Jade of Another World

Since being rescued and returned to the princess's residence, the princess's condition had been poor. The drug that those people had given her to make her mute was just the beginning. Soon after, the princess developed a high fever and lay drowsily on the bed. Her originally pale cheeks became flushed, and large beads of sweat kept appearing on her forehead. The fine beads of sweat slid down her cheeks and soaked the pillow.

The nights were even more unbearable. The princess often woke up from nightmares, as if she were back in the dilapidated house where she had been kidnapped, seeing those menacing men approaching her. She tried to cry for help but couldn't make a sound, only struggling helplessly. Each time she woke up from the nightmare, she would gasp for breath, her eyes filled with terror, and her body trembling uncontrollably.

The emperor and the imperial concubine were heartbroken and sent several groups of imperial physicians to treat the princess, but her condition remained very poor.

Upon hearing about the princess's condition, Lin Ning was extremely anxious. She rushed to the princess's residence and took on the responsibility of treating and caring for the princess. She stayed by the princess's bedside day and night, and diagnosed that the princess was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Seeing that the princess's fever persisted, Lin Ning personally prepared the medicine, patiently watching the fire from the stove. After the medicine was ready, she carefully filtered it and brought it to the princess's bedside. She gently helped the princess sit up and let her lean against her, saying tenderly, "Princess, come, drink the medicine. Only by drinking the medicine can you get better."

The princess nodded weakly, and Lin Ning fed her the medicine spoonful by spoonful, gently blowing on each spoonful to prevent it from burning her. After the princess finished the medicine, Lin Ning carefully wiped her forehead, cheeks, and neck with a damp towel to help cool her down.

Not only that, Lin Ning also carefully took the princess's pulse, trying to find the toxins hidden behind the princess's poor condition. After some investigation, Lin Ning had a plan in mind. She took out several precious medicinal herbs from her medicine box, carefully prepared them into an antidote, and personally brewed it for the princess to take.

Under Lin Ning's meticulous care and treatment, the princess's condition finally began to improve somewhat. The high fever gradually subsided, the frequency of her nightmares decreased, the princess's spirits slowly recovered, and some color returned to her face.

The princess looked at Lin Ning, who was busy running around, her eyes filled with gratitude. She took Lin Ning's hand, her eyes brimming with tears, and said, "Sister Lin, thanks to you, I really don't know what would have happened to me if it weren't for you."

From then on, the princess became increasingly dependent on Lin Ning. Like Lin Ning's little sister, she felt exceptionally safe and secure whenever Lin Ning was around, and her fears dissipated considerably. Whenever anything happened, she always thought of Lin Ning first. When the emperor and the imperial concubine visited the princess, seeing the close relationship between the princess and Lin Ning, and hearing that Lin Ning had cured the princess's illness, the emperor was very pleased and issued an imperial decree upon returning home. When the decree reached the Lin family, none of them knew what it was about.

"Is it because your good daughter failed to cure the princess that the Emperor is blaming you?" Lady Liu said sarcastically to Prime Minister Lin while kneeling.

She recently felt that Prime Minister Lin was praising Lin Ning, which made her very dissatisfied. She thought Lin Ning was a good-for-nothing who didn't know anything about medicine before. Peng Yingchun was just a lucky accident. To put it bluntly, the imperial physicians cured her, and she just took the credit. This princess would never let her have such a big advantage again.

"Shut up! Eunuch Zhang is here, how dare you spout nonsense?" Prime Minister Lin said angrily.

"Eunuch Zhang, has Lin Ning really caused trouble again?" the old lady asked.

The last imperial edict still lingered in everyone's minds. It was issued the day after the Crown Prince's engagement banquet. The edict read, "Lin Wan's conduct is flawed. She obstructed the physician's treatment at the Crown Prince's engagement banquet. As the daughter of the Left Prime Minister, she not only lacks compassion for the common people but also disrespects the lives of others. Such immoral behavior warrants serious reflection and punishment. She is to be confined to her residence for six months and is not allowed to leave. Prime Minister Lin is to be punished with three months' imprisonment as a warning to others."

“Today is a good day,” said Eunuch Zhang.

"Lin Ning, daughter of Prime Minister Lin, has rendered meritorious service in healing the princess and is hereby granted the title of Princess of Nanping and awarded ten thousand taels of gold. Her mother, Ning Yuhuan, is posthumously granted the title of First-Rank Imperial Lady. This is the imperial decree."

After the imperial edict was read, the whole family breathed a sigh of relief, but also became tense again. Lin Ning had been granted the title of Princess; this meant that the person they usually treated with such ease would now have to bow before them. This...

