Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 199 Salt Team
Everyone speculated and guessed, but couldn't get any definite information. They could only look up at His Majesty, who was standing at the very front, while Emperor Jingtai was looking at the cargo ship from afar with a mysterious smile on his face.

Finally home.

The gathered crowd below seemed to have noticed the unusual event as well, especially when the tightly closed Chaowu Gate suddenly swung open, revealing solemn-looking golden-armored guards and officials in bright red and purple robes. In this era, the people's reverence for officials was innate; even those who were emotionally unstable couldn't help but take a half-step back. Their expressions changed drastically when they saw the gleaming golden figure strode out with a powerful stride.

Is that His Majesty?
Although everyone lived at the foot of the imperial city, the number of times they actually saw the emperor was very few. The most recent time was during the New Year when His Majesty stood at the Chaowu Gate and waved to the people below. And from such a distance, it was impossible to see what His Majesty looked like. But this time, the emperor, high above all, actually walked out of the imperial city and, as he passed by, even glanced at them with an air of superiority. He did not reprimand them for their disorderly conduct, but simply strode forward.

Feeling fortunate to have escaped a calamity, the common people watched from afar as His Majesty led his officials forward, and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief while asking their companions for directions.

"Was that His Majesty just now? Where is His Majesty taking those high-ranking officials? Wait, His Majesty didn't even reprimand us. Isn't this considered a disturbance?"

"His Majesty is kind-hearted and won't blame us. But judging from the direction they're heading, it seems to be towards the city gate, right? I heard we're fighting the Northern Barbarians, but I haven't heard that we've won. His Majesty leading all the officials to the city gate is unprecedented. Could it be that they're welcoming some important guest? Did you see those envoys from the Northern Barbarians and Southern Barbarians following along?"

"I see it! Is there any special meaning behind this?"

Although most of the people were illiterate, they had basic survival skills. At this moment, they didn't care about those who were still trying to sow discord. They exchanged glances and quickly followed. No matter who they were welcoming, it wouldn't hurt for them to go and watch the excitement.

It seems that watching the excitement and gossip has been a hobby for everyone since ancient times, and even at such a crucial moment, it cannot stop their desire to watch the excitement.

Those who had been staying at home out of fear and dared not gather in large groups began to pry open their windows to see the growing crowd, their curiosity piqued, especially by the figure leading the procession of officials, dressed in a dragon robe—no one but Emperor Jingtai. What was their Great Jing Dynasty's emperor up to? No! They had to go and see.

So everyone thought they had followed him quietly.

The river couldn't possibly have its dock in the capital; it was another twenty li (about 10 kilometers) beyond the city gates. Emperor Jingtai couldn't possibly lead his officials that far on foot; they simply waited quietly at the city gate. Just moments before, from the city tower, they had seen the salt boat dock. Emperor Jingtai was prepared, so when Jiu Que and his entourage reached the shore, they found neatly arranged carriages and respectfully waiting people.

The leader was a handsome young eunuch, one of the apprentices of the chief eunuch Jiu Fu. He was extremely respectful to Jiu Que, Wei Yuan, and their entourage as they disembarked from the ship. He carefully explained their purpose, and Jiu Que and the others were naturally happy to have someone help them.

Jiu Que glanced back at Wei Yuan.

"Could it be that Eunuch Jiufu misses you?"

Wei Yuan frowned, sensing that things weren't so simple. If it truly was his adoptive father's intention, he wouldn't have openly sent a disciple. Those serving His Majesty, aside from anything else, needed to be discerning; such blatant collusion with outsiders wasn't his adoptive father's style. However, in front of so many people, Wei Yuan didn't say much, simply watching the young eunuch lead the guards behind him as they methodically unloaded the large amount of cargo from the ship and loaded it onto the carts.

They brought back quite a lot of things this time. About half an hour later, the goods had been safely loaded onto the cart. Not only that, the little eunuch also brought several fine horses and invited Jiu Que and the others to ride on them.

"His Majesty is waiting for you gentlemen to return and report on your duties as soon as possible."

The group exchanged glances. "Well, that doesn't seem wrong," they thought. A moment later, Jiu Que led her convoy swiftly towards the city gate. Thanks to this experience, her riding skills had improved significantly.

The Emperor Jingtai and his officials waiting at the city gate attracted an ever-growing crowd of onlookers from the capital. The officials felt uncomfortable with the stares of the commoners, but since His Majesty stood there quietly, were they more noble than him? Therefore, they could only suppress their anxiety and wait, wondering what His Majesty was really up to…

Suddenly, the military officers with exceptional hearing abruptly looked up and stared into the distance, while the remaining civil officials also noticed something amiss. Puffs of smoke billowed from the distant official road, clearly indicating someone was rushing towards them. This was the capital, a place of utmost importance; who would dare to be so disrespectful?
A few breaths later, Jiu Que's figure suddenly appeared before everyone. Although several other officials were with her, Wei Yuan and the others tacitly lagged behind Jiu Que by half a step. To allow a woman to stand before them was simply outrageous!

Some of the old-fashioned officials were annoyed by this scene, but there was nothing they could do. His Majesty was still standing there, and no one had said a word. What could they say? They felt even more bitter when they saw the smiles on His Majesty's face when he saw Ying Jiuque and the others return.

Tell me, how did an ordinary woman gain His Majesty's trust and favor? And not just the kind of favor shown to a concubine, but the kind of favor shown to him as a key minister? Aren't his ministers loyal and hardworking enough?

Tsk!
Gradually, as Jiu Que and the others quickened their pace, everyone saw the convoy following behind her.

The bulging bags piled on those flatbed trucks seemed to have words written on them.

It's blurry and I can't make out clearly, but is that the character for 'salt'?

hiss!
The officials, who had been secretly jealous, were stunned. Could those seemingly endless carriages be piled high with salt?! How could that be?

Didn't someone spread a rumor that the saltworks in Yancheng were poisoned and destroyed? They won't be usable for at least eighty years. Where did they get so much salt at a time like this?

However, it is also possible that it was just packaged in a salt bag, and that it did not contain real salt, but was a strategy used by His Majesty to stabilize public sentiment.
It must be said that this method is sufficient to fool those ignorant and petty people.

(End of this chapter)