From cute to empress

Chapter 215: The Kingdom and the King and His Ministers Work Together

The black demon's claws shattered into slag, and black mist surged wildly, emitting waves of creepy roars. My vision went black and I almost fainted. It was Zhen Youcai who quickly caught me.

"Mengmeng, are you okay?" His anxious voice sounded in my ears, his tone full of worry.

I shook my head, took a deep breath, and tried to stay awake. Before I could say anything, a familiar voice suddenly rang in my ears: "Your Majesty, long time no see."

I looked in the direction of the sound and saw a man in green clothes, holding a folding fan, slowly descending from the sky. He had a handsome face and a faint smile on his lips. It was the Ghost Hand Scholar whom I hadn't seen for a long time.

"Military Advisor!" Zhen Youcai and I exclaimed in unison.

The Ghost Hand Scholar smiled slightly and nodded gently at us. Then he turned his gaze to the swirling black mist, a cold light flashing in his eyes: "Evil creature, stop being so arrogant!"

Before he finished speaking, the folding fan in his hand suddenly opened, a golden light flashed, and the black fog seemed to be hit by an invisible force, and let out a shrill scream.

"Take advantage of now!" shouted the Ghost Hand Scholar.

I immediately realized that now was the perfect time to seal the Black Evil! Zhen Youcai and I exchanged glances and simultaneously sat down cross-legged, quickly forming seals with our hands and muttering something, pouring all the remaining spiritual energy into the ancient book.

"The sky and the earth are boundless, the universe borrows the law! Seal!" I shouted, and the ancient book shone with golden light. Golden beams shot out from the book and surrounded the black fog.

"Roar!" Heisha roared in frustration, struggling frantically to break free from the golden light. However, with the power of the Ghost Hand Scholar, the golden light became even more dazzling, and Heisha's struggles grew weaker and weaker, eventually turning into a wisp of black smoke and being sucked into the ancient book.

The golden light gradually dissipated, and the ancient book returned to its calm state, as if nothing had happened. I collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, feeling as if my body had been hollowed out.

"Finally... it's over..." I muttered to myself.

"No, it's not over yet."

The Ghost Hand Scholar shook his head, looking deeply into the ancient book, and said solemnly, "Although the Black Evil has been sealed, its power has not completely disappeared..."

"It's not over yet?" I struggled to sit up and looked at the Ghost Hand Scholar in confusion. "What does the military advisor mean by...?"

The Ghost Hand Scholar didn't answer directly. He extended his hand, and the ancient book flew into his hands. He gently stroked the cover, his brow furrowed, as if listening to something. "Although the Black Evil has been sealed, its power hasn't completely disappeared. It's trying to break free..."

"What?!" Zhen Youcai and I exclaimed at the same time.

"Don't worry," Ghost Hand Scholar said solemnly, "The power of the seal is enough to suppress it for a while, but to completely destroy it, you two will need to work together."

Zhen Youcai and I looked at each other and saw determination in each other's eyes.

"Please give me your orders, military advisor!" Zhen Youcai said with a fist salute.

The Ghost Hand Scholar nodded and began to explain in detail the method of eliminating the Black Evil. His tone was serious and earnest, as if he was performing a sacred ritual.

Following the Ghost Hand Scholar's instructions, Zhen Youcai and I joined forces once again, pouring all of our spiritual energy into the ancient book without reservation. With this infusion of spiritual energy, the book emanated a dazzling golden light, enveloping Zhen Youcai and me. I could sense a powerful force coalescing within the book. It was the power of Zhen Youcai and me, the power of justice and hope!

"break!"

As we shouted loudly, the golden light turned into a sharp sword and stabbed fiercely into the center of the ancient book, where the black evil was sealed.

"Roar--!"

The Black Demon's shrill screams echoed from the ancient book. It struggled to its last, but it was all in vain. The golden light was too powerful, and it completely devoured the Black Demon in an instant, turning it into nothing.

The black evil pattern on the cover of the ancient book also disappeared, replaced by a peaceful light.

Zhen Youcai and I collapsed to the ground powerlessly, but both had smiles of victory on our faces.

"We...won..." I said breathlessly.

"Yes, we won." Zhen Youcai looked at me gently, his eyes full of relief and love.

