Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 196 The Arrival of the Ship
The Second Prince was initially somewhat uneasy seeing Emperor Jingtai remain silent for so long, but he was deeply moved by the support of so many ministers. However, some ministers did not support him. The Second Prince might not remember who supported him, but he certainly remembered who did not. Now that his father only had him and his fourth brother as sons, and he was older than his brother, wasn't the throne practically his for the taking? At this time, not supporting him was clearly supporting his brother…

The ministers, led by the Earl of Anyuan, watched this absurd scene unfold, feeling as if they were watching a play. What was going on?
How could they remember that the Great Jing Dynasty had already been established for thirteen years? How could they possibly be repeating the strong restrictions placed on women during the late period of the previous dynasty? If they were to follow this logic, then foot binding was prevalent among women at the end of the previous dynasty? Did they mean that foot binding would be enforced on women now as well?

His Majesty will not agree to these absurd requests.

"...Therefore, I request Your Majesty to personally issue an edict ordering the marriage of the daughter of the Earl of Anyuan to the deceased son of the Li family!"

Emperor Jingtai sighed deeply, then turned and left expressionlessly.

The ministers below, who had been so passionate and eloquent, including the Second Prince, were dumbfounded. What was going on? Why had His Majesty suddenly left? Even if he was leaving, His Majesty should have given a clear answer. Did he agree or disagree?

This put the Second Prince in a very awkward position! Didn't his father realize that not speaking up for him in this situation would severely damage his prestige? He was a grown man, and he had expressed his opinion in court, only to have his father not only fail to support him but also storm off. Wasn't this a public humiliation?
Noticing the gazes of the surrounding officials lingering on his face, the Second Prince felt extremely uncomfortable. Although he had been somewhat unassuming before, his father and mother had always paid close attention to him and had never given him a hard time in front of others. But what was wrong with his father now?
The second prince was filled with resentment, unaware that Emperor Jingtai was seething with rage. He had never thought his sons were so foolish before, probably blinded by their own ignorance. Now, peeling back the layers, they were all incredibly stupid. The second prince hadn't been this dumb before; it seemed he hadn't had the chance to prove himself. How could he even come up with such a ridiculous idea? Although the Great Jing Dynasty had been established for thirteen years, the people hadn't escaped poverty and hunger. The endless wars at the end of the previous dynasty had inflicted immense trauma on the people; even now, the population hadn't recovered.

如今这种情况不大力支持守寡女子再嫁，反而让一个根本没有婚约的女子嫁给已经死了的男人守望门寡。这究竟是什么样的天才发言？景泰帝之所以急匆匆离开，是因为他担心控制不住自己的手，冲下去对着二皇子那张蠢笨迷茫的脸就是一段猛揍！
Stupid as a pig!

He was wise and capable his whole life, how could he have such a stupid son?

Ugh……

Could it be because they killed too many people when they were fighting for territory, thus committing atrocities?
Emperor Jingtai could turn around and leave. When the officials below saw that even the emperor himself had left, and the eunuch Jiufu beside the emperor loudly announced that everyone could leave the court, those who had not finished arguing could only swallow their words and leave angrily.

However, His Majesty's ambiguous attitude today has left many people unsure of Emperor Jingtai's intentions. Some officials believe that Emperor Jingtai is angry, but no one can pinpoint the exact reason. Therefore, they can only wait and see.

The Second Prince, however, has been making headlines recently. He personally funded the printing of tens of thousands of copies of "Admonitions for Women," intending to distribute them free of charge to officials in the capital. Unexpectedly, everyone was incredibly supportive, offering to buy them at great expense. Given their enthusiasm, the Second Prince felt embarrassed to give them away for free. He earned tens of thousands of taels of silver from the printing. Now, praise for his filial piety is everywhere, making him both famous and wealthy. In comparison, His Majesty's only remaining son, the Fourth Prince, is utterly unremarkable. Although some people are not optimistic about the Second Prince, he is far superior to the Fourth Prince.

With His Majesty having only these two sons left, surely he must choose the one with the better chance of winning? If he can gain merit in supporting the emperor, what do these current criticisms matter?
Of course, many people supported the Second Prince because of their own unspoken motives. Emperor Jingtai had recently shown excessive favoritism towards Princess Ying. Not only had he appointed her as an imperial envoy, but he had also bestowed upon her the "God-Slaying Whip." Such favoritism had aroused jealousy among a group of officials, young and old. If this wasn't stopped, who knew what official position His Majesty would bestow upon Princess Ying next? It was said that he was already urging the Ministry of Rites to come up with a better title.

Princess Ying already had a mother who was once known as one of the Twin Stars of War, and she also had intricate connections with the women's army that had repeatedly won battles on the border. Now, she had gained the Emperor's favor, and if she wasn't kept in check, wouldn't she eventually rise above them? Moreover, with Ying Jiuque stepping forward, would the other women just sit idly by and watch her achieve great things while they themselves remained content in the inner quarters?
If those women see the benefits of power, how can we continue to confine them to the inner quarters using those ancestral rules and customs?

Promotion in officialdom is already difficult enough; competing with men is one thing, but competing with women is another—winning or losing is a problem, and it doesn't look good if word gets out. Thus, the already bustling capital city has become even more turbulent lately, like boiling water. Add to that the rumors of a salt shortage in the Great Jing Dynasty, and it's truly a spectacle. Even the northern barbarians and southern Miao have sent envoys; whether they're taking advantage of the situation or just want to watch the drama unfold, they've all made a grand entrance into the capital.

Under these circumstances, a large ship with a deep draft sailed south along the Yangtze River, getting closer and closer to the capital.

At the bow of the boat, Jiu Que and his companions were leisurely fishing. However, the boat was going too fast, and the bait they threw in was either washed away by the current or bitten by the alert big fish. They hadn't caught a single fish all day.

Jiuque swung the fishing rod in her hand with a whoosh, and this time it was even worse. Not only was the bait gone, but the hook was also lost.

Chunyu Shuang laughed so hard she fell over.

"Jiu Que, are you planning to catch a fish with just one line?"

Jiuque tried to salvage the situation.

"What do you know? This is called Jiang Taigong fishing; those who are willing will take the bait."

"Oh, oh, those who are willing will take the bait, those who are willing will take the bait, hahahaha..."

Jiu Que: "..."

Even the Prince of Binyang laughed at her!

Ever since they discovered a large amount of salt, these guys have been acting strangely excited. Is such a small thing really worth getting this excited about?

Dejected, Jiu Que packed up her fishing rod, her only hope now resting on her children at home. She hadn't seen them for days and wondered how they were doing on their distant journey…

(End of this chapter)