After being reborn, I stole the female lead's cheat ability and raised the empress.

Chapter 203 A Plan to Turn the Tide

Miao ethnic region.

When everyone saw Zhao Jihua arrive, their faces showed a mixture of excitement and grievance.

They rushed to file a complaint in the Miao language:

"High Priest, they've falsely accused us of poisoning us! This is outrageous!"

"High Priest, your people have been bullied while you were away..."

"High Priest, didn't you say that we could be free once we submitted to the Azure Dragon Empire? Why are we still being bullied?"

Seeing this group of lovely people who rely on her, she knew that her thinking these past few days had been very successful.

Standing on the altar, Zhao Jihua said in a gentle yet firm voice, "Fellow countrymen of Miao territory, I have some good news to tell you first. I, your High Priest, have lived up to your expectations and successfully become the Emperor of the Azure Dragon Empire. We have successfully taken control of the Azure Dragon."

The crowd below cheered and applauded, proud that their high priest had become emperor.

She raised her hand to signal everyone to be quiet and said, "I know you all suffered while I was away, so I came back as soon as possible to seek justice for you."

Upon hearing this, everyone rushed to complain: "High Priest, their own general died young, and they're blaming us, saying we released poisonous insects that killed him."

"Pah! Those short-lived bastards, do we even need to lift a finger? They'll probably die in bed!"

"They even pretended to produce a few Gu worms, claiming it was evidence that we plotted against them! Who are they trying to fool with a few low-level things! It makes me so angry! If the High Priest hadn't said that the misuse of Gu worms was forbidden and would cause unrest, we would have taken revenge right away!"

"They called us uncivilized, barbaric savages. If I didn't want to tarnish the reputation of our High Priest, I would have torn their mouths apart long ago!"

"..."

Zhao Jihua gleaned the gist of her words, so she reassured them, "You did very well. You truly remembered and carried out everything I instructed you to do. You were peaceful and reasonable, and even though you were wronged, you didn't give up; you could have used Gu worms to retaliate, but you didn't abuse them..." She listed her people's virtues one by one, offering encouragement and affirmation, "...My people, you truly make me so proud."

Her words were like a warm current, gradually melting the ice in the hearts of the Miao people, and the tense atmosphere eased slightly.

Seeing this, Zhao Jihua continued sincerely, "I know that there have been constant disputes among various parties recently, but you are all my people, and it is ultimately us ordinary people who suffer. Everyone longs for a peaceful life and does not want war to break out. So I will go to the southern border tomorrow to find out the truth, find the perpetrators and make them apologize to us, okay? My heart will always be on your side."

The Miao people were overjoyed, and their depression of the past few days vanished.

After calming the Miao people, Zhao Jihua returned to southern Xinjiang without stopping.

The night in southern Xinjiang was brightly lit and bustling with activity, but Zhao Jihua had no heart to appreciate this prosperous scene.

She and her men disguised themselves and blended into the crowd to conduct a secret investigation.

It turns out that the remnants of Zuo Qingluan's lineage from the Vermilion Bird Kingdom secretly instigated the prince of the White Tiger Kingdom to kill several generals, deliberately framing them and causing a war between Miao and Southern Xinjiang. Their aim was to create turmoil on the border so they could take the opportunity to attack the Azure Dragon Empire.

Upon learning the truth, Zhao Jihua couldn't help but feel relieved. Fortunately, the people of both sides cherished the hard-won peace and restrained their impulses, preventing a real chaos.

But those hiding in the shadows are getting impatient and are preparing to incite the people of southern Xinjiang to attack Miao territory tomorrow.

Zhao Jihua knew this matter was urgent, so she summoned her subordinate and whispered, "Come here, tomorrow we'll do this and that..."

……

Early the next morning.

Inside the main tent in the southern border region, several generals were having a heated discussion about whether to attack the Miao region.

The most senior general, Zhou, slammed his fist on the table, stood up, and his wrinkles deepened with excitement. He roared, "We must fight! Those Miao people are a bunch of ungrateful wretches! They dared to assassinate our Southern Frontier generals! We cannot tolerate this! If we don't deliver a heavy blow, they will become even more reckless in the future. Where will our Southern Frontier's prestige be? How can the border people live in peace?"

The others chimed in, “General Zhou is absolutely right! Our Southern Frontier has a strong army and ample supplies. If we don’t fight now, when will we? Those Miao barbarians are nothing but a rabble. We only need to press on with our army to take them down in one fell swoop and let them know how powerful our Southern Frontier is!”

However, Pang Shuai frowned, slowly stood up, and raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet.

He calmly surveyed the crowd before slowly speaking, "Generals, acting impulsively will only lead us to utter ruin. The Miao region is treacherous, with numerous mountains and rivers that have hindered our conquest for so many years. What makes you think you can win? Moreover, the Miao region has already submitted. If war breaks out, it will be internal strife, and other countries could then do whatever they want..."

His words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the anger in the hearts of some of the generals, and everyone fell into a brief silence.

At this moment, General Li, who had been silent all along, slightly raised his head, his voice low but firm: "Commander Pang's words are not without reason, but we cannot continue to tolerate this. The fact that the barbarians dared to harm our generals shows that they do not take us seriously at all. They are stubborn and determined to provoke war, so why should we treat them as family?"

Everyone was talking at once, arguing fiercely, and no one could convince anyone else.

What are your plans?

Zhao Jihua walked in at that moment.

General Li said, “Your Majesty, the southern barbarians are incorrigible. I believe we should send troops to attack the Miao region to demonstrate the might of our southern border.”

Zhao Jihua raised an eyebrow, glanced around at everyone, and decided to play along. He ordered, "We will send troops tomorrow to suppress the Miao people."

The news caused an uproar throughout the southern border region. The people were discussing it animatedly, while foreign spies lurking in the shadows were secretly pleased, thinking their conspiracy was about to succeed.

Just as the scout was preparing to sneak out to report the news,

Suddenly, a group of men in black surged out from all around and surrounded him!