From cute to empress

Chapter 126 New Challenges

The setting sun made the figures of Zhen Youcai and I appear particularly slender. This war-torn land finally welcomed a long-awaited tranquility, and the air was filled with the scent of hope.

"Look, the children are all laughing." I pointed to a place not far away where a group of children were chasing and playing, their silver bell-like laughter floating in the wind.

Zhen Youcai followed my gaze, a gentle smile playing on his lips, "Yes, thanks to you, they can have a happy childhood again."

These days, we've traveled to every corner of the border, rebuilding homes and comforting the people. Watching houses rise from the ground, watching lush green crops grow again in the fields, and watching people's faces filled with happy smiles, my heart is filled with a sense of accomplishment.

"Mengmeng, you are really a lucky star sent by God to us!" An old lady held my hand, tears flashing in her turbid eyes.

"Yes, Her Majesty the Empress and General Zhen are truly our adopted parents!" The people around echoed, their words full of gratitude and admiration.

Hearing these compliments, I'm overwhelmed with mixed emotions. I'm not from this world, but I've truly fallen in love with this land and its people. I'd give anything to protect their smiles.

"Mengmeng, what are you thinking about?" Zhen Youcai saw that I was distracted and gently held my hand.

"Nothing, I just feel like this is all a dream." I came back to my senses and looked into his deep eyes. "We really did it. We restored peace to the border."

"Yes, we did it." Zhen Youcai held me in his arms, his tone full of emotion, "Mengmeng, thank you, thank you for always being by my side."

I snuggled in his warm embrace, feeling an indescribable happiness. Just as I was about to confess everything to him, the sound of hurried horse hooves broke the momentary silence.

"Report——"

A soldier rode over, dismounted, and knelt on one knee, "Your Majesty, General Zhen, Minister Liu urgently requests an audience!"

"Minister Liu?" I felt a faint sense of unease rising in my heart. "He's not in the capital to handle government affairs. Why did he suddenly come to the border?"

"Let him in." Zhen Youcai said in a deep voice.

The soldier took the order and left. After a while, Minister Liu walked in quickly. His face looked a little solemn, and there were some beads of sweat on his forehead.

"Your humble servant greets Her Majesty the Empress, General Zhen!"

"Minister Liu, there's no need to be so polite. Please stand up quickly." I gestured for him to stand up. "I wonder what brings you here, Minister Liu?"

"Reporting to Her Majesty the Empress..." Minister Liu paused, his tone becoming somewhat hesitant, "Something happened in the capital..."

As soon as he finished speaking, I felt a chill rising from the soles of my feet and quickly spreading throughout my body.

"What happened?" Zhen Youcai asked with a hint of anxiety in his tone.

Minister Liu took a deep breath, lowered his voice, and slowly said, "Some mysterious figures have appeared in the capital recently. Their whereabouts are strange and their purpose is unknown..."

Before he could finish what he was saying, I interrupted him and said, "Let's go back to Beijing!"

"Some mysterious people have appeared in the capital recently?" My heart sank suddenly, and an ominous premonition came over me. "What do they look like? What have they done?"

Minister Liu wiped the sweat from his forehead and said solemnly, "Your Majesty, these mysterious individuals are dressed in black, wearing conical hats that conceal their faces, and their whereabouts are extremely secretive. They appear to be secretly investigating the defenses of the capital and have had contact with some officials..."

"Contacted with officials?" I frowned, my confusion growing even more intense. "Do you know which officials they were?"

"Well..." Minister Liu looked troubled. "Those officials acted cautiously. I haven't found the exact list of names yet."

"It seems this pool of water is deeper than we thought." I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. "Minister Liu, immediately send someone to closely monitor those suspicious individuals. Report to me immediately if you find anything."

"I obey your order!" Minister Liu bowed and accepted the order.

"Also," I paused and lowered my voice, "Don't make this matter public. Just investigate it secretly."

"Your Majesty, rest assured. I understand."

After Minister Liu left, I immediately summoned my confidants, informed them of the matter, and ordered them to investigate secretly.

In the capital, my territory, there are people who dare to play tricks under my nose. I want to see who they are!

In the past few days, the atmosphere in the capital has become noticeably tense, and my heart feels like a taut string, unable to relax for a moment.

"Mengmeng, you haven't slept well for several days. How can you continue like this?" Zhen Youcai looked at my increasingly haggard face and felt distressed. "How about I send someone to check it out? You can rest assured."

I shook my head. "No, you have more important things to do. Although the border has been pacified, we can't let our guard down. You should return as soon as possible to comfort the people and strengthen the border defenses."

"But……"

"No, but," I interrupted him. "Are you still worried about me? This little thing can't be a problem for me."

Zhen Youcai couldn't persuade me, so he had to agree. After sending him away, I locked myself in the study and carefully studied the intelligence sent by Minister Liu, trying to find some clues.

However, those mysterious people seemed to have been prepared. They were very careful every time they appeared and did not leave any valuable clues.

Just when I was at a loss, news came from Zhen Youcai that he had spotted a suspicious figure while on patrol. He chased after him but found that the man had extraordinary martial arts skills and disappeared without a trace in an instant.

