Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 323 Ambush
He then lightly touched the ground with his toes and stepped onto the top of the flagpole. At this moment, Cui Zhufeng took out his monocular binoculars and looked around, shaking his head in disappointment. Seeing this, Jiu Que didn't say anything, but instead drew his bow and nocked an arrow, aiming it at Cui Zhufeng standing on the flagpole. This action made the surrounding people involuntarily take two steps forward. They certainly knew that Jiu Que wouldn't attack Cui Zhufeng at this time, but at this distance, this action was still very dangerous.

Jiu Que greeted Senior Cui loudly, then slowly drew back the bowstring. The wooden arrow continued to gather power, and the bowstring even emitted a fragile groan.

Under the unwavering gaze of everyone around, Jiu Que finally released his grip. A sharp whooshing sound filled the air as a dark shadow hurtled upwards. At that speed, a slight misstep could easily lead to disaster.

But Cui Zhufeng wasn't as panicked as everyone expected. She kept her eyes fixed on the direction the arrow had come from, and just as it was about to reach her feet, she moved slightly, stepping onto the arrow like a wisp of smoke, propelling herself high into the air. Those watching intently below gaped in disbelief; they couldn't believe what they were witnessing. Could a human do that? But as it turned out, Cui Zhufeng could do even more than they imagined. Not only did she fly even higher on the arrow, but she also spun several times in the air, casually using binoculars to survey her surroundings before gracefully landing.

Cui Zhufeng had never been to this height before, so she was quite curious. It has to be said that the feeling of weightlessness when falling from a great height is heart-wrenching, but thankfully, just as she was about to lose control of her body, she reached the height of the flagpole, and with a gentle step, she quickly stabilized herself.

Amidst the astonished gazes of everyone, Cui Zhufeng landed lightly on the ground.

“I saw signs of movement in that mountain forest in that direction. There were quite a few people, and judging from their clothes, they were definitely grassland soldiers.”

Jiu Que glanced at the distant mountain, somewhat puzzled. According to intelligence, the two princes of the grasslands were supposed to attack from the southeast, so why had they chosen the west? Had they collectively abandoned their previously planned attack?
Based on this direction and distance, the two princes are probably planning a surprise attack from the west, but wouldn't that be too easy?

For a moment, Jiu Que couldn't figure out what they were thinking. So he squatted down and drew on the sand with a twig, eventually creating a simple topographical map.

No one knew what Jiu Que was thinking at that moment. They were also discussing their next plan in hushed tones. Only Cui Zhufeng noticed that Jiu Que had finally stuck a tree branch hard in a certain direction, then stood up and stomped on the topographical map he had just drawn.

Regardless of their intentions, their goal is to open the gates of the Great Jing Kingdom, allowing the steppe cavalry to advance unimpeded. Taking advantage of the steppe Khan's frontal attack, which diverted the general's attention, the two princes quietly arrived behind the Northern Frontier Pass. Their intentions might be to join forces with the steppe Khan to encircle the Northern Frontier Pass, or to launch a surprise attack from the rear. Or perhaps they will abandon the Northern Frontier Pass and enter the Great Jing Kingdom from another direction?

Cui Zhufeng couldn't figure it out for a moment. She wasn't the type of person who was good at using her brain. Seeing Jiu Que stand up, seemingly confident, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. If it were a fight, Cui Zhufeng had never been afraid and had never lost. But this kind of mental task was really too difficult for her. She had always trusted Jiu Que's intelligence.

Although those around them didn't know what Jiu Que was planning, they instinctively obeyed her orders. After all, their superiors had repeatedly instructed them before they left that they must listen to Jiu Que and not show any displeasure while traveling. The army quickly began its maneuvering, and led by soldiers familiar with the local terrain, Jiu Que and her group arrived at their intended location after most of the day. It was a relatively narrow intersection—narrow relative to the large army. It was a pot-shaped mountainside, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, large enough for people or carriages to pass through, but not large enough to accommodate many people at once.

Jiu Que looked around, then waved his hand. His personal guards brought out box after box of mysterious weapons, setting them up carefully. It was early winter, and the weather was bitterly cold. The biting wind felt like knives cutting into their faces, both cold and painful. In this weather, almost all the vegetation on the ground had died, but a thick layer of dry grass remained. This place was far from the grasslands, and few people came to graze their livestock here, which was why it had been preserved. There were also trees on the mountainside on both sides, so the ground was covered with a thick layer of dead branches and leaves.

After everything was set up, Jiu Que and the others retreated to their ambush point and waited quietly. Everyone had brought enough dry rations and water for five days; they certainly wouldn't eat very well while traveling. However, it was still quite good, as Jiu Que had always been dissatisfied with the army's rations. Since arriving at the Northern Frontier Pass, he had been dedicated to improving the army from top to bottom. At this moment, they held a leavened flatbread in their hands that wouldn't harden even when cold. Although it would inevitably be a bit cold and hard in this weather, it was much better than a hard, inedible steamed bun, especially since this flatbread had a layer of sugar sandwiched in the middle.

This is a kind of candy that ordinary families can only afford a few times a year. If Jiu Que hadn't taken steps to improve the military supplies for the Northern Frontier Army, most of these soldiers probably wouldn't have been able to afford such precious candy cakes all year round. Besides this, there were also some braised tofu. This stuff was said to be made from beans. Before this, they didn't believe that beans, which were only used by the poor to fill their stomachs, could be made into such a delicious thing. If the tofu hadn't been so soft and fragile, they probably would have carried it with them too.

In addition, each of them carried a small packet of salt with them. This salt was thanks to the salt-making method that Jiu Que had developed in Yancheng. Not only did they no longer have to eat vinegar cloth, but they could also add salt to their food quite generously.

With such a configuration, no army in the entire Great Jing could achieve it, except for Ying Jiuque, because she was simply too rich.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they waited for the enemy who might arrive at any moment. Although they didn't know how Lord Ying had figured out that the two princes of the grasslands would take this route, obedience was paramount for soldiers. Besides, given the food they had eaten while traveling, they couldn't possibly disobey Jiu Que. After all, one is bound by gratitude.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Jiu Que suddenly looked into the distance, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

coming.

(End of this chapter)