CMWKSD -Chapter 234 Little Topknot

Emperor Fengyuan looked it over and was thoroughly satisfied.

The military generals, after seeing it, laughed so hard they were practically cackling.

Only the group of civil officials and the noble families felt utterly stifled.

Which kid was theirs, exactly?

What kind of suffering was this, anyway?

Still, seeing the expressions on those civil officials and nobles, Jiu Yue very kindly spoke up.

If anyone wanted to go back, they could leave right now.

Originally, Jiu Yue had only planned for three months of special training.

The half-year plan was mainly for the people sent over by Dark Moon Pavilion.

Everyone else was just along for the ride.

After all, Emperor Fengyuan was footing the bill. At most, she was just contributing some effort. In the end, wasn’t she the one benefiting anyway?

Dark Moon Pavilion belonged to her.

The people of Dark Moon Pavilion were all hers.

So once Jiu Yue said this—

Those who couldn’t find their own children simply started calling out names in the open ground.

But to everyone’s surprise—

Not a single person volunteered to withdraw.

Even Wen Yu, who had been given a harsh warning by Jiu Yue the moment he arrived here.

Every day, he racked his brain trying to escape.

He’d been dragged back countless times.

He’d entered the punishment chamber more than anyone else.

He’d been punished by Jiu Yue to the point where he’d wanted to die together with her.

He felt that he and Jiu Yue could never coexist under the same sky.

And then later, he started thinking—

What virtue or merit did Ji Yiqing have, anyway?

Why did he get to become Jiu Yue’s husband?

Why?!

If he had a wife like Jiu Yue—

Forget about being henpecked or not.

He’d worship her like an ancestor.

Jiu Yue’s strength had been acknowledged by every single trainee.

And besides—

As long as you’re human,

Who doesn’t have a bit of ambition in their heart?

Who doesn’t want to wield a pen in court when civil, and shoulder a spear on the battlefield when martial?

If the path of imperial examinations had been open to them,

They wouldn’t have wasted away until eighteen, nineteen, or twenty, only to end up as idle dandies who did nothing but tease cats and chase dogs.

Now, they’d finally figured it out.

People from the Ministry of War were in the camp every day, recording everything.

That young general Shen Zongsheng had probably already set his sights on several of them.

So when there’s a chance to establish merit and build a career—People still have a sense of shame.

And a desire to strive upward.

Now that Jiu Yue had handed them a ladder straight to the heavens, They were already standing on it.

Whoever climbed down was a coward!

Even Emperor Fengyuan found this unexpected.

Jiu Yue thought to herself—this was probably the loyalty to ruler and love of country ingrained in the bones of the Huaxia people.

Once you’ve experienced the atmosphere of the military, Very few can remain indifferent.

…

Not many days later, the Northern Barbarian delegation was the first to enter the capital.

The special training camp was still training.

Jiu Yue’s Princess Manor had already been fully renovated, and the imperial decree had been issued.

As one of Great Qi’s only two princesses—

Mm, Emperor Fengyuan actually did have another princess.

It was just that her presence was weak, since she’d been frail since childhood.

Now that she’d finally been detoxified and was pregnant, Both the imperial consort and the princess were very well protected.

So Jiu Yue, as a princess, Together with the Crown Prince and officials from the Ministry of Rites, Went to welcome the Northern Barbarian delegation.

From afar, the convoy of the Northern Barbarian envoys could already be seen.

Jiu Yue focused her gaze.

Only when they drew close—

Everyone unconsciously glanced at Jiu Yue.

For no other reason—

The Northern Barbarian delegation was led by three princes and one princess.

Which immediately made the Crown Prince and Jiu Yue seem rather outnumbered.

And Jiu Yue wasn’t even Emperor Fengyuan’s biological daughter.

Compared to their flourishing branches and abundant leaves, Emperor Fengyuan’s offspring really were pitifully few.

Jiu Yue narrowed her eyes slightly, then let out a snort of laughter.

The Crown Prince cleared his throat and lowered his voice. “Jiu Yue.”

Jiu Yue, wearing the heavy court robes, laughed so hard she swayed back and forth.

The Crown Prince said helplessly, “What are you laughing at? Hold it in.”

Jiu Yue gritted her teeth. “Your Highness, tell me—if that princess tied her little topknot so high, just how short must she be?”

At once, everyone unconsciously looked toward the Northern Barbarian princess’s head.

If Jiu Yue hadn’t said anything, no one might have noticed.

But once she did—

Everyone started staring at the little topknot perched on the princess’s head.

Perhaps the collective gaze was too sharp.

The Northern Barbarian princess snorted coldly, her eyes snapping straight to Jiu Yue.

Then, without caring about etiquette at all, She urged her horse forward, riding directly to the front of the Northern Barbarian First Prince.

The First Prince, Zhuo Mu, frowned. “Zhuo Ya!”

But Zhuo Ya ignored him completely.

She directly drew her bow from the saddle.

Then she looked toward Jiu Yue from afar and called out loudly, “I’ve heard that Great Qi’s Princess Xuyu possesses peerless martial prowess. I wonder if Zhuo Ya might have the honor of experiencing it for myself?”

This was still right at the city gates.

There were many commoners watching the excitement.

As well as the guard units.

The entire area around the gate was packed so tightly it was impossible to move.

The Crown Prince glanced at the Northern Barbarian First Prince—Only to see that aside from calling Zhuo Ya’s name at the very start, He showed no further reaction.

This was on Great Qi’s territory—And they wanted to give Great Qi a show of force?

Before the Crown Prince could think further, Zhuo Ya suddenly pulled her bowstring taut.

Then, under everyone’s gaze,

She raised the bow, nocked the arrow—And aimed straight at the Crown Prince.

The generals and guards behind them instantly tensed, ready to move.

But the Crown Prince merely smiled faintly.

As long as Zhuo Ya dared—If they managed to leave here intact today, Then Great Qi would be nothing but cowards!

They’d been worrying about not having an excuse to go to war.

And here one was, delivered right to their doorstep.

This wasn’t Zhuo Ya—This was a meritorious official!

Then Zhuo Ya saw that no one reacted at all.

Slowly, she shifted the arrow’s aim toward Jiu Yue.

“Then let Princess Xuyu catch one of my arrows with her bare hands.”

The two princes watched Jiu Yue with half-smiles.

In their eyes—No matter how extravagantly the intelligence reports had praised her, Under the Northern Barbarians’ belief system—where men were supreme, and women were two-legged livestock, mere breeding tools—

No matter how formidable Jiu Yue supposedly was, How formidable could she really be?

It was all just hearsay. Exaggerated boasting.

This show of force—They were determined to deliver it.

Besides, maybe they wouldn’t dare touch the Crown Prince.

But Jiu Yue was just a common-born princess, not even biological.

Even if something happened to Jiu Yue—Would Emperor Fengyuan really do anything to them for the sake of a common-born princess?

They didn’t believe it.

As soon as the words fell, The bow in Zhuo Ya’s hand let out a sharp whoosh.

The Northern Barbarian delegation waited to see Great Qi panic in chaos—

Only to find that not a single person showed even a hint of fear.

Some even looked at them with faint sympathy.

Sympathy?

Who were they sympathizing with?

At the instant the arrow was released—

Jiu Yue’s eyes narrowed.

She raised her hand and snatched the long spear from a nearby guard.

Then, like throwing a javelin, she hurled it straight out.

After that, she flipped her body and tore down the banner emblazoned with the character “Qi.”

And flung it together with the spear.

Target—

Zhuo Ya’s little topknot!!!

She just couldn’t stand that little topknot!!!