Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 417 Deserve it

On the way back, Chunyu Shuang seemed to be in a good mood, a smile on her face, her fingers trembling slightly in the air. Jiu Que found it strange.

"Weren't you in a bad mood before? Why do you look so happy now?"

"Of course I'm happy! The things the teachers and students at Asagao Academy have learned far exceed my expectations, and I must say, they are really useful."

But wasn't Chunyu Shuang quite vigilant before?
Chunyu Shuang laughed heartily.

"This is probably a common problem. When I'm unsure if they're willing to help us, I always feel awe, even fear, towards new things. But they've already made it clear they're on our side, so what's there to worry about? Besides..."

She stopped talking after that, so Jiu Que had no choice but to press her for more information.

"And what?"

Chunyu Shuang glanced at Jiu Que, who was completely unaware, and shook her head with a smile.

"It's nothing, it's just that everything is going so smoothly right now, so smoothly that I can hardly believe it."

Moreover, Jiu Que's luck is incredible. Just when she desperately needed professional help, the Chaoyan Academy appeared, and its talented people could be immediately put to use. Those officials in the court who are currently making excuses to slack off probably don't even realize they're about to be replaced.

However, after much thought, Chunyu Shuang still felt that there was something strange about this academy, especially the headmaster who had refused to show his face until now.

Generally speaking, people who hide their true intentions like this must have unspeakable reasons, but it's unclear whether the headmaster is good or bad.

“Your Highness, what we need to do now is remain calm, we must remain calm. The obstruction from the court is a minor matter. The most important thing is His Majesty’s thoughts. If His Majesty can continue to trust you, then there is no need to say anything else. As for those stubborn ministers, they will eventually reap what they sow.”

Throughout history, countless great undertakings have been ruined by chaos. If Your Highness can persevere, undisturbed by the voices of others, and proceed step by step according to plan, you will eventually earn the respect and love of all the people. At that time, even if you wish to become regent and seize power over the world, it will be a piece of cake.

Moreover, Lin Wei has already been imprisoned and is unlikely to live past next spring. Furthermore, Emperor Jingtai, as his father, trusts Jiu Que even more. In the future, won't the Jingtai Emperor allow Jiu Que to wield his power at will?

Jiu Que wasn't a mind reader like Chunyu Shuang, so she didn't understand why Chunyu Shuang suddenly said such things, and why her attitude was so respectful. She could only smile and nod. At the same time, she lifted the curtain and looked at the falling snowflakes outside. Her eyes reflected not only the pure white snow, but also something else.

"Don't worry, I'm the kind of person who can keep a calm mind."

In this world, those who reveal their panic to others often do not live long... Winter has come, snow is falling heavily, and the temperature has plummeted. Jiu Que withdrew his hand and began to worry again.

"I wonder if the heated kang beds that we asked officials to promote have been implemented. Although the students in those academies are dedicated to the country, their words and actions are often different. Let's send them down to investigate the policies of local governments. If the heated kang beds can be promoted, there will be far fewer people freezing to death this winter."

“Your Highness is kind, and that heated kang is indeed very warm. To be honest, ever since we installed a heated kang at home, I haven’t wanted to get out of bed. It’s just so warm. However, heating a kang requires a lot of firewood. Well-off people don’t lack firewood, but poor people, especially those who don’t live near the mountains, may have some difficulty in this regard.”

"You don't need to address me as Your Highness."

Jiu Que didn't want to maintain such a respectful relationship with her few friends; how lonely she would be in the future! Fortunately, Chunyu Shuang was only affected by her inexplicable emotions earlier and had recovered, nodding with a smile. Only then did she continue with the arrangements.

“We discovered a large open-pit coal mine in the northern frontier. It has large reserves, is easy to mine, and burns for a long time. Before I left the northern frontier, I asked General Yuchi and his men to help with the mining. The transport team should be arriving in the capital soon. Once Father Emperor gives his permission, coal can be purchased from all over the country. However, we still need to have the people from the Academy and the Ministry of Works discuss and develop more convenient coal briquettes. They need to be inexpensive and easy to use.”

Chunyu Shuang nodded repeatedly as she listened, but then suddenly realized something and felt a strange sensation in her heart.

Why does Jiu Que sound like he knows how to make coal into better coal briquettes? Thinking about it carefully, it seems Jiu Que can foresee many things, like those thunderbolts that far exceeded everyone's imagination. Those incredibly powerful things—the Ministry of Works didn't even have the idea, let alone build them.

Could it really be as the people have been saying in private, that the Nine Palaces is a divinely bestowed auspicious omen?

"What's wrong? What are you thinking about? You seem distracted. Is there something wrong with you?"

As soon as Chunyu Shuang looked up, she saw Jiu Que's slightly worried face. She quickly shook her head to clear her mind of all the random thoughts.

"No, I was just thinking that Heaven is truly protecting Dajing. The people from the Imperial Observatory said some time ago that this winter would last much longer and be much colder than usual, and yet we discovered the coal mines before that. Isn't that a blessing from Heaven? I've discovered that you really do have a bit of mystical knowledge about you. Without Your Highness, we really wouldn't have discovered those coal mines. No wonder the people say you bring good fortune from Heaven. Hey, do you think the people might build a shrine for you? I think it's very possible."

"What? How did this get to the topic of building shrines for the living? I'm still alive."

Jiu Que was utterly exasperated. She wasn't doing these things for the people's affection. It was simply because long ago, she had made a promise to someone to keep all the people in her heart and mind. Furthermore, her education in both her past and present lives wouldn't allow her to stand idly by while the people suffered, powerless to do anything about it. Of course, she preferred to relax and didn't want to do anything mentally taxing. But there's a time and place. The Great Jing Dynasty clearly needed a foundation for rapid development; she couldn't just stand by and do nothing, could she?

"I only hope they can live better lives, live more like human beings. They've had enough to live these past few years. The world can't withstand another war. Let this chaotic era end completely in our lifetime, giving future generations a better time."

"...That's why the people built a shrine to you in your honor!"

Regardless of their status, nobles and royalty preferred to hoard their wealth in their own coffers, even letting it rot rather than share it with the common people. But Jiuque genuinely wanted everyone in the world to have enough to eat and wear, and to live a peaceful and prosperous life. Therefore, even if the people erected a shrine in her honor, it was well-deserved.