Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 189 Blind Obedience Like a Lost Soul

In any case, the Left Prince has decided to treat this Second Prince better from now on. It is said that the Great Jing Emperor only has two sons left, and this prince is the eldest, so he has a high chance of becoming the next emperor.

Thinking of this, the Left Prince's mood improved even more.

He would wait in the capital, waiting for Ying Jiuque's triumphant return, only to find the entire court hostile towards her. He was eager to see Ying Jiuque's expression then. How he longed to see it…

While some, like the Left Prince, secretly harbored such expectations, others naturally complained to their families without any restraint.

At the Yang residence, Yang Linyuan had been in a foul mood ever since returning from the banquet yesterday, as if he could spew insults at anyone he could get his hands on. Even Lord Yang himself was finding his son's foolish behavior unbearable. Especially now, this stupid son was stuck in his study and wouldn't leave. He was utterly infuriating!

"Father, did you hear me? Do you know what the Second Prince's expression and tone were like yesterday? Princess Ying is intelligent and resourceful, skilled in both literature and martial arts. Yet the Second Prince dislikes her so much, even uttering harsh words in front of so many people. I just don't think that's right. Besides, Princess Ying will be back soon. She's been working so hard outside, and when she comes back, she finds that the Second Prince doesn't like her. How heartbroken she must be... Father? Father! Are you even listening to me? Look at me, stop staring at your painting. What's so interesting about it? It looks like a bunch of withered branches and fallen leaves, it's ugly."

Seeing that Lord Yang was only giving perfunctory "uh-huh" and "yeah" while staring intently at the ancient painting spread out on the table, Yang Linyuan became annoyed. He stepped forward, grabbed the painting, and tried to pull it away, almost scaring Lord Yang's heart out.

"You unfilial son! Let go of me right now! Do you know how valuable this painting is? If even a single corner is damaged, I'll skin you alive!"

Even the word "Laozi" came out, which shows how much Lord Yang values ​​this painting. Yang Linyuan felt a sharp pain in his back and quickly let go. But even so, he didn't give up and went to his father, tugging hard at his sleeve.

"Father, were you even listening to me? You weren't there, so you wouldn't know what the Second Prince was like. He was absolutely despicable! Just like a wicked rich man in a play!"

"How dare you! How dare you, a mere boy without even an official rank, speak such words about a prince? Shut your mouth right now! Your mother has spoiled you rotten! You have no sense of right or wrong..."

"How have I spoiled him? Tell me."

The father and son were chatting idly when they suddenly heard a gentle female voice, causing them both to shudder. Yang Linyuan cautiously looked up and saw his kind and gentle mother, and his sweet and charming older sister standing behind her.

Lord Yang's hand trembled, and several strands of his well-maintained beard were pulled out. Seeing his wife's clearly unfriendly gaze, he quickly pushed his youngest son forward to shield him from the trouble.

“Madam, I was just disciplining this ungrateful brat. He’s a prince, and this commoner dares to talk about him behind his back. If word gets out, he’ll be accused of disrespecting royalty. I’m just trying to protect our family from trouble.”

“Then it seems I misunderstood you, sir. I was wondering why Yuan’er isn’t just my son. Why do I always blame him for his mistakes? Perhaps you’re also well-versed in the ‘Admonitions for Women’?”

"puff!"

Lord Yang nearly choked on his own saliva and instinctively retorted, "Madam, please don't joke with me. What would a grown man like me be reading 'Admonitions for Women'?"

"So, we women should read those kinds of books and follow the 'Three Obediences and Four Virtues' written in them?"

Madam Yang wasn't initially that angry, but upon hearing Lord Yang's words, her anger flared up instantly. These past few days, whenever she went out for social engagements, she couldn't tell why, every lady and young woman seemed to have a copy of "Admonitions for Women," thinking it was some kind of sacred text. But upon opening it, she found it to be nothing but nonsensical nonsense. The statements within gave her a headache, and her anger soared. She couldn't understand how such a book had become so widespread in the capital; it was supposedly compiled by Consort Mo herself, taking ten years to complete.

Good heavens! Ever since the Second Prince rose to prominence, Consort Mo, who used to be practically invisible in the palace, has become incredibly prominent. Any lady or young woman from a high-ranking family who hasn't heard of the *Admonitions for Women* is considered seriously out of touch. If she can't even recite a few lines from it, she's practically a country bumpkin.

Even more outrageous, this morning at a banquet, I saw some girls wearing veils! In this sweltering heat, wearing such thick things must be unbearable! What's even more outrageous is that the ladies and young women around me not only didn't find it strange, but were actually quite envious. They kept saying that women shouldn't show their faces, that they should only show them to their husbands or future husbands.

Ha! This is absolutely hilarious for Madam Yang. Everyone has a face, so why can men expose their faces to everyone while women have to wear veils? And to say it's a woman's duty to be chaste is just laughable.

If it were just someone else doing this, Madam Yang would have simply watched the spectacle and forgotten about it. But this trend was getting stronger and stronger, and it was even affecting her daughter. This was truly intolerable.

Before Lord Yang could even answer her previous question, the furious Madam Yang had already launched into a long tirade, practically pointing her finger at him and cursing him.

"You old hag, you've lived such a long life for nothing! Not only have I barely enjoyed any happiness following you, but you've also taken one concubine after another into your household. Now, people are even bullying your daughter, and they're still here looking at your lousy painting. What's so interesting about it?! You might as well go with this lousy painting from now on. I'll take my poor Ying'er and become a nun. It's better than staying in this capital and being ridiculed by others..."

Yang Linyuan, who had been standing obediently to the side, listening to the reprimand with his head down, suddenly became indignant.

"What happened? Someone dared to bully my sister? Mom, tell me! Who was it that was? I'll get revenge for my sister right now!"

Seeing her son like this, Madam Yang finally felt a little better. Fortunately, her son wasn't like those fools who seemed to have lost their souls. Lord Yang also put on a stern face, realizing the seriousness of the matter.

First, he carefully rolled up the ancient painting and put it away properly. Then, glancing at his daughter, whose eyes were slightly red, Lord Yang's expression was not good.

"Madam, please don't be angry. Let's clarify this matter. Is the Li family causing trouble again?"

It would have been better if Lord Yang hadn't spoken up, because once he did, Madam Yang sounded incredibly aggrieved. She wasn't aggrieved for herself, but rather for her poor, unfortunate daughter.

"That Li family lad was unlucky; he died right after his engagement. I'm also very sorry, but what does that have to do with our Ying'er?"

(End of this chapter)