knife

Chapter 370 This is me
Tu Jiaojiao walked out of the Protectorate Hall with a face full of excitement.

She immediately regretted asking that question.

Who is Xiao Changche?

That was a ruthless general who killed countless people. His favorite pastime was piling up the heads of the Yuan people he had killed into mounds of skulls.

They were the enemies that the Yuan people hated with a vengeance.

Yet he was also a figure whom people outside the Great Wall both respected, loved, and feared.

The person I used to be was so far removed from this person.

When she heard her husband tell her that rumor, Tu Jiaojiao was incredibly excited.

If the Protector-General were truly a woman, she would set a striking example for herself.

Even if we can only look up to them, only admire them,

Even if I could never reach that height.

But at least there is hope to pursue.

There is now a goal to strive for.

When the atmosphere in the room suddenly froze, and when the smile on Xiao Changche's face disappeared, Tu Jiaojiao could no longer stand. Her legs went weak, and she knelt down.

The other nine women looked at each other, all keeping their heads down and not daring to utter a sound.

Mao Daxian also felt that Tu Jiaojiao was being too presumptuous. At this point, even he didn't know how to smooth things over. He could only reach out and tug at his beard, racking his brains for a way to explain things to the female scholar.

Xiao Changche suddenly laughed.

A woman is a woman.

Who says women are inferior to men?
Now that I've come this far, why should I fear the world's opinions and idle gossip?
I am who I am!

Xiao Changche was a woman.

A woman who can make all men bow down.

She bent down, helped Tu Jiaojiao up, and said, "Yes, I am a woman?"

The ten women in the room suddenly raised their heads to look at Xiao Changche in front of them, which was both expected and unexpected.

Mao Daxian accidentally plucked out two of his beard hairs, and cried out in pain.

Xiao Changche turned around, walked behind the large table, bent down, opened the cabinet door, took out a box from inside, opened it, and took out a stack of clothes and placed them on the table.

"Chief Secretary, would you please step out for a moment?" Xiao Changche said with a smile to Mao Daxian.

A quick glance at the pile of clothes on the large table revealed what Xiao Changche was up to. He smiled and nodded, “I’ll go outside to see Yuan Rong, Yuan Tong and the others first. According to the plan, they should be saying goodbye and returning to Chang’an today. They were originally going to Qiyue Island to bid farewell to the Protector-General, and they should be at the Protector-General’s residence now!”

Xiao Changche nodded.

Mao Daxian turned and left the room, gently closing the door behind him.

Xiao Changche unfolded the clothes on the table and looked at Tu Jiaojiao, saying, "You guys come and help me change and do my makeup!"

"Yes!" Tu Jiaojiao and the others replied excitedly.

A little over half an hour later, led by Tu Jiaojiao, ten women filed out of Xiao Changche's official residence, each with an expression of barely suppressed excitement and joy on their faces.

Or perhaps, unlike the officials of the Beiting Protectorate, these women were among the first to truly see Xiao Changche dressed in women's clothing.

The Yuan brothers, Yuan Rong and Yuan Tong, along with Cao Hui, the director of the Action Department of the Zhi Qiu Academy, and others watched with some bewilderment as the ten female officials in uniform left with great joy.

Speaking of these people, after meeting Protector Xiao, they were all trembling with fear. These women who had just entered the Protector's Mansion were probably just ignorant and fearless.

"I must say, the female officials of our Beiting Protectorate have rather beautiful costumes!" Yuan Rong said with a smile.

"It was designed personally by Luo Hua, the director of the Bureau of News and Information of Zhi Qiu Yuan. How could it not be beautiful?" Cao Hui said with some pride.

The Yuan brothers exchanged a glance. Luo Hua used to be Xiao Changche, the Protector-General of the Capital, but what is she now?

As high-ranking generals in the Beiting Protectorate, they had been formally informed by their superiors and were mentally prepared, but sometimes they still felt a little strange.

It's hard to explain this feeling.

"Protector, Cao Hui requests an audience!"

"Yuan Rong requests an audience!"

"Yuan Tong requests an audience!"

A row of high-ranking military officers announced their names one by one.

"Come in, everyone!" A voice that sounded both familiar and unfamiliar came from inside the house.

They entered the room with their heads bowed, lined up in a row, placed their right hands on their chests, bowed deeply, and then straightened up. When they saw the person behind the large desk writing furiously, these men, who had never changed color even in life-or-death battles on the battlefield, were all stunned and speechless.

After they learned the truth, they had imagined countless times what it would be like to visit Xiao Changche again. Ideally, they would pretend they knew nothing and act as before.
Whether Xiao Changche was male or female was really irrelevant to this group of military officers.

Whether Xiao Changche is a man or a woman, they can't beat him.

As a general, his military command skills were unmatched.

In battle, the brave and the capable prevail.

There, there are no men or women, no old or young; there is no right or wrong, no distinction between good and evil.

Those who survived were right.

Therefore, they are the group of people who are least concerned about Xiao Changche's gender.

But they never expected that on their first day meeting Xiao Changche, when the news was only partially made public, they would see such a scene.

