From cute to empress

Chapter 169: Outsmarting the Powerful Officials

As I regained consciousness, I could faintly smell the faint aroma of medicine, and a familiar warmth lingered around my nose. I strained my heavy eyelids open, and the familiar face of Zhen Youcai came into view. He lay beside my bed, sound asleep. Not wanting to wake him, I quietly observed his sleeping form. He seemed thinner, his face a bit tired, with a few fine lines around his eyes. My heart ached slightly, and I couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke his cheek.

"Are you awake?" He grabbed my hand and looked at me in surprise, his voice filled with undisguised fatigue and worry.

"Well," I smiled weakly, "how long have I been asleep?"

"It's been three days. Do you know that you almost scared me to death!" He held my hand tightly, his eyes full of fear.

"I'm fine, aren't I?" I held his hand and gave him a reassuring smile. "How about you? How's your injury?"

"I'm fine. It's just a minor injury that will heal soon." He smiled casually, but his eyes couldn't help but glance at me. "But you, you have to take good care of your injuries. Doctor Sun said that you were seriously injured this time. You almost..."

He didn't say anything else, but I understood what he meant. Yeah, I almost never saw him again... Thinking of this, I couldn't help but feel a pang of fear.

Under the meticulous care of Dr. Sun and Coroner Zhao, Zhen Youcai and I gradually recovered. My injuries were severe, but fortunately, none of them hit vital organs, and Zhen Youcai only had minor skin bruises and was not seriously injured.

"We can't just sit there and wait for death." I leaned against the headboard, looking out the window at the bright sunlight, my eyes cold. This assassination had completely exposed the true face of the powerful official of the neighboring country and only strengthened my determination to eradicate him.

"I know," Zhen Youcai nodded, his eyes firm. "I have already sent someone to contact the prince of the neighboring country. He has already sneaked into our country and is waiting for news from us."

"Okay," I took a deep breath, "We must act quickly and not give him any more opportunities."

After some discussion, we devised a detailed plan. To celebrate the "success" of the assassination, the powerful official of a neighboring country had hosted a grand banquet, inviting envoys and nobles from various countries. We were prepared to seize this opportunity to expose his conspiracy before everyone.

As night fell, I changed into an elegant gown and, with the help of a palace maid, donned the phoenix crown that symbolized my status as an empress. Looking at my graceful and elegant self in the mirror, I took a deep breath, my gaze gradually becoming resolute.

"Let's go," I smiled at myself in the mirror, "It's time to end this."

Zhen Youcai, dressed in military uniform, stood at the door of the palace waiting for me. When he saw me come out, a flash of surprise flashed in his eyes, and then he asked worriedly, "Are you really okay? Otherwise, you should stay in the palace..."

"Don't worry, I'm fine," I interrupted him, walked up to him and took his arm, "Come on, let's go together."

In the darkness of night, a richly decorated carriage slowly pulled out of the Imperial Palace and headed for the residence of a powerful official from a neighboring country. I lifted the curtain and gazed at the flickering lights outside the window, a sneer curling up at the corner of my mouth.

The show is about to begin...

The carriage stopped in front of the powerful official's residence, and the deafening clamor threatened to rip the roof off. I took a deep breath, took Zhen Youcai's arm, and walked into the brightly lit banquet hall under the gaze of everyone.

The powerful official from the neighboring country clearly hadn't expected us to be here. He was stunned for a moment, then put on a false smile and greeted us. "Oh, Her Majesty the Empress and General Zhen, what a great honor to have you here! Why didn't you let me know in advance so I could send someone to greet you?" He said this while secretly glancing at Zhen Youcai and me, a subtle flicker of panic in his eyes.

"There's no need to greet him," I said with a cold smile. "We're here today to give the powerful minister a 'big gift'."

The powerful official's smile froze for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. "Oh? I wonder what Her Majesty is referring to..."

I ignored him. Instead, I looked around and said loudly, "Everyone, I asked you all to come here today so that you can bear witness!" I paused, pulled out a piece of paper from my sleeve, and held it high. "This is a secret letter from the powerful minister to the assassin. It clearly records the plan to assassinate me and the details of how to frame me after the success!"

As soon as the words fell, the entire banquet hall was in an uproar. Everyone was whispering and talking, looking at the powerful official with eyes full of suspicion and shock.

The powerful official's face changed drastically. He pointed at me and shouted, "You're talking nonsense! This letter is fake! You forged it on purpose to frame me!"

"Whether it's a forgery or not, naturally everyone will judge." I sneered and threw the letter in my hand to Zhao, the coroner who had been waiting nearby. "Master Zhao, please tell everyone, is this letter authentic?"

Coroner Zhao took the letter and examined it carefully. Then he turned to face the crowd and said loudly, "Your Majesty, this letter is indeed written by the powerful minister, and the seal on it is indeed the powerful minister's private seal. It is absolutely true!"

"Impossible! This is impossible!" The powerful official was completely panicked. He pointed at me and shouted incoherently, "It's you! It must be you! It was you who bribed Zhao the coroner to frame me!"

