Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 370: Generous Rewards
"Prince Rui, you must be tired from your journey. You fought a truly exhilarating battle! It's a pity this old servant is too old to witness your heroic deeds in person... Oh dear, look at my mouth, all I do is ramble on. His Majesty has been longing to hear about you, so please come in with me!"

Jiu Que nodded with a smile, showing no airs whatsoever. Of course, her behavior made the ministers behind her, who already had grievances against Jiu Que, secretly laugh. To be able to adopt such a servile attitude towards a eunuch was truly self-degrading.

Honest and upright officials like them should keep their distance from eunuchs. Although Jiu Fu has served His Majesty for a long time, he is still a eunuch; how can he be compared to them?
Jiu Que had no interest in these people's thoughts. She simply strode across the threshold with a slightly hurried air and finally saw the person she had been longing for on the dragon throne.

With just one glance, Jiu Que froze on the spot. Only a few months had passed since she left. Why had His Majesty become so thin? Could it be that before he left, the Fourth Prince, in collusion with the grassland delegation, had infected His Majesty with smallpox, and that his condition was severe?
Emperor Jingtai, seated in his wheelchair, was indeed much thinner than before. However, his imposing aura and sharp eyes remained unchanged, perhaps even more piercing than before.

He sat on the dragon throne, his imposing aura filling the empty space.

Upon seeing Jiuque, Emperor Jingtai slowly revealed a smile on his cold face.

"Jiu Que, you're back."

It wasn't just a polite way of addressing Ying Qing; it was a direct address like an elder calling out to a younger member of the family. This familiar voice made Jiu Que's eyes well up with tears.

"His Majesty……"

"As long as you are safe and sound."

The Golden Palace was filled with officials, all observing with a variety of gazes. Whether directed at Emperor Jingtai or at the Nine Palaces, their eyes were exceptionally complex, so complex that it was impossible to imagine what they were thinking.

Emperor Jingtai is now visibly weak and ill, so his ministers are not likely to harbor rebellious thoughts. However, in this turbulent era, they may have other ideas, such as supporting the next emperor to ascend the throne and gaining merit by following the emperor's rise to power.

Looking at Emperor Jingtai, Jiu Que saw that although he was the emperor of this mortal realm, he possessed an indescribable loneliness. As a junior who had repeatedly received Emperor Jingtai's favor, Jiu Que felt genuine heartache.

"Your Majesty appears somewhat thinner than I have seen you for many days. Please take good care of your health!"

Ying Jiuque spoke sincerely, but some scheming ministers wanted to see him make a fool of himself. For an emperor, the most taboo thing is to be called old and weak. Especially now that three of His Majesty's four sons are dead, and the remaining one has committed a serious crime and is still imprisoned in some unknown corner, only someone like Ying Jiuque, who hasn't been observing for long, could say such a thing in such a precarious situation—it's truly lacking in tact.

Some people were quietly waiting for His Majesty to unleash his fury, hoping to curb Ying Jiuque's arrogance at this crucial moment. After all, Ying Jiuque's contributions were simply too great, too great for anyone to erase.

To everyone's surprise, Emperor Jingtai was first taken aback, then burst into laughter, showing no sign of taking it seriously.

"You're such a good boy. I haven't been feeling well lately, but the head of the Imperial Hospital has already treated me. It's just that the weather is a bit chilly and I have a fever. I'll get better with some rest. But you, my child, have been traveling all this way. You've really worked hard. Look at you, you've even lost some weight."

Hearing the obvious worry in His Majesty's tone, the ministers below almost rolled their eyes. Had Ying Jiuque really lost weight? Or had he grown taller? He looked two inches taller than before he left the capital! Besides, as the highest-ranking and de facto leader of the Northern Frontier Army, no one would let her go hungry! His Majesty was blatantly lying! Oh well, they were already used to His Majesty's favoritism towards Ying Jiuque anyway.

After the emperor and his minister exchanged pleasantries, Emperor Jingtai coughed lightly, and Jiu Fu, who had been preparing the edict, presented it and read it aloud.

Ying Jiuque knelt quietly, listening to the imperial edict's lavish praise of her, feeling genuinely embarrassed. Was she really that good? Just how good must she be in His Majesty's eyes? These extravagant compliments made her blush.

"...Bestow upon the Prince a mansion, by imperial decree."

The long list of rewards left even Eunuch Jiufu's mouth dry. After reading the last reward, Eunuch Jiufu secretly breathed a sigh of relief and then smiled as he watched Jiuque step forward to receive the imperial edict.

"Congratulations, Your Highness Prince Rui."

Even if the officials below were unwilling, they all bowed down to the Nine Palaces at this moment.

"Greetings, Prince Rui."

Now that His Majesty's only remaining fourth prince is imprisoned and his whereabouts unknown, Ying Jiuque is the highest-ranking person in the entire royal family besides His Majesty. She is also the highest-ranking person in the entire court, and all the officials have no choice but to kneel before her.

Among the kneeling crowd, one person stood out conspicuously, looking utterly lost. Even the high and mighty Emperor Jingtai recognized him immediately—it was none other than Lin Wei, the Vice Minister of Rites and Jiu Que's biological father.

A dignified Vice Minister of Rites, to behave so improperly in the main hall—this is utterly unbecoming. And what's this? Kneeling before a daughter he despises? His rank is lower than Jiu Que's; isn't that perfectly natural? He has absolutely no gentlemanly conduct. No wonder Jiu Que dislikes him; does this man even have the demeanor of a father?

A distraught Lin Wei clearly sensed someone watching him. Looking up, he saw it was His Majesty. He immediately knelt down, looking utterly pathetic. Especially with the mocking glances from his colleagues around him, and his daughter, who should have lived an ordinary life, now showered with glory, Lin Wei couldn't cope with it all, his breathing becoming rapid. However, he dared not continue his disrespectful behavior in the grand hall, as the master of ceremonies was watching closely. If he continued, he feared he would be singled out and become a laughingstock.

Therefore, he could only grit his teeth and bear it, kneeling down with even deeper and more precise kneeling than others. Only then did the dagger-like gaze above his head gradually disappear.

Emperor Jingtai then withdrew his gaze with satisfaction, looking at Jiuque with a smile, his eyes no different from those of someone looking at their own child.

"Your achievements in the Nine Palaces are remarkable, and the entire Great Jing is grateful for this victory. After the prisoner presentation ceremony tomorrow, I will hold a grand banquet for you! Enjoy the cheers of the people!"

Jiu Que was both pleased and a little embarrassed; His Majesty's words were rather blunt. However, she also enjoyed lively gatherings, so she accepted His Majesty's kindness with a smile. After receiving His Majesty's reward, the discussion turned to how to completely bring the grasslands under the control of the Great Jing Dynasty. The Minister of Revenue was the first to propose the idea.

"I believe that people from other places can be relocated there to fill the vacancies..."