Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 339 Charge! Charge! Charge!

"Come on -"

Amidst the deafening roar of the charge, Murden was doing what he used to despise most—escaping for his life.

At this moment, Murden wasn't actually that upset; in fact, he felt a little like laughing. Yes, he felt a little like laughing. To think that he, a prominent figure on the grasslands, would ever be chased all over the plains like this.

But when he realized that the group chasing him was led by Ying Jiuque, who had utterly defeated him the day before, the expression on his face was enough to give a child a nightmare.

Ying Jiuque was clearly behind them, someone they couldn't even catch up to before. Why was he here now? How did he know their route?

This seems quite wrong. Could it be that there's a traitor within their steppe army?

Namtso was breathing heavily. He had finally realized that they had been trapped from the very beginning. Although he didn't know how Ying Jiuque had arrived so early—their horses shouldn't have been able to get here so quickly—one thing was certain: there had indeed been a traitor within the grassland army.

"Stop talking and let's go!"

It's easier said than done. Can they really get away? The group of Jing soldiers behind them clearly see them as a shining example of military merit. They've already let them escape once before, how could they possibly do it a second time?

Jiu Que led the charge, spear in hand, her warhorse a rare Akhal-Teke steed bestowed upon her by the Jingtai Emperor. Normally, seeing an enemy general charging so far ahead, the steppe army would surely surround and attack her. But after witnessing just how formidable this woman was, not a single steppe soldier dared to attack her; they all wished they had two more legs and fled for their lives.

In truth, Jiu Que knew that killing was inevitable once she arrived on the battlefield. At this moment, wielding her spear, each swing swept one or more steppe soldiers off their horses, only to be trampled to death. Yet, Jiu Que felt little unease, for seeing these steppe soldiers reminded her of the border people who suffered greatly from their invasions and harassment.

How lovely the common people are! They just want to live honestly, to live in peaceful times, to have enough to eat and wear and not starve. Even such a simple wish is denied them. I remember my mother once said that the most genuine and lovable people in the world are the common people; if you do even the smallest thing for them, they will remember it forever.

General Ying is right; the eyes of the people are discerning.

“Sachi! With your eternal legacy behind you, how can you just keep moving forward without looking back? I heard you are the Wolf King of the Grasslands, and there is no tribe in the entire grassland that does not submit to your majesty. But perhaps I was young and ignorant, but why have I only seen your fleeing back since I came to the frontier? Has the Wolf King of the Grasslands grown old after more than ten years? Is he afraid to face your opponents, or does he look down on me, a woman? But more than ten years ago, when General Ying was around, you did a lot of work to deal with him.”

Ying Jiuque's hearty voice rang out, accompanied by bursts of laughter and cheers. Strangely, Sachi Khan, positioned at the forefront of the fleeing ranks, clearly heard every word she uttered. Already severely wounded, the Khan's face darkened further, and he couldn't help but cough up blood. How dare this woman from the Central Plains insult him like this! And dare she mention Ying Chongming! That woman's sudden appearance had ruined countless of his plans. If it weren't for his alliance with those Central Plains officials, Ying Chongming would have been dominating the frontier for who knows how long! A woman should just stay home, be a good wife and mother, and raise children—why did she have to stand in the male-dominated arena, vying for power and profit? She was truly restless. Yes, although Sachi Khan was a steppe man, he exuded a strong sense of decay within him. Even after more than a decade, the thought of that woman still filled him with utter shame.

Of course, this is not to say that Ying Chongming was useless. When so many people in the Central Plains were helpless in the face of the situation at that time, it was already quite remarkable that a woman could do that much. But she stood in front of her, blocking her way forward, and that was unacceptable! She had to die! She had also spent a lot of effort to eliminate Ying Chongming, but before she could lead her army south, Emperor Jingtai ascended the throne.

Over the past decade or so, he had failed to achieve his plan to conquer the Central Plains. Now, he was about to die, having spent years scheming and plotting before his death, only to have it all fall into the hands of Ying Chongming's daughter! Now, Sachi finally understood everything. Without the large amount of supplies this woman brought, if she hadn't come, the Northern Frontier Army would have been helpless against smallpox. But since this woman's secret arrival, smallpox had vanished from the Northern Frontier Army!

Years ago, he colluded with the people of the Central Plains to kill Ying Chongming. Years later, Ying Chongming's daughter suddenly appeared, shattering his long-cherished wish.

Is this what they mean by divine justice and inevitable retribution?

No! He absolutely refused to believe in fate!
Seeing the pursuers closing in, and realizing they couldn't escape at their current pace, a ruthless glint flashed in Sachi Khan's eyes. He forced himself to sit up straight and ordered the troops to stop.

“Father, there’s a saying among the people of the Central Plains: ‘Where there’s life, there’s hope.’ If we stop now, we’ll inevitably face the Jing soldiers behind us. And if we turn back now, we might not be able to win without being prepared. Why don’t we continue on our way? Once we’re back in the heart of the grasslands, we can rest and recuperate. We can come back again in less than a year. It’s not worth fighting them now.”

The fourth prince was sweating profusely and whispered his advice to his increasingly eccentric father, but Sachi had no intention of listening to him.

The group behind them clearly intended to capture them all. If they continued forward, with their strength waning, they would be wiped out. Turning back now offered a sliver of hope.

Even if the vast majority of them didn't survive, they had to preserve their main force. If they were hunted down now, the grassland tribes would likely face annihilation. Their war with the Central Plains had lasted for decades. The flames of hatred between them burned fiercely. Would they treat their people well after defeating the Central Plains?

impossible!

"Stop talking nonsense! We are the bravest soldiers on the grassland. Are we going to be chased and run away like rats? How are we going to face our families when we get back? Are we going to tell them, oh, we were chased and routed by those weak and cowardly Da Jing people? I can't bear that shame, and the entire grassland can't bear that shame! If you don't listen, put me down. Even if I die on the battlefield, I won't allow myself to die on the run!"

(End of this chapter)