Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 258: Shameless
It's quite strange, really. Jiu Que had spent a considerable amount of time in the Northern Frontier military camp and was familiar with many of the more renowned generals. Without exception, they all presented themselves as loyal and reliable. Of course, there are countless personalities in this world, and not everyone has to be steady and reliable. Take Bai Ruhui, for example; although a bit naive, he was young, spirited, and full of righteous fervor—a very good person. And then there's Deputy General Di Yun, a man universally praised for his steady reliability, whom General Yuchi had personally promoted, a general who might one day inherit his position.

It's fair to say that everyone in the army camp couldn't help but praise Deputy General Di when he was mentioned. Yet, this man, who was seen as steady, reliable, and capable by everyone, was capable of launching sneak attacks on the battlefield and from behind.

The current battle situation is clear. Many soldiers looked at Deputy General Di, who was tied up like a dumpling, with righteous indignation and disbelief in their eyes.

"Deputy General Di, how could you do such a thing? The general has treated you well; we are all brothers who have risked our lives for each other. How could you bear to betray us and collude with the barbarians? Have you forgotten the blood feud between us and the barbarians? How many of our brothers have been killed by the barbarians? How many civilians have been slaughtered, their entire families murdered, and their women raped by the barbarians? With such a deep hatred, how could you shamelessly collude with the barbarians? And Lord Ying, she is a good person and a good official who came all the way from the capital to help us, and she is also General Ying Chongming's only daughter. You, have you lost your mind?"

"Di Yun! Open your eyes and look. Countless brothers of the Great Jing have died on this very grassland. I remember your eldest brother also died at the hands of the barbarians, right? All your relatives are dead, and only your eldest brother raised you. He was a truly upright man, unwavering in the midst of chaos, standing tall even in death. He was a hero of the entire Great Jing. Didn't you say you wanted to be a hero like your eldest brother, fighting for your country and killing the enemy?"

“When exactly did you start colluding with the barbarians? No wonder I’ve felt strange all day. Bai Ruhui may be a bit stupid, but he’s not as stupid as he is today. Someone must have secretly bewitched him and told him to lead Lord Ying to the border.”

"..."

The voices of different people around me were too chaotic because everyone was so angry. Each voice was louder and more incredulous than the last, and when they came together, they formed a single word.

Collaboration with the enemy and treason!

Di Yun abruptly opened his eyes and, unsurprisingly, saw his former comrades glaring at him. After discovering he had betrayed his country, these men, with whom he had previously shared close ties, now displayed expressions of disgust and contempt. But he wasn't born heartless, nor did he willingly betray his country; he was forced into it.

Di Yun made continuous muffled sounds, seemingly trying to defend himself. However, Jiu Que had no intention of releasing him here. Although they had just wiped out nearly three thousand grassland barbarians, there was no guarantee that more wouldn't be attracted. Therefore, their immediate priority was to leave this dangerous place as quickly as possible. This was at least a small victory. Since they had won, they needed to let the people of the Northern Border see what the Northern Frontier Army had done, to know that they had been working tirelessly to protect the safety of the Northern Border, so that the people would have more trust in the Northern Frontier Army.

"Gentlemen, now that we have won, we must let the people know what we have done. Let's go back now! The city must have already prepared a victory banquet to celebrate our triumphant return."

"it is good!"

The anger was briefly suppressed, and the group quickly mounted their warhorses and led the prisoners away.

As for the corpses of the steppe people, let them deal with them themselves; after all, the steppe people's reinforcements are more than just these few. Sure enough, half an hour after Jiu Que and his group left, another group of tens of thousands of steppe cavalry arrived. Those men looked at the corpses of their compatriots on the ground with grim expressions, stared at the direction of the Northern Frontier Pass for a long time, and only then did they barely suppress the overwhelming battle, deal with the corpses of their compatriots, and leave angrily.

Those damned people from Dajing dared to lie to them! Not only did they fail to catch that woman named Ying Jiuque, but they also lost so many brothers. It's outrageous!
Forget it, with the Khan around, one day we'll break through the northern border, march south, and head straight for the capital, behead that old emperor, and seize that fertile land! Let him be happy for a while now; they won't be able to gloat for long anyway.

It's a pity we couldn't capture that woman named Ying Jiuque. Otherwise, they could have gotten so many supplies from her! I heard she's the daughter of General Ying Chongming. With such good blood, if she could give birth to a few children for the bravest warriors of the grasslands, they would surely be the most valiant and invincible people in the world!

What a pity, what a pity!

When Jiu Que returned to the Northern Frontier Pass, General Yu Chi, with his cold expression, was already waiting at the city gate with many generals. When he saw that Jiu Que was unharmed, General Yu Chi, who had been keeping a straight face, finally softened a little, but his expression was still not good. Heaven knows how worried and terrified he was when he discovered Jiu Que's plan. If this child had been killed, how could he explain to General Ying in the afterlife?

Although the child had returned safely, the thought of a traitor colluding with the enemy within his own army filled him with dread. He wanted to see which spineless coward had dared to conspire with the barbarians of the grasslands to harm his own people! He was determined to expose him…

and many more!

Why does that person, bound like a dumpling and laid horizontally on the horse's back, look so familiar? Isn't that his deputy, Di Yun?
So, the one who's been secretly passing messages to the barbarians on the grasslands is actually his most trusted deputy general? How could that be?

Although his first reaction was disbelief and resistance, he knew that Jiu Que would not make things up without reason, and how could a famous general in the army be tied up like this and put on horseback?
This is a great insult to the soldiers!
Many civilians were still watching. No matter how turbulent his heart was, General Yuchi couldn't show it. He could only step forward with a straight face and loudly praise the brave soldiers. Seeing the admiring and hopeful eyes of the civilians, the soldiers, who were originally full of anger, couldn't help but smile. Yes, no matter how infuriating it was that there was a traitor in the army, they had to shoulder the responsibility of protecting the people.

So everyone temporarily put aside all their thoughts and sincerely accepted the cheers of the people.

However, Di Yun, who was laid sideways on the horse's back, was not so happy or comfortable. He would normally be someone who would openly and generously accept the cheers of the people, but now he could only endure the surprised, disgusted, and accusatory looks from others like a prisoner, with no way to do anything but bear it.

I am utterly ashamed.

(End of this chapter)