son, don't mess around

In the northern border of Zhongzhou, the heavy snow has stopped, but the snow on earth has not completely melted. However, the smell of gunpowder still lingers in this land.

The sky was dark and gloomy, as if a heavy rain was about to fall.

But the heavy rain never came, and the sky never cleared.

In the freezing cold of winter, the biting chill made this place seem even more desolate.

It has been almost half a year since the rebellion of Prince Xu in the north began. During these six months, the smoke of war has shrouded this land.

At the beginning, the rebel army of Prince Xu was unstoppable, and quickly took control of Xuzhou. Then, the army pressed south, defeating the imperial army all the way and advancing triumphantly.

However, the imperial court was not to be underestimated. Realizing that Prince Xu was about to rebel, the court secretly made preparations. But the rebel army of Prince Xu came on strong, catching the court off guard.

Once the imperial army reacted, it immediately organized a large army to resist the rebel army of Prince Xu, and at the same time issued a proclamation to the world, mobilizing troops from all prefectures to come to the aid of the emperor and quell the rebellion.

However, the large armies sent by various states suffered a heavy blow from the rebel army of Prince Xu a few months ago, and were routed, which seriously damaged the morale of the army on the court's side.

However, these local reinforcements did manage to slow down the southward advance of Xu Wang's rebel army, buying some valuable time for the imperial army.

The imperial army then quickly adjusted its strategy, relying on the sturdy city walls and easily defensible passes, and finally managed to barely stop the Xu Prince's rebel army from advancing south.

Thus began a grueling tug-of-war that lasted for several months.

Xu Wang's rebel army split into several routes, intending to march south, seize Zhongzhou, and directly attack the capital. The imperial army in various parts of Zhongzhou clashed repeatedly with Xu Wang's rebel army, and the flames of war continued to spread.

Anping City, located at the northernmost tip of Zhongzhou, was the most crucial city for Xu Wang's rebel army as they marched south.

If Xu Wang's rebel army wants to take control of Zhongzhou, they must first pass Anping City. Anping City has a strategic geographical location and is a crucial passage for southward expansion. If they cannot capture this city, even if Xu Wang's rebel army enters Zhongzhou, they are highly likely to be cut off from their supplies. At that time, the imperial army will attack from both sides, putting Xu Wang's rebel army in an extremely disadvantageous position.

Therefore, Xu Wang's rebel army has been trying every means to capture Anping City for the past few months.

The battlefield was undoubtedly brutal. Over the past few months, the imperial army relied on the sturdy walls of Anping City to block the repeated attacks of Xu Wang's rebel army.

However, the imperial army also paid a heavy price.

The casualties were heavy, with more than half of the elite troops lost.

Especially as winter approached, the imperial court gradually ran out of funds to pay the soldiers, and even winter clothing was in severe shortage, resulting in serious logistical deficiencies. This meant that many soldiers on the imperial army did not fall on the battlefield, but were instead defeated by the icy and snowy weather.

Although the appearance of the eldest princess on the front line briefly boosted the morale of many soldiers, this was ultimately not a long-term solution.

As winter approached and the weather grew colder, snow fell more frequently. In this freezing weather, many soldiers could barely hold their weapons, let alone defend against the rebels.

On the city wall, many soldiers shivered from the cold, constantly rubbing their hands together to warm them. Patrolling soldiers vigilantly checked every place to prevent rebel spies from sneaking in.

The city was deathly silent. Months of fighting had ravaged this once great city beyond recognition. Smoke filled the air, and most of the people living under the city walls had already been evacuated.

The city was deathly silent under the heavy snow.

The governor's mansion in the city has been requisitioned as a front-line command post. Soldiers in thick armor are everywhere inside and outside the mansion. The surroundings are quiet, even during the day, there is almost no sound.

It was as if the world was completely silent.

Then, hurried footsteps came from outside and rushed to the outside of the prefect's mansion.

"Your Highness, Your Highness!"

A fully armed bodyguard with a sword at his waist shouted loudly.

"An imperial edict has arrived from the court!"

Hearing the noise, many frontline generals in the governor's mansion were alerted and came out to check.

Has an imperial edict arrived?

what happened?

Most of the generals present were elites of the imperial court and the best in the current imperial army.

The situation at the front is extremely dire, with the imperial court's military pay being delayed. The most pressing needs are for pay and winter supplies, so this sudden imperial edict is undoubtedly bad news.

If it's really good news, they should just send the military supplies over.

As the generals discussed amongst themselves, a cool and aloof figure emerged from the hall.

The next second, all around fell silent, and the generals all turned their gazes to the aloof and peerless figure in the hall.

