Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 85 is all nonsense!
When Chunyu Shuang and the others, who had been staying outside the city building the new village, heard the news, they were almost numb. How could His Majesty be so heartless? Those were his own son and concubine!

Ying Jiuque, on the other hand, was not surprised at all.

“His Majesty is not one to be swayed by personal matters. In addition, the Third Prince and the Prince of Ping were indeed involved in the Wuyou Cave case, and there was a murder case involved. His Majesty's decision not to personally issue an order to kill them is already magnanimous enough. Does His Majesty really expect that death will make everything alright? Those innocent people who died tragically are not so forgiving.”

"Moreover, His Majesty's actions were also to protect those two ladies. Losing a child in middle age makes one most prone to losing their rationality. If they were instigated to break the law because of this... His Majesty does not want to take action against them."

Chunyu Shuang was somewhat surprised.

She had been serving in the court for several years, but rarely had the opportunity to meet His Majesty. It was only because she had spent more time with Ying Jiuque recently that she had the chance to meet the Emperor. But those ministers who had served in the court year-round certainly had time to spend with His Majesty. So why couldn't they figure out His Majesty's thoughts?
How do you know His Majesty so well?

"Isn't my understanding enough? Isn't His Majesty's character obvious enough? He's always been a diligent and benevolent ruler. He never intended to hide this, and look around. Without His Majesty's strong support, this village wouldn't have been built. Actually, His Majesty's thoughts are easy to guess. As long as you work diligently, don't embezzle or break the law, and think of the people, His Majesty will like you. But even if it were a wealthy landlord, wouldn't it be the same? Who wouldn't like a subordinate who works honestly? It's easy to win His Majesty's favor. Chunyu, keep it up! Maybe you'll be the next favorite minister."

Chunyu Shuang: "..."

It's easier said than done. All the officials of the Great Jing Dynasty want to understand His Majesty better and gain his favor. But what is most difficult in the world is as easy as turning one's hand when it comes to the Nine Palaces. The affairs of this world are truly hard to predict.

Never mind, she came today for something else.

"Do you still remember Physician Xie? Physician Xie Mingchen."

"Of course I remember. We even worked on a case together before, it's just a pity we haven't seen each other much these past few days, the Imperial Hospital must be busy."

"He is indeed quite busy. You should remember the incident of the Third Prince's sudden death; he was one of the people who went to perform the autopsy."

"Didn't he say he was an imperial physician, not a coroner?"

"They're pretty much the same, and who would dare to call a coroner to perform an autopsy right away? Naturally, you have to try to save them first. No, that's not the point. He came to me yesterday and told me something."

"what's up?"

Seeing Chunyu Shuang's serious expression, Jiu Que knew the gravity of the situation. She glanced around; seeing no one else, she moved closer, filled with curiosity. The incredibly powerful but somewhat unlucky Senior Cui was still there; she was perfectly safe and didn't worry about being eavesdropped on. As for Senior Cui herself, she wasn't interested in such matters; she was more curious about how Ying Jiu Que planned to conjure mushrooms out of thin air.

After hearing Chunyu Shuang explain, Jiu Que couldn't help but frown.

Another morning glory?

Isn't the frequency of the morning glory's appearance a bit too high? And each time this flower appears, it's somewhat strange. Add to that the Rejuvenation Pill and the elixir that the top scholar took before—all these coincidences make it hard not to suspect that there must be some connection between these deceased individuals.
But didn't the Third Prince die suddenly? Wasn't it because he took too many pills? And... wait!
That top scholar also died suddenly because he took a pill before he died, which triggered the effects of the medicine!
hiss--

"Has Xie Mingchen mentioned this matter to His Majesty?"

"No. The situation was too chaotic at the time. His Majesty had just lost his beloved son. Who would dare to bring it up at that moment? Besides, among the imperial physicians, only Physician Xie knew the cause of Yu's death in great detail. No one else dared to raise the issue before they had even noticed it." Chunyu Shuang said, expressing her empathy. As a fellow newcomer to the officialdom, she had also encountered similar situations. If she had brought it up directly, it would have made those senior officials who hadn't noticed it feel that her authority was being challenged.

When she was young, she did suffer because of these rules of officialdom. But there was nothing she could do. She was even worse off than Xie Mingchen. She had no one to take care of her at home, and as a female official, she was constantly hampered and faced great difficulties.

They thought Ying Jiuque wouldn't understand their predicament, but it was obvious that he understood instantly.

"I see. How about I take him to the palace? And you, you seem quite interested in this case, don't you? Why don't we go to the palace together to investigate? Don't worry, I still have some face. Those people have been waiting to see me make a fool of myself, but His Majesty hasn't punished me yet. Doesn't that speak to his attitude?"

Chunyu Shuang hadn't expected to have anything to do with herself, but the thought of another opportunity to enter the palace and meet the Emperor filled her with a shameful, tempting excitement. She was determined to seize every chance to make a name for herself; otherwise, with so many officials in the court, even though His Majesty had dealt with a number of them recently, new officials would immediately rise to power. The Great Jing Dynasty was so vast, with so many scholars and countless people aspiring to officialdom; the deaths of some officials were merely temporary replacements.

That's why she needed to make sure His Majesty could see her strengths. Otherwise, even the best wine needs advertising.

Almost without hesitation, Chunyu Shuang agreed. However, even after agreeing, she felt a sense of unease. Normally, she was always careful to conceal her ambitions, afraid that others would discover them. The fact that a woman like herself was already causing discontent, with many people even criticizing her, made it even more unsettling. If others were to discover that she not only had the good fortune to become a female official but also harbored such great ambitions, her future would be fraught with uncertainty.

Strangely enough, Chunyu Shuang wasn't worried at all that Jiu Que would discover her ambitions in front of her.

Is it simply because they are all women? There have been female officials in the court over the years...

"What's this?"

Jiu Que noticed Chunyu Shuang's embarrassment and bluntly stated that it was normal.

"Ambition is something that everyone, young and old, has. Since you've studied and know about the affairs of the state and the affairs of kings and generals, how can you not become an official? Since you're going to serve in the court, how can you not strive for the highest position? This has nothing to do with gender. If someone says that you're too ambitious because of this, remember, it's definitely because they're jealous of you and want to use this nonsense to discourage you so that someone else can climb the ladder."

"So in the future, whenever you encounter someone who says such nonsense as 'How can a woman not be content with her home?' or 'How can a woman think about promotion and wealth every day?', stay far away from them."

"Well, why?"

"I'm afraid that if they get struck by lightning, it will affect you."

"……Ha ha ha ha--"

Chunyu Shuang, who had been listening attentively to Ying Jiuque's speech, paused for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter, laughing so hard that tears almost streamed down her face.

Lord Ying, you always speak so sharply. No wonder that Vice Minister Lin was so angry that he called the imperial physician. You really know how to talk, haha...

(End of this chapter)