"That's enough!" I shouted, interrupting his quibbling. "Do you think what you did is really perfect? ​​Do you think that if you bribed the people around me, I would be helpless?"

I clapped my hands, and several guards came in escorting a man, who was the assassin that Zhen Youcai had captured before.

"You..." When the powerful official saw the assassin, his face turned pale. He knew that he was finished.

I walked up to the assassin and asked coldly, "Tell me, who ordered you to assassinate me?"

The assassin looked at the powerful minister, then at me, and finally lowered his head, saying in a trembling voice, "Yes... yes, the powerful minister..."

"What else do you have to say?" I turned and looked at the powerful official, my eyes as cold as ice that had been frozen for ten thousand years.

The powerful official collapsed to the ground, knowing that everything was over...

The powerful official collapsed to the ground, like a deflated ball, his earlier arrogance gone. He lowered his head dejectedly, mumbling to himself, as if confessing his sins, or cursing the injustice of fate.

The banquet hall was hushed, a pin drop audible. Everyone's eyes were fixed on me, filled with awe, admiration, and deep gratitude. I knew this farce was finally over, and I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

I looked around at everyone and said loudly, "Everyone, the crimes of the powerful minister are clear as day. He colluded with assassins and attempted to murder me. His crime is unforgivable! Come, arrest the powerful minister!"

As soon as he finished speaking, several guards rushed forward, bound the powerful official, and escorted him away. He didn't resist, but as he was dragged away, he glared at me with resentment. I ignored him. For a man like him, any words are pale. Only by making him receive the punishment he deserves can we comfort those he has hurt.

After dealing with the powerful minister, I turned to the prince of the neighboring country and said to him, "Your Highness, I am sorry that this incident has frightened you. I hope you can understand."

The prince of the neighboring kingdom stood up and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, you are too kind. This matter is the fault of our powerful minister and has nothing to do with you. I would like to thank you for exposing his true colors and restoring order to our country."

I nodded and said, "Your Highness, I am deeply gratified by your understanding of justice. Now that the powerful minister has been removed, there is no longer any grudge between our two countries. I hope we can work together to open a new chapter in the friendly exchanges between our two countries."

"Your Majesty, the Empress is absolutely right," the neighboring prince said, pulling out a document he had prepared long ago. "This is the peace agreement signed between our country and yours. Please review it, Your Majesty."

I took the document, read it carefully, and after confirming it was correct, I readily signed my name. The prince of the neighboring country also signed his name and affixed the royal seal. Thus, the two countries officially concluded a peace agreement, becoming friendly neighbors and pursuing common development.

Thunderous applause erupted in the banquet hall as people cheered and celebrated this hard-earned peace. Zhen Youcai and I smiled at each other, our hearts filled with joy and pride.

When the news reached China, the story of Zhen Youcai and I's heroic deeds spread throughout the streets and alleys. People took to the streets, singing and dancing, celebrating this victory. Zhen Youcai and I became heroes in people's hearts, and were widely respected and loved.

However, I am well aware that this is just the beginning, the road ahead is still long, and many challenges are waiting for us.

At this moment, the prince of the neighboring country came up to me, raised his glass, and said with a smile: "To celebrate the peace and friendship between our two countries..."

"Cheers to the peace and friendship between our two countries!" I followed his lead, raised my glass, and smiled at him. The crisp clink of glasses echoed throughout the banquet hall, and everyone's face was filled with joyful smiles.

The banquet lasted late into the night. The prince of a neighboring kingdom and I had a lively conversation, discussing everything from poetry and songs to the philosophy of life. This conversation left me with a new appreciation for this young monarch. Zhen Youcai remained by my side, occasionally whispering to me, his eyes filled with fondness and pride.

After the banquet, Zhen Youcai and I strolled side by side in the garden of the imperial palace. The moonlight made our shadows look particularly long.

"Mengmeng, you were amazing today!" Zhen Youcai held my hand, his eyes sparkling with admiration. "I'm so proud of you!"

I smiled gently and said, "This is all thanks to you. If you hadn't arrived in time, I'm afraid..."

"Don't be afraid, I will always be by your side and will never let you get hurt again." Zhen Youcai hugged me in his arms, his tone firm and gentle.

I rested my head on his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, my heart filled with happiness and peace. After going through this storm, I cherish everything in front of me even more and long to spend my life with him even more.

"Youcai, do you think our future days will always be as beautiful as today?" I raised my head and looked into his deep eyes.

"Yes, we will." Zhen Youcai bent down and kissed my forehead. "We will work together to make our country more prosperous and let our people live a happy and healthy life."

I nodded, my heart filled with hope and longing.

However, fate always likes to play jokes on people. Just when I thought everything was going in a good direction, something unexpected happened...

A few days later, at the morning court, the Minister of Revenue reported to me in a panic, "Your Majesty, this year's tax revenue is 30% less than in previous years, and..."

"And what?" My heart tightened, and I felt a little uneasy.

"Moreover, the incense in temples and Taoist temples across the country is extremely strong, and the number of believers has increased dramatically..." The Shangshu's voice became smaller and smaller, and fine beads of sweat seeped out of his forehead.

I was startled, and a sense of foreboding came over me. Could it be...