From cute to empress

"General Zhen..." I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "Pass the order down. Summon all... all the best scholars and craftsmen to meet me at the palace!"

Although General Zhen was also nervous, he immediately obeyed the order and left. I cast my gaze towards the sky again. The halos were getting closer and closer, as if they would devour us in the next second. Fear wrapped around my heart like a vine, but I told myself not to panic. I am the ruler of a country and I am responsible for my people!

In less than an hour, a group of people gathered in the palace hall. Among them were elderly scholars and young craftsmen, but without exception, their faces were filled with worry and anxiety.

"My dear friends," I said in a calm voice, "I know everyone is scared, but please believe me, I will do my best to protect everyone's safety!"

I paused, my gaze sweeping across the crowd. "Now, I need your wisdom and strength! I'm setting up a special team to study these celestial anomalies and find a solution!"

My eyes fell on the meteorologist. "You will be the leader of this team, responsible for coordinating resources from all parties. Make sure you find a response plan as soon as possible!"

The meteorologist knelt hurriedly, "Your Majesty...Your Majesty obeys your command!"

In the following days, I almost turned down all government affairs and devoted myself to the work of this special group. I gathered the best scholars and craftsmen in the country, provided them with the best research conditions, encouraged them to put forward bold ideas, and did my best to meet their needs.

"Your Majesty, we've discovered that the energy source of these halos seems to be the sun!" A young scholar excitedly reported to me, "If we can find a way to collect this energy and utilize it..."

"Your Majesty, we can use wind power to generate electricity!" Another craftsman also proposed his own idea, "We can build a huge windmill to convert wind energy into..."

I listened carefully to every one of their ideas. Although many of them seemed far-fetched, I still encouraged them to continue exploring because I knew that only by constantly trying could we find solutions to the problems.

However, as time went on, I gradually realized that this crisis was far more complicated than I had imagined. Although the energy of those halos was powerful, it was difficult to control. The slightest mistake could cause huge damage.

"Your Majesty, please take a look at this..." One evening, the meteorologist came to my bedroom with a serious expression, holding a report. "This is our deduction based on the latest data. If we can't find a solution within a month..."

He didn't say anything more, but I understood what he meant. One month, we only have one month left...

One month, just one month, vanished like grains of sand in a dripping water clock, yet I felt an unprecedented pressure. The weather officer's report weighed on my chest like a boulder, suffocating me. Those wild ideas, those hopeful plans, became fragile and powerless in the face of reality.

First, there was the issue of funding. The treasury was empty, far from sufficient to support such a massive research project. Secondly, there was the technical bottleneck. Many of the concepts were too advanced to be realized with current technology. Even more problematic was the pressure of public opinion. The people were filled with fear of the halos, believing them to be punishment from heaven. Some even began to spread rumors, claiming that my poor governance had led to this disaster.

"Your Majesty, please don't worry too much." Zhen Youcai held my hand. His palm was warm and strong, which gave me great comfort. "We can definitely find a solution."

"But..." I looked at him, my eyes full of anxiety, "time is running out."

"Believe in me, and believe in them too." Zhen Youcai pointed to the scholars and craftsmen busy at work in the distance. "They are the smartest and most hardworking people in this country. As long as we work together, we will definitely be able to overcome this difficulty!"

His words were firm and powerful, like a shot in the arm, rekindling my hope. Yes, I can't just give up like this. I still have responsibilities and hope!

So, Zhen Youcai and I began traveling extensively. We personally visited various places, visiting wealthy businessmen and tycoons, appealing to their needs with both reason and emotion to secure funding and resources for the research team. We also reached out to the people, communicating face-to-face with them, explaining the causes of the unusual celestial phenomena, reassuring their concerns, and urging everyone to unite and overcome these difficult times.

"Your Majesty, do you really believe that those scholars and craftsmen can solve this crisis?" One night, I leaned tiredly on Zhen Youcai's shoulder and asked in a low voice.

