Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 187 The Type of Woman I Dislike the Most
The thought of this made the Left Prince want to drink a whole jar of strong liquor. But when he looked down at his arms, which were still limp and like a sack of flour, he felt a surge of hatred that was as endless as a raging river.

That woman! That one grab not only severed his arm but also ruined his future. The grassland environment is harsh, and the competition for survival is incredibly fierce. It's obvious that no one would support a cripple who can't even lift a sword as the next Khan! And he was originally a strong contender for the throne. All of that was destroyed by that woman, Ying Jiuque!
Ying Chongming! Ying Jiuque! Did he have a grudge against the women of the Ying family? One nearly crushed his spirit in his youth, and the other ruined his future! How could he be so miserable?

Using his intact left hand, he lifted the wine jar and gulped down more than half of it in one go, only then did the Left Prince feel somewhat better. However, he didn't need to be too heartbroken; after all, the Great Jing Dynasty was facing an unprecedented crisis. Beset by internal and external troubles, who knew what the future held?

However, if the Great Jing is defeated, he vows to torture that woman Ying Jiuque properly!
Of course, even without defeat, Ying Jiuque wouldn't fare well. After all, the salt lakes and wells in Yancheng were poisoned, and as the imperial envoy, she bore some responsibility. The court officials of the Great Jing Dynasty were currently in a state of chaos; when Ying Jiuque returned, she would certainly face punishment, not praise. Who told her not only to be a woman, but also to have run into such a mess?

At this point, the Left Prince couldn't help but feel grateful to the men of the Great Jing Dynasty. If it weren't for their vigorous suppression of women's status, and the fact that this suppression had intensified in recent years, wouldn't Ying Jiuque, with her strength and intelligence, be a formidable opponent to the grasslands if she joined the army on the frontier?
Then there's General Ying Chongming's Ying Family Army—oh no, now it should be called the Women's Army. They should have been the sharpest blade and the strongest wall of the Great Jing Dynasty, but their status as women and the fact that their former general was a remnant of the previous dynasty have made their situation increasingly awkward. It's said that even military supplies are distributed to other armies first, with the remainder going to them. It's precisely because of this that the Women's Army is dwindling in number. After all, they need to eat, even if they can't be paid. And besides, they are women, and society generally believes they should retire from the military, marry, and have children.

Tsk tsk tsk, they've really destroyed their own walls!

However, the Left Prince wouldn't kindly remind the Great Jing's rulers and ministers; rather, he wished the Great Jing would be even harsher on women, and that there would be as few women as Ying Jiuque and Ying Chongming as possible. Speaking of which, the Great Jing's Second Prince, who had gradually risen to prominence recently, seemed to have considerable complaints about the few female officials in the court. Everyone said he was a benevolent prince, but why didn't he seem like it? Recalling the scene he encountered at the restaurant yesterday, the Left Prince couldn't help but smile.

Yesterday, at Renjianke Restaurant.

Prince Zuo had come out for drinks because he was feeling down, but he never expected to witness such a good show in the private room. It was only because the next private room was filled with toasts and flattery that Prince Zuo realized that the person sitting in the main seat in the next private room was none other than the Second Prince, who had been making a name for himself recently.

The Left Prince hadn't intended to do anything; he just wanted to quietly listen to what kind of person the Second Prince of Da Jing was. He never expected to hear such a long speech.

"Speaking of which, that Princess Ying is returning soon. Given His Majesty's trust in her, won't she be promoted several ranks again?"

"Why bring this up? It's not like it's you or me getting promoted."

"It's truly remarkable that a woman could achieve such accomplishments. My husband even told me that if I could marry Princess Ying, I would save myself at least twenty years of hard work."

"Come on, that tigress! When she was the Imperial Inspector, didn't you see how she taught Xue Er and the others a lesson? She's stronger than my groom! She doesn't have a single gentle and submissive look. Not to mention Ying Jiuque is naturally arrogant; even Vice Minister Lin kicked her out of his house. You can marry that shrew if you want, but I'm not."

"What are you saying? Even if you wanted to marry her, she wouldn't even look at you." "She's the one who wouldn't look at you!"

"Let's not talk about that. We're just hurting each other. By the way, did you know that the Second Prince's wife passed away a few days ago?"

"How could I not know? That princess consort was truly unlucky. Just when the second prince was about to rise to prominence, he was gone!"

"Who can argue with that? That princess consort wasn't of high birth, and her passing now is just paving the way for the second prince. Having a powerful wife's family is very beneficial in the future!"

The two young men, who had been talking against the wall, exchanged a knowing glance, their eyes subtle yet both understanding. It was quite timely; the Second Prince's wife died precisely shortly after the First Prince was ordered to commit suicide. There hadn't been any prior indication that the Second Prince's wife was unwell, but who knew about such private matters?

Now, the Second Prince has become His Majesty's eldest son, and his health is somewhat weaker than average. However, this has become the reason why the ministers support him. Furthermore, with his position as principal wife vacant and women of marriageable age in their families constantly trying to woo Consort Mo in the harem these past few days.

The two were whispering when they belatedly realized the surrounding chatter had quieted down. Looking up, they saw the Second Prince staring intently at them, and a cold sweat broke out on their brows. After all, talking about someone's family affairs behind their back was indeed inappropriate.

Although everyone now favors the Second Prince, the political situation is uncertain, and these are turbulent times. The elders of their family dare not risk offending His Majesty at this crucial moment. Therefore, even though they are trying to win over the Second Prince, none of the fathers, brothers, sons, or nephews who truly have influence in court have stepped forward. Instead, they have sent their good-for-nothing, good-for-nothing sons to take the lead. If His Majesty inquires about this matter later, they can simply say it was a gathering of young people, and it won't cause any major problems.

The second prince stared at the two of them for a long time, and a contemptuous smile suddenly appeared on his pale and thin face.

"Women should be gentle and obedient, supporting their husbands and raising their children. It's really unpleasant for them to be out and about all day, coming into contact with all sorts of people. Not to mention those who are restless and insist on squeezing into the men's world, they are truly despicable."

Everyone looked at each other, and the already quiet banquet became even more silent.

No, it's one thing for these spoiled brats to gossip about it in private. But Your Highness, isn't your reference a bit too obvious? Aren't you talking about that Princess Ying?
So they didn't really like that tigress-like Ying Jiuque either. But wasn't Princess Ying going to Qianzhou as an imperial envoy to work for your emperor father? In other words, she was working for your family!

They endured hardships and managed to do such a great job. You should at least offer some praise, but why are you slandering them behind their backs?
(End of this chapter)