Free Web NovelChapter 774: Chapter 209: The Princess Is So Willful! (3 Updates)
At a banquet, everyone ate without tasting, silently waiting for it to end.
Suddenly, a Demon Guard rushed in quickly, dispersing the hardworking Dancing Girl, and kneeled before Mu Qingge.
Mu Qingge’s half-narrowed eyes glimmered, and her body involuntarily straightened and leaned forward.
She fixed her gaze on the kneeling Demon Guard, her heartbeat suddenly quickened, ’Could it be, there’s finally news of Si Mo?’
In Mu Qingge’s eyes, a sense of expectation unwittingly appeared.
However, what the Demon Guard said was not what she was expecting.
"Princess, a battle report from the front line has arrived. The Alien Race has attacked our territory again, the front line is in a critical situation, requesting reinforcements!" The Demon Guard’s voice was loud, every word was spoken firmly.
Not only did Mu Qingge hear it, but everyone else also heard it.
"What! The Alien Race has come again?"
"These damn pests!"
"Why not just strike at their lair and end them once and for all. That would stop them from coming frequently!"
"Their lair? Do you even know where it is? The Divine and Demon Clans sent countless scouts to investigate, but none returned."
Alien Race?
Mu Qingge slightly furrowed her brows, surprised in her heart.
She has always thought that in the Divine Demon Continent, there were only the Divine and Demon Clans, and then there were the Insect Clan from the Ancient Insect Abyss. The Insect Clan had always secluded themselves in the Abyss, never meddling in any affairs or wars — it should be matters between the Divine and Demon Clans. How did another Alien Race suddenly appear?
Mu Qingge’s gaze drifted to Gu Ya and Gu Ye.
It wasn’t news of Si Mo, which left her a bit disappointed. Yet, the battle report of an enemy’s attack ignited a flame of warfare within her.
With Si Mo missing, she was bottling up a belly full of anger with no outlet, and now a few battles would be the perfect way for her to vent her nearly explosive emotions.
Yet, she still hadn’t figured out what on earth the Alien Race was?
"Princess, with the Alien Race invading, we cannot let the Taixuan Demon Realm overlook it!" Suddenly, Su Sheng stepped forward from behind the curtain, directly facing Mu Qingge.
Mu Qingge turned her gaze to him, and from his expression, she couldn’t see a hint of pretense.
As he moved, the three Great Feudal Lords close to him also stepped forward.
Ling Jiu’s side was not to be outdone, as four of them stepped out from behind the curtain, saying in unison to Mu Qingge, "We are willing to lead the army forth!"
With these eight Great Feudal Lords making a move, how could the others not show their stance?
Therefore, the remaining dozen or so people also came out from behind the curtain, standing before Mu Qingge.
At this moment, with nothing to block their view, they could finally see Mu Qingge’s appearance clearly, see their Princess’s true form!
The image of a Princess they had conjured up in their minds as someone with an imposing aura, formidable and fierce, with words as sharp as knives, was completely shattered upon seeing her with their own eyes.
The lady before them stood proudly at the main seat, dressed in a straightforward and vivid red outfit, appearing dignified and heroic, a figure of grandeur like no other.
There wasn’t a hint of feminine pretense about her, yet she possessed an air of masculine freedom and boldness.
Is the Princess beautiful?
The answer is undoubtedly yes!
The dozen noble Demon Clan members seeing Mu Qingge’s visage for the first time were stunned, their gaze fixated on her, their eyes filled only with amazement.
She slightly furrowed her brows, her clear and bright eyes emanating a natural, commanding presence.
As if she was born a ruler, unrelated to gender!
Almost instantly, they were captivated by her presence, feeling that only such a woman could be worthy of the greatest, most genius Monarch in the history of the Demon Realm!
"Who can tell me what the Alien Race is?" Mu Qingge slowly asked, her clear gaze sweeping over those who had stepped out from behind the curtain.
She wasn’t shy. Now that war had erupted, how could she be bored enough to dwell on their rudeness?
Amidst all eyes upon her, she ignored the amazement in their eyes, ignored their individual thoughts, and focused solely on the critical issue.
Ji Fu stepped forward and said to Mu Qingge, "Princess, we’re unaware of the origin of the Alien Race. All we know is that they appeared after a great war tens of thousands of years ago and are formidable enemies of both our Demon Clan and the Divine Clan."
"Formidable enemies?" Mu Qingge muttered.
Enemies of both the Divine and Demon Clans? What kind of race could be so formidable?
