Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 141 Plot Excerpt
Seeing that the salt field had turned into a mess due to the chaos just now, and no one was paying attention to this small corner, the woman must have been holding it in for a long time, and now she had to get it off her chest.

"My name is Hu Jinhui, and this is my younger brother, Hu Jincheng. My father, Hu Yuan, was originally an official in charge of salt affairs in Yancheng. As you may know, eighty percent of the salt in the entire Dajing region comes from Yancheng. Because of the abundance of salt, the people here are actually living quite well. Although my father was only a Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations), he had a good reputation in the countryside before the establishment of the new dynasty. Therefore, the court appointed him as an eighth-rank salt official. Over the years, even if his political achievements are not outstanding, he has been conscientious and diligent, never daring to slack off in the slightest."

"My family was once happy and harmonious. Five years ago, when the Prince of Binyang took up his fief, my father remarked that this Prince of Binyang had followed His Majesty in his campaigns and was a rare military talent. With him in charge of Yancheng, things would surely get better and better. But the reality was not as my father said. When the Prince of Binyang first arrived in Yancheng, he didn't care much about politics, and all the appointments of officials remained unchanged. But starting three years ago, the Prince of Binyang suddenly changed his ways, collecting all the account books and silver from the past salt trade and conscripting salt workers on a large scale."

"As you know, Yancheng is rich in salt, so salt workers have the best monthly wages and treatment. Many people in Yancheng want to work in the salt fields, so at that time, no one found it strange. I and many of my relatives and friends were all happy that we recruited so many people. But who would have thought that after the manpower was gathered, the Prince of Binyang ordered that the monthly output must be three times the usual amount! If the task is not completed, the salt workers must be sold into slavery. Once a slave, always a slave for generations! Who would have thought that I and my family would become slaves? Moreover, His Majesty has long had a law that prohibits the buying and selling of slaves. My father found it strange at that time, but the Prince of Binyang simply refused to see him."

"Later, in order to avoid being sold into slavery, those employees had no choice but to work desperately, day and night. But human strength has its limits, and many people ultimately failed to complete their tasks, and they were indeed reduced to slavery. Such a thing is rare in history, let alone when the Prince of Binyang violated His Majesty's decree! At that time, there were cries of agony everywhere, and my father went to see the emperor alone in an attempt to change this situation. Unfortunately, we waited and waited at home, but my father never returned!"

"When the next news came, my father was already dead. To this day, we still don't know how he died."

When Hu Jinhui spoke of her painful experiences, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. But this was by no means a sign of weakness, because the fact that this young girl could endure such inhuman circumstances for so many years, just to seek justice for her father, was already a testament to her strength.

She quickly regained her composure and continued speaking.

"While we were still in a daze, the soldiers from the Prince's Palace arrived, and our whole family was imprisoned. My mother, having learned of my father's death, was determined to die and passed away not long after. My grandparents, being old, couldn't hold on for more than a few days in prison and followed suit. Those soldiers knew that my younger brother was a successful candidate in the imperial examinations and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, would surely rise to officialdom in the future. To avoid retaliation, they cut off his tongue, cutting off his path to advancement!"

"My poor brother was only ten years old at the time! If it weren't for this accident, he would have been the youngest scholar in the history of the Great Jing Dynasty!"

Barely managing to control her emotions, Hu Jinhui took a deep breath and affectionately stroked her younger brother's hair.

"They probably thought my brother and I were no longer a threat, so they threw us into the salt fields to work. They probably thought that at our age, we wouldn't survive a year or two in such heavy labor. But those people probably didn't expect that because of my father's usual virtue, the salt workers here took good care of us, which allowed us to barely survive until today. I thought that my brother and I were destined to live like this, and even if we were just barely surviving, as long as we could live, I would endure it."

"But ten days ago, news came from my cousin Wang Mo that an imperial envoy sent by the court had arrived in Qianzhou. He was a rare and upright official. Although he was a woman, he was willing to stand up for the people and bring the hateful Liang Heng to justice. Perhaps because they were afraid of the official's reputation, those in power were worried that their past deeds would be exposed. Therefore, they tortured my brother and me, as well as the families of other officials who were also persecuted. They didn't dare to kill us directly, but they could make our lives impossible through various means."

"It's laughable that they thought I would commit suicide. What a joke! I heard from my cousin Wang Mo that the women who were taken away from the mine have been treated well and settled properly. It's clear that the court hasn't forgotten us, and they won't abandon us. I could still survive when there was no hope, let alone now that there is hope. Why would I want to die?"

At this point, the child's eyes lit up. She stared intently at Jiu Que, as if he were a lifeline. "Sir, would you be willing to help us?"

At this moment, Jiu Que's expression was solemn. He solemnly reached out and grasped the child's cold, cracked hands.

"Of course! If what you say is true, I'm determined to take care of things in Yancheng!"

She only has one life to lose, so if anyone objects, she'll fight! Even if His Majesty wants to punish her later, he'll have to wait until she's sorted things out here. If the situation here is true, then the Prince of Binyang is indeed suspected of treason.

Even if His Majesty dotes on this adopted son, the throne is threatened, so he can't just ignore it.

However, after listening to the child's story, there was something she couldn't understand.

"You mean that for the first two years after the Prince of Binyang arrived in Yancheng, everything was normal, but three years ago his personality suddenly changed drastically, and he forcibly ordered the salt fields to triple their output? And that he was also involved in smuggling salt?"

"Correct!"

In those days, because salt was of such great importance, the government controlled the sale of salt, and selling smuggled salt was a capital offense!

Hu Jinhui nodded emphatically. In fact, her father had expressed his doubts about this matter when he was alive. The Prince of Binyang was His Majesty's eldest adopted son, and was always known for his chivalrous spirit. During wartime, his army was also highly disciplined and never harmed the common people. Why had such a drastic change occurred in just two years since he was enfeoffed?
"It was precisely because the Prince of Binyang made almost no attempt to conceal his smuggling of salt in Yancheng that my father became suspicious and went to inquire about it. But who would have thought that he would never return, losing his life in vain..."

Ok……

Jiu Que fell into deep thought, because she suddenly remembered something. It seemed there really was something like that in the story?
"Jing Chaosheng, Prince of Binyang! Smuggling salt, recruiting soldiers, persecuting his colleagues and the common people! Colluding with the northern barbarians! His crimes are unforgivable! He shall be executed in the autumn!"

(End of this chapter)