Jade of Another World

Peng Yingchun was patrolling the streets as usual, distributing protective herbal medicine kits to patients with mild symptoms. Suddenly, a weak but rapid cough caught her attention. Looking in the direction of the sound, she saw a thin maidservant huddled in the corner, her face ashen, her lips cracked and bleeding. With each breath, her chest heaved violently, indicating that her condition was extremely serious.

Peng Yingchun was frantic with worry. Without thinking, she rushed over, knelt down, and gently lifted the maid, her hands burning with fever. She turned and shouted, "Quick! There's a seriously ill person here!" Just then, Liu Si, with several helpers, arrived from nearby. Seeing the maid's condition, Liu Si's brows furrowed deeply. Without a word, he directed his men, "Quick, lift her gently, don't jostle her. We need to get her to Miss Lin for treatment as soon as possible; any delay could cause serious harm."

With everyone working together, they carefully placed the maid on a stretcher and hurried towards the medical station where Lin Ning was. Peng Yingchun jogged alongside, occasionally reaching out to touch the maid's forehead, her heart filled with worry, hoping that Lin Ning could perform a miraculous cure and pull the poor girl back from the brink of death.

Lin Ning's expression turned serious the moment she saw the maid on the stretcher, barely breathing. She quickly stepped forward, briefly examined the maid's symptoms, and inwardly cried out in alarm. This illness was sudden and extremely complicated. She immediately ordered, "Quickly, carry her to the empty room on the far west side and isolate her there. Use separate equipment for her and do not let her share it with other patients."

No one dared to delay and settled the maids in as instructed. Lin Ning then turned to Liu Si and Peng Yingchun, her expression serious: "You have been in contact with patients and are at risk of infection. You will be isolated and observed in the next few rooms for the time being. I will arrange for someone to deliver medicine and meals to you regularly. If you feel unwell, please inform the people on duty outside immediately."

Liu Si and Peng Yingchun exchanged a glance and nodded. Peng Yingchun couldn't resist teasing, "Miss Lin, don't worry, we'll definitely cooperate obediently and be able to come out and help you again in a couple of days." Lin Ning forced a smile. Knowing how dangerous this epidemic was, she dared not slack off in the slightest. She turned around and plunged into the makeshift pharmacy, searching for medicinal herbs and considering prescriptions, determined to race against time to combat this deadly disease.

Currently, this maid is the most seriously ill patient in the capital. Lin Ning suspects that this maid is likely the source of the epidemic. She is immediately extremely anxious and tells Nangong Jin about the maid's condition and her speculation, her words filled with worry: "Your Majesty, this maid's illness is extremely difficult to treat; it is the most severe case I have seen since I came to the capital. All indications suggest that she is very likely the source of this epidemic. If we can find out her whereabouts before she fell ill and who she came into contact with, we may be able to cut off the main chain of the epidemic's spread and completely quell this disaster."

Nangong Jin's expression was cold and stern. He immediately replied, "This matter is indeed urgent. I will send someone to investigate immediately." After saying that, he summoned his guards and gave them a sharp order: "Quickly find out the identity of this maid, which household she belongs to, where she went and who she met before she fell ill. Report back to them in detail, no matter how small the matter is, and there must be no errors!"

The guards obeyed the order and set off without delay, investigating based on the limited clues provided by Lin Ning. They first searched the city to see if anyone knew the maid, then took the portrait to various mansions to inquire, leaving no alley or shop unchecked, hoping to uncover the key information as soon as possible so that the shadow of the epidemic shrouding the capital would dissipate soon.

After careful screening, the guards reported that the maid was a servant of Consort Zhao from General Zhao's residence. Upon hearing the guards' report, Nangong Jin's face instantly darkened to a grim degree. The source of this plague actually involved General Zhao; the matter was far more complicated than he had imagined. He knew that if this matter was not handled properly, it could cause turmoil in the court, so he immediately sent someone to invite Xuanyuan Che back to the palace.

Xuanyuan Che rushed over and stepped into the imperial study. Before he could even speak, he sensed the heavy and oppressive atmosphere inside. He bowed and asked, "Your Majesty summoned me urgently, is that..."

Nangong Jin tossed the secret report onto the table and said coldly, "We've found out. That maid is Consort Zhao's personal maid. This matter is of great importance, and I need to discuss a course of action with you. General Zhao has always held a high position in the army and has many private soldiers. Now... this could be a crisis, or it could be an opportunity..."