"These Alien races appear and disappear without a trace. They always attack us suddenly and then vanish abruptly. Despite countless efforts, we’ve been unable to determine their origin. Moreover, their reproduction rate is astonishing, with numbers several times that of our guards during each incursion. Their attacks are bizarre, and they’re not easily slain, making them extremely troublesome every time they appear," Ji Fu continued.
Mu Qingge’s eyes darkened; being able to entangle with the Divine and Demon Clans for tens of thousands of years without being annihilated was already sufficient testament to the strength of these Alien Races.
Now was not the time to inquire about the origin of the Alien Race. Mu Qingge’s gaze fell on the armored guard who delivered the news, and she asked, "Where did their attack take place?"
The Demon Guard answered, "The Alien Race attacked from the Menglan River. Our tribal guards there number only tens of thousands, while the enemy has hundreds of thousands..." He didn’t finish, but those present clearly understood the implications.
"Bring the map," Mu Qingge instructed sternly.
Gu Ya and Gu Ye didn’t dare delay and immediately called for the map.
The map of the Taixuan Demon Realm, infused with demon spiritual power by Gu Ye, was projected into the air above the main hall.
The terrain was detailed, and Mu Qingge could understand it at a glance.
Her eyes focused intently on the map, searching for the position of the Menglan River.
Below, more than twenty people stood silently, watching her.
"Can she understand it?" Someone whispered softly.
In the Demon Realm, there were women as warriors or generals, but they typically held specialized positions and were not required to strategize or command armies.
Thus, they were curious whether Mu Qingge was simply putting on a show or genuinely able to understand military maps and analyze the current situation.
Mu Qingge didn’t understand the Divine and Demon text, so Gu Ya discreetly assisted in guiding the map to the position of the Menglan River.
From there, Mu Qingge only needed to look at the terrain, without needing to read the text.
She narrowed her eyes slightly and asked the Demon Guard again, "When did the Alien Race launch their offensive, and what is the current state at the Menglan River?"
The Demon Guard replied, "The Alien Race launched their attack yesterday morning. Initially, they feigned their assault by sending ten thousand troops ahead. The general stationed at the Menglan River thought it was just a routine provocation, so he didn’t take it seriously at first or report it promptly to the Capital City. However, after the feigned attack ended, the garrison at the Menglan River discovered the movements of hundreds of thousands of Alien Races, realizing the severity of the situation. The intelligence for reinforcements was sent out while both sides hadn’t yet engaged in battle. The current situation is unknown to me."
"Princess, it seems we need to hurry over there," Ji Fu reminded.
Mu Qingge pondered, looking at the eight Great Feudal Lords standing in front of her, and asked, "How many soldiers can you muster?"
This was the key point!
Then, she turned to the official in charge of internal affairs and asked, "How many soldiers can your provisions support and for how long?"
Two questions!
One is, how many soldiers are available for use? The other is, what is the reserve of provisions!
Two simple questions, yet they revealed Mu Qingge’s complexity to others! She is the Princess, yet she can address the heart of the matter in one sentence, showing she’s not pretending but truly understands military strategy.
The surprise Mu Qingge brought refreshed the perception of Ji Fu’s group towards her time and again.
For Su Sheng’s group, however, the more formidable she appears, the greater the obstacle for them. Now, with the alien race attacking, they can only temporarily set aside all thoughts, waiting for this battle to settle down to address them.
"I can dispatch one hundred thousand soldiers!"
"I can also dispatch one hundred thousand!"
"I can only deploy eighty thousand at most."
"Same for me."
The four of Ji Fu have unanimously expressed their positions; the location they guard with Ling Jiu is relatively stable, allowing them to deploy a total of two hundred thousand troops. However, the positions Qing Yan and Qing Ze guard are close to the Divine Clan, restricting their capacity to deploy too many soldiers, thus each can only send eighty thousand.
Mu Qingge said nothing but looked at Su Sheng’s group.
Su Sheng promptly said, "I can mobilize one hundred and twenty thousand."
"I can also mobilize one hundred and twenty thousand," She Yin immediately followed.
"I can deploy one hundred and ten thousand."
"Same for me."
Su Yan and Shu Quan also reported their numbers.
After hearing this, Mu Qingge still didn’t say anything but turned to the official responsible for logistics. That official immediately replied, "After the Monarch ascended to the throne, there’s an annual reserve of provisions for wartime use. But without a decree from the Monarch, the movable provisions and armaments can only supply an army of two hundred thousand, for one month."
