Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 404 A Life of Blessings

Uncle Anyuan left with a helpless expression, his heart filled with sorrow. Uncle Weiyuan sat in the courtyard for a long time until his wife came to call him, then he shook his head and slowly went back.

The eldest brother always considered himself clever, treating everyone else like fools. In his opinion, his brother was too clever, so clever that he lacked humanity. Back then, his brother had nothing, so naturally he was obedient to his wife. Now that he was a count, his wife had no family to rely on, so he naturally became arrogant, bringing in concubines one after another. But marriage isn't like that; they share both glory and ruin. If the eldest brother didn't respect his sister-in-law's dignity, everyone in the household would follow suit and look down on her. His sister-in-law was the rightful mistress of the An Yuan Earl's mansion, but now things had turned out this way, and the eldest brother was still smugly pleased with himself. Little did he know that even the closest of relatives can be distant like husband and wife. If his sister-in-law was truly heartbroken, a little action from her would be enough to ruin the An Yuan Earl's mansion.

Take lending money at exorbitant interest rates, for example. My sister-in-law would never do such a thing, but my brother's concubines and their families, those short-sighted women in his household, might very well do it. That's how trouble started.

The elder brother always felt that it was normal for men to have multiple wives and concubines, and that the legal wife should have the demeanor of a principal wife and tolerate the lively concubines and their children. But what woman in this world would want her husband to be affectionate with other women? If the elder brother truly couldn't understand, he actually suggested that his sister-in-law find a few male lovers.

However, Marquis Weiyuan also knew that this method should not be used until the very last moment, otherwise he would be preparing to make a lifelong enemy of his elder brother!
"What brings you here, brother?"

"He's gathering information. That's just how he is, always trying to scheme and never changing. That's why His Majesty dislikes him, but unfortunately, my elder brother has always refused to admit it..."

The private affairs of the An Yuan Earl's Mansion and the Wei Yuan Earl's Mansion were of little concern to them at the moment, and the entire capital was destined to have a sleepless night.

At first, Jiu Que was a little surprised, but she adapted very well later on. After all, Emperor Jingtai was so good to her, he was extremely caring.

Inside Qiuwu Palace, Jiuque surveyed the surrounding furnishings. Every blade of grass, every tree, every brick, and every tile was arranged according to her preferences. She wondered how long in advance His Majesty had prepared to ensure that everything so perfectly suited her tastes.

"Jiu Que, what do you think? Do you like it here? If there's anything you're not satisfied with, just tell Jiu Fu and let him change it! This palace is yours, so naturally it should suit your taste."

"Your Majesty, I..."

"Why are you still calling me Your Majesty? What should you call me now?"

Emperor Jingtai looked at Jiuque with a smile. Jiuque was a little embarrassed at first, but she actually adapted quite quickly. After all, with a biological father like Lin Wei before her, Emperor Jingtai, who treated her so well, naturally met her expectations of a father more.

So she felt embarrassed for a moment, and then very naturally called out that name.

“Father.” “Yes, that’s right.”

Emperor Jingtai felt as if he were hearing celestial music, and even couldn't help but pat his chest, afraid that he was being too happy. He never expected that, even though he was already the father of four children, he would be so overjoyed to hear this title as he was today.

"My dear daughter, is there something you're unhappy about?"

"No."

Jiu Que nodded, looking at Emperor Jingtai with admiration.

"It feels like a dream, it's not real."

【Ahhh! So His Majesty is my real father! How come I've never heard anyone mention this before? Didn't everyone say Lin Wei was my father? No wonder that old man treated me so badly, leaving me to fend for myself on the estate while he lived a life of luxury with a bunch of concubines. So he wasn't my real father at all! But why didn't my mother ever mention it? But come to think of it, my mother is really quite modern, even going so far as to have an unplanned pregnancy. No wonder she's a great general; she's extraordinary. And that line she said was so cool: 'Love comes from free will, and there's no regret afterward.' So cool!】

[But then again, if I'd known His Majesty was my biological father, why would I have bothered trying? I could have just retired long ago. All I'd have to worry about is eating, drinking, and having fun—it'd be like living the life of a god! Why bother going to the northern frontier to eat sand? And I wouldn't have to worry about overshadowing His Majesty and being purged. I could just relax! These past few years I've been so busy surviving, I haven't had a chance to eat, drink, and have fun. Now I'm the richest second-generation heir in the world, a second-generation power holder—shouldn't I enjoy myself? Looks like I was born to enjoy life!]

The smile on Emperor Jingtai's lips hadn't even fully formed before it drooped, and he even felt a slight itch in his hands. This child, how could he be so unambitious?! Given such good conditions, he didn't even know how to strive for advancement. And, at such a young age, in the prime of his life, instead of thinking about building a career, he was just dreaming of a life of leisure?!

With a soft cough, Emperor Jingtai's face showed a worried expression.

"My daughter, don't be surprised. This is what you deserve. Sigh, did you notice at today's victory banquet? Those envoys from the surrounding small countries are quite unruly. Although we have defeated the grasslands, the southern barbarians are still restless, and there are also a few small countries like Kucha, who always come to plunder, practically claiming they're so poor they have nothing to wear. But whenever it comes to exchanging goods, they make excuses and refuse. I'm so worried I can't eat or sleep. Besides you, which of the officials in the court truly cares about me?"

"How dare they!"

Ying Jiuque had just returned to court and was unaware of this matter. Upon hearing it, he was furious. How dare the tiny Southern Barbarians challenge the Great Jing Dynasty! Did they even want to come to the capital to dance for the Emperor? Without much thought, Ying Jiuque rattled off a solution in an instant.

"Your Majesty need not worry. The reason the Southern Barbarians remain so arrogant after witnessing the fate of the grasslands is simply because they believe the hot and humid climate there is unsuitable for our soldiers, causing them to fall ill and making the war unprofitable for both sides. They are mistaken. Xie Mingchen has extensively studied medical texts and has also researched the issue of acclimatization in the south. The medicine he developed previously has not yet found an opportunity to be widely disseminated, so this is a good opportunity to test it in the south. Furthermore, aren't they terrified of smallpox? We already have a solution for smallpox. Although we cannot completely prevent others from learning the method, they certainly do not know the specifics of its operation. We can take this opportunity to ask the southern countries to offer up their superior breeds. We can sell bean scab powder instead of the method directly. Once ground into powder, it is not easily identifiable, and this will ensure a continuous flow of trade, bringing in a steady stream of silver."