From cute to empress

Chapter 174 The Trial of Faith

The aroma of the wine in the golden cup seemed to permeate the night sky, and the radiance of the fireworks illuminated everyone's smiling faces. I felt an immense sense of relief, as if a huge weight had finally fallen from my heart.

"Mengmeng, look!" Zhen Youcai held my hand and pointed at an exceptionally bright firework in the night sky. "Does it look like your favorite lily?"

I smiled and nodded, then took his hand, interlocking our fingers. "Youcai, thank you." A thousand words finally came together in these four short words.

"Silly girl, why are you thanking me?" He scratched my nose lovingly, and the tenderness in his eyes seemed to melt me.

You also have half of this prosperous world, I said silently in my heart.

However, this beautiful scene did not last long.

The next day, I was reviewing memorials when I was interrupted by the hurried footsteps of Eunuch Li.

"Your Majesty, this is bad!" He was sweating profusely, his tone a little panicked, "Something happened at the Huguo Temple outside the city!"

I was shocked. Huguo Temple is a Buddhist holy place and is very popular. How could something like this happen?

Without thinking too much, I immediately got up and followed Eunuch Li to the Huguo Temple.

Before I even reached the temple, I heard a commotion in the distance. I quickened my pace and saw a huge crowd gathered in the square in front of the temple, shouting something in great anger.

I pushed through the crowd and squeezed to the front, where I saw a skinny monk wearing a tattered robe standing on a high platform, giving a speech at the top of his lungs.

"...She's trying to change God's will. This is blasphemy against the gods! This is a trampling on our faith!" The ascetic monk burst into tears, pointing in the direction of the temple, his tone filled with anger and accusation. "We must not sit idly by. We must unite and protect our faith!"

"Protect the faith! Protect the faith!" The crowd in the audience was infected by his emotions, and they were excited and responded one after another.

I noticed two familiar figures in the crowd. They were the pilgrims who had previously knelt at the palace gate, begging me to rescind my promise. Now, their faces were filled with confusion and doubt, clearly shaken by the ascetic's words.

"What the master said makes sense. Did we really do something wrong?" Pilgrim A pulled Pilgrim B's sleeve, with a hint of uneasiness in his tone.

Pilgrim B frowned and said nothing, but his eyes were full of hesitation.

My heart sank, and a bad feeling washed over me. No, I had to stop him!

I took a deep breath and was about to step forward when Eunuch Li beside me pulled me back.

"Your Majesty, no!" He lowered his voice, his tone urgent, "The people are very emotional right now. If you intervene at this time, it might backfire!"

I looked at the chaotic scene in front of me and felt extremely anxious, but I had to admit that what Eunuch Li said made sense.

What should I do?

Just then, someone in the crowd suddenly recognized me.

"Look, that's the Empress!"

A commotion spread through the crowd, and everyone's eyes were fixed on me. I felt an invisible pressure coming over me, almost suffocating me.

"Your Majesty!" Pilgrim A was the first to react. He suddenly knelt on the ground, his tone filled with panic and anxiety. "We didn't mean to offend you, it's just..."

"We are just scared..." Pilgrim B also knelt down, his face full of struggle and confusion.

I looked at them with mixed feelings. I knew they didn't really want to oppose me, but were simply bewitched by the ascetic's words and driven by their fear of the unknown.

I took a deep breath, pushed through the crowd in front of me, and walked towards the platform step by step.

"What are you doing?!" When the ascetic saw me, a trace of panic flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a more determined look.

"Master," I tried to sound calm and gentle, "You keep saying I'm blaspheming God and trampling on faith. Do you know that everything I do is to allow more people to feel God's mercy and love?"

"That's nonsense!" the ascetic monk cut me off without mercy. "How can you change God's will at will? You're deceiving yourself and others, and leading more people astray!"

"I don't want to change God's will. I just hope to spread God's teachings in a more gentle way." I patiently explained, "Does it mean that everyone must abandon everything in this world like you in order to gain God's approval?"

"Austerity is the only way to holiness!" The ascetic's voice became shrill. "You are defiling the sacred faith!"

I looked at him, and a deep sense of powerlessness welled up in my heart. I knew that someone as dogmatic as him would find it difficult to listen to any different voices.

But, I can't give up like this.

I took a deep breath and was about to speak, but his next words blocked my throat.

"If you truly have a heart for good, you should immediately stop this ridiculous reform and confess your sins to the gods!" He pointed at me, his tone stern, as if sentencing me to my crime, "Otherwise, you will be punished by the gods!"

His words pierced my heart like a sharp knife and aroused the stubbornness deep in my heart.

"I'm not wrong!" I looked him straight in the eye, my tone firm. "Everything I did was for this country, for the people of the world! If this is my sin, then I am willing to accept the punishment!"

After I said that, I ignored him and turned to walk down the platform.

The crowd automatically made way for a path, and every step I took felt incredibly heavy.

I know that this test of faith has just begun...

