Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 456 Master
Then, wouldn't she be able to participate too?

Although she had previously used the Prince's influence to suppress the Xie family, that wasn't due to her own efforts. Today, she could indeed rely on the Prince's power, but she was already grateful that the Prince was willing to help her. How could she continue to depend on him for a living?

She herself needs to stand up for herself.

I just wonder if someone like her, who has been married and had children and is already 40 years old, can participate in this special imperial examination?

Still feeling uneasy, Wang Heng brought lavish gifts to Chunyu Shuang's home. Given her status, it was already an honor for her to have established a connection with His Highness before. Now, if she wanted to inquire about the connection, she didn't necessarily need to see His Highness.

Chunyu Shuang was puzzled as to why the Hermit of No-Witness had suddenly come to her door, but she immediately smiled after hearing the purpose of her visit.

"His Highness didn't explicitly say it was to avoid provoking fierce resistance from students across the land, but the notice clearly states that everyone in the world can participate. So why can't you participate, layperson? So go ahead and participate openly. Isn't the very reason His Highness established this special examination to provide everyone in the land with a path to advancement?"

Although Wang Heng also came from a prestigious family, she was a woman. This identity meant that the people of the prestigious families would not fully support her, especially since she had previously offended the Five Families and Seven Clans. Those powerful families were afraid that they would not be able to suppress her, so why would they support her?
Therefore, her participation has no impact on the overall plan. Why not let her be a leader, which would also inspire women across the land to strive for excellence?

Everyone tells women to be obedient, gentle, and virtuous, but no one tells them that the praise of others is far less important than the power they hold in their own hands. Just look at her now. She holds a high position and enjoys the prince's deep trust. So what if her family doesn't like her? They're still trying every means to mend their relationship with her. It's just that she's passed the stage of craving her family's love and trust, and has already stepped into the next stage of her life. She won't crave that little bit of affection anymore.

People used to say she was too old and that even if she married, she'd only marry a widower. But now, she has several young, handsome, gentle, and attentive men in her household, enjoying a life of comfort and pleasure. Now she understands why men have suppressed women for centuries, preventing them from rising in status—this kind of life is just too wonderful!

No need to worry about mother-in-law/daughter-in-law issues, no need to concern herself with how many concubines her husband has, no need to engage in backstabbing and infighting within the household for meager gains. She only needs to strive for her future each day, and when she returns home, someone will have prepared hot meals for her and serve her with utmost care. How could such a life not be wonderful? And men have enjoyed this kind of comfortable life for thousands of years; what's wrong with letting her have it for a few decades?
Chunyu Shuang found Wang Heng quite agreeable, so she didn't mind giving her some pointers. After all, Wang Heng had a son who was a good friend of hers, and strictly speaking, he was also her elder. However, Wang Heng probably didn't want to use this relationship, otherwise she wouldn't have brought such a generous gift to visit.

In truth, Wang Heng wasn't unable to see clearly, but rather lacked confidence. Now, with Chunyu Shuang's guidance, she felt much more at ease. Although there were still several months left, she hadn't picked up a book in many years, and moreover, she had to learn many things she had never encountered before, so there was still some urgency. Therefore, after bidding farewell to Chunyu Shuang, Wang Heng hurriedly returned to her studies.

As soon as Wang Heng left, a tall, slender man in white, with a frail appearance, floated in, carrying a bowl of white fungus soup. He was exceptionally beautiful, resembling a lovely woman, a rare beauty.

"You've worked hard, sir. Have a bowl of white fungus soup."

Chunyu Shuang smiled and touched the other person's slender, delicate, and fair hand. As for the bowl of white fungus soup, it was nothing compared to the fragrance of the beauty in front of him.

"What kind of incense is used for Xiuzhu? It's so enchanting!"

The beauty blushed slightly, her eyes filled with a hint of sorrow. "There's no fragrance at all, just a faint medicinal smell. If you don't like it, I'll wash it off right away."

"Hey, hey, hey, there's no need to wash it. I'll clean the bamboo for you..."

Actually, it's no wonder that Jiu Que always suspected Chunyu Shuang was the one who traveled through time, because some of her actions were just too ahead of her time.

Jiu Que glanced at the memorial submitted by Chunyu Shuang in front of him, looking helpless.

Being in a position of power isn't easy; you have to handle these kinds of cases, it's really a headache.

Look, the memorial says Chunyu Shuang is not virtuous as a woman, keeping seven or eight male lovers in her household before marriage, which is truly corrupting social morals. It even says she will lead women astray and demands severe punishment. If you ask Jiu Que himself, this is utter nonsense. Chunyu Shuang didn't force anyone; those men were willing. Besides, who knows how many are genuine male lovers and how many are spies? And these officials really have nothing better to do, huh? Instead of doing their own duties, they're meddling in other people's family affairs—they're really idle.

Furthermore, shouldn't the official who submits this memorial first take a look at himself? Jiu Que remembers very clearly that this person's son was fighting fiercely with someone in a brothel over the top courtesan not long ago, resulting in bloodshed. Now he's denying everything?

He simply wrote in big red characters on the document, "Take care of your own affairs first," and then moved on to the next one!
Yes, ever since Emperor Jingtai recognized Jiu Que, all the memorials from the officials have been handled by her, exhausting her. She thought that once her father recovered, he would take over this mess, but unexpectedly, he simply abandoned it. How can this be allowed?
But as the saying goes, old people are like children, and Emperor Jingtai was no exception. These days, he's becoming more and more uninhibited, spending his days eating, drinking, playing, and having fun. His schedule is quite full, and he's living the high life.

As for Jiu Que, he could only sadly and miserably review memorials in the Hall of Diligent Governance, in addition to a long list of political affairs. It must be said that under such high-intensity conditions, Jiu Que has become increasingly adept at handling political affairs.

After finally finishing her official duties and going out for a stroll, she arrived at Chunyu Shuang's residence only to find that Chunyu Shuang had already gone boating on the lake with her number one male favorite, Xie Mingchen had gone out with his mother to find a quiet house to study, and even Wei Yuan had gone hunting at the estate. She was left all alone...

No, there's also Senior Cui!

However, after Senior Cui came out, he looked somewhat hesitant and conflicted.

Jiu Que suddenly became interested. These days, everyone around him is helping En Ke or himself, but Senior Cui rarely talks about his own situation. What difficulties has he encountered?

Under Jiu Que's attentive care, Senior Cui finally revealed what had been troubling him for several days.

"Nine Palaces, people from my sect have come looking for us..."