Jade of Another World

Nangong Jin returned to the Crown Prince's residence looking exhausted. He had been physically and mentally drained by the preparations for the late emperor's funeral. He had to deal with the complicated etiquette and procedures while also keeping a close eye on the undercurrents of various factions in the court. He felt as if he were shrouded in a gloom.

Not long after entering the mansion, Rosa received the news. She quickly tidied her appearance, put on a concerned and anxious look, and hurriedly headed towards Nangong Jin's direction to pay her respects.

"Your Highness, I have something important to tell you." Rosa curtsied as soon as she saw Nangong Jin and said in a hurried tone.

Nangong Jin frowned slightly, looked at Rosa, and said calmly, "What's the matter that you're in such a panic?"

Rosa stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, my men have discovered an important piece of information today. Grand Tutor Liu and Consort De are secretly colluding and seem to want to make Nangong Yu the empress. They are very active and seem to be planning to act during the funeral."

Upon hearing this, Nangong Jin's heart sank. He looked up at Rosa, and in that instant, a barely perceptible ruthlessness flashed in his eyes. He was genuinely surprised. This peasant girl, Rosa, whom he had brought back from the countryside, seemed gentle and compliant on the surface, yet she had secretly trained her own spies and managed to uncover such important information. This made Nangong Jin scrutinize Rosa more closely, secretly wondering how many other things she was hiding from him.

At the same time, a surge of anger welled up in Nangong Jin's heart. He hadn't expected that Grand Tutor Liu and Consort De would be so impatient, unable to restrain themselves so quickly during the late emperor's funeral, and wanting to support Nangong Yu to ascend the throne. Given Nangong Yu's age, this was undoubtedly an attempt to rule from behind the curtain, a blatant trampling on the dignity of the royal family.

Nangong Jin remained silent for a moment, his eyes gradually becoming deep. He slowly said, "My dear consort, is this matter true? Don't be mistaken and cause trouble for no reason."

Rosa hurriedly said, "Your Highness, how could I joke about this? The spies have investigated thoroughly and there is no mistake. As soon as I heard the news, I rushed to inform Your Highness, for I was afraid that they would plot in secret and ruin Your Highness's important plans."

Nangong Jin nodded slightly, his face still grim. He knew that the situation was becoming increasingly complicated and difficult to handle. It seemed that he had to come up with a solution as soon as possible and could not let their conspiracy succeed, otherwise the court would be plunged into even greater chaos.

"My dear consort, you've worked hard. You may now leave. Do not make a sound, lest you alert the enemy." Nangong Jin waved his hand at Rosa, who responded and respectfully withdrew.

After Rosa left, he remained standing, his face grim, his mind racing as he pondered the current situation. In fact, the information Rosa had come to report overlapped significantly with what he had secretly gathered through his own investigations, further confirming the wolfish ambitions of Grand Tutor Liu and Consort De.

Nangong Jin knew very well that Grand Tutor Liu and Consort De had always been restless, and their sinister intentions were not new. They had frequently formed factions in court, attempting to expand their power, and had long coveted the throne. However, they hadn't dared to act too openly before, due to the late emperor's prestige. Nangong Jin had originally planned to be patient for now, waiting until her father's funeral was conducted in a grand and proper manner before dealing with them. After all, the most important thing right now was to ensure the late emperor's peaceful passing and to give the people an explanation.

Unexpectedly, they were so impatient that they jumped out before the late emperor's funeral was even over, attempting to push Nangong Yu to the throne. This was undoubtedly a blatant challenge to him, a great disregard for the imperial authority and for him, the crown prince who was about to succeed to the throne.

A cold glint flashed in Nangong Jin's eyes. He had already made up his mind. He snorted coldly and thought to himself, "Since you are so impatient to jump out and cause trouble now, then don't blame me for being impolite. I originally wanted to give you some face because we are all of the same origin, but you are ungrateful and insist on seeking your own death. Then I will definitely make you pay a heavy price for your recklessness and ambition."

Subsequently, Nangong Jin immediately summoned his trusted advisors and several trusted high-ranking officials. After everyone was gathered together, he solemnly revealed the conspiracy between Grand Tutor Liu and Consort De.

