Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 329 What do you call them?

The voice was clear and bright, with a hint of laughter—it was actually a woman!

No, it's not surprising to see women in the Northern Frontier Army. After all, this formidable army still has the all-female army that Ying Chongming created more than a decade ago. But he couldn't think of anyone else who was this young and still so highly regarded in the army.

But in the instant their swords clashed, in a flash, Namtso suddenly remembered. There was indeed a young woman of considerable status in the Northern Frontier Army. Wasn't she the only daughter of General Ying Chongming, the imperial envoy sent by the old emperor?

Wasn't she the one who managed to make those families of the Northern Frontier Army so successful? No wonder those soldiers were all so close to her, afraid something might happen to her. This woman, regardless of her identity, is someone we can't afford to lose. This also means that as long as we can capture her, we can definitely leave smoothly, and maybe even launch a counterattack.

However, such thoughts vanished instantly upon first feeling the force transmitted from the weapon.

That woman is incredibly strong! She knocked the weapon out of his hand!

In that instant, he suddenly remembered that General Ying Chongming also seemed to have a reputation for being naturally mysterious, and that her daughter had inherited this ability? It was truly a case of misfortunes never coming singly.

Namtso brandished his longsword fiercely. Even though he was no match for his opponent in strength, he possessed years of martial arts experience and battlefield tactics. But what could this woman do? How could a pampered young lady like her possibly have any martial arts skills?

Not only did he think so, but the soldiers and generals around him also thought so. Therefore, they rushed forward with all their might, trying to separate the two of them. However, the battle between the two of them was too intense. Even though Jiu Que did not seem to know any profound martial arts, the spirit she displayed in every move was no less than anyone else's.

For a time, the crowd was unable to get through.

Everyone around was stamping their feet in anxiety, but Jiu Que wasn't as panicked as expected. While she hadn't become an expert in martial arts over the years, she wasn't completely helpless either. Especially with a martial arts master like Senior Cui guiding her recently, while she might not be able to defeat Namtso in the shortest time, she could certainly hold him off.

"I had no idea that a young lady from the capital would possess such skill. This Miss Ying, why did you choose to leave your comfortable life behind and come to this windswept northern frontier? I suppose you weren't very favored at home? It's a pity that General Ying Chongming, once so wise and brilliant, ended up marrying such a despicable man. Even we on the grasslands have heard of it. I imagine Miss Ying hasn't had an easy time these past years. Our grasslands have always been inclusive. If Miss Ying is unhappy in the Great Jing, why not come to our grasslands? Our entire nation will certainly treat Miss Ying as our most honored guest."

Namtso was not well-known before, but his actual skills were extremely impressive. He was able to speak such a long passage during his fight with Jiuque, which was quite remarkable.

But then again, is this an attempt to sow discord?
Seeing that Jiuque remained silent, Namtso wore a gentle smile, but her words were piercing to the heart.

“I know Miss Ying looks down on our grasslands, but there’s something even Miss Ying has to admit, right? Your Great Jing has always been sexist, with women only allowed to stay in the inner quarters to be wives and mothers. Even General Ying Chongming had to overcome many difficulties to come to the Northern Frontier, starting as a common soldier and only gradually gaining recognition after establishing his reputation. Even so, your emperor at that time was still very wary of her.”

"But on our grasslands, regardless of gender, anyone with ability has a corresponding status. After all, on our grasslands, strength has always been respected. Moreover, the cause of General Ying's death may not have been without the machinations of you Central Plains people. Our struggle with General Ying has always been fair and square, because we also admire her character. As her only descendant, doesn't Miss Ying want to restore her glory? Back then, the Women's Army was so powerful, but now it's just one branch of the Northern Frontier Army. Whenever I think of this, I feel sorrow for General Ying and those brave Women's Army soldiers."

"...You talk a lot, you're not like a grassland person at all."

Jiu Que seized the opportunity and slashed fiercely at the longsword in his hand. Jiu Que's longsword was a masterpiece among masterpieces. The Ministry of Works, together with skilled craftsmen summoned by Emperor Jingtai, spent nearly half a year forging it, producing only two swords. One of these was bestowed upon Jiu Que by Emperor Jingtai; it was not only incredibly sharp but also exceptionally hard and heavy among swords. It was more like a longsword than a longsword. Such weapons often proved most effective on the battlefield.

Namtso, caught off guard, chipped his longsword, causing him immediate, sharp pain. This sword, forged over several years, was a masterpiece. He hadn't expected it to be so smudged after so many years on the battlefield, only to be so badly damaged after a few exchanges of blows with Ying Jiuque. The pain almost made him abandon his polite facade and unleash a torrent of provocation. However, remembering his purpose, he forced himself to swallow his anger and continued his instigating rhetoric.

“Miss Ying, I know that given our current position, it’s understandable that you don’t believe me, but I can guarantee that every word I say is true!”

"You're so noisy. You said so much, but I only heard three words."

Namtso disregarded the other party's rude attitude and hurriedly and cautiously inquired during the lull in their mutual attacks.

"What are those three characters?"

"Miss Ying."

"Hmm? Is there anything wrong with addressing me like that?"

Namtso genuinely didn't know what was wrong with what she said and asked sincerely, while Jiuque smiled and responded.

"How do you address my mother? How do you address Uncle Yuchi? How do you address Aunt Lin?"

"I……"

Namtso quickly realized from the series of titles that he had made a mistake and hurriedly explained.

"I heard that this is a respectful term for unmarried women in Dajing. Am I wrong to address her like this? I'm sorry, I'm not very familiar with Dajing etiquette. If I have offended you in any way, I am willing to apologize."

Willing? Yes, this is such a condescending thing for the little prince of the grasslands. I'm afraid the other party still doesn't know where he offended him.

Jiu Que found it rather boring. No matter how clever the other party was, it was truly disappointing that they couldn't even understand this basic meaning. So he repeated the question again.

"So? What do you call them?"

"...General?"

(End of this chapter)