Your Highness, the Eldest Princess!
In my line of sight was a stunningly beautiful face, yet filled with an aura of coldness, so cold it seemed to chill one to the bone, even colder than the dead of winter.

Her aloof yet calm eyes instilled a sense of unease and fear in the reader.

To this day, no one dares to look the princess in the eye. It's as if, in the next second, that icy chill could transform into a tangible blade and turn a person into a hedgehog.

Although he was only dressed in an ordinary white outfit, the chilling aura emanating from him was in no way inferior to that of a general who had fought countless battles on the battlefield.

When this princess first appeared on the front lines, many soldiers in the army had doubts about her.

The princess was indeed highly skilled in martial arts, but she had never led troops into battle. The battlefield was different from that of those martial arts masters. The real battlefield was far more brutal than imagined.

This is by no means a mere sparring match between martial arts masters, nor can it be compared to any martial arts force. Even the most skilled master cannot sway the outcome of a war. Individual strength has negligible influence on the battlefield.

But this eldest princess quickly silenced all doubts. In a battle against the rebel army of Prince Xu not long after arriving at the front, the eldest princess took the lead and led five hundred soldiers to a great victory over two thousand rebel soldiers of Prince Xu.

It is said that on that day, this princess wielded a silver-white longsword, charged into the crowd, and fought against a hundred men single-handedly, causing the rebel army of Prince Xu to be terrified and flee in panic.

The armor worn by Xu Wang's rebel army, which was said to be able to withstand divine weapons, was dismembered like vegetables by the Princess's sword.

It is even rumored that the eldest princess could pierce through a hundred armors with a single sword strike, her sword energy soaring and capable of taking a person's head from a hundred meters away, like a celestial being descending to earth.

That battle finally made the soldiers on the front lines realize just how terrifying this princess was.

It was that battle that made the generals in the army realize that... the princess before them already possessed the might of a grandmaster.

To fight against a hundred enemies single-handedly is something only a Grandmaster could accomplish!
A master!
A grandmaster at only twenty years old?!

A Grandmaster of the First Rank is the only being in the world today capable of changing the course of war.

This is beyond the capabilities of ordinary martial arts masters!

Even among Prince Xu's rebel army, it is said that there was only one grandmaster who had always protected Prince Xu and never left his side.

What shocked these generals even more was the princess's terrifying learning ability.

In terms of military command and warfare, the eldest princess was indeed not skilled. When she first appeared in the army, she did not command any troops. Instead, she allowed the various generals to lead their armies to resist the rebel army of Prince Xu, while the eldest princess learned from the sidelines.

But soon, these generals discovered the princess's terrifying learning ability and her gradually revealed terrifying military talent.

The eldest princess was not only able to quickly learn their military thinking, but also able to apply what she learned, integrate it with her own ideas and plans, and form a new and unique understanding.

Soon, under the leadership of the Princess, the imperial army repeatedly achieved victories against superior numbers, decisively defeating the rebel army of Prince Xu. In particular, during the defense of Anping City, they repelled numerous sneak attacks by Prince Xu's rebel army.

Such terrifying military talent won over the generals in the army. They had to admit that the current princess was indeed the only one capable of leading them to quell the rebellion of Prince Xu.

The generals in the army also began to support Her Highness the Princess. Right now, a biting wind was blowing fiercely outside the palace, its chill stinging everyone's faces. A general quickly approached Her Highness the Princess and respectfully said, "Your Highness, an imperial edict has arrived from the capital."

Standing before the mansion, Li Piaomiao maintained her aloof expression, her gaze as cold as ice that had never melted, and asked calmly, "What has happened in the capital?"

The general shook his head: "The intelligence reports that everything in the capital is normal, but I don't know what has happened recently. However, the sudden arrival of an imperial edict from the capital is probably not good news. It's possible that those old... officials in the court are impeaching Your Highness, trying to force you to return to the capital. Your Highness should be careful..."

Everyone knew that the appearance of the Princess in the army made the officials in the court very uneasy; they wanted to transfer the Princess back to the capital more than anyone else.

Li Piaomiao remained calm, her gaze fixed on the outside of the mansion. There seemed to be some commotion in the distance, indicating that the imperial forces had already entered the city.

"Your Highness, shall we simply..."

At this moment, a clear voice rang out from behind Li Piaomiao, carrying a hint of sinister intent.

The voice was beautiful.

Jinxiu, who appeared in the army, was dressed in simple clothes, wrapped in a thick cotton coat, and wrapped herself up like a rice dumpling.

The weather here is much colder than in the capital. Jinxiu doesn't know any martial arts, so her physique is naturally not as good as others. She is wrapped up tightly and goes to the princess's side to offer her suggestions.

If the imperial court dares to spread imperial edicts recklessly, we might as well kill the person who reads the edict along with them... since no one will know anyway.

