Rebirth of a Lost Nation: Princess, Please Respect Yourself

The flattery of the noble ladies made Empress Xiao feel very comfortable. Just as she was about to speak, Jiang Lige jumped out with a dissatisfied look on his face and sang a different tune.

"That's not okay! The He family not only abused my cousin Rong Hui and her daughter, but they also embezzled a lot of my cousin's money. We can't just let it go like this."

In her excitement, Jiang Lige completely forgot that her foot was still swollen. If Ning Yunxiao had not grabbed her in time, she would have fallen out.

Empress Xiao rolled her eyes upon seeing this and secretly cursed Jiang Lige for being short-sighted, but since she had taken the initiative, there was no reason for her to only care about half of it.

Therefore, Empress Xiao could only smile and say:

"Zhaohua is indeed very thoughtful. Although Princess Ronghui is not short of money, she cannot let this evildoer succeed. After the Queen Mother's birthday, I will send someone back to Jingzhou to escort the Princess's dowry back to the capital."

"Thank you, Her Majesty, for taking the initiative on behalf of Cousin Ronghui!"

Jiang Lige knew when to quit. His goal had been achieved, so he had no intention of giving face to the Xiao family. He hurriedly used the excuse of a foot injury to leave.

Although Empress Xiao was eager for this troublemaker to leave quickly, she started to dislike Jiang Lige when she thought of the dilemma she was in just now. A plan came to her mind as soon as she turned her eyes.

"I just saw that my eighth brother was also injured. It would be best for him to go back and rest. How about this, I am worried about Zhaohua going back alone. Since it's convenient for you two to go together, why don't you go back together?"

Empress Xiao's words really touched Ning Luyang's heart, and he quickly bowed.

"Thank you, Her Majesty, for your concern for my injuries. I will take good care of Princess Zhaohua."

The two of them agreed to the decision, and Jiang Lige was so angry that he rolled his eyes.

Once Jiang Lige and Ning Luyang rode in the same carriage, there would be evidence of their presence. If something unpleasant were to come out, it would not be Ning Luyang who would suffer.

Empress Xiao, you really have a good plan!

Unfortunately, Jiang Lige is not someone who can be manipulated by others.

"The Eighth Master was injured by the plaque, so the Empress is right to be concerned. However, there are differences between men and women, and Zhaohua dare not break the rules."

The matter of the plaque was suddenly brought up again. Empress Xiao was almost irritated to death by Jiang Lige's outspokenness, but she still had to maintain her dignity as a queen.

"Look at what our Zhaohua said. Eighth Prince is your elder in terms of seniority. Why should we care about those empty formalities between uncle and nephew?"

Having said that, if I refuse again, I will be accused of being disrespectful to my elders.

"The Queen is right."

Jiang Lige could only nod obediently, "Eighth Master is an elder, Zhao Hua should respect him. If Eighth Master doesn't mind, please get in the car."

"Princess Zhaohua, you're too polite." Ning Luyang smiled and waved his hand. "In that case, I'll trouble you, Princess."

"No trouble. Master, just sit down and relax. The grooms and the others are all Zhaohua's own people, and they will treat you as a distinguished guest."

Jiang Lige answered with a smile, then he swayed his feet and hugged Ning Yunxiao's arm.

"As for Zhaohua, could you please spare some time to see her off?"

Ning Yunxiao, whose arm was suddenly hugged, froze, but did not refute, "Okay."

After getting Ning Yunxiao's approval, Jiang Lige finally smiled.

"Great! This way, Zhaohua doesn't have to worry about the strict rules for men and women, and he won't offend his elders. He can truly achieve both filial piety and righteousness!"

Everyone had their own thoughts when they heard this. They never expected that Empress Xiao, who appeared dignified and virtuous on the surface, was setting a trap for the young girl behind her back.

She was forced to give up the carriage. If her fiancé had not been there, there would have been rumors in the future.

What a sin!

In one word, not only did Empress Xiao lose face, but Ning Luyang was also in a dilemma.

Now, he was in a dilemma whether to get on the carriage or not.

As for Jiang Lige, she was too lazy to look at other people's expressions. She held Song Yue's hand and walked towards Ning Yunxiao's carriage.

She had to go back quickly and tell Princess Ronghui the good news today!

Jiang Lige's feet were so swollen that it took him a long time to walk the short distance. He was silently complaining to himself that the coachman was ignorant when he felt a tightness around his waist and his toes left the ground. When he came to his senses, he had been picked up by Ning Yunxiao.

"Prince?"

Jiang Lige tilted his head in confusion, but heard the man's tone was as cold as before.

"I have something important to take care of later. Princess is really too slow."

What he meant was that Jiang Lige had delayed him from doing his business?

Jiang Lige curled his lips, but didn't bother with Ning Yunxiao. He just silently lamented that he had met such a stubborn stone!

Amidst the emotion, the two of them had already boarded the carriage.

Ning Yunxiao's carriage had a large enough space and was made of good materials, but it was not decorated much and was empty, looking extremely simple.

Jiang Lige was still looking at the carriage when Ning Yunxiao spoke first.

"I have already had the remains of the plaque cleaned up. Even a careless mistake can slip through the cracks. Princess shouldn't be so careless."

"you……"

Jiang Lige was startled when he heard this, and stiffened in alertness. "What do you mean, Prince?"

"The imperially bestowed plaque and the Chastity Archway were blown up at the same time. To protect the Xiao family's reputation, Empress Xiao had no choice but to step aside and push the He family out. With so many things going on, I don't believe the princess didn't instigate this."

After Ning Yunxiao said this, Jiang Lige didn't intend to hide it from him anymore and told him the truth.

"It was graphite powder. I had people smear it on the plaque and the outer layer of the archway. It happened to be a thunderstorm, so it attracted the thunder."

"Princess, how did you know the weather would be like this today?"

In his previous life, on the day of Xiao Hou’s birthday, there was a thunderstorm and heavy rain that only occurred once in ten years. Due to improper handling, the river embankment in the suburbs of Beijing collapsed and all the fertile farmland was destroyed.

Empress Dowager Jiang launched a fundraising campaign in the capital, but was denounced by civil servants who were on good terms with the Xiao family for "interfering in state affairs." Jiang Lige still remembers this incident clearly.

However, she couldn't say these words to Ning Yunxiao, so she said.

"I happened to meet a master who was an expert in observing the celestial phenomena. His predictions were never wrong."

Ning Yunxiao didn't say anything, but chuckled, which made Jiang Lige tilt his head in confusion.

"why are you laughing?"

"Princess Xiao thinks she is smart, but she doesn't know that her success today is just luck."

Ning Yunxiao's dark eyes narrowed and he asked back.

"Princess, have you ever considered that if there's no thunderstorm today, or if there's not enough graphite to draw the thunder, then once the Xiao family recovers, they'll see the graphite on the plaque? Also, have you ever considered that graphite isn't water-soluble, and if I hadn't ordered someone to clean it up, what would happen to you if anyone discovered traces of graphite powder? Destroying something bestowed upon you by the Emperor is a heinous crime punishable by death and genocide. Have you ever considered this?"

Three questions in a row, each word was sharp, which made Jiang Lige very embarrassed and he defended himself with a red face.

"The Queen used the royal family's reputation to pressure Cousin Rong Hui to return to the He family. Time is very tight, so this is the only solution I can think of. The rest is indeed not as comprehensive as the Crown Prince's."