Jade of Another World

Back at the Prime Minister's residence, Lin Ning pondered the events of the day. The true identities of Nangong Jin and Xuan Yuanche truly shocked her. She thought to herself: This Grand Tutor Liu is indeed no ordinary person. He is not only the Crown Prince's teacher, instructing the future heir apparent and holding a pivotal position, but now she also learns that he is Xuan Yuanche's teacher, having imparted knowledge and skills to him. Moreover, her younger sister, Lin Wan, often studies under his tutelage. It seems this Grand Tutor Liu is indeed a formidable figure.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window into the room. Lin Ning had barely gotten up when a maid brought her a letter. Lin Ning took it and read it; it was a secret letter from the princess, inviting her to meet at her usual teahouse in the city that day. Holding the letter, Lin Ning frowned slightly, wondering to herself: Why has the princess suddenly asked to meet me? Could it be news of my sister, Lin Wan? If so, that would be wonderful. A surge of anticipation welled up in Lin Ning's heart.

But then she thought about it again and felt that there might be other reasons. She couldn't help but guess: "Could it be that the princess had a heart-to-heart talk with Nangong Jin? After all, so many things happened yesterday. The princess had been holding a grudge about Nangong Jin not saving her that time. Could it be that she discovered something and that's why she was in a hurry to ask me out and wanted to talk to me about it?"

The more Lin Ning thought about it, the more she felt that this matter was not simple. She was both curious and slightly worried. She quickly tidied herself up, gave the maid a few brief instructions, and hurriedly went out to the teahouse.

Along the way, various possible scenarios kept flashing through Lin Ning's mind, and her steps became more and more hurried, hoping to see the princess as soon as possible and find out what was going on.

Lin Ning rushed to the teahouse and entered the agreed-upon private room, where she saw the princess already sitting there, her expression revealing a hint of loneliness.

Upon seeing Lin Ning arrive, the princess couldn't help but complain first, her voice full of grievance: "Sister Lin, tell me, what's wrong with Nangong Jin? Now he only cares about that Rosa, as if he's completely forgotten about me, his younger sister. Do I have no place at all in his heart?"

Lin Ning sighed softly, sat down opposite the princess, and echoed, "Your Highness, I also think Nangong Jin has indeed changed a lot. However, if he cares so much about Rosa because he genuinely likes her, then it's understandable. After all, feelings are sometimes uncontrollable." Upon hearing this, the princess's eyes widened, and she said angrily, "Sister Lin, why are you taking his side? He's still engaged to you! Now that he's so attentive to Rosa, where does that leave you? What does he consider this engagement?"

Upon hearing the princess mention the engagement, Lin Ning's heart skipped a beat. She quickly reached out to stop the princess from continuing, and said with a somewhat embarrassed and helpless expression, "Your Highness, please don't bring this up anymore. The engagement was just arranged by our elders. If he has someone else in his heart, then forcing it won't be happy. I only hope that Nangong Jin can follow his own heart. If he truly loves Miss Rosa, then he should be with Miss Rosa. I don't want to make things difficult for everyone because of this engagement."

The princess frowned, her face full of disapproval, and said, "Sister Lin, you're just too kind and too considerate of others. This marriage contract isn't something to be taken lightly. It was arranged by my royal grandfather. How can Nangong Jin just change his mind like that? Aren't you angry at all? Don't you feel wronged?"

Lin Ning forced a smile and said, "What's the use of being angry? I can only swallow my grievances. You can't force matters of the heart. I just wish everyone can be happy. As for myself, I'll make other arrangements. Your Highness, please don't worry about me."

Looking at Lin Ning's feigned nonchalance, the princess felt both heartache and pity for her, but for a moment she didn't know what to say. She could only sigh helplessly, and the atmosphere between the two became somewhat heavy.

Lin Ning lowered her eyes slightly, thinking to herself: After all, Nangong Jin had never promised her anything before, and she had even heard that he was quite resistant to this arranged marriage. Now, however, he was so concerned about a seemingly ordinary girl named Rosa. It seemed that he must have truly fallen for Rosa. If that was the case, why should she dwell on it? It would be better to let them be together. With this thought, Lin Ning stopped talking about Nangong Jin. She didn't want this matter to linger in her mind and cause her unnecessary trouble.

Lin Ning looked up at the princess and then asked, "Your Highness, you summoned me here so urgently today, surely there must be something important on your mind? Could it be that you have news about my sister, Lin Wan?"

Upon hearing about Lin Wan, the princess's previously troubled expression instantly changed. She quickly nodded and said, "Sister Lin, you guessed right. I did indeed receive news about Lin Wan. As soon as I learned of this, I rushed to send you a message, hoping you would know as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ning's eyes lit up immediately, her face filled with eagerness and anticipation. She quickly asked, "Your Highness, where is my sister now? Is she doing well? Please tell me in detail."

Seeing Lin Ning's worried expression, the princess sighed softly and said, "Sister Lin, Lin Wan is actually in the Crown Prince's residence right now. After I heard the news, I specially sent people to investigate carefully, and it seems that Lin Wan is safe in the Crown Prince's residence."

Upon hearing that her younger sister was at the Crown Prince's residence, Lin Ning frowned slightly, her heart filled with worry. She quickly asked, "Your Highness, why is she at the Crown Prince's residence? What exactly happened?"

The princess pursed her lips and explained, "Sister Lin, I heard that the Crown Prince has always believed that Lin Wan is a phoenix maiden destined for heaven. It seems that there are some signs or sayings that have convinced the Crown Prince that Lin Wan has an extraordinary destiny. Therefore, he treats Lin Wan very well, giving her the highest level of care. Everything she eats, wears, and uses is the best. He treats Lin Wan like a treasure."

