Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 47 The weather's warming up, let's bankrupt the Worry-Free Cave!
"Your Majesty, it is not possible at the moment."

Jiu Que still felt he hadn't said anything wrong and was smug about his meticulousness.

[I guess this is what you call being completely honest. If the old emperor knew how sincerely I treated him, he might be moved to tears. Actually, it's not absolutely impossible, but how could gunpowder be completely safe and harmless? A slight mishap could send the roof flying. Such firearms were utterly overwhelming in the era of cold weapons. Hehehe, I knew no one could resist its allure.]

[But if this thing is developed and someone gets injured as a result, won't it all be pinned on me? I know that the officials in this court are best at flattering others.]

"..."

Emperor Jingtai took a deep breath. He really wanted to correct Ying Jiuque's fallacies. What did it mean to be best at praising others? Was he really such a monarch who would sit idly by? Well, thinking about the infighting in the court, where even civil and military officials could fight each other, Emperor Jingtai felt that his confidence wasn't so strong after all.

Cough cough cough, but, but this is not a reason for Ying Jiuque to shirk responsibility.

Gunpowder? Something from immortals—even its name is strange. How could something so incredibly destructive be called 'medicine'? It should be called a 'weapon of mass destruction'!

The best course of action now is to carefully consider how to minimize Ying Jiuque's vigilance. Such a masterpiece should not be buried; it must be brought before the world.

"Ugh……"

Emperor Jingtai suddenly let out a long sigh, looking extremely tired.

"The northern barbarians are still eyeing us covetously. Just a few days ago, our women's army defeated them, and now they're stirring up trouble again, constantly invading our borders. The poor people on the border just want to rest and recuperate, but even this simple request has become a luxury! Those hateful northern barbarians!"

"I wonder when the people of our border region will be able to roam freely across the grasslands and graze their livestock with abandon..."

Emperor Jingtai initially relied on tactics, but later it all came down to emotion. His greatest regret was not being able to personally subdue the northern barbarians. Watching those barbarians wreak havoc on his territory filled him with resentment as emperor. But he had to endure it. The Great Jing Dynasty was plagued by natural disasters and man-made calamities, suffering from food shortages. Adding to the problem, the civil and military officials at court were at odds, frequently clashing. The struggle between the emerging nobility and the established families never ceased; in fact, his ascension to the throne was only possible because he had temporarily reached a reconciliation with the powerful clans.

Looking back now, it was truly a bitter experience!

Seeing that the emperor had fallen into self-pity, Qi Zheng coughed lightly to remind him, "Your Majesty, what's wrong? Why are you sighing and lamenting in front of these lowly officials? It's unbecoming of an emperor." Actually, he didn't care, but Emperor Jingtai would soon regret his behavior.

"Your Majesty, the Northern Barbarians are truly detestable with their wolfish ambitions. Your Majesty need not worry. Our dynasty is now full of talented people and generals. One day we will crush the Northern Barbarian court. At that time, Your Majesty's worries will be easily resolved."

Emperor Jingtai came to his senses and felt embarrassed for his lapse in composure, but he quickly regained his composure and looked at Ying Jiuque with eager eyes.

"It's a pity that the weapons Ying Qing brought out tonight cannot be mass-produced, otherwise our Great Jing would surely have secured a place on the battlefield. Those so-called Northern Barbarians would surely crumble under such powerful weapons!"

Jiu Que hesitated for a moment.

It's not that it's impossible to make, but the process must be extremely precise. The slightest mistake could result in many casualties. Hmm, perhaps I should give the recipe to the Emperor and let him decide. After all, the Emperor surely has his trusted confidants.

Thinking of this, Ying Jiuque stepped forward. "Your Majesty, it's not entirely impossible, but it would require a great deal of effort, and management would have to be extremely strict. After all, the destructive power of that weapon is too great, and the damage it causes cannot be healed by ordinary wound medicine."

He explained the destructive power and dangers of gunpowder in great detail. Feeling that he had nothing more to add, Jiu Que wrote down the gunpowder formula on the spot and handed it to the old emperor.

The old emperor gasped, eagerly picked up the still-wet paper, examined it carefully several times, and only after confirming that he had memorized the recipe did he breathe a sigh of relief.

Then his gaze towards Ying Jiuque became even more amiable. Where in the world could one find a minister as capable as Ying Jiuque? Not only did he offer up his precious possessions without reservation, but he also didn't take credit for himself at all, directly revealing the prescription. But did this child not know how much benefit this prescription could bring him?
"Nine Palaces, you have done another great service. Come, don't stand on ceremony with me, tell me in detail what you want?"

"Uh……"

Jiu Que initially wanted to decline, but then suddenly remembered the children, Xiao Niba, who were still at home. So he rubbed his hands together somewhat embarrassedly.

"Well, normally, I wouldn't dare make any requests while serving Your Majesty. But unfortunately, my family now has a few more mouths to feed, and we're a bit strapped for cash. Could Your Majesty perhaps grant me some gold or silver?"

Emperor Jingtai could barely contain his smile. He knew that this child had picked up several disabled beggar children on her way back. The fact that she could take even such pitiful and disabled children back without any prejudice showed her upright character.

Moreover, he had just performed a great service, yet he didn't want any promotion or title, only some ordinary gold and silver...

He's still just a child, yet he has such a pure and innocent heart.

It is precisely children like this who evoke pity.

Remembering Ying Jiuque's mutterings to herself, Emperor Jingtai generously rewarded her with ten thousand taels of gold! Adding to that other fabrics, silks, and household items, the amount was almost enough to fill her small courtyard!

Jiuque was truly happy now.

"Your Majesty, thank you for your generous gift. I will certainly do my best to serve Your Majesty."

"Good good!"

Emperor Jingtai was all smiles, but seeing that it was getting late and Ying Jiuque looked tired, he simply had Jiufu take her to a side hall to rest. This kind and benevolent smile lasted until Ying Jiuque completely left the main hall. The others, who had been keeping their heads down, could still keenly sense that the emperor's kind and benevolent demeanor had slowly transformed into a cold and serious one!
"Da da da--"

Gently tapping the hard, flat tabletop, Emperor Jingtai gazed out of the hall, seemingly looking through the layers of palace walls at the underground passages that stretched throughout the capital.

He reigned as emperor for thirteen years, and for thirteen years he silently kept an eye on Wuyou Cave. Every year he collected the reports of missing women and children, and now it was time to reap the rewards.

As the weather gradually warms up, let's make Wuyou Cave even more lively.

(End of this chapter)