Rebirth of a Lost Nation: Princess, Please Respect Yourself

Chapter 281 The Lost Birthday Jade

Emperor Nanchu snorted, "How do you know he's unwilling to wait?"

"I suppose Your Majesty has never asked this question. I have nothing better to do, so I asked it on Your Majesty's behalf. Your Majesty may wish to take a look."

After saying that, Ning Yunxiao took out a stack of tightly wrapped booklets and handed them to Emperor Nan Chu.

Emperor Nan Chu frowned as he took the booklet. When he opened the first page, his face turned pale instantly. He widened his eyes as if he wanted to stare a hole in the booklet.

His hands were shaking, but he couldn't utter a complete sentence.

What Ning Yunxiao handed to the Emperor of Southern Chu was nothing else but a letter of surrender filled with the names of Southern Chu ministers and their fingerprints.

No matter what means Ning Yunxiao used to do it, it meant that even if Emperor Nanchu refused to plead guilty and chose to go to war again, he would still face the dilemma of having no one available.

On the battlefield, no soldier was willing to sacrifice his life for him, and in the court, no one was willing to cheer for him.

So, are we going to let him fight the war alone?

"Ning Yunxiao, you are despicable!" Emperor Nan Chu cursed harshly.

Ning Yunxiao did not retort, but responded calmly.

"Your Majesty, the hearts and minds of the people are not formed overnight. If it weren't for your past actions that chilled the hearts of the soldiers and people of Southern Chu, how could Your Majesty be in such a passive situation now?"

Emperor Nanchu tightly grasped the booklet in his hand, his face turning from blue to white, and then to ashen gray.

Outside the tent, the wind swept away the remaining clouds, and the sky seemed to be covered with a thick veil, making the already dim moonlight even more difficult to find.

After all, he was an emperor who was used to weighing the pros and cons. Emperor Nan Chu took a deep breath, slowly calmed his inner excitement, and then spoke.

"Since Your Highness has made such detailed preparations, I believe you have already chosen a new ruler for Nanchu, right?"

Ning Yunxiao made no secret of his words, "I believe that Princess Zhaohua's brother, the second son of Empress Xu, the deposed Crown Prince Jiang Boxuan, whom you personally deposed, is kind and compassionate, has the talent to govern the country, and is worthy of this great responsibility."

When Ning Yunxiao said this, Jiang Lige was also stunned. She only knew that Ning Yunxiao wanted the Emperor of Nanchu to abdicate and let someone else take over.

However, he didn't know that Ning Yunxiao had already chosen a new emperor, and he didn't know that the new emperor chosen by Ning Yunxiao was actually his younger brother Jiang Boxuan!

On the other side, Emperor Nan Chu muttered Jiang Boxuan's name to himself, then looked into Jiang Lige's eyes and smiled bitterly.

"Your Highness is truly far-sighted for us, Li Ge."

Ning Yunxiao answered without hiding his bias at all.

"Your Highness Jiang Boxuan possesses both talent and virtue, making him the perfect choice. As for other considerations, I do not deny them. If that is the case, Your Majesty should be thankful that you are Ah Li's biological father, otherwise my methods would never be so soft."

Emperor Nanchu was silent for a moment, then slowly looked at Jiang Lige, "Lige, I'm going to ask you one last time, do you agree with this?"

Jiang Lige looked at Emperor Nan Chu's face with mixed feelings.

Even if Emperor Nanchu had many faults, he was still her blood-related father.

Others can blame and insult him, but she cannot.

But how can the rise and fall of a country and the safety of the people be affected by personal feelings?

Her choice concerns the future of Nanchu and is also the justice she always upholds.

Thinking of this, Jiang Lige slowly walked to the front of the Emperor of Nanchu, bent down and knelt, kowtowed heavily, his forehead touching the ground with a dull sound, and his voice was gentle but firm.

"Father, I, your son, have the audacity to ask you to abdicate for the sake of the future of Southern Chu and the well-being of all the people. This will reassure the people and stabilize the foundation of the country."

The Emperor of Southern Chu was silent for a moment, knowing that he was powerless to change the situation. Instead of resisting stubbornly, it would be better to go with the flow and save some face for himself.

Then he sighed deeply, his voice full of desolation and helplessness, and spoke slowly.

"Forget it, forget it! Perhaps I've made too many mistakes in my life! This time, I'll follow your wishes and pass the throne to Bo Xuan. However, this matter is of great importance and cannot be done carelessly. The negotiation of alliance will probably require some formalities. In this case, why not hold the alliance ceremony and the abdication ceremony at the same time? This way, both sides can maintain dignity. Li Ge, what do you think?"

Emperor Nan Chu asked Jiang Lige directly instead of Ning Yunxiao, playing the family card.

Jiang Lige already felt guilty towards Emperor Nanchu. Since the Emperor Nanchu had already agreed to abdicate, she naturally would not make any more requests and just lowered her head in response.

"Your Majesty, it is very good that you have thought it through."

"Then this matter is settled."

Emperor Nanchu made the final decision and was about to end the topic when Ning Yunxiao took over the conversation at the right time.

"Your Majesty's profound understanding of justice is truly a blessing to the people. I, despite my humble talents, am willing to contribute my humble efforts to the peace between our two countries and assist your country in preparing the two major ceremonies to ensure that everything proceeds smoothly."

Ning Yunxiao put it politely, calling it "assistance", but isn't it also a kind of "supervision"?

"Alright."

Emperor Nan Chu was fully aware of this, but he also knew that he was no longer able to control the situation, so he could only nod in agreement slowly.

After saying that, he looked at the golden boy and beautiful girl in front of him, and felt more and more disgusted, and waved his hand.

"It's late at night, I won't keep you any longer."

Jiang Lige and Ning Yunxiao looked at each other, slowly stood up and saluted Emperor Nanchu, then turned and left the Emperor Nanchu's tent.

The two walked side by side on the way back. Jiang Lige looked up at the moon, which was not as bright as before, and sighed slowly.

"Yun Xiao, I have to thank you for what happened today. Without you, I'm afraid it wouldn't have been so smooth."

Ning Yunxiao smiled softly, his beautiful eyes appearing even softer in the moonlight. "Between you and me, why should we thank each other? Your wish is my mission. Besides, this isn't just your business; it concerns the well-being of the people of both countries. I should be in charge of this, too."

Having said this, Ning Yunxiao asked a question.

"By the way, are there any special rituals for grand ceremonies like yours in Nanchu? Since I've agreed to assist with the ceremony, I should at least learn a thing or two about it in advance."

"Special? Nanchu's customs are not much different from Shengling's, especially in such an important ceremony. It's nothing more than traditional ritual dances, and then..."

When Ning Yunxiao asked this, Jiang Lige suddenly remembered an important matter, and his relaxed mood instantly became tense.

"It happened!"

Ning Yunxiao was stunned, "What's wrong?"

"My birthday jade!"

"Birthday jade?" Ning Yunxiao asked, "But the one you were born with?"

"That's right!" Jiang Lige explained anxiously, "Bo Xuan and I are both from the same legitimate lineage. According to the rules, we each hold a birth jade to represent our legitimate status. Nanchu values legitimate bloodlines. No matter who ascends the throne in the future, a legitimate royal relative must hold a birth jade to open the ceremony as a blessing. If the person ascending the throne is also from the legitimate lineage, the two legitimate jade pendants must be combined to announce to heaven and earth and the ancestors, to show the orthodoxy of the royal family and the unification of the world. But my birth jade was lost during Sheng Ling's time. If I can't find it, Bo Xuan's coronation ceremony will not be completed successfully. What should I do?"