From cute to empress

Chapter 204 The Mystery of the Ancient Books

"Long live the Emperor, and a thousand years for the Empress!" From the audience, the thunderous cheers rang out again, deafening.

I stood up and, along with Zhen Youcai, accepted the most sincere blessings from our subjects. At that moment, I felt as if I were standing at the pinnacle of the world, overlooking this beautiful landscape, my heart filled with lofty ambitions.

The grand celebration lasted for several days. Envoys from various countries praised our dynasty's prosperity and expressed their desire to learn from our advanced experience and vigorously develop their own economies and cultures upon their return. Naturally, I was happy to facilitate this. After all, only when neighboring countries are strong can we achieve stability and avoid war.

After seeing off the last group of envoys, I felt exhausted and wanted to return to my chambers to rest. As I passed through the Imperial Gardens, a faint scent of books caught my eye. I strolled in and saw an antique-style attic nestled among the flowers and trees. A plaque inscribed the words "Book Collection Pavilion" in gold.

An idea struck me, and I signaled the maids to wait outside. I pushed the door open and walked in alone. Inside the library, rows of towering bookshelves, filled with ancient and rare books, exuded a sense of history. I picked up a book at random, flipped open, and gradually immersed myself in it, forgetting time and my worries... Suddenly, a book with a simple cover caught my eye. I reached out, but my fingertips touched a thin layer of dust, clearly unopened in a long time.

I gently brushed away the dust and opened the first page. What caught my eye was a strange pattern, like a map, yet unlike any map I knew... Puzzled, I continued to flip through the pages, only to find the yellowed pages and the inscriptions were ancient and difficult to understand, like some long-lost script. I tried to decipher them, but found I didn't recognize a single word.

Could it be a book left behind by the previous dynasty? My curiosity grew even stronger. I took this ancient book off the shelf, carefully held it in my arms, and returned to my bedroom.

After returning to my palace, I couldn't wait to study this ancient book. I ordered people to find the most knowledgeable old scholars in the palace, but they all shook their heads and said they didn't know anything about the characters in the ancient book, saying they had never seen such characters before.

I refused to give up, neglecting my appetite and spending every spare moment poring over ancient texts. I tried various methods to decipher the text, even asking Zhen Youcai to help me find similar patterns and symbols.

Hard work pays off, and after several days of effort, I finally deciphered a few simple phrases. Although these phrases are simple, they gave me some preliminary understanding of the content of this ancient book.

I discovered that this ancient book seemed to record a long-lost ritual, and that strange pattern might very well be the location where the ceremony took place... I took a deep breath, suppressed my excitement, and continued to immerse myself in the ancient book. I knew I was touching upon a long-forgotten secret, a secret that could change everything... I rubbed my sore eyes, breathed a long sigh, and an indescribable excitement welled up in my heart. This ancient book recorded not some ancient ritual, but a powerful magic, a magic that could strengthen the country and resist foreign invasion!

I can almost imagine the earth-shaking changes that will come to the country when I make this magic public and apply it to military construction, agricultural production, commerce, and other fields! The people will live and work in peace and contentment, the country will prosper, and I will become the greatest empress in history, my name will be recorded in history!

However, my excitement was quickly dampened. According to ancient texts, performing this kind of magic required meeting many stringent conditions, the most crucial of which was finding the legendary "Guardian of the Ancient Books," who alone possessed the key to performing the magic.

"Guardians of ancient books..." I murmured to myself, and images of various strange people emerged in my mind. They lived in seclusion in the mountains, not caring about worldly affairs, guarding ancient secrets.

"What's wrong, Mengmeng?" Zhen Youcai asked with concern when he saw that I looked strange.

I handed him the ancient book and pointed to one of the pages and said, "Look, it says here that you have to find the guardian of the ancient book before you can cast magic."

Zhen Youcai read the text carefully, frowning slightly. "Guardian of the Ancient Books...it seems we have to find a way to find him."

"But where can we find him? There is no record of his whereabouts in ancient books." I said a little frustrated.

Zhen Youcai pondered for a moment and comforted me, "Don't worry, Mengmeng, we will find him. Since the ancient books mentioned him, there must be a way to find him."

His words were filled with confidence, which infected me as well. I clenched my fists and said with a firm look in my eyes, "Yes! We must find him!"

Over the next few days, Zhen Youcai and I began to search for information about the "Guardian of Ancient Books." We traveled incognito, traversing the streets and alleys, questioning countless scholars, hermits, and even quacks, but we found nothing.

Just when I was about to give up hope, the words of an old Taoist priest gave me new inspiration.

"The Guardian of Ancient Books... I've heard some rumors about him. It's said that he lives in seclusion in the misty Tianmu Mountain, where clouds and mist linger year-round, making it difficult for ordinary people to enter..."

My heart skipped a beat. Tianmu Mountain! It's a place brimming with mystery. Could it be that the guardian of the ancient texts really lives there in seclusion? I immediately decided to go to Tianmu Mountain to find out for myself.

I took a few guards with me, changed into light men's clothes, and prepared to set off. Before leaving, Zhen Youcai looked at me worriedly, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

I held his hand and gave him a firm look: "Don't worry, I will be back soon."

After saying that, I jumped on my horse and galloped towards Tianmu Mountain with my guards...