Xuanyuan Che picked up the secret report, quickly glanced through it, and frowned: "Your Majesty is absolutely right. General Zhao currently commands a large army and enjoys considerable prestige within the military. We might as well summon Consort Zhao back to the palace first and subtly inquire about her, perhaps even to see if she has any illness. To the outside world, we can use the pretext of selecting a concubine and have Consort De arrange for someone to stay in the palace. I remember Consort De seems to have some connection with the Zhao family. We can use this to appease the Zhao family for now. As for the follow-up, we can make a decision after the truth is revealed."

Nangong Jin nodded slightly, weighing the matter in his mind, and said, "Indeed, Consort De is a distant cousin of Lord Zhao. It seems that this is the only option for now." He then sent Xuan Yuanche to visit Consort De. Xuan Yuanche knew that palace affairs were complex and interconnected, and that a single mistake could have far-reaching consequences. Entrusting this thorny task to Consort De was a way of catering to her desires. Upon hearing this, Consort De's eyes lit up. What she hoped for most now was for the Emperor to take in many concubines, filling the harem, so that her plans could succeed.

The previous epidemic had completely disrupted the imperial concubine selection plan, forcing the long-planned procedures to be put on hold. Consort De's meticulous calculations had all come to naught, and she was worried about not having a chance to push things forward again. Now that His Majesty wanted to summon Consort Zhao to the palace, in her eyes, this was undoubtedly a signal to restart the imperial concubine selection.

Consort De immediately set about making arrangements. On one hand, she sent a trusted nanny from her maiden family to the Zhao residence to convey her decree, informing the Zhao family to take good care of Consort Zhao and prepare for her entry into the palace. Her words implied that this was a rare opportunity to regain the Emperor's favor. On the other hand, she busily prepared for Consort Zhao's arrival in the palace, and secretly instructed her servants to get everything ready. Perhaps at any moment, the Emperor would be in a good mood, and a new round of concubine selection would begin in a grand manner. The entire harem was instantly stirred up by this news.

On Lin Ning's side, after several days of tireless effort, her hard work finally paid off, and the maid's condition improved. Lin Ning, dragging her utterly exhausted body, had just left the maid's isolation ward. Every step felt like walking on cotton, her body weak and unsteady. She was completely worn out, her only thought being to lie down in bed as soon as possible and catch up on all the sleep she had missed over the past few days.

As soon as she reached the door, she heard the maid and Peng Yingchun talking softly inside. The maid's voice was still somewhat weak: "Miss Yingchun, I heard... the epidemic in the palace has just stabilized, and His Majesty is going to restart the selection of concubines. I wonder which girl will be lucky enough to have this opportunity." Peng Yingchun casually responded with a few words, and the two chattered on about the ways in which noble ladies competed for the emperor's favor.

Lin Ning paused, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of her lips, a mixture of helplessness and exhaustion washing over her. She thought to herself, "It really is true what they say, 'When people are well-fed and clothed, they think of lust.' The common people have barely recovered from the devastation of the epidemic, and the emperor is already busy selecting concubines. The imperial family is truly different from ordinary people; not a single man can escape worldly desires." Lin Ning shook her head, ignoring him, and went straight to her room. She lay down on the bed, fully clothed, and soon her even breathing filled the room.

When Consort Zhao heard that she was to enter the palace, she was overjoyed. Upon receiving the imperial decree to enter the palace, her face lit up with happiness, and all the gloom from her previous offense against the emperor and being ordered to go home to reflect on her mistakes vanished. She paced back and forth excitedly in her boudoir, muttering to herself, "I knew it. With my beautiful face, His Majesty must have taken a liking to me. Those few brief encounters in the prefecture and county were enough to win his heart."

At this time, her parents were bedridden with illness due to the epidemic. Her mother, delirious with fever, was still calling her name, and her father, weakly, advised her not to rush into the palace, but to take care of the family first. After all, she was their only child, and their eldest son, Zhao Ji, was stationed on the frontier. The family's current situation truly worried him. He hoped that Consort Zhao could stay home and take care of them until they were better before going to the palace. But Consort Zhao was preoccupied with the glamour and glory of entering the palace, and she couldn't listen to any of that. She was only concerned with rummaging through her chests and drawers, picking out all her gorgeous clothes and dazzling jewelry, arranging them one by one on the bed, and figuring out how to dress to outshine all the beauties in the palace.

