From cute to empress

In the Golden Palace, the sunlight shines through the glazed tiles, casting mottled light and shadows, but it cannot illuminate my gloomy face at the moment.

"Pah!" I hurled the blood-stained letter onto the table, rage threatening to overwhelm me. Envoys from an enemy nation? Troops? Cede territory and pay indemnities? This was clearly too much!

"Your Majesty, please calm down..." Liu Fushang and Zhao Xiake crawled on the ground, trembling.

I took a deep breath, trying to suppress the rage within me. The enemy had chosen this moment to launch their attack, clearly well prepared. They were trying to take advantage of our unfinished reforms and unresolved internal conflicts to plunder!

"How's the battle situation at the border?" I forced myself to calm down and asked the two people in front of me.

"Your Majesty, the enemy is coming in full force, and the border guards are fighting desperately, but..." Zhao Xiake hesitated to speak, his face solemn.

"But what? Say it!" My heart tightened and an ominous premonition came to my mind.

"But the enemy is strong and our army is outnumbered. I'm afraid it will be difficult to defend the border for long..." Liu Fushang's voice became lower and lower, almost inaudible.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The enemy's intentions were clear. They wanted more than just territorial losses and compensation. They wanted to seize the opportunity to annex our dynasty and unify the world!

"Pass the order down, summon all civil and military officials, and hold a court meeting immediately!" I suddenly opened my eyes, with a determined light flashing in them. Even if I have to fight with all my strength, I will protect this land!

In less than half an hour, all civil and military officials gathered in the Golden Throne Hall. Sitting on the dragon throne, I glanced at the faces below, some frightened, some angry, and some worried, feeling a mixture of emotions.

"My dear ministers, the border is now in crisis. The envoys of the enemy country are leading their troops to the border and making unreasonable demands of ceding territory and paying compensation. What are your opinions on this?" I went straight to the point and threw the question to everyone.

As soon as the words fell, the entire Golden Palace exploded.

"Your Majesty, you must not agree to this! Ceding territory and paying compensation is tantamount to destroying the Great Wall!"

"The enemy has wicked ambitions. This invasion is merely a test of our strength. We must not let them succeed!"

"I second your motion! Our soldiers are brave and skilled in battle, and will surely repel the invading enemy!"

……

Listening to the ministers' heated debate, I remained silent, simply watching them. Propose war? Advocate for peace? Either option was fraught with risk; the slightest misstep could plunge the entire nation into an abyss of no return.

Just then, I heard steady footsteps outside the hall, and a familiar figure appeared in my sight.

"Your Majesty, I have something to say." Zhen Youcai, dressed in military uniform, walked steadily to the center of the hall, looking at me with a sharp gaze. He had come, he had finally come.

The moment I saw Zhen Youcai, I felt like I had found a lifeline. He was always so calm and reliable, as if any problem could be easily solved in his presence. At that moment, his resolute gaze gave me immense courage and strength.

"What do you think, my dear?" I asked anxiously, with a barely perceptible tremor in my voice.

"I believe that the most urgent task is to strengthen border defenses, dispatch elite troops and generals to reinforce the border and resist the enemy's attacks." Zhen Youcai's tone was calm, but it revealed an unquestionable determination. "At the same time, we can send envoys to the enemy country to negotiate with them, clarify our position, and strive for a peaceful resolution of the dispute."

His suggestion coincided with what I was thinking. I nodded slightly, motioning him to continue.

"I am willing to lead the troops to the border and defend the territory to the death!" Zhen Youcai knelt on one knee with a burning gaze.

"My dear minister, your loyalty to the emperor and your patriotism is truly heartening to me." I took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in my heart. "However, the situation at the border is complex. My dear minister, you must be extremely cautious when you go there. You must not underestimate the enemy and advance rashly."

"I obey your order!" Zhen Youcai stood up and clasped his fists to receive the order.

I immediately issued orders, ordering the Minister of War to be responsible for mobilizing troops and reinforcements to the border, and the Minister of Rites to be responsible for selecting envoys to go to the enemy country for negotiations.

However, things did not develop as I wished.