His words made the corners of Mu Qingge’s mouth curl up slightly, muttering, "Two hundred thousand, one month, that’s sufficient."
Nine words, yet left everyone in the hall utterly confused.
They truly couldn’t understand why Mu Qingge was so confident? She clearly hadn’t heard of what the alien race was before.
"Princess..." Gu Ye was worried she might take risks, softly reminding her.
Mu Qingge’s clear gaze swept over him, saying, "Winning by overwhelming numbers isn’t true victory; true victory is winning with fewer."
Then, she looked at everyone, slowly saying, "We are defending, they are attacking. Therefore, their siege forces must be several times ours to have a chance, while we are only defending, two hundred thousand troops are enough."
At this moment, the eight Great Feudal Lords understood what Mu Qingge’s solitary muttering of those nine words meant.
They are all people who lead armies into battle, of course, understanding the transition and differences between offense and defense.
Others, having been idle at home for a long time, although their personal cultivation remains, still don’t understand the aspect of commanding troops in battle.
Thus, they can only secretly observe the expressions of the Great Feudal Lords and listen carefully to the Princess’s words.
Without hesitation, Mu Qingge directly said to the official in charge of logistics, "Before the armies move, provisions must go first. Prepare provisions for two hundred thousand people for one month immediately."
The official knew time was of the essence, so he immediately withdrew to prepare.
Mu Qingge then said to Qing Ze, "Lead your forty thousand troops and combine with Ling Jiu’s forty thousand soldiers; you two will first escort the provisions and military supplies to the banks of Menglan River."
Hmm? Only forty thousand troops each?
Qing Ze and Ling Jiu were a bit surprised, but in the current scenario, they couldn’t openly refute Mu Qingge and cause her to lose face.
Thus, the two silently accepted the order.
"Su Sheng, take your sixty thousand troops and combine with She Yin’s sixty thousand soldiers; accompany me to Menglan River’s bank." Mu Qingge then looked at Su Sheng and She Yin.
What!
Her words immediately shocked everyone.
Only Gu Ya and Gu Ye’s expressions remained calm, seeming to have anticipated this already.
The two exchanged looks, each giving a bitter smile.
They didn’t expect the alien race to attack at this time, but they did anticipate Mu Qingge’s character—she absolutely wouldn’t remain in Taixuan Ancient Palace idly awaiting the battle results.
"Princess, the battlefield is for us; you should stay safely in the palace." Su Sheng said directly.
What a joke? Bringing a woman to war, when the alien race comes, should they protect her, the Princess, or fight the alien race?
Not only did Su Sheng’s group oppose, but Ji Fu’s group also showed disapproval.
"Princess, you carry the royal heir, your responsibility is significant. It’s merely some minor alien races; let us handle them." Ji Fu said to Mu Qingge.
They were worried more about Mu Qingge’s safety, as well as the ’child’ in her belly.
Mu Qingge’s mouth twitched, her face turning cold as she said, "I’m not seeking your opinions, nor am I asking for your consent. I’m merely informing you of my decision."
She needs a battle to establish stability in Taixuan Demon Realm, as long as everyone knows that besides Si Mo the king, there’s her, the Princess, in the Demon Realm, regardless of which of them is present, the realm won’t fall into chaos! Then she can personally seek Si Mo’s whereabouts later, without spending endless days waiting in Taixuan Ancient Palace.
Thus, this unexpected war is a great opportunity she must seize.
"Princess, war isn’t child’s play; don’t demand to go to the battlefield on a whim." She Yin said bluntly.
Mu Qingge coldly smiled, saying to him, "Rest assured, Great Feudal Lord She Yin, I won’t be a burden to anyone. This Princess fights on behalf of the Monarch, leading the six forces."
She Yin frowned.
Ji Fu and the others also showed disapproval.
Mu Qingge continued, "That’s it; you all should hurry and prepare. The army sets out tomorrow."
Uh!
That’s settled?
Princess, must you be so willful? Does the Monarch know about your willfulness?
While everyone was astonished, Mu Qingge gave no chance for anyone to argue, turning her gaze to Ji Fu and said, "Great Feudal Lord Ji Fu, come with me," Then, she left with Gu Ya and Gu Ye, withdrawing from everyone’s view.
As she departed, Su Sheng unhesitatingly said to Ji Fu’s group, "You’re just letting her act so capriciously?"
Ji Fu merely glanced at him, then walked towards the hall exit.
He hadn’t forgotten, Mu Qingge had sought him, apparently for something. Of course, he could use this opportunity to persuade the Princess not to be reckless.