"Could it be..." I stood up suddenly, a bad premonition coming over me, "Are they in the same group?"

My eyes fell on the map. The capital and the border, these two places echoed each other from afar. Could it be... this is a conspiracy against me?

"Someone come here!" I shouted in a deep voice.

"What does Your Majesty want?" The guard came in immediately.

"Pass the order down and strengthen the guard of the capital. No one is allowed to enter or leave without my order!"

"Yes!" The guard took the order and left. My eyes fell on the map again, and a sharp light flashed in my eyes.

This time, I will not let anyone hurt my country, my people, and... my lover.

In the bedroom, flickering candlelight illuminated the table covered with memorials and maps. I rubbed my aching forehead. Zhen Youcai's letter lay spread out on the table. His handwriting was still as powerful as ever, yet it couldn't hide his fatigue. The fighting at the border had just subsided, and yet the capital was in turmoil again. What were the origins of these men in black? My mind was filled with doubts.

"Your Majesty, it's time to rest." The personal maid advised softly.

"It's okay, I can still hold on." I waved my hands and forced myself to cheer up.

At this moment, a secret guard appeared silently in front of me and knelt on one knee. "Your Majesty, a secret letter has been delivered."

My heart tightened as I took the letter handed to me by the secret guard. There was only a simple word "Niu" written on it. The handwriting was sharp and exuded a cold air.

"Do you know who sent it?" I asked, gently stroking the handwriting on the envelope with my fingertips.

"I am incompetent. The messenger was extremely cautious and failed to find any clues." The secret guard said with a guilty tone.

I waved my hand, signaling him to leave, and opened the envelope myself. There was only one line of small words written on the letter paper, but it sounded like a thunderclap, exploding in my ears:

"If you want to find the truth, come to the mass graves in the western suburbs."

"Mass grave..." I muttered to myself, a chill running up from my feet to my heart, my fingers trembling slightly as I gripped the letter. The mass grave was desolate and remote, filled with a heavy, gloomy atmosphere. Who on earth would choose to deliver a message in such a place? Could it be...

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. My intuition told me that this letter was related to those mysterious men in black and the truth I was desperately pursuing.

"Someone come here!" I shouted in a deep voice.

A moment later, my trusted guard appeared in front of me, "Pass the order down, block the news, strengthen the guards in the palace, and no one is allowed to approach without my order!"

"Yes!" The guard took the order and left.

I turned to look at Zhen Youcai, who had been silent the whole time. His deep eyes gleamed with determination. "Youcai, let's go together."

Zhen Youcai didn't say anything, just nodded firmly and held my hand.

The night was as dark as ink, the cold wind howled, and Zhen Youcai and I, along with a few trusted men, galloped towards the mass grave outside the city...

The letter slipped lightly from his fingers, swirled across the table, and finally landed beside the detailed map of the border defenses. The two disparate objects seemed now bound together by an invisible thread, foreshadowing a tense atmosphere of impending storm.

"Mass grave..."

I murmured, my mind racing to that desolate place. Overgrown with weeds, piled with graves, the wailing crows circling in the gloomy sky. The mere thought of it gave me chills. Who on earth would choose to deliver a message in a place like that?

"It seems the intentions of those men in black aren't simple." Zhen Youcai's voice brought me back to reality. His slender fingers tapped lightly on the table, making a dull sound that, time and again, struck at my heart.

I looked up at him. In the candlelight, his sharp-edged face looked particularly stern, and his deep eyes sparkled with wisdom. "Do you also think that this matter is related to the truth I'm looking for?"

"Almost certainly." Zhen Youcai didn't answer directly. Instead, he picked up the letter from the table and examined it carefully. "The handwriting is vigorous and powerful, with sharp strokes. It's definitely not the work of an ordinary person. Moreover, the messenger deliberately avoided all eyes and ears, only delivering the message to you. Obviously, they know your identity and that you have been investigating the events of that year."

His analysis was logical and reasonable, only intensifying my unease. Back then, I accidentally traveled to this strange world and became the unfavored daughter of the Prime Minister's family. To survive and uncover the truth behind my parents' murder, I carefully navigated every situation and ultimately ascended the throne of Empress.

Yet, the truth remains a mystery, shrouding me like a fog. Who are those men in black, those enemies hiding in the shadows? What is their purpose?

"No matter what, we have to meet this mysterious man." I took a deep breath and spoke in a firm tone.

"I'll go with you." Zhen Youcai held my hand. His hand was warm and strong, giving me unlimited strength.

"No, you just came back from the border and need to have a good rest. Besides, the capital city cannot be without you." I shook my head and rejected his proposal.

"No buts." I interrupted him, my tone leaving no room for doubt. "I've already decided. You stay in the capital, protect yourself, and protect our people."

Zhen Youcai wanted to say something, but he remained silent. He knew that my decision would not change easily.

I stood up, walked to the window, opened it, looked at the bright moon in the night sky, and my mind was full of thoughts.

The wind and clouds are rising, and a bigger storm is coming...

"Come here, tell Minister Liu..."