Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 254 Barbarians
According to custom on the grasslands, the first prey hunted by the children after they grow up is given to the most respected or beloved elder in the family. So it is not just a prey, but also a unique sentiment.

Jiu Que was naturally aware of this custom and nodded emphatically.

Although she had received permission from the highest-ranking general of the Northern Frontier Army, Jiu Que couldn't just leave whenever she wanted. She packed up the things she needed for the hunt. Since it was already late afternoon, General Yu Chi suggested that she leave the city the next morning, and Jiu Que readily agreed.

The next morning, Jiu Que left the military camp smoothly and crossed the northern border.

After passing through the heavy city gate, Jiu Que immediately saw the vast and boundless grassland in the distance. The emerald green grassland and the high, azure sky seemed to merge into one, a sight that was simply breathtaking.

Such beautiful scenery is something you can't see in Beijing; it's so gorgeous.

Jiu Que's horsemanship was now quite excellent. After the group galloped for dozens of miles, looking back, the heavy city gates of the Northern Frontier Pass were nowhere to be seen. All that could be seen in all directions was endless grassland. As they went forward, the emerald green grassland gradually turned yellowish-green. The further north they went, the lower the temperature became. No wonder the grassland had coveted the Great Scenery for thousands of years. If she lived in a harsh land, hungry and cold, and had to watch her neighbors live a life of wealth and luxury, she would probably feel uncomfortable.

But if your living conditions are bad, shouldn't you work hard to improve them? To rob your neighbors just because you're not doing well—what kind of absurd logic is that!

“Lord Ying, fifty li ahead is the border between Dajing and the grassland, which is not very safe. Why don’t we just wander around nearby? There are wild animals around, and it will be easier for you to hunt once we drive them over.”

The speaker was Di Yun, the very same deputy general whom General Yuchi had described as extremely steady and reliable. Compared to the indeed young and handsome Bai Ruhui, this Deputy General Di Yun was remarkably composed, and his unsmiling demeanor at this moment was somewhat intimidating.

Bai Ruhui was somewhat unconvinced. He spurred his horse forward, approached Ying Jiuque, and shouted loudly.

"My lord! Fifty li is still a long way off. It doesn't matter if we go a little further. Our brothers have already plowed this place up. We rarely even see rabbits anymore. Where would we find wild animals? Why don't we go a little further? Don't worry, the grassland barbarians aren't bold enough to come here. Even if we encounter some barbarians, I can protect you, my lord!"

Looking back at Bai Ruhui, he was indeed a young, handsome, and spirited man, probably only eighteen or nineteen years old. He was quite good-looking as he stared at him expectantly.

Jiu Que looked at the boundless grassland in front of him and was somewhat tempted.

"Why don't we go another thirty miles? We can't see any prey here anyway. I want to bring the first prey back to General Yuchi to see."

Since it was only thirty li ahead, not too far, Di Yun thought for a moment and decided not to continue trying to persuade him. After all, this Lord Ying was young and impetuous, and had achieved early success. If he tried to persuade him too much, it would inevitably incur the other party's displeasure. This Lord Ying was no ordinary person; not only was he himself very capable, but his mother was the once-famous General Ying. Putting aside others, even Di Yun himself had a considerable amount of goodwill towards this Lord Ying.

So the group continued riding forward, galloping for about thirty miles, when Jiu Que stopped on his own.

Here, she could see the grass rustling slightly in the distance, likely hiding some small wild animals. Jiu Que quietly observed this scene. After a long while, she suddenly waved her right hand, and the supply troops who had followed her naturally scattered, forming a large encirclement, then converging towards the center. Because of their movement, the wild animals hidden in the grass panicked and ran towards the center, falling right into their trap. Jiu Que stood on a slope, looking down at the shrinking encirclement, then drew her bow and nocked an arrow. Her strength was immense; ordinary bows and arrows were simply insufficient for her. This bow and arrow had been solemnly given to her by General Yuchi; it was said to be the bow used by General Ying, so heavy that no one in the entire Northern Frontier Army could lift it. General Yuchi had a particularly good impression of Jiu Que since her arrival at the Northern Frontier Army, and since the bow and arrow should rightfully be returned to its rightful owner, he had given her this heavy bow and arrow half a month ago.

The supply troop and the northern frontier soldiers behind her could almost hear the creaking of the bow and arrow. Their eyes were glued to the scene, a faint glimmer of hope in their eyes. Many of them had never actually witnessed General Ying's heroic figure, but had always heard the veterans around them talk about her. If they were fortunate enough to see her today, their journey would not have been in vain!
The next moment, the arrow forged from black iron shot out with lightning speed, then flew heavily into the grass. A scream came from inside, and then something unexpected suddenly rushed out!

That's one...

antelope?

Moreover, it was quite large, weighing at least 150 pounds. At this moment, it had been shot in the shoulder and neck with an arrow, and blood was gushing out. It charged out with the arrow in its body, perhaps trying to make a final struggle, but it was facing a group of battle-hardened soldiers.

Just as everyone was about to drive the antelope to Lord Ying, the unfortunate antelope that had been hit by an arrow staggered a few times and then fell heavily to the ground. A soldier rushed over to check on it and found that the antelope was barely breathing.

Everyone was quite excited; they hadn't expected Lord Ying's first prey to be such a large antelope. If they brought it back, General Yuchi would be overjoyed and throw a bonfire party.

"Yingda..."

"alert!"

Di Yun suddenly shouted and charged ahead of Ying Jiuque. Although the situation was sudden, the battle-hardened soldiers around them reacted quickly and formed a battle formation. Some soldiers with keen ears and eyes jumped off their horses, lay on the ground, and listened carefully to the sound of the earth. They quickly jumped up and pointed to the direction to the left front.

"About three hundred horses charged over; they're barbarians!"

The sound of the barbarian and the Great Jing's warhorses running was different, and after reaching this conclusion, everyone's face turned grim.

Ying Jiuque was only going hunting on the grasslands this time. Although she brought tens of thousands of grain transport soldiers, she didn't bring them all. Including the men sent by General Yuchi, the total was only about two hundred, putting her at a disadvantage in terms of numbers. In particular, the grassland barbarians were far more powerful on the grasslands than they were. Under normal circumstances, it would take five Great Jing soldiers to gang up on three grassland barbarians to put up a fight. In this situation, there was only one option: to flee.

Strangely, this army of steppe barbarians seemed to appear suddenly. By the time the commotion reached them, they were less than five miles away. At this distance, running away wasn't the best option. The steppe barbarians' horses were too fast and would catch up quickly. At this moment, a head-on confrontation was preferable to fleeing!

(End of this chapter)