Liu's eyes were practically bleeding. She was now even more worried that the higher Lin Ning's status, the more it would affect her and Lin Wan's plans. Once the people from the palace left, she would quickly tell Lin Wan about this, and their plans might need to be put into action sooner.

Zhang Gonggong was a favorite of the emperor. After Lin Xiang took the imperial edict and put it away, he went to see Zhang Gonggong off. He also slipped a silver note into Zhang Gonggong's hand. Zhang Gonggong smiled and casually put the silver note into his sleeve.

Lin Ning was still at the princess's residence and unaware of the imperial decree. She had only recently noticed that the princess seemed somewhat afraid of Nangong Jin. During the princess's illness, Nangong Jin had visited her almost every other day. Although Lin Ning knew they were good siblings, she hadn't expected their relationship to be this close. However…

Since the princess returned to her residence, her personality seemed to have changed. In the past, whenever she saw Nangong Jin, she would always run over like a happy little bird, sweetly calling out "Brother Jin," her eyes full of joy and trust.

But now, every time Nangong Jin comes to visit, a complex emotion flashes in the princess's eyes—sadness, distance, and even a hint of unspeakable disappointment. She merely glances at Nangong Jin before averting her gaze, no longer as warm and affectionate as before. Nangong Jin senses this too. He asks Lin Ning what's wrong, but Lin Ning isn't entirely sure either. She only says it's a post-traumatic reaction, probably the fear and dread of the time, or some memories she doesn't want to recall. She'll recover slowly; give the princess some time.

In fact, the princess always remembered the scene of the day she was kidnapped.

That day, she followed Nangong Jin with great joy. Although Nangong Jin was wearing clothes that were not quite the same as usual, the princess was too familiar with him. His figure, his way of walking, even just his back, the princess was certain that it was her Jin-gege.

She followed cautiously, her heart filled with curiosity and anticipation, wondering what interesting thing Nangong Jin was going to investigate. However, to her utter surprise, when those bad guys suddenly appeared, drugged her, and kidnapped her, her "Brother Jin," who had been following her all along, simply watched helplessly without making any move to save her.

That scene seemed etched into the princess's mind, every detail crystal clear. She remembered the helplessness and despair she felt before losing consciousness, her heart filled with the hope that Nangong Jin would discover her danger and, as he had protected her countless times before, rush over to drive away the bad guys and rescue her. But the reality was that she was taken away by the bad guys, and Nangong Jin watched all of this, seemingly not caring at all whether she lived or died.

Whenever she thought of these things, the princess felt as if countless needles were piercing her heart, causing her excruciating pain that she couldn't suppress. She simply couldn't understand why her usually doting brother Jin would turn a blind eye to her plight at such a crucial moment. Did she not matter that much to him? Although she and Jin were not born of the same mother, she had been raised by Jin's biological mother, the former Empress, since childhood. They had grown up together, like siblings. When her brother was injured, she would cry and blame the Emperor; when she was wronged, her brother would stand up for him and beat anyone who wronged him. When her brother was poisoned, she was so worried that she couldn't sleep for nights on end, but... why did this happen? Why didn't her brother, her brother who was like a real brother to her, save her, causing her so much suffering and almost selling her to a brothel?

Therefore, even though Nangong Jin now visits her frequently out of concern, the princess can no longer interact with him as freely as before. She always deliberately keeps her distance from Nangong Jin, as if only in this way can she prevent the wound in her heart caused by Nangong Jin from being torn open even more painfully.

Nangong Jin also noticed the princess's change, and felt a pang of pain and helplessness in his heart. He hoped that Lin Ning could spend more time with the princess, and of course, he also wanted to know when the princess would recover and return to being the innocent and carefree little girl she once was. Lin Ning told him that some experiences are indelible wounds in life, and we cannot forget the pain, just as we cannot erase memories. Time is the best medicine; it can make people forget, and only forgetting can heal.

Under Lin Ning's devoted care, the princess finally recovered her health completely. Her former rosy complexion returned to her face, and her eyes once again sparkled with a lively light. However, occasionally, when she thought of the kidnapping, a faint, almost imperceptible shadow would flash across her eyes.

That day, sunlight streamed through the window into the room. The princess sat at the table, her chin resting on her hand, seemingly deep in thought about something important. After a while, as if she had made up her mind, she looked up at Lin Ning beside her and said, "Sister Lin Ning, I want to go to Jiangnan to find my aunt. I've been through so much lately, and I feel really stifled. I want to go out for a walk, change my environment, and maybe that will completely lift my spirits."

Lin Ning listened with understanding in her eyes. She smiled and took the princess's hand, saying, "Princess, I think this is a great idea. Going out for a walk and seeing the scenery is a good way to relax. Jiangnan is a wonderful place with beautiful mountains and clear waters, and unique local customs. You'll definitely love it."