At this moment, cheers came from the direction of the palace. I knew that the chaos in the palace had subsided, and the soldiers and ministers who were controlled by the Black Evil had regained their senses.

The Ghost Hand Scholar smiled at Zhen Youcai and me, then turned and walked towards the palace. "Your Majesty, General, it's time to go back and accept everyone's cheers."

I watched the Ghost Hand Scholar leave with a heart full of gratitude. Without his help, Zhen Youcai and I would not have been able to defeat the Black Demon so easily.

"Let's go, let's go back." Zhen Youcai stretched out his hand to me.

I nodded and placed my hand in his. Amidst the crowd's cheers, we... I nodded and placed my hand in his warm palm. Amidst the deafening cheers, we intertwined our fingers and walked towards the palace. At that moment, I felt as if I were walking on clouds, light and yet incredibly real.

"Mengmeng," Zhen Youcai looked down at me, his eyes twinkling with dazzling stars, "We won."

"Yeah," I nodded vigorously and shook his hand in return, "We won."

We won the battle, and we won each other.

Upon returning to the palace, we were treated like heroes. I saw the ministers' pleased smiles, the soldiers' respectful gazes, and the spontaneous cheers of the common people. They chanted my name, their voices reaching the sky and echoing for a long time.

I turned to look at Zhen Youcai. He was still standing beside me, as calm and reliable as ever. I knew I wouldn't be where I am today without him.

I took a deep breath and solemnly announced, "Pass on my decree, granting amnesty to the entire nation! All the soldiers who participated in suppressing the rebellion will be generously rewarded!"

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

The crowd erupted in even more enthusiastic cheers. I looked at the joyous scene before me, feeling a flood of emotion in my heart.

I will never forget this battle. It made me understand that power is important, but what is more important is the people's hearts. Only by gaining the love of the people can one become a true emperor.

"Mr. Ghost Hand," I looked at the thin but imposing strategist in the crowd, "Thanks to you, I was able to turn the tide and save the day. I have decided to appoint you as..."

"Your Majesty," Ghost Hand Scholar suddenly interrupted me, bowing and speaking calmly, "I only wish to be a free and unrestrained wanderer, advising Your Majesty and protecting this land. I ask for nothing more."

I was slightly stunned, then nodded with a smile, "Okay, I respect your choice. From now on, you will be my Imperial Master, a rank equal to that of the First Rank. I hope you won't refuse again."

The Ghost Hand Scholar looked at me deeply and finally nodded.

I know he still has concerns in his heart, but I believe that one day he will understand my feelings.

Late at night, when everyone was asleep, I stood alone in front of the window, gazing at the bright moon in the sky, with a thousand thoughts in my mind.

"What are you thinking about?" Zhen Youcai came from behind and gently put his arms around my waist.

"I'm wondering," I turned to look at him, a determined glint in my eyes, "what can we do to prevent a disaster like this from happening again?"

Zhen Youcai was silent for a moment, then held my hand tightly and said in a deep voice: "Perhaps, we can..."

"Perhaps we can record this experience as a warning to future generations." Zhen Youcai's voice was low and firm, his gaze profound. "Power itself is neither good nor evil, but those who wield it are. The tragedy of Heisha tells us that once we are deceived by power, we will lose our reason and ultimately embark on a path of destruction."

I nodded in agreement. Black Demon's madness was still vivid in my mind, and the destructive power it possessed was terrifying. If we hadn't stopped him in time, the consequences would have been disastrous. "You're right. We can't let such a tragedy happen again. We must teach future generations that true strength lies not in conquest, but in protection."

"We can compile this history into a book and place it in the royal library, passing it down through the generations," I suggested, my gaze firm. "So that every future king and citizen will know that power should be used to protect the country and the people, not to satisfy selfish desires and bring about destruction."

"Not only that," Zhen Youcai added, tightening his grip on my hand slightly, "we must also strengthen the control over force and magic, and establish a more comprehensive system to prevent anyone from using them to harm the country and its people."

I felt the warmth of his palm, and a surge of warmth welled up in my heart. We have fought side by side, weathered the storms together, and our faith in each other has only grown stronger. We will create an era of peace and a future filled with hope.

"You're right, we should..." I stopped talking as an idea suddenly flashed through my mind. I looked up at Zhen Youcai with excitement in my eyes. "I have an idea!"