Jade of Another World

Crown Prince Nangong Chen's eyes were filled with resentment as he said, "Father is right, I will definitely investigate and find out the truth!"

The surrounding ministers echoed their sentiments, all expressing their determination to severely punish the murderer, and the scene grew increasingly chaotic. Just as everyone was sinking into despair, Lin Ning stepped forward. She bowed gracefully to the Emperor and the Crown Prince, and said firmly, "Your Majesty, Your Highness the Crown Prince, Your Highness the Prince of Xian, and Your Excellency the Right Chancellor, my daughter has loved medicine since childhood. Later, by chance, she went to the countryside and became an apprentice of the legendary physician, the Crane Immortal, learning medicine from him. I am not talented enough to claim I can cure the Crown Princess, but seeing her in such a critical condition, I cannot bear it. I implore Your Majesty and Your Highness to allow me to try; perhaps there is still a glimmer of hope."

Hearing this from the side, Nangong Jin's heart tightened. He knew Lin Ning wanted to treat the Crown Princess. For a woman from the inner quarters to possess such medical skills might not be a good thing; she could be suspected or used by others in the future.

Nangong Jin hurriedly walked to Lin Ning's side and whispered, "Miss Lin, if you take action in this matter, and others find out that you are skilled in medicine, many troubles will follow. Have you thought this through?"

Lin Ning nodded slightly, looking at Nangong Jin with a clear and firm gaze, and said softly, "Your Highness, I understand your concerns, but the Crown Princess is in critical condition right now. As a doctor, how can I stand by and watch her die? Even if there is only a sliver of hope, I must try. If I just watch the Crown Princess get hurt because I'm afraid of getting into trouble, I'm afraid I'll never be able to live with myself for the rest of my life."

Seeing Lin Ning's determination, Nangong Jin felt both moved and helpless. He could only hope that Lin Ning could save Peng Yingchun, because if she failed, she would be hated by the Crown Prince and Consort Xi.

Although the emperor had some doubts after hearing Lin Ning's words, the situation was critical at the moment, so he could not worry about that. He waved his hand and said, "Since Miss Lin has this intention and has some medical knowledge, then I will allow you to give it a try. If you can really save the Crown Princess, I will reward you handsomely."

Lin Ning quickly expressed his gratitude, then strode over to Peng Yingchun's side, squatted down, and began to carefully examine her symptoms. He then ordered someone to carry her indoors.

Lin Ning knew that the poison Peng Yingchun had been poisoned with was extremely potent, and the toxins were already rampant in her body. The most urgent task in order to detoxify her was to remove as much of the poison as possible. After much thought, Lin Ning felt that gastric lavage might be the most effective method at present, because according to the timeline, the poisonous food should still be in her stomach and hadn't spread too far. However, medical conditions in ancient times were limited, and it would be difficult to perform the procedure precisely with the existing tools. She had previously devised some simple yet practical medical equipment while at the Prime Minister's residence, which would now come in handy.

So, Lin Ning quickly went to the head of the Imperial Medical Academy and whispered her thoughts to him. The head of the Imperial Medical Academy was initially puzzled upon hearing about the need for gastric lavage, as this was a treatment method he had never encountered before. However, seeing Lin Ning's confident and determined demeanor, and considering that the Crown Princess was in imminent danger, he had no choice but to try it, so he nodded, indicating his willingness to cooperate with Lin Ning.

Seeing that the head of the Imperial Medical Academy had agreed, Lin Ning immediately turned to Nangong Jin and said anxiously, "Your Highness, I made some medical equipment at the Prime Minister's residence before, and now I urgently need it. Please send someone to the Prime Minister's residence to find my maid Xiao Cui and have her bring the equipment as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Nangong Jin dared not delay for a moment. He immediately summoned his most capable guard and solemnly instructed him, "Take a few men to the Lin residence immediately, find Miss Lin's maid Xiao Cui, and have her fetch what Miss Lin made earlier. Remember, be quick!"