"I believe in them, and I believe in you, too." Zhen Youcai gently stroked my hair. "You are the hope of this country and their backbone. As long as you don't give up, they will definitely not give up."

His words warmed my heart like a spring breeze and strengthened my faith. I took a deep breath and looked out the window at the sky. The halos were still flickering, but my heart was no longer filled with fear, but with hope and determination.

"Your Majesty, look!" One day, the meteorologist rushed into my bedroom with an expression of unconcealed excitement on his face. "Look, what is this?"

He opened his palm, and a small black cube lay quietly there, gleaming with a strange light in the sunlight...

The meteorologist's voice trembled with excitement as he held the black cube in his hands, presenting it to me like a treasure. "Your Majesty, this is the Ministry of Industry's latest high-energy compressed solar panel! Look, it's only the size of your palm, yet it can provide solar energy equivalent to several times the area of ​​previous solar panels! It's a miracle!"

I took the warm black cube and examined it carefully. It was smooth, heavy in the hand, and exuded a faint metallic scent. I had never seen anything so miraculous, and an indescribable excitement welled up within me. This tiny cube seemed to symbolize hope, a sign that we were inching closer to victory.

"Great!" I turned to look at Zhen Youcai, who was also staring at the black square with a burning gaze, his eyes full of joy. "This is a good omen, right?"

Zhen Youcai nodded solemnly. "This is the result of everyone's hard work and wisdom! Your Majesty, you said that the light of science will eventually illuminate the darkness. Now it seems that we have found the first ray of light!"

In the days that followed, good news poured in. The Ministry of Industry, building on its high-energy compressed solar panels, had developed a series of highly efficient, energy-saving equipment, significantly alleviating the energy crisis. Researchers at the Ministry of Agriculture were studying how to exploit new light conditions to cultivate crops with higher yields and greater resilience. The entire country seemed to be brimming with new life, and the anxiety on people's faces gradually dissipated, replaced by hope and confidence.

However, just when we thought victory was in sight, a sudden piece of news came like a bolt from the blue, plunging us into the abyss.

"Your Majesty, this is bad!" The meteorologist rushed into the imperial study in a panic, his face pale and his voice trembling. "Something's wrong! Our experimental data... our experimental data may have a major deviation!"

My heart sank suddenly, and a sense of foreboding came over me. "What? What's going on? Explain yourself!"

The meteorologist took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. "When we were sorting through the previous experimental data, we discovered that some key indicators had errors in their recordings. These errors may even be magnified, rendering many of our previous inferences and conclusions untenable..."

His voice grew fainter, and my heart sank deeper. Zhen Youcai grabbed the meteorologist's shoulder and asked anxiously, "Is the problem serious? Will it affect our previous research direction?"

The meteorologist nodded solemnly. "It's very likely... We need to re-check all the data and re-evaluate our research direction..."

Zhen Youcai and I exchanged glances, each seeing a heavy, worried look in the other's eyes. We immediately rushed to the Royal Academy of Sciences. Inside the laboratory, scholars gathered around a pile of data and charts, their brows furrowed, and the atmosphere was terribly oppressive.

"What's the situation now?" I asked in a low voice, suppressing the uneasiness in my heart.

A gray-haired scholar looked up, his face filled with fatigue and frustration. "Your Majesty, the situation is worse than we expected. Previous errors have led to a deviation in our judgment of the energy properties of the 'halo'. Now we can't even be sure..."

He suddenly stopped, hesitating to speak.

"Unsure of what?" I asked, with a sense of foreboding in my heart.

The scholar took a deep breath and said slowly, "We can't be sure whether the 'halo' is an opportunity or..."

"...It's still a disaster." The scholar finally finished his words, and the entire laboratory seemed to fall into silence.

disaster.

This word weighed heavily on my heart like a huge rock, making it almost impossible to breathe. We had spent years and countless efforts on this project, but was the final result a disaster?

