Rebirth of a Lost Nation: Princess, Please Respect Yourself

Chapter 144: Conferring the Title of King Xu

In a room somewhere in Funing Palace, Yin Zhuang was gagged, tied up like a dumpling and thrown into a pile of firewood. She was dressed in rags and her face was dirty. She didn't look like the respectable first-class palace maid she once was.

Seeing Jiang Lige pushing the door open, Yin Zhuang made a "mmm" sound in fear, and beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down her forehead.

Jiang Lige didn't care what Yinzhuang's expression was. He asked someone to bring a chair and sat down. Then he propped up his chin and said, "Aunt Yinzhuang lost."

After Jiang Lige finished speaking, someone came forward and took away the cloth that was covering Yin Zhuang's mouth. Yin Zhuang knew that she could not escape death, and the fear in her heart gradually disappeared.

"The victor is the king and the loser is the bandit. Princess Zhaohua is superior in skills. I have nothing to say."

"You're wrong." Jiang Lige smiled, as if mocking Yin Zhuang's ignorance and arrogance. "The one with the higher skill level is Jiang Chuchu, not me. She used every chess piece to its fullest potential, whether it was you or Lvliu, whom she killed with her own hands. It's a pity that you were so bent on revenge that you helped your enemy do so much evil, and ended up like this."

Yin Zhuang, who had a look of disdain on her face just now, now had a look of shock on her face. She could hardly believe her ears.

"You are lying!"

"Now that you and Jiang Chuchu have both been defeated by me, what good is it for me to lie to you?" Jiang Lige asked coldly, "It's just that I see you being kept in the dark even when you're about to die. It's pitiful."

"But it was you who beat Green Willow to death with a stick. I saw it with my own eyes!"

"Lvliu repeatedly helped Jiang Chuchu plot against me, so I naturally couldn't let her stay with Jiang Chuchu. But after the caning that day, Lvliu didn't die, so I ordered Madam Kong to find a royal physician for Lvliu, intending to release her from the palace after she recovered. But just as the royal physician had treated her wounds and told me that she would be healed after a few days of rest, Lvliu died. She was still holding Jiang Chuchu's silk scarf in her hand until her death. Someone saw Jiang Chuchu sneak out of the house through the back door after she fainted that day, and the time coincided with Lvliu's death."

Yin Zhuang closed her eyes in pain, and as her thoughts came together, she instantly came to a conclusion. Yes, such a familiar method, who else could it be but Jiang Chuchu's?

"Then why didn't you expose Jiang Chuchu? Why did you tell me now?!"

"Expose? How?" Jiang Lige's voice was icy, like the chill of hell. "She was only out for a moment. It's no surprise that Lvliu, her personal maid, had her scarf. There are so many ways to refute this, with so many clauses."

There is no greater sorrow than a dead heart. At this moment, Yin Zhuang felt that she finally understood this obscure idiom. She lowered her eyes and smiled bitterly, then spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Tell me this. Princess Zhaohua wants me to do something. Just tell me directly."

"Aunt Yinzhuang thinks too highly of herself."

Jiang Lige didn't even look at Yin Zhuang, and his tone was proud and disdainful.

"I'm not Jiang Chuchu. I disdain these despicable tactics. I can avenge my own grudges. As for you... you betrayed not only me, but also my great-aunt. You served her for so many years, and your punishment should be decided by her."

After saying that, Jiang Lige stood up on his own and was surrounded by a group of palace servants as he walked out of the room.

Until the wooden door completely blocked out Jiang Lige's exquisite palace dress, Yin Zhuang looked at the room that had returned to peace and darkness. She vaguely remembered Lvliu smiling and following her, calling her aunt. Then, she thought of Jiang Lige again.

The proud little girl let down her guard, grabbed her hand, and said to her, "If anyone dares to bully you, I will definitely seek justice for my aunt."

Anger, sadness, despair, unwillingness, too many emotions mixed in her heart, making it hard to breathe. Yin Zhuang clenched her teeth tightly, trying hard to suppress her inner emotions, and her eyes finally darkened inch by inch.

……

This night was difficult for many people in the imperial city.

An autumn rain came unexpectedly, taking away the sultry summer heat and dyeing the vegetation in the courtyard yellow like ink. Everywhere you look is a brilliant golden color.

As soon as the sun rose, Emperor Shengwu's imperial edict was delivered to the palace where Ning Luyang and Jiang Chuchu were detained.

The eunuch had a stern face, holding the bright yellow imperial edict, his nose turned up, and his voice was solemn and sharp.

Emperor Shengwu's handling method was almost the same as Jiang Lige's expectation.

On the grounds that Ning Luyang had reached marriageable age, he was granted a marriage. His principal wife was Xiao Siyou, a concubine of the Xiao family, and his concubine was Jiang Chuchu, the Princess of Nanchu.

He was ordered to get married half a month later, move out of the palace and build a house, and was given the title: Xu.

Before the wedding, Ning Luyang and Jiang Chuchu followed their ancestors' teachings and prayed for blessings at their respective homes.

Putting aside those high-sounding reasons, he was actually under house arrest.

An imperial edict disrupted the forces of all parties.

The first to bear the brunt was Empress Xiao.

She had carefully raised the two beauties of the Xiao family by her side, intending to place them beside the future crown prince. However, this imperial edict from Emperor Shengwu destroyed her "secret treasure" without any warning.

It would be fine if she married someone with a promising future, but she chose Ning Luyang who was embroiled in a scandal. As a result, Xiao Siyou became a useless chess piece!

Empress Xiao was full of complaints and ordered people to find out what Emperor Shengwu was thinking. As a result, he found out some extraordinary things. It turned out that it was Princess Jingyu who proposed to marry Xiao Siyou to Ning Luyang!

If Empress Xiao couldn't bring trouble to Emperor Shengwu, could she not bring trouble to Princess Jingyu?

After learning the news, Empress Xiao spent the whole morning causing trouble for Princess Jingyu countless times for various reasons.

No matter how domineering Princess Jingyu was, she was still a "guest" in the palace. How could she withstand the open and secret attacks of Empress Xiao, the mistress of the harem? So she found an excuse and slipped out of the palace that afternoon.

After returning to the Princess's Mansion, Jingyu was furious and called Jiang Chuchu a fool.

If Jiang Chuchu hadn't said so many good things, she wouldn't have stretched her hands to the Xiao family. She wanted to make a move secretly to trick Queen Xiao, but what was the result!

Who is the heartless person who made her known to everyone?

Now, not only is Jiang Lige still jumping around happily, but she has also inexplicably become a thorn in Empress Xiao's eyes. The so-called "ally" has now become the sinner condemned by thousands of people. This deal really made Princess Jingyu lose both the wife and the army!

On the other side of the Imperial City, the real chess player yawned without any dignity and commented seriously to Feng Quan, "Today's dishes are a bit lacking."

Song Yue, who was serving beside him, seemed to have not heard anything and only focused on grasping some strange key points. "The emperor bestowed the title, Xu, with great intentions!"

Feng Quan laughed when he heard this. Since when did Song Yue, with such a small head, become able to guess the emperor's intentions?

"What's the purpose?"

"Sunrise, the ninth day of the month." Song Yue said seriously, "Your Majesty is hoping that Ning Luyang can regain his dignity as a man!"