Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 374 Then Overthrow Him
Noticing Wei Yuan's gaze, Chunyu Shuang couldn't help but roll her eyes.

Why are you looking at me like that? Never seen me before?

"It's not that I haven't seen them before. It's just that I've never seen Lord Chunyu look so charming."

The group were already old friends, and although they hadn't known each other for long, they unexpectedly got along very well. For example, right now, Wei Yuan was teasing Chunyu Shuang a bit. Chunyu Shuang didn't get angry, she just rolled her eyes even more vigorously.

"Yes, yes, yes, I have to be able to act coquettish in front of you men too. Every man I meet either rolls his eyes openly or secretly, I've already learned how to do it. I'm not saying this to be mean, but men always say that women like to be capricious and easily act on emotion. I think you men are just as good, aren't you? Look at those men who don't like me but can't do anything about it. When I see them, I just want to punch them. How can I possibly be coquettish?"

Wei Yuan found it amusing to think about how the ministers in the court openly and secretly rolled their eyes at Chunyu Shuang and the other female officials. Those ministers were really strange. If they didn't like the female officials, why didn't they just ignore them? But they didn't. Not only did they stare at the female officials every day looking for faults, but they also refused to point it out to their faces. Instead, they would gather together in private to gossip about them.

These grown men are truly masters of rolling their eyes.

"Well, putting everything else aside, you're really good at rolling your eyes. Any tips?"

Jiu Que watched with great interest as Hao You looked so depressed. Look at what the officials in the capital have done to her friend! Such a dignified and beautiful woman, rolling her eyes so freely and gracefully—clearly, she's done it many times before.

"Oh, don't even mention it. You have no idea how stifled I've been in Beijing these past few days. You're living a carefree life on the front lines, but you have no idea how helpless I felt when I was surrounded by those middle-aged and elderly men."

"..."

Wei Yuan, the only one in the group of five who knew the truth, twitched his lips. He couldn't believe his ears. With Chunyu Shuang's explosive fighting power, she was helpless? Those ministers who were ashamed by her words would probably faint from anger if they heard this.

Seeing Chunyu Shuang's sparkling eyes, Jiu Que knew she hadn't suffered any losses, and joined in with a smile.

"Oh, then tell me how they ganged up on you?"

"It's the same old stuff. What new arguments do they have? They still say that we women should stay obediently in the backyard, bear children, be filial to our parents-in-law, and serve our husbands. Now that we're out in the public eye serving as officials, it's really against the ancestral customs. I can tolerate these words; I've heard them so many times I'm sick of them. But some of the newly appointed female officials are so thin-skinned that they almost cried on the spot out of shame. Those shameless ones, seeing the female officials like that, wished they could make them cry. If I had seen that, there would have been quite a debate."

Hearing this, Jiu Que's expression gradually darkened. He hadn't expected that even after so much time, the officials in the court would still be so unable to accept the presence of a female official. Did they really think only men could hold this position? It was utterly ridiculous. Since they were so eloquent, why didn't they go to the front lines and lecture the steppe people?
Jiu Que took a sip of the wine; it was indeed quite mellow.

Having spent a long time in the military, she had become somewhat carefree and unconventional. She might not show it in front of outsiders, but she was much less reserved with her close friends.

"Let them die. All they can do is waste their breath. Do they think they can change His Majesty's decision or change their own pig brains? A bunch of rabble. If they were so capable, why don't they go to the frontier and fight the enemy? It's ridiculous. You don't need to lower yourself to their level. Talking to them too much will make you stupid."

"Pfft!"

Chunyu Shuang burst into laughter. It wasn't that no one had tried to comfort her during this time, but only Jiu Que's words resonated so deeply with her.

“That’s right. I often watch them for long, and I’m genuinely worried I’ll become stupid. But whenever I see their utterly foolish faces, I feel much happier, because I know with them around, I’ll never be the kind of subject His Majesty dislikes.” The two exchanged a glance and couldn’t help but laugh. Although the road ahead was still long, they could see a glimmer of hope before them; it was time to work hard. How could they give up on the fruits of their labor because of a temporary setback?
Yes, although neither of them ever explicitly addressed this topic, they both knew in their hearts that it would be a long and arduous battle. It might even take ten, several decades, or even hundreds of years, using the long years to wear down the predicaments that women have endured for thousands of years.

Ying Yuandao and the other children were very curious when they saw the two older sisters smiling at each other in a tacit understanding. They gathered together and whispered among themselves.

"What are you two sisters saying? Can you understand me?"

"How stupid, they're talking about being an official."

"Then why would someone roll their eyes? Do all the officials in the imperial court roll their eyes every time they go to court?"

"This shouldn't be the case, right? I remember those adults looked very well-dressed, they didn't seem like the type to roll their eyes in front of so many people."

"Sister Chunyu doesn't seem like it either, but she just rolled her eyes a lot."

Hearing the increasingly outrageous discussion among the children nearby, Jiu Que couldn't help but burst into laughter. He picked Yuan Dao up and placed him on his lap.

"You little kids are hilarious. How old are you? And you're already trying to guess what adults are thinking?"

"They are not young anymore and can do a lot. Moreover, if we want to change the current situation, we must start with the children. Only when generations of clear-minded people grow up can this world possibly be changed."

Chunyu Shuang's sudden remark surprised Jiu Que. It wasn't that she thought it was wrong, but rather that it was absolutely right.

Even Ying Yuandao nodded solemnly.

“Sister Chunyu, I know. Girls are just like boys. They can enjoy farming and working, or they can enjoy reading and writing. Just because they are girls doesn’t mean they can only choose to get married. We have our own choices, and we should have the freedom to choose.”

Freedom of choice...

These were words spoken by a child who was only a few years old. Jiu Que couldn't help but rub Yuan Dao's head and show a relieved smile.

"You're absolutely right. We need the freedom to choose. If someone tries to take that freedom away, even stepping on your back, choking you, and preventing you from speaking, Yuandao, what do you think we should do?"

Yuandao was small in stature and had a very young voice, but at this moment it sounded strong and powerful.

"Then let's take him down!"