From cute to empress

Thick smoke billowed from the Cining Palace, and flames shot up into the sky, illuminating half the sky red. My heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, and breathing became difficult. Xiaotao! She must still be in there!

I rushed towards the sea of ​​fire like crazy, but was stopped by Zhen Youcai. "Madam, it's dangerous!" he shouted anxiously, "The fire is too big, you can't go in!"

"Let me go! Xiaotao is still inside!" I struggled, my eyes blurred with tears.

"My Lady, please calm down!" Zhen Youcai hugged me tightly, not letting me get close to the sea of ​​fire. "I've already sent people to rescue Xiaotao. Please trust me!"

His voice was firm and powerful, carrying a reassuring force. I gradually calmed down and slumped weakly on the firelit path to the palace, praying that Xiaotao would be safe.

The fire wasn't put out until late at night, and the Cining Palace was reduced to ruins. Tragically, Xiaotao ultimately didn't survive the catastrophe; her body was found in the rubble, charred beyond recognition.

I clutched the jade pendant Xiaotao had left behind, tears streaming down my face. Why? Why did they do this to her? She was just a loyal servant!

Zhen Youcai stood beside me, gently holding my shoulders and silently comforting me. I knew that he was as sad and angry as I was.

"What does Xiaotao mean?" I looked up at Zhen Youcai, my eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment. "Who is she saying is responsible for all this?"

Zhen Youcai's expression also grew solemn. He pondered for a moment and said, "My Lady, do you still remember those clues we found earlier? Everything points to one person..."

I was startled, and a terrible thought flashed through my mind. "You mean... the Queen Mother?"

Zhen Youcai nodded and said solemnly, "Apart from her, I can't think of anyone else who has such motivation and ability."

We all know that the Queen Mother has always regarded me as a thorn in her side and wants to get rid of me as soon as possible. Xiao Tao, as the person closest to me, naturally became her target.

"I can't just sit there and wait for death!" I stood up suddenly, a determined light flashing in my eyes, "I must expose her true face and avenge Xiao Tao!"

Zhen Youcai also stood up, shook my hand, and said firmly: "Don't worry, your Majesty, I will definitely assist you with all my strength!"

We immediately went to the palace to meet the eldest prince and told him everything. The eldest prince was shocked after hearing it. He never thought that his mother would be the mastermind behind it.

"Brother, please believe me!" I knelt before the eldest prince and pleaded, "Everything I said is true! The Queen Mother...she is no longer your mother!"

The eldest prince looked at me, then at Zhen Youcai, his eyes filled with struggle and pain. He knew that if what I said was true, he would be faced with an extremely difficult choice.

"I...I believe you." After a long moment, the eldest prince finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse. "I will definitely give you an explanation."

I was delighted, knowing that we had finally won the support of the Crown Prince. With his help, we could give it a try!

We made a detailed plan and decided to expose her true identity at the Queen Mother's birthday banquet and take her down in one fell swoop.

However, just as we were about to take action...

"Your Majesty, something bad has happened! Outside the palace... outside the palace, an army has suddenly appeared!" "Your Majesty, something bad has happened! Outside the palace... outside the palace, an army has suddenly appeared!"

The guard's voice exploded in my ears like thunder. I stood up suddenly, my heart tightening. An army suddenly appeared outside the palace? Could it be...

"How many people are there? Do you know where these soldiers are from?" Zhen Youcai asked in a deep voice, his brows full of solemnity.

"Commander, there are a large number of them, at least 50,000, and they are fighting..." The guard hesitated, a hint of disbelief in his voice, "Under the banner of Prince Jing!"

Prince Jing! I gasped. Wasn't he demoted to a commoner and exiled to the frontier by the late emperor ten years ago? How could he suddenly appear here? Could it be...

"It seems that our Queen Mother is really omnipotent." Zhen Youcai sneered, with a cold light flashing in his eyes.

"You mean, this army is the Queen Mother..." I covered my mouth in disbelief, and a deep chill surged in my heart.

"Besides her, I can't think of anyone else who has this ability." Zhen Youcai said with certainty, "It seems that she wants to kill them all and put an end to the trouble forever."

At this moment, a man in black appeared silently in front of us. He wore a hideous ghost mask on his face and said in a low and hoarse voice: "Empress, Commander of the Imperial Guards, how are you?"

"It's you!" Zhen Youcai and I exclaimed in unison. We were not unfamiliar with this mysterious man. It was he who had previously sent us many secret letters containing evidence of the Empress Dowager's crimes.

"Yes, it's me." The man in black smiled slightly, but his tone was filled with a chilling chill. "I've come this time to give you two a great gift."

As he spoke, he pulled out a delicate metal tube from his bosom and pointed it at us: "This 'Skyfire Thunder' is powerful enough to raze the entire imperial palace to the ground. If you two insist on becoming enemies with the Queen Mother, then..."

He paused, his tone full of threats: "Don't blame me for being rude."

