From cute to empress

The conspiracy of Concubine Feng and Eunuch Xu was completely shattered, and those who had been wrongly accused were vindicated. Youcai and I were finally vindicated before everyone. The Emperor was delighted and held a grand celebration for me, with officials congratulating us and the people praising us. This honor was so hard-earned.

"Your Majesty, you are now firmly seated on the throne of empress." Zhen Youcai stood beside me, the afterglow of the setting sun shining on his profile, making him look even more handsome and tall.

I sighed softly, gazing at the golden glazed tiles on the distant palace eaves, gleaming dazzlingly in the setting sun. "This harem, and indeed the entire imperial court, is not a peaceful place. Although Concubine Feng's faction has fallen, there's no guarantee that there won't be those who harbor ulterior motives and seek to replace them."

Zhen Youcai smiled faintly, his deep eyes reflecting my figure. "Yes, because the dark clouds have dispersed, Your Majesty can finally let go of everything and enjoy the bright sunshine." He paused, a hint of worry in his tone, "However, those who once relied on Concubine Feng have now lost their backing. It is inevitable that they will panic and move around, looking for new shelter."

I understood what he meant. The world is full of people who will do anything for power and gain. I gently held his hand and gave him a resolute look. "Don't worry, Youcai. We've been through so much. We're no longer the naive teenagers we once were. We'll face whatever lies ahead, no matter what conspiracies await us. We'll face them together."

Zhen Youcai took my hand in his. His palm was warm and dry, as if giving me infinite strength. He looked at me with gentle eyes: "My queen, no matter what happens, I will always stand by your side and protect you."

I gave him a reassuring smile, and we continued strolling through the Imperial Garden, enjoying this rare peace. Birds sang in the branches, the fragrance of flowers filled the air, and everything seemed so beautiful.

However, at this moment, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a furtive figure flash by behind the rockery not far away. I stopped and stared sharply in that direction, but the person had disappeared.

"What's wrong, Your Majesty?" Zhen Youcai noticed something was wrong with me and asked with concern.

I shook my head and said, "It's nothing, maybe I saw it wrong." Although I said this, I felt vaguely uneasy in my heart, as if something was about to happen.

Over the next few days, the palace appeared calm on the surface, but undercurrents were stirring. I noticed that some officials who had previously had close ties with Concubine Feng began frequently visiting other concubines. Some even tried to get close to me, bringing me all sorts of rare treasures and showering me with flattery.

Of course I knew these people were simply trying to find a reliable backer in the new round of power struggles. Outwardly, I remained calm, but secretly, I had my secret guards closely monitor their movements to see what they were up to.

One day, I was admiring the flowers in the Imperial Garden when I heard hurried footsteps. I looked up and saw Princess Zhao approaching me in a hurry. She usually had a smile on her face, but today her brow was furrowed, as if she were deeply troubled.

"Princess, what happened?" I put down the teacup in my hand and asked.

Princess Zhao lowered her voice and said solemnly, "Your Majesty, I accidentally heard in the Imperial Garden today..." She paused, glanced around, then leaned close to my ear and whispered, "...someone is trying to harm you..."

Princess Zhao's words resonated like thunder in my ears. I suppressed my shock and asked calmly, "Princess, could you please elaborate a little more? Who is trying to harm me?"

Princess Zhao bit her lip and hesitated for a moment before saying, "I didn't hear it clearly either. I just vaguely heard them saying... that they wanted to take advantage of the emperor's birthday..." She didn't say anything else, but I knew what she meant.

The Emperor's birthday is approaching, and envoys from all over the world will be coming to pay their respects. If something unexpected were to happen then, the consequences would be disastrous. My heart sank, and a chill ran from the soles of my feet straight into my heart.

"Your Majesty, you must be careful!" Princess Zhao held my hand and said with a worried look on her face.

I held her hand in return and gave her a reassuring look: "Thank you, Princess, for your reminder. I will keep an eye on it."

After Princess Zhao left, I immediately sent someone to fetch Zhen Youcai. After listening to my story, Zhen Youcai's expression became serious.

"It seems those people can no longer hold back," he said in a deep voice. "They want to take advantage of the Emperor's birthday to create chaos and seize the opportunity to seek greater benefits."

I nodded and asked, "In your opinion, how should we deal with this?"

Zhen Youcai pondered for a moment and said, "Instead of sitting back and waiting for death, it's better to take the initiative. We now hold the initiative and can use this time to divide and disintegrate the hostile forces so that they can't join forces to cause chaos."

I nodded in agreement. We've been too passive all along, always letting those conspiracies and schemes lead us astray. This time, we must seize the initiative and not let them succeed again!

"I plan to..." I told Zhen Youcai my plan in detail. After listening, he nodded in appreciation and said, "Your Majesty is wise. I will arrange it right away."