If they just deny it to the death, like His Highness the Crown Prince, what can they do?

Now the imperial troops at the front are all in the hands of their princess, and all the generals have submitted to her. Why would they need to care about the faces of those old men in the court?

Li Piaomiao remained silent. Seeing that the princess was quiet, Jinxiu turned her gaze to Anning beside her: "Anning, what do you think of my suggestion?"

In her line of sight, An Ning remained expressionless, her delicate face expressionless, her gaze fixed straight ahead. Clutching her ever-present sword, she stood ramrod straight, equally ignoring Jinxiu.

"It's boring!"

Jinxiu pouted. Seeing that neither the princess nor Jinxiu paid any attention to her, she realized she had made a fool of herself and turned her gaze outside the mansion to see who the imperial court had sent.

If an imperial edict is sent at this time, it's most likely that the sender is harboring some wicked intentions.

……

Outside the prefect's residence, they stood ready for battle.

The city was heavily guarded by soldiers. The generals who stayed in the city learned that an imperial edict had arrived from the capital and came out early to see what tricks the court was up to.

If they really wanted to harm Her Highness the Princess, they would be the first to object and would definitely stand up and give the court a warning.

Outside the mansion, not far away, the figures of the imperial court gradually came into view.

The first thing that catches the eye is several tall horses, on which sit several guards dressed in civilian clothes with swords at their waists.

These guards were dressed in ordinary clothes, each with a restrained aura and sharp eyes, making it clear at a glance that their martial arts skills were extremely high and unfathomable.

This made many military generals' eyes narrow. Could this be someone from the Secret Observatory?
Could it be that something serious has happened that the imperial edict was delivered by the Secret Observatory?
But behind these guards, what came into everyone's view was a... woman?
After the generals looked closely, they confirmed it... it was indeed a woman!
Why did the imperial court send a woman?

Many generals were stunned.

In the distance, a woman dressed in white appeared in the center of the herd of horses, standing out from the crowd.

Dressed in white, she possessed a cool and aloof demeanor, exquisite and captivating beauty, and a profound and unfathomable air of superiority.

Many people gasped... Wait, why does this woman look somewhat similar to Her Highness the Princess?

With the same aloof and elegant demeanor, her stunning beauty rivals that of the Eldest Princess. Similarly, a remarkable aura emanates from this woman… Could her martial arts skills be comparable to those of the Eldest Princess?
What on earth is going on?!
Just as these generals were completely bewildered, the guards on horseback dismounted first in an open area near the governor's mansion, and then respectfully parted to make way for them.

The woman in white, escorted through the crowd, dismounted. Behind her followed another woman, who was holding an exquisite yellow box.

It was an imperial edict from the palace!
At the same time, the eldest princess walked out of the prefect's mansion, and the generals parted to make way for her.

Li Piaomiao, who had just stepped out of the prefect's residence, looked up ahead. The next second, her gaze met that of a figure not far outside the door.

In an instant, the eldest princess, who had remained completely calm, was visibly startled.

He stared at the figure in his line of sight, seemingly quite surprised.

There seemed to be ripples in his eyes.

Outside the mansion, Zhiyuan stopped and looked up, meeting Li Piaomiao's gaze.

At that moment, the two women looked at each other simultaneously.

No one spoke.

It was like they were sizing each other up and testing each other, or perhaps it was some kind of silent... contest.

Until, a gasp of surprise came from behind the princess.

"A kite?!"

The sound was clear and melodious, coming from Jinxiu.

Jinxiu and Anning, who came out right behind Li Piaomiao, also saw the familiar white-clad figure in their line of sight immediately.

Isn't this a paper kite?
Why is it her?

Aren't they people from the imperial court?
Jinxiu stared in astonishment at the kite that had appeared in her line of sight, doubting her own eyes.

An Ning, who had been keeping a straight face the whole time, was visibly taken aback when she saw the kite. She stared at her, wondering what was going on.

The two women were familiar with kites, but why were they here?
Could it be that His Highness has also come?

As soon as the thought crossed their minds, Jinxiu and Anning's eyes lit up.

Especially An Ning, although her tense little face was still expressionless, her clear and bright eyes couldn't help but scan the crowd, trying to find a familiar figure.

However, it was to no avail.

An Ning's eyes gradually dimmed.

She looked again at the kite in front of her, and after a long eye contact with Li Piaomiao, she finally took two steps forward.

He then stopped, glanced at the soldiers around him, and then turned his gaze back to Li Piaomiao.

"I've come to deliver something to you on his behalf."

The kite spoke, its tone calm.

Li Piaomiao's voice was equally calm: "What is it?"

"The Edict of Succession!"

"..." (End of this chapter)