Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 319 Who can guarantee it?

The voice and smile of the old friend remain, but that person will never again stand before me like the most resilient mountain, shielding me from wind and rain.

But it's alright, General. I will become the new Gaoshan, sheltering Jiuque, my comrades in the Women's Army, and all women in the world. It's just that I've reached the point where I need to raise the next generation. I'm not as great as you, willing to risk my life to raise a child. But your child is my child. They say a mother gives her best to her most beloved child; I will give Jiuque what I consider most important.

Is there anything more intoxicating than power? If one's joy and anger are constantly at the mercy of others, life would be far too miserable. Only by wielding power can one live freely.

Lin Chongshan closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his expression was very firm, indicating that he had made up his mind.

"Nine Palaces, are you willing to go to war in my place?"

Everyone present remained eerily silent for a moment. The next moment, they all turned to look at Ying Jiuque. Even Jiuque felt a little uncomfortable with those sharp, piercing gazes.

She knew those gazes reflected more distrust than anything else, and indeed, she had little to offer in terms of trustworthiness. After all, she had never truly led troops into battle before. To generals who had spent most of their lives on the battlefield, she was nothing more than a theoretical strategist like Zhao Kuo, and yet she was to lead the final battle that would determine the fate of two nations. Anyone in that situation would feel uneasy.

"me?"

Even Jiu Que himself was quite surprised, not expecting Lin Chongshan to entrust this task to him, since everyone present had more experience than him.

However, it is undeniable that after hearing Lin Chongshan's question, Jiu Que suddenly felt her blood boil, and even her heart was pounding, as if something was about to burst out of her body.

Leading troops into battle? Her? On such a grand battlefield, shouldering the fate of two nations and their destiny for the next 20 years? Can she really do it?
At this moment, some people couldn't help but speak up to offer advice.

"General Lin, I know that Jiu Que is a smart child. If given enough time, she will definitely become an outstanding general."

Jiu Que remained silent, knowing that a twist was imminent, and sure enough, she soon heard the general's denial.

"But she has never been to the battlefield before. Although she is General Ying's only daughter, for the previous eighteen years she was just a sheltered young lady raised in seclusion. Although she later became an official, she was a civil official. Moreover, apart from being strong, she has no skills to fight on the battlefield. Furthermore, she is now of high status, with a smooth official career, a noble title, and even being named a princess, making her practically royalty. What if something goes wrong on the battlefield? None of us can bear that responsibility."

“Old Xing is right. I have no problem with Jiu Que. If she really wants to lead troops into battle, I'll respect her. But the key is that she absolutely cannot make a mistake. General Yu Chi is currently recovering from smallpox, and you've been poisoned. If even Lord Ying is in trouble, our Northern Frontier Army will truly fall apart. Although that old man Sachi is seriously injured and won't live much longer, his two sons, one big and one small, are the alpha wolves of the grasslands, each one fierce and powerful. Not to mention, they have over 60,000 elite troops and generals under their command—60,000 cavalry! The current battle situation cannot afford even the slightest mishap. Otherwise, all our efforts of the past twenty years, and the development of the next twenty years from today onward, will be in vain.”

“I also think this matter needs to be considered carefully. Putting aside everything else, Jiu Que is General Ying’s only descendant. Can we just stand by and watch something happen to her?” Before, everyone was arguing about who should lead the troops into battle, and now they are arguing again, but this time it’s about Jiu Que.

For a moment, Jiu Que couldn't tell whether they didn't want her to go or were afraid to let her go. But to her, it made no difference. Of course, Jiu Que was disappointed, but at the same time, her stubborn, unyielding spirit resurfaced.

Why can't she lead troops into battle? Why can't she stay in the safe rear and watch the soldiers fight on the front lines? Why can so many people fight on the battlefield of history while she can only watch like a spectator?

Instinctively, Jiu Que sensed something was wrong. Sachi was severely wounded, more than half of his soldiers had been wiped out, and the remaining 60,000-plus fleeing troops were likely demoralized. This was the best opportunity to completely defeat the grasslands. And, barring unforeseen circumstances, this would be the last chance in nearly 20 years. No one knew better than Jiu Que that the country's food supplies were running low. In recent years, although the people of Da Jing hadn't suffered from war, various natural and man-made disasters had overwhelmed them. The unpredictable weather, in particular, had put pressure on agriculture. Moreover, there were no high-yield grains in this era; no matter how diligently the farmers cultivated the land, they couldn't grow enough to feed the entire world. Furthermore, wealthy merchants and powerful families loved to hoard grain, even if not for speculation, simply to satisfy their hoarding addiction. Much of the grain in their granaries was old and rotten, yet they were unwilling to sell it to the people at a low price.

The people urgently need at least 10 years to recuperate and grow crops before they can withstand the next war.

As someone who grew up in a peaceful era, Jiu Que really didn't want to see the world engulfed in war.

Of course, this isn't to say that Emperor Jingtai didn't do a good job. In fact, as the founding emperor of the Jing Dynasty, he did everything he could. Without the foundation he laid, the people probably wouldn't even be living the life they have today. But since they could live better, why indulge in this chaotic existence?

Thinking of this, Jiu Que suddenly stepped forward, interrupting those people's attempts to dissuade him.

“Apart from General Yuchi, I am the highest-ranking officer in the entire Northern Frontier Army. Moreover, His Majesty ordered before we came that even General Yuchi should assist me in critical moments. I believe that no one is more suitable than me to lead the army in pursuit of the remaining grassland troops!”

After a brief silence, even though they were reluctant, they stopped talking loudly. After all, Jiu Que was telling the truth; she was indeed the highest-ranking person in the entire Northern Frontier Army.

They still didn't quite trust him, after all, entrusting their entire fortune to a child who had never been on the battlefield was something they found hard to accept.

But at that moment, Lin Chongshan's slow but powerful voice rang out.

"I believe in Jiu Que just as I believe in General Ying. When General Ying first went to the battlefield, no one believed she could defeat the enemy and solve the nation's great crisis. But she did it in the end. Who can guarantee that Jiu Que won't be the next General Ying?"

(End of this chapter)