Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 375 Come to seek peace
"This child truly wins my heart."

Chunyu Shuang glanced at Yuan Dao with a smile, particularly liking the child's words.

"Sure enough, children who haven't been corrupted are different from ordinary people. If it were my few foolish colleagues in the Ministry of Justice, they would probably be spouting nonsense right now."

I didn't notice anything else about the Nine Palaces, but the one thing I did notice was that Chunyu Shuang's time in the Ministry of Justice was definitely not easy; just look at how much her children were driven to.

This is understandable, though. When a woman suddenly appears in a predominantly male-dominated environment, and she does so successfully, rising through the ranks, it's inevitable that some men of average ability will become wary. However, society is always meritocratic; if you're not as good as others, you can't blame them for being better than you.

After not seeing each other for several days, Xie Mingchen and Cui Zhufeng also showed up. Everyone gathered around the table and chatted and laughed with the children, especially focusing on recent events. They all seemed quite happy.

Just as everyone was enjoying themselves, a doorman came to report that someone was looking for them. He seemed rather troubled.

"Your Highness, the person who has arrived is Lord Lin."

"Lord Lin? Which Lord Lin?" Jiu Que took a moment to realize who they were talking about. Wasn't this her nominal father? He had always avoided her like the plague, so why did he suddenly decide to come looking for her? Did he disapprove of her daughter's outrageous behavior again and come to reprimand her?
Although Jiu Que really didn't want to see Lin Wei, the other party had just swaggered in like that, and with everyone watching, Jiu Que really wanted to hear what this Lord Lin had to say.

She didn't try to hide it from others and directly invited Lin Wei to the small banquet hall.

Lin Wei had prepared himself mentally, but when he saw Ying Jiuque having a banquet with friends, and there were two unmarried men standing there in the background, he couldn't help but break down.

What on earth was Ying Jiuque thinking? She was so brazenly hanging out with two unmarried men, one of whom was even the adopted son of a eunuch. Wasn't she ashamed? After a moment of facial contortion, he finally managed to restrain himself. The Ying Jiuque before him was no ordinary young lady. Advice meant for women had no effect on her.

However, Lin Wei felt extremely aggrieved when faced with those people's indifferent and even interested gazes. He was, after all, a vice minister, yet these people didn't even know to bow to him. They were truly ill-mannered.

"I didn't know Jiuque was having a gathering with friends before I came. If I had known, I would have come at a different time. I hope I didn't disturb you?"

Hearing this rhetorical question, Jiu Que didn't seem to care much. He casually picked up a peanut, popped it into his mouth, and chewed. "May I ask what brings Lord Lin here? My place isn't very peaceful. Doesn't Lord Lin feel uncomfortable stepping into my territory?"

"Look at you, child, what are you saying? We're father and daughter, how could a father and daughter hold a grudge overnight?"

Hearing Jiu Que's words, Lin Wei panicked. He hadn't come to make an enemy of Ying Jiu Que; he wanted to ease the tension between father and daughter. Before, Ying Jiu Que was just a little girl, insignificant and, barring unforeseen circumstances, would have lived a mediocre life as an ordinary country girl. But now, Ying Jiu Que had clearly embarked on a path to greatness. What did it matter if he, as her father, temporarily yielded? If she could climb higher, what did a little bit of face matter?
However, his wishful thinking backfired. Jiu Que raised an eyebrow but remained silent. Chunyu Shuang, on the other hand, pretended to fan the wind in front of her, as if she were trying to blow away some filth.

"Did I hear that right? There are fathers and daughters who have severed ties and can rekindle their father-daughter bond? Lord Lin, I heard that you were the one who resolutely declared that you would sever your father-daughter relationship with Prince Rui, and even separated your family from the genealogy. How come there is talk of a deep father-daughter bond now? Have I lost my memory at such a young age?"

"...This is between Jiu Que and me, it has nothing to do with you, an outsider, right? I'm letting your rudeness go because you and Jiu Que are friends. But Lord Chunyu, you're a minor official, you should care about your reputation. Is the title 'Jade-Faced Yama' a compliment? I often hear your colleagues in the Ministry of Justice talking about you. I'm older, so I'll presume to say something. It's not easy for a woman like you to have reached your current position. Don't make enemies with your colleagues, lest you find yourself alone in the officialdom."

"That's none of your concern, sir. Whether I get along with those colleagues or not is none of your business. I just need to do the things His Majesty has assigned me. Besides, the fact that people are talking about me behind my back proves that I'm capable. Otherwise, why haven't I heard any of Lord Lin's reputation spread over the years? Could it be that you've been too mediocre to be remembered by others? Right?"

"you!"

"Furthermore, in this capital city, any cultured family would not suddenly arrive without an invitation; that would be considered an unwelcome guest. Lord Lin is a learned man, and it is said that he was once a third-place scholar in the imperial examinations. How could he be so ill-mannered? Does he think he can be so casual in front of Prince Rui?"

Lin Wei was speechless, because deep down he truly believed he could put on a show of fatherly authority in front of Ying Jiuque. So what if they severed ties in front of the world? People valued filial piety, and no matter how much Ying Jiuque didn't want to admit it, he was still her biological father, and that blood relationship could never be severed.

Although doing so may be somewhat shameless, as long as it can preserve wealth and status, or even elevate one's status, what's wrong with being a little shameless?

Recalling the mocking expressions of his colleagues, Lin Wei gritted his teeth and continued to put on a benevolent fatherly demeanor, magnanimously expressing his unwillingness to stoop to Chunyu Shuang's level.

“Jiuque, your campaign this time has been incredibly successful, and I am truly proud of you. You are indeed worthy of being Chongming's daughter, inheriting her talent. If your mother were still alive, how wonderful it would be to witness all of this. It's such a pity that your mother's biggest worry before she went to war was you. I wonder if she would blame me for not taking good care of you if she saw you now from beyond the grave… I was blinded by greed back then, and I really couldn't accept the fact that your mother had passed away. You look so much like your mother, it was too painful for me to bear. But in truth, what father wouldn't love his daughter? When you were sent to the estate, I actually went to see you secretly, but you were too young then and probably don't remember anything. I didn't want to disturb you. Compared to the hustle and bustle of the capital, the quiet life on the estate might be more suitable for you…”