Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 224 Otherwise, it would be a great act of filial impiety!

As the future emperor, how can he act solely based on his own whims? Who doesn't know that the Second Prince has been promoting his new doctrines and suppressing the status of women lately?

Moreover, Yu Daru was precisely the pawn the Second Prince had specifically sought out to weaken the status of several female officials, including Jiuque. Who would have thought that the pawn not only failed to achieve its intended purpose but also became a laughingstock?

They originally intended to use Yu Daru to establish a chastity arch, but unexpectedly, his wife overturned the table and stabbed Yu Daru and his son to death. What's the point of establishing a chastity arch after all?
"Your Majesty, I believe that Li Chengyuan had a legitimate reason for murdering her husband and son. After all, it was the scholar Yu who plotted to harm her daughter and granddaughter first. Li Chengyuan had no choice but to kill him to protect her daughter and granddaughter; otherwise, her granddaughter would have been next to die..."

"Lord Zhao, what do you mean?! Does having a legitimate reason justify killing someone? If that's the case, then all those murderers in prison, since they all have their own reasons, shouldn't we just not sentence them to death?"

"That's just sophistry. I'm simply stating the facts. No normal person would harm their own daughter and granddaughter! Therefore, I think Li Chengyuan's actions are understandable!"

"What nonsense are you spouting? How about you get killed by your own wife tomorrow?"

"What did you say?! How dare you curse me?!"

The two, who were already at odds, clashed again over this incident. They couldn't agree on anything, and after only a few words, they rushed at each other and started fighting.

Crackling sounds filled the air. Although they were just two civil officials, their fight was quite a spectacle. The previously drowsy military officers were now wide awake, craning their necks to watch the two weaklings battle. However, their feeble and powerless movements were disappointing; their strength was far too weak. After fighting for so long, they only had a red welt on their faces? Couldn't they have hit harder?
On the high platform, Emperor Jingtai's expression grew increasingly grim. Finally, as chaos erupted below, he slammed his fist on the armrest of his dragon throne!
Do you think I'm dead?

The chaotic scene below froze instantly, and then everyone knelt down in unison.

"Your Majesty, calm down."

"I can't stand it! Don't you all have anything better to do? This is just one matter, and you've been arguing back and forth the entire morning court session! What use are you to me?! Second Prince! Tell me, how should this matter be handled?"

The second prince was taken aback when he was suddenly called out, but his experience as the crown prince these days had given him some experience. He managed to calm himself down, stepped forward, bowed to Emperor Jingtai, and then began to speak eloquently.

"Your Majesty, I believe that although there are extenuating circumstances, Li Chengyuan's crime of murdering her husband and son is undeniable. In order to quell public discontent, she should be severely punished. Not only Li Chengyuan, but also Yu Chuyang. Yu Chuyang was present when the disaster occurred, but instead of stopping it, she ignored her grandfather and uncle's pleas for help. Therefore, in my opinion, Yu Chuyang should also be severely punished."

"...In my opinion, how should he be severely punished?"

Hearing his father's address change, the second prince felt a surge of joy. His father must be very pleased with his answer. This boosted his confidence even further.

"Li Chengyuan committed patricide and fratricide, an unforgivable crime. He is sentenced to eighty strokes of the cane and execution in the autumn! As for Yu Chuyang..."

The Second Prince couldn't suppress the look of disgust on his face; he loathed Chu Yang even more than Li Chengyuan.

Back then, the man surnamed Yu clearly stated that he would have his granddaughter die for love, so that the Emperor could rightfully bestow upon her a chastity memorial arch. From then on, women would naturally become docile and respectful. But Yu Chuyang, of all people, chose to live on! Wouldn't it have been better if she had died? Why did she have to live like this, truly bringing shame upon her husband? "Sentence her to be executed in the autumn as well."

This time, not only Jiu Que couldn't stand it anymore, but even the elders in front couldn't help but frown.

Li Chengyuan was one thing, since she had indeed killed someone, and while the punishment was harsh, it wasn't unforgivable. But Yu Chuyang, she hadn't laid a hand on her. The Second Prince couldn't arbitrarily eliminate innocent people based on his own likes and dislikes. That's not the behavior of a wise ruler.

However, the Second Prince is currently enjoying great power, and no one dares to openly oppose him at this time, but Jiu Que does.

"Your Highness, I have a different opinion. Yu Chuyang did not lay a hand on anyone, so why should he be sentenced to death?"

The person the Second Prince disliked most was none other than Jiu Que. He had instinctively wanted to rebuke her for speaking out in a man's quarters, but he quickly realized that Jiu Que was now a fifth-rank official, someone who could be respectfully addressed as "Little Grand Secretary."

He could only suppress the disgust in his heart.

"Lord Ying, Yu Chuyang watched helplessly as his maternal grandfather and uncle were murdered, yet he did nothing to stop it, nor did he call a doctor for treatment afterward. How is this any different from conspiring to murder?"

"So, Your Highness sentenced someone to death without any evidence, relying solely on your own conjecture?"

hiss!
Many officials below looked at Ying Jiuque with the eyes of someone admiring a hero. This girl is too fierce! Everyone knows that although the Second Prince appears gentle, polite, and courteous, he is actually extremely petty and will hold a grudge against anyone who offends him for life.

Officials fear most that their highest-ranking superiors are like this, because no one knows when they might offend them. If someone can't even tolerate the mistakes of their subordinates, their future as an official will be difficult.

Sure enough, the second prince's eyes turned cold for a moment, and then he spoke almost through gritted teeth.

"Oh? What insight does Lord Ying have? Speaking of which, Lord Ying was also present at the scene, so he must have witnessed it firsthand. I just don't know, Lord Ying, you possess superhuman strength, so why didn't you prevent the tragedy from happening?"

"Uh... Your Highness, although I was there at the time, who says that innate superhuman strength can prevent a tragedy from happening in time? When the great scholar Yu Dalang was stabbed, I was still in the audience. It's just that I wasn't born with foresight and couldn't predict what others would do next. And that Yu Chuyang, she's really stupid! What does it matter if her uncle plagiarized her article? What does it matter if her maternal grandfather and uncle forced her mother to her death?"

"As a woman, a granddaughter, a niece! You have to obediently let your maternal grandfather and uncle exploit you. Since Yu Dalang wants that article, why not just give it to him? Your mother has been dead for so long, why bother bringing up old stories to seek justice for her? Just pretend you're deaf and dumb, isn't that enough?"

"And another thing, your maternal grandfather and uncle wanted to use their lives to gain a good reputation, so they tried to strangle her while she was weak? Sigh, why don't you just obediently stick out your neck and let them strangle you? Otherwise, it would be a great act of filial impiety!"

(End of this chapter)