Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 76 Ying Qing

The officials around him, who had been on tenterhooks for so long, ridiculed Lord Lin, but they didn't dare to be too arrogant. After all, even broken bones are connected by tendons. Lin Wei said he wasn't close to his daughter, but who knew if he was telling the truth? Before this, hadn't Lin Wei shown that he loved his daughter dearly? Especially at His Majesty's birthday banquet, Lin Wei and Ying Jiuque showed such a deep father-daughter bond.

At this time of year, it's hard to say, really hard to say.

Watching his colleagues' departing figures, and then looking around at himself, even his close friends were gone; he was now truly all alone. Lin Wei's expression was incredibly grim. He should have known that the jinx's return wouldn't bring anything good. She had finally managed to salvage some reputation for the family, only to ruin it all in just two days. He had previously regretted that she wouldn't return to live with the Lin family, but now he was thankful that the rebellious daughter hadn't gone back; otherwise, things would have been incredibly complicated.

In short, he needs to break things off with that rebellious daughter as soon as possible...

After making up his mind, Lord Lin flicked his sleeves and left with a worried expression.

Meanwhile, the eunuchs informed Emperor Jingtai of Lin Wei and the others' reactions. Emperor Jingtai had already taken Ying Jiuque to the Hall of Nourishing Life. This was where he usually handled affairs and rested; normally, unless one was a highly favored minister, they rarely came to this palace. However, since Jiuque returned to the capital, he treated this place like home, visiting it every few days.

Sitting silently on the stool brought by Eunuch Jiu Fu, Ying Jiu Que remained silent for a moment. She had actually anticipated this development, but when it actually happened, Ying Jiu Que was still a little nervous.

"Uh, if I said I didn't intentionally cause Emperor Jingtai's family to be torn apart, I don't know if the old emperor would believe me. But I've already done it, so I can't just go back on my word and say that those I arrested were all innocent people, can I? Hmm, although I feel sorry for the old emperor, the Third Prince and Prince Ping are really despicable. They've already enjoyed so much wealth and luxury, yet they still feel it's not enough. I seem to remember the old emperor frequently bestowing gifts upon his own children. Even if Prince Ping isn't the old emperor's biological son, his food, clothing, and housing are still top-notch. How much could his own family possibly eat, wear, or spend? Why would he risk everything and waste money like that?"

[Tsk tsk tsk, it's not always fair to say who's right or wrong in this kind of thing. Maybe he just enjoys himself. But why didn't those two empresses comfort His Majesty? Their son's actions have caused the old emperor to lose face in front of so many people. The old emperor is someone who cherishes his reputation so much; does he feel any pride in having his old comrades and sons, who have fought alongside him for so many years, done something like this? Alas, being an emperor is truly not easy. He's already very frugal, but unfortunately, the people around him aren't supportive. In any case, this will be recorded in history.]

Emperor Jingtai's expression wasn't good; this little rascal certainly knew it. He just kept calling him "Old Emperor" in private, which wasn't a good habit.

[I didn't expect the old emperor to actually be willing to deal with these people. I thought he would show favoritism...]

Emperor Jingtai's lips twitched involuntarily. So, you had no idea whether I would uphold the law impartially before entering the palace. Even so, Ying Jiuque still stubbornly insisted on entering the palace. This child, I don't know if he's clever or foolish.

"Cough cough!"

"Yingqing, you did a great job this time. Not only did you catch the culprit, but you also rescued so many innocent people. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have known that there was so much filth in this imperial city. You are a good boy."

[How did this praise turn into such a sentimental rant? It's a bit embarrassing.] "Your Majesty is too kind. If it weren't for Your Majesty's strong support, I wouldn't have been able to find the officials involved so quickly."

Emperor Jingtai sighed.

Why are other people's children so outstanding? And yet, their fathers don't even approve of Jiu Que. He's capable, unafraid to take responsibility, and cares about the people. If only he were his own child, he'd be laughing in his sleep.

"You've solved a major case this time, and I will reward you handsomely. What do you desire?"

She felt like she'd heard that phrase before. Jiu Que twitched her lips, finding it eerily familiar. But she didn't really want anything. She was now both an official and a county princess, and this matter wasn't over yet. The lost elixirs and the missing people still lingered in her mind. Furthermore, although she had already given the method for using the Thunderfire to His Majesty, not all the people hiding beneath the Worry-Free Cave had actually been brought out.

After all, creating something out of step with the times takes a considerable amount of time. And what about those driven out of the Worry-Free Cave? Most of them are homeless, unregistered refugees, or disabled individuals and beggars struggling to survive. Even if they are driven out, what can they do besides find a new place and live cautiously?

They were only able to take the others with them because they had come from afar. But there were many more beggars at the bottom of Wuyou Cave. How should they be taken care of?

Sigh, just thinking about it gives me a headache. Even if we hand it over to the imperial court, it would only mean sending some of the elderly and young to places like the Ci'en Temple, which would be another huge expense. The imperial court is already running a deficit. Although so much gold and silver has been confiscated this time, it can only solve the immediate crisis in Quzhou. The harvests have been poor in recent years, and the national treasury is empty. Even if funds are allocated, after layers of skimming, how much will actually reach those who need help?

If I offered to help those homeless people, wouldn't that seem too arrogant and presumptuous? I'm already quite conspicuous; if I were to step forward now, wouldn't those officials want to tear me apart? I can already picture their faces. Hmm, maybe I should just forget it and let the old emperor deal with it himself; he won't just stand by and do nothing…

"Minister Ying, there's something that's been troubling me for a long time. With all the officials in the court acting like this, I can only trust you, Minister Ying. I wonder if you could share my burden and help me out?"

As she was muttering to herself, she suddenly heard Emperor Jingtai's voice. Looking up, she saw the Emperor's sincere expression and was startled. Uh, she thought she had just spoken her thoughts aloud.

"Your Majesty is too kind. If you have any worries, just give the order, and I will do my best to fulfill them."

"Well, it's really nothing, just those people captured from the Worry-Free Cave. To say they're utterly heinous wouldn't be an exaggeration; most of them are elderly, weak, sick, or disabled, so killing them is definitely out of the question. But what to do with them is the problem. Yingqing is clever and resourceful; do you have any ideas on how to help them settle down?"

(End of this chapter)