Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 449 How dare you! Arrest him!
Xie Kun was so angry that his hands and feet trembled, but having lived for so many years, he quickly noticed something amiss. For example, the young man opposite him, who was speaking so eloquently, was a woman disguised as a man.

With narrowed eyes, Xie Kun spoke earnestly.

“Young lady, you are still young and do not know the dangers of the world. Many things are not as people say. If you want to know the truth, you have to use your own eyes and ears to find out. Only after you have truly experienced it can you make a comment. Besides, how can a young girl like you go out and fool around with a group of men? It will damage your reputation. Before anyone finds out, you should leave as soon as possible.”

Sure enough, upon hearing this, the expressions of the scholars who had been following the young man immediately changed. They had no idea he was a woman. They had assumed he was one of their kindred spirits.

The young man looked slightly flustered, especially after he noticed that these like-minded scholars had subconsciously moved a few steps away from her; his eyes showed some hurt.

But she quickly came to her senses.

“I never hid my gender; I am a woman. So what? The current Prince Chen is also a woman. His Highness is exceptionally brave, defeating the Northern Barbarians and recovering lost territory. Such earth-shattering achievements are not something a man can accomplish. But I am not here to argue with you about whether men or women are more powerful. I simply want to speak up for that innocent Wuwei Jushi. This matter has nothing to do with gender, only right and wrong. If you did something wrong, then don't blame others for their criticism. Besides, did I force you to marry two women in one day? What does that have to do with me being a woman? Just because I am a woman, can't I point out your mistakes?”

"I am still young, while Patriarch Xie is quite old. Why don't you set a good example for us young people?"

Xie Kun had intended to appear magnanimous, attributing the young people's actions to the woman's immaturity, and using this to refute the claims in the People's Daily. However, he hadn't expected the woman, though young, to react so quickly, shifting the focus back to herself before he could even sow discord among them.

With a somber expression, Xie Kun was pondering a solution when he heard a deafening cheer coming from afar. Many excited people, as if celebrating a festival, were running around, jumping, and laughing.

Some overly excited people ran towards them. Keep in mind, this area, inhabited by the five powerful families and seven prominent clans, was a prestigious street in the capital. Ordinary people in shabby clothes wouldn't dare set foot here on ordinary days. What was going on today? First, a group of hot-blooded young people were scribbling and drawing on their walls, and now another group was running, jumping, and cheering—completely without any manners. In the past, how would these people dare to do this? They only dared to run and shout because of Prince Chen's influence…

Just as these noble people were frowning, the fastest-running teenage brother and sister shouted something. At first, no one could hear them clearly, but when they did, everyone showed a surprised expression.

"...His Highness the Prince's Royal Library opened today. Anyone with a household registration certificate can enter and read. Everyone, and it only costs one coin a day! Just one coin, and you can read any book in the Royal Library!"

"Inside are royal books donated by His Highness, many rare editions, and notes from renowned scholars. Scholars who want to take the imperial examinations should hurry over! You can bring your own paper and pen to copy them, and you can take them with you after you've finished. Besides that, everything imaginable, including encyclopedias, is available!"

Hearing this, Xie Kun was completely bewildered. What had he heard? Prince Chen had opened a royal library where books were free to read?! How could that be?
What can you do with a penny? You can't even buy a candied hawthorn!
They lost, utterly and completely. But Xie Kun couldn't understand. With this library now up and running, wouldn't Prince Chen's old storytelling shop be deserted? How could the prince do something so self-destructive?

Jiu Que wasn't nearby either; if she heard Xie Kun's thoughts, she'd probably burst out laughing. There were so many libraries in later generations, yet bookstores didn't all close down. Besides, her bookstore could sell storybooks. She had so many strange and wonderful stories in her head, and many writers in this era enjoyed writing travelogues and storybooks; surely someone would be willing to pay for them. Xie Kun didn't need to worry about these things.

"It's over, it's over."

The head of the Wang family muttered to himself. He had spared no expense for this sale, even handing over many of his own family's books, yet even that failed. They were already no match for the popular bookstores, and now this so-called Royal Library had appeared. Putting everything else aside, just the fact that it had the word "Royal" in its name was enough to put them out of the game.

These days, the saying "what the superiors do, the inferiors follow" applies. If the emperor likes something, the princes, nobles, officials, wealthy merchants, gentry, and even ordinary people below will all frantically imitate him. It's a fashion trend. Besides, didn't you hear what those kids said earlier? They already said it contains the notes of various great Confucian scholars. Anyone who wants to pass the imperial examinations and enter officialdom, who wouldn't want to read the insights of those great scholars, drawing upon their life experiences?
At this point, they had completely lost. All the manpower, financial resources, and materials they had invested during this period had gone down the drain. Moreover, the news had already spread, and in the eyes of the world, the five powerful families and seven clans were nothing more than a group of shameless villains who would bully weak women.

From now on, their bookstores can forget about opening. It is obvious that Minshuo Bookstore will definitely dominate the market in the future.

There was also the Xunbao (a type of daily report) which could control public opinion and sentiment. With such a thing, it was much easier for Emperor Jingtai to control the Jingtai Dynasty.

Sigh, why were they so foolish to go against His Highness the Prince?
Seeing his side's morale plummeting, Xie Kun, his face contorted with rage, still refused to admit defeat. After all, others had only suffered losses in manpower and resources, and would have fewer tools for making money in the future. But he would be infamous for eternity! Especially losing to Wang Heng, which was the most intolerable thing for him. But before he could even utter a sound, the heads of the powerful families nearby exchanged glances, chuckled awkwardly, and hurriedly left. Things had come to this point; they naturally had to cut their losses. They couldn't possibly follow Xie Kun down a path of no return, could they?

Seeing their departing figures, Xie Kun was absolutely furious!

"Today it could be me, tomorrow it could be you! If you don't fight back now, you'll be trampled underfoot for the rest of your lives! Do you think Prince Chen is some kind of good person who would let you go? I..."

"How dare you! You dare to slander His Highness in public! Arrest him!"

Several guards who appeared out of nowhere suddenly jumped out, grabbed Xie Kun and dragged him away, startling everyone!