Jade of Another World

Xuan Yuanche held Lin Ning's hand as she drank the porridge, his gaze never leaving her face. It was as if, in this cave, nothing else mattered; only the woman who cared for him so tenderly was his sole concern and affection.

In that secluded cave, Lin Ning diligently cared for Xuan Yuanche day after day. Under her meticulous care, Xuan Yuanche's injuries gradually improved. His once pale complexion began to regain some color, and his strength slowly returned, allowing him to get up and move around the cave. The affection between the two deepened with each passing day, and their time together, though simple, was filled with warmth.

However, in stark contrast was the chaotic and anxious scene within the palace. The emperor's condition continued to deteriorate, worsening with each passing day. He had initially been merely bedridden and listless, but now he was coughing up blood frequently. The vivid bloodstains on his handkerchief were a shocking sight, a cruel declaration that life was slowly slipping away.

The imperial physicians were frantic, like ants on a hot pan. They took turns going to the palace, using every trick in the book, and sparing no expense in using all kinds of rare medicinal herbs. But the emperor's health showed no improvement. It was as if he had fallen into a dark abyss, and no matter how hard they tried, they could not pull him out of the quagmire of illness.

A somber and sorrowful atmosphere enveloped the entire palace. The palace servants walked with trembling steps and spoke softly, as if afraid of disturbing something. The concubines stood guard before the emperor's bedchamber, their faces grieve, tears streaming down their faces. They all knew that the emperor's condition was likely beyond medical help, but none dared to voice this. They clung to a sliver of hope that a miracle might occur, that the emperor's health might suddenly improve.

Upon hearing that the emperor's condition had worsened, the ministers in the court flocked to the palace to request an audience, but most were turned away outside the emperor's bedchamber. They could only pace anxiously outside the palace, discussing how to stabilize the court and continue the dynasty should the emperor pass away. Each of them felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on their hearts, making it hard for them to breathe.

Nangong Jin stood anxiously in the main hall, his heart filled with worry. Each time he heard news of the emperor's worsening condition, his pain intensified. He simply couldn't bear to watch his father's health decline day by day, struggling helplessly in pain.

After much thought, Nangong Jin felt that Rosa, with her meticulous nature and expertise in pharmacology, might have a way to alleviate her father's illness. Therefore, Nangong Jin hurriedly found Rosa and, upon seeing her, earnestly pleaded, "My father's condition is worsening, and I am extremely worried. As his daughter-in-law, can you think of a way to save him?"

Looking at Nangong Jin's anxious and expectant expression, Rosa sighed softly and said slowly, "Your Highness, I understand how you feel right now, but His Majesty's illness... To be honest, His Majesty is nearing his end. I have done everything I can, but there is truly no possibility of curing this illness."

Upon hearing this, Nangong Jin felt as if struck by lightning. He stood there stunned for a long time before he came to his senses. His eyes were filled with pain and despair as he murmured to himself, "How could this be... How could this be..." He refused to believe that his father, who had once been so tall and majestic in his heart, was about to leave him like this.

But Nangong Jin was unwilling to give up. He turned back to his study and summoned his trusted confidant, Su Jin. He ordered firmly, "Su Jin, you must immediately go and find the most renowned doctors in the land for me. No matter where they are, no matter the cost, you must bring them here to treat my father. I will not allow my father to be treated like this..." Nangong Jin's voice choked up, and he could not finish his sentence.

Seeing Nangong Jin in such pain, Su Jin felt very distressed. He lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then suddenly his eyes lit up and he hurriedly said, "Your Highness, I have heard that Miss Lin of the Prime Minister's residence is a skilled physician. Perhaps she can find a way to cure His Majesty. In the capital, there have been many difficult and complicated illnesses that Miss Lin has miraculously cured. Why don't we invite Miss Lin to the palace to give it a try?"

Nangong Jin stood in the palace, his brows furrowed, his heart filled with doubt. He pondered to himself why everyone around him, whether it was Su Jin or others who had heard rumors of Lin Ning's medical skills, seemed to know so much about this Miss Lin from the Prime Minister's residence, often mentioning her superb medical skills and her miraculous healing deeds in the capital.

He had heard of many people in the capital, yet he couldn't recall ever having heard of this person. Was it because he was too focused on court affairs and palace intrigues, thus neglecting these people and events, or was there some other reason?

