Ning Yanhe
Inside the Fengtian Hall, the bloody smell had not yet dissipated, and Wang Zhen's headless body lay on the ground.
Ning Lingyi just stood there.
He was dressed in black, with a plain face and a dusty look. His figure was much thinner than he remembered, but his eyes calmly swept over every face in the hall, some of which were shocked, some ecstatic, and some fearful.
She is not dead.
The Princess Mingzhu, who was rumored to have fallen off a cliff and died for her country, whose coffin had been brought back and the whole country was in mourning, came back alive.
"Your Majesty?" Wang Jingzhi was the first to come to his senses. His old body trembled violently, and he almost stumbled forward. "You are really back!"
Shen Qingyan, Nong Zishi, and other former ministers of Ning Lingyi suddenly woke up. They rushed out of their positions, knelt down, and said in choked voices, "Welcome back, Your Majesty! God bless the Southern Dynasty! God bless Your Majesty!"
Wang Mengzi stood there in a daze, and the steel knife in his hand fell to the ground with a clang.
He stared with eyes as big as copper bells, looked at Ning Yanhe on the throne, then looked at Ning Lingyi who was standing there alive, suddenly raised his hand and slapped himself hard, his cheek burning with pain.
Not a dream!
He pounced on the wooden box, opened it hastily, and took out the hideous head inside. He held it high as if offering a treasure and rushed to Ning Lingyi: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, look! The head of the King of Western Qiang you requested! I have obtained it for you! I have done what you ordered!"
Ning Lingyi's gaze fell on the head, then moved to Wang Mengzi's excited face. She saw that he was dressed in mourning, and saw the bloodshot and loyalty in his eyes.
She said, "Not bad, Mengzi, you've worked hard."
With just this one sentence, Wang Mengzi felt that all his running around, all the fighting, and all the resentment disappeared in an instant. He fell to his knees with a thud. This brave warrior who never frowned even when faced with swords and axes on the battlefield suddenly burst into tears like a child.
In sharp contrast to the ecstasy of the old ministers were the pale faces of the officials of the Jing family.
Jing Pu Ze only felt a chill running from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and his limbs and bones instantly became cold.
How could it be possible? How could she still be alive? The news from Beishuo, the intelligence from Shanshan City, even the horribly damaged body that had been sent back...
Is this all fake? Is this all an elaborate setup?
That corpse, that suicide note, that realistic pursuit and cliff-jumping...
This is all a big show performed for the whole world, for his Jing family to see?!
He suddenly glanced at Ning Yanhe, who sat on the throne. He was the young emperor whom he had poured his heart and soul into helping him ascend to the throne, and who had just calmly ordered the execution of Wang Zhen. The tasseled beads obscured his gaze, but his tense jawline and his posture showed no sign of surprise...
Could it be that Ning Yanhe already knew all this? Was he also involved?
At this moment, an official from the Jing clan, suppressing his panic, stepped out of the line and shouted, "Her Royal Highness Princess Mingzhu's safe return is truly a great blessing to our dynasty! Today coincides with the new emperor's ascension to the throne, a double celebration! Your Highness, please take a seat and watch the ceremony. The new emperor will surely bestow a generous reward for your unparalleled contributions!"
This statement may seem like a compliment, but in fact it is forcing Ning Lingyi into the identity of a "minister". Even if he has made great contributions, as long as he is a minister, he is not allowed to rebel against the monarch.
Before Ning Lingyi could react, Ning Yanhe replied, "A generous title? My throne is a legacy inherited from my sister's achievements. If it weren't for my sister's recovery of Hebei and her expedition to the Western Qiang, laying the foundation for this revival, how could I possibly deserve to sit here?"
He paused slightly, then surprised everyone with his words: "My sister's talent surpasses mine a hundred times. The throne should belong to her."
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole hall was in an uproar again!
"His Majesty!"
Jing Puze could no longer maintain his composure and interrupted sharply, "Your Majesty, be careful with your words! You have already offered sacrifices to the heavens and ancestors, and have taken the throne. You are the legitimate ruler of the Southern Dynasty! Since ancient times, emperors have received the mandate of heaven. How can you belittle yourself? Princess Mingzhu has made great contributions, so you deserve a generous reward. What else can you say?"
He turned his gaze towards Ning Lingyi, his tone demanding, "Could it be that Your Highness has returned today to wreak havoc on your brother and usurp his throne? Your Highness, don't you fear the public outcry and the iron-clad pen of future historians?"
