CMWKSD -Chapter 217 The Whole Nation’s Granddaughter

Jiu Yue was in a terrible mood.

Who could be cheerful waking up early in the morning to face a mountain of work? Not her.

When General Shen saw Jiu Yue, his eyes suddenly lit up. Even his dark circles seemed to shimmer, turning into what looked like under-eye “crescents.”

Jiu Yue wanted to curse—loudly.

General Shen waved his large hand and led forward two deputy generals who could easily be Jiu Yue’s grandfathers. The three of them lined up neatly in front of her, then… they smiled obsequiously.

Jiu Yue: …

Sometimes, she really felt like calling the authorities.

“Princess…”

Jiu Yue hummed in response.

“Xiao Wu is planning the battle strategy with them. We’ve brought ten thousand troops here, and everything is at your command.”

There was no arguing—Jiu Yue’s methods might be a bit cruel, but her unorthodox strategies always managed to win against the odds.

General Shen was completely convinced of her abilities. Don’t let her age fool you—she was more than capable.

Jiu Yue opened her mouth to scold him.

“No, General Shen, you think far too highly of me. Look at me—do I look like someone who knows how to fight wars?”

General Shen and the two deputy generals laughed heartily.

When they came here, they had already learned about Jiu Yue’s battle at Black Tiger Village—a total victory. How many of the enemy were killed or captured? And of their men, even the casualties didn’t reach one-thirtieth. On top of that, they were protecting a clumsy civilian official. In a battlefield scenario, this was a feat that could be boasted about for a lifetime.

“Princess, you mustn’t be modest—we all know about it.”

One deputy general looked at Jiu Yue with eyes so affectionate it was as if he wished she were his granddaughter. With his own brood, none had amounted to much. How could a girl like this not be his granddaughter?

General Shen immediately caught the calculating look in the man’s eyes. He chuckled softly and whispered to him, “Do you know why Jiu Yue is the Princess?”

The deputy shivered involuntarily. Indeed, the first commoner princess in over two hundred years since the founding of Great Qi… People thought she was excellent, but they forgot she had long been on Emperor Fengyuan’s radar. Previous achievements alone wouldn’t have earned her the title of princess. If this matter succeeded… her elevation could still be uncertain.

Tsk, tsk—this almost became a disaster.

Just as he was about to ask if Jiu Yue had any siblings, he realized she was an only child. His gaze softened even further.

Jiu Yue: … Why does this old man have to stare at her with those sharp, glittering eyes? She really couldn’t fight! She had said it hundreds of times!!!

“I really can’t fight wars. I just have a few small strategies. At most, I can serve as the vanguard—the rest is up to you to arrange.”

General Shen laughed. Whatever the case, as long as Jiu Yue acted, it was enough for them. He nodded repeatedly after hearing her words.

Jiu Yue’s gaze sharpened, feeling as though she was being subtly manipulated. Well, it’s done. Once this matter is over, she’d better demand a hefty reward from Emperor Fengyuan—her reputation deserved it!

“Assign a few dozen strong men to help me with the work.”

General Shen sighed and turned to do as instructed.

Jiu Yue added, “Make sure they’re trustworthy.”

General Shen’s expression turned serious. He was aware of the replacements among the military officers. Although Jiu Yue didn’t state it outright, it was clear she didn’t trust the troops from the Jing suburban garrison.

General Shen and the two deputies exchanged a glance.

“We each brought thirty personal guards—ninety in total. Will that suffice?”

Personal guards, trained from a young age, were naturally more trustworthy than men picked up along the way.

Jiu Yue nodded.

“Clear an open space, and make sure no one sees.”

General Shen nodded.

Then Jiu Yue went to check the medicinal herbs she had purchased from Ji Yiqing.

She couldn’t deny it—with Shao Qing and Ji Yiqing around, things ran much more smoothly. Upon her arrival, the Ji family was sorting through the herbs. Ji Youqin and her sisters were carefully separating and preparing the herbs according to her methods. Jiu Yue’s approach to medicine was different from others’. Fortunately, they were familiar with her habits, preparing everything to her standard to avoid her anger.

The Ji brothers followed their sisters like small attendants, diligently helping out. Ji Chaomian and Ji Yiqing occasionally quizzed them on their progress. Every minute counted. The three families’ personal guards present for assistance barely dared to breathe. No wonder the Ji brothers had respect in front of the emperor—their household was well-trained, clever, and diligent in study.

The open space was now enclosed, smoke rising from the herbs. Jiu Yue didn’t care if others knew she was boiling medicines. Even if they knew, who would know what she was preparing? After all, her main profession was that of a physician. Killing was incidental.

Shao Qing saw Jiu Yue and immediately approached. “Mistress.”

Jiu Yue nodded.

Shao Qing glanced at the bustling activity and pointed to several large barrels in the corner.

“There’s too much herb. If we cooked everything and stored it in clay jars, we’d need too many. So I bought several dozen specially made large barrels. The lids seal tightly, so even if shaken, minimal spillage occurs. We marked them with two colors for identification. These barrels can be carried on the back—transporting them is easier.”

Every time Jiu Yue saw Shao Qing, she felt as if he could read her mind.

“You knew what I was going to do?”

Shao Qing scratched his head sheepishly. “We guessed based on your methods, Mistress, and prepared accordingly. If we guessed wrong, it wouldn’t matter—people can make mistakes, right?”

Jiu Yue paused. People can make mistakes… but she could not. The price of mistakes in Dark Moon was far too high. Still, hearing Shao Qing speak this way didn’t dampen her mood.

“You did well. My approach matches your guess exactly.”

Ying Yi explained the terrain near the hidden private troops in detail to Ji Yiqing, Ji Chaomian, and the others. Learning that Jiu Yue had purchased a large amount of herbs, it was obvious she was planning something with the water supply.

Sure enough, Jiu Yue used several hundred jin of herbs to brew a potion that, even diluted, could put a person into a deep sleep for over twelve hours. She planned to pour it upstream from the private troop location.

Of course, to avoid harming civilians, she also prepared an antidote near the village at the mountain’s edge. The potion naturally took at least three days to volatilize.

Jiu Yue didn’t expect to incapacitate everyone, but if she could knock out even a third of the enemy, the pressure would be much less.

Originally, her plan was to knock down as many as possible and kill only those who remained awake. However, General Shen and his men had a different view. Even if rebellious, the lower-level conscripts followed orders—they had no choice. So they would capture but not kill the rank-and-file. Only the generals would be executed publicly in the capital.

Conscripts, on the other hand, were often either forcibly recruited, forced by circumstances to enlist, or motivated by patriotic fervor. Modern soldiers were nothing like this. Today, most people would volunteer if there were no barriers. With billions of people, half the population would probably want to serve.