Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 246 The Power to Lift a Tripod
How long has this bronze cauldron been here?

General Yuchi gazed nostalgically at the ancient bronze cauldron, his eyes seemingly traveling back decades to his more spirited era.

"It's been thirteen years. No one has been able to lift this bronze cauldron all these years, so let's just leave it here as a memento."

Jiu Que paused, for she had immediately realized whose bronze cauldron it belonged to. Thirteen years—that was a significant timeframe—it belonged to her mother!

She glanced at Lin Chongshan and noticed that the female army commander also had a nostalgic expression on her face. Suddenly, she didn't know what to say, and felt a pang of sadness in her heart.

Thirteen years ago, she lost her mother, and the people here lost their reliable comrades, close friends, elders, and people they could rely on.

Time flies so fast, so fast that we don't even feel it passing, yet it also passes so slowly that even this bronze cauldron has developed patches of rust.

“…Let me give it a try.”

At this moment, everyone around focused their attention on Jiu Que, who was adjusting her cuffs. She looked at the bronze cauldron and quickly found a place to exert force. She lowered her waist, hugged the cauldron with both hands, and slowly applied force.

"Crunch, crunch..."

The heavy bronze cauldron creaked and groaned, and the moss that had been attached to the ground broke off completely. Seeing it swaying, the people around couldn't help but widen their eyes.

Could it be that Jiuque could really lift this heavy bronze cauldron?
Although reason told them it was impossible, almost everyone couldn't help but stare wide-eyed at Jiuque and the bronze cauldron that had been there for thirteen years as they watched the thing shake and rise higher and higher.

A little, and a little.

The bronze dome swayed gently, then rose higher and higher in full view of everyone, until Jiuque released his left hand and threw his right hand upwards. As the huge bronze cauldron crashed down, he grabbed the cauldron's legs below and steadily lifted it above his head.

"!"

It actually lifted it! And so easily, as if it were a small toy.

This isn't made of paper; it's really heavy!
"it is good!"

"It's up!"

"And it's only one hand!" "As expected of Lady Ying, as expected of General Ying's daughter!"

"No one has been able to move this thing for over a decade, right? It's been so many years since General Ying casually tossed it here after his morning exercise thirteen years ago. I never expected that her daughter could lift it so easily. It's truly amazing!"

"Wow……"

Everyone couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. Jiu Que slept for a while, then steadily placed the bronze cauldron down. She was strong enough that when she put it down, it was like placing a flower, without even making a dull sound, which made everyone click their tongues in amazement.

This child is incredibly strong, just like General Ying, both are born with superhuman strength.

"You silly child, you're still hiding things from your uncle. Look at your strength, just like your mother's!"

"Hehe. I can't just come here and tell everyone that I inherited my mother's innate superhuman strength, that would be too showing off."

"You're really something... impressive! To be honest, even if you're incredibly skilled in martial arts on the battlefield, you'll eventually run out of strength facing a mountain of enemies. But if you're strong enough and can hold out long enough, you'll be invincible on the battlefield! Of course, you can't be completely ignorant of martial arts either. Don't worry, my dear nephew, in the coming days, the most skilled fighters in our Northern Frontier Army will teach you how to subdue the enemy in the shortest amount of time. Remember this first! When fighting the enemy, being soft-hearted towards them is being ruthless towards yourself. Whoever kills their opponent in the shortest amount of time is the ultimate winner! And also..."

Jiu Que listened with great interest. In the battlefield, whoever is the most ruthless and can achieve the greatest results with the least effort wins. This kind of life-or-death approach was very rare for Jiu Que, but it was what interested her the most.

For the next two weeks, Jiu Que studied tirelessly, like a wrung-out sponge, diligently absorbing every drop of water from the outside world, showing no signs of being saturated. Even General Yu Chi and the others, who had initially only intended to teach her a few moves, couldn't resist passing on their most treasured techniques to this child.

I don't know what's wrong with this kid, but he's quite amazing. Could this be a talent passed down through generations? Back then, General Ying was indeed extremely skilled in martial arts, beating them up like they were little chicks.

However, there was something that everyone found strange. This child had been here for more than half a month, and had completed her mission of inspecting the border. She had also safely handed over the provisions and supplies she brought to everyone. Logically speaking, she had completed the mission given by His Majesty very smoothly. Why didn't she say she wanted to leave?
Of course, it wasn't that the people didn't want Jiu Que to stay here; it's just that in the past, the grain transport officials or other civil officials sent by the court would rush to complete their tasks and then disappear like ghosts. What they didn't know was that those officials simply disliked the desolate northern lands.

Deep down, everyone knew that the North was indeed incredibly desolate. After all, the land was barren, the territory vast, and the population small. Furthermore, it bordered the grasslands, so it naturally lacked prosperity. Yet, they had stayed in this place for decades, long considering it their home. Who would like to have others look down on their hometown?
This child genuinely loves this place; everyone can see that. However, this child came out on His Majesty's mission, and now that the mission is complete, shouldn't he return to hand it over as soon as possible?
What if, during this time, His Majesty, instigated by other civil officials, stops favoring Jiu Que? After all, an emperor's favor is as fickle as the weather in June. When he likes you, no matter what you say or do, he thinks you have a bright future and are young and promising; when he doesn't like you, he always thinks everything you do is wrong. As the saying goes, both thunder and rain are expressions of imperial favor. If Jiu Que doesn't return in time, won't something bad happen to him?
That day, after being reminded by Lin Chongshan, General Yuchi asked her this question after much hesitation.

"Jiu Que, look, you've been here for almost half a month now. Shouldn't you send a letter to His Majesty in the capital, explaining what you've been doing here?"

“Uncle? I sent a memorial to His Majesty a few days ago. The grain transport has been completed. His Majesty will be pleased to know.”

"No, that's not what I meant. You kid, aren't you worried that if you stay away for too long, you'll find that you don't have a place in the officialdom when you get back to the capital?"

(End of this chapter)