After the major case, the woman's long hair was tied up, with a jade hairpin inserted diagonally into the bun. Her face had clear contours, her eyebrows were like distant mountains, naturally dark without being drawn, and her lips were like painted sand, naturally red without being touched up. She truly had eyebrows like kingfisher feathers, skin like white snow, a waist like a silken sash, and teeth like pearls.

They saw Xiao Changche frequently.

Previously, I had only seen Xiao Changche dressed as a man or wearing full armor.
The face is still the same face.

But the face on that face at this moment could not be reconciled with the face in the image.

It is clearly one person.

But it gave people a completely different feeling.

"Don't you recognize me?" Xiao Changche said with a smile. "Let me introduce myself again. I am Xiao Changche, but from today onwards, my name is Xiao Ningyu."

Cao Hui and the others took a deep breath and bowed again: "Your subordinates greet the Protector!"

The person I saw earlier was Protector-General Xiao Changche.

The person I am seeing now is Protector-General Xiao Ningyu.

"Don't you want to ask why?" Xiao Ningyu asked with a smile.

Yuan Rong laughed and said, "What's there to ask? Whether you are Xiao Changche or Xiao Ningyu, you are the General of the Cavalry and the Deputy Protector of Beiting, whom I admire to the core."

“That’s right!” Cao Hui and the others exchanged smiles.

“Alright!” Xiao Ningyu said, “Since that’s the case, I won’t waste any more words. This time, your entry into the pass has been fraught with difficulties. The situation inside the pass is countless times more complex than outside. Right now, our troops are engaged in fierce fighting with Linghu Ye’s forces near Yongfeng Granary in Hedong County. After you enter the pass, your first challenge will be helping our people defend Yongfeng Granary. When you arrive, it will most likely be their most difficult time.”

"Rest assured, Protector-General, we will certainly live up to our mission and will not tarnish the reputation of our Beiting Protectorate!" the generals shouted in unison.

"After the Battle of Yongfeng, you will first retreat to Chang'an, and then to Shu County. How to forge a truly unique and powerful army according to the rules of our Northern Court is up to you. Remember, you must not only be aligned in terms of combat strength, but also in terms of spirit. This is why this time, our Northern Court has sent not only military generals, but also civil officials!"

"understand!"

"The area beyond the Great Wall is our foundation, but Shu Commandery is the first fulcrum we will use to move the entire world in the future. Its importance is self-evident! We may not be able to return for three to five years, or even more than ten years. Are you prepared?"

"We are willing to dedicate ourselves to the Northern Court until our dying breath!" The generals knelt down in unison, then stood up abruptly and turned to leave.

To shake up the world, one must contend for its supremacy. With the current strength of the region beyond the Great Wall and the abilities of the two Protectors, what is there to be afraid of in conquering the world? Once successful, everyone will be a founding hero. Such an allure is enough to excite any ambitious person.

Xiao Changche gracefully rose and escorted the group of military officers out of the government hall, standing at the entrance and watching them leave.

Countless officials, clerks, and staff members passed by here, and Xiao Changzhan stood there, welcoming everyone's gaze.

In an instant, countless people stumbled and fell flat on their faces. Some crashed into pillars, bruised and battered, while snow cascaded down from the rooftops. Some slipped and fell into the pond, breaking the ice and startling the fish. Others collided head-on, both falling and groaning in pain.

Seeing the people's predicament, Xiao Changche turned and went into the house while laughing loudly.

A large, dark mass of people had gathered outside, looking at the closed government office and exchanging bewildered glances.

Then, Mao Daxian appeared.

With a fierce expression, he glared at everyone, stamped his foot, and roared, "Are you bored? Don't you have anything better to do? Deduct all of this month's bonuses, deduct them all!"

Amidst a chorus of wails, everyone immediately scattered like birds and beasts.

On the high wall between the government office and the medical school, Zhou Zhi and Fu Qingzhu sat with their four legs swinging, each holding a cup of wine.

Their position was excellent; they could see Xiao Changche's official residence perfectly, but those standing on the other side of the residence couldn't see them.

When the two old men saw Xiao Changche dressed as a woman seeing off the military officers, their eyes widened in astonishment.

"I didn't expect that!" Fu Qingzhu exclaimed.

"I really didn't expect that!" Zhou Zhi nodded, but immediately added, "She is indeed the woman Li Dachui has chosen, the future empress. Her aura is beyond the reach of ordinary people!"

"What do you mean, 'the woman Li Dachui has taken a liking to'!" Fu Qingzhu sneered. "She is who she is. At most, she and Li Dachui complemented each other. Think about it honestly. If it weren't for Ningyu's hard work and struggle over the years, would Li Dachui have been able to conquer the area outside the Great Wall so easily? That brat really got off easy!"

Zhou Zhi laughed triumphantly: "I've gained both people and money, and even a little baby as a bonus! Brilliant, brilliant! Come, come, old Fu, drink this cup of wine."

The two cups clinked together, then they tilted their heads back, drank it all in one gulp, and laughed heartily at each other.

(End of this chapter)