Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 413 Acquaintance
"Oh? There's actually such an academy in the world? What's its name?"

"Asagao, Asagao Academy."

hiss--

Upon hearing the name, Chunyu Shuang couldn't help but pause in surprise. Why did it sound so familiar? Several cases they had been involved in before always involved the morning glory flower. Why did they have to name the academy "Morning Glory"? Was there some connection between the two?
"I don't know for sure right now, but we'll find out after some investigation. But the talents cultivated by this academy are exactly what we need right now, and most of them are women. In this era, it admits more women than men, isn't that amazing?"

"This is actually quite interesting."

Chunyu Shuang stroked her chin, inexplicably finding the academy quite appealing. However, even if the academy was connected to the previous cases, it didn't necessarily mean that all the people inside were bad. As long as they could be used for her own purposes, she didn't need to care about the slightest flaws.

Coincidentally, Jiuque thought the same thing.

Thinking back to what he had discovered during his investigation in the Six Ministries a few days ago, Jiu Que felt a headache coming on.

"Do you know the actual abilities of the officials in the Six Ministries? Most of them are just occupying positions without doing any work. I don't know what they relied on to get into the court. They can't even handle a small matter. They have a bunch of subordinates who just draw salaries. Aren't these people just eating the people's food for free? If they don't want to work for me, then they shouldn't work at all. There are plenty of people in the world who want to work for the court."

Although Jiu Que's words were somewhat crude, Chunyu Shuang wholeheartedly agreed. She had always despised those scoundrels who hoarded their positions without doing any work. Before Jiu Que's meteoric rise, she was a minor official in the Ministry of Justice, handling most of the tasks herself, while those bloated, bloated men would only offer a few empty words and then claim all the credit. What use were such people? Unfortunately, most officials in the court were like that, protecting each other, and even though she was also a minor official, she couldn't break this system of collusion. Moreover, her own family wasn't on her side.

But now things are better. Women all over the world finally have another way out and don't have to be locked in the backyard all the time.

“Jiu Que, sometimes I’m really grateful that you appeared, so that my past dreams didn’t have to be hidden all the time. Sometimes I think about what I would be like if you hadn’t appeared. I might not have been able to withstand the pressure and actually married a widower or became a stepmother to a child. Just thinking about it makes me feel that such a life would be unbearable.”

Although Jiu Que didn't know why Chunyu Shuang suddenly said such a thing, she understood her very well and reached out to pat her shoulder, telling her not to overthink it.

“I don’t know what others would do, but Chunyu Shuang, whom I’ve known, has always been a stubborn person. Even if she were to reach the very end, even if she were to leave officialdom and wander the world, she would never obey her parents’ wishes to marry someone she doesn’t love and become a conventional wife and mother. Before this, I was just an ordinary person, and no one ever imagined that I would have such an experience today. But since we have such favorable circumstances, we must make good use of them. We can’t let this opportunity go to waste and let the people of the world suffer again, can we?”

Chunyu Shuang's body trembled slightly, revealing a relieved smile. Life was simply too good now, so good that she almost wondered if she was dreaming. However, looking at the real Jiu Que beside her, the current Prince Chen, Chunyu Shuang couldn't stop smiling. Well, she was just that kind of ordinary person. Her friend had such a status and was leading the entire Great Jing Dynasty to a better future—why wouldn't she be happy? She was practically grinning from ear to ear!

To be honest, without Jiu Que's example, a female official like her, no matter how capable, would find it difficult to advance. Therefore, she felt that those ministers in the court who opposed her were out of their minds. Jiu Que wasn't just a figurehead; she wasn't merely a princess; she commanded troops—the exceptionally brave and skilled Northern Frontier Army. While many people these days prefer to send their children to study literature, it's undeniable that in this world, might makes right.

She felt very safe by Jiu Que's side.

"Nine Palaces, you must take good care of yourself. All the people and women in the world depend on you."

The speaker's earnestness made Jiu Que a little embarrassed. She should be thanking the other person for ensuring she wasn't alone on her journey, feeling utterly lonely.

These sentimental words only needed to be said once. What followed was a much more significant move by Jiu Que. Those officials who had been waiting for the prince to yield and plead for their help were dumbfounded when they heard that the prince's residence was recruiting advisors and retainers!

How could they not have thought of that?!

Yes, Her Highness now holds a title, and she is qualified to recruit staff and officials! Moreover, it's all up to Her Highness alone to decide. His Majesty has openly stated in front of the court that His Highness should act on his behalf. Therefore, it's perfectly reasonable for Her Highness to use her own officials to do the work. Are they going to complain to His Majesty that they are unhappy because Her Highness recruited a different group of people to help them, and they don't have that kind of audacity?

Alas, this is truly unexpected. I thought that His Highness, having attained such a high position at such a young age, would be at a loss when suddenly encountering setbacks. Now that they have suddenly appeared to offer care and assistance, wouldn't it be only natural that they have become His Highness's confidants?

I didn't expect them to deny even this small opportunity. This prince's actions are truly unlike those of a teenager; he's not much different from a seasoned veteran of the court. His Majesty bestowed upon the prince the title of Prince Chenrui; could this prince truly be a divinely ordained auspicious sign for the Great Jing Dynasty?

Many who had initially intended to oppose him reconsidered and suddenly realized their actions were somewhat risky. Seeing the prince's unstoppable rise to power, they worried that further obstruction would incur the prince's wrath. Whether they could even retain their current positions would be another matter entirely!

For a time, some timid officials dared not make excuses anymore, which made the implementation of the decrees issued by the Nine Palaces smoother, which was an unexpected bonus.

As for Chaoyan Academy, when Jiuque took Chunyu Shuang there to investigate, they found two slightly unexpected people. They were also surprised to see His Highness and took the initiative to come forward and respectfully bow.

"Your Highness has also heard of the reputation of Chaoyan Academy? The teachers and students here are truly excellent; their learning and insights are things I had never imagined before..."

It was none other than Xu Minghui and her daughter, whom they had only met recently.