The guard, having received the order, dared not delay and immediately led several agile subordinates to hurry towards the Prime Minister's residence.

Meanwhile, Lin Ning and the head of the Imperial Medical Academy were also busy. They dismissed everyone, leaving only two imperial physicians and a few maids in the room. Lin Ning directed the servants to quickly clear a clean and spacious area, and had hot water, clean towels, and other items prepared. Everything was being prepared in a tense but orderly manner, just waiting for the equipment to arrive so that it could begin immediately.

While making preparations, Lin Ning explained the principles and procedures of gastric lavage to the head of the Imperial Medical Academy: "Your Excellency, this gastric lavage method involves using specific instruments to introduce warm water into the body and then guiding it out. This process is repeated to flush out as much of the unabsorbed poison as possible, reducing the amount of toxins remaining in the body and perhaps buying more time and opportunities for subsequent detoxification."

The head of the Imperial Medical Academy listened and nodded, becoming increasingly curious about Lin Ning's medical skills. He thought to himself, "This young Miss Lin is so young, yet she knows such unique and ingenious methods of treatment. She is truly remarkable. After the Crown Princess's matter is over, I must find an opportunity to discuss medical skills with her."

Time ticked by anxiously as everyone waited, and finally, the guard returned in a flurry with Xiao Cui. Xiao Cui was carrying a package containing the homemade equipment that Lin Ning had been longing for. She quickly walked to Lin Ning's side and said breathlessly, "Miss, I've brought everything."

Lin Ning took the package, took out the simple yet ingenious equipment, and quickly began to assemble and test it. After everything was ready, she took a deep breath, looked at the head of the Imperial Medical Academy, and said, "Head of the Academy, let's begin."

The head of the Imperial Medical Academy nodded, and the two of them worked together carefully to begin the gastric lavage procedure for Peng Yingchun. Outside, her family waited anxiously, silently praying that Peng Yingchun would be saved from this life-or-death crisis.

The head of the Imperial Medical Academy looked at the items Lin Ning took out of the package with surprise and confusion in his eyes. The items were truly peculiar, completely different from the medical instruments used by the Imperial Medical Academy on a daily basis. Some were cleverly made of bamboo, while others were bottles and jars that had been polished and modified. They looked simple but exuded a unique kind of exquisiteness.

However, the situation was critical, leaving him no room for further investigation or hesitation. The head of the Imperial Medical Academy knew that the Crown Princess's life hung by a thread, and since Lin Ning was so certain that these strange devices could be used, they had no choice but to trust her.

Lin Ning first picked up a specially made bamboo tube, one end of which was polished extremely smooth. She carefully and slowly inserted that end of the bamboo tube into Peng Yingchun's mouth, and then said to the head of the Imperial Medical Academy, "Head of the Academy, please help me fix this bamboo tube and make sure it remains stable so that it does not shift."

The head of the Imperial Medical Academy hurriedly reached out and carefully held the bamboo tube, staring intently at it without blinking, not daring to relax for a moment.

Lin Ning methodically picked up a jar filled with warm water, which had a thin tube attached to it. She connected the tube to a bamboo tube, then slowly raised the jar, allowing the warm water to flow slowly through the tube into the bamboo tube and then into Peng Yingchun's stomach.

As the warm water was slowly poured in, Lin Ning explained softly to the head of the Imperial Medical Academy, "Your Excellency, once this warm water enters the stomach, it will dilute and stir the remaining poison. After a while, we will guide it out. By repeating this process, we can flush out as much poison as possible."

The head of the Imperial Medical Academy listened and nodded, increasingly admiring Lin Ning's novel treatment approach. Although he didn't understand it, it seemed very reasonable and logically sound. However, he couldn't fathom how a sheltered young woman could come up with such a strange idea. He thought he must ask her about it when he had the chance.

After a certain amount of warm water was injected, Lin Ning began to guide Peng Yingchun to expel the water from her stomach. The entire process required extreme care and attention; the slightest mistake could cause Peng Yingchun even greater harm. The head of the Imperial Medical Academy was also assisting attentively, helping to adjust Peng Yingchun's position to ensure a smooth expulsion.

