Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 421 Defeat
At this point, even Emperor Jingtai's expression turned sour. How could this man be so annoying? He had no sense of propriety in his words. He had never considered entrusting his precious daughter to a man he had never met. Even if she were to marry, she would undergo rigorous selection and meet certain standards before being given a chance to meet Jiuque. Not like this, forced by everyone to choose a young man to meet Jiuque. Not only was it true, but even he himself felt pressured. Could it be that as the supreme ruler, he couldn't even protect his own daughter? He loathed this feeling. Fortunately, Jiuque hadn't yet shown any intention of finding a husband.

"Lord Zhao, you call me a model for all women, but I don't deserve that title. I'm just an ordinary woman. It's only because I'm fortunate to have such a great man as my father, the Emperor, that I'm able to do things I never dared to dream of before. Actually, I know what you're trying to do, Lord Zhao. You don't really want to find me a suitable husband; you just want to distract me by talking about marriage and having children. What, does seeing a woman achieve something make you feel bad? Have you ever reflected on yourself? Why have you been in court for over a decade and are still such a lowly official? Have you not worked hard enough? Are you too arrogant and unwilling to lower your eyes to look at the ground? Since you suggest I find a suitable husband, does that mean you yourself have a son of marriageable age who is still unmarried?"

Lord Zhao certainly didn't want to admit that he had been rendered speechless by Ying Jiuque's barrage of words. But Ying Jiuque was no longer the little girl whose mother had abandoned her father and who was now isolated and helpless.

She is Prince Chen of the Great Jing Dynasty, the biological daughter of the current Emperor! The ruler of 200,000 troops in the Northern Frontier!
Even if Lord Zhao didn't want to answer, he had no choice but to tell the truth with utmost respect.

"Your Highness, I do indeed have a nineteen-year-old son who is now a scholar."

He couldn't help but mention his son's outstanding qualities.

Jiu Que smiled slightly.

"Lord Zhao, if I wish to marry your son, would you be willing?"

"Your Highness is too kind. My son is of shallow talent and virtue; how could he possibly be worthy of Your Highness?"

Even if that person were incredibly stupid, he wouldn't believe that Prince Chen's casual remark was true. However, he was still somewhat unwilling to accept it and wanted to hear what Prince Chen had to say.

Those around him seemed a little nervous upon hearing this. A teenager who had passed the imperial examinations was indeed quite good, but he wasn't among the very top tier. Could His Highness really be tempted?

At this moment, Cui, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review who usually disliked Lord Zhao, sneered and undermined Lord Zhao.

"Why does Lord Zhao not mention at all that your son was born with an unusual appearance and a cruel nature? Last month, he beat and abused his concubine, crippling her. The woman tried to escape, but you caught her. Her family went to the Dali Temple to report the incident, but they were robbed on the way and her whereabouts are still unknown."

"You're lying! My son is the kindest man imaginable, and he's so young, how could he have a concubine? That woman must be slandering him!"

Oh dear. Jiu Que had originally intended to ridicule Lord Zhao, but before she could even open her mouth, such a bombshell dropped. Now people were saying that she and her father wouldn't approve. Which official in the entire court would willingly accept such a morally questionable person as a prince's husband?

As expected, the entire court immediately launched an attack on Lord Zhao. Despite his eloquence just moments before, Lord Zhao was now speechless under the betrayal of his colleagues. Before long, he was sweating profusely and his face turned red with anxiety. At this moment, he suddenly looked at Prince Chen as if he had remembered a savior.

"What was Your Highness about to say? You must know that my son is innocent, right?"

"I have never met your son before, and naturally I know nothing of his character. As for whether he is innocent or not, the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice will investigate. If your son has violated the law, he will naturally be punished. What I was just saying was that if I were to choose a son-in-law, the other party would not be allowed to serve as an official in the court and would have to abandon their original family name. However, they would still have wealth and honor, and would then live as a wealthy and leisurely person. Moreover, I may not have any children, and even if I do, the children will bear the surname Jing. After the consort's death, he will be buried next to the Prince's tomb..."

"How can this be allowed? There has never been such a precedent before! Although Your Highness is of noble status, you must abide by the customs that have been passed down for thousands of years. How can a man be buried in a woman's ancestral grave after his death?"

Jiu Que had many more demanding requirements he hadn't yet mentioned, but the other party was already unwilling. And what was wrong with these conditions? He thought they were perfectly acceptable. How could an ordinary person live a royal life? If she truly wanted him as her husband, why would she care about such trivial requests?
Moreover, this Lord Zhao was genuinely grieving for his son; look at his grief-stricken appearance, it was almost unbearable for others to witness.

"Lord Zhao, there is no need to be too sad. I was just mentioning it casually and did not really intend to marry your son."

A burst of laughter erupted among the officials, clearly directed at Lord Zhao, whose face was flushed red, like a pig's liver. It was obvious that even if Prince Chen wanted to choose a son-in-law, he would exclude Lord Zhao's son. Lord Zhao could only leave with a sullen face, his mind still scheming about how to get his son out of the picture.

That makes sense. His son is almost 20 now, so what if he has a concubine? And that concubine, of course, isn't even gentle and submissive. What's wrong with a man hitting his own woman? Hasn't that been the way things have been for thousands of years?
Fortunately, he didn't say those words out loud. If Jiu Que had heard them, he might have given him a few slaps and shown him that even centuries-old customs could be overturned one day.

Now that things have come to this, everyone understands that His Highness the Prince really has no intention of choosing a son-in-law. Although it is a bit of a pity, it is not the first time they have felt this way, so everyone accepts it quickly.

They decided to shift their focus back to the efforts His Highness had made recently. They had a rather relaxed and comfortable New Year, free from external threats. From now on, aside from guarding against the Southern Barbarians and a few other neighboring countries, the Great Jing could rest easy.

Therefore, many officials enjoyed a relaxed and pleasant New Year. However, they were surprised to see the results of His Highness's hard work throughout the winter on their first day back at work. It seemed that His Highness was still working for the court even during the New Year. This made those officials who considered themselves diligent and conscientious blush with shame.

"Your Highness's idea of ​​a heated kang bed is indeed very comfortable. My parents are nearly seventy years old. In the past, every winter, no matter how carefully we took care of them, they would always catch frostbite, which worried me greatly. But this winter, with the heated kang bed, the house is warm and cozy every day, and my parents are in much better spirits than before!"