Zhen Youcai and I exchanged glances, each seeing a look of determination in the other's eyes. Heavenly Fire Thunder? Ha, even if he truly could destroy the entire palace, we wouldn't compromise!

I took a deep breath and was about to speak when I saw Zhen Youcai suddenly draw his sword and point it at the man in black...

"Do you think you can scare us like this?" Zhen Youcai's voice was as cold as ice, and he pointed the sword straight at the black-clad man's throat without a tremor. I saw that his fingers on the hilt were slightly white from the force, but the determination in his eyes was as unshakable as a rock.

"Justice may be late, but it will never be absent." I took over Zhen Youcai's words, my tone calm but firm, "Do you think you can make us surrender by using such despicable means? You are wrong! We will never bow to evil forces!"

The man in black seemed intimidated by our aura. He froze for a moment, then sneered, "Alright, very good! Since you won't accept my toast, don't blame me for being rude!"

"Then come on!" Zhen Youcai roared, and with a flash of his sword, he went straight for the man in black's face. The man in black obviously didn't expect Zhen Youcai to suddenly attack, and he retreated in a hurry, and the "Sky Fire Thunder" in his hand fell to the ground.

I was quick-eyed and quick-handed, and kicked the "Sky Fire Thunder" into the air. There was a loud "bang", flames shot up into the sky, and the entire palace was illuminated.

"Protect the Emperor!" Zhen Youcai roared, rushing out first. I followed closely behind, and together with the imperial guards, we surrounded the eldest prince, keeping a vigilant eye on our surroundings.

The decisive battle is about to begin!

……

It was late at night. On the roof of the imperial palace, Zhen Youcai and I stood side by side, gazing at the starry sky.

"What will happen tomorrow?" I asked softly, with a hint of uneasiness in my tone.

Zhen Youcai held my hand. His hand was warm and strong, as if it could dispel all the fear in my heart: "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

I raised my head and looked into his eyes. His gaze was firm and gentle, as if telling me that no matter what happened, he would be by my side.

"Yeah." I nodded, my heart filled with strength.

"Look, it's almost dawn." Zhen Youcai suddenly pointed to the east and said.

I followed his gaze and saw a hint of dawn in the east, indicating a new day was about to arrive.

"Yeah, it's almost dawn," I muttered to myself, a surge of ambition suddenly rising in my heart. "Are we ready?"

Zhen Youcai didn't say anything, but just held my hand tightly. His eyes said it all...

Suddenly, a horn sounded in the distance, breaking the tranquility of dawn and marking the beginning of the decisive battle...

The blast of a horn echoed throughout the palace, awakening the slumbering inner chambers. I donned my armor, grasped the Emperor's Sword, and a sense of unprecedented majesty rose from my heart. Standing before the bronze mirror, I could hardly believe the figure in the mirror, with its steely gaze and heroic bearing, was myself.

"Mengmeng, are you ready?" Zhen Youcai, dressed in military uniform, pushed the door open and walked in. His face was a bit solemn, but he could not hide the worry in his eyes.

I took a deep breath, suppressed all my anxiety and fear, turned to him and gave him a confident smile: "Of course, it's time for us to go on stage."

Outside the palace, shouts of murder shook the heavens, and flames shot up into the sky, illuminating half the sky red. Zhen Youcai and I stood side by side on a high platform, overlooking the chaotic battlefield. The rebels poured into the palace like a tide, but were unable to advance a single step before the stubborn resistance of the imperial guards.

"Your Majesty, Princess Zhao wants to see you!" A little palace maid came running over to report in a panic.

"Let her in." My heart sank suddenly and a bad premonition came over me.

Princess Zhao was pale, her hair disheveled, and her clothes stained with blood, clearly having endured a tough battle. Her knees buckled as she was about to kneel, but I held her back.

"Princess, there's no need to be so polite. What's the situation now?" I asked anxiously.

Princess Zhao took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. "Your Majesty, the rebels are strong and the city gates have been lost. We...we can't hold on any longer!"

My heart sank. It seemed that this rebellion was more serious than I had imagined.

"Commander Zhen, pass the order down. We must defend the palace to the death. Anyone who disobeys the order will be executed!" I drew the Emperor's Sword and pointed it forward. My tone was sharp and unquestionable.

"As you command!" Zhen Youcai took the order and left. Soon, my order spread throughout the battlefield. The imperial guards' morale was boosted, and like a tiger descending from a mountain, they pushed the rebels back several steps.

However, at this moment, a figure wearing a black cloak and with an unclear face suddenly appeared in the center of the battlefield. He held a long sword emitting a faint light in his hand. With just a swing of his sword, dozens of imperial guards fell in a pool of blood.

"It's... it's him!" Princess Zhao pointed at the shadow and said in horror, "He's the Imperial Preceptor... No, he's the mastermind behind the Imperial Preceptor's manipulation!"

I gripped the Emperor's Sword tightly in my hand, a chill running from my feet straight into my heart. Today, either he dies or I die...