Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 320 She had no choice but to go
Hearing this, everyone fell silent. Back then, General Ying wasn't as dazzling as Jiu Que is now. After all, before her meteoric rise, she was just one of the few unknown young ladies from prominent families in the capital. She was only able to go to the battlefield thanks to her father and brothers' reputations; even so, no one was willing to believe that a novice woman could accomplish anything. The resistance she faced then was far greater than what Jiu Que faces today. In the end, it was only after General Ying made a pledge that someone in the army assigned her two thousand soldiers who were slated for demobilization. These soldiers weren't actually missing limbs; they were simply too old and weak, or simply unfit for the battlefield.

Although the generals were still dissatisfied, they couldn't really criticize the solution. After all, the two thousand elderly and infirm people were in a truly sorry state—the old were old, the young were young, and the weak were weak; they were all originally slated to be sent back to their hometowns. So be it, let's just consider it an act of goodwill, allowing General Ying's daughter one last moment of indulgence. After all, the Ying family was full of loyal martyrs; all the men had sacrificed their lives for the country, leaving only a daughter—she would surely carry on the family line.

At the time, no one expected that Ying's daughter, whom everyone had taken for granted and had even indirectly given up on, along with two thousand elderly and weak people, would take advantage of the fierce attack from the grasslands and bypass them to find the grassland barbarians' granary with unparalleled precision. They not only burned most of the enemy's grain and fodder and poisoned the horses that the enemy was replacing, but also used the opportunity of burning the grain and fodder to spread rumors and disrupt the morale of the army. This not only confused the 3 grassland troops who came to pick them up, but also took advantage of the chaos to capture two of Sachi's brothers, one uncle, two other uncles, and dozens of other grassland royals.

The former dynasty's army, which had been suffering repeated defeats at the hands of the grassland king, was puzzled. How could the grassland army, which had gained the upper hand, suddenly withdraw? Everyone was baffled until Ying Chongming returned with a series of prisoners and the results of annihilating 30,000 grassland soldiers, causing a great uproar.

Opinions on the general were mixed at the time, but it is undeniable that he was a gifted general who managed to extend the life of the precarious previous dynasty by several years.

As they reviewed General Ying's valiant deeds in their minds, the crowd smacked their lips, seemingly finding no reason to stop her. Publicly, her official rank and title far surpassed theirs. Privately, she was General Ying Chongming's daughter, and might indeed have inherited his talents. Furthermore, she enjoyed His Majesty's deep trust; this alone put her ahead of 99% of the people in the land.

Now, the only thing to worry about is Jiu Que's life. After all, the battlefield is not a game. No matter where you are on the battlefield, you may lose your life. After all, the swords on the battlefield are indiscriminate, and no one will spare you a blow just because you are of noble status.

Jiuque provided strong evidence regarding this issue.

She invited Cui Zhufeng out.

"Senior Cui is the number one martial arts master in the world. Even if you don't believe me, you have to believe in her martial arts skills."

Some people had never met Cui Zhufeng, but when he showed them how he could cut a piece of wood ten feet away to secure a tent with just a leaf, they had no further objections.

Although some people were inevitably unwilling, due to various factors, no one ultimately refused outright.

Now that the decision had been made, and with the opportunity not to be missed, now was the perfect time to seize the chance to encircle and annihilate the two princes. Jiu Que quickly discussed the next steps with everyone, and under their anxious gazes, led his men away.

By the time General Yuchi received the news, Jiuque had already gone far away.

General Yuchi was rarely furious. "She's just a child, she doesn't understand. Don't you all understand? She's never been on a battlefield before, nor has she ever killed anyone. Does she know what it's like to have to fight desperately on the battlefield? Can she adapt to a scene of blood and severed limbs flying everywhere? The slightest carelessness on the battlefield could cost her her life! Lin Chongshan! Is this how you treat General Ying's daughter? If anything happens to Jiuque, how can we face General Ying in the afterlife?"

Inside the tent, General Yuchi smashed almost everything he could, but still couldn't control himself and angrily questioned Lin Chongshan, who remained unmoved beside him.

Thanks to the cowpox scab powder, Lin Chongshan was able to speak to General Yuchi at such close range. Of course, judging from General Yuchi's appearance, he wished he could pick up the weak Lin Chongshan and beat him a thousand times over.

Faced with General Yuchi's overwhelming rage, Lin Chongshan only said one sentence.

"What do you think of Jiu Que's current position? She seems to hold a high position, but in reality, it's like a castle in the air, without any foundation. All she can rely on is the emperor's illusory trust. This trust can be given to her by the emperor, or to someone else. One day, when His Majesty the current emperor or the next emperor no longer trusts Jiu Que, what do you think her fate will be?"

General Yuchi was speechless. He wasn't stupid; he knew that Jiuque, though seemingly prosperous, was actually extremely dangerous.

Putting aside everything else, even His Majesty's only remaining fourth prince doesn't have a very good impression of Jiu Que. Not to mention, how could any civil or military official or scholar-official in the land want to add a group of women to their existing rivals?
Moreover, Jiu Que's official career has been far too smooth lately, blocking the path of countless people and getting the attention of many. Currently, His Majesty trusts her implicitly; those people simply haven't found a way to interfere. Once this trust from the Emperor is gone, countless hands will likely reach out and tear her down from her high position, shattering her to pieces.

“Then, we can also take a more lenient approach. After we have truly defeated the two princes, we can let Jiu Que do the cleanup work. No one can say that it is not a merit.”

Even many generals' sons, nephews, and descendants did the same. They were just trying to claim credit!
But General Yuchi was speechless for a moment after being given a dismissive glance by Lin Chongshan.

"Do you think this is the same? Is cleaning up the battlefield after winning a battle comparable to defeating the princes and the grassland army honorably? Which side do you think will truly earn the respect of the Northern Frontier Army? You and I will grow old one day. While we are still alive, we will take care of Jiu Que. But we are much older than that child and will eventually pass away before her. By then, how many people will still remember this small token of respect?"

"Besides, what belongs to others is ultimately not your own; one must be strong oneself to succeed. Only when Jiuque defeats the two princes honorably can she prove her strength and truly win the hearts of the Northern Frontier Army. You and I have known each other for many years, so you should know my temperament. If I hadn't been seriously injured and unable to move, how could I have let Jiuque go to the battlefield? I would have presented her with all the glory! But the timing is just too unfortunate. If she wants to live freely and happily in the future, she has no choice but to go to the battlefield herself!"

(End of this chapter)