Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 62 God-Slaying Whip

"Your Majesty! Please investigate this matter thoroughly!"

Under this bright and clear sky, shadows are everywhere. Not everyone can see the light, but at least everyone should be able to see hope!

The Third Prince thought he had destroyed the painting, but what Jiu Que wanted was never the painting itself, but the thin silk hidden inside. It was as thin as a cicada's wing; even if it was covered with incriminating evidence, it remained inconspicuous, allowing her to take that tiny piece of evidence in full view of everyone, concealed by her long sleeves. She wasn't stupid; how could two people possibly escape the Third Prince's residence unscathed? But if she couldn't catch him off guard, would the Third Prince really allow her to search the head steward's room if she went in politely? Wouldn't that alert him?

Therefore, this clumsy method is the only option.

Emperor Jingtai remained silent. Even after Jiufu handed him the thin scroll, which he had read clearly, the evidence listed on it was shocking. The number of women and children bought and sold every day exceeded one hundred. Emperor Jingtai clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking, but he still did not utter a word.

Emperor Jingtai only sighed when Jiuque looked at him with suspicion.

"Do you realize that once this case comes to light, you will become the target of public criticism?"

Those lawless scoundrels, afraid to harm him directly, would target Ying Jiuque. Emperor Jingtai knew that a case this complex couldn't possibly involve only the Third Prince. Moreover, driven to desperation, if they dared not attack him, wouldn't they attack Ying Jiuque? What did she have? His own authority? The title of county princess? A minor official position of the sixth rank?
What use are these anyway?
Those in power don't care about these things; in their eyes, they are all meaningless illusions. Only what they truly possess can guarantee their lifelong security. And what does this foolish child have? He only has some empty titles.

“Child, are you really sure? Are you truly prepared to face the storms to come? You must understand that some of the people you're suing are ministers I've trusted for many years, some are even my own sons. Even I can't guarantee I won't take action against you under the influence of those around me. After all, rumors can spread like wildfire. If you stop now, boundless hope, happiness, and joy will steadily surround you. And all it takes is for you to give up just a little bit—really, just a little bit. After all, those people have nothing to do with you, do they?”

“I know that many people, many young people, have beautiful aspirations and want to become famous incorruptible officials in this world. But the price of being an incorruptible official is too high. You are likely to be abandoned by everyone. Your friends and everything you have now may disappear. These are the real problems you need to consider, and ideals alone are not enough to solve these problems.”

Once upon a time, Emperor Jingtai also had this dream: to be the best and fairest emperor in the world. He wanted to treat all the people as his own children, sparing them the suffering he had endured. But gradually, those people, who had such concrete images in his eyes, faded into a vague concept. It was easy to chant this slogan, but he found it increasingly rare to truly empathize with them. Now, he could hardly even remember what his companions from his days as commoners looked like.

Knowing all this, he wanted to stop the child one last time. This child was so similar to him back then.

But precisely because of this, Emperor Jingtai harbored a vague suspicion in his heart, which was...

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty! I have no regrets!"

As expected, the answer felt like a heavy hammer falling from the sky and striking Emperor Jingtai's heart. This child was so similar to herself, so she would never back down and would never be afraid.

"Sigh, I knew you'd say that... You're such a soft-hearted child. Fine, fine, since you've put so much effort into bringing this matter to the forefront, how could I hold you back? Besides, I've been following this for a long time, and your evidence is crucial. But, Jiu Que, you must understand one thing: once the arrow is released, there's no turning back. Since you chose to step forward and provoke this, you absolutely cannot give up halfway. If you back down halfway, you'll face overwhelming retaliation. You might even become an enemy of the entire court!"

Jiu Que was stunned for a long time. She even felt her eyes getting hot and her nose getting stuffy. She knew that Emperor Jingtai was a good emperor, and she also knew that Emperor Jingtai was very tolerant of young officials, but she still did not expect that His Majesty would be so indulgent towards her. Yes, this had undoubtedly reached the point of indulgence.

Jiu Que sniffed loudly, took a deep breath, and nodded emphatically. "Okay!"

Emperor Jingtai's shout of approval startled Jiu Fu, who was standing nearby, unsure how to react to the old man and the young man. It turned out his earlier worry was just a test between the two, not genuine anger. Sigh, this old man was really having a lot on his mind…

"You shall obey the command of the Nine Palaces!"

"Wei Chen is here!"

"I hereby order you to preside over the trial of the 'Worry-Free Cave' case and bring the mastermind behind it to justice! No matter if you are a prince, nobleman, or minister, anyone suspected of being involved may be brought in for questioning."

"Your Majesty, may I ask if the princes are treated the same?"

"nature!"

Emperor Jingtai laughed heartily and ordered Jiufu to bring out the nine-section whip that had been prepared beforehand.

"This divine whip is bestowed upon you, to strike down princes and nobles above and corrupt officials below. I hope that in this case you will not forget your original intention and will give the people justice."

"Yes!"

Jiu Que felt her heart surge with emotion; all her previous doubts and dissatisfaction transformed into excitement and admiration. She often saw parents who were originally upright and impartial change their attitudes when faced with questions about their children. After all, there's a saying: "The hearts of parents are full of love and concern for their children." Jiu Que certainly didn't think this was right. But how many people could truly transcend the parent-child relationship and treat matters fairly and justly?
Moreover, His Majesty is the master of this world. As long as he doesn't speak, everyone in the world will silently pretend that this matter doesn't exist. But he didn't choose to deceive himself; instead, he granted Jiu Que such great power, all for the sake of the truth.

[I never expected His Majesty to be such a good person! Hehehe, maybe he can become a great emperor for all time...]

Emperor Jingtai's face first darkened, then flushed. How could this child praise him so much? He was even a little embarrassed by the praise.

"Alright, do whatever you want. I'll give you two squads of Golden Armor Guards. With their help, it will be much easier to investigate anyone you want to find out."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Jiuque walked out, beaming with delight, carrying the golden God-Slaying Whip. Emperor Jingtai stared in disbelief behind her. No, this God-Slaying Whip was made entirely of gold; it was incredibly heavy, and several eunuchs had had to carry it up just moments before. And this child just picked it up and carried it away so easily? Just how strong was she?
Even Jiu Fu was stunned. But he quickly found a reason for Jiu Que, after all, he was a genius who could develop weapons like the Thunderbolt, so this kind of skill was a piece of cake for him.

(End of this chapter)