Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 235 Valley
Jiu Que led the group forward at a rapid pace. There were actually some onlookers on both sides of the official road, after all, they had been procuring provisions for a while, and such a commotion couldn't be kept from everyone. Jiu Que didn't care at first, but she keenly noticed that several people by the roadside were staring at Chunyu Shuang's horse for a long time and even shouting loudly to attract their friend's attention.

How could they allow others to make a loud noise while marching? Neither Jiu Que nor Chunyu Shuang needed to say a word; a single glance from a passing soldier was enough to frighten the family into silence.

Chunyu Shuang naturally noticed this scene and couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief. Although she had long since given up hope for her family, she didn't want to see her so-called family dragging her down in such a prosperous era.

Recalling what happened yesterday, Chunyu Shuang felt a surge of anger. She thought she had already settled things with them, but now that she saw her being promoted one after another, that family had become greedy again. Now, instead of forcing her to get married and have children, they wanted to send those little brats to her side so she could discipline them.

Chunyu Shuang immediately let out a cold laugh.

"You don't think that just by not mentioning the past, you can pretend nothing happened, do you? I still remember how painful that slap you gave me was. I'm not a magnanimous person. If you really want to send those little brats to my side, you can, as long as you don't worry. Although I don't like them, I won't beat them up if I have nothing better to do. Don't worry."

"you?!"

The more Chunyu Shuang said this, the less the Chunyu family believed her. The Chunyu brothers, who had initially held onto this idea, now didn't want to leave their sons with her anymore. Chunyu Shuang was so selfish and cold-hearted, daring to contradict even her own parents. No one could say for sure whether she would secretly beat or scold the children out of spite.

But they were truly unwilling to just watch Chunyu Shuang take flight and leave their families behind. They were racking their brains trying to figure out how to get Chunyu Shuang's help, but the impatient Chunyu Shuang had them thrown out. She had recently risen through the ranks, and her household already had guards. Although Chunyu Shuang's brothers were tall and strong, they hadn't learned martial arts and were easily subdued and thrown out.

The Chunyu family was naturally humiliated, but no matter how much they shouted, they couldn't get through the gate. Undeterred, they waited until the grain convoy left the city that day, standing by the roadside shouting and yelling, trying to draw attention to Chunyu Shuang as a selfish and cold-blooded person who disregarded his family. How could such a person hold a high position?

To put it bluntly, they were worried that as Chunyu Shuang rose higher and higher, and when she was truly able to decide the life and death of their family at will, she would remember their past misdeeds and seek revenge.

But could they really do something like this by simply standing on the roadside and shouting a few words? Leaving aside the soldiers who could be frozen in fear with a mere glance, Chunyu Shuang herself is now a fourth-rank official. Her rise from a lowly clerk in the Ministry of Justice to her current position has been incredibly smooth, and everyone knows she's a close friend of the now-powerful Ying Jiuque. The things the Chunyu family has done are utterly shameful.

As she lowered the carriage curtain, Chunyu Shuang gave her a cold look, a look that was enough to make the Chunyu family realize the folly of their actions.

Of course, this was just a minor incident, and everyone's attention remained focused on making the most of their time on the journey. The first ten days passed peacefully, and the feared ambush along the way did not occur. However, Jiu Que did not let her guard down. Privately, she instructed Wei Yuan to be extra vigilant, especially at night, to strengthen defenses to prevent any sneak attacks.

Wei Yuan readily agreed. It must be said that, as a physically fit and highly skilled man, Wei Yuan's greatest wish in life was to display his skills on the battlefield. Therefore, he was the most excited about this trip.

If one can seize the opportunity to make a name for oneself on the battlefield, then one's life will not have been in vain.

Time passed slowly, and the grain transport team, moving at full speed, remained calm and encountered no trouble. Just when everyone thought that those secretly spying would not dare to make a move openly, those hiding in the shadows finally could not hold back any longer. Less than two hundred miles from the northern border, a sudden ambush disrupted the peaceful and fast-moving team.

At that time, Jiu Que was sitting in Chunyu Shuang's carriage, drinking tea with her. Speaking of which, the closer you get to the northern frontier, the cooler the temperature becomes. While it was still very hot in the capital, it already had a crisp, autumnal feel here.

"Your tea tastes good! It's just a bit bitter, could you add some sugar?" "How can you drink tea like that? To appreciate tea, you must savor its aroma, its clarity, its bitterness, and its lingering aftertaste. I only brought two ounces of Silver Needle tea with me, and if I drank it all like this, it would be gone in three days!"

"Well, isn't tea just for drinking? Don't worry about the details. Speaking of which, His Majesty seems to have bestowed some fine tea upon me. I'll give it all to you then, okay?"

"You said it yourself, don't forget! Give it to me right away when you get back."

The tea that His Majesty bestowed upon Jiuque was an annual tribute, something that was extremely rare and sought after, and Chunyu Shuang had been eyeing it for a long time.

He simply put away the good tea he had brought and poured Jiu Que a cup of hawthorn tea made by Xie Mingchen.

Jiu Que didn't mind, picked it up and took a sip, and immediately praised it highly.

"This is good. It tastes sweet and sour, which is quite appetizing."

"Really? Then drink more, I have plenty of this stuff. Speaking of which..."

"Shut up!"

Wei Yuan, who was leading everyone forward, suddenly stopped. Looking at the lush green valley ahead, he couldn't help but frown. The valley ahead always gave him a strange sense of tension. In addition, with the dense vegetation, if someone were hiding there intending to attack them, it would be difficult to detect them in a short time.

"Have the scouts we sent out to explore returned yet?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, not yet. There's still half an incense stick's time before the agreed time."

Half an incense stick's time was enough for them to walk into the valley.

Wei Yuan felt something was amiss and ultimately decided to trust his intuition, telling everyone to stop and wait where they were rather than take the risk.

At this moment, Jiu Que realized something was wrong and opened the carriage curtain. However, before he could say anything, he was persuaded to climb back in by soldiers who had rushed over. Jiu Que was now the highest-ranking member of the convoy. If those lurking in the shadows truly wanted to attack this grain transport team, Jiu Que would undoubtedly be their first target!

(End of this chapter)