Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 400 A Brief Discussion Among Three
Xu Minghui's actions were like a slap in the face to Lin Moran. Lin Moran, realizing he was no match for a mere young girl, never imagined that this so-called "young girl" was actually his own older sister.

In short, Lin Moran, who was personally raised by Lin Wei, was rotten to the core. Xu Minghui had watched him grow up since he was a child, so she knew what kind of person he was and never thought of taking him away.

In Lin Moran's view, whether he was willing to leave was one thing, and whether Xu Minghui chose him was another. In that short moment, he had already come to hate Xu Minghui.

Of course, no one cared about what the father and son were thinking; everyone was simply discussing the unexpected events of the evening with great interest. Naturally, the banquet tonight was essentially to celebrate Prince Chenrui's achievements for the country and to establish the majesty of the Celestial Empire in front of foreign envoys.

Although their Great Jing Dynasty has suffered from repeated wars, has a short history, and has been plagued by natural and man-made disasters, they now possess the most solid military guarantee. It can be said that in any era, a strong military is the fundamental determining factor in ensuring a nation's endurance. Previously, they were often troubled by the lack of young, talented generals in Great Jing, but now they need not worry. Because Princess Chen has proven to all nations with her strength that Great Jing has its own capable people.

At this moment, everyone pondered in their hearts, and when they looked up at the father and daughter standing on the high platform, they were at a loss for what to feel. They were happy that a new general had appeared in the Great Jing, but also bitter that this general was a woman, and the emperor's daughter at that.

How were the men in the entire hall supposed to conduct themselves?

Only the young men who had just wanted to marry Jiu Que were now filled with joy. Prince Chen not only held real power but also possessed the legitimate status of an imperial princess. If they could marry into the princess's family, wouldn't their future careers be smooth sailing? Although everyone secretly despised Lin Wei, they were mostly envious of him for being able to live off General Ying's wealth. It's no wonder that upright officials throughout history have always harbored hostility towards those related to the imperial family. After all, they had toiled for decades, studying diligently to finally climb into the court, serving the emperor like slaves, and only after much effort did they gain the emperor's favor. And yet, someone could gain the emperor's favor and rise rapidly in rank simply because of a distant kinship. How could anyone not be envious?
But if they were to take on the identity of royalty, probably no one would object.

There was more than one person who thought this way, and for a moment Jiu Que felt that there were too many eyes on him.

Of course, they remained united when facing foreign enemies. At least for now, everyone was silently planning to exclude these foreign envoys from the princess's list of potential husbands. Especially that frivolous Prince Long, handsome but only interested in frivolous pursuits, and incredibly charming and seductive in his youth. He absolutely couldn't be allowed to get close to Prince Chen! How could Prince Chen, so young, resist this vixen's deliberate seduction?
In this strange atmosphere, the victory banquet finally came to an end. Every official, as they rode out of the palace in carriages with their families and relatives, wore a somber expression. Those who had intended to discuss matters with their masters or fathers dared not utter a word.

Yang Linyuan, on the other hand, relying on his father's usual pampering, was daydreaming with a dreamy expression.

"Father, do you think Prince Chen will take a liking to me? I'm definitely willing to marry into the family! I won't be like Lin Wei, who got a good deal and then acted innocent. I'll definitely serve the princess well in the future."

"Son, did you not sleep well last night?"

"Father, how did you know?"

"Good boy, go to sleep now. You'll dream about all sorts of things when you're asleep." Uncle Anyuan affectionately ruffled his silly son's hair, his expression unreadable.

This foolish son is still dreaming of marrying into the princess's family, but he doesn't even look at how His Majesty treats Prince Chen. Does that look like the way His Majesty treats a princess he's lost and found? It wouldn't be an exaggeration to treat him like the Crown Prince. And considering His Majesty's age and health... ugh, it's really too scary to think about.

Although they had some vague suspicions, officials like the Earl of Anyuan believed that His Majesty would allow Prince Chen to assist the Fourth Prince or his son in ascending the throne, so that Prince Chen could gain merit for supporting the emperor. Perhaps, for this reason, Prince Chen could be allowed to have a good end.

This could be considered the mainstream opinion, but the young officials, led by Chunyu Shuang, did not agree.

Chunyu Shuang, Wei Yuan, and Xie Mingchen went straight to Chunyu Shuang's residence after leaving the palace. At the palace banquet, most people were probably more interested in making friends and gathering information than actually getting a proper meal. Therefore, Chunyu Shuang had her servants prepare a feast. After the three of them had eaten and drunk their fill, they looked at each other in bewilderment. Finally, Wei Yuan was the first to break the silence.

“I didn’t know about tonight’s events beforehand, and my godfather doesn’t tell me everything.”

Yes, these three aren't fools; they naturally know that His Majesty likely already knew about tonight's events. Otherwise, things wouldn't have progressed so smoothly. If tonight's events were merely the actions of that woman, Xu Minghui, on her own, then the first obstacle wouldn't be the ministers' obstruction, but rather His Majesty's willingness to acknowledge Jiuque as his daughter. However, judging from tonight's reactions, His Majesty doesn't seem unwilling at all.

Moreover, the eunuch Jiufu, who was always standing by his side, cooperated so well that it was hard not to have ulterior motives.

As the Emperor's top eunuch, Jiu Fu's mouth was truly harder to pry open than an oyster shell. He hadn't even mentioned tonight's incident to his most beloved adopted son; otherwise, Wei Yuan wouldn't be so confused.

Of course, that matter is no longer important. What is important is whether His Majesty really wants to make Jiu Que a regent who is both a thankless and demanding position.
Of course, His Majesty never mentioned this matter; it was all just speculation among the three of them, but it's not impossible.

"Although the Fourth Prince is currently under house arrest, he is most likely still alive. His Majesty only has the Fourth Prince as his son. Although His Majesty's current stance is firm, he will eventually succumb to the pleas of his ministers and release the Fourth Prince. Even if a Crown Prince is not appointed in the future, and a grandson is appointed directly, the future grandson will have his own biological father. Why would he care about an aunt like Jiu Que who wields so much power? Moreover, the reason the Fourth Prince has been under house arrest until now is closely related to Jiu Que. He will have his own biological father in the future, so why would he care whether Jiu Que has a peaceful end?"

Yes, no one even considered that if Jiu Que were made regent, she would only be a figurehead. With the Fourth Prince's abilities, how could he compare to Jiu Que?