Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 215 is a real pity.
The Yu family's daughter? Could she be the granddaughter of that great scholar Yu I heard about a few days ago? That girl seems to be only eighteen years old, right? Is she going to commit suicide like her mother just because her husband died?
And this second prince even wants to build a chastity archway? Is he out of his mind?! The Great Jing Dynasty has finally caught its breath, and instead of encouraging and supporting childbirth, he's setting up a chastity archway! Of course, imposing taxes on men and women who don't marry by a certain age isn't a good solution either. If eligible men and women have money, jobs, a free social atmosphere, and stable lives, they will naturally have the desire to marry. Of course, this doesn't exclude the possibility of a portion of people remaining single, but that's all normal. With so many people in the world, it's impossible for everyone to make the same choices.

We've strayed from the topic. What exactly is the Second Prince trying to do? Is it enough to use women to enhance his reputation? Born into royalty and so favored by his father, shouldn't he be pursuing his own ambitions? The world is so vast; why must he focus all his attention on women? Many people in the world crave an opportunity to prove themselves but can't get it. This Second Prince has such privileged backgrounds, yet he chooses to do something so thankless and exhausting. He must be out of his mind.

I've heard that the Second Prince has many advisors. Why haven't any of them been able to offer him any good advice?

Seeing that Jiu Que remained silent, the Second Prince, still feeling somewhat uneasy about not getting the response he wanted, decided to speak frankly.

"That woman from the Yu family originally intended to commit suicide to uphold her chastity, but she was discovered by her family and saved her life. Alas, it is indeed a pity. However, it is understandable that Old Madam Yu loves her grandson so much."

"!"

Jiu Que really couldn't understand it. Did the Second Prince have a grudge against women? Wasn't he born of a woman? He had gone through so much trouble to save her life, and he actually felt sorry for her. Did he have to let the Yu family girl die?
That's truly hateful.

"Is Your Highness lamenting that the Yu family's daughter didn't die?"

The Second Prince was caught off guard by Ying Jiuque's direct question and blurted out his true feelings.

"If she were dead, wouldn't it be even more legitimate to erect this memorial arch for her chastity?"

Jiu Que let out a deep breath.

"Your Highness, please be careful with your words. As a prince, your words are law. You should be responsible for what you say. Your casual remark could decide a woman's entire life. That woman from the Yu family is also a human being, born of parents. No one can, or at least should, do this!"

"You?! How dare you speak to me like that! Do you even know who I am?"

“Your Highness’s identity is certainly known to this humble subject. Your Highness is His Majesty’s son. This humble subject also knows that as a subject, it is my duty to speak frankly and offer advice. If Your Highness has made a mistake, as a subject, it is only natural that I must correct it.”

Hearing this, the Second Prince was furious. But after thinking it over, he realized he couldn't afford to openly confront Ying Jiuque in front of all the officials. He could only grit his teeth in resentment. He had never seen a woman as unyielding as Ying Jiuque in his entire life; was she even a woman?!
"Lord Ying is quite the smooth talker. But I wonder who will be lucky enough to marry him in the future."

"Your Highness need not worry about that. Whom I marry, and whether I marry at all, is entirely up to me."

"You! You don't know what's good for you!"

The Second Prince finally couldn't stand Jiu Que's repeated rebuttals and stormed off! Although Jiu Que had achieved a partial victory, he was not happy. He was still thinking about the girl at home.

That girl is about the same age as me now. Does she really not want to live anymore?

Meanwhile, the Yu family was plunged into unprecedented chaos. The doctor from Huichuntang, who had come to treat the girl, had gone to great lengths to save her. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he felt happy to have saved a life.

Yu Daru, who had been accompanying them the whole time, was also extremely anxious at this moment.

"May I ask, doctor, how is my granddaughter?"

"Mr. Yu, don't panic. Although your young lady has suffered a throat injury and cannot speak temporarily, it was discovered in time. With proper care, her life is not in danger."

"In that case... thank you very much, doctor. Please continue to take good care of her in the future, as this is my daughter's only child..."

"Don't worry, Mr. Yu, I understand."

After seeing the doctor from Huichuntang off, Yu Daru glanced at his unconscious granddaughter lying on the bed, frowned, and turned to leave.

Yu Dalang, who was following behind him, also looked somewhat anxious. After they arrived at the study, Yu Dalang couldn't help but speak.

"Father, Man'er is alright. Should we offer our pledge of allegiance to the Second Prince? Or should we do what my sister did back then..."

"In any case, her reputation for chastity has already spread, so even if she lives, it won't affect our plans. The most important thing now is to prevent anyone from disturbing my discussion in two days."

This was an opportunity specially prepared for him by the Second Prince. Whether he could become famous throughout the land and have disciples all over the Great Jing Dynasty would depend on what happened in two days. He had studied diligently for decades, and although the Yu family was a powerful clan in Jiangdong, how could they compare to the aristocratic families of the capital? Let alone the imperial family. He had spent his entire life preparing for this opportunity, never expecting that he would be able to connect with the current Second Prince through Sister Man. This was truly a stroke of luck for that child.

"It's just a pity that we didn't get to see that chastity archway. If we could have gotten the first chastity archway in the entire Dajing, our Yu family's reputation would have been even more glorious! It's a pity that when my sister went there, she couldn't get a chastity archway, otherwise, why would we have had to go to such lengths?"

Yu Daru nodded with a sigh, deeply regretful. However, what was done was done. Their current task was to ensure the success of the discussion conference two days later, where scholars and writers from all over the capital and even the entire Jing Dynasty would gather. If he could make a name for himself at the conference, perhaps he could even go down in history. That would be far better than spending his entire life as the head of an academy in that small place in Jiangdong.

The father and son were whispering and plotting, completely unaware of the figure in a scholar's skirt that flashed past the window.

Two days later.

This intellectual gathering, personally hosted by a renowned Confucian scholar and facilitated by the Second Prince, attracted the attention of scholars from all over the country. Because it had been announced well in advance, many students and literati from various regions had come to the capital in recent days. Even the solemn and dignified city of the capital seemed to have gained a touch of scholarly atmosphere.

On the way to and from court, Jiu Que often encountered numerous scholars and literati who stopped officials' carriages to offer their services, a testament to their courage and patience. However, no one dared to stop Jiu Que's carriage. Perhaps these aloof scholars disdained to associate with a female official like Jiu Que. But there were exceptions, such as the one encountered today, who, in front of so many people passing by, knelt down before her carriage with a thud, holding his petition above his head with utmost piety!
(End of this chapter)