Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 451 You are the best, the very best emperor
After much deliberation, Emperor Jingtai decided to give up.

Forget it. The reason General Ying failed with Lin Wei was because he hadn't seen enough men. He could fulfill his responsibilities as a father and start selecting more young, handsome, understanding, and talented men for Jiu Que from now on...

The key is a young man who can relieve the child's fatigue.

Oh, and they also need to have a clean record.

Thinking about it this way, most of the sons and nephews of the court officials were not considered top candidates. Alas, those men were truly useless, neither good at literature nor martial arts, what made them worthy of his daughter?
But then again, finding someone who is decent-looking, gentle, and considerate doesn't seem so bad; at least they don't have the desire or ability to compete for power...

Seeing Emperor Jingtai completely absorbed in his own imagination, Jiufu could only sigh helplessly. He was truly a case of the eunuch being more anxious than the emperor. Oh well, since His Majesty had already made up his mind, what could he, as a servant, do? Of course, he could only help his Majesty secure the next generation.

Moreover, it's not that he favors His Highness the Prince. Of His Majesty's four sons, which one could compare to the Prince's talent? No wonder His Majesty favors Prince Chen so much. After all, His Majesty truly has a throne to inherit. If any of the four princes were chosen, none of them would be able to take over the country.

After carefully considering his options for a moment, Emperor Jingtai decided that since he was in good spirits, he would disguise himself and leave the palace to see for himself the royal library that the people were so enthusiastically praising.

Since it's called the Royal Library, the emperor should set an example. The thought of gathering all the talented people in the land is exhilarating, and this child, Jiu Que, has actually made it happen. He's practically achieved what countless emperors throughout history have longed for—what is there to fear?

As for any potential storms that may arise in the future, he, as the elder, will naturally bear them for the child.

The emperor's travels were no small matter, and by the time all security measures were in place, half an hour had already passed. They arrived at the restaurant opposite the Royal Library in a remarkably low-key manner. In fact, Emperor Jingtai had already felt the enthusiasm of the people along the way; the street was completely congested, yet they still walked to the restaurant.

Emperor Jingtai had been unwell and bedridden for some time. He thought that going out for a walk and getting chilled would make him feel even worse, but to his surprise, after walking a long distance, he broke out in a light sweat and felt much better than when he was cooped up in bed in the palace.

Standing by the second-floor window, Emperor Jingtai looked down at the bustling crowd below and the endless stream of people heading to the library to borrow and read books. His smile grew increasingly wide and irrepressible. He patted the window frame, showing off to Jiufu.

"Look, look! Has any emperor throughout history ever witnessed such a scene? The signs of a golden age are already emerging. My daughter is the best gift Heaven has given me. She will surely become a wise and benevolent ruler of a prosperous era! And I, as her father, am not only the founding emperor but also the one who discovered her potential. This will surely be recorded in the annals of history. Even if I were to die now, I would do so willingly!"

"His Majesty!"

These hurtful words immediately caused Jiu Fu and the commander of the guards behind him to kneel down. His Majesty had truly terrified them; why would he say such ominous things out of the blue?
"Your Majesty is blessed with boundless fortune and will surely live to be a hundred years old." "That's right, I must live well, I must witness with my own eyes the flourishing of my female general, the Great Jing, and the scene of all nations paying tribute!"

At this point, Emperor Jingtai recalled the suggestion that Jiuque had mentioned before. Although he didn't quite understand it, since it was proposed by that child, it must have something special about it. After returning, he approved the memorial.

Now that a royal library existed, a royal medical clinic was no longer a mirage. Emperor Jingtai always remembered how his mother died. Everyone was poor then, dirt poor, unable even to afford a doctor. His cowardly father, who had lived a life of mediocrity, risked his life to steal water, gaining the favor of a landlord who gave him over 30 coins—but that was all he could buy for one dose of medicine. His mother ended up drinking only plain water boiled down to the same herbs, completely devoid of their medicinal properties. How could such a decoction cure her illness? So, in the end, his mother died of illness and starvation.

It's tough being an ordinary person.

They have a hard time surviving, having enough to eat, staying warm, and accessing medical care.

When he first rebelled, all he wanted was for himself and his brothers to have enough to eat. Now, in a high position, he has so much more to consider: balancing the powerful clans, controlling the northern and southern barbarians, governing the court, and providing relief to the endless stream of disaster victims. Droughts, floods, locust plagues, epidemics…

A series of events consumed his entire mind, and gradually, he almost forgot about such trivial matters. If it weren't for the child's repeated memorials, he might have remained oblivious for a long time. During that period of oblivion, countless ordinary people like his mother died every day from poverty. How could he have forgotten? Wasn't he filled with righteous indignation and swore an oath to the heavens?
"I am not a good emperor. I have not thought about ensuring that the people have enough to eat and wear, and that they can afford medical care, for far too long..."

"His Majesty!"

If Emperor Jingtai had said something else, Jiufu would certainly not have dared to interrupt, but when he heard His Majesty belittle him like this, Jiufu couldn't help but argue fiercely.

"Your Majesty is certainly a good emperor. If it weren't for Your Majesty, the Great Jing Dynasty would still be in war, and how could the people live in peace and prosperity? Moreover, for the past ten years or so, Your Majesty has been working tirelessly day and night, without a single day of slackness, all for the sake of ensuring that all the people of the world can live better lives. The continuous disasters in recent years are not Your Majesty's fault. No one can control things like droughts and floods. Of course, you are a good emperor, the best emperor in my heart!"

Emperor Jingtai was stunned for a moment, then quickly rubbed his face and laughed and scolded.

"You old rascal! All you know is how to say nice things to make me happy. Fine, fine, I'm not the kind of person who gets sentimental. Anyway, I've never regretted what I did, nor have I regretted leading a bunch of brothers in a rebellion. I have to live well. Jiu Que is still young and needs a reliable elder to support him."

"The five families and seven clans are definitely too embarrassed to keep causing trouble now. That old bastard Xie Kun has been arrested, while that old geezer from the Wang family is living a comfortable life. He pushed Xie Kun out and reaped the benefits behind the scenes. How could such a good thing happen? Let's find a reason to send him to the Ministry of Justice prison to reunite with his son-in-law. Anyway, their relationship was pretty good, wasn't it? They even conspired to harm their own wives and daughters back then..."