Upon hearing this, Nangong Jin's trusted advisors and high-ranking officials were all filled with righteous indignation and expressed their willingness to offer advice and strategies to help him thwart the conspiracy of Grand Tutor Liu and Consort De and stabilize the court. Everyone discussed the matter, and the entire room was filled with a serious and tense atmosphere. A contest against Grand Tutor Liu and Consort De had quietly begun amidst this turbulent situation.

The late emperor's funeral was held as scheduled in a solemn and respectful atmosphere, with the entire capital and even the whole country immersed in grief and solemnity. The funeral procession stretched for miles, with mournful music playing and paper money flying everywhere. Everyone sent off the emperor who had once ruled the Great Yu Dynasty on his final journey with reverence.

As the funeral rites concluded and the crowd had not yet fully recovered from their grief, Grand Tutor Liu suddenly made a dramatic move. He and a group of ministers who were close to him and followed him knelt down in unison before the main hall. The spectacle immediately drew everyone's attention, and those who had been whispering or grieving fell silent, a strange tension filling the air.

Grand Tutor Liu cleared his throat, his expression solemn and resolute, and said loudly, "Colleagues, His Majesty's passing is a great tragedy for our Great Yu. However, before His Majesty passed away, he left behind a will concerning the stability of our Great Yu's country and society. Today, we will act in accordance with this will."

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned, exchanging bewildered glances, their hearts filled with doubt and shock, all wondering what exactly was written in the will.

Grand Tutor Liu then loudly proclaimed the so-called imperial edict: "The edict states that Nangong Jin is indeed an ominous twin, whose birth was accompanied by ominous signs. The untimely death of the former Crown Prince and the sudden passing of His Majesty the Emperor in his prime are all due to him! Such an ominous person is absolutely unfit to inherit the throne. Therefore, the late Emperor hereby issues this edict, appointing Nangong Yu as Crown Prince and heir to the throne. It is hoped that all my beloved ministers will heed this edict, assist the new Emperor, and ensure the eternal stability of our Great Yu land and the well-being of all people."

These words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples. The court erupted in chaos. Some ministers wore expressions of astonishment, clearly shocked by the sudden news; others frowned, pondering the authenticity of the edict, as the matter was far too strange—the late emperor had never mentioned anything like it, and now such a edict had suddenly appeared, making it unbelievable; still others looked at Nangong Jin, their eyes filled with complex emotions, unsure of what to do.

Nangong Jin stood there, first feigning surprise, then his face turned extremely gloomy!

Nangong Jin suppressed his anger, took a step forward, and questioned loudly with a cold and authoritative voice: "Grand Tutor Liu, you keep saying that you have the late emperor's edict, but where is this edict? When was it made? And who can prove its authenticity? You are fabricating this out of thin air. Are you trying to usurp the throne and disrupt the order of my Great Yu Dynasty?"

Grand Tutor Liu remained calm and composed, raising his head to meet Nangong Jin's gaze directly, and replied, "Your Highness, this edict was personally entrusted to this old minister by His Majesty before his passing. How could this old minister dare to have the slightest intention to forge it? Many colleagues present can attest to this. Since His Majesty has issued this edict, we, as his subjects, should naturally obey it. I hope Your Highness will not disobey His Majesty's will."

Both sides stuck to their own arguments and refused to yield, making the atmosphere in the court increasingly tense. A fierce struggle concerning the succession to the throne and the future of the Great Yu Kingdom had officially begun right after the late emperor's funeral.

In fact, Nangong Jin had already discovered the movements of Grand Tutor Liu and his group. He was now facing an unprecedented and severe test, not only a struggle for the throne, but also a matter of his own life, honor, and the future of Dayu. After a brief moment of thought, he said, "Please, Grand Tutor Liu, produce the imperial edict."

Grand Tutor Liu said, "It would be inappropriate for you to examine the will."

Nangong Jin said, "Of course, someone will check."

Grand Tutor Liu presented the imperial edict. When he saw the three people in the front row among the people Nangong Jin had invited, fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and he thought to himself, "This is bad."

