Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 264 Sending You a Thousand Miles Away
Upon hearing this, Jiu Que's tears, which had been held back, suddenly burst forth uncontrollably. Lin Chongshan, at a loss, wiped away her tears. General Yuchi, who had been filled with sorrow, burst into laughter upon seeing Lin Chongshan's appearance.

Perhaps it was because of the alcohol he had drunk, or perhaps he had wanted to say these words for a long time.

"I haven't seen you so flustered in ages. If those grassland barbarians you used to chase all over the place saw this, their eyes would probably pop out of their sockets! Ouch! You actually hit me?! Well! That's insubordination, you'll get a beating!"

"It seems that the General himself said that tonight, regardless of rank, we are all brothers and sisters. Giving a punch to one's own brother is hardly considered insubordination. If the General is not satisfied, he is free to fight back, and I will gladly oblige."

"you!"

These words left General Yuchi speechless, and in the end he could only give up and pat Jiu Que's shoulder hard.

“Jiu Que, if you’re ever wronged, don’t stay in that wretched place, the capital. Come to our northern border. As long as I have food to eat, you’ll never go hungry.”

This was an extremely weighty promise. Jiu Que nodded emphatically. She knew that standing here now were not only the Great General of the Northern Frontier Army and the Commander of the Women's Army, but also her uncle and Aunt Lin. This affection was truly invaluable.

After a pleasant conversation with the two elders, her gaze fell upon Military Advisor Cui, who sat next to General Yuchi. The two exchanged a knowing look. Most of the soldiers in the Northern Frontier Army were incredibly capable on the battlefield; in other words, they were physically strong but not so bright. She had no one else to entrust with the factories she was running here, or the other projects she had already assigned, except for Military Advisor Cui.

Cui Wenhe understood this principle, and had already communicated with Jiu Que several times, determined to ensure that even if Jiu Que left, the businesses she left behind would be carried forward and developed. If they were profitable, he would have to send money to Jiu Que. Even though the girl had said many times that these factories were set up for the Northern Frontier Army, things couldn't be calculated that way.

A cool autumn breeze blows, and the moon grows ever fuller, its silvery light evenly covering the entire land. No matter how unpredictable life may be, no matter how much the world changes, this eternally unchanging moon always carries people's emotions…

Early the next morning, Jiu Que lifted the curtain and saw Lin Chongshan and the others who were already prepared.

"I brought you here, and I'll make sure you go back to a safer place. Don't worry, I've already dealt with all the bandits and thieves within hundreds of miles. I guarantee they won't dare to go against the Northern Frontier Army."

Even so, Lin Chongshan had already decided to send the child further south, as far as possible. After all, who knew when they would see each other again after this separation?

Thus, when Jiu Que came, he brought nearly 10,000 Yun Liang soldiers, but when he returned, he traveled light and simply, but he was still accompanied by 3,000 female soldiers.

To those bandits who had managed to survive on the road: ...

With their current setup, they're not blind, so how could they dare to cause trouble for the renowned Lord Ying? They only regretted that they weren't hidden well enough. What if they were discovered and mistakenly thought to have ill intentions towards Lord Ying? Would they even be able to survive? Didn't they see that all the thieves' dens on those mountains next door have already been wiped out?

Even those secretly observing gave up hope. Ying Jiuque wasn't accompanied by two hundred or two thousand men; he had a full twenty thousand! With such a force, how could they possibly find an opportunity to strike? Even if they planned an ambush, they'd need more than twenty thousand men, right? After all, both the grain transport troops and the women's army were handpicked elites—where could they hide so many? Not to mention, the women's army had been on the frontier for a long time, their reconnaissance methods were incredibly advanced and sophisticated. Before they even got close, they'd be discovered, and a few charges would surely kill them.

It's not worth it to make a move on the road, really not worth it. Let's wait until Ying Jiuque arrives in the capital before making a move.

In short, Jiu Que's journey was relatively smooth. After escorting him for five hundred miles, Lin Chongshan could no longer go any further and could only reluctantly stop where he was, watching Jiu Que leave.

Jiu Que's convoy had already gone quite a distance. Looking back, she found Lin Chongshan still silently watching her from his horse. She wasn't a person who liked to cry, but in the Northern Frontier military camp, she often couldn't help but shed tears.

Unable to resist, she stopped the carriage, rushed out, stood on horseback, and waved vigorously into the distance. "Aunt Lin, don't see me off! Go back! I'm leaving now. Don't worry, I'll take good care of myself. I'll be back soon—"

Oh, gentle breeze, you always bring sorrow for no reason. But at this moment, I wish you could send my voice to the ears of my departed friend, so she will not be saddened by my departure, for I will soon return.

It's unclear whether Lin Chongshan heard her, but she did wave in their direction, signaling Jiu Que to leave.

Even after a thousand miles of farewell, there must come a time for parting. Jiu Que couldn't stay in one place forever. She wiped away her tears, climbed back into the carriage, and signaled the caravan to continue on its way.

She will always come back.

Ten days later.

In the Hall of Diligent Governance, Emperor Jingtai flipped through the memorials laid out in front of him and found that they were all just pointless complaints. Frustrated, he threw them on the ground and rubbed his temples.

These days, his head keeps aching for no reason, and the imperial physician can't figure it out either, only telling him not to overwork himself and to rest more. That's complete nonsense! It would be strange if he could actually settle down and rest at a time like this.

"What has the fourth brother been doing all this time?"

Jiufu quickly replied.

"Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince has been staying in his own residence and rarely comes out except for going to the government office every day."

"Didn't you have any contact with the court officials?"

"This……"

"Hmm? Speak your mind."

"Court officials often send invitations to the Fourth Prince's residence, but the Fourth Prince rarely comes out to socialize."

"...He is now my only living son. It's perfectly normal for civil and military officials to want to get along with him, but why is this child so timid? If he wants that position, he should work hard for it himself. Now that his three older brothers are dead, he is the only one left alive. Is it necessary to hide his ambition? He should take this opportunity to strengthen their relationship!"

Emperor Jingtai could say this, but Jiufu would never dare to respond, so he could only laugh awkwardly.

Emperor Jingtai felt somewhat bored, wondering what sins he had committed in his life. His four sons were all utterly useless, and now only his fourth son remained, a coward at that. Alas, they were all so disappointing, leaving not even a grandson or granddaughter. Was his entire family destined to die out?

(End of this chapter)