And so, Lin Ning and the head of the Imperial Hospital repeated the gastric lavage procedure over and over again. Fine beads of sweat gradually appeared on their foreheads, but neither of them had the mind to wipe them away, as all their attention was focused on the treatment.

Inside the tightly closed room, Lin Ning and the head of the Imperial Medical Academy were focused intently on treating Peng Yingchun, proceeding with utmost care and caution in every step. Meanwhile, outside, as the crowd waited anxiously, many voices of doubt began to emerge.

The princes, ministers, and nobles gathered outside the door, their brows furrowed, their eyes filled with worry, yet also with a hint of doubt. Their whispers, though not loud, were exceptionally clear in the quiet, oppressive atmosphere.

"Speaking of which, the Lin family's daughter is just a young lady raised in the countryside for many years. How could she possibly know medicine? Could she be just putting on a show?" A minister dressed in a magnificent brocade robe frowned and glanced at Prime Minister Lin with suspicion.

An elderly lady nearby nodded in agreement, fanning herself with her fan and muttering under her breath, "That's right. I've lived this long and never heard of any young lady who knows anything about these things. And this head of the Imperial Medical Academy, usually so composed and meticulous, how come he's acting like this today?"

"Hmph, maybe this Lin family girl just wants to use this opportunity to impress the Emperor and gain a good reputation for herself." Another young woman curled her lip and said disdainfully.

The crowd began to whisper amongst themselves, their voices growing louder and more questioning, as if Lin Ning's actions were not a rescue but a farce orchestrated for ulterior motives. Hearing these rumors, Right Chancellor Peng Lai's already grief-stricken and anxious heart burned even more fiercely. He glared at the whispering crowd and roared, "Stop talking!"

Even though the Right Chancellor rebuked her, the doubts only subsided temporarily, not completely disappeared. After all, in everyone's mind, it was simply too unbelievable that a woman raised in the countryside would possess medical skills. They found it hard to believe that Lin Ning could really pull the Crown Princess back from the brink of death with those strange devices and so-called medical techniques. Moreover, most of the doubts came from those who were on good terms with Lin Wan or the Liu family.

Crown Prince Nangong Chen stood to the side, his face terribly grim. Although he also harbored doubts about Lin Ning's actions, he had no other choice but to hope that Lin Ning truly possessed the ability. He clenched his fists tightly, realizing that this matter seemed inextricably linked to Lin Wan. The Crown Prince silently prayed that Peng Yingchun would be safe, while secretly thinking that if Lin Ning could truly save Peng Yingchun, she would be rewarded handsomely; but if she was merely putting on an act, he would not let her off easily, no matter what.

Nangong Jin frowned deeply. He knew all too well the pressure Lin Ning was under. Those unfounded doubts were like sharp blades, ready to hurt her at any moment. But he couldn't silence the gossips right now. He could only hope that Lin Ning would recover quickly and let the facts shut them up.

Amidst the doubts and anxious waiting of the crowd, the sounds of Lin Ning and the head of the Imperial Hospital busily treating patients could still be heard from inside the tightly closed door.

Lin Wan stood in the corner of the crowd, staring at the tightly closed door, her heart pounding like a cat on a hot tin roof, filled with anxiety and panic. She desperately hoped Peng Yingchun would succumb to the poison and die. That way, even if she failed to eliminate Lin Ning, Lin Ning would be punished for her inadequate treatment, and with Peng Yingchun gone, she would still have a chance at the Crown Princess position. It was a double win! But Lin Ning was truly despicable. Her plan had been flawless, but then she didn't eat the fish, and Peng Yingchun ate it by mistake. Although there was a mistake, it was still advantageous to her. But who would have thought Lin Ning would step forward and produce those strange devices to try and save Peng Yingchun? She was utterly insane. What worried her even more was that, judging from the faint sounds coming from inside the room, the treatment seemed to be having some effect.