Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 291 Everyone performs their duties
In reality, when faced with a true life-or-death situation, many people find it difficult to confront it calmly. But humans are truly remarkable creatures; sometimes they will fight fiercely because no one wants to die. Yet, at other times, they can place the lives of others above their own.

This is the case now.

After receiving Ying Jiuque's assurance, most people were no longer afraid to go to Yunxiu Manor. After all, according to the common people's simple beliefs, even officials were willing to go with them, so Yunxiu Manor should be safe. And even if there were risks, with a high-ranking official like Ying Jiuque accompanying them, what was there to be afraid of?
In any case, the lives of officials are far more important than their own.

Of course, some people were actually against it, but they couldn't go against Jiu Que's wishes. As everyone headed out of the city, Chunyu Shuang couldn't help but tug at Jiu Que's clothes.

“Jiu Que, have you thought this through? You really don’t need to go with them. After all, you’re so healthy right now, with no signs of illness at all. But once you enter Yunxiu Manor, you’ll be surrounded by infected people. Even if you were healthy before, there’s an 80% chance you’ll catch the plague. The situation is still unclear; the doctors don’t even know what kind of plague it is or whether it’s curable. You don’t need to gamble with your life. How about I go instead? I’m a third-rank official now. They’ll feel more at ease if I go with them.”

Jiu Que turned around and smiled, casually removing Chunyu Shuang's hand from her clothes. Looking earnestly into Chunyu Shuang's eyes, she knew, of course, that her friend was worried about her. After all, in the face of such a catastrophe, everyone was thinking about how to save their own lives. Her behavior—not only not distancing herself, but actually getting closer—was truly perplexing.

However, one must always do something in life. Before that, she needed to be His Majesty's hands, capable of dealing with the shadows lurking beneath this bright and clear sky. Today, her task was to lead these three thousand sick people, giving them hope for life and preventing them from feeling abandoned. She had already promised to go to Yunxiu Manor with everyone. If she were to change people midway, even if it was Chunyu Shuang, who was of equally high rank, it would cause these people to feel terrified. Why wasn't Ying Jiuque going with them? Why was someone changed midway? Did it mean the epidemic was particularly severe? Did it mean they wouldn't come out alive once they entered Yunxiu Manor?

In this time of widespread anxiety, being able to briefly calm the public is already an unexpected success. How can one expect further change?

Moreover, she herself was willing to do it.

"Don't worry, I'm just going with them. Besides, that's the estate His Majesty bestowed upon me; I haven't even been inside yet. Even if I don't believe him, I have to believe His Majesty, right? Since he sent doctors and medicine, he'll definitely nip this epidemic in the bud. And this time, going in will cut me off from the outside world. At a time like this, you're very important. I know what you're thinking. We've worked so hard to stand in the court; it would be such a waste to hand it over to someone else now. Many things have two sides, and this time is no exception. If we can stand up in this time of crisis to help stabilize order, rescue the people, and study the epidemic, we will surely leave a mark in history. At that time, who will care whether we're men or women?"

Chunyu Shuang's lips trembled for a long time before she finally slowly released her grip. She knew that even if she didn't say it, Jiu Que knew what she was thinking. Yes, she had been waiting for such an opportunity for a very long time. From childhood to adulthood, Chunyu Shuang had never understood why, even though they were all children of the same parents, their education and resources differed so drastically simply because of their gender. Was it because she was a woman that she couldn't go to school, acquire knowledge, take the imperial examinations, or control her own destiny? How unfair was this attitude?

This question had remained unanswered for her throughout her life; even when she tentatively asked, she only received her father's disgust and her mother's silence. Of course, since Jiu Que's emergence, she had indeed climbed the ranks, but that wasn't enough. She needed a decisive opportunity. And now was that opportunity. If she could distinguish herself during this epidemic and gain the people's support, her future career would undoubtedly be smoother. Moreover, even if male officials continued to criticize her, she would have grounds to refute them. After all, in this time of crisis, if a female official could stand up for the people, what about the male officials who failed to do so?
In fact, Chunyu Shuang had already made preparations, but she never expected that Jiu Que would be the first to step forward. Even if she died in this plague, Jiu Que could not be harmed! Because she was the highest-ranking woman in officialdom, and the person most trusted by His Majesty. In other words, she was the role model for countless women climbing the social ladder. If Jiu Que died in this plague, not to mention whether His Majesty would be furious, it would be a great loss in itself.

However, during the time she had known Jiu Que, she knew very well what kind of person she was. Although she was usually easy to talk to and rarely got angry unless absolutely necessary, once she made up her mind, it was very difficult to change it.

Watching Jiu Que and the sick people grow further and further away, Chunyu Shuang gritted her teeth, forced herself to pull herself together, and turned to bring the news to the palace.

When Emperor Jingtai heard the news, he couldn't help but cough several times; he was both anxious and angry.

"Why didn't she say anything beforehand? How could she be so arbitrary? You can catch the disease even if you're just staying at home, let alone plunging into a ward full of sick people. It's no wonder she got sick. This child, how could she be so stupid? At a time like this, everyone should be urging others to step forward while they hide in the back and enjoy the spoils, but she's the only one who..."

“Look at all the civil and military officials in this city, who dares to eat and live with those sick people like Jiu Que?”

Jiufu was also deeply moved. During his years in the palace, serving by His Majesty's side, he had seen many officials. Some were the kind who spoke grandly but were actually unwilling to endure any hardship. Those like Lord Ying, who would go to the sick without hesitation, were truly few and far between.

Alas, if everyone in this world were like Lord Ying, there would surely be far fewer disputes.

Emperor Jingtai was clearly deeply saddened. He remained silent for a long time before wearily signaling that the doctors and medicines at Yunxiu Manor must be adequately supplied. He also instructed that Xie Mingchen, since he had volunteered to deal with the epidemic, should also be sent to Yunxiu Manor. At least having an acquaintance there would ensure that the doctors were genuinely treating the people and the Nine Palaces.

(End of this chapter)