Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 366 The Night Before Departure
Prince Rui!
He's actually a Prince of the First Rank! And such a prestigious title at that!

Even though everyone wanted to maintain a good image in front of the imperial envoy, they couldn't help but make a slight noise. It was as if they couldn't help but twist their heads to seek approval. They must have heard correctly, right? Otherwise, how could they have heard that their Lord Ying had been granted the title of Prince, and even a First-Rank Prince?
No, after realizing what had happened, everyone was baffled by Emperor Jingtai's actions. His Majesty wasn't without sons. None of his four sons had been granted the title of prince, and the first three, who died young, remained bald princes. Why would he be so kind as to grant Lord Ying a princely title? While Lord Ying's victory over the grasslands was a rare achievement in over a century, wasn't this sudden bestowal of a princely title a bit too hasty? Did all the officials in the court support this? Wouldn't they cause chaos in the court?
Those civil officials, aren't they best at advising the emperor? General Yuchi, who had once been fortunate enough to attend court, felt a headache coming on when he thought of those civil officials pestering him and talking non-stop in the court. They were so capable, yet they couldn't change His Majesty's decision? What a bunch of good-for-nothings!
General Yuchi was naturally pleased that Jiu Que was being granted the title of King, but as Jiu Que's elder, he couldn't help but have some concerns. With the heir apparent still undecided and His Majesty's only remaining prince behaving in such a way, it was uncertain whether he would be able to shoulder the responsibilities of the nation. Under these circumstances, wouldn't granting Jiu Que the title of King be an eyesore to everyone?

This doesn't seem like a good sign.

Jiu Que was also somewhat surprised, but her surprise was limited. After all, His Majesty had been promoting her vigorously and giving her the utmost trust throughout her journey. Now that she had defeated the grasslands, she had removed the deepest thorn in Emperor Jingtai's heart, so receiving such a reward was within her expectations.

And to be honest, she had really missed Emperor Jingtai after being away for so long. To Jiu Que, His Majesty was not only a ruler who appreciated her, but also a caring and loving elder. Now that His Majesty was troubled, she naturally had to go back to help.

Putting everything else aside, surely she can help with the matter of the heir apparent?
Of course, Emperor Jingtai's edict wasn't just about Jiuque; the entire Northern Frontier Army was lavishly rewarded, with even high-ranking officials like General Yuchi and Lin Chongshan receiving promotions. General Yuchi felt somewhat ashamed, as he had contracted smallpox and missed two important battles, causing inconvenience to the Northern Frontier Army. Yet, he received such a reward, which he felt unworthy of.

However, no one felt there was anything wrong with this. After all, General Yuchi had been the rightful controller of the Northern Frontier Army for so many years. Even if he hadn't made any great contributions, he had certainly put in a lot of hard work. Moreover, wasn't the victory of the Northern Frontier Army a victory for General Yuchi? As the commander-in-chief, he was entitled to be rewarded.

The eunuch not only brought a thick imperial edict, but also extremely generous rewards. On this day, the entire Northern Frontier Army was immersed in joy.

Although their pursuit team didn't find the Little Prince and his group, the remaining remnants of the army roaming the grasslands were all wiped out. For the next twenty years, the Great Jing's borders were at peace!
Such a joyous occasion even drew exclamations of admiration from the special envoys who had traveled from afar. How many years had it been? For countless years, the entire Central Plains had witnessed such a grand event. How wonderful! From now on, everyone in the Great Jing Dynasty could proudly say that their generation had utterly subdued the grasslands! Even the renowned Sachi Khan had been captured and placed in a cage, awaiting his arrival in the capital for His Majesty's perusal. What couldn't they boast about?

Watching the soldiers joyfully singing and dancing, the special envoys who had traveled from afar couldn't help but smile. The eunuchs of this time were different from those in history; after all, their ancestor was Eunuch Fu, a man who had fought alongside His Majesty on the battlefield. Such a bright and cheerful man would never have molded his young servants into treacherous and vicious individuals. They naturally held a deep respect for the soldiers who went to war.

Moreover, people of this era, even the civil officials, no matter how much they despised the military officers' crudeness, would never verbally belittle their achievements. After all, they were all ultimately people of the Great Jing. They understood the principle of shared prosperity and shared ruin. If the grasslands won this war, the entire Great Jing would become the grassland people's cattle and sheep. How the grassland people would treat their prisoners had already been fully revealed over the past few centuries. They were not ordinary people; they knew more than the average person, and naturally did not want to become the kind of people who could be humiliated at will. So, this was for the best.

The young eunuch even led his subordinates to join the soldiers of the Northern Frontier Army in their celebration, creating a truly joyous atmosphere.

He wasn't a fool. Lord Ying was enjoying the Emperor's favor, his military achievements were numerous, and he even had merits that could be passed down for centuries. What good would it do to offend him? Besides, even the venerable Eunuch Jiufu praised Lord Ying highly. You must know that he had served His Majesty for over twenty years, and sometimes even the highest-ranking officials couldn't understand His Majesty's thoughts as well as he did. Eunuch Jiufu had always been a guiding light for them, these lowly eunuchs; they had to keep up with his footsteps.

However, the Northern Frontier Army was quite disappointed after the merriment that night. Everyone knew that Jiu Que would basically not be coming back after this trip, but the child was going back for a better future, and they couldn't let the child stay in the Northern Frontier and suffer in the sand, could they?

Giving children a better future is also the greatest wish of the elders. Moreover, in the future, a high-ranking official of the country will come from their Northern Frontier Army. Doesn't that sound impressive? Of course, those who say this probably selectively forget that Jiu Que only came to the Northern Frontier Army to supervise the battle and did not stay there for long.

This night is bound to be a sleepless one.

In the stillness of the night, Jiu Que sat in the tent of the Northern Frontier Army, looking at the furnishings in the tent. It seemed that he could see the short but glorious life of that woman in these old things.

Mother, in your short first half of life, did you ever feel weary and bored? Did you feel resentful towards this unjust world, towards this era that so ruthlessly oppresses women? But soon, in just a short time, this world may change...

In the dim light, Jiu Que's quiet face appeared somewhat expressionless. The flickering candlelight cast shadows on her face, as if obscuring all the gloomy and terrifying things in the world. Jiu Que gently stroked the carvings on the table, her fingertips tracing a small, delicate flower. The familiar pattern reflected the flickering firelight...