These words were extremely cruel, directly putting Ning Lingyi in the unjust position of competing for the throne and forcing her younger brother.
Countless eyes were focused on Ning Lingyi.
Ning Lingyi didn't say anything, but just looked quietly at the young man in the heavy crown. After not seeing him for many years, the child who once relied on her and looked up to her had grown into an unfamiliar young emperor.
It sounds noble, but it is also full of shackles.
They, the siblings, finally came to this point.
She sighed in her heart, with a thousand emotions surging in her mind, but she had no idea how to express them.
At the pinnacle of power, under the dragon throne, there has never been room for two suns to stand side by side.
She was about to speak when Ning Yanhe spoke first, drowning out all the whispers: "Grandmaster, you are wrong. Now that I have received the Mandate of Heaven and ascended the throne, I hold the sacred artifacts of state and society. It is my right and responsibility to reform the system and adapt to the times."
He swept his gaze across the room and declared, "Today, in the name of Emperor Shaoxi, I declare: From this very day forward, the abuses of the old system will be abolished! The succession to the throne of our Southern Dynasty will no longer be limited to genders; only the virtuous and virtuous may ascend to it! All descendants of the Ning family, regardless of gender, have the right to inherit the throne!"
These words were like a huge rock thrown into a deep pool, causing a thousand waves.
Abolish the distinction between men and women, and women can also become emperors!
This is a groundbreaking theory that overturns the foundation of etiquette and law that has existed for thousands of years!
"Your Majesty! Do you know what you're talking about?" Jing Puze was shaking with anger. He pointed at Ning Yanhe, shocked and furious. "You are... you are destroying your own great wall! You are paving the way for her. Where do you put yourself? Where do you put us, the ministers who supported you?!"
He completely understood that Ning Yanhe had never truly wanted the throne. He had been planning this day from the very beginning! He used the Jing family and everyone else as pawns!
Ning Yanhe ignored Jing Puze's questioning. He slowly took off the heavy twelve-tassel crown on his head and gently placed it on the throne.
He walked down the imperial steps, and in the dead silence of the whole hall, he lifted the hem of his dragon robe, knelt on his knees, and kowtowed deeply to Ning Lingyi.
"Royal sister," he raised his head, his eyes filled with complex emotions that were difficult to discern, including guilt, determination, and a deep sense of relief.
"Your humble virtue and talent are shallow, and I am unable to bear the weight of this state. This throne was won by you, sword and spear, with blood and fire. It should rightfully belong to you. I am willing to abdicate and allow the virtuous to ascend the throne. You will take the throne and protect the eternal peace of our Southern Dynasty!"
"Ning Yanhe!" Jing Pu Ze's eyes were bloodshot, his heart was in pain, and he felt a rage of being completely betrayed.
"My Jing family has accumulated wealth for thousands of years, poured all our strength into this family, and spent countless money and food to pave this road to heaven for you! We have worked tirelessly for you and cleared away all obstacles! All this is for you! And now you treat me and the Jing family like this!"
Ning Yanhe remained kneeling, and turned to Jing Puze with a calm expression, "I will never forget the grace of Grand Tutor's guidance and the merits of his support. The Jing family and I have long been connected by blood, sharing weal and woe, inseparable."
"Then why do you still do this!" Jing Pu Ze asked in a hoarse voice.
"Precisely because we share weal and woe, I cannot tolerate it."
Ning Yanhe's voice sank. "The Jing family framed the border generals and misled military intelligence, putting my sister in a desperate situation and nearly killing her. They colluded with eunuchs to poison Prince Jing and his son, and murdered members of the royal family. They manipulated the court and formed a clique for personal gain..."
"Each of these, each and every one of them, is not an unforgivable crime? Which one does not put me in an unkind and unjust position?"
"You!" Jing Puze was shaking with anger. He pointed at Ning Yanhe, then at Ning Lingyi, and laughed in anger. "Great! What a brotherly love! What a play of reckoning. My Jing family is no longer worth anything, but have we ever wronged you in the slightest? Ning Yanhe, do you have a clear conscience?!"
Hearing Mr. Jing's question, Ning Yanhe kowtowed deeply and said to Ning Lingyi, "Imperial sister, I know that the Jing family's sins are grave and cannot be redeemed even by death. However, I beg you to consider... consider Mr. Jing's years of guidance and show some mercy!"
