Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 452 Chaos
Jiu Que, busy in the library, kept feeling like someone was watching her. She hadn't originally planned to come in, but the people of the capital were just too enthusiastic, with a constant stream of people coming and going, and the library staff were overwhelmed. She had no choice but to come in and lend a hand. After all, she was the one who came up with the idea, and no one understood the library's operations better than her.

While helping out inside, Jiu Que encountered many acquaintances. Little Lin Mingde had brought his father along; he had heard that the books in the library were free to read for just one coin per person. The little guy was the most intelligent child in his family of three generations; when he was captured by the people of Wuyou Cave, he was the calmest one. Because of this, Lin Mingde had a good relationship with Yuan Dao and the others.

The few children from afar, who were supposed to have a day off from school, couldn't stand idly by while everyone at Jiu Que's house was working hard. They had originally wanted to visit the library overseen by His Highness, but upon arrival, they were startled by the endless stream of people and were immediately pulled into the work. After all, these children had received a good education at Jiu Que's home and were now literate, making them quite capable laborers.

The children's physical disabilities were irreversible, but they had actually been quite happy during this time. Furthermore, as Jiu Que rose higher in rank, their status also improved. Now, many people could recognize them by their physical characteristics, and few people treated them with strange looks. Even in the bustling library, facing all sorts of people and their various gazes, they handled themselves with ease.

When Lin Mingde arrived, he happened to encounter a middle-aged man who was not easy to deal with.

The man was dressed simply and in shabby clothes, suggesting he came from a poor family. His face, which should have been honest and kind, was ruined by his shifty eyes, which added a layer of cunning. Yuandao remembered him vividly because he had just served this man a quarter of an hour earlier.

The Royal Library's rule was that everyone entering needed to obtain a library card based on their household registration. After paying one penny, they could read freely inside, but upon leaving, they had to hand the card to a staff member for stamping. At present, the Royal Library couldn't afford to allow people to borrow books at home for free; one penny a day was enough to prevent the library from incurring significant losses.

However, this middle-aged man had just been trying to slip away. The guards outside noticed his library card had no record of him leaving and returned him. Now, he was rudely shouting at Yuandao.

“What do you know, you little kid? Can you even read this? Hurry up and stamp it for me, I still have chores to do at home. Honestly, I come in to read a book and I'm being interrogated like a criminal. Are you going to search me? Didn't you say the Royal Library is open to everyone? What? Are you looking down on poor people like me? Why were the people ahead of me able to walk out so easily, but I'm the one left behind? I think you…”

Lin Mingde frowned upon seeing this scene from afar. He hadn't intended to disturb his colleague who was working, but the middle-aged man was clearly deliberately making things difficult. He was even baring his teeth and brandishing his claws. Was he planning to hit him? After all, the middle-aged man looked tall and big, while his colleague was small. The contrast was too stark and a little frightening.

However, Yuandao remained calm despite the man's unreasonable behavior. He had always aspired to the rank of Jiuque and had witnessed many grand scenes with Jiuque. Moreover, he was a child who could survive in a place like Wuyou Cave, so this man's commotion was nothing to him.

"Sir, please keep quiet. You should have seen the notice posted outside when you came in. If you can't read, you should have heard the guards' announcement: anyone who wants to come in to read must keep quiet. If you make a lot of noise in the library, the guards will ask you to leave. Everyone who comes in is automatically considered to have agreed to this rule. If you want to speak loudly, please wait until you leave. Besides, I have never looked down on any poor person. But sir, why don't you agree to have your library card stamped? And why are you always hiding it? Why is your chest so bloated?"

The library requires absolute silence, so the man's voice was quite loud, attracting a lot of attention. Sensing the gradually growing impatience of the surrounding gazes, the middle-aged man felt a little guilty, but still stubbornly shouted loudly.

"What? Am I wrong? I've never seen a bookseller tell customers not to speak loudly. What kind of logic is that? Aren't you just looking down on poor people like me? What's wrong with us speaking loudly? I'm using my own money, so I can speak loudly with a clear conscience! And are you accusing me of stealing your books? What a joke! I'm an upright person, why would I do such a thing as theft?"

At this moment, even more people couldn't stand it anymore, and the guards who were patrolling around were quickly and conveniently walking towards this side. Coincidentally, the one in the lead was a centurion with a missing left arm whom Jiu Que had brought back to the capital from the war.

Those who have truly witnessed bloodshed on the battlefield possess a distinctly different aura, carrying the stench of battle. Therefore, when the other party approached, the middle-aged man, who had just been shouting and causing trouble, immediately quieted down.

"what happened?"

“Captain Bai, you’ve come at the right time. This uncle doesn’t want to have the date stamped on his library card. He’s not only shouting and violating the library rules, but he’s also acting suspiciously by hiding and acting like a hoodlum. I have good reason to suspect that he’s hiding some library books in his clothes.”

"You're lying! I didn't steal anything!"

The middle-aged man could hardly hide his panic, but he still tried to put on a righteous expression and attempted to use his age to suppress Yuandao.

"My lord, don't listen to his nonsense. He's so young, what does he know? This Royal Library was established under the auspices of His Highness the Prince, and it's open to all citizens of the capital. I'm a citizen of the capital too, so why can't I come in? All this talk about hiding and acting suspiciously is utter nonsense! I've just never seen such a grand place before, so I took a second look. What? Can't an ignorant commoner like me come in?"

Bai Baihu stared at the man, sizing him up from head to toe several times. He had a serious appearance, and with one arm missing, he looked even more imposing. The middle-aged man had originally intended to cause trouble, but after being swept over by the man's eyes, he immediately dared not utter a sound. Seeing this, Jiu Que and Lin Mingde, who had originally planned to come and help, immediately held back.