Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 300 I just couldn't stand it anymore

The moment Jiu Que stepped inside, he couldn't help but sniff. The palace room reeked of medicine! So His Majesty really had encountered trouble!
For some reason, the palace seemed unusually quiet and spacious. The Fourth Prince had already strode swiftly past the screen to the dragon bed. Jiu Que quickened his pace as well.

When Jiu Que reached the bedside, he could hardly believe that the pale-faced old man sitting on the bed was the majestic Emperor he had seen half a month ago.

"Your Majesty, I wish you good health."

The Fourth Prince had already paid his respects, but Emperor Jingtai hadn't reacted until now, when he slowly opened his eyes. Upon seeing that Jiuque was safe and sound, Emperor Jingtai couldn't help but smile.

"Jiu Que has arrived? You've worked hard these past two weeks. Smallpox has been a major concern for both the people and emperors of every dynasty. Now that you've completely eradicated it, not to mention the people, even I would like to build a shrine in your honor. Hundreds of millions of people in my Great Jing owe a great debt to you. Otherwise, if smallpox had spread, one in ten of the Great Jing would have survived, and all my efforts over the years would have been in vain."

"Your Majesty flatters me. I am unworthy of such praise. I am grateful for Your Majesty's trust. Otherwise, this smallpox vaccination method would never have been widely adopted."

Jiu Que was not lying. If Emperor Jingtai hadn't trusted her so much, she wouldn't have been able to promote it at all. After all, she lived in a feudal era. If even the rulers at the top didn't believe her, what could she do?
These days, even if you praise someone, they don't believe you. Now I finally know what it feels like to lay bare your heart and express your true feelings.

She couldn't utter any more words of praise at this moment. She could only look at His Majesty quietly, trying to express her thoughts with her sincere eyes. Fortunately, Emperor Jingtai knew what kind of person he was. Especially when he heard what she was thinking, he almost couldn't help but laugh, but in the end he managed to hold back.

Emperor Jingtai coughed lightly and smiled.

"In short, I will not mistreat any minister who works sincerely, so you can rest assured. I just think your title can be improved. You've been holding the title of Earl for long enough. From today onwards, how about I bestow upon you the title of Duke of Zhen'an?"

"Father! This is unacceptable!"

Before Jiu Que could even speak, the Fourth Prince hurriedly refused, breaking out in a cold sweat.

“Father, I know you have always trusted Lord Ying, but the matter of bestowing a duke title is not a trivial matter. Besides, she has only just been granted the title of princess. For an outsider, isn't such a reward enough? If the other ministers knew about this, what would they think?”

"I haven't even said a word, yet you're already so anxious. What could they possibly be thinking? If they can cure smallpox, I'll still bestow upon them the title of Duke, and the position will be hereditary! As long as the Great Jing Dynasty exists, this title of Duke will continue to be passed down! Those who have rendered meritorious service to the country should naturally be greatly rewarded. Not only Jiu Que, but everyone who has contributed during this epidemic should be rewarded. Clear rewards and punishments are the way to long-term survival. What? Fourth Prince, do you have a problem with this? Then tell me, during this epidemic, what have you, as a prince, done that is beneficial to the country?"

Emperor Jingtai's words made the fourth prince turn pale, but he instinctively wanted to deny it.

"I... Moreover, I was so worried about Father that I didn't think of that... Besides, Father didn't allow me to go out and help. If I really did that, wouldn't that be considered disloyal?"

At this point, the Fourth Prince's face was filled with sorrow. "With the affairs of my three elder brothers preceding us, how dare I make decisions on my own?"

His desperate tactic was utterly ineffective against Emperor Jingtai, who simply snorted coldly, showing utter disdain.

"It's really strange, really. I've been wise all my life, and I'm the founding emperor. My name will surely be recorded in history. But I just don't understand why my four sons are all so stupid. Your three older brothers are stupid in the open, but you're stupid in the shadows. Do you really think no one knows what you've done? I always thought you were timid, but now it seems you're the most daring of the four brothers!"

The fourth prince trembled and immediately knelt down, carefully explaining himself.

“Father, I don’t know whose slanderous words you listened to, but I have not done anything wrong. I am indeed somewhat useless, but I would never dare to do anything that goes against your wishes.”

Emperor Jingtai wanted to be patient, but his son was simply too foolish. Even now, he was still trying to argue, showing absolutely no ambition or courage to accomplish anything significant.

He simply snorted coldly.

"If you dared to seize this opportunity to force me to abdicate or kill me with a single blow and ascend the throne, I would praise you for your bravery and fearlessness. But you are as cowardly as a mouse, and you're trying to negotiate with a tiger. Are those grassland envoys any good? Aren't their suggestions quite to your liking?"

"Anyway, smallpox is rampant throughout the capital, so it's not surprising that the emperor has contracted it. Your emperor is old and should have died long ago. He's incredibly robust, so if we take advantage of this opportunity to let him contract smallpox, he could die now. Fourth Prince, you are the emperor's only son; you will be the only one to become emperor. Wealth and glory are right before your eyes; it all depends on whether you dare to fight for it. Although the country is yours, there's a huge difference between becoming emperor sooner and later. If my information is correct, your father has another child about to be born in the empress's palace. If it's a princess, that's fine, but if it's a prince, given your father's health, he might live long enough to raise him. Who will become emperor then is still uncertain. Anyway, I've said my piece; Fourth Prince, the choice is yours."

"Look at how righteous, sincere, and selfless these words are! And you, you fool, actually fell for it! Do you even have a brain? Can't you think things through? Our two countries have been enemies for so many years, wishing we could wipe each other out immediately. How could he possibly be so kind as to give you advice?"

"I... Your son didn't, Your son really didn't!"

The fourth prince had almost frozen in place when he heard Emperor Jingtai repeat the words of the northern barbarian envoy. But with disaster looming, he quickly recovered and began to defend himself.

He was weeping bitterly, looking utterly disheveled, and for a moment he didn't care that there was an insignificant Ying Jiuque standing next to him.

"Father, do you not know my courage? I dare not! That envoy from the Northern Barbarians only said those words to me, and I did not accept them! Father! Do you not know how much you have loved me all these years? How could I possibly lay a hand on you?"

(End of this chapter)