From cute to empress

The guard's words resonated like a thunderclap in the Golden Throne Hall. My heart sank, and a sense of foreboding washed over me. The rebels had escaped? How could it be possible? They were clearly surrounded in the mines, how could they have vanished out of thin air?

"What do those runes look like?" Zhen Youcai, who had been silent all this time, suddenly asked with a hint of solemnity in his tone.

The guard tried to recall, describing it tremblingly: "Reporting... Reporting to the commander, those runes... have strange shapes, like some kind of ancient writing, I have never seen them before..."

"Ancient text..." I muttered to myself, and suddenly a flash of inspiration came to my mind, "Oh no! It's the teleportation array! They must have activated the teleportation array and escaped!"

My words caused everyone present to gasp. A teleportation array, something only seen in legends, actually existed? Furthermore, the rebels had mastered this incredible power!

"Your Majesty, there is no time to lose. We must find their traces as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable!" Zhen Youcai's tone was full of anxiety.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down. Panic wouldn't solve anything. The most important thing now was to figure out where the rebels had fled to and who was behind them.

"Pass on my order, immediately summon the talented people from all over the country to search for the whereabouts of the rebels, especially those who are proficient in formations and the art of Qimen Dunjia. They must be found!" I decisively issued a series of orders.

"According to the order!"

……

After several days of investigation, we finally got an important clue: a wealthy businessman secretly asked for an interview, claiming that he knew the rebel's hiding place.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to contribute my little bit to help Your Majesty put down the rebellion as soon as possible." The rich businessman knelt in front of me and presented a sheepskin map with both hands.

I took the map and examined it carefully. It showed a remote valley, with some strange symbols beside it, which seemed to be some kind of ancient writing.

"This place..." I pointed to the symbol on the map and asked, "Do you know what it is?"

The wealthy businessman glanced at the map and replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, I once had the honor of seeing an ancient book containing some ancient characters. The meaning of these symbols is..."

He paused, lowered his voice, and said a name that shocked both Zhen Youcai and me.

"Death Valley."

"Death Valley..." I repeated the name, a chill running down my spine. Even the name was so terrifying, it looked like this would be an exceptionally difficult battle. Zhen Youcai's face was solemn as he took the map and examined it carefully, his brow furrowed. "Death Valley has a complex terrain, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack. The rebels' choice of this hiding place seems to have been premeditated."

I took a deep breath, suppressed my anxiety, and decisively ordered: "Pass the order down, the army will move out immediately, target Death Valley!"

Amidst a solemn atmosphere, the vast army marched towards the Valley of Death. To boost morale, I specially invited a highly respected monk to pray for the soldiers. The monk, with a kind face and a staff in hand, chanted a few words, bestowing upon the soldiers rays of golden light for protection.

"Amitabha, this battle is a battle of justice, and all the soldiers will return victorious!" The monk's loud voice echoed throughout the valley. The soldiers' original tension and fear disappeared at this moment, and were replaced by fearlessness and determination.

As we expected, Death Valley was a rugged terrain, strewn with cliffs and sheer cliffs, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack. The rebel leader and the imperial advisor exploited the terrain and their magic to lay a tight, entrenched net in a desperate attempt to resist. For a moment, the cries of battle shook the earth, swords flashed, and blood and flesh flew everywhere. Although our troops' morale was high, they paid a heavy price in the face of the rebels' frenzied counterattack.

"Your Majesty, let me lead the charge!" Zhen Youcai pleaded anxiously, seeing the situation at a stalemate. I held his arm and said firmly, "No, I will personally lead this battle!" With that, I drew the sword from my waist, pointed it forward, and shouted, "Follow me and kill!"

The chill wind blew fiercely, the clang of swords clashing echoed throughout the valley, and the air was thick with the smell of blood. I gripped my sword tightly, its blade already stained red with blood. Before me, the rebel leader, with a ferocious look on his face, brandished his broadsword, each strike ruthlessly, aiming for my life. I dodged his attack sideways, my sword piercing out like a snake, aiming straight for his chest.

"Hmph, you're overestimating yourself!" The rebel leader sneered, easily blocking my attack. Beside him, the imperial preceptor in Taoist robes continuously shifted his magic spells, raining down fierce spells on me. With my agility, I dodged left and right, narrowly avoiding the attacks.

"Your Majesty, be careful!" Zhen Youcai's voice echoed from afar, filled with anxiety and worry. I looked over and saw him commanding his soldiers, engaged in a fierce battle with the rebels. He led the charge, unparalleled in his bravery. The spear in his hand was like a silver dragon, crushing the enemy wherever he passed.

A warm feeling welled up in my heart. He knew I wanted to personally resolve this rebellion, so he was doing his best to clear the way for me. I took a deep breath, put aside my distracting thoughts, and focused my attention on dealing with the enemy before me.

Seeing their siege dragging on without success, the rebel leader and the imperial advisor grew increasingly impatient. They exchanged glances, a fierce glint in their eyes. The rebel leader roared, his sword ablaze, slashing towards me with the force of a mountain-splitting, rock-shattering blade. I dared not take the blow, and could only retreat in dismay.

At this moment, the Imperial Master suddenly muttered something and formed a strange hand seal with his hands. A powerful force erupted from his body, causing the surrounding space to violently distort and the ground to shake violently.

Oh no! My heart sank. This power was too strong, it was definitely not an ordinary spell!

"Hahaha, Niu Mengmeng, today I will let you see the power of the forbidden technique!" The national master laughed wildly, with a crazy light flashing in his eyes.

Alarm bells rang in my heart, and I wanted to stop him, but it was too late... An invisible wave, centered on the Imperial Master, spread out like a tsunami. I felt a tremendous pressure confining me, unable to move. Even breathing became difficult. The world before me seemed to slow down. The sounds of soldiers fighting faded, and only the devastating energy surged clearer and clearer.

"Talent!" I screamed, trying to remind him, but no sound came out.

I watched helplessly as the flaming blade drew ever closer. The rebel leader's sinister smile caught my eye, and I closed my eyes in despair. In that instant, a figure flashed by like lightning, clasping me tightly in its embrace. A familiar warmth enveloped me, and I snapped my eyes open. It was Zhen Youcai!

"Mengmeng, don't be afraid, I'm here." His voice was low and firm, like a pillar that gave me strength in the stormy waves.

He held me behind him with one hand, and with the other, he held his spear, the tip of which was pointed directly at the blazing flames. The heat of the flames rushed towards me, and I could even smell the scorching smell of his clothes.

"You are overestimating yourself!" The rebel leader laughed arrogantly, and the flaming blade in his hand became more fierce, as if it wanted to devour everything in front of him.

The imperial teacher's magic was ready to be unleashed, and the entire valley was shaking violently, as if the sky would collapse and the earth would split apart in the next second.

"Zhen Youcai, do you think you can stop me? Today, you will all die here!" The national teacher's voice was sharp and piercing, filled with crazy hatred.

I looked at Zhen Youcai's resolute profile. His eyes were firm and calm, without the slightest fear.

"Mengmeng, believe me." He turned his head and looked at me, with the tenderness and determination in his eyes that I was familiar with.

Then, he took a deep breath and did something I didn't expect... He loosened his grip on the spear and instead hugged me tightly in his arms.

"Youcai, what are you going to do?" I exclaimed, not understanding why he gave up resisting.

"Don't be afraid, hold on to me." His voice sounded in my ears, with a hint of determination that I had never heard before.

A powerful force erupted from him, echoing the fluctuations produced by the Imperial Master's forbidden spell. I felt the space around me begin to distort, and time seemed to stand still...