The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Chapter 271 Let's get things going

As everyone left one by one, in the quiet room, Zheng Xun suddenly vomited a mouthful of blood.

She wasn't lying; she really did nearly kill herself in order to see the little golden dragon.

From a young age, she was the type to do anything to achieve her goals. It was only with her older brother by her side, correcting her day after day and year after year, that her extreme nature was somewhat curbed.

But this time, she felt it was worth it.

Superpowered individuals are very resilient and not so easy to kill. She won't die, nor will she interfere with state affairs, and that's enough.

……

Liaozhou at this time.

Zheng Jiu's ashes have been prepared and are being carried by Zheng Shi.

Zheng Jiao did not let her injury delay her training.

After this accident, the training intensity of the entire He family army increased significantly.

After all, it was embarrassing for the enemy prince to break into their heavily fortified military camp as if it were his own territory, and then wave goodbye and leave safely.

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, everyone had already assumed that a war was inevitable between Dayong and Heguo.

Zheng Jin did not intend to stay at the border for long.

She once boasted to Zheng Xun that she was smart and could be of help.

However, the reality was far more brutal than she had imagined.

She had no power to protect herself, knew nothing about military affairs, and was also being watched by the covetous Prince Yong.

She feared becoming a weakness, and even more so, she feared that someone would die because of her.

At this point, she realized that what she should do was not cause trouble, and perhaps she could provide some support from the rear.

She can leave, but Nie Zhao cannot.

On the day Zheng Jin and Zheng Shi left, he saw them off for a long distance.

Zheng Jin urged him to go back several times, but he just silently refused.

Finally, Zheng Jin couldn't resist jumping off the carriage and standing in front of his horse.

"Nie Zhao, let's go back."

Nie Zhao remained silent for a moment, then dismounted.

"Ah Jin, I don't know when we'll meet again after this parting."

Zheng Jin gave him a deep look.

He had only been in Liaozhou for a short time, but he had already become thinner and darker-skinned, just like Zheng Jiao.

His once radiant skin, nurtured in the capital, had become rough and calloused. He was covered in the dust and sand of Liaozhou, becoming as composed and silent as the environment.

Zheng Jin knew that people would gradually mature with time and experience, but at this moment of realizing the change, she couldn't help but feel a little lost.

I will write to you often.

Nie Zhao grinned: "I can do that too."

Zheng Jin saw his former self in his smile.

At that moment, she felt relieved again.

Nie Zhao is still the same Nie Zhao, even though there have been some changes.

"Take care. I know you're eager to prove yourself, but please remember, I'll be waiting for you to come back in the capital."

Nie Zhao nodded solemnly: "Don't worry, the fighting hasn't started yet. I will train hard and accumulate enough skills to survive on the battlefield."

He didn't give her a definite answer; he knew very well that he couldn't guarantee it.

Swords have no eyes, and the battlefield is unpredictable; he can't guarantee anything.

Zheng Jin rarely showed her stubborn and willful side: "I don't care, I have to see you come back safely."

Yuan Jia often brought her and him together, but neither Zheng Jin nor Nie Zhao ever faced the issue squarely.

Making any agreements at this time would seem rather ominous.

In short, they both knew that even if they were separated by death, no matter which one of them was alive, they would live well, but they would also always miss each other.

With the threat of national annihilation looming, personal feelings between lovers seem less important.

"Then... goodbye?"

"Goodbye."

Nie Zhao didn't see them off any further; he simply led his horse and watched their carriage disappear into the distance.

Zheng Shi had already decided to bury Zheng Jiu at the foot of Liumu Mountain in Fuzhou. Therefore, their group would detour through Fuzhou before returning to the capital.

The carriage slowly moved forward, while in the Liaozhou military camp, Zheng Jiao wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked triumphantly at He Wuyu, who was fighting her: "How was it?"

"You're walking very fast." He Wuyu smiled and handed over a handkerchief.

Zheng Jiao took it, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and seeing that she wasn't blushing or out of breath, she pouted slightly: "You're just trying to coax me!"

He Wuyu coughed lightly and changed the subject: "That Liu Fang that your sister brought is really capable. I don't know where Princess Yuanjia found such a talent. If we had recruited him into the He family army earlier, our combat strength would have doubled."

Nie Zhao was the same; a pampered young master from the capital. She originally thought he was just here to have some fun, but she didn't expect him to be so intelligent.

Her grandfather was overjoyed at the prospect and wished he could keep her by his side every day to teach her.

Nie Zhao learned quickly and was adept at military strategy, possessing keen insight into the enemy's tactical changes. He was simply a born general.

"Curious? Yuan Jia is quite capable. You'll find out when you have the chance," Zheng Jiao whispered mysteriously in her ear. "Besides Liu Fang and Nie Zhao, Yuan Jia has another trump card in the capital."

He Wuyu was silent for a moment: "I thought those people's brains had been corrupted by wealth and status, but I didn't expect them to still have some sense of vigilance."

She and her grandfather both knew that the Brown Kingdom harbored wolfish ambitions and would never be content with peace.

They submitted memorials repeatedly, but the emperor believed that stabilizing domestic affairs and people's livelihoods was the priority.

She felt worried whenever she thought of the ignorant courtiers in the capital.

Things started to change last summer.

With troop reductions and expansions implemented simultaneously, military spending suddenly increased, and the court was frequently purged. All of this pointed to one person—Princess Yuanjia.

Although no one said it outright, everyone in the army could tell that the imperial court was preparing for war.

She was actually very grateful to Princess Yuanjia, who rescued her from a predicament where she was anxious and unable to change the situation, and even sent her sister to her side.

Hmm... how can this not be considered a great kindness?

……

Zheng Jiao had just bid farewell to Zheng Xun and was preparing to head to Liaozhou with the trump card he had mentioned.

His master told him that even the best soldiers have to see blood; only by being there in person can one understand how to relieve the pressure that arises when two armies are facing off.

He wanted to build his own cavalry, to be the sharpest blade in the princess's hand.

Therefore, he had to go to the most dangerous place and risk his life for an honor.

……

Upon receiving the letter in Jiangzhou, Tao Heng immediately notified the other Qinglong Guards.

"Zheng Jiu is dead. He died at the hands of the Brown People."

The princess often lamented the fall of the kingdom, but they never truly grasped its meaning until this moment, when a sense of urgency suddenly gripped their throats.

In fact, they weren't very familiar with Zheng Jiu. He and Zheng Shi were like silent shadows behind the princess most of the time.

But they are colleagues, and even more so, compatriots.

His fate foreshadowed the fate of the people of Dayong after the invasion of the Brown Kingdom.

The principle of "things of one kind grieve for their own kind" is generally like this.

Tao Heng showed no anger. He raised the letter and asked meaningfully, "Want to stir up some trouble?"

……

"Hey everyone, wanna stir things up?"