Chapter 786
Chapter 786
Ning Yuanxian paid no mind to the reactions around him and continued speaking.
“Of course, this is a secret no one knows. Zhu Hongzhu never spoke of it, and neither did I. After I knelt, Zhu Hongzhu asked the Zhu Clan in the imperial capital to persuade the Empire, and they finally managed to save my throne. He became my Prime Minister, his daughter became my queen, and I deposed my former wife. Is that not a profound humiliation?
But now, I think I finally understand. Kneeling back then was not the true humiliation. The real shame was being unable to admit that I had gone through such a thing, to not even dare to recall it. Someone once said that once a man’s back is broken, he can never stand straight again. They said that once a man kneels, even if he stands up later, everyone will still see him on his knees. Shen Lang repeatedly told me to take it easy, that I would get used to kneeling after a while.
That wretch is a purveyor of nonsense. To think such a scoundrel would be His Highness Jiang Li’s only successor! The heavens must be blind! But sometimes, a subject truly cannot choose his lord. Just like all the officials standing here in this hall. You probably didn't want to serve a harsh monarch like me, did you? I, Ning Yuanxian, may not be a fatuous ruler, but I am only one step away from being one. In the past, I knelt, I surrendered, I compromised, and my back was broken. But I never got used to it. I always wanted to stand up again.
Therefore… with the Imperial Envoy from the Empire present and half of my court assembled, I, Ning Yuanxian, formally proclaim my abdication. From this day forward, I am no longer the King of Yue. Crown Prince Ning Zheng, from this moment on, you are the King of Yue.”
Ning Zheng stepped forward, bowed his head, and said,
“I accept your command.”
“Civil and military officials, will you not pay homage to your new king?”
At Ning Yuanxian’s rebuke, the officials all bowed their heads and shouted in unison.
“We, your subjects, greet the new king.”
The new King of Yue, Ning Zheng, replied,
“My lords, you may rise.”
Ning Yuanxian staggered as he placed the crown on Ning Zheng’s head. Then, staggering again, he removed his royal robes, formally abdicating.
“I, Ning Yuanxian, cannot accept the imperial edict.”
Ning Yuanxian spoke clearly to Ning Wuming, and a deathly silence fell over the hall. Everyone was trembling inwardly. Yet, Ning Yuanxian paid them no mind and continued.
“Shen Lang, how did that scoundrel become the son of His Highness Jiang Li? But since ancient times, has a man ever been able to choose his lord?”
Ning Yuanxian faced east, toward Xuanwu City, and fell to his knees.
“This old subject, Ning Yuanxian, greets Your Highness! In this Eastern world, I, Ning Yuanxian, acknowledge only one sovereign, and that is His Highness Jiang Li. But since His Highness Jiang Li has passed, I will acknowledge his son as my lord. From now on, Shen Lang is the lord of me, Ning Yuanxian.”
After speaking, Ning Yuanxian prostrated himself on the floor.
*‘You wretch. You always knelt before me so half-heartedly, do you have any idea how earnestly I kneel to you now? You said a man’s knees are made of gold, that one gets used to kneeling after a while, did you not?’*
The court officials trembled, their solemn faces flushed and their eyes red. In that moment, the Ning Yuanxian in their eyes was sublimated. All his past mistakes and failures, and all their grievances against him, vanished like smoke. At least from this moment on, Ning Yuanxian was a great king. When someone sacrifices their life in pursuit of an ideal, they cannot help but become great. Ning Wuming watched Ning Yuanxian in silence. When a man does not fear death, there is nothing that can threaten him. His gaze turned to Ning Zheng.
“The former King of Yue defied the imperial edict. What of the new King of Yue? If you also defy the edict, you will be committing an act of high treason, and the State of Yue will be annihilated.”
Ning Zheng, dressed in the royal robes with the crown properly seated on his head, slowly sat upon the throne. He glanced at his officials, then turned back to Ning Wuming.
“Will the new King of Yue obey the command?”
Ning Wuming asked again. If the new king also defied the edict, the grand army would immediately occupy Tianyue City and destroy the State of Yue in one fell swoop. Ning Zheng looked at Ning Qi and said,
“Third Brother, come forward.”
The third prince, Ning Qi, stepped forward and knelt on the floor.
