Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 167 Taking Control of Yancheng
These words completely baffled Zhao Gou. He stared blankly at Jiu Que, not understanding why this female imperial envoy would say such things to him. He hadn't offended her; if anyone should be angry, it should be the Prince of Binyang, right? Strangely, he couldn't find the words to refute her.

Moreover, it cannot be denied that the female imperial envoy's words directly struck at his deepest sore spot. Indeed, if he weren't the nephew of the Prince of Binyang, who in this world would give him a second glance?
Even though he had done wrong, he still didn't want to die. He knew the Prince of Binyang's temperament very well; he knew the prince would never let him off the hook for all the wrong things he had done, but he really just wanted to live.

"I...I know I was wrong, Uncle, Your Highness! Please, have mercy on me and spare my life! Even exile is fine, I just want to live. I really just want to live, please..."

Seeing Zhao Gou's disheveled and tearful appearance, the Prince of Binyang was not moved at all. He simply sighed and had already decided on this man's fate.

If it were merely a simple betrayal, it wouldn't warrant death. The problem is that Zhao Gou has not only been selling smuggled salt over the years, but he's also been forcing innocent people to work at the salt fields, resulting in numerous deaths. While he was unconscious, he did hear the fake prince mention this issue; those who lost money each month died from exhaustion due to the unbearable strain.

If he were to forgive Zhao Gou, what would the innocent people who died say? He has no right to forgive Zhao Gou on behalf of others; it would be unfair to those innocent people.

Seeing that the other party remained silent, Zhao Gou understood that the Prince of Binyang was determined to kill him. He was extremely unwilling, but what could he do? Wait, even if he had to die, he couldn't just die peacefully like this. He couldn't be a good person in this life; if he was a bad person, he would be infamous for eternity!
Setting aside these insignificant people for the time being, the Prince of Binyang asked Xie Mingchen to recuperate before swiftly seizing control of the entire city of Yancheng within just two days. Perhaps it was because Yancheng was originally his territory, or perhaps it was because the Prince of Binyang's reputation was too great, or perhaps the entire city of Yancheng had long hoped that the prince would change, so he did not encounter too many difficulties in regaining control of Yancheng.

The moment the Prince of Binyang regained control of Yancheng, he ordered his men to go to the salt fields and release the innocent people who had been imprisoned and forced to work. The entire city of Yancheng was in an uproar, and all the people whose family members had been forcibly taken away within the past three years supported each other as they went to claim their loved ones.

Some people are lucky enough to wait a long time and finally see their loved ones, though emaciated, still alive. But others wait from dawn till dusk, until everyone has left, and never see another person emerge from the empty salt field.

The sounds of weeping, wailing, joyful reunion, crying for parents, and calling for friends and family were endless, evoking a complex mix of emotions.

Jiu Que and his friends stood not far away, listening to the sounds of humanity, each with complex emotions. Sometimes, a small decision by those in power can affect the fate of countless ordinary people; the dust of the times falling on an ordinary family is like a mountain weighing a thousand pounds.

The noodle stall owner surnamed Fang was undoubtedly one of the luckiest, for she finally saw her husband, who had been gone for three years. Jiu Que, Chunyu Shuang, and the others watched from the sidelines. He was an extremely tall man; although three years of hardship had left him with little flesh, his large frame was still evident. Moreover, he was in relatively good spirits, one of the few who strode confidently out of the salt fields. Upon seeing his wife and daughters, whom he had longed for day and night, the man burst into laughter and pulled his most precious loved ones into his arms. If he weren't so weak, he probably would have lifted them up and flaunted them a few times.

From afar, the little girl, nestled in her parents' arms, spotted several familiar older brothers and sisters standing not far away, and a bright smile spread across her face. Seeing her radiant smile, Jiu Que and the others breathed a sigh of relief. There are countless things in the world, and they can't possibly do everything perfectly. The only thing they can do is learn from these experiences and strive to do better each time.

Not only were the people imprisoned in the salt fields released, but under the auspices of the Prince of Binyang, salt prices rapidly decreased. Not only could ordinary people afford salt, but prices also returned to normal for salt sellers from surrounding counties. In just a few days, the entire salt city was transformed. The cautious atmosphere, afraid to make any major mistakes, had vanished, replaced by vibrant life. Places like this, possessing both favorable location and abundant resources, should be able to sustain the people as long as the officials in charge don't completely collapse. The Prince of Binyang remarked with admiration.

"The person who replaced me before made them suffer so much. But I only restored the treatment they were entitled to, and they stopped hating me. This shows how simple people are. I also came from a poor background; I ate grass roots and tree bark when I was a child. Why can't they understand that people won't rebel if they can just get by for a day? They are easily satisfied. But if they are greedy and relentlessly oppressed, even a clay figure has some temper, let alone a living person. They should really feel lucky that things didn't reach the point of no return. Otherwise, it would be too late to regret it."

It's truly remarkable that someone like the Prince of Binyang, now in such a high position, could so openly speak of "officials forcing the people to rebel." However, it is precisely because of people like him that the people's lives are getting better and better.

As for the "they" he mentioned, Zhao Gou must have been among them, after all, he was a child he had watched grow up, and they had spent at least a decade together. Although he had been sentenced to death, the human heart is complex, and there will always be some regrets.

After holding back for a long time, Jiu Que slowly uttered words of comfort.

"Your Highness need not be sad. Everyone has their own destiny. Even if you watched him grow up, you can't see into someone's heart. You can't always guess what they are thinking. This is not your fault."

The Prince of Binyang remained silent for a moment, then smiled nonchalantly.

"Thank you."

Although the children he raised were not promising, a new generation of young people has now grown up in the Great Jing Dynasty. Moreover, they are all outstanding, which is a blessing for this newly established dynasty. With these people around, he doesn't need to worry too much. Especially this child, I used to hear that she had a bad reputation, that she was spoiled, couldn't endure hardship, and was not filial to her father. Now it seems that these were all unfounded rumors.

Seeing is believing.

(End of this chapter)