Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 346 Why

He stared intently into her eyes for a long time, and when he realized that she really had no intention of showing her face in public, and didn't even dare to resist, Lin Moran let go of her hand with some doubt.

Seeing his older sister pale with pain, he seemed to remember the sibling bond between them.

"Second Sister, I just had a fight with Father and I'm in a bad mood. When I came out, I saw you running away like a thief, so of course I suspected you were eavesdropping on purpose. Second Sister, please don't do that again. Besides, the study is a very important place in the mansion. Apart from Father and me, no other master is allowed to go near it. Have you forgotten this ironclad rule?"

Lin Shuran shrank her shoulders, looking quite frightened.

"I...I really didn't mean it. I just thought Father hasn't looked well lately, perhaps he's worried about the war on the frontier, so I wanted to make some medicinal food and snacks for him to eat more of. I didn't expect you to misunderstand..."

"That's good."

Lin Moran felt a little awkward at this moment. He would never have treated his own sister like this before, but the psychological pressure Ying Jiuque had been putting on him lately had been too great. Every time he went out to a gathering, his usually close friends would look at him with knowing, teasing glances, and they would even gossip about him behind his back, as if he didn't know.

He had overheard them mocking him several times, saying that as a male member of the Lin family, he was inferior to a woman, being trampled on by her and having to bow before her. Lin Moran, barely a teenager, had already passed the imperial examination and was considered a minor prodigy with some local fame. Before, whether at home or in social situations, everyone's attention was focused on him. But now, although they still did, the feeling was completely different; in their eyes, he seemed like a joke.

Especially yesterday when he went out to socialize, his small circle of friends was not even close to high-ranking officials or their sons. But yesterday, several sons of noble families invited him over with great interest. Ironically, he was so excited that his face turned red, but after only a few words, he discovered that they were not there for his talent at all, but rather to indirectly inquire about Ying Jiuque, who was still on the frontier.

The feeling of humiliation instantly overwhelmed him, almost making him faint. He hadn't yet cultivated the ability to remain unmoved even if Mount Tai collapsed before him; perhaps because he showed some displeasure, those noble sons turned their backs on him.

"If it were Lady Ying showing me disrespect today, I would accept it. I am inferior to her, and I will admit it. But what are you? You are just a concubine's son, born of a concubine. You have been born for more than ten years and are still just a scholar. You have not even officially entered the officialdom. What right do you have to look down on me?"

"You don't understand. Young Master Lin and Master Ying aren't born of the same mother, so it's normal for their relationship to be a bit distant. How can a son born out of wedlock feel good when you talk about the advantages of your elder sister in front of him?"

"Seriously? It's one thing to think such things in your mind, but you actually said them out loud. How hurtful that is to Young Master Lin!"

"Tch! If I were him, I'd be too ashamed to even show my face! As a man, it's one thing to be inferior to a woman, but to be so arrogant is another. You don't actually think that everyone who's invited you these past few days is only doing it because of your mere scholar's degree, do you? If it weren't for Lord Ying's presence, who would even know who you are? If you weren't trying to get in touch with Lord Ying, would you even be able to get into my garden?"

"Oh dear, Brother Yang, please don't say that. This young master is Minister Lin's most beloved son; perhaps he possesses some special talent we're unaware of." "Don't even mention it! Minister Lin always appears gentle and refined, but who would have thought he's hiding something inside? Minister Ying spent over a decade growing up on a suburban estate. Otherwise, why would Minister Ying never visit him before leaving the capital, and even sever ties with him? To be honest, your plan today is futile. If Minister Ying had a good relationship with the Lin family, it would be fine, but they're sworn enemies. Why are you making a fool of yourselves? If Minister Ying returns and finds out about this, don't say I didn't warn you."

"I know, I know. It was just a spur-of-the-moment decision to see what the Lin family's offspring were really like. Now that I see they're nothing special, no wonder Lord Ying has no attachment to the Lin family. If it were me, I wouldn't have any attachment either."

……

What happened next was an immense humiliation for Lin Moran. The mockery in the eyes of both those who spoke and those who watched was impossible to hide. He felt like an actor, utterly disfigured by all sorts of stares.

If it weren't for this humiliation, he truly wouldn't have understood his standing in the eyes of the powerful and influential in the capital. That's why he vented his anger on Lin Wei in the study just now. It's just a pity that his father, for some reason, didn't approve of him either.

After venting her anger on her own sister, Lin Moran felt much better. She offered a few words of concern before turning and leaving.

Lin Shuran, who remained behind, was pale-faced. Although she was dressed in thick clothes, her thin figure still appeared slender even under the heavy covering.

For years before, the ideal woman in the capital was slender and gentle, and she was no exception. Even though she often felt hungry, she only ate until she was three-tenths full at each meal. Don't let her current slender appearance fool you; a year ago, she was even thinner.

Why is it that over the past year, she has been able to eat more without anyone saying anything? Even her girlfriends, with whom she usually keeps in touch, are now gradually becoming healthier than before?

Oh, she seemed to remember now. It was all because of her older sister, who had suddenly appeared and stolen everyone's attention.

Ying Jiuque never cared about being slender or delicate. As long as she was healthy, she seemed to eat a lot at every meal and had great strength. Each time she appeared, she seemed to be taller than before. Thinking back now, wasn't she about as tall as a man on the day she went to war?

Normally, for a young woman to be taller than an average man would be a big deal, perhaps even the subject of years of ridicule. But it seems no one has ever mentioned it; everyone seems to have unanimously ignored it…

Lin Shuran stood in the cold wind for a long time, lost in thought. She wondered why the winds in the capital had shifted so quickly. Why didn't anyone see this as a problem? She also wondered why her own younger brother hadn't apologized when he pinched her hard after doing something wrong. Why did he get so angry over a few handkerchiefs? Why did he think he was only fit to do needlework and couldn't study more? Did he think that if he studied more and became more sensible, he would reduce the family's resources?
Is he afraid that someone else is more ambitious and outstanding than him?