Rebirth of a Lost Nation: Princess, Please Respect Yourself

Ning Yongyi bowed respectfully to Ning Yunxiao, and although he gritted his teeth, he still managed to force a smile.

"Just now, I was just joking with you, big brother. I lost my composure for a moment. I hope you won't take it seriously."

"It was just a joke. Why would I bother with my third brother?"

"Thank you very much, big brother."

"It's alright, but my father taught us two brothers since we were young to be of one mind and one heart, and to jointly protect the good name of Prince Zhao's mansion. Third brother, you must remember this."

The implication is that Ning Yunxiao was so easy to talk to today in order to avoid exposing the family's shame.

Ning Yongyi tried his best to suppress the humiliation in his heart and bowed, "Big brother is right."

Ning Yunxiao glanced at him indifferently and stopped talking to Ning Yongyi. Instead, he turned sideways and looked at Jiang Lige.

"This servant has been so rude and offended the Queen Dowager. Wang Su dares not plead for mercy, so let Princess Zhaohua decide this matter."

"That's very good." Jiang Lige nodded, and couldn't help but kick the attendant. He ordered: "This unruly citizen who spoke so arrogantly should be taken back to the capital and handed over to Shuntian Prefecture for punishment."

The word "troublemaker" completely drew a line between this person and Prince Zhao's Mansion. Ning Yongyi put his heart at ease and watched indifferently as his former follower was gagged and dragged away.

After this drama of killing the chicken to scare the monkeys was over, everyone could see clearly that the palace servants accompanying the emperor had lined up on their own and were ready to set off at any time.

Ning Yongyi, who had been caught, did not dare to mention the matter of letting Ning Yunxiao return to Beijing. He followed the team listlessly to prepare to welcome him.

Seeing this, Jiang Lige smiled with satisfaction and turned to walk towards the carriage.

"That cunning servant has followed the Third Young Master for many years. I'm afraid he must have solved many problems for you. But now he's been discarded by the Third Young Master like a worn-out shoe, ruthlessly pushing him to take the blame. It turns out that the Third Young Master..." As Jiang Lige and Ning Yongyi passed by, his tone was flat but full of mockery. He concluded word by word, "Nothing more than that."

Ning Yongyi's forced smile finally faded after hearing this.

"Princess Zhaohua, why would you stand up for a loser?"

"But in my opinion, only those who hide under the protection of their parents and do evil to others are cowards."

"Oh, that's ridiculous. Doesn't Princess Zhaohua rely on the power of Empress Dowager Jiang?" Ning Yongyi said, suddenly leaning closer to Jiang Lige and whispering in his ear, "We are the same kind of people. What does someone like Ning Yunxiao have? He has no one to rely on, and is destined to rot in the mud."

"According to status, the Crown Prince is both the legitimate heir and the eldest son, so he should be the most important one in Prince Zhao's mansion. In terms of ability, even His Majesty praised the Crown Prince for his remarkable talent. As for you..." Jiang Lige chuckled and paused for a moment, "With someone like you who relies on others for power, how can you be compared to him?"

After saying this, Jiang Lige didn't bother to care about Ning Yongyi's reaction. He flicked his sleeves and got on the carriage with light steps, leaving Ning Yongyi with a pale face and bulging veins in anger.

no!

It’s not what Jiang Lige said!

He has always been proud, and the person he hates most in his life is Ning Yunxiao, but now Jiang Lige is telling him in every word:

He is not as good as Ning Yunxiao.

He was obviously supposed to be the only legitimate son of Prince Zhao's Mansion. Someone like Ning Yunxiao should have disappeared along with his dead mother. Why did he lose his position as the crown prince?

It doesn't matter, just tolerate them for a few days and see how long that pair of dogs can be proud.

Thanks to Ning Yongyi's incident, this pair of dogs and bitches, no, this engaged couple, who had been busy with their own things all the way, finally sat together for a rare time.

Jiang Lige wet the handkerchief with clean water, wrung it out carefully, and then handed it to Ning Yunxiao.

"You never would have guessed that the prince is such a good-tempered person who never fights back or talks back."

"Isn't there an old saying that goes, 'If you are patient, you will have a peaceful life; if you take a step back, you will have a brighter future.'"

"But all I see is a constant pressure."

"Zhao Hua, do you think I have the strength to resist?"

"You have to try to know, right?"

Ning Yunxiao took the handkerchief and wiped the wound on his face, his tone calm as if he was not the one who was bullied just now.

"But I've known since I was a child that impulsiveness is the most useless thing."

In one sentence, spoken in a plain and straightforward manner, the tone was like a steel needle, piercing Jiang Lige's heart squarely. The pain was sudden and sharp.

Emotions came and went quickly, like yellow sand passing by. In an instant, Jiang Lige lost the ability to defend himself and simply kept silent.

Jiang Lige silently helped Ning Yunxiao treat his wounds, and Ning Yunxiao also silently accepted it. Neither of them spoke, but each had his own thoughts.

In silence, the carriage had already entered the temple. Fengquan knocked on the door and reminded softly.

"Princess, Prince, we're here. The nanny beside the Dowager Consort is waiting."

"Okay." Ning Yunxiao responded and pushed the door open first to leave.

The moment the car door was pushed open, he felt the restraint from the wide sleeves. Turning back, he saw Jiang Lige's always lively eyebrows, which seemed particularly serious today.

Then she said, "Your Highness is not without support, you still have me. Even if my shoulders are not broad enough, as long as you need them, they will always be there for you to lean on."

Ning Yunxiao, who had never shed a tear even when being insulted, beaten, and bullied, felt a little jealous at this moment. He pulled the car door with his backhand and it closed again.

Then he asked, "Does the princess like me?"

"what?"

Jiang Lige probably didn't expect Ning Yunxiao to suddenly ask such a question, and he couldn't help but stand there in a daze.

The slightly open door closed, blocking out the sunlight outside the car, and Ning Yunxiao was instantly back in the shadows.

Before Jiang Lige could react, he heard Ning Yunxiao chuckle.

"It was just a joke, Princess, there's no need to feel sad for me. Just like now, being happy is fine."

After saying that, Ning Yunxiao pushed the door open and walked out.

In the afterglow of the setting sun, Ning Yunxiao's figure was tall and slender, still the peerless figure that would amaze anyone, but no one could see that inside that elegant figure, there was a place that was withering again.

No one knew how much he had been expecting a positive answer, a positive answer without hesitation, without thinking, and without reason.

He was too greedy and deserved it.

……

The place where Concubine Xian practiced meditation was built on the top of a towering mountain. Looking up, the long stairs seemed to have no end in sight.

The nanny who came to greet the group was Nanny Qian, who served Concubine Xian.

Nanny Qian was the maidservant who came with Concubine Xian as a dowry. The master and servant supported each other throughout their lives and had a deep relationship.

It can be said that in the palace of Concubine Xian, apart from Concubine Xian herself, Nanny Qian is the most important person.

When Ning Yunxiao and Jiang Lige arrived, Ning Yongyi had already started talking to Madam Qian. Seeing them coming, he sneered and said, "Princess and Big Brother, you know Madam Qian is old, yet you are still so late. It's really not right."