Lin Ning wouldn't make such a request without a reason, so they nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry, young lady, we will do our best," Uncle Zhong said in a deep voice.

Lin Ning nodded gratefully, then showed them the clear picture of the jade pendant provided by Ouyang Qingchuan so that they could find it more accurately.

Thanks to Uncle Zhong and Manager Wang's extensive inquiries and tireless efforts, a clue was quickly found. It turned out that the crucial jade pendant was very likely in Nanzhao. When this news reached Lin Ning's ears, she felt both excited and somewhat worried.

Excited because the whereabouts of the jade pendant were finally known, bringing her one step closer to her goal of returning home; worried because the journey to Nanzhao was long and the situation in the palace was complicated, and Nangong Jin was keeping a close eye on her, so it would be no easy task to go to Nanzhao smoothly.

But Lin Ning had a new idea in mind. She felt that she no longer needed to be as wary of Nangong Jin as before. She secretly vowed to make Nangong Jin pay for his actions, avenge Xuan Yuanche, and at the same time, find the jade pendant and return to her original hometown.

"Nangong Jin, I will definitely not let you get away with this." Lin Ning murmured to herself with an icy gaze, her eyes revealing an unprecedented resolve.

She then began to meticulously plan how to cleverly evade Nangong Jin's surveillance while successfully traveling to Nanzhao to find the jade pendant. She knew it would be a difficult adventure, but for the sake of her goal, she was fearless.

Lin Ning first found Yi Zhu and told him about the jade pendant's whereabouts in Nanzhao, and then discussed countermeasures with him. After listening, Yi Zhu also looked solemn. He understood the difficulty of the matter, but he understood even more how important it was to Lin Ning.

“Miss Lin, I will do my best to assist you. We can first try to create some chaos to lower Nangong Jin’s guard, and then you can seize the opportunity to go to Nanzhao.” Yizhu calmly analyzed.

Lin Ning nodded slightly, finding Yi Zhu's words quite reasonable. She thought for a moment and said, "I think I have an idea." Lin Ning and Yi Zhu whispered among themselves, and Yi Zhu nodded slightly, saying it was a good plan…

In the days that followed, Lin Ning acted like a hidden yet sharp pawn, quietly laying the groundwork in the complex court situation. She used her connections within the palace and some of the available resources of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion to investigate the situation of the Nanzhao princess sent for a political marriage.

After some effort, she learned that the Nanzhao princess was of noble birth and highly regarded within the Nanzhao royal family. The Nanzhao royal family had come with great sincerity, hoping to establish a more stable relationship with Dayu through this marriage alliance. Meanwhile, Nangong Jin was torn between two options: firstly, he didn't want to marry the princess, secretly hoping to keep Lin Ning by his side; secondly, the Nanzhao royal family was arguing their case, and some factions in the court believed that maintaining good relations with Nanzhao would benefit Dayu. This put him in a difficult position.

Lin Ning astutely seized this opportunity. She knew that with just a little push, she could steer the situation in the direction she desired. So, she used her own wealth to secretly make arrangements.

Following Lin Ning's instructions, these people subtly guided public opinion on various occasions, either by hinting at it during gatherings of ministers or by intentionally or unintentionally mentioning the benefits of a marriage alliance with Nanzhao in casual conversations outside the court. They emphasized the economic benefits, border peace and stability, and the enhanced prestige of Dayu among the surrounding countries that a marriage alliance with Nanzhao could bring.

Driven by these individuals, more and more ministers began to take the matter of marriage alliance seriously, offering their advice and suggestions to Nangong Jin, strongly arguing for the necessity of marrying the princess of Nanzhao. For a time, discussions about marriage alliances raged in the court, and Nangong Jin, surrounded by these voices, found himself increasingly unable to make a decision.

Lin Ning closely monitored the development of the situation and was secretly delighted to see that the ministers' advice was gradually taking effect. She knew that as long as Nangong Jin finally agreed to the marriage alliance, on the day of his wedding to the Nanzhao princess, the palace guards and attention would be focused on the wedding arrangements during the chaos, which would be the perfect opportunity for her to secretly leave the palace for Nanzhao.

Then, she could personally investigate the whereabouts of the jade pendant. Thinking of this, a determined light shone in Lin Ning's eyes. She meticulously planned every detail, leaving no potential problem unaddressed, waiting only for the opportune moment to take this crucial step…