From cute to empress

At night in Heifengkou, the wind was as cold as a knife, making the flags rustle.

"Less than 3,000 men..." Lieutenant General Ma's words still echoed in my ears, like a thunderclap, exploding in my heart. This army, once accompanied Youcai and me through life and death, and achieved glorious military exploits, now suffered heavy losses under Batur's fierce offensive.

"Your Majesty, I think we should immediately send someone to notify the nearby garrisons and request support." Military Advisor Guo said with a serious expression and a bow.

I nodded, my eyes sweeping across the tired yet resolute faces before me, a warm feeling welling up in my heart. "Pass the order, all troops, rest at Black Wind Pass and prepare for battle!"

"Your Majesty..." Zhen Youcai hesitated. I knew what he was worried about, so I held his hand and said firmly, "Don't worry, we will be fine."

Black Wind Pass is a difficult place with only a narrow mountain road leading to the outside world. It is easy to defend but difficult to attack. We took advantage of the terrain and quickly built fortifications, waiting for the enemy to arrive.

The sky gradually brightened, and the shouting and killing sounds in the distance were getting closer and closer. I knew that the enemy was about to catch up.

"Report - the enemy's vanguard has arrived outside the Black Wind Pass!" The scout came running and knelt on one knee to report.

I took a deep breath, drew the sword from my waist, and shouted loudly: "Soldiers, follow me to kill the enemy!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!" The deafening shouts of killing resounded throughout the valley. The soldiers were in high spirits, and their eyes were shining with a gleam of fearlessness in their faces.

The enemy army surged forward like a tidal wave, instantly transforming Black Wind Pass into a bloodbath. Sword in hand, I led the charge, engaging in a desperate struggle against the enemy. Zhen Youcai commanded the troops with unwavering confidence, leading them in a fierce resistance.

"Your Majesty, be careful!" A long spear stabbed towards me with a sharp murderous aura. I dodged sideways, but was forced back by the sword of another enemy soldier. I was about to be surrounded.

"Meng Meng!" Zhen Youcai roared, wielding his sword to kill several people, cutting a bloody path, and coming to my side, protecting me behind him, "Don't be afraid, I'm here to protect you!"

I shook my head, a raging fire in my eyes, "No, we must fight side by side and defeat the enemy!"

"Good!" A hint of appreciation flashed in Zhen Youcai's eyes. He stood back to back with me, resisting the enemy's crazy attack.

The battle raged for an entire afternoon, staining every inch of Black Wind Pass's land red with blood. Our forces were dwindling, while the enemy seemed endless, advancing wave after wave, seemingly without end...

"Your Majesty, when will our reinforcements arrive?" There was a hint of trembling in Lieutenant General Ma's voice. There were only less than a hundred soldiers left around him who were still struggling to hold on.

I looked up into the distance, where there was only smoke and countless enemy troops... "Reinforcements..." "Reinforcements..." I muttered to myself, feeling a surge of helplessness. When will the reinforcements arrive?

"Kill—" Amidst the deafening cries of killing, Lieutenant General Ma's figure swayed. He clutched his chest, looking down in disbelief at the arrow lodged in his chest. Bright red blood flowed down the shaft of the arrow, staining my armor and my eyes.

"General Ma!" I shouted with my eyes bloodshot and at the top of my lungs.

Lieutenant General Ma forced a faint smile into his lips. He struggled to raise his hand, wanting to touch my cheek, but it fell back down helplessly. "Your Majesty... I... I can no longer follow you... ahem..."

"General Ma! General Ma!" I rushed over and held his cold hand tightly, tears blurring my vision.

"Your Majesty...you must...live...live on..." Lieutenant General Ma said this with his last bit of strength, then closed his eyes forever.

"No—" I howled to the heavens, overcome with grief. This veteran, who had fought with me for so many years, had finally fallen on this blood-stained land.

"Mengmeng!" Zhen Youcai pulled me into his arms, his eyes red and his voice hoarse, "General Ma is gone, you have to cheer up! For the sake of the living, for the sake of this war, we must live on!"

His words were like a flash of lightning, splitting the haze in my heart. Yes, I can't fall! For General Ma, for all the soldiers who died in battle, and for the homeland behind me, I must live on! I must carry their hope and live on!

I pushed Zhen Youcai away, wiped the tears from my face, picked up the sword from the ground, and looked forward with a determined gaze. "Soldiers! General Ma has pointed the way for us. We must carry on his legacy and defend Black Wind Pass to the death!"

"We will defend Black Wind Pass to the death!" The soldiers shouted in unison, their voices shaking the earth.

"Kill—" I raised my sword high and charged into battle once more. Blood stained my armor, but I could no longer feel the pain. All I knew was that I had to fight, to fight to survive!

The enemy surged forward in waves, like a black tide, trying to swallow us up. Zhen Youcai and I stood back to back, brandishing our weapons and fighting with all our might.

"Youcai, do you think...will we win?" I asked while panting, swinging my sword to block the enemy's attacks.

Zhen Youcai's face was covered in sweat and blood, but he still answered firmly: "Yes! We will definitely win!"

Suddenly, he pushed me away and was hit on the shoulder by a long knife.

"Talent!" I exclaimed and wanted to rush over, but he grabbed me.

"Don't worry about me, let's go!" He gritted his teeth and said, "Take the remaining brothers and rush out..."

"No! I can't leave you!"

"This is an order!" he roared, "You...you are the king...I am the subject..." His vision went dark, his body swayed a few times, and finally he could no longer hold on and fell heavily to the ground...