Nangong Jin paced back and forth, trying to search for even the slightest information about Lin Ning in the corners of his memory, but all he found was a blank, which made him even more puzzled. He thought that, logically speaking, the daughter of the Prime Minister's family, with such outstanding medical skills, should have some reputation in the capital, but he had no recollection of her at all, as if his memory of her had been erased from his mind.

He couldn't help but call over his attendant and ask, "Do you know Miss Lin Ning from the Prime Minister's residence?" The attendant hurriedly and respectfully replied, "Your Highness, Miss Lin is quite famous in our capital. Not only is she a skilled doctor, but she is also kind and intelligent. She often provides free medical treatment to the poor, so the people respect her very much."

Nangong Jin nodded slightly after hearing this, but his doubts remained undiminished. He secretly resolved that once Su Jin had found out about Lin Ning's situation, he would definitely learn more about this mysterious Miss Lin. Perhaps she really could be the key figure in saving his father. However, the numerous questions swirling in his mind were making him quite uneasy. He frowned, pondered for a moment, and then said to Su Jin, "What you said makes sense. Go and find out about Miss Lin's situation first, and see if you can invite her to the palace as soon as possible. I will wait for your news here."

Su Jin accepted the order and hurriedly withdrew, while Nangong Jin remained immersed in worry about the emperor's condition, hoping for a glimmer of hope that her father could recover from the crisis.

Having received Nangong Jin's orders, Su Jin hurriedly prepared to leave to find Lin Ning. He hadn't gone far from the gate when he unexpectedly bumped into a passerby in a hurry. The passerby stumbled, and Su Jin also took a few steps back. Focused on getting to his business, he casually said, "Watch where you're going," and didn't pay much attention to the other person before continuing on his way.

Su Jin strode along, but after walking about a hundred meters, he suddenly felt the scenery in front of him become blurry, as if a layer of mist was spreading in front of him, and the people and things around him gradually became unclear. He subconsciously rubbed his eyes, trying to restore his vision, but to no avail. His head began to feel dizzy, and his steps became unsteady.

Not long after, Su Jin felt a sudden dizziness and could no longer hold on. He fainted with a thud and fell straight to the ground. The passerby who had bumped into him earlier had returned at some point. A smug smile appeared on his face. After looking around and seeing that no one was paying attention, he quickly stepped forward, dragged the unconscious Su Jin, and threw him into a pile of firewood in a nearby alley.

The pile of firewood was dirty and messy, and Su Jin lay there unconscious, covered in dust and bits of grass. After doing all this, the passerby looked around again to make sure no one had noticed, then dusted himself off and turned to leave as if nothing had happened.

Nangong Jin anxiously awaited news of Su Jin in the palace. Time ticked by, but Su Jin did not return, nor did they receive any response regarding Lin Ning. As night gradually enveloped the palace, the oppressive atmosphere grew heavier, as if darkness itself was slowly devouring the last vestiges of hope in everyone's hearts. Inside the emperor's bedchamber, a group of imperial physicians surrounded the dragon bed, their faces grave, their foreheads covered in large beads of sweat. They constantly changed the cold compresses applied to the emperor's forehead, trying various remedies, but the emperor's high fever persisted. His already weakened body, tormented by the fever, became increasingly vulnerable.

The emperor would sometimes fall into a coma, and sometimes mumble incoherently, but his voice was too weak for anyone to understand. Nangong Jin stood by his side, his eyes red, holding the emperor's hand tightly, calling out again and again, "Father, Father, you must hold on..." However, the emperor's condition did not improve in the slightest because of his calls.

The night grew deeper, and the palace was deathly silent, save for the occasional suppressed sob from the emperor's bedchamber. Suddenly, the emperor's body convulsed violently, then fell still, and the hand that Nangong Jin had been holding grew cold. The imperial physicians rushed forward to examine him, and after a moment, they slowly shook their heads and whispered, "Your Highness, His Majesty... His Majesty has passed away."

Upon hearing this, Nangong Jin was struck dumb, frozen in place, his mind blank, unable to accept this cruel reality. Looking at his father's lifeless face, tears streamed down his face. He knelt on the ground with a thud, crying out in anguish, "Father..."

The entire palace was instantly shrouded in sorrow. The funeral bells tolled, their long, heavy tones echoing within the palace walls, announcing the passing of an emperor. Palace servants knelt and wept bitterly, and the concubines sobbed uncontrollably. Nangong Jin, however, was immersed in immense grief. He knew that from this moment on, the heavy burden of the empire would fall squarely on his shoulders. He hadn't even had a chance to say a few more words to his father, and he had hoped for a miracle to heal his father. Now, all those hopes had vanished, leaving only endless sorrow and a heavy sense of responsibility.