Lin Ning breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing this, but still felt uneasy, and pressed on, "Since the Crown Prince treats my sister so well, why doesn't he allow her to contact anyone or leave the house? Isn't this a disguised form of house arrest?"

The princess shook her head helplessly and said, "I also think that my brother, the Crown Prince, is indeed acting inappropriately, but he won't listen to anyone now."

Lin Ning looked anxious. She stood up and paced back and forth in the private room, muttering, "This won't do. Lin Wan is being kept locked up like this. That Crown Prince is too superstitious. Sigh, I should have known better than to spread these rumors. Now I've only hurt Wan'er. What if one day she's falsely accused of not being a saint? Wouldn't that be dangerous again? Besides, we can't even be sure if Lin Wan is doing well or not. We need to get in touch with her."

The princess quickly stood up, took Lin Ning's hand, and comforted her, "Sister Lin, don't worry, let's think of a way together. Now that I've told you about this, I will definitely help you. But this matter can't be rushed. If we act rashly, not only will we fail to rescue Lin Wan, but we might also put her in an even more dangerous situation."

Lin Ning bit her lip, knowing that the princess was right. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down, saying, "Your Highness, you are right. I was too hasty. Then we must plan carefully and come up with a comprehensive solution as soon as possible."

The princess nodded in agreement.

After bidding farewell to the princess, Lin Ning was extremely anxious and didn't dare to delay for a moment. She went straight to find Liu Si. Upon meeting Liu Si, she quickly told him everything she had learned from the princess about Lin Wan's current situation.

Upon hearing this, Liu Si frowned deeply, his face filled with worry. He sighed slightly and said, "Miss Lin, I have also found some clues. The clues point to Lin Wan being in the Crown Prince's residence, but we are not yet sure about the specifics."

Lin Ning said anxiously, "Young Master Liu, we can now confirm that my sister is in the Crown Prince's residence, but the Crown Prince is restricting her contact with the outside world and forbidding her from leaving the house. What should we do?"

Liu Si paced back and forth a few steps, pondered for a moment, and then his gaze became firm. He said, "Miss Lin, I plan to send someone to the Crown Prince's residence to investigate after nightfall. I want to see if I can find an opportunity to meet Lin Wan and find out how she is doing inside, and whether she is really as safe as the rumors say."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ning felt that although the method was somewhat risky, there was no better way at the moment. She quickly nodded in support and said, "Young Master Liu, I think your idea is feasible. For now, we can only try it this way. However, this matter is too dangerous. The person you send must be very careful and make sure they are not discovered, otherwise, things will be terrible."

Liu Si replied, "Don't worry, Miss Lin, I will find someone who is agile and quick-witted. Nothing will happen."

Lin Ning was still worried, and solemnly instructed, "Young Master Liu, no matter what the situation is, you must tell me as soon as you have any news."

Seeing Lin Ning's anxious and concerned expression, Liu Si was deeply moved. He nodded solemnly and said, "Miss Lin, don't worry, I will definitely inform you as soon as possible. Don't worry too much, I will make the arrangements right away."

Lin Ning looked at Liu Si gratefully. After exchanging a few more words, Liu Si hurriedly went to prepare for his nighttime raid on the Crown Prince's residence, while Lin Ning returned home full of worry, anxiously awaiting news, hoping that this trip would yield good results.

After returning to his residence, Liu Si began to seriously consider who would be most suitable to send to the Crown Prince's residence. He went through everyone he knew in his mind, and after much deliberation, he finally decided that Xuan Yuanche was the only one suitable. After all, among the people he knew, Xuan Yuanche was undoubtedly the best in terms of lightness skill, with no one able to surpass him. That extraordinary lightness skill would surely allow him to move freely within the Crown Prince's residence, greatly increasing the success rate of this reconnaissance mission.

So, Liu Si hurriedly went to find Xuan Yuanche. After meeting Xuan Yuanche, he recounted in detail the situation of Lin Wan being trapped in the Crown Prince's residence. His expression was solemn and anxious: "Brother Xuan Yuanche, Lin Wan is currently trapped in the Crown Prince's residence, and her situation is unknown. I am extremely worried. After much thought, I believe only your superb lightness skill is capable of handling this task. Therefore, I would like to ask you to help me go to the Crown Prince's residence tonight to investigate the situation, so that we can have a better understanding of how to rescue Lin Wan."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuanche frowned slightly, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Brother Liu, rest assured, since you have asked for my help, I will do my best. However, the Crown Prince's residence is heavily guarded, so I need to plan carefully and must not act rashly, lest I alert the enemy."

After saying that, Xuan Yuanche fell into deep thought. He began to carefully consider every detail of his investigation at the Crown Prince's residence, from how to sneak into the residence to avoid the patrolling guards, and then to finding the place where Lin Wan might be imprisoned. He repeatedly rehearsed each step in his mind.

Liu Si quietly stayed by Xuan Yuanche's side, watching him think so earnestly and meticulously. He felt more confident and was no longer as flustered as before. He knew that Xuan Yuanche was always meticulous and steady in his actions. With him on the case, this investigation might really yield some results. He only hoped that Xuan Yuanche could successfully bring back news of Lin Wan.

As night deepened, the entire Crown Prince's residence was enveloped in tranquility, broken only by the occasional soft footsteps of patrolling guards.

Dressed in a black outfit, Xuan Yuanche nimbly approached the outer wall of the Crown Prince's residence. He first held his breath and observed the surroundings. Once he was sure there was nothing amiss, he lightly stepped over the wall and, like a nimble swallow, easily scaled the wall and entered the Crown Prince's residence.