Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 352 Undercurrent surging
"Whether it's a fight to gain the same rights as men, or continued suppression and an even more constrained life than before, it all depends on the present."

"Shuran, what will you choose?"

"I……"

Lin Shuran was speechless for a moment, unsure how to begin. On one hand, she was captivated by the future her mother had envisioned; on the other hand, she inevitably felt hesitant and afraid. For thousands of years, women had been confined to the inner quarters, and vying for power was something men were expected to do. Could a woman truly stand on the stage of power, working for herself and for all women in the world?
But after a brief hesitation, Lin Shuran couldn't overcome her inner conviction. In that short blink of an eye, what flashed through her mind was her childhood, when she couldn't have the same teacher as her younger brother. Her brother studied the Four Books and Five Classics, while she, upon reaching a certain age, could only learn embroidery, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. It wasn't that music, chess, calligraphy, and painting were bad; they could certainly cultivate one's character. But if one wanted to become an official, these were not the things one needed to learn.

She recalled how her mother could have lived a very happy life, but was instead subjected to relentless humiliation by Lin Wei, living in constant fear and trepidation for over a decade in the Lin family's inner quarters. She even gleaned from her mother's earlier words that Lin Wei was inextricably linked to General Ying's death. And there were countless others like her throughout the world. Should she ignore the potential dangers of the future simply because she was currently doing relatively well?

Of all the things in this world that are difficult, there is one thing that cannot be neglected: gambling with other people's conscience.

Wasn't General Ying good to Lin Wei back then? Lin Wei only rose to his current position because of the General's connections and prestige. Did he have any conscience towards the General? Take Ying Jiuque, for example. Ever since the news of General Ying's accident came, Lin Wei had sent him to a manor in the suburbs, where he remained for thirteen years. Only now did she suddenly recall that when Ying Jiuque returned, he and her brother had repeatedly spoken ill of him to her, saying he was vulgar and lacked manners. Such a person would likely tarnish the reputation of the Lin family women, and it was because she had heard so much of this that she deliberately sought out trouble for Ying Jiuque.

At the time, I didn't realize it; I just thought my father and brother were on my side. Overjoyed, I couldn't wait to cause trouble for Ying Jiuque. But now, thinking back, they were clearly using me as a pawn. Just a pawn, of course, there's no need to care what thoughts it has.

When a pawn doesn't realize it can resist, it's naturally at the mercy of others. But now, Lin Shuran doesn't want to be a pawn anymore. She wants to be a real person, someone like General Ying and Ying Jiuque who can wield power freely and stand proudly in the arena of power.

She spent the first ten years of her life in a daze, but now that she has plenty of time, she wants to make a name for herself. Who says women can only stay in the inner quarters their whole lives? They can clearly do so much more.

When Lin Shuran calmed down, Xu Minghui was pleased to see a hint of ambition on the child's face. Ambition was good; she never found ambitious people scary. What was the point of life if someone didn't even have basic ambition? Only by constantly moving towards a predetermined goal, fulfilling one's ambitions and objectives step by step, could life be meaningful.

“Good boy, now that you’ve made your decision, let’s get to work. Most men think women’s social circles are useless, but in fact, socializing with women from different households is the best way to exchange information…”

Lin Shuran seemed to understand, but not quite. She watched quietly and curiously as her mother handed her a handkerchief embroidered with tiny flowers.

“This was given to me by an old friend, and now I am giving it to you. My child, you must remember that no matter when or where, no matter what difficulties you encounter, do not be afraid, because behind you stand many people just like us, people who do not believe in fate and do not accept it.”

"Go boldly forward. The future belongs to us."...

"Cough cough cough-"

A series of rapid, continuous coughs echoed through the spacious hall. The coughs sounded desperate, as if the emperor were coughing up his lungs. The palace servants listening nearby listened with trepidation, fearing that the emperor, who had spent half his life on the battlefield, would collapse at any moment.

Those who serve His Majesty have been on tenterhooks these past few days, firstly because the situation on the border is unclear, secondly because His Majesty's health seems to be deteriorating, and thirdly because the ministers in the court are now engaged in open and covert struggles, with undercurrents surging beneath the surface.

The Fourth Prince, who had been imprisoned for wrongdoing, was not immediately punished by His Majesty for some unknown reason. Everyone thought he was doomed, but His Majesty, perhaps out of age and soft-heartedness, tolerated even his attempt to force a coup by colluding with barbarians. This tolerance, however, inevitably led to problems. His Majesty only had four sons, no princesses. Now, three had died unnatural deaths, leaving only the youngest alive. Although he carried heavy burdens of guilt, it wasn't impossible to spare his life in a critical moment. After all, even if the Fourth Prince was guilty, his child might not be.

His Majesty has very few relatives, not even a single one within the five degrees of kinship. It's no wonder the ministers are so preoccupied. While supporting the Fourth Prince isn't necessarily the right thing to do, supporting a future grandson is certainly possible. Although there's no grandson in sight right now, children have their advantages; at least they're obedient.

Which minister in the imperial court hasn't dreamed of becoming regent? The power to control the world is a huge temptation for anyone.

Yes, while the border wars were still unresolved and the soldiers were fighting bloody battles, these power monsters at the very heart of the empire were still thinking about the same old power struggles. For thousands of years, it's been the same old thing, never changing. How ridiculous.

Although still bedridden, Emperor Jingtai was not entirely unaware of all this, but for some unknown reason, he chose to let it all go unchecked. This led many to believe that Emperor Jingtai was old and ill, and his control over these matters was far less than before.

Loyal ministers came to offer advice, but they couldn't even get an audience with the Emperor, making everyone even more worried about his safety. Because of this, they dared not rashly suggest punishing the heinous fourth prince. For a time, the court maintained an eerie, quiet balance.

"Clap clap clap..."

A series of hurried, subtle footsteps sounded. Jiu Fu tried to return as quietly as possible, but Emperor Jingtai, who should have been fast asleep, was surprisingly alert and opened his eyes before Jiu Fu could even call for help.

"How's the battle going?"