Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 152 Ying Chongming

"What's it called?"

Jiu Que picked at her ear impatiently, scoffing at the man who had originally intended to catch her but had given up halfway.

"If you want to catch me, even if your other hand is broken, you'd have to use all your strength to bite me, right? Giving up like this? You're really useless."

"You! You're not human! You monster!"

Looking at Ying Jiuque, who seemed completely unconcerned about the injuries he had inflicted upon himself and even found them amusing, a growing fear quietly arose in the Left Prince's heart. This Ying Jiuque reminded him of someone, someone he never wanted to remember in his life.

Thirteen years ago, that woman who slaughtered indiscriminately on the battlefield! She wasn't like a woman at all! What other woman in this world could lift an 80-pound iron spear with one hand and skewer five people like meat skewers?
At that time, the Left Prince was just a teenager, not yet ready to go to the battlefield. He could only watch from a hillside. The woman who would become his lifelong nightmare simply shot several people with a single, expressionless shot, as casually as killing chickens. Several hundred brave soldiers rushed forward, but they couldn't stop her at all. With a casual wave of her hand, she scattered handfuls of flesh and blood, piling up layer upon layer of minced meat on the ground.

Even though the Northern Barbarians were known for their cruelty, that scene was still far too horrific. She was completely different from the woman the Left Prince remembered; she was practically another species. She was a killing god! That battle left a deep impression on everyone, especially the steppe warriors who were present. For months afterward, they dared not let any woman near them, mainly because the impression that woman had left on them was too terrifying.

To this day, he still remembers that woman's name. That person is—Ying! Zhong! Ming!

Knowing he had lost the initiative, the Left Prince slumped to the ground, looking up at the frail woman. It was then that he noticed something amiss in Jiu Que's face. Why did this woman look so familiar? Perhaps it was because of the way she had just crushed his hand bones, but the Left Prince had a sense of déjà vu. How could she resemble that killer star from before?

Thinking of this, the Left Prince spoke softly, as if facing a nightmare he was afraid to confront.

"what's your name?"

"Hmm? Are you planning to take revenge? You're not even paying attention to the imperial envoy sent by the court? Although we've been very discreet, we've been gone for so many days. The case in Qianzhou has already been reported back to the capital. I don't believe you don't know the name of the imperial envoy."

"I want to hear you say it yourself."

Unexpectedly, the other party had such a hobby, so Jiu Que was naturally willing to oblige.

“Responding to the Nine Palaces.”

Tsk, Jiu Que regretted saying it as soon as she said it. Should she have added, "I will not change my name or surname, I am Jiu Que"? She felt that saying it that way would have been more domineering.

Unexpectedly, after he simply uttered three words, the previously cunning and treacherous Left Prince seemed to have lost something, his expression turning completely blank. He was even muttering to himself.

"It really was her. I should have known. Ying Jiuque, Ying Jiuque... Ying Chongming..."

Jiu Que, who had been silently observing his expression, immediately straightened her face. Why would the Left Prince mention her mother's name at this moment?
"What do you mean?"

The Left Prince seemed still half-asleep, his mind blank. Even though Jiu Que's tone was utterly humiliating to him, he still spoke lightly, "No wonder you looked familiar. So you're her daughter. I thought that person wouldn't have any descendants. After all, was she even a woman? How could anyone be willing to marry her and have children?"

Regardless of who the man was, he sincerely admired him.

"..."

No, is this Prince Zuo asking for a beating? Speaking ill of his mother in front of his daughter, he's not mentally sound... Right, he's never been mentally sound to begin with.

Jiu Que stepped forward and slapped him hard, her eyes flashing with malice.

"What do you mean by saying this now? Do you expect me to spare your life because of what you just said?"

"Spare my life? No, no, no, how could I dare to think that? That woman is a sword hanging over the grasslands! Even though she's from the Great Jing, countless grassland warriors admire her. I've long known that general was incredibly strong, but I didn't expect her daughter to inherit that trait. But why didn't you join the army and serve your country like your mother? Are you afraid of death? You must have taken after your father!"

Jiu Que was utterly speechless. Did this Left Prince even know which side he was on? But this could be considered a genuine expression of emotion; it turned out her mother was so likable. Wasn't it said that her mother single-handedly routed the Northern Barbarians? Why are there still so many people in the North who idolize her?

Well……

Is this the legendary "might makes right" effect? ​​However, she also found it strange that General Ying didn't train his only daughter to be a military general. After all, her strength was inherited from General Ying. Although she had never killed anyone on the battlefield, judging from how easily she crushed the bones in the Left Prince's hand, and how she could lift thick, round logs with one hand while building the village, if she joined the army, she would definitely be a fierce general.

Could it be because the person surnamed Lin is unwilling?
Tsk! Just thinking about that scoundrel Jiu Que makes her shudder. She climbed the ranks so fast back then because of General Ying's connections, but as soon as General Ying got into trouble, she dumped her only daughter on a farm and even tried to secretly alter the family genealogy. If it weren't for her outburst a few days ago, she'd still be a member of the Lin family. She really wants it all; I despise men like that the most.

"Whether he takes after my cheapskate father or not, I don't know, but you're in for a beating today. Are you going to beg for mercy?"

"...If it were anyone else, I certainly wouldn't. But since you are General Ying's daughter, losing to you isn't shameful. Come on, arrest me. But even if you are General Ying's daughter, I still won't say what I can't say."

Look at you, thinking you're so great! Do you really think you're some kind of hero?

With a blank expression, Jiu Que kicked the smiling Prince Zuo. She didn't care about the angry glares from the grassland people behind her. After all, she always felt that Prince Zuo's smile was malicious!
At this moment, Jiu Que turned around and looked at the silent 'King of Binyang' with a half-smile.

"Speaking of which, it seems that the Prince and my mother were once known as the twin stars of the battlefield. My mother died at the hands of the Northern Barbarians, which can be considered a fulfillment of her long-cherished wish and a reward for her desires. But how could the Prince be willing to cooperate with the Northern Barbarians? What, is the Great Jing now not the domain of your Jing family?"

After a moment of silence, the 'King of Binyang' suddenly let out a cold laugh.

"There's no point in pretending now, is there? I don't believe you just arrived, otherwise how could you have made such a perfect move? Since you already know, why should I pretend? This was never my territory to begin with."

(End of this chapter)