To the outside world, she feigned concern, claiming that her trip to the palace was to visit Consort De, whom she missed. In reality, she harbored a secret plan: once inside the palace, she would do everything in her power to stay close to the Emperor, using every trick in the book to win his favor and become the most dazzling figure in the harem. As for her parents' illness, she believed that with so many skilled physicians in her household, whose medical expertise was no less than that of the imperial physicians, they would surely heal them. She naively thought that this trip would be her last.

When Consort Zhao stepped into Consort De's palace, she was like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden, her eyes filled with novelty and anticipation. Consort De greeted her with a beaming smile, took her hand, and inquired about her well-being with great warmth, their intimacy making it seem as if they were a mother and daughter separated for many years.

"My child, you've finally arrived! Without you, the palace has lost so much of its joy." Consort De spoke softly, leading Consort Zhao towards the inner palace. "You must be tired from your journey to the palace. Rest first. I have many fine things prepared for you." With that, she instructed the palace maids to present the gifts that had been prepared in advance.

Boxes of exquisite pearl and jade jewelry, bolts of shimmering silk and satin were laid out before Consort Zhao. Her eyes widened at the sight, and although she repeatedly declined, she was secretly overjoyed. In the past two days, Consort De had gone to great lengths to please her, providing her with delicacies every day and accompanying her on walks and chats in the Imperial Garden, telling her all sorts of interesting things happening in the palace and the preferences of the various masters.

Consort Zhao was flattered to the point of ecstasy, her confidence soaring. She secretly thought, "The Empress Dowager values ​​me so much because she sees my potential to become the Empress. With her help, the Empress's position will be a piece of cake!" The more she thought about it, the happier she became, walking with a swagger. She was full of anticipation for starting her own glorious chapter in the palace, completely unaware of the scheming glint in the Empress Dowager's eyes.

After finishing his official duties, Nangong Jin headed straight for Lin Ning. These past few days, every slight movement of the epidemic had weighed heavily on his mind. The maidservant, as a key witness, must hold the key to completely eradicating the epidemic. Entering the medical area, he dismissed the others and softly asked Lin Ning, "Miss Lin, how is Consort Zhao's personal maidservant doing now?"

Lin Ning bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, after treatment, the maid's condition has greatly improved. With some more recuperation, she should be able to recover completely. However..." She hesitated slightly, "This epidemic is quite peculiar. Although we have stabilized this area, we still need to thoroughly investigate the source. If the source is not eliminated, there is still a risk of further complications."

Nangong Jin nodded slightly; he shared the same thought. After bidding farewell to Lin Ning, he returned to the Imperial Study and immediately summoned the head of the secret guards. With a cold gaze, he issued the order: "Go to the Zhao residence immediately and investigate thoroughly, especially the situation of the epidemic. Find out for me whether anyone in the residence has any unusual symptoms, and the order in which they fell ill. Do not miss any details. I need to know the cause of this epidemic." The secret guards obeyed and silently disappeared into the night, speeding towards the Zhao residence.

The secret guards reported that many people in the Zhao residence had contracted a severe epidemic. General Zhao and his wife were too ill to get out of bed. Nangong Jin dismissed the guards and went to his study to consider his next plan.

Nangong Jin frowned deeply. He paced to the study window, stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the deep night outside, lost in thought. Many people in the Zhao household were seriously ill; the source of the epidemic might very well be the Zhao family. Now that Consort Zhao seemed unaffected, it was highly likely that the gifts sent by those merchants were delivered to the Zhao household. Unless they were exposed to a more serious virus, they wouldn't be so afraid to speak out now that they were the most severely affected.

Nangong Jin pondered how to use the current situation to stabilize the court. Thinking of this, Nangong Jin slowly turned around and summoned his personal eunuch: "Go, summon Xuan Yuanche. This matter needs to be discussed with him again."

Consort Zhao was happily admiring herself in the mirror, trying on the new pearls and jade bestowed upon her by Consort De, imagining the scene of her stunning appearance before His Majesty, when suddenly, her personal maid rushed in in a panic, knelt down with a thud, and said in a tearful voice, "My lady, news has come from the manor that Master and Madam... are critically ill!"