Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 256 Reinforcements?

"***!"

The barbarians around them, who had discovered their leader dead under the hooves of horses, were muttering something in their own language. The barbarian who had just died spoke the Great Jing language, which, though somewhat difficult, Jiu Que could barely understand. But the remaining men were speaking what seemed to be their own language, a jumbled mess that was completely incomprehensible to Jiu Que.

Although they couldn't understand the words, they could understand the shameless act of abandoning their opponents and attacking Jiu Que.

Seven or eight spears immediately lunged at Jiu Que. Judging from their siege, Jiu Que was likely to be riddled with holes. However, he deftly deflected the spears with his longsword, severing the wooden shafts. The steppe barbarians were left with only bare wooden sticks and were momentarily stunned. Distraction is the worst thing on the battlefield. The opponents they had just abandoned had caught up, their weapons plunging deep into their bodies before being knocked off their horses.

Another seven or eight barbarians died under the horses' hooves.

The remaining men finally realized that Jiu Que was no pushover. They exchanged angry glances, realizing that their superiors hadn't clearly explained how terrifying this woman was. This was no weak noblewoman from the capital; she was practically Ying Chongming reincarnated! No, judging by her strength, she was even greater than General Ying Chongming himself! On the battlefield, she was a deadly weapon. Just like now, Jiu Que snatched an enemy's spear and swung it around herself, felling a large number of her comrades.

In the blink of an eye, fifty or sixty of the three hundred grassland barbarians had died, and the rest were surrounded by the Great Jing soldiers, and they began to have some thoughts of retreat.

One person in the crowd, seeing this scene, darkened his eyes slightly. What a bunch of useless trash! So many people and they can't even win over a woman. No wonder they were beaten to a pulp by Ying Chongming back then.

Just then, the thunderous sound of horses' hooves thundered in the distance. What was that sound?
When the cavalry, whose numbers far exceeded the sum of the two sides present, appeared on the horizon, many people took a moment to look. When they discovered that the soldiers were carrying wolf flags on their shoulders, the soldiers of Dajing could not help but feel disappointed, especially the few generals in the grain transport team who had been specially instructed. They exchanged glances and rushed to Jiuque's side.

"My lord! It's enemy reinforcements! There are at least three thousand of them, too many of them. We... we can't win... We will escort you out of here!"

"I do not……"

"No! This is not the time for a fight of the spirit. This time, no matter what you say, you must listen to us! His Majesty has ordered that if there is any danger, we must protect Lord Ying's safety! Your life is the most important! Brothers, hold them off for a moment. Lord Ying's mount is a thoroughbred horse with extraordinary speed. We only need to hold them off for a short while."

A chorus of clear and forceful responses rang out from all around, every pair of eyes looking over was filled with worry, and every face was etched with urgency.

After spending more than a month together, Lady Ying had become more than just General Ying Chongming's daughter. That was only one of her identities. More often, she was a good official who brought them large quantities of food, clothing, and military pay; a kind young woman who racked her brains to find ways for them to earn money and improve their lives; and a brave girl who always rushed to the front lines in times of crisis! Since Lady Ying's arrival, their lives had improved so much, and their desire for her safe departure was now all the more genuine. No one was a fool; they could hear and understand. Ying Jiuque came with utmost sincerity, and received the same sincerity in return.

"..." Under such gazes, Jiu Que suddenly felt her eyes sting. Didn't these fools feel it was unfair? They were all born human, yet she was protected and escaped in such a perilous moment, while they were forced to stay behind, sacrificing their lives to hold off the enemy. Was this fair?
We're all human beings...

The nomadic people of the grasslands were overjoyed when they discovered the arrival of reinforcements. No one knows what they shouted, but the reinforcements, upon hearing it, rushed towards them even faster.

Based on the enemy's numbers and the speed of their horses, just three charges would be enough to completely scatter their pitifully small force, or even wipe them out entirely, and that's under extremely ideal conditions.

In that brief moment, someone stealthily approached Jiu Que. There were simply too many soldiers surrounding her; no one noticed such a sneaky individual. Perhaps they all believed that everyone, like themselves, sincerely hoped that Lord Ying could escape danger and return safely to the camp. However, in that very moment, a small dagger, half the length of a hand, silently and with unparalleled precision pierced the thigh of the horse beneath her!

"Xilulu——"

That steed was indeed a rare gem, one in a thousand. Usually, it was the one leaving its companions behind, and everyone around it would offer it a handful of soybeans. No martial artist disliked a fine steed. But now, someone had betrayed it! Caught off guard, the steed reared up violently and charged wildly through the herd.

The soldiers of the Great Jing were shocked. Had the horse gone mad at this critical moment? They knew that among all those present, only Jiu Que's steed could possibly keep up with the Northern Barbarian army's pursuit, and only it could lead Jiu Que out of danger!

Many people instinctively reached out to help pull the reins of the steed, but the dagger remained embedded in the horse's flesh at a clever and cunning angle. In the midst of the chaos, Jiu Que had just killed many people and was now covered in blood. Who could tell whether the blood seeping from the steed's thigh was its own or that of the surrounding enemies?

The horse bucked more and more violently, and the people around couldn't help but help, plunging the area into chaos. Bai Ruhui and Di Yun glanced at the enemy troops who were getting closer and closer, now within the enemy's charging range, and despair filled their faces.

"It's over..."

Their deaths are nothing to worry about. Although they were young and promising, the army could easily find outstanding soldiers to replace them. But Lord Ying is truly unique! She is the only civil official in the court who firmly stands with the military generals and is also highly favored by His Majesty! More importantly, she genuinely cares about the Northern Frontier Army, yet such a person is about to be captured by the enemy.

Remembering the suffering endured by the women of Dajing who had been captured by the grassland barbarians, the crowd grew increasingly anxious, instinctively forming layer upon layer of protection in front of Jiuque. Even if Lord Ying possessed immense strength, he would be powerless against the charge of three thousand cavalry! They must hold off the enemy and protect Lord Ying as much as possible before they were all wiped out!

(End of this chapter)