Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 78 was already blocked.
As Ying Jiuque withdrew from these matters to plan for the rescued civilians and wounded soldiers, a layer of blood mist shrouded the capital.

It is said that when the emperor is angry, millions will die, and the current situation is not far from that.

The Ministry of Justice prison has become increasingly crowded these past few days, and the heads that have fallen at Caishikou could pile up into a small mountain. A silent fear spreads in the stillness. Those who have escaped capture are quietly waiting, waiting for the final blow to fall.

A distinguished guest arrived at the Ministry of Justice's prison. The moment he stepped into the cell, the prisoners who had been wailing in agony fell silent. Though they vehemently protested their innocence, only they knew the truth in their hearts, and dared not utter a sound before this supreme ruler.

Prince Ping, who had been spending his days in the Ministry of Justice's prison in hardship, couldn't help but prostrate himself and weep loudly the moment he saw that person.

"Father! Father, I truly know I was wrong! Father! Please forgive me, I will never do it again. I will donate all the money I embezzled, please? I beg you, I really don't want to stay here anymore, it's so cold and damp. I've developed rashes all over my body..."

"..."

Emperor Jingtai remained silent for a moment. Even the Third Prince, who lived next to him, looked at his usually useless older brother with a puzzled expression. Although he was only their father's adopted son, he had enjoyed so much wealth and luxury for so many years, how could he not even have this much sense? It was clear that their father had not come to pardon them, but to punish them.

The Third Prince felt a pang of sorrow. He hadn't expected his actions to be discovered so quickly. And judging from his father's expression, there was no intention of pardoning him. But he was his father's own son; his father had only four sons, a number considered few. What did his father intend to do? Kill him? Just for a bunch of commoners?
Emperor Jingtai gave his third son a deep, thoughtful look. He had always thought his four sons, while not exceptionally intelligent, were still promising talents. Especially this third son, who was constantly flattered by civil and military officials, and some even said he resembled him remarkably. But now, looking closely, how did he resemble him at all? Clearly, he was nothing like him.

Even now, he still refuses to admit his mistakes...

"You unfilial son, do you know your crime?"

"Father! Your son knows his sins, your son knows his sins..."

Prince Ping kowtowed repeatedly, but after a long while no one paid him any attention, he suddenly realized that His Majesty wasn't referring to him, but to the Third Prince. But why wasn't his third brother saying anything? Why wasn't he hurrying to plead for him while Father was still in a soft spot? Was he really going to be punished before he was satisfied?
Just as he was about to call out to the Third Prince, Emperor Jingtai's cold voice rang out.

“You unfilial son, you still refuse to reveal who the mastermind is? Does a prince have to take the blame for someone else? Thirteen years ago, you were clearly not even ten years old. Did you have the audacity to get involved with the real culprit behind the Worry-Free Cave? Even if you dared, you didn’t have the ability.”

"...Since Father already knows, why ask me? In Father's eyes, I am now just a disobedient and unfilial son."

The Third Prince did not refute, but only said these words weakly, which angered Emperor Jingtai so much that he opened the prison door, rushed forward, and kicked him hard.

"You unfilial son! You still try to deny it when it's too late. Speak!" The Third Prince felt a stinging pain from the kick. Even when he was imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice's jail, no one dared to torture the Emperor's own son, so he had only endured a few days of cold, damp, and foul-smelling conditions. But now, having been kicked hard by the Emperor, he was finding it hard to bear.

Emperor Jingtai was such a doting father, disregarding the traditional practice of holding grandchildren instead of sons. He often carried these children in his arms during military campaigns, and even after conquering the capital and ascending the throne, he remained exceptionally kind to them despite his busy schedule. The Third Prince was genuinely aggrieved at this moment. His father had actually hit him for the sake of those lowly commoners? Did his father think those commoners were of a higher status than himself?

At this moment, the Third Prince felt rather disheartened.

"Father, do you know how many people come to curry favor with me every day? There are too many, like carp crossing a river, countless. I don't actually know who the real culprit behind the Worry-Free Cave is. I only know that they give me huge profits every month, so they're not stingy about being my protector. I don't have to do anything, and I can have a large sum of money every month. Why not do it?"

"Actually, I was scared at first. After all, I was just a kid, only a teenager. But there was nothing I could do; all that gold and silver was just too tempting. Even though I was a prince, the monthly stipend you gave me wasn't enough to enjoy all the pleasures of the world. To be honest, I had many businesses under my protection. At first, I would investigate whether these businesses were legitimate, but later I became too lazy to do so. After all, who in this world would dare to cheat a prince like me?"

"Even when I later realized some of the business was shady, I couldn't care less; I was already too busy. The gleaming silver flowing in every day was just too tempting to resist..."

"The traitor! The traitor!"

Emperor Jingtai rushed forward in anger and slapped the Third Prince several times. His chest heaved with rage, and his face turned ashen. He never imagined that the Third Prince, who was still a child in his eyes, would have such thoughts.

"You lowly commoner! What is a lowly commoner? Your father and I were lowly commoners back then! You were also a child of lowly commoners, weren't you lowly commoners too?! We've only had a few years of improved lives, and you've already become this stupid! What's the difference between you and those corrupt officials, thugs, and bullies who oppressed us back then? Have you forgotten how much you hated them back then? Only a few years have passed, and you've become the kind of person you hated the most back then?!"

Emperor Jingtai's voice was like thunder. The third prince was beaten so badly that he couldn't fight back. Prince Ping, who was standing next to him, was so frightened that he trembled and curled up in a ball, afraid that Emperor Jingtai would notice him.

By the time Emperor Jingtai stopped, the Third Prince was bruised and swollen, with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He had certainly heard Emperor Jingtai's words, but he couldn't answer, because he couldn't explain when he had become like this. Power corrupts the heart far too quickly. So quickly that he couldn't even react.

When someone casually utters a sentence, countless people around them fawn over it, preventing it from falling to the ground. When you are surrounded by flattering and praising voices, when you can have whatever you want, when you are almost at the very top of this world, some things that you once cared about deeply can be easily reversed.

Now that I've become the emperor's son, why can't I do whatever I want? Why can't I enjoy the pleasure that power brings?

As for the path we came from, it has long been blocked by a profusion of beautiful flowers.

(End of this chapter)