Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 243 Chaos on the Grasslands
For a moment, the entire tent was filled with laughter and cheerful chatter. Everyone was smiling and talking together, having a wonderful time. Their gazes towards Ying Jiuque also grew increasingly gentle.

No wonder she's General Ying's daughter, no wonder she's on their side of the military! Yes, even though Jiu Que now holds the title of Imperial Inspector of the Frontier, everyone still believes she's a military general who favors their side, after all, she is indeed a descendant of a military officer. Furthermore, Jiu Que actually has a good relationship with His Majesty? This sounds strange. Throughout history, no one has ever wanted to avoid having a good relationship with the emperor, but very few have actually succeeded. How did Jiu Que manage to do it? You have to understand that their northern frontier has been suffering from food and salary shortages for quite some time. If they could cultivate a good relationship with the current emperor, wouldn't they no longer have to worry about their food and salary?

The problem was that the people in the northern frontier were a mixed bunch, and coincidentally, Emperor Jingtai's ascension to the throne was cleverly timed to coincide with other rebel armies fighting against the nomadic tribes in the north. It was a cleverly timed ascension. However, by then he was already on the throne. Although everyone was furious, they couldn't very well wage another war and throw the already improving country into chaos. What would that look like? Furthermore, their main forces had been exhausted, and Emperor Jingtai, who commanded the largest army in the land, couldn't fight back. He had no choice but to accept his fate.

However, precisely because of this, the northern frontier was not completely under the control of Emperor Jingtai, but was instead jointly controlled by the various rebel armies of the past. Therefore, Emperor Jingtai did not have much trust in the northern frontier army.

“Well, Jiuque, your uncle really wants to ask you, how did you manage to get on good terms with His Majesty? Could you teach your uncle? You know our Northern Frontier Army is short of food and medicine. Those barbarians don't treat themselves like human beings when they fight; they act like dogs. If we can't even get enough to eat and wear, where will we get the strength to fight them? But those scholars in the court don't know which side they're on. They always think our Northern Frontier Army is powerful, and every time we need to allocate food and pay, they make excuses and delays, as if we're not fighting the barbarians of the grasslands, but digging up their ancestral graves. It's really a headache.”

General Yuchi blinked his big, watery eyes and stared intently at Jiu Que, making Jiu Que feel embarrassed.

"Uncle Yuchi, to be honest, I'm not quite sure either. Maybe I just have a natural affinity with His Majesty. It's mainly because His Majesty is a good person..."

Jiu Que had actually said this before, but now, just by looking at everyone's half-believing eyes, Jiu Que knew that they didn't really believe it.

All in all, the atmosphere tonight was great, like celebrating the New Year.

Before long, the meat broth was ready. The dried meat that Jiu Que brought was air-dried, so it hadn't been cooked for too long. It was quite chewy, and if you had bad teeth, you might have to chew it for a while to get it tender. But as long as there was meat to eat, everyone was already very satisfied. At this point, who cared whether the meat was chewable or not?
Those sitting in this tent were among the highest-ranking members of the Northern Frontier Army, thus they were the first to enjoy the meat soup. The army cooks weren't particularly skilled, and the food was prepared in large batches, so it was merely passable. However, everyone present, including General Yuchi and Lin Chongshan, drank it with great relish, looking utterly satisfied, their eyes slightly sore as they watched Jiu Que.

They defend their country, risking their lives to fight the enemy and guard the borders, yet they can't even get a decent meal. This shouldn't exist. If she hadn't seen it before, she wouldn't have cared, but now that she'd witnessed it firsthand, she couldn't let them continue to suffer like this.

Jiu Que made her decision: she would stay here temporarily, helping everyone live a better life before considering returning. After all, His Majesty hadn't set a return date. She could stay and claim it was to inspect border defenses, and no one could object. While the Northern Frontier army was enjoying themselves, with the aroma of meat filling the air, trouble arose on the grasslands. The Left Prince hadn't returned for a long time, and later received news that he had been captured by the Great Jing. He had hoped to return to the grasslands with the delegation, but unexpectedly, the Great Jing had a capable person who could produce a completely new and better salt! Now, the salt stored on the grasslands was useless, and the Left Prince's value was completely gone. Before Jiu Que arrived in the Northern Frontier, the Left Prince had already been swiftly executed by order of the Jingtai Emperor.

When the news reached the grasslands, the Left Prince's men were naturally heartbroken, but the surrounding tribes were eyeing it covetously. After all, the Left Prince had so much territory, and in less than a month, this territory had been completely divided up.

The one who seized the most territory and livestock was Murdun, the eldest son of the current steppe Khan. Murdun was the son most like the current steppe Khan, and was born to the Great Khan. He was tall and imposing, with great martial prowess and was brave and skilled in battle; his men all respected him. If things went as planned, he would be the next Khan.

However, fate had other plans. The steppe had a system of succession by the youngest son. And, coincidentally, the current steppe Khan and his chief had a beloved youngest son, Namtso. Namtso and Murdun were full brothers, but because of this system and the current Khan's doting on his youngest son, their relationship was somewhat complicated.

The Khan is old, but his eldest son has grown into a man of great courage and strength. Moreover, he now possesses so much territory and does not project a gentle image. Therefore, everyone understands that a struggle for power will soon erupt on the steppe.

"Father Khan! We are now strong and well-equipped. The Northern Frontier Army has been without food and supplies for so many days. Why can't we take this opportunity to attack? If we can wipe out the Northern Frontier Army in one fell swoop, the gates of the Great Jing will be wide open to us! Why should the Great Jing occupy the most fertile land? Our warriors on the grasslands are brave, hardworking, and courageous. Why should we continue to live a life of wandering and chasing after pasture? We should occupy the most fertile land, the most beautiful women, and the vastest territory in the world! Father Khan! Just give the order, and I can lead my brave men to storm the Northern Frontier Army's passes! I will offer you the finest gold and silver! Please grant my request! Father Khan, I will not fail your expectations! Father Khan—"

“Moldun, what you’ve said is exactly what I want to do. This is the lifelong hope of us grassland people, but now is not the best time. If we attack rashly, it may bring bad results.”

"Father Khan! What bad outcome could there be? Do you think the Great Jing is stronger and more powerful than us? Do you think those cowards are as good as the warriors of our grasslands? Father Khan! You cannot be afraid and back down! So many people on the grasslands are watching!"

(End of this chapter)