Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 381 Surrender
Therefore, Jiu Que remained silent for a moment. She simply stared quietly at the mother and daughter with a scrutinizing gaze.

Looking at her mother kneeling heavily on the ground, Lin Shuran couldn't bear to see her long-cherished wish thwarted by suspicion, so she also knelt down heavily.

"Your Highness, my mother is not lying. She has always been watching over you silently, just to repay the kindness General Ying showed her back then. Even becoming Lin Wei's concubine was not her wish. She was forced into it; she had no choice. Moreover, my mother was right next to General Ying when you were born. If she really wanted to do something bad, you wouldn't have been born safely. Over the years, my mother has truly never done anything to wrong you. If you hold a grudge against me for making things difficult for you at His Majesty's birthday banquet, you can punish me; it has nothing to do with my mother..."

"Shuran, why are you saying all this?"

Xu Minghui felt a chill run down her spine and even the back of her head under Jiu Que's intense gaze, and therefore didn't react immediately enough to stop her daughter from speaking. Now that she was finally able to speak, she couldn't help but feel anxious.

For over a decade, she hadn't served His Highness. Her sudden appearance offering to help would raise suspicions in anyone's eyes. Moreover, she had undeniably given birth to a son and a daughter. During His Highness's three-day stay at the Lin family, she had indeed been forced to do some things against her will. His Highness was kind-hearted; if it were anyone else, they probably wouldn't have been allowed to stay even a quarter of an hour before being thrown out.

Thinking of this, Xu Minghui couldn't help but reminisce about General Ying from back then. Unbeknownst to her, a happy smile even appeared on her lips. Over the years, forced to feign compliance with her sworn enemy, Xu Minghui sometimes felt she was no longer the woman she once was. The constant pressure and tension had sometimes made her feel unrecognizable.

If Sister Ying saw me like this, she probably wouldn't recognize me.

Unable to resist taking another look at Ying Jiuque, Xu Minghui couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "So alike! So incredibly alike!" Prince Rui bore at least seven or eight parts resemblance to the Ying sister she remembered. The only difference was that Ying sister was more composed, like a towering mountain that inspired peace of mind. Prince Rui before her, perhaps too young, inevitably possessed a youthful vigor and sharpness in his eyes. Coupled with her successful career and steady rise through the ranks, even just sitting there quietly, she exuded a certain aura.

This is a natural-born leader!
At such a young age, she already possessed an air of superiority over others. What was rare was that there wasn't a trace of pretense or forcedness in her demeanor. Sitting there, she seemed like a born prince, utterly natural.

However, to be fair, Jiuque earned his title of Prince through genuine merit, without relying on the patronage of others; he was a prince with real power. Therefore, his demeanor was entirely justified.

Xu Minghui was filled with emotion for a long time, suddenly realizing that she hadn't spoken for a long time. She glanced at her daughter and was shocked to find her daughter also covered in cold sweat. She had clearly rehearsed the whole thing in her mind many times before coming, but when she actually stood before Prince Rui, she still lost her composure. With such an unsteady demeanor, she feared Prince Rui wouldn't believe her…

Moreover, when Prince Rui was brought back from the estate, the mother and daughter were indeed too harsh on him. Even if there were reasons for that, who would like someone who had spoken ill of them?

Xu Minghui was utterly devastated. She lay sprawled on the ground, desperately hoping that Prince Rui wouldn't disbelieve the evidence she had placed because of her loss of composure. To completely sever ties with Lin Wei, she had to remove him from his position as Vice Minister of Rites. Even if necessary, she would have to kill him. After so many years together, Xu Minghui knew Lin Wei intimately. As long as he was alive, as long as there was even the slightest hope, he wouldn't give up climbing the ranks, even if it meant enduring the ridicule of the world. After all, he had risen through the ranks thanks to Ying's family influence. Even after Ying's death for the country, and despite the ridicule that he had risen through the ranks because of his wife's connections, Lin Wei, though filled with hatred, hadn't relinquished any of the benefits he sought. If Prince Rui didn't believe her, should she go back and find an opportunity to stab Lin Wei to death? This would be the last thing she could do for Prince Rui…

Just as Xu Minghui was about to despair, a slightly hoarse voice, due to drinking, rang in her ears. She suddenly looked up at Jiu Que, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"Xu Minghui, give me what you have in your hand."

Your Highness, Your Highness actually knows her name? But all these years in the Lin family, everyone only called her Aunt Xu; no one knew her given name. Did I just let it slip?
Shocked, Xu Minghui thought about many things, her mind racing with a jumble of ideas, but her body moved instinctively, and she quickly presented the evidence she had prepared for so long.

After taking the thick stack of evidence, Jiu Que asked the mother and daughter to get up and sit down. He then solemnly read through it, taking almost half an hour before slowly putting down what he was holding and letting out a long breath.

"Although I knew Lin Wei wasn't clean, I didn't expect him to be so bold. He actually has connections with the traitor Mu Yanchun! And he's bold and meticulous enough that when His Majesty dealt with Mu Yanchun's faction of rebels, he didn't manage to arrest Lin Wei. He's really lucky..."

However, this good fortune ended there.

Jiu Que turned to look at the mother and daughter, her expression softening considerably, but she still had questions she wanted them to answer.

"Madam Xu, if I remember correctly, you should have given birth to a son and a daughter for Lin Wei. Why did you come to surrender in the middle of the night with only your daughter? What about your son, Lin Moran?"

Upon finally hearing this question, Xu Minghui spoke solemnly.

“Your Highness, although I have a son and a daughter, neither of them are Lin Wei’s children. I have raised my daughter since she was a child, and I can guarantee her character. But my son has been personally taught by Lin Wei since he was a child, and his character has deteriorated. I cannot possibly involve him in such an important matter. Moreover, he harbors resentment towards Your Highness, so he knows nothing about these matters from beginning to end. If he did find out, he would definitely be the first to tell Lin Wei. At that time, I would not only die quietly, but I would also bring great trouble to Your Highness.”

It sounds reasonable, but isn't this just a way of protecting her son? Bringing a daughter along increases her trust level, and leaving her son at home means that if something goes wrong later, she can claim that her son was completely unaware...