Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 365 Prince Rui!

The soldiers who came to choose good horses were incredibly excited, as if it were New Year's Day. Indeed, the New Year was approaching. But in the past, the soldiers of the Northern Frontier Pass never had such a good New Year. Not only did they not have to worry about those idle grassland people who would launch sneak attacks, but they could also eat their fill, dress warmly, and even choose a magnificent horse.

For them, it was practically like celebrating the New Year.

The fine horses that Jiu Que brought back were distributed entirely according to their battle merits, and in the recent battles with the grasslands, the vast majority of soldiers had seized these merits. They all had one or more grassland soldiers on their hands, especially those soldiers who were fortunate enough to capture grassland royalty—they were incredibly excited. This merit was enough for them to be at the front of the line to choose their warhorses.

Jiu Que and Lin Chongshan both participated in the horse selection. A significant number of the women in the women's army were able to choose their own good horse. This was a big deal; everyone gathered together, picking and choosing from the herd of horses below. Some even played mind games, unwilling to reveal their preferred horse to avoid someone else taking it.

Even General Yuchi came out of his tent. Now that all the Northern Frontier Army had been vaccinated with cowpox, they were no longer afraid of smallpox infection. General Yuchi was finally able to come out of his tent and move around.

In the rare warm sunshine of winter, General Yuchi stretched comfortably.

"It feels like I didn't even get a chance to participate in this battle, and everyone just won? But that's fine, it's time for me to retire. But Jiuque, shouldn't you leave your uncle a top-quality horse? I don't need anything else, like that wild horse leader you brought back, I think it's quite good..."

Jiu Que couldn't help but laugh. Of all the horses she brought back, the best was undoubtedly the wild horse leader. In the past few days, countless people had hinted, both openly and secretly, that they wanted her, but unfortunately, Jiu Que's word didn't matter. Good horses are said to possess a certain spirit, and that wild horse leader, capable of commanding such a large herd and even leading Jiu Que to find even more fine horses, was a great contributor. She couldn't simply give her away to someone else against their wishes.

"Uncle Yuchi, please don't make things difficult for me. It's entirely up to Siriguleng to choose whomever she wants. I don't have the right to decide either, after all, she's helped us so much, hasn't she?"

"Siriguleng? It is indeed a wise and fine horse. No wonder it has that name. It can keep its herd plump and healthy on the grassland in winter. It is a smart horse."

General Yuchi was just saying that casually; having lived on the frontier for so many years, his understanding of horses was far deeper than that of Jiuque. He was merely trying to join in the fun. His concerns lay elsewhere.

He hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Jiuque, I sense that His Majesty's decree summoning you back to the capital is imminent. What are your thoughts?"

"idea?"

Jiu Que was somewhat surprised. What could she possibly be thinking? Since His Majesty had asked her to go back, she would go back, even though she was a little reluctant to leave the Northern Frontier Army.

"No, that's not what I meant. I wanted to say..."

General Yuchi hesitated for a long time, his words caught in his throat, unsure how to express himself accurately. In the end, he could only sigh and give up. Some things could be kept to oneself, and everyone could live in peace. But once spoken, they would always cause some unpredictable consequences.

General Yuchi didn't want his old friend's child to get caught up in the power struggles, so in the end he couldn't bring himself to say it, but Lin Chongshan didn't have that concern.

She spoke directly. "What he means is that the position of Crown Prince is currently vacant, and His Majesty's only remaining fourth prince is imprisoned, his fate unknown. Your return will surely bring you promotions and titles, and you will inevitably be drawn into the power struggles. If you don't want to get involved in the trouble, you can stay. I think His Majesty won't refuse."

These are heartfelt words; if they weren't elders of Jiu Que, they wouldn't risk saying such things.

Jiuque, of course, appreciated the gesture.

She thought for a long time before speaking softly.

“His Majesty is a good man. He is now isolated and helpless in the capital, and the Fourth Prince has also become estranged from him. If I go back now, I can be of help. I have been supported by His Majesty all the way. The Northern Frontier Army has abundant food and supplies, and when I left, I also had the Imperial Sword bestowed by His Majesty. Although I have never felt sorry for myself, many people know that as a woman, I have been able to get to where I am today largely because of His Majesty’s support.”

"Now is the time when His Majesty needs help, and I cannot back down at this time. Moreover..."

"And what?"

Seeing that Jiu Que hadn't finished speaking, General Yu Chi couldn't help but press for an answer, but only received a mysterious smile from his little niece.

"Moreover, it might not all be bad for me when I go back. Putting aside everything else, we won a great victory in this battle, and I will be promoted. People say that returning home in glory is like wearing fine clothes at night. There are too many people in the capital who want to see me make a fool of myself. If I can't show off my power in front of them, it would be a waste of all the hard work I've done along the way."

It was uncharacteristic of Jiu Que to be so mischievous. General Yuchi and Lin Chongshan exchanged a glance and couldn't help but smile. This child always managed to make them laugh; Jiu Que was hardly someone who cared about such material things.
This is why they didn't say it aloud; if Jiu Que heard it, she would definitely object. No way! She's just a very ordinary person. Everyone wants worldly riches, high positions, and generous salaries; why can't she? She's not like her mother, a truly humble person.

In this world, a purely good person doesn't live long, and luckily she wasn't that good.

And so the matter was settled. His Majesty's order arrived quickly, and just as everyone had divided up the horses, the imperial edict from the capital arrived.

A slightly familiar-looking young eunuch presented the imperial edict to Jiu Que with a beaming smile.

"Your Excellency has worked hard. His Majesty has specially decreed that Your Excellency need not kneel when receiving the decree."

Although the Northern Frontier Army soldiers on the scene outwardly remained calm and composed, their eyes were practically twitching with anxiety. What did this mean? What did this signify? Had Jiu Que already been executed before even returning to the capital?

This isn't quite right, is it?
Keep in mind that Jiu Que is still in the Northern Frontier military camp. If His Majesty really intends to do something to her, has he even consulted the opinions of these Northern Frontier soldiers? Emperor Jingtai wouldn't be so foolish as to do such a thing, would he? Hiss—

Fortunately, the imperial edict that the young eunuch read out next finally calmed their anxious hearts.

Emperor Jingtai actually granted Jiuque the title of a king of a different surname!
Prince Rui!