Rebirth of a Lost Nation: Princess, Please Respect Yourself

Chapter 265: Empress Xu's Trouble

Han Zhuo said, "I heard that when Princess Zhaohua was born, His Majesty personally bestowed upon her a birth jade, one of a kind in the world. All Her Majesty needs to do is take this jade and present it to Empress Xu. She will naturally understand that her daughter's life is in our hands. If she wishes to save her children, she should confess her guilt and relinquish the throne. This will also prevent those court officials from pointing fingers at us siblings, believing that our Han family was responsible for the downfall of the Xu family."

Concubine Han covered her lips and smiled, "Yes, the Xu family is just a defeated general. Since they are inferior in skills, why do they still maintain a clean reputation? They are just stepping stones, they should be buried deep in the ground and not pollute people's eyes."

Han Zhuo smiled complacently, "Without the Xu family, Nanchu will respect my Han family in the future."

"That's exactly what my brother said."

……

A few days later, it was the day Han Zhuo had originally planned to start the war.

At that time, Jiang Lige was hiding in the tent reading a military book when he saw Ning Yunxiao lift the curtain and come in, handing a letter to Jiang Lige.

Ning Yunxiao had been busy these days and had disappeared all day, so he just dropped a letter out of nowhere. Jiang Lige was really confused.

"This is?"

"With the two countries at war, you, the Princess of Nanchu in Shengling, are in an awkward position. Not only are the officers and soldiers of Shengling dissatisfied with you, but I'm afraid Nanchu will have some opinions as well. You and Bo Xuan are both in Shengling territory, and the only one who can find out your weaknesses is Empress Xu. So a few days ago, I sent someone to inquire about Empress Xu's situation. The messenger just arrived, and the memorial is still warm."

Jiang Lige was stunned when she heard this. She had never thought that Ning Yunxiao, who had been so busy recently, could still take the initiative to distract himself and consider things so carefully for her.

A warm feeling surged in his heart. He moved the post to the side, pulled Ning Yunxiao to sit down, and tilted his head to joke.

"Yun Xiao has taken so much trouble for me. How can I thank you?"

"If I remember correctly, the princess once said that the imperial decree has been issued and the wedding date has been set. The best way for me to repay you is to promise never to take a concubine. The princess also said the same to me. The best way to thank you is..."

Ning Yunxiao said this, smiled and scratched Jiang Lige's nose, then continued slowly, word by word.

"Bai Shou Bu Li."

The phrase "till death do us part" made Jiang Lige's face flush red instantly, and his heart felt like being brushed by spring water, with ripples everywhere. However, he forced himself to remain calm and took out the memorial.

"It was just delivered. You haven't seen it yet, right? Why don't you read it together?"

Ning Yunxiao didn't refuse, "Okay."

The memorial was unfolded lightly, and the two sat side by side, their eyes sweeping over the lines of handwriting, their brows gradually furrowed, and their previous good mood gradually disappeared.

The memorial recorded in detail the various experiences that Empress Xu had undergone after being imprisoned.

Empress Xu was imprisoned in a remote temple far away from the capital of Southern Chu. She was surrounded by guards, her movements were restricted, and her food was simple, making it almost impossible for her to get enough to eat.

Those nuns, whether they felt that the Xu family had lost power or were being instructed by someone, often made sarcastic remarks, even deliberately neglected them, and often found different ways to torture Empress Xu.

Not only did they withhold Empress Xu's food under various pretexts, they also forced her to kneel and recite scriptures all night long in the cold winter, and even when she was weak, she was not allowed a moment's rest.

There were even rumors that Concubine Han had already ordered people not to spare Empress Xu's life when the "right time" came.

What is the right time?

Naturally, they would wait until her Han family had tortured people enough and felt bored before ending it.

Jiang Lige's hands holding the memorial trembled slightly. His hands were clenched into fists, his nails dug deep into his palms, but he felt no pain at all.

Her mother was born into a noble family and later became the queen of a country. How could she have been treated so harshly since she was a child?

Seeing this, Ning Yunxiao, who was standing by, quickly held her hand, and then gently pried open her fingers one by one.

"Ari, let go," he said. "I'm not showing you this to upset you."

Jiang Lige's eyes reddened as he spoke, "The Han family is simply too bullying! They abused their power to bully their fellow Xu family members and kill them all; they deceived the emperor and harmed the country and killed loyal officials; and they colluded with foreign enemies to provoke war in their home country, Nanchu. This family will do anything to gain power and profit. They are simply a scourge to the country and parasites to the society!"

Ning Yunxiao also admitted, "On the battlefield, the Han family's methods were extremely despicable. They had no moral principles at all, and I don't know where the integrity of scholars has gone."

Jiang Lige sneered, "Integrity? The Han family has never had such a thing."

Ning Yunxiao patted Jiang Lige's shoulder gently to comfort him, and said.

"Ah Li, justice may be late, but it will never be absent. The injustice of the Xu family, and everything the Han family has done, will one day be made public. I promise you that I will find a way to end this as soon as possible. I will settle all the actions of the Han family one by one and seek justice for you, the Xu family, and the people of the world."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Lige looked up at Ning Yunxiao, his heart warmed, and he nodded.

"I believe in you. Let's work together to restore a clear and bright world."

"it is good."

Having said this, the two looked at each other and smiled.

The afterglow of the setting sun poured in from outside, creating a golden glow that made the moment seem especially warm, as if even time had slowed down just to witness this moment.

"Report!"

Suddenly, a panicked soldier rushed in and said urgently, "Your Highness, Nan Chu has just launched a surprise attack and has already surrounded the city gates!"

"Call the generals and fight immediately."

Ning Yunxiao made a prompt decision, quickly stood up and gave orders to the soldiers, then turned to look at Jiang Lige.

"Once the war breaks out, the camp will inevitably be in chaos. Ah Li, please don't go out. Rest well in the tent to avoid being bumped into by some ignorant people."

Jiang Lige knew that his identity was awkward. At this critical juncture, not causing more trouble would be the greatest help to Ning Yunxiao, so he nodded.

"Okay, don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. Your Highness is at the front lines, so please be sure to stay safe. I... will wait for you here."

"Okay." Ning Yunxiao reached out and gently rubbed Jiang Lige's head, whispering, "Ali, wait for me to come back."

After saying this, the man withdrew his hand neatly and turned to leave.

On the battlefield, the troops of both sides were intertwined, and the shouts of killing shook the earth.

Through the gap in Jiang Lige's tent, he could vaguely hear the shouting and killing outside, and he felt uneasy and could hardly sit still.

They had originally made a rough estimate of the military situation of Southern Chu. Logically speaking, since they had suffered such a heavy defeat a few days ago, they should have been wise to rest and avoid the enemy's attack.

But why did it hit me again today without any warning?

Han Zhuo's approach is really hard to understand.

She couldn't help pacing back and forth, and from time to time she pulled the curtain aside to take a few peeks outside. The atmosphere in the military camp was tense, and the soldiers were moving back and forth in a hurry.

Jiang Lige originally wanted to remind them "Don't panic", but thinking of her embarrassing identity as a foreign princess, she had to give up. Just as she was about to lower the curtain and stay still, she saw a group of unfamiliar soldiers hurried past with hurried looks.