Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 398 Stepping onto the High Platform
Emperor Jingtai remained silent for a moment, but everyone could sense that His Majesty was angry. Indeed, anyone would be angry if they had been eagerly awaiting the return of such an outstanding daughter, wanting to bestow upon her lavish rewards, only to be dissuaded by their own ministers in such a harsh tone.

The Minister of Revenue had acted impulsively, realizing his mistake afterward, but it was too late. He couldn't very well return in disgrace; how could he serve in court after that? Besides, he wasn't wrong; there was no precedent for this. His Majesty's bestowal of such an honor didn't seem like bestowing a title upon a princess, but rather like establishing a crown prince.

Moreover, everyone in the court knows that the Northern Frontier Army is completely obedient to Prince Rui. Now that His Majesty has granted her the Northern Frontier as her fiefdom, wouldn't that make it even more legitimate for her to control the military affairs of the Northern Frontier? How can such an approach win over the people?

Emperor Jingtai gave him a cold look, followed by a half-smile.

"The Minister of Revenue is indeed very concerned about my family affairs, but why didn't you work so diligently when the three princes were around? Or do you think that because Jiuque is my princess, she is weak and easy to bully?"

"Of course not! Your Majesty, this old minister is wronged! This old minister was only considering the interests of the Great Jing. The laws of the land cannot be violated at will. If you were to appoint Prince Rui as Prince Chen, where would the Fourth Prince be placed? He is also your own son."

Moreover, he is a prince who is perfectly suited to be the crown prince according to etiquette and law!
With such a candidate already chosen, how could Emperor Jingtai possibly bypass the Fourth Prince and bestow the title of Prince Chen upon Ying Jiuque? His Majesty wasn't like this before, so capricious and willful. How did he become like this now? Could it be that someone is gossiping behind his back, trying to gain more benefits for themselves?

Thinking this, the Minister of Revenue secretly glanced at Prince Rui, whose expression remained unchanged. Although he didn't say it aloud, he had always looked down on Ying Jiuque. How could there be someone like her in this world! Clearly a woman, yet she always insisted on being the first to step forward, showing no humility or courtesy whatsoever, lacking any virtues befitting a woman. It was truly infuriating that such a person had climbed all the way to the position of prince.

Ying Jiuque had already reached the limit of his title, but then things took a dramatic turn, and he suddenly had an emperor as his father! Now, he's about to be bestowed the unprecedented title of Prince Chenrui! How can anyone believe this?

I believe that not only myself, but others in the court are also dissatisfied with His Majesty's actions, but they are afraid of His Majesty's authority and dare not speak out.

The foreign envoys, including Prince Taki, kept their mouths shut, quietly watching this scene that could potentially change the entire court of the Jingtai Emperor. They were already obligated to curry favor with Prince Rui, and now that his true identity had been revealed—that he was actually the Emperor's own daughter—their plans remained unchanged, regardless of whether the title of Prince Chen was granted. However, they were genuinely curious: would the Jingtai Emperor truly value a daughter so much?

In the suffocating silence, Emperor Jingtai suddenly slammed his hand on the table and burst into laughter. The Minister of Revenue naturally assumed that His Majesty had taken a step back in this contest between the emperor and his minister, and a smile appeared on his face. However, before the smile could fade, he heard Emperor Jingtai's slightly sarcastic words.

"I see, you are all as pedantic as ever. I love Jiuque, so naturally I want to give my daughter the best of everything in this world. What in this world is better than power? The reason I bestowed upon her the title of Prince Chenrui is because she deserves it. If it were someone else, like the fourth prince you mentioned, would he deserve it? That kind of person who colludes with enemy countries and has ulterior motives, can he enjoy all of this just because he is a man?"

"Perhaps a man like you believes that ancestral property can only be passed on to his son. But to me, it makes no difference. My possessions can only be inherited by my most outstanding child." "Your Majesty, how can Your Majesty do this?"

The Minister of Revenue's earlier smile froze on his face, a truly alarming sight. Even now, he couldn't believe His Majesty would speak like that. Although His Majesty had risen from humble beginnings to his current position, he had always valued his officials. He had merely offered suggestions as a matter of duty; not only had His Majesty not made any changes, but His Majesty's expression was so unpleasant—what was the reason for this?

Moreover, the implication in those words was that he wanted Ying Jiuque to become the next emperor. This was utterly absurd. Not only the Minister of Revenue, but also many other officials in the court were opposed to it. Emperor Jingtai looked at their expressions and did not continue to provoke their fragile hearts.

"In this world, those who are capable are always the ones who refuse. Since my daughter has such abilities, I will naturally support her and give her more room to develop. Jiuque is exceptionally intelligent, and now that she has finally been recognized by her ancestors, what's wrong with me giving her more rewards? Since you ministers are so unwilling, then why not return the titles of your mothers and wives? Anyway, you ministers regard gold and silver as dirt and wealth and honor as nothing, so you shouldn't care about these empty titles."

How could this be allowed? When their own interests are threatened, everyone reacts violently. The crowd looked at each other, ultimately deciding against angering His Majesty on such an auspicious day. Besides, His Majesty hadn't done anything excessive other than bestowing slightly excessive rewards. And with so many foreign envoys watching, they couldn't afford to lose face in front of outsiders. Therefore, they silently swallowed their anger and agreed.

Jiu Que was completely bewildered from beginning to end. She had been wondering what gift His Majesty would give her at tonight's banquet. She never expected this scene. Could this be the gift His Majesty had spoken of? Did His Majesty already know what would happen tonight and tell her in advance?
This doesn't sound quite right.

However, His Majesty was beaming with joy at the moment, and even beckoned Jiu Que to come up. Although the people around him seemed to be talking to those next to them, their eyes were all subtly fixed on the sky. When they saw His Majesty's action, many of them were eager to join in, but after considering His Majesty's fighting prowess just now, they obediently sat down.

The high platform directly in front of the main hall was a seat reserved only for His Majesty, with only Eunuch Jiufu beside him. Because His Majesty had never appointed a crown prince, even the princes had never ascended it. Now, however, they were all forced to watch a woman walk onto the platform. The feelings they had were indescribable.

Everyone could only be thankful that the Fourth Prince wasn't there and couldn't see the scene that had nearly made him vomit blood.

"Come here! Let me take a good look at you."

Emperor Jingtai waved enthusiastically. Jiuque hesitated for a moment, but ultimately didn't know what to do. In the end, he could only get up and slowly walk onto the high platform under the watchful eyes of everyone.