Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 232 As if the Emperor Were Here
Seeing that the Qin couple were still discussing, Jiu Que simply went over and squatted down to burn paper money with them. The child no longer had the same courage she had shown in the main hall; instead, she seemed somewhat timid. Clearly, it had taken all her courage to stand up and testify in front of so many civil and military officials.

Jiu Que admired this kind of person, and she smiled at the child.

"Your name is Green Shadow, right? I was there when you testified in the main hall. You are a very brave child, really amazing."

"No, no, Lord Ying, you are the one who is truly remarkable. Miss mentioned you before, saying she admires women like you who can make a name for themselves in the outside world, instead of being confined to the inner courtyard. You are truly amazing... I wish I could be like you, but I am too useless, and I am injured..."

As he spoke, the child couldn't help but touch his face. It was clear that the child wasn't indifferent to his injuries; he had simply disregarded life and death before, and now that he finally had some free time, he could think about them.

Jiu Que patted her shoulder, completely unconcerned about the scars on the child's face.

"What does a scar on your face matter? As long as you're alive, there are endless possibilities. When I was thrown into the manor, I never imagined I'd become an official. Take care of yourself and get well soon. If you ever have anything you want to do or need help with, come to me. You also said that Miss Qin wanted to do things outside the confines of the mansion. Now that she's gone, you can go out and see how vast the world is for her."

She pulled a gold hairpin from her hair and handed it to the child. Jiu Que liked valuable and heavy items like this. In case of danger, this gold hairpin could be very useful, and it could also be used as a token.

How good.

"me……"

Green Shadow initially dared not accept it. But looking at Lord Ying's gentle smiling face, for some reason, a voice inside him was desperately shouting.

Please accept it, you absolutely must accept it!

She looked up nervously and realized that the master and mistress were looking at her with smiles on their faces. She then reached out her hand with trembling hands and took the heavy gold hairpin.

"Thank you very much, sir! I will definitely think it over carefully! I will definitely try my best."

I believe in you. Keep going!

Only then did Jiu Que realize that the Qin couple had arrived beside her at some point, and were now watching her and Lü Ying's interaction with smiles on their faces. She couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

Well, she's not always this carefree.

At this moment, Mr. Qin no longer hesitated. He looked at the group of children who were following behind Lord Ying like a flock of little birds, trembling and looking on expectantly. He knew that they were the ones that Lord Ying had rescued from the Worry-Free Cave in the underground. This made him even more determined.

"It just so happens that Lord Qin is here as well. We two old folks have just discussed it and are thinking of taking Lüying as our daughter in place of Wanniang. We wonder if the Green Standard Army is willing? There is indeed a problem with the age difference; Wanniang is only about ten years older than you. If you are not willing, you can also become our adopted daughter..."

Although Green Shadow had been released from prison by the old emperor, the world's perception could not be changed by this single decree.

It must be said that both suggestions made by Elder Qin were good choices for her. Jiu Que nodded secretly; she knew that Elder Qin and his wife were kind people, and now it was up to the child to choose. Lü Ying also knew that this was a miracle that would never happen again in her life. She did not refuse. She was an orphan who had wandered from place to place before being sold into the Second Prince's residence, never having had a single good day. Only by being with her mistress did she feel a sliver of warmth.

This choice wasn't difficult for Lüying either. She quickly knelt down before the Qin couple and kowtowed deeply.

"Master, Madam! I... I'm willing to be Miss's child! I'm willing to break the pot for Miss, I want to be her offspring, as long as I live, Miss will live in my heart!"

The elderly couple, Mr. and Mrs. Qin, wept bitterly and rushed forward to help Lüying up. The three of them embraced and wept. Although they had lost someone important to them, they would live well in the days to come, carrying the memory of the deceased with them, and witness the changes that would occur in this world.

As a witness, Jiu Que was happy to see a happy ending and even gave them a reminder.

"Now that His Majesty has decreed that female households can be established, it is just the right time to change Lüying's household registration. We can establish a female household for her, which will be very cheap for her in the future, whether she has a child and finds a husband or adopts children."

Furthermore, as the first person to support His Majesty, one will always show him some leniency.

"Yes, that's right. We have to thank His Majesty for his kindness..."

At this moment, the resentment the Qin couple felt towards His Majesty finally dissipated. In the end, it wasn't His Majesty who harmed their child; it was that damned Second Prince. And now, the Second Prince had already been ordered to commit suicide by His Majesty. The dead are gone, and they should move on.

Seeing the genuine smiles finally appear on their faces, Jiu Que breathed a sigh of relief.

After staying there for a while, Jiu Que took his leave.

But unnoticed in a corner, a figure leaped lightly into the palace and told Emperor Jingtai everything that had happened to the Qin family. Emperor Jingtai listened in silence for a long time, then a relieved smile appeared on his face. That child must not want to see himself resented by the Qin couple, which was why he rushed to offer a solution.

But as he laughed, Emperor Jingtai couldn't laugh anymore when he thought about the current situation.

If his children were truly sincere, why would he worry about finding a successor? The more he thought about it, the more tedious it became. Emperor Jingtai once again felt regret: why wasn't Jiuque his own child?
Looking at the memorials on the table and thinking about the chaotic situation in the northern frontier, Emperor Jingtai felt a headache coming on. When the country was newly established, it was not advisable to attack the various military commanders who had rendered meritorious service in resisting the northern barbarians. Emperor Jingtai had only dispatched a few court officials to assist in managing the situation. However, the situation there was simply too difficult to handle, and the officials he sent died one after another. Eventually, Emperor Jingtai dared not send any more officials there. In the end, he could only send a few known for their good tempers, and only then did they manage to avoid dying so quickly.

Currently, the northern barbarians still pose a threat, and the women's army is not entirely stable, so Jiu Que has no choice but to go on the inspection. Actually, out of personal consideration, Emperor Jingtai doesn't want the child to be so overworked. However, without sufficiently outstanding achievements, the child won't be able to establish himself in the court. While he's alive, he has someone to back him up, but what if he dies? Who knows what kind of person his successor will be? Therefore, no amount of favoritism is as good as giving the child the ability to be independent, so that even if he dies later, Jiu Que can remain secure and unassailable.

After much deliberation, Emperor Jingtai unfolded the imperial edict and added another stroke to it.

He was promoted four ranks from the Nine Palaces and appointed as a third-rank Imperial Censor, and was specially granted the Emperor's sword. Wherever he went, it was as if the Emperor himself was there!

(End of this chapter)