Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 71 Cheap Dad

That child was full of passion, working tirelessly for her country and its people. How heartbroken she would be if she discovered that the court officials all wanted to trample her into the mud?

"This matter is not urgent. Why would you suddenly remove her from her post when she was perfectly fine? There was nothing wrong with her or what was wrong with her. Even if it were any of the ministers present, I would not have the heart to do this."

"But Your Majesty, she has already incurred the wrath of the people."

"Why has she incurred the wrath of the masses? What terrible thing has she done? Isn't she just investigating the real culprit behind the Worry-Free Cave? As long as you all have a clear conscience, why should you be afraid of a little girl like her?"

"Your Majesty, this is different..."

Then came a new round of entanglement, which Emperor Jingtai found utterly unbearable. He couldn't understand how these old fogies had so much energy, how they could talk so much without getting tired. Not a single one of them did anything practical, just spouting these endless platitudes. But a few days ago, when Quzhou suffered a severe drought, these people were completely helpless, unable to donate even a penny. One day, he'd have them all executed…

Seeing that His Majesty remained silent, the ministers standing in the hall grew anxious. Some exchanged glances, their gazes turning to the members of the imperial clan. His Majesty could turn on them, his ministers, but could he really do the same to his own blood relatives? His Majesty was renowned for his affection for his juniors. Even the children of the widowed concubines in the harem, born to their former husbands, were well cared for by him. Prince Ping, always favored, had now been arrested by Ying Jiuque. Could His Majesty simply ignore this? Even if His Majesty could disregard it, what about Prince Ping's mother? His Majesty and Consort Yu had shared a bed for over twenty years; a single night of marriage was worth a hundred days of kindness, not to mention their shared hardships. Could His Majesty truly bear to abandon her?

And then there's the Third Prince, His Majesty's own son.

"Your Majesty, although Lord Ying is wholeheartedly devoted to the country and its people, the trouble she has caused this time is far too great. We do not wish for her to back down immediately, but rather for her to act more tactfully. After all, Lord Ying is still young; perhaps it would be better to have a more experienced and prudent minister assist her?"

At this moment, the usually composed prime minister finally spoke. This was a veteran of three reigns, having served the last emperor of the previous dynasty and Emperor Sui. After Emperor Jingtai captured the capital and ascended the throne, he became prime minister of the new dynasty. However, Emperor Jingtai had to invite him to serve as prime minister three times; after all, the new dynasty was newly established, and it was necessary to stabilize public sentiment. This well-regarded veteran of three reigns naturally became the first choice. Sure enough, after becoming prime minister, he was quite diligent and never caused trouble for Emperor Jingtai.

When he spoke out, he didn't show any obvious bias towards either side; he just wanted to calm the chaos in the court.

Emperor Jingtai would take the words of this veteran of three reigns to heart, pondering for a moment before not denying them outright.

"There are many experienced, prudent, and highly respected ministers in the court. In the Prime Minister's opinion, which one should be chosen to help with this task?"

As soon as Emperor Jingtai uttered these words, chaos erupted once again. This was clearly a golden opportunity to make a name for oneself!

Everyone wanted to go, but no one wanted to be the first to step forward, so they were just recommending each other. Interspersed among these recommendations were a few critical remarks about Ying Jiuque. In short, they were determined to completely crush Ying Jiuque at this grand court assembly.

Amidst the chaos, Emperor Jingtai even had the leisure to consider singing a song. At the same time, he was thinking about how the Jiuque case was progressing. He felt the time given to her was still too short; if she could have another ten days or half a month, there would surely be some results…

Just then, Jiu Fu, with a somewhat subtle expression, leaned closer and whispered something in Emperor Jingtai's ear. Although the officials below appeared chaotic, they were actually paying close attention to Emperor Jingtai's actions on the dragon throne. Seeing this small change, many exchanged glances, their hearts pounding.

Sure enough, the next moment everyone heard the majestic voice of His Majesty above.

"Summon her in." Everyone fell silent. At this hour, besides the much-talked-about Lord Ying, there was probably no one else who could attend court. Sure enough, a short while later, everyone heard a rustling sound outside the hall, as if something heavy had fallen to the ground. Then, a slender, tall figure strode in.

"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty."

People around her were openly and secretly observing Ying Jiuque, trying to glean some information from her expression. However, although this Lady Ying looked tired, no other expression could be seen on her face. At such a young age, she was quite adept at hiding her emotions.

Before she could even get up, some officials who couldn't stand it any longer had already crowded around her.

"Lord Ying, I wonder what important information you have uncovered that has caused such chaos in the capital. Today, when I came to court, I heard cries and commotion coming from Lord Li's courtyard. I wonder what kind of evidence you have that allows you to directly confiscate his property?"

"I also have something to ask Lord Ying. I heard that you took some kind of account book and arrested people arbitrarily based on the names on it. Regardless of whether your account book is real or fake, it has caused chaos in the entire capital. I wonder what Lord Ying's true intentions are."

"Although Lord Ying's tenure as an official was short, we were, after all, officials in the same court, and there must be some camaraderie among us. Lord Ying's impartiality and incorruptibility are truly admirable."

"I am also..."

[So this is how these officials held court before I arrived. Poor old emperor, he must have been driven mad by the noise but couldn't afford to lose his temper in front of everyone. It seems being an emperor isn't something just anyone can do. Good luck!]

Emperor Jingtai's lips twitched. This naughty girl always knew how to criticize him internally. But had this child not rested at all? Look at the dark circles under her eyes. Anyone who didn't know better would think she hadn't slept for days.

"Ahem, Ying Qing, have you found the results?"

Upon hearing His Majesty's question, the room fell silent, and Ying Jiuque nodded heavily.

"Your Majesty, I have fulfilled my mission and brought the criminals involved to justice..."

"Ying Jiuque! How dare you speak nonsense and deceive His Majesty?! In just over a day, what can you possibly find out? And arresting people? I think you're just making arrests arbitrarily! Before things get to the worst, quickly apologize to the ministers. Which of those officials you've arbitrarily arrested hasn't worked diligently for the court for many years? You're just a lowly sixth-rank official, who gave you the right to arrest people like this?"

"Ok?"

"If you still consider me your father, then stop making such a spectacle of yourself. You are just a young woman; how can you bear such a heavy responsibility? Listen to me, the imperial court is not like the inner chambers of a woman's home. This is a place where the laws of the court are observed. Don't act recklessly!"

I thought it was someone barking in the dark, but it turns out it's that cheapskate father of mine. How strange, he's been arresting people everywhere these past few days, Lord Lin couldn't possibly not know. If he truly cared about me, he had so many opportunities to speak directly to me, why did he choose to do it in court?
(End of this chapter)