“Last time, you ascended to the position of lesser lord, only to be deposed in less than two hours. You considered that a great humiliation. Right now, I am playing the part of a three-minute King of Yue, and yet I do not feel upset at all! I hereby formally abdicate the throne to my third brother, Ning Qi.”
Ning Zheng then removed his royal robes and draped them over Ning Qi’s body, took off the crown, and placed it on Ning Qi’s head.
“Civil and military officials, pay your respects to your new king!”
Ning Zheng, too, knelt in the direction of Xuanwu City and said,
“I, Ning Zheng, cannot accept the imperial edict. I wish to follow His Highness Jiang Li. Since His Highness Jiang Li has passed, I will follow his son. I will forever serve Shen Lang, the son of Jiang Li, as my lord.”
Ning Yuanxian and Ning Zheng remained prostrated towards the east, unmoving. The officials, who had witnessed this entire spectacle, could finally hold back no longer. Tears streamed down their faces as they bowed to Ning Qi.
“We greet the new king!”
Ning Qi, now wearing the crown, already had a face messy with tears, and his entire body trembled. In that moment, his conscience and his heart felt as if they were being shredded by an unseen, sharp blade. Why had his father not killed him after his failed struggle for the throne? Why had Ning Zheng not laid a hand on him? It was all for this moment. His father Ning Yuanxian’s words echoed in his mind again.
*‘It is no easy thing to survive so wretchedly as you have. One never knows how the world will turn; just because the heavens change does not mean they will not change back. Ning Qi, the reason we did not touch you is because we wanted you to remember forever: do not take everything to the extreme. Leave some vitality for our Ning royal family, for our State of Yue. Ning Qi, you are quite capable. Your only flaw is that you lack a bit of humanity.’*
Ning Qi could bear it no longer and fell to the floor, wailing.
*‘I have obtained the throne I dreamed of, but is this the position I truly wanted? Why do I feel no sense of triumph, but rather endless agony? My father, my fifth brother!’*
Ning Qi pressed his forehead to the floor, his hands clenched into tight fists. His nails dug into his palms, staining them with blood. It is said that a son takes his parents’ enemies as his own.
*‘Father, I will remember. I will remember your painstaking efforts and everything that has happened today.’*
Ning Qi’s head felt like it would explode, and a splitting headache soon followed. But he struggled to quickly suppress the endless waves of pain.
*‘I must calm down.’*
“Huu, huu, huu…”
He took deep breaths. Soon regaining his composure, he slowly sat upon the throne. The gaze of Ning Wuming, Crown Prince of the new Jian Kingdom, fell upon Ning Qi’s face, and he slowly opened his mouth.
“New King of Yue, will you accept the command?”
“This humble king accepts the command. I will follow the will of His Majesty the Emperor and join the world in punishing the son of Jiang Li.”
Ning Wuming smiled and said,
“Excellent. Truly excellent! Then how many troops will the State of Yue dispatch?”
“Our State of Yue has just been through a war that nearly toppled the nation, so we have no troops left to spare. However, to honor His Majesty the Emperor’s will, I will do my utmost and dispatch thirty thousand troops to punish the son of Jiang Li.”
“Good, very good. You have done a truly commendable thing. The new king’s loyalty will be an example to all. However, Ning Yuanxian and Ning Zheng not only defied the imperial edict, but they also pledged allegiance to a traitor. This is open rebellion. They are people of Yue, so I will leave their punishment to the new king. I hope you can forsake your kin for the sake of righteousness.”
“Guards, place Ning Yuanxian and Ning Zheng under strict house arrest. Ensure they never have contact with the outside world again.”
“Is that sufficient?”
“Lord Imperial Envoy, one of these men is my father, the other my brother. His Majesty the Emperor would not wish to see me engage in fratricide the moment I ascend the throne.”
“It is said that one must honor heaven and earth, the sovereign, one’s kin, and one’s teacher. The actions of Ning Yuanxian and Ning Zheng have not only defied the will of heaven and earth but also the will of the Emperor. They have committed a crime of high treason, and their sins cannot be forgiven.”
“Then what is the Imperial Envoy’s will?”
“According to the law, they must be executed.”
