Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 91 Indiscriminate Attack

"Yes, you know I didn't give up my spot. I worked so hard to get this official position. I worked hard and took care of my family, squeezing out time to study even if I didn't sleep. I prepared for three whole years! I finally got this result. I can leave home and not have my life controlled by someone like you. Why should I give up the official position that I worked so hard for?"

"Brother? Ha!"

Chunyu Shuang smiled dismissively.

“You’ve always favored boys over girls. The three of them never had to do anything growing up. All they had to do was study hard, and they were fed and clothed. I, on the other hand, not only had to help my mother with housework and cooking, but I also had to endure ridicule and punishment! If my grades were even slightly better than theirs, I would have to keep a low profile for the next month! Why? I just want to ask, why? Should I give up the results I earned through my own efforts to others for no reason? Just because they are sons and I am a daughter?”

"Since you are so noble and virtuous, why don't you give up your fifth-rank official position to your second uncle so he can take the job?! After all, you are blood relatives, why don't you, as the older brother, give way to your younger brother?!"

"You! You! You rebellious daughter, do you really think that by climbing up to Ying Jiuque you can rise to the top?! You're just a woman, sooner or later you'll get married, have children, and take care of your family, and sooner or later you'll be dragged down!"

Chunyu Hong's lips trembled uncontrollably, and he could barely stand, but Chunyu Shuang showed no sign of shutting up. She hadn't intended to say much; after all, she knew her family's true nature all too well, and they would only pretend not to hear anything more. But Chunyu Hao had to bring up Princess Ying. Princess Ying was upright and virtuous, never boasting even after great achievements, and never seeking recognition for her good deeds. Why were these people criticizing her? Was it simply because she was a woman?!
Years of restraint finally broke down at this moment, and Chunyu Shuang simply couldn't control her mouth.

"People say that if a son is not taught, it is the father's fault. Since you want me to be great and selfless in dedicating myself to my family, then you should set an example for me! Sages say that you should not do to others what you would not have them do to you. You have studied the classics for so many years, how come you can't even do one of the virtues that a sage should have?"

"Besides, you want me to give up my official position to them?"

Chunyu Shuang pointed to her three older brothers who were pretending to be dead next to her, and looked at them with disdain.

"Those three, despite your meticulous guidance, have failed the exams for over a decade! They've been kept in the Ministry of Rites as minor officials for so many years under your protection, yet they've accomplished nothing! They're still just minor officials! What difference would it make if I gave them this position? I only passed the ninth-rank examination, a lowly, insignificant official position. I didn't take a proper exam, nor did I have any family elders to help me. Eight years have passed, and you're only half a rank higher than me. What's there to be proud of? You've been an official for thirty years and only reached the fifth rank. What's there to be proud of?!"

"Even if I gave the spot to one of them, what rank do you think they would be now?"

"The Ministry of Personnel has been evaluating officials for three consecutive years, and these three have all been ranked at the very bottom! If it weren't for the large sums of money you've bribed them every year, they would have been dismissed long ago! Now, instead of reflecting on your own mistakes, you're blaming everything on me, which is nothing but shirking your responsibilities! Do you think you can get away with it by pushing everything onto me? You're wrong. People will only laugh at you, saying that your painstakingly raised son is a good-for-nothing while your neglected daughter has been promoted one after another!"

"What? Are you jealous? Jealous that I, being younger than you, have gained His Majesty's favor and been promoted? Ha! How narrow-minded! What era are we living in! When Princess Ying presided over the trial of the Wuyou Cave case, with the joint efforts of all levels, the Wuyou Cave, which had been in operation for over a hundred years, was uprooted in just a few days. Those who were guilty and at fault were all sentenced. Who dares to say that she is a woman and ask her to give up all the credit?! It is a blessing for all women in the world that our dynasty has a woman like Princess Ying!"

“And a man like you…” Chunyu Shuang sneered, looking at the man in front of her who was panting heavily with anger. For the first time, she felt that the man in her memory who was as tall as a mountain was nothing special.

Even now, he still tries to use his so-called fatherly authority to force her to serve him. Every word he utters revolves around her former official position, never mentioning her current achievements. Only by truly stepping outside the realm of "daughter" can one see that Chunyu Hong is simply afraid of her. He's afraid that she, his seemingly useless daughter, will surpass him, that she will be more capable than him. Therefore, all these years, instead of offering help, he constantly reminds her of the kindness he showed her by enabling her to learn to read and write.

But how can this be considered a favor? It's nothing more than wishful thinking from a high and mighty position.

"You're just worried that more and more women will surpass you, and it's good to be able to step on others, right? You're used to stepping on women, so it's hard for you to accept being stepped on by women?"

Chunyu Hong suddenly couldn't catch his breath and almost fainted. His wife quickly patted his chest and back, while his three sons, who were sitting nearby, stopped pretending to be dead and kept asking about their father's condition. The youngest son even grabbed Chunyu Shuang's wrist in a fit of rage, raised his other hand high, and then swung it down violently!
The other two older brothers actually saw their younger brother's actions, but they pretended not to, a hint of hidden satisfaction flashing in their eyes. Over the years, the name Chunyu Shuang had weighed heavily on their heads like a mountain. In the Ministry of Rites, whenever their surname was heard, people would express surprise.

"Chunyu? Oh...you are the elder brothers of that formidable Lord Chunyu of the Ministry of Justice? The Chunyu family truly has a distinguished lineage. You have four children, and each one is so outstanding. It's truly enviable..."

These sarcastic remarks were the least of their worries; the three of them had long since grown tired of the sarcasm and ridicule. Seeing Chunyu Shuang's unruly behavior now, how could they possibly hold back? Giving her a lesson was a good idea.

Unexpectedly, Chunyu Shuang twisted Lao San's arm and twisted it hard in the opposite direction. Lao San let out a scream, staggered away, and held his sore arm with lingering fear, staring at Chunyu Shuang in disbelief.

"You dare to attack me?"

"You're going to slap me, so why can't I retaliate? What? Is my usual impression on you so weak that you don't even believe I'll fight back?"

Chunyu Shuang casually flicked her hand. When she was with Ying Jiuque, Lord Ying would always teach her a few moves in his spare time. Lord Ying didn't know martial arts, but he had an unexpectedly deep understanding of human weaknesses. Although she was a civil official with no physical strength, he was quite adept at using her. She just hadn't expected that the first subject of her experiment would be her own brother.

At this moment, the other two men stared at Chunyu Shuang with unfriendly expressions. If one person couldn't beat her, how could the three of them combined not beat her? Chunyu Shuang just needed to be taught a lesson; they really didn't want to look at that smug face of hers anymore!

(End of this chapter)