Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 457 Interview
"Ah, Senior Cui has a sect?!" To be honest, Jiu Que's first reaction was quite embarrassing. Senior Cui had never mentioned her sect before, and she had assumed Senior Cui had mastered martial arts all by herself. Now, suddenly hearing her mention a sect, and that members of that sect had even come looking for her, surprised Jiu Que greatly. But then again, does Senior Cui having a sect mean she won't be so lonely anymore?
She composed herself and spoke with delight.

"That's a good thing, senior. But speaking of which, how have your sect members treated you? If they treat you well, that's certainly a good thing; if they don't, that's still a good thing. Now that you've come to the capital and fallen into my hands, what past grievances can't be settled?"

Senior Cui shook his head somewhat embarrassedly.

Even though she was so familiar with Jiu Que, she still felt a little embarrassed talking about her sect. Mainly, now that Jiu Que was a prince, her sect's visit at this particular time felt like they wanted to use him as a backer, making Senior Cui very uncomfortable. After all, her relationship with Jiu Que was completely genuine, without any ulterior motives. This sudden change, mixed with self-interest, made it impure.

However, Jiu Que was very concerned about this, and after her repeated questioning, Senior Cui finally told her the situation.

It turns out that although Senior Cui's mentor was a loner, her master did indeed come from an ancient sect. However, although that sect had martial arts techniques passed down from their lineage, no one had been able to learn the true essence of them for hundreds of years, so the sect gradually declined.

This visit was due to the fact that Luoxia Peak was on the verge of collapse and disbanding. Senior Cui's mentor, unable to bear seeing their plight, pointed them in a clear direction. If there was any path in this world that led directly to the top, it was the capital. Moreover, Cui Zhufeng had a prince who was both his disciple and friend—the only prince in the current dynasty. Even just getting acquainted with her would be enough for his sect to continue developing.

Of course, there was also a bit of selfishness on the part of the elders of the sect. If their Luoxia Peak could gain the favor of His Highness the Prince, not only would they be able to continue operating, but they would also be able to rise to prominence in no time!
Senior Cui wasn't unaware of these intricacies, but she had never liked them. However, this time it was an instruction from her elders, so she couldn't refuse and had no choice but to shamelessly ask Jiu Que.

"You don't need to help them with anything. Just meet with them once, let others know that they also have powerful backers, and let Luoxia Peak continue to operate. There's no need to give them any preferential treatment because of me. If they are capable, they can survive anywhere. If they are not capable, they won't be able to survive even if they are given more preferential treatment."

Jiu Que readily agreed, but he wouldn't tell Senior Cui what he was really thinking.

The main reason is that Senior Cui's martial arts skills are unparalleled, so her fellow disciples can't possibly be a bunch of incompetent fools, right? Even if they only learn 1/10 of Senior Cui's skills, that would still be remarkable.

Now that the Great Jing is gradually emerging from the chaos of war, it doesn't mean they don't need skilled warriors. Especially those who have practiced martial arts since childhood and are physically robust; even if they can't become generals commanding thousands of troops, they can still be brave vanguards charging into battle. More importantly, a century-old sect like this must possess martial arts techniques for strengthening the body and mind. If they were willing to share these techniques and teach them to ordinary soldiers, it would undoubtedly greatly improve their physical fitness. This is a powerful asset for the army; how could Jiu Que be unwilling to receive them?
So she quickly arranged for someone from Luoxia Peak to come and see her.

The disciples of Luoxia Peak, who had traveled a long way, were initially filled with anxiety. They had only come to seek help from their grandmaster, who had been away from the sect for a long time, because they were truly at their wits' end. If things continued to decline, the entire Luoxia Peak would disband. Most of them were like abandoned children taken in by the sect's elders; if the sect were to disband, they truly didn't know where they would go. This trip was a last resort; the neighboring Guwu Peak was pressing them relentlessly, and if they didn't find a backer, they would indeed disband on the spot.

In utter desperation, the Supreme Elder of the Ancestor suddenly remembered that he had a disciple outside. People in the martial arts world naturally had their own unique ways of communication, and after finding out where his disciple was and what he was doing, the Supreme Elder was completely stunned. Wait, his disciple could actually be connected to a prince of the current dynasty?!
And it seems like he's doing quite well.

In that case, could you help out the sects that are on the verge of bankruptcy?
Of course, before they arrived, those who had decided to go to the capital had received stern instructions from their elders, including the sect leader and the supreme elder. Strictly speaking, they were going to the capital to beg for alms, and they absolutely could not act recklessly just because they were skilled in martial arts. So, in the evening, Jiu Que saw a group of overly obedient young people, like quails. These martial artists didn't seem much different from ordinary people, except that their clothes were a bit old, and they didn't have any ethereal aura. They looked just like ordinary people, even a bit rustic.

Looking at this group of young people, Jiu Que noticed something important: the proportion of women among them was quite high.

Cui Zhufeng rarely appears in public, so the introduction was a bit unusual for him.

“These are my grand-disciples and grand-disciples. They’re not very capable. If Jiu Que finds one he likes, he’ll say a few words to them and let them go.”

This was already the limit for Senior Cui. Jiu Que knew her personality, so he smiled and didn't agree.

Seeing the flock of little quails shivering, Jiu Que felt a rare pang of pity. He waved to the little girl standing at the back, peeking out but too shy to look openly. The little girl, still somewhat incredulous, pointed to herself with her thumb.

I?
"Yes, it's you. Good boy, come here and let me see you."

Jiu Que genuinely didn't see anything wrong with what she said, after all, her mental age was definitely older than this girl who looked to be in her teens. But others didn't think so. They just felt that His Highness the Prince was indeed a member of the royal family, and at such a young age, he already had a great presence. He spoke to them with such ease and grace.

The chosen girl was both excited and scared. Under the watchful eyes of everyone around her, she walked out timidly and slowly came to Jiu Que. Following the instructions of her elders, she gave her a solemn bow.

"This humble citizen, Yuanxiu, greets Your Highness."

"Yuanxiu? Is that what you mean?"

Jiu Que gestured, a slightly lively movement that immediately closed the distance. Yuan Xiu, a naturally vivacious and bold girl, glanced at Jiu Que and nodded repeatedly. This prince didn't seem unapproachable at all, unlike what the people down the mountain had said. He was so approachable, and even generously gave her a fine jade pendant!