The horse's hooves pounded the rugged mountain road, a bumpy ride, but I paid no mind. Tianmu Mountain, here I come! This mountain range, perpetually shrouded in mist, seemed to me to hold boundless hope.

After climbing countless hills and passing through countless dense forests, the scene before me suddenly opened up. A simple thatched cottage sat beside a mountain stream. An old man with white hair and a youthful face was meditating on the bluestone slab in front of the cottage.

"Excuse me, old man." I dismounted and walked forward to salute respectfully.

The old man slowly opened his eyes, a glimmer of brilliance shone through his cloudy gaze: "Your Majesty the Empress has come from afar, and I am sorry for not welcoming you in person."

I was shocked. He actually knew my identity! Could he be...

"Are you the guardian of ancient books?" I asked tentatively.

The old man nodded slightly: "I have guarded this ancient book for generations, waiting for the right person."

Unable to conceal my excitement, I quickly took out the ancient book and presented it to him with both hands: "Senior, I would like to know how to perform the magic recorded in the ancient book."

The old man took the ancient book, flipped open the yellowed pages, pointed to a passage and said, "To cast magic, one needs to gather the power of the five elements: gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. The keys to unlock these elemental powers lie in the hands of the five guardians."

"Five Guardians?" I frowned slightly. "Where are they?"

"The secrets of heaven cannot be revealed." The old man shook his head. "You need to find them yourself. Only those with enough wisdom and courage can find them and gather the power of the five elements."

A glimmer of hope ignited in my heart, but I was also a little worried: "Senior, are there any risks in performing this kind of magic?"

The old man was silent for a moment, then said solemnly, "Everything in the world has yin and yang, and so does magic. To gain great power, one must pay a corresponding price."

"What's the price?" I demanded.

"Casting magic consumes a great deal of vitality. The slightest mistake could endanger the life of the caster." The old man looked at me with a deep gaze. "Your Majesty, are you truly determined to cast this kind of magic?"

My heart trembled. Yes, magic is powerful, but it is also full of risks. If I sacrifice my life for the prosperity of my country, what is the meaning of my efforts?

"Your Majesty, you don't have to worry too much." The old man seemed to see through my thoughts and softened his tone. "As long as we find five guardians and gather the power of the five elements, we can minimize the risks of magic."

I took a deep breath and said with a determined look, "Senior, I have made up my mind! For my country and my people, I am willing to give everything!"

The old man nodded with satisfaction: "Okay! Since you have made your choice, I will tell you the whereabouts of the first guardian..."

I held my breath, listened carefully to every word the old man said, and kept them firmly in my heart.

After bidding farewell to the old man, I immediately set off on the long journey to find the five guardians. I know that countless difficulties and obstacles await me ahead, but I will not give up, because I shoulder the hopes of the entire country!

However, I didn't know that a bigger conspiracy was quietly approaching...

"Your Majesty, have you found the guardian of the ancient books?" Prime Minister Li's voice suddenly sounded behind him, with a hint of imperceptible urgency.

I turned around and looked at the shrewd Prime Minister before me, alarm bells ringing in my heart. The glint in his eyes wasn't concern for the country, but greed! "The Prime Minister is truly well-informed. I just found the guardian of the ancient books too," I said lightly, deliberately avoiding the main point.

"Your Majesty, the magic recorded in these ancient books is related to the future of our dynasty!" Prime Minister Li said with deep sorrow. "I implore Your Majesty to prioritize the country and the people, and to quickly comprehend the mysteries within them to strengthen our dynasty!"

I sneered inwardly. His words were so high-sounding, but he was just trying to use the power of ancient books to satisfy his own ambitions! "Don't worry, Prime Minister. I know what to do." I said in a cold tone, not wanting to deal with him anymore.

Prime Minister Li wanted to say something more, but was interrupted by General Zhen Youcai standing beside him: "Your Excellency, Her Majesty has worked day and night. Let her rest well." His tone was firm, his eyes were sharp, and he carried an unquestionable majesty. Prime Minister Li's face froze, and he left in a huff.

"Mengmeng, are you okay?" Zhen Youcai asked with concern after Prime Minister Li walked away. I shook my head and told him about the ancient book. After listening to my story, Zhen Youcai frowned and said, "The power of this ancient book is too strong. We must use it with caution."

"I know." I nodded, having already made up my mind, "But in order to protect our country, I am willing to try." I believe that as long as Zhen Youcai and I work together, we will be able to find other guardians and unlock the secrets of the ancient books!

The next day, I summoned Minister Wang, Princess Zhao, General Sun, and others to tell them about the ancient book and my decision. Minister Wang advocated caution, Princess Zhao expressed support for my decision, and General Sun promised to protect my safety at all costs.

Looking at these loyal ministers before me, I felt a surge of strength. I took a deep breath and slowly flipped open the ancient tome. The ancient words seemed to hold a magical power, instantly drawing me in. I felt a surge of strength coursing through me, but at the same time, a sense of weakness I had never felt before followed... I endured the discomfort and, following the instructions in the ancient tome, began to attempt to mobilize the elemental forces within me. The air in the room seemed frozen, a pin drop audible. Everyone held their breath, watching me intently... Drops of sweat trickled down my forehead, and I felt my life force draining away bit by bit...