The first person was the late Emperor's teacher, the Old Ancestor. This old man was a Taoist priest who had been practicing in a Taoist temple in the mountains. He was charitable and well-known, and many people knew him. He was highly respected, especially since the late Emperor had studied in the mountains as a child and learned calligraphy from the Old Ancestor. He could be considered the late Emperor's teacher, so how could he not recognize the late Emperor's handwriting?

Nangong Jin secretly sent someone to invite the old emperor to attend his father's funeral. Although the old emperor was old and retired, he agreed to come out of respect for the late emperor and concern for the situation in Dayu.

The second person was Ouyang Qingchuan. Ouyang Tianshi never participated in court politics, but he was exceptional in calligraphy and painting. The late emperor's calligraphy and painting were also excellent. Ouyang Tianshi and the late emperor often made appointments to compare calligraphy and painting, so they could be said to be like-minded people. Therefore, Ouyang Tianshi was very familiar with the late emperor's calligraphy and painting, and naturally he was qualified to judge them.

The third person was the abbot of Fahua Temple. Fahua Temple was a royal temple, and the late emperor would go there every year on the first and fifteenth of the lunar month to pray for the well-being of the people, a practice he continued for decades without interruption. He believed that Fahua Temple could ensure favorable weather and abundant harvests for the people of the Great Yu. The abbot of Fahua Temple had been there for several years, accompanying the late emperor in his prayers. The late emperor personally copied the scriptures for his prayers, never delegating the task to others; therefore, the abbot of Fahua Temple was very familiar with the late emperor's calligraphy.

These three men were of impeccable character and possessed a thorough understanding of the late emperor's handwriting. Therefore, their assessment of the edict would undoubtedly be accepted by everyone. The three men took the edict and examined it carefully. After careful and repeated confirmation, they all said in unison, "The edict is fake."

This statement caused an uproar at the ceremony.

Nangong Jin glared coldly at Grand Tutor Liu and the ministers who followed him. In truth, the night before the funeral, Nangong Jin had been burning the midnight oil in his study, meticulously analyzing the situation of each minister who was loyal to Grand Tutor Liu. He had a clear understanding of their daily actions, mistakes, and any hidden incriminating evidence. Based on this information, Nangong Jin then tailored a letter of indictment for each minister. In the letter, he sharply listed the ministers' crimes and stated his position: if they continued to stubbornly stand by Grand Tutor Liu and plot rebellion, they would face the severe punishment of having their entire families executed; but if they could repent in time, sever ties with Grand Tutor Liu, he would forgive their past transgressions and treat them with courtesy in the future, working together for the prosperity and stability of the Great Yu. Afterward, Nangong Jin dispatched his trusted confidant, Su Jin, to secretly deliver these letters of indictment to the residences of the ministers under the cover of night. When the ministers received the indictment, they were shocked. They had thought that by following Grand Tutor Liu, they could get a share of the spoils in this struggle for the throne, but they did not expect that Nangong Jin had already obtained so much dirt on them and that his attitude was so resolute.

After weighing the pros and cons, many officials realized that Nangong Jin was the one who truly held the power and influence, and they were also afraid of suffering the punishment of having their entire families executed. As a result, they began to waver in their stance. They secretly wrote pledges of allegiance and submitted them to Nangong Jin through various covert means, expressing their willingness to stand with him to the death and fight against Grand Tutor Liu's conspiracy.

When the forged imperial edict was exposed in public by the old emperor and his entourage, the court was in an uproar. Those ministers who had previously wavered quickly switched sides to Nangong Jin, and the situation changed dramatically in an instant. Nangong Jin's camp suddenly grew stronger, and his eyes shone with determination and confidence as he methodically controlled the situation.

However, a few stubborn ministers remained on Grand Tutor Liu's side, attempting a last-ditch resistance. Grand Tutor Liu of the Censorate, who usually prided himself on his integrity, was now, for some reason, bewitched by Grand Tutor Liu, stubbornly believing that Grand Tutor Liu's words were true and resolutely standing in his camp. He even declared that he was upholding so-called "justice" and the "last wishes of the late emperor," but in reality, he was blinded by power and self-interest, unable to see the conspiracy behind it all.