Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 302 I have never forgotten my original intention

"What's impossible about that? In this world, it's hard for a man to be sure if a child is his, but a woman's child is definitely hers."

"Although I rule the world, I am still just a mortal. Just like now, I don't want to admit that you are my son, but I still have to. It would be such a pity if you were the child in that palace maid's belly."

By casually recounting this news, which would be enough for future generations to laugh at him for a hundred years, Emperor Jingtai seemed to think that the shock to the fourth prince was not enough.

"In fact, you guessed right. If that child is born and has better aptitude than you, we will indeed consider establishing a new crown prince, even if he is not my child."

"Father, how could you do this? Who in this world would pass their family business to an outsider instead of their own son? Besides, she cheated on you! How can an illegitimate child become emperor?"

The Fourth Prince was furious; his anger almost set him ablaze. He looked much better than his previous timid and cowardly self.

It's a pity that neither of the two people present appreciated him.

"So I say you can't be emperor. So what if you have an illegitimate child? Just keep it a secret, won't you? This empire needs an heir, but it doesn't necessarily have to be my son! As long as he looks like him, that's enough, isn't it? Originally, I wanted to make you a prince, with a hereditary title, so you could enjoy all the riches and honors. If you could have a child with outstanding qualities, he could also inherit the throne. But now, I dare not gamble. With your abilities, the possibility of you having an outstanding offspring is too small. I cannot take that risk."

The Fourth Prince, having lived for over twenty years, had never imagined hearing such words. What did he mean by saying it wouldn't matter if the empire were passed down to outsiders? He was his father's own son; did his father value the empire more than his son? Everyone in this world values ​​the inheritance of their family business, their descendants, and the longevity of the empire. For Emperor Jingtai to utter such unorthodox words left the Fourth Prince feeling as if he were being burned alive, utterly unable to control his emotions.

He almost screamed violently!

"I am your son! Even if you look down on me, I am still your own flesh and blood! Even if you don't pass the throne to me, you must pass it to my son! Since ancient times, which emperor would pass his throne to an unrelated person? I made a mistake, I admit it. But I will definitely have a son in the future, and who can guarantee that my son won't surpass me? My three elder brothers didn't have any children before me, so I didn't dare to have a child before them, and that's why I've been making my wives and concubines take contraceptives. As long as they stop taking the pills, I will soon be able to have my own child. Father, don't you want to see your grandchildren?"

"Have you forgotten that the reason you started the rebellion was so that we could have a better life?"

Emperor Jingtai's eyes glazed over for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Although I am the emperor, I am still just a mortal. Naturally, I wish to see my descendants prosper. But things in this world are often like this, where it is difficult to have both. I have already possessed the world and achieved unparalleled feats. It is Heaven's will that I have some dissatisfaction with the succession of my children. Today is the last time my son and I will meet. I will teach you one last thing."

“I have never forgotten my original intention when I embarked on the path of rebellion. What I want is for all the children in the world to live in a peaceful and prosperous era. For everyone in the world to have enough to eat and wear. We suffered a lot back then, and people said that it is better to be a dog in times of peace than a human in times of chaos. What I want to do is to give the people a peaceful and prosperous era. Therefore, my successor must not be an unrighteous person who does not care about the lives and deaths of the people.”

"When you heard that the Northern Barbarian envoy could infect me with smallpox and cause me to die, did you ever think about how the entire capital, no, the entire Great Jing, was suffering from smallpox? Did you ever think that those who were sick or even dying were my subjects of Great Jing?" "Now that the country is in distress and the borders are in danger, you only think about becoming emperor. Aren't you afraid that on the day of your coronation, the Northern Barbarians will break through the capital and cut off your head!"

"Go down. From this day forward, you and I, father and son, will never see each other again, in life or in death."

"I, Father! I only made a mistake, but I never expected it to turn out this way. You know I've been timid since childhood and have never handled political affairs before, so it's normal for me to be short-sighted. Besides, you've never taught me anything before, how could I possibly understand? Please give me another chance..."

Jiu Que couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion. His Majesty was truly an unparalleled wise ruler, but he couldn't understand why he had so many useless children. Seeing the Fourth Prince causing such a ruckus, he stepped forward to pull him away. However, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a cold glint in the Fourth Prince's hand—he was about to assassinate His Majesty!

The timing was far too perfect; only the Fourth Prince was by the dragon bed. Even if the Fourth Prince were dragged away, the dagger in his hand would surely pierce His Majesty! His Majesty was already seriously ill; if he were stabbed, his illness would likely be irrecoverable.

In the midst of the crisis, Jiu Que had no time to think. He grabbed the gleaming dagger, and a sharp pain shot through his hand. Before he could cry out, Jiu Que used his other hand to throw the Fourth Prince away. He heard a thud and turned around to find the Fourth Prince had crashed into a pillar and was now limp on the ground, too weak to struggle.

It wasn't until he heard Emperor Jingtai's panicked and worried question that Jiu Que realized his left hand was already a bloody mess.

hiss!
[Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! How dare the Fourth Prince assassinate His Majesty? Can't he see that His Majesty's many hurtful words were merely a ploy to save his life? Otherwise, how could future emperors tolerate His Majesty's favored son? He's utterly foolish. But then again, if he were that clever and resourceful, he wouldn't have colluded with the Northern Barbarians.]

It hurts so much...

Emperor Jingtai examined Jiu Que's wrist thoroughly, turning it over and over, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he found that the dagger had not severed her muscles and tendons. Jiu Que possessed immense strength, most of which was concentrated in her hands; wouldn't it be a pity if her hands were injured?

Seeing that Jiu Que was indeed unharmed, Emperor Jingtai relaxed slightly, but after a moment of realization, he was filled with anger again. Jiu Que had seen through his good intentions, but this foolish son just couldn't understand a single thing!
"Take him away! Imprison him in the Imperial Clan Court. No one is allowed to see him without my permission!"

"Father! You are being far too unfair!"

Seeing the guards rushing in to drag him away, the Fourth Prince didn't care about anything else and just poured out all the troubles he had accumulated over the years.

"I am your son, and yet you treat me like this! You treat a stranger better than you treat me. Do you really want to take Ying Jiuque into your harem? Fine, fine, you always pride yourself on being a wise ruler, yet you engage in such licentious acts in the court. It's truly laughable! I refuse to accept this! I refuse to accept this—"

(End of this chapter)