Ning Qi’s heart trembled. Was he being told to kill his own father and brother? This was a plan to cut off his retreat, to force him completely onto the Emperor’s side.
Ning Qi sat slowly on the throne. He had once halfway attempted to assassinate his father, constantly telling himself it was for the State of Yue, for the hundred-year legacy of the Ning royal family, and thus it was worth it. He told himself he was enduring humiliation for a greater cause, biding his time. The lives of his father and Ning Zheng were important, of course, but not more important than the lands of Yue. How many lives and how much blood had their ancestors paid to acquire these thousands of miles of land? He could not let it be ruined in his hands. His father and Ning Zheng would not blame him.
Ning Yuanxian lifted his head and said,
“Ning Zheng, do what you must.”
Ning Zheng did not move, but calmly prepared for death. Ning Qi trembled violently, his right hand slowly rising.
*‘Killing my father and Ning Zheng is not for myself, but for the State of Yue. For the Ning royal family. Our ancestors in heaven will not blame me. Ning Qi, wasn't everything you did for this very moment? Ning Qi, a great monarch must be able to make choices. Kill them, kill them!’*
Ning Wuming stared coldly at Ning Qi, and the officials filling the hall also watched him.
“Aargh!”
Ning Qi let out a great cry, then shot to his feet, tore the crown from his head, and placed it upon the throne.
“Lord Imperial Envoy, this king… I cannot do it. I voluntarily abdicate the throne.”
Then, Ning Qi knelt before Ning Wuming, and everyone in the hall shuddered.
*‘What… what is this? Three kings have abdicated in a row?’*
*‘Ning Qi, you are such a disappointment. You’ve gone rotten too. You’ve gone soft.’*
Ning Wuming, who had watched the entire situation unfold, laughed out loud and said,
“Hahahaha! How amusing, how very amusing. Not long ago, you fought to the death for the throne of Yue, sacrificing soldiers until blood flowed like rivers, and now you cast it aside like a worn-out shoe? Is the throne of Yue so worthless? To think there is no one to sit on the throne of Yue. Are there not more princes? Ning Jin, Ning Jing, Ning Yi?”
The ministers trembled in fear.
*‘A waste like Ning Yi, such a disgraceful prince, could inherit the throne? What would become of the State of Yue then?’*
At that moment, someone slowly entered the hall. He wore the robes of a monk and his head was shaved. Everyone was startled to see him.
*‘Who is this person?’*
Soon, they noticed another person by his side: Zhu Hongzhu, who had been out of sight for a long time. Finally, everyone remembered who the monk was. It was the second prince, Ning Xiao, who had left home to become a monk at the age of ten, a disciple of Tongtian Temple. He came before the throne and said,
“May I sit on that throne? I will renounce my vows immediately.”
The ministers were speechless. The second prince, Ning Xiao, asked,
“Ning Jin, Ning Jing, will you compete with me?”
Ning Jin and Ning Jing glanced at each other, then shook their heads forcefully. They too had once harbored fantasies about the throne, but now, anyone who sat there was highly likely to be crushed to dust. Ning Xiao asked Ning Qi,
“Third Brother, may I be the King of Yue?”
“I have already abdicated. It matters not whether I wish it or not.”
“Is there anyone among the Ning royal family who will contend with me for the throne of Yue?”
All members of the Ning royal family were silent. Soon after, Ning Xiao removed his monk’s robes, changed into the royal robes, put on the crown, and sat upon the throne. Thus, after all the chaos, the matter of the throne of Yue was tentatively settled, with the second prince, Ning Xiao, becoming the new King of Yue.
“We greet the new king!”
Zhu Hongzhu bowed his head in greeting, and at the same time, all the officials who had been absent from court entered the hall in unison and knelt before Ning Xiao.
“We greet the new king.”
The new King of Yue, Ning Xiao, spoke.
“I issue a royal command! Our State of Yue will follow the will of His Majesty the Emperor and devote all our strength to punishing the son of Jiang Li. Furthermore, our State of Yue will mobilize all our forces to attack Xuanwu City and annihilate every last remnant of Jiang Li’s faction. Finally, arrest Ning Yuanxian and Ning Zheng, imprison them in the Imperial Clan Court, and await the judgment of His Majesty the Emperor!”