Over the next few days, we began to take action. Zhen Youcai used his influence within the imperial guards to secretly investigate the movements of those suspicious officials and sent people to secretly monitor their actions. At the same time, I also began to win over some loyal court officials, hoping to gain their support.

I know this struggle will be brutal, and the slightest misstep will lead to ruin. But I have no way out. To protect myself, the Emperor, and this country, I must fight with all my might!

In order to ease the tension and test the true intentions of those people, we decided to hold a banquet in the palace and invite all officials to attend...

"Your Majesty, everything is ready." Zhen Youcai walked to my side and whispered.

I nodded, took a deep breath, slowly stood up, and walked towards the banquet. A faint smile played on my face, but my heart was incredibly determined. I knew that tonight would be a war without the smoke of gunpowder...

That evening, the palace was ablaze with lights, filled with elegantly dressed people, and a lively atmosphere. Dressed in a gorgeous palace dress and a phoenix crown, I gracefully entered the banquet hall, accompanied by Zhen Youcai. I wore a proper smile, scanning the faces, some sincere and some false, but my heart remained clear.

The joyful singing and dancing, the delicious food and wine, seemed to have truly diluted the tense atmosphere. As I exchanged pleasantries with the officials around me, I quietly observed their expressions and demeanor. After Concubine Feng and Eunuch Xu were brought to justice, the power dynamics at court had subtly shifted. Some officials who had previously been attached to them were now feeling uneasy, while others who had remained neutral began to actively court me.

Halfway through the banquet, I raised the golden wine cup and signaled for silence. For a moment, the once bustling hall fell silent, and everyone's eyes were focused on me.

"My dear ministers," I cleared my throat, my voice clear and firm, "I am holding a banquet today to celebrate the prosperity and peace of our Great Zhou. Secondly, I would like to take this opportunity to discuss state affairs and the future with you all."

I slowly scanned the crowd, speaking with a sincere and earnest tone, "Our Great Zhou's current prosperity is inseparable from the loyal assistance of all present here. However, in recent years, factional strife within the court has intensified, with some even willingly harming national interests for personal gain. This truly pains me deeply!"

As soon as I finished speaking, a burst of whispers suddenly broke out in the originally silent hall. I knew that my words had touched a nerve with some people.

I ignored the chatter and continued, "I know full well that water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. When the ruler and his subjects are united, the country will be peaceful and prosperous; when they are disunited, the country will fall apart! Today, I implore you all to put aside your prejudices, unite as one, and work together for the future of our Great Zhou!"

My words were so heartfelt and moving that some veteran officials were moved to tears and stood up to express their loyalty to me.

I watched the scene with satisfaction, secretly breathing a sigh of relief. I knew that tonight's banquet had achieved the desired effect. However, just when I thought everything was going in the right direction, something unexpected happened...

"It's on fire! Help!" A cry of alarm broke the original harmony of the banquet...

That scream was like a drop of cold water dropped into a cauldron of boiling oil, and the entire banquet hall erupted in flames. I was startled, but before I could react, several eunuchs rushed in from the doorway, fell to their knees, and shouted in trembling voices, "Oh no! There's a fire! The Kunning Palace is on fire!"

Kunning Palace is my bedroom! I suddenly felt the blood rushing to my head, and a surge of rage burned in my heart. Who is it? Who is so bold as to set fire to my bedroom?! Is he planning to assassinate me during this chaotic situation?

Zhen Youcai was right next to me. He reacted quickly, grabbed the eunuch who reported the fire by the collar, and asked sternly, "How serious is the fire? Are there any casualties?"

The eunuch turned pale with fear and stammered, "Reply...Reply to the commander, the fire...the fire is huge, it has already...it has already burned into the main hall! I...I don't know if...if anyone..."

"Damn it!" Zhen Youcai threw him away and turned to me, saying, "Your Majesty, please follow me to a safe place first. I will handle this!"

I suppressed the anger in my heart, took a deep breath, nodded and said, "Okay, Youcai, you have to be careful!" After that, I hurriedly left the banquet hall under the protection of Zhen Youcai and several palace maids.

All the way, I could hear panicked shouts and the clatter of footsteps behind me. Flames shot up into the sky, illuminating half the sky red. Thick smoke billowed, carrying a suffocating smell of burning. My heart beat faster and faster, and a sense of foreboding washed over me.

Who was it? Who exactly? Why did they set fire to Kunning Palace? Was it really meant for me? Countless thoughts flashed through my mind, but I couldn't make any sense of it.

"My lady, be careful!"

The exclamation brought me back to reality. A dark figure rushed out from the side, heading straight for me. Before I could react, Zhen Youcai grabbed me from behind. He drew his sword from his waist, a flash of cold light, and with a clang, a dagger fell to the ground.

"Protect the queen!" Zhen Youcai roared, shielding me behind him and fighting with the assassin...