"How could this happen..." I muttered to myself. The data and charts in front of me became blurred. I felt dizzy and almost couldn't stand.

"Mengmeng!" Zhen Youcai held me tightly, his eyes filled with worry, but he quickly regained his composure and asked in a deep voice, "Is there any chance of redemption?"

The scholar shook his head, then nodded. "It's hard to say right now. The energy fluctuations of the 'halo' are extremely complex, and our previous understanding of it may be too one-sided. We need more data and more in-depth research to finally determine its true nature."

"How long will it take?" Zhen Youcai asked.

"This..." The scholar hesitated, "It's hard to say for sure. Maybe a few months, maybe a few years, maybe..."

"No more maybes!" I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down. "We're running out of time. The weather officer said the energy fluctuations of the 'halo' are getting more and more intense. We must find a solution as soon as possible!"

I looked around and saw that the scholars in the laboratory were all silent. Their faces were filled with fatigue and confusion, but more of a determination.

I know that they, like me, are burdened with enormous pressure and responsibility.

"Everyone," I said in a deep voice, "I know the current situation is dire, but we can't give up hope. The emergence of 'Halo' is both a challenge and an opportunity. I believe that as long as we unite and work hard, we will find a way to overcome this difficulty!"

Although my voice was not loud, it was full of power. The scholars in the laboratory raised their heads and the light of hope rekindled in their eyes.

"Your Majesty is right, we can't give up!"

"The power of science will ultimately prevail over everything!"

“Let’s work together to find a solution to the problem!”

Scholars have expressed their opinions one after another, and their voices, though tired, are full of power.

Looking at them, I felt a surge of warmth in my heart. I knew that I was not fighting alone, that I had their support and the support of the entire country.

"Okay!" I nodded vigorously. "I believe we can overcome this crisis!"

In the following days, Zhen Youcai and I spent almost all our time in the lab, working with scholars to study data, analyze problems, and find solutions.

However, the energy fluctuations of the "halo" are becoming more and more intense, and the situation we face is becoming more and more serious.

On this day, I was studying a latest experimental report with Zhen Youcai. Suddenly, the alarm in the laboratory sounded loudly and the entire ground shook violently.

"What's going on?" I exclaimed and quickly grabbed the table to steady myself.

"I don't know!" Zhen Youcai's expression became very serious. "It seems like there was an earthquake!"

We hurried to the window and saw a huge ball of red light rising into the sky in the distance, dyeing the entire sky blood red.

"That is..." My heart sank suddenly and an ominous premonition came over me.

Before I could react, a huge shock wave came from a distance and knocked us to the ground.

When I opened my eyes again, I found that Zhen Youcai and I were buried in the ruins of the laboratory.

We struggled to climb out of the rubble and were stunned by the scene before us.

The entire Royal Academy of Sciences has become a ruin, with broken walls and thick smoke everywhere.

"Your Majesty! General!"

"Is there anyone?"

I heard shouts in the distance, and my heart tightened. I hurriedly ran towards the direction of the sound with Zhen Youcai.

"There's someone here! Come and help!"

We soon found a group of survivors. They were all frightened by the sudden disaster. They were panicked and at a loss.

"Everyone, don't panic. We're organizing a rescue right now!" I shouted, trying to stay calm. "Gather the injured in a safe place first. Everyone else, follow me and save them together!"

Under our organization, the rescue work was carried out quickly. However, as time went on, my heart became heavier.

Because we are finding fewer and fewer survivors, while the number of casualties is increasing.

Just then, I suddenly heard a faint crying sound coming from not far away.

"Someone! There!"

I looked in the direction of the sound and saw a little girl curled up in a corner of a pile of ruins. Her eyes were empty and her body was trembling. She was obviously extremely frightened.

I ran over and carried her out of the rubble.

"Don't be afraid, child, it's okay..."

I gently patted her back, trying to comfort her, but at that moment, I suddenly felt that her body was unusually cold...