When Nangong Jin learned of the princess's decision, he felt a great deal of reluctance. He knew that this journey would be long and uncertain, and he didn't know when they would meet again. Moreover, he felt guilty for not being able to protect the princess when she was kidnapped, and he wanted to spend more time with her so that she could forget those unpleasant things as soon as possible.

However, when he calmed down and thought about it carefully, he realized that the princess really needed such a trip to relax. Perhaps when she returned from Jiangnan, she would be able to return to her carefree, lively and lovely self.

So, suppressing his reluctance, Nangong Jin came to the princess and said, "Princess, since you have made your decision, I will support you. Jiangnan is a long way, and I will send some capable people to escort you all the way to ensure your safety. You can go with peace of mind. I only wish that you can be happy on your journey and leave all your troubles behind."

The princess looked at Nangong Jin, slightly taken aback. She hadn't expected him to be so supportive, and the long-suppressed sense of distance she felt towards him seemed to lessen somewhat. She nodded gently and said, "Thank you, Brother Jin."

Before long, everything was ready, and the princess, accompanied by several close maids, boarded the carriage bound for Jiangnan. A troop of guards sent by Nangong Jin rode on tall horses, flanking the carriage and escorting the princess with imposing grandeur. Lin Ning also came to see her off. Standing by the roadside, she waved to the princess in the carriage and called out with a smile, "Princess, have a safe journey. Enjoy your time in Jiangnan. We'll be waiting for you to return. Remember to write to me if you miss me."

The princess leaned out of the car window, her eyes slightly red. She waved to Lin Ning and Nangong Jin and said, "Sister Lin Ning, Brother Jin, don't worry, I will take good care of myself."

With a shout from the coachman, the carriage slowly started moving, heading towards Jiangnan, kicking up a cloud of dust. Nangong Jin and Lin Ning stood there, watching the carriage disappear into the distance, their hearts filled with worry. They only hoped that the princess's trip to Jiangnan would go smoothly, that it would truly dispel the gloom in their hearts, and that she would rediscover her joy and innocence.

After the princess embarked on her journey to Jiangnan, Lin Ning's thoughts returned to Nangong Jin. She was constantly worried about the toxins that remained in Nangong Jin's body. Although much of it had been neutralized, the remaining toxins were extremely stubborn, like persistent weeds, deeply rooted in Nangong Jin's body, and impossible to completely eradicate.

Upon returning to her residence, Lin Ning immediately immersed herself in the pharmacy, pulling out all the medical books she had collected and piling them on the table. She meticulously examined each one, trying to find a way to deal with the remaining toxins. Sometimes she frowned deeply, and other times she scribbled on paper, recording potentially useful prescriptions or detoxification ideas.

She flipped through those medical books again and again, until the pages were slightly wrinkled, but she still couldn't find a particularly suitable method. But Lin Ning was not discouraged. She began to try to formulate new prescriptions based on her experience in detoxification and the medical books.

She was extremely busy in the pharmacy, sometimes weighing medicinal herbs, the small weight moving carefully in her hand to ensure accurate measurements; other times she stood by the stove, watching the heat intently as she carefully brewed the medicinal soup, filling the whole room with a rich aroma of herbs.

After the medicine was brewed, Lin Ning took the prepared decoction to find Nangong Jin. Seeing Lin Ning's earnest yet slightly tired expression, Nangong Jin was deeply moved and said, "Miss Lin, thank you for your hard work in helping me detoxify."

Lin Ning waved her hand and said, "Your Highness is too kind. I can't rest easy until the poison in your body is cured." With that, she made Nangong Jin drink the medicinal soup. Nangong Jin looked at her, thinking to himself, "Actually, marrying someone like her wouldn't be so bad; she can cure illnesses and is pleasing to the eye."

However, after several days and attempts at various methods, the toxin remained firmly attached to Nangong Jin's body, showing no signs of being removed. Nangong Jin's condition also did not show any significant improvement; she still occasionally felt weak and her complexion was always somewhat pale.

Seeing this result, Lin Ning was extremely anxious. She sat in the pharmacy, her chin resting on her hand, lost in deep thought. She thought that perhaps her thinking was not broad enough, or perhaps she had not yet found the key to detoxifying the poison. It seemed that she needed to seek inspiration from more ancient medical texts and prescriptions, and try some more unique detoxification methods.

However, the path to detoxification became increasingly difficult. Each attempt was like feeling one's way across a river, full of unknowns and challenges. But Lin Ning was determined not to give up easily and to do everything in her power to completely remove the toxins from Nangong Jin's body and restore him to health.