"Your Majesty..." Eunuch Li's voice sounded behind me, with a hint of worry and uneasiness, "Now, what should we do?"

I paused, looking up into the distance, speechless. It felt as if I stood at a crossroads of fate, the ascetic's words echoing in my ears. Those fanaticisms, those paranoias, were like invisible walls, separating him from me, and me from those incited believers. Eunuch Li's questioning brought me back to reality from my reverie. I looked into his anxious eyes, a mixture of emotions welling up inside me.

"Your Majesty..." He called me again, his tone full of worry.

I took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil within me. "Pass the word down. Tomorrow in the square in front of the temple, I will speak with the people." My tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable resolve.

Eunuch Li was stunned for a moment, seemingly having not expected me to make such a decision. "Your Majesty, this..." He hesitated, knowing that it was useless to dissuade me at this moment, and could only look at me with concern.

I understand his concerns. The ascetic's incitement has already driven some believers into fanaticism. Tomorrow's dialogue will undoubtedly be a huge challenge, and may even be dangerous. But I must do this. I must let the people understand that everything I do is not blasphemy against the gods, but to allow the light of faith to shine on more people.

Night fell, the stars twinkled, but I couldn't sleep. I stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the twinkling lights in the distance, my mind racing. The Reformation was a thorny path, and I was destined to blaze a trail, walking alone.

Just then, a carrier pigeon landed on the windowsill. I recognized it as Zhen Youcai's messenger. I quickly opened the mailbox and pulled out the letter. The handwriting was a bit messy, revealing the haste with which he wrote. He told me he had received news from the capital, knowing I was in trouble. He was deeply worried about me and was rushing back day and night.

My heart trembled slightly when I read the words "travel day and night". I seemed to see him galloping on his horse in that distant frontier for me, regardless of everything, just to be able to return to me as soon as possible.

A gentle smile appeared unconsciously on the corner of my mouth. It was great to have him around.

I put the letter down and looked out the window again, my mind already made up. Tomorrow, I would not only have a conversation with the people, but also prove to everyone my faith and my resolve!

The next day, at dawn, a large number of people had already gathered in the square in front of the temple. Some looked anxious, some with anticipation, and some with a blank expression, as if nothing had happened to them. I, dressed in plain clothes, slowly walked up to the platform, supported by a maid.

I glanced at the densely packed crowd below the stage, took a deep breath, and spoke slowly, "My people, I have come here today..." I glanced at the densely packed crowd below the stage, took a deep breath, and spoke slowly, "My people, I have come here today to have a heart-to-heart talk with you, to discuss our faith."

The audience suddenly became quiet, and everyone was looking at me with different expressions.

"I understand that my recent order to overhaul temples and lay off redundant monks has impacted the interests of some and caused some anxiety." My voice was low, but it reached everyone clearly. "Some say my actions are disrespectful, blasphemous, and will bring disaster. I want to ask: what is true faith? Is it blind devotion or sincere practice? Is it the pursuit of luxurious material enjoyment, or is it compassion and the salvation of all beings?"

My words echoed in the square, and a slight commotion began to appear among the crowd. I saw that some people's faces showed contemplation, while others still looked skeptical and dissatisfied.

"I've been frail and sickly since childhood. It was only thanks to the Buddha's blessing that I recovered." I paused, my tone becoming more sincere. "I never intended to blaspheme the gods. Everything I do is to restore faith to its true nature, so that more people can feel the gods' mercy and care."

My eyes fell on an old woman in the crowd. Her face was weathered, her hands were clasped together, and her eyes were pious and determined.

"Old man, do you think this is the truth?" I asked softly.

The old woman raised her head, her cloudy eyes fixed on me, and she slowly said, "I have lived for most of my life, experiencing war and famine. It is the Buddha who has given me hope to live. I believe that everything Your Majesty does is for the good of the people."

The old woman's words were like a stone dropped into a calm lake, stirring up ripples. Some in the crowd began to murmur, and some even nodded in agreement.

"But Your Majesty," a sharp voice suddenly rang out, interrupting the crowd's chatter. I looked in the direction of the voice and saw an ascetic monk stepping out from the crowd, pointing at me and shouting, "You've closed down temples and expelled monks, causing countless people to lose their homes and livelihoods. Have you ever considered their suffering and hardships?"

I looked at the ascetic monk with a calm and resolute gaze. "I have never considered displacing anyone. All dismissed monks will be properly resettled. I want to establish a purer, more devout faith, not a quagmire filled with greed and corruption!"

As soon as I finished speaking, the crowd erupted in thunderous applause. Tears welled up in many people's eyes. Moved by my sincerity and determination, they knelt on the ground, shouting, "Your Majesty is wise!"

I looked at the scene before me, feeling a mixture of emotions. I knew this was just the beginning, and there was still a long way to go. My gaze fell on a figure in a gray monk's robe at the edge of the crowd. Master Huineng clasped his hands together, his face calm, his emotions unremarkable...