Huangfu Qing’s expression said it all—she was very tempted. It was clear now that her earlier distraction had been due to serious contemplation of this possibility.0

Her status was not an issue. While the empress dowager personally leading an army might not be appropriate, she could simply continue using her other identity. With the status of the cult in the empire, all it would take was one decree from her useless disciple, and Venerable Vermillion Bird could be formally appointed as the overall commander. There had been times when she thought that identity had outlived its usefulness, but now, it seemed more valuable than ever.0

As for the concern that she had been out of the military for too long? That was not a real problem either. Zhao Changhe was the one who truly had zero experience, and yet people still wanted to put him in charge. If he could manage it by relying on his subordinates, then how much faster would adapt someone like her, with actual training and expertise?1

In terms of familiarity with the main commanders, Zhao Changhe only had a slight edge by knowing Cui Yuanyong better. But Huangfu Shaozong? That was her own brother. No one knew him better than she did.0

And then there was the Blood God Cult, one of the strongest forces...0