Without waiting for Ning Lingyi's response, he continued, his tone carrying a barely perceptible pleading, "I beg you, my dear sister, to retain the honorary title of Grand Tutor Jing Weng and to imprison him in the Jing Mansion, never to be released! The daughter of the Jing family has been innocently implicated, and I beg you, my dear sister, to allow her to retain the honorary title of Empress."
"In the future...if she finds someone she likes, she can marry on her own. Regardless of who she has children with, they will inherit my brother's title of Prince Qing. If she does not wish to marry, she can choose a talented son of the Jing family to inherit the title."
These words not only arranged the ending of the Jing family, but also made arrangements for their future descendants.
But, can the queen marry someone else? Can her offspring inherit the throne?
The more Ning Lingyi listened, the tighter her brows furrowed, and the ominous premonition in her heart became stronger and stronger: "Yan He, you..."
Upon hearing this, Jing Puze was stunned for a moment, then burst into a desolate and wild laugh: "Hahahahahaha... Great! What a favor, what a protector! Ning Yanhe, is this the wealth and power you bestow upon my Jing family? Is this your reward to my Jing family?"
Ning Yanhe knelt on the ground, ignoring Jing Puze's grief and indignation. He simply looked up at Ning Lingyi and said, "Royal sister, although this arrangement will reduce the Jing family's power, its wealth and honor will be preserved, and its bloodline will be preserved. Will you agree to this last request of yours?"
Ning Lingyi looked at his kneeling figure, at the familiar yet unfamiliar stubbornness in his eyes, feeling uneasy. "Yan He, I promise you, get up and talk! What exactly do you want to do?"
Ning Yanhe looked at her and suddenly smiled with a look of relief.
"Then I'll be relieved."
Before he finished speaking, in front of everyone's horrified gaze, he pulled out a short blade from the sleeve of his dragon robe and stabbed it into his chest without hesitation!
"Yanhe!"
Ning Lingyi's screams echoed simultaneously with the countless exclamations in the hall.
There was chaos in the Fengtian Hall.
"His Majesty!"
"Quickly call the imperial physician!"
Screams, cries, and footsteps intertwined together.
She rushed over like a madman, hugged Ning Yanhe's limp body, and pressed her hands tightly against the wound that was bleeding profusely. The warm blood instantly dyed her palms, her clothes, and her heart red.
"Why? Why?" She hugged her brother and watched his blood gushing out.
Ning Yanhe lay in her arms, his brow furrowed in pain, his eyes gradually blurred. He tried to focus, looking at Ning Lingyi's tearful face, and said weakly and intermittently: "My humble brother, my humble brother..."
"I don't want to be Emperor Xian of Han..."
"I don't want to see my family members killing each other in the future..."
"I have never coveted the throne. Today, the Jing family has been eliminated, but tomorrow there will be the Chen family and the Wang family. As long as I am here, sister, you will..."
"Unsafe..."
"No, no, sister doesn't mind. Sister won't blame you, Yanhe! We will handle it, just like today..." Ning Lingyi's tears mixed with her brother's blood, stained the lapels of both of them, and melted their hearts.
Ning Yanhe shook his head and said, "Sister is so proud, so am I..."
"I don't want to be a slave to this throne. I can only be myself..."
"Sister, I'm leaving. Please take care of yourself..."
His voice became lower and lower, and finally fell silent. His eyes, which had once been clear and bright, slowly closed, and only the corners of his lips held a hint of relief.
"Yanhe!"
"Yanhe!"
Jing Pu Ze stared blankly at the young emperor lying in a pool of blood, watching him repay his so-called favor in such a tragic way and sever all ties with the Jing family.
He fell to the ground, his whole body weak. He opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but found that he could not make a sound. Only two lines of tears flowed down.
Ning Yanhe, ah Ning Yanhe, you, you...
Wang Mengzi, Wang Jingzhi, Shen Qingyan, Nong Zishi...
In the hall, everyone looked at the brother and sister hugging each other, at the crown discarded beside the dragon throne, and at the hall that was turned upside down in an instant.
The sunlight shone into the hall through the high windows, falling on Ning Lingyi's trembling back and on Ning Yanhe's peaceful but lifeless face, half bright and half cold.
Emperor Shaoxi died after reigning for only one day.
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