Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 368 Return to the DPRK
That's a truly smart person!

When you eat meat, you should at least let others have some soup, right? If one person takes all the credit for the battle, what are the others supposed to do? They've also fought on the battlefield, so they can't be too greedy when they're eating.

However, this Princess Rui seemed to have never led troops into battle before. If she inherited General Ying's talent in military affairs, Eunuch Lin could accept it. But this kind of social skill was beyond the capabilities of a teenager. Could she be receiving guidance from a higher authority? Eunuch Lin also knew that Princess Rui was not loved by her biological father and was abandoned on a suburban estate at a young age, left to fend for herself. Even with a mother like General Ying, such a child would be forgotten after his passing. General Ying had been dead for over a decade; who would care for her then?

It seems these are all innate.

Eunuch Lin had spent a considerable amount of time in the palace and had naturally met some of the most outstanding people in the entire country. Sometimes he had to admit that there were indeed intelligent people in this world, but new talents emerge in every generation, and each time, even more intelligent people appear. Prince Rui was one of the best among these people; some people are born to be superior.

In this harmonious atmosphere, Eunuch Lin didn't mind remaining silent for the time being. After all, he knew that special envoys appointed by His Majesty like himself were not very popular, but no one would say it out loud.

But as they turned a corner, Eunuch Lin, who had originally intended to be a smiling, silent sculpture, couldn't help but widen his eyes, ruining the ever-warm smile on his face.

"This this……"

How can there be so many people?!
Moreover, it was early in the morning, and the weather was so cold. Those people who looked like ordinary folks had been standing there for who knows how long, and their faces were flushed. So many people gathered together, yet they didn't make much noise. They huddled together, keeping warm with each other, creating a very harmonious scene.

Eunuch Lin wasn't a man of luxury either. In those days, anyone who could afford to raise a child wouldn't send them to the palace to become a rootless eunuch. Therefore, he had seen how ordinary people lived. In his experience, even queuing among the lower classes was chaotic; how could such discipline be maintained with so many people around?

And judging from their expressions, they were clearly willing, without the slightest bit unwilling.

When Eunuch Lin was shocked, Jiu Que couldn't help but chuckle helplessly and pinched his nose.

"Didn't we say we were going to leave quietly? How did everyone find out?"

General Yuchi hadn't expected this either, and he hadn't mentioned to anyone that Jiuque was leaving.

Lin Chongshan was also taken aback and ordered his subordinates to inquire. The subordinates returned, their faces flushed with excitement, their voices trembling.

"General, the elders and villagers said that when they saw the special envoys from the capital arrive yesterday, they guessed that Prince Rui was about to leave. They specifically looked for the smoke rising from the chimneys of our Northern Frontier Army, and when they saw the smoke rising, they helped each other out of the city. They said that they couldn't send General Ying back to the capital safely back then, and now they must send Young Master Ying back safely!"

As he spoke, the young messenger's eyes reddened. It turned out that after all these years, the people of the Northern Frontier had never forgotten the soldiers who had sacrificed their lives for them, nor had they forgotten General Ying, whose loyal soul was buried far from home. Jiu Que had actually witnessed similar scenes before; these were all spontaneous acts of gratitude from the most simple and unpretentious people. But no matter how many times she had seen it, Jiu Que always felt unworthy of such praise.

She felt she hadn't done anything particularly outstanding, and some of it was even driven by her own selfish desires. But the people didn't care about that; they thought, "You've done good for us, so naturally we should thank you."

At this moment, everyone spontaneously gave Jiu Que and his group the eggs, furs, and even the new wool sweaters they had collected.

"Lord Ying, thank you for driving away the grassland barbarians. Now we don't have to worry about being attacked by them when we go out of the city to herd livestock!"

"Yes, Lord Ying! From now on, we can honestly farm and live our lives here! And those chicken farms and wool factories you run, my wife just gave birth to a baby, and now we can afford to eat eggs, and her health won't be poor anymore!"

"Thank you so much, Dr. Xie! Thank you for examining and diagnosing this old woman. If it weren't for you, I would have died long ago, and I wouldn't be able to see such a good situation now. May you live a long and healthy life, Dr. Xie!"

……

Hearing these heartfelt words, Eunuch Lin was quite surprised, and he firmly imprinted the scene before him in his mind. Before coming, the Ninth Ancestor had specifically instructed him to remember everything he saw here and report it to His Majesty. Especially anything related to Prince Rui. He hadn't understood why before, but now it seemed he knew that Prince Rui was so popular with the people.

Such passion, such purity.

Although Jiu Que was used to such scenes, she was still deeply moved. She greeted everyone with a smile, then bid a reluctant farewell. After leaving the crowd, she glanced back at the vibrant northern border pass behind her. Jiu Que took a deep breath and turned to head towards the capital.

Because His Majesty's summons came so quickly, Jiu Que and his entourage traveled back very fast, arriving back in the capital in about ten days. From afar, before even approaching the city gates, Jiu Que could hear the lively commotion inside.

Looking back at the grassland royalty trapped in cages, Jiu Que gave a particularly long look at Sachi Khan. She noticed that although he was on the verge of death, he still had a breath left, and raised an eyebrow. She wanted to give His Majesty the best gift; he absolutely could not die before His Majesty saw Sachi with his own eyes.

From a great distance, people greeted them with smiles. They were court officials, a sea of ​​red and purple robes, all high-ranking officials. Regardless of what they were thinking, their faces maintained a harmonious facade.

After all, Ying Jiuque had returned victorious, and with such a great victory—capturing an entire grassland royal family—it was enough to be recorded in history and endure for centuries. With such achievements, they had no reason to show disrespect. Of course, this didn't mean they wholeheartedly approved of His Majesty's insane act of bestowing a princely title upon a woman!
To them, this is utterly rebellious! It would be far better to release the fourth prince, who has committed a grave crime, and let him have more children so that a few qualified grandsons can be chosen to inherit the throne as soon as possible. That would be far better than His Majesty, so old and senile, actually wanting to bestow the title of a non-royal prince upon a woman. This is simply the height of absurdity! Even the last few dynasties never saw such a shocking thing!
Friends, this time it's really the finale!