Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 389 Let's do it secretly.

After thoroughly enjoying Jiu Que's helplessness for a while, Emperor Jingtai finally put away his amused expression and spoke with a smile.

"Nine Palaces, there may be some unexpected things happening at tonight's banquet, but don't be surprised, because this is all normal. Every unusual thing will attract resistance from others. You only need to know one thing, and that is that I will never harm you, and I will always trust you."

Jiu Que paused, not quite understanding why His Majesty would say such a thing, but staring into his sincere eyes, she couldn't bring herself to say she didn't believe him. However, she decided to test him anyway.

"Does Your Majesty trust me so much because I am a good person? What if Jiu Que is not a good person..."

"Hey! This has nothing to do with whether you're a good person or not. I trust you simply because you are you."

Emperor Jingtai patted the child on the shoulder. He knew that Lin Wei's actions had affected the child; no matter how stubborn he was, he would ultimately feel uncomfortable. This was all the father's inhumane behavior—what did it have to do with the child?
"Don't worry, from now on, the things you're worried about won't happen anymore. You can do whatever you want freely from now on."

Jiu Que was extremely curious about what was going to happen at the banquet that evening, but Emperor Jingtai kept his mouth shut and refused to tell her what would happen. Helpless, Jiu Que could only keep it to herself.

After taking a good look at Jiuque from a distance, Emperor Jingtai nodded with satisfaction and then made way for him.

"Go, tonight is yours."

Wise ministers and renowned generals always need a stage to showcase their talents, and he was willing to provide that stage for the Emperor. This was because Emperor Jingtai believed that their shared vision had always been the same: they both wanted a prosperous era to arrive as soon as possible.

Jiu Que took a deep breath, nodded, and walked out steadily.

The Golden Palace was filled with music and dance, and the hall was packed with guests. Normally, banquets at the Golden Palace were held in the gardens due to its high status, but the weather was too cold, and according to news from the palace, His Majesty was unwell. Therefore, for His Majesty's sake, the banquet was moved to the main hall. Even the most gossipy ministers were speechless at the location; normally, lowly officials were not even allowed to enter the Golden Palace. To be able to bring their families there today was an honor indeed.
However, they had been waiting in the main hall for a long time, but His Majesty still hadn't appeared. Could something have changed?
Besides His Majesty, there is another person who is nowhere to be found.

Some meddlesome officials finally couldn't stand it anymore and whispered among themselves to their colleagues.

"I think His Majesty trusts that person too much. Look at how arrogant she is. She's only been gone for a day, and she dares to ignore so many colleagues here. I never would have guessed she was this kind of person before."

"Who can argue with that? His Majesty is probably already aware of that person's actions and is quite angry about it."

"Tell me about tonight's banquet. It's supposed to be a national celebration, but it feels like it was just for her alone. It's so disappointing..."

"And you're talking! Look over there. Since when can women swagger into banquets in the imperial court? It's utterly disgraceful. Like a hen crowing at dawn, making a fool of themselves in front of foreign envoys." "Shh..."

"If Lord Fang has something to say, why not speak frankly? Do you only dare to gossip in private? That's not something a fifth-rank official would do. Or do you have a problem with our presence at the banquet? If so, you can speak frankly, and perhaps we can have a heart-to-heart talk."

Chunyu Shuang was originally leading several female colleagues around the venue, trying to build relationships with the officials whose character was acceptable. From a distance, she saw a few minor officials huddled together, muttering to themselves and glancing at the female officials in the venue. It was obvious what they were saying, but it was nothing more than those sour, sarcastic remarks.

When you're completely unsuccessful and everything goes wrong, all you can do is use sarcastic words to comfort yourself. What's the point of living like that?
As expected, upon hearing Chunyu Shuang's words, the little ones immediately stood up and bowed.

"We were just discussing some private matters and didn't mention you, sir."

"Yes, yes, yes."

Look?
Chunyu Shuang didn't even bother to speak to them; she turned and left. Talking to or getting angry with people like that would only hurt herself; they were just another utterly despicable person. Chunyu Shuang truly didn't have the time or energy to argue with such people right now.

However, even the seemingly confident and powerful Lord Chunyu had his own worries: where was Jiu Que? The banquet was about to begin, the music had changed, but why hadn't Jiu Que appeared? Although His Majesty trusted Jiu Que implicitly, there were always treacherous people around him. Especially with so many ministers trying to bring her down, the saying "three men can make a tiger" was no joke.

Just as Chunyu Shuang was about to find an opportunity to sneak out and ask Wei Yuan if he knew what was going on, she suddenly felt a commotion in the distance. She subconsciously looked up and immediately saw a bright yellow figure walking in from the entrance of the main hall.

Who? His Majesty has arrived, why hasn't Jiu Que appeared yet? Could something really have happened?
"Lord Chunyu, look!"

Just then, a colleague beside her gently tugged at her sleeve, gesturing for her to look towards the entrance. Chunyu Shuang frowned, then looked up again, this time more closely, and suddenly noticed something amiss. His Majesty, a veteran of countless battles, was tall and robust; even in his old age, he appeared quite imposing from a distance. Yet the figure in the bright yellow robe ahead was tall and slender, exuding the vigor unique to youth as he moved.

Chunyu Shuang's first thought was, "Could it be that His Majesty has released that idiot Fourth Prince?"
But the increasingly loud gasps coming from ahead as the person approached made Chunyu Shuang realize something was wrong. When she finally saw the person's face clearly, Chunyu Shuang's eyes widened suddenly, her hands clenched tightly, afraid she would scream!
Isn't that person in the bright yellow dragon robe Jiu Que?
When did she put on the dragon robe?

No way! If you really wanted to wear it, you should have done it discreetly, not openly! So many people saw it; how hard is it to shut them up now?! How could Jiu Que be so…

its not right.

Chunyu Shuang suddenly realized that Jiu Que hadn't suddenly lost her mind, so why would she wear a dragon robe in front of so many princes and ministers? Unless someone had specially given her this garment. But Jiu Que had been in the palace all day; who had the authority to give her this dress?
After eliminating all the impossible possibilities, the least likely one is the answer.

It's a dragon robe bestowed by His Majesty!