Su Jin lay dazed in the pile of firewood in the alley for a long time before slowly regaining some consciousness. He felt dizzy and his whole body ached. For a moment, he couldn't tell where he was. After a while, he remembered what had happened and broke out in a cold sweat. He hurriedly forced his weak body to stumble and rush towards the Crown Prince's residence.

When he rushed back to the Crown Prince's residence with a burning heart, the first thing he saw upon entering the gate was a courtyard full of white cloth. The glaring white looked particularly solemn and sorrowful under the sunlight. Su Jin's heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition surged into her heart. She instantly knew that something terrible had happened.

He hurried toward the main hall where Nangong Jin was, seeing the sorrowful expressions and red-rimmed eyes of everyone in the mansion along the way, which confirmed his terrible suspicions. Before he even got close, Nangong Jin had already seen him. Nangong Jin was already deeply grieving over the emperor's death, and seeing Su Jin return now only fueled his anger.

Nangong Jin's eyes were red, and he questioned with grief and indignation, "Su Jin, I asked you to do something, but you have been late in returning. Now that things have come to this, do you know your crime?" Upon hearing this, Su Jin immediately knelt down with a "thump" and said with a face full of guilt, "Your Highness, I know my crime."

The Crown Prince was currently immersed in grief over the loss of his father. Su Jin did not explain. Nangong Jin gritted his teeth and said in an icy voice, "No matter what your reasons are, you have ultimately ruined important matters. Go and receive your punishment yourself. According to the rules of the manor, do as you are told."

Su Jin knew Nangong Jin's feelings at that moment and dared not say anything more. He simply kowtowed heavily, replied "Yes," and silently got up, walking towards the punishment area. He was filled with self-reproach, thinking that if he had been more vigilant at the time, perhaps this outcome would not have occurred. He only regretted that he had not been able to help and had disappointed His Highness so much. Nangong Jin suppressed his grief, knowing that there were more important things waiting for him to do. He took a deep breath, tried to pull himself together, and began to arrange the many matters of holding a national mourning. He summoned his staff and servants, and methodically gave instructions on preparing the mourning hall, notifying the court officials, arranging condolence activities in various places, and so on. He dared not overlook any detail, after all, this was a major event concerning the national dignity and the world. Even if his heart was filled with grief, he had to shoulder this responsibility and ensure that his father passed away with dignity and honor.

The news of the emperor's death was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, causing a huge uproar throughout the court and even the entire country. Everyone was immersed in grief and anxiety about the future. Nangong Jin, suppressing the immense sorrow of losing his father, had to handle numerous complicated affairs while also keeping his composure, because the country could not be without a ruler for even a day.

Just then, after some discussion, the ministers in the court submitted a memorial to Nangong Jin, saying, "Your Highness, now that His Majesty has passed away, the country cannot be without a ruler for a day. We believe that Your Highness should first ascend the throne and assume the throne, so as to stabilize the court and reassure the people. Only then can a national mourning be held to fulfill filial piety and comfort His Majesty's spirit in heaven."

Upon hearing this, Nangong Jin frowned slightly, his heart filled with conflict. He knew that what the ministers said was not without reason. In the current turbulent situation, all forces were watching in secret. If he could ascend the throne as soon as possible, he could indeed use his legitimate position to demonstrate to the world a smooth transition of imperial power, deterring those with ulterior motives from making rash moves, and allowing the affairs of the court to return to normal as soon as possible.

On the other hand, he felt that his father had just passed away and his body was not yet cold, so it would be disrespectful and unfilial for him to rush to the throne. This made him feel very guilty, as if he were using this opportunity to seize the supreme throne.

Nangong Jin remained silent for a long time in the main hall, his gaze sweeping over the eager and anxious faces of the ministers. Finally, he slowly spoke: "My beloved ministers, with the recent loss of my father, I have no heart for the matter of ascending the throne. I hope to first devote myself to the national mourning and to fulfill my final filial duty as a son. After everything is in order, I will proceed with the enthronement ceremony. I hope my beloved ministers will understand my feelings."

After hearing Nangong Jin's words, the ministers, though they appreciated his loyalty and filial piety, still looked worried and continued to persuade him: "Your Highness, we understand your filial piety, but the current situation is critical. All the people of the world rely on Your Highness to take charge of the overall situation. We urge Your Highness to prioritize the country and its people and not to delay important matters because of temporary grief."