Jade of Another World

A few days later, Lin Ning received a reply from Yi Zhu. She eagerly opened the envelope, and lines of familiar handwriting came into view. In the letter, Yi Zhu suggested that they meet during the National Day celebrations of the Great Yu Dynasty, when the palace would be busy with preparations and ceremonies, their attention would be diverted, and security would be relatively lax—the perfect opportunity. He planned to disguise themselves and travel with Lin Ning to the Imperial Observatory to meet with Ouyang Qingchuan and confirm the key details regarding the subsequent activation of the jade pendant.

Lin Ning read the letter repeatedly, nodding inwardly. Yi Zhu's suggestion was indeed feasible. The National Day of Da Yu was a grand festival of celebration for the entire nation. As the emperor, Nangong Jin would certainly participate in all the celebratory activities and would have no time to pay attention to her whereabouts. During the celebration, the palace attendants and guards would also perform their duties and move around the various venues, creating great convenience for her movements.

Lin Ning quickly picked up her pen and wrote a brief reply to Yi Zhu, agreeing to his plan and explaining her arrangements in detail. She planned to feign illness on National Day, reporting this to the Imperial Household Department, which was in charge of palace affairs, thus avoiding the celebrations. In this way, she could slip away from everyone's sight, quietly leave the Jade Pavilion, and successfully meet Yi Zhu.

Finally, the National Day of the Great Yu arrived. The entire palace was brightly decorated and bustling with activity. Red silk fluttered, lanterns hung high, and a festive atmosphere permeated everywhere. Officials and palace servants in their finest attire moved about, each performing their duties in a busy yet orderly manner.

Lin Ning got up early, deliberately making her face look slightly pale. She summoned her personal maid, feigning weakness, and said, "I'm not feeling well today, I feel weak all over, and I'm afraid I won't be able to attend the National Day celebrations. Please go to the Imperial Household Department and inform them immediately." Seeing this, the maid looked worried, quickly agreed, and hurriedly left.

After the palace maid left, Lin Ning quickly took out the ordinary clothes she had prepared beforehand from the wardrobe and changed into them. She simply tied her hair up, put on a veil to cover most of her face. After everything was ready, she carefully opened the door of the Jade Pavilion, looked around to make sure no one was there, and then quietly slipped out of the room.

At the same time, Yizhu disguised himself as an ordinary guard and mingled with the crowd, heading towards the agreed location.

Lin Ning and Yi Zhu successfully met up in a secluded alley outside the palace. They exchanged a glance. "Did you bring the things?" "Yes, I did."

The two nodded slightly, saying nothing more. They both understood that the upcoming operation was crucial and allowed no room for error. They quickened their pace, heading towards the Imperial Observatory, their hearts filled with anticipation and nervousness. They were about to meet Ouyang Qingchuan to discuss the important matter of activating the jade pendant; this might be a pivotal step for Lin Ning on his journey home…

Lin Ning and Yi Zhu arrived at the Imperial Observatory without incident. Their tension eased slightly upon seeing Ouyang Qingchuan. Ouyang Qingchuan smiled with delight at their arrival, his gaze immediately falling on the jade pendant that Yi Zhu was carefully cradling in his arms. When the jade pendant was presented to him, Ouyang Qingchuan's eyes lit up instantly, his joy overflowing and impossible to conceal.

"This is the crucial jade pendant? Truly extraordinary!" Ouyang Qingchuan stretched out his hands, his hands trembling slightly as he took the jade pendant, examining it carefully, his eyes filled with excitement and anticipation.

Lin Ning and Yi Zhu didn't think much of Ouyang Qingchuan's overly excited expression, assuming he was simply overjoyed to see the jade pendant, bringing him one step closer to success. The three sat together and began a lively discussion about activating the jade pendant. Lin Ning recounted in detail the arduous process of obtaining the jade pendant in Nanzhao, while Yi Zhu added key details. Ouyang Qingchuan listened attentively, nodding occasionally and jotting down important points on a piece of paper.

Just as they were having a heated discussion, a subordinate rushed over and reported nervously, "Master Ouyang, His Majesty has sent a message saying that the palace needs you to go and pray for blessings."

Upon hearing this, the three exchanged glances, a hint of helplessness on their faces. Lin Ning sighed inwardly; Nangong Jin's news had certainly come at the worst possible time. It seemed there was no time to continue discussing the activation of the jade pendant today.

"It seems His Majesty does indeed have urgent business, so we have no choice but to stop for now." Ouyang Qingchuan frowned slightly and said with some regret.

“Yes, that’s all we can do for now.” Lin Ning nodded and said, “Then let’s leave the jade pendant with Master Ouyang for safekeeping. We’ll go back first, and once the Master has figured out how to open it, he can invite us to come and discuss it again.”

Yi Zhu also agreed: "Master Ouyang, the jade pendant is of great importance, and we hope you will keep it safe. We await your news."

Ouyang Qingchuan nodded solemnly, carefully put the jade pendant into a brocade box, and said, "Don't worry, both of you, I will take good care of it and figure out how to open it as soon as possible. Be careful when you get back, Nangong Jin is keeping a close eye on Miss Lin now, so don't expose your whereabouts."

After bidding farewell to Ouyang Qingchuan, Lin Ning and Yi Zhu disguised themselves and left the Imperial Observatory. Along the way, they were extremely cautious, constantly watching their surroundings, fearing discovery by Nangong Jin's men. Back at their respective hiding places, Lin Ning and Yi Zhu secretly prayed that Ouyang Qingchuan would soon discover the method to activate the jade pendant…