The enemy envoys were unyielding and refused to give in, leading to a deadlock in the negotiations. Frequent reports of battles at the border indicated the enemy was pressing forward, and the situation on the border was becoming increasingly tense.

"Bang!" I slammed the table, seething with anger. "This is too much! Do you really think our dynasty is easy to bully?!"

"Your Majesty, please calm down..." Liu Fushang and Zhao Xiake knelt down hurriedly, trembling with fear.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. At this point, blindly tolerating them would only embolden the enemy. I slowly stood up, my gaze firmly scanning the crowd below, and I spoke slowly:

"Pass the order down, tomorrow..." "Pass the order down, tomorrow morning at the court, I will lead the army in person!" My tone was firm and no one could question it.

There was an uproar in the court, and the ministers knelt down to dissuade him.

"Your Majesty, absolutely not! You are the ruler of a country, how can you easily take risks?"

"Your Majesty, please think twice! The border war is dangerous, it's not a joke."

I raised my hand to signal silence, my gaze sweeping across the worried faces. I said in a deep voice, "My mind is made up. No need for further words! The enemy is bullying us too much. If we don't fight back, won't we be ridiculed by the world? As the ruler of a country, I must stand with my soldiers through thick and thin and defend our territory to the death!"

My tone was firm and unquestionable. Seeing that their dissuasion was ineffective, the ministers had no choice but to accept my decision.

Just as I was actively preparing for war and ready to lead the army in person, a shocking news came from the border.

"Report—" A soldier, covered in blood, stumbled into the hall, knelt on the ground, and said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, the enemy... the enemy army... suddenly launched a large-scale attack on our border..."

"What?!" I stood up suddenly and my face changed suddenly.

"The enemy is coming with great force. Our army...our army has suffered heavy casualties. The border...the border is in danger..." The soldier's voice became weaker and weaker, and he finally fainted.

"Call the doctor quickly!" I ordered hurriedly, but my heart was in turmoil.

The enemy country actually dared to launch a war without declaration and openly tear up the agreement. This is simply too much!

"Your Majesty, what should we do now?" Liu Fushang and Zhao Xiake asked anxiously.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. There was no point in panicking now. I had to make a decision quickly, or the consequences would be disastrous.

My eyes fell on Zhen Youcai. He looked solemn, with a determined glint in his eyes.

"My dear, follow me to the Imperial Study..."

"My dear, come with me to the imperial study..." I forced myself to get rid of my shock and anger. Now is not the time to blame anyone. The most urgent thing is to stabilize the situation and find a solution.

The heavy atmosphere in the imperial study was suffocating. The map looked particularly dark under the candlelight. The border land, stained red with the blood of our soldiers, silently denounced the enemy's atrocities.

"Your Majesty, the enemy chose this moment to launch a surprise attack, clearly well prepared." Zhen Youcai pointed at the enemy's attack route on the map, his brow furrowed. "They've bypassed several of our key checkpoints and charged straight into our heartland. Their goal seems to be..."

His finger stopped at a point, and I was startled. That was an important hub for our food and grass transportation!

"They want to cut off our supply lines!" I gritted my teeth. The enemy's move was sinister. Once the food supplies were cut off, our army would collapse without a fight!

"Your Majesty, I beg you to lead your troops to the border immediately to provide support!" Zhen Youcai knelt on one knee and said firmly, "I am willing to sacrifice my life for Your Majesty and repel the invading enemy!"

I took a deep breath and suppressed the emotions surging in my heart. Zhen Youcai's proposal was exactly what I wanted. Instead of sitting and waiting for death, I might as well take the initiative!

"Approved!" I slammed the table and stood up. "Pass the order down. Assemble a hundred thousand elite troops. The general and I will set out immediately to the border!"

"Your Majesty, no!" Liu Fushang and Zhao Xiake said in unison, "Your life is worth millions, how can you take such a risk so easily?"

I waved my hand, my eyes firm. "The war is urgent now. How can I sit idly by? I have made up my mind. No need to persuade me!"

I know that this journey is extremely dangerous, but as the king of a country, I must stand with the soldiers and live and die with the country!

After several days of rapid march, we finally arrived at the border. However, the scene before us made my heart sink...