“Talented——!!!”

"You're talented!!" I knelt beside him, my heart aching. He lay in a pool of blood, his face pale as paper, yet he still clutched my hand tightly, as if using up every last bit of his strength.

"Your Majesty... cough cough... go away..." He uttered a few words with difficulty, his voice so weak that it was almost inaudible.

"No! I won't leave you!" I held his hand tightly, tears flowing uncontrollably.

"Your Majesty... for the sake of... for the sake of the greater good..."

His voice became smaller and smaller, and my heart became heavier and heavier, as if it had fallen into a bottomless abyss.

"Your Majesty! Go quickly! The enemy...the enemy is going to..." General Hu Di's deputy general suddenly shouted in panic.

I suddenly looked up and saw dust rising in the distance, and the faint silhouettes of our troops. Reinforcements! The reinforcements have finally arrived!

"Kill!" Deafening shouts of killing came from all directions. Military Advisor Guo led the reinforcements, like a divine army descending from the sky, and broke up the enemy's formation like a hot knife through butter.

"Your Majesty! I am late! Please forgive me!" Military Advisor Guo dismounted and knelt on one knee.

I took a deep breath, trying to suppress the grief and anger in my heart. I stood up and gave a cold order: "Pass the order down, attack with all your strength, and leave no one behind!"

"Yes!"

Our morale was greatly boosted, and we were like a tiger descending from the mountain, unstoppable. The enemy was defeated step by step, and the enemy general Hu was finally captured alive.

As the sun set, its blood-red setting sun cast a shadow over the devastated battlefield. Standing high on a hillside, I gazed at the smoke-filled scene in the distance, feeling a mixture of emotions.

We won this war, but at a terrible price. General Ma, and... and Zhen Youcai... they all fell on this land, never to wake up again.

"Mengmeng..." A warm big hand gently held my hand, pulling me back from my memories.

I turned to look at Zhen Youcai beside me. His face was still a little pale, but his eyes were as firm as ever.

"We...won..." I muttered to myself, my voice choked.

"Yes, we won." Zhen Youcai gently hugged me in his arms, "We can finally go home..."

I closed my eyes and rested my head on his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, and my heart gradually calmed down.

Yeah, we won, we can finally go home...

"Report—" A soldier quickly ran up to us and knelt on one knee, "Your Majesty, a secret letter has arrived from the capital!"

My heart trembled. I took the secret letter, unfolded it, and my face turned pale...

The smell of gunpowder hadn't yet dissipated, but the joy of victory had already been shrouded by a sudden haze of gloom. With trembling hands, I repeatedly checked every word on the letter, as if it were a terrible spell, dragging me into an abyss of no return.

"Mengmeng, what's wrong?" Zhen Youcai noticed that something was wrong with me and asked with concern.

I took a deep breath, trying to suppress the emotions surging in my heart, and handed him the letter. "Read it for yourself."

Zhen Youcai took the letter, his brow furrowed as he read. The few simple lines in the letter weighed like a thousand-pound boulder, suffocating us.

"How could this happen..." Zhen Youcai muttered to himself. Although he was always calm, he could not hide his shock at this moment.

The letter was sent by the Prime Minister, and it succinctly described the situation in the capital: the third prince colluded with relatives of the emperor's wife, launched a palace coup, and took control of the palace. Now he is holding the emperor hostage to command the princes and dispatch troops, intending to usurp the throne.

"Third Prince..." I whispered the name, my heart icing. He was always gentle, humble, and polite. How could he possibly...

"There is no time to lose, we must rush back to the capital as soon as possible!" Zhen Youcai said decisively.

I nodded, but my heart was filled with worry. The capital was thousands of miles away from the border. By the time we got back, it might be too late.

"Military Advisor Guo!" I called out.

"I'm here!" Military Advisor Guo immediately stepped forward.

"Pass on my order, the army will immediately break camp and return to the capital!"

"According to the order!"

The army set out again. This time, we had no joy of triumph, but only anxiety and heaviness in our hearts.

As I hurried along, my mind kept replaying the kind face of my father and the innocent smiles of my younger brothers and sisters. Were they in danger right now?

"Mengmeng, don't worry, we will get back soon." Zhen Youcai held my hand. His hand was warm and strong, as if giving me unlimited strength.

I leaned on his shoulder, trying to calm my flustered heart. I knew now was not the time to be sad or afraid. I had to cheer myself up, for my family, for my country, and for... the peace we had fought so hard for.

However, when we hurried back to the capital, what awaited us was even more shocking news...

"Your Majesty, the Prime Minister wants to see you regarding something important!" A guard came running to report.

"Let him in." I said in a deep voice, with a vague sense of unease rising in my heart.

The prime minister walked in hurriedly, his face pale and his expression solemn, his former majestic aura completely gone.

"Prime Minister, what exactly happened?" I asked anxiously.

The Prime Minister raised his head, hesitant to speak. Finally, he took a deep breath and spoke slowly: "Your Majesty... the rebels... they..."

"What happened to them?" My heart was in my throat.

The Prime Minister did not answer, but took out a roll of bright yellow cloth from his sleeve and handed it to me with trembling hands.

My heart suddenly sank, and a sense of foreboding washed over me. I took the cloth with trembling hands and slowly unfolded it. The next moment, my vision went dark and I nearly fainted.

That was... an imperial edict... an imperial edict announcing the abdication of the throne...