From cute to empress

Chapter 181 The Dilemma of Faith

I squeezed the letter until it was deformed, and the arrogant tone of the neighboring monarch seemed to echo in my ears. They actually used religious freedom as an excuse to dictate the religious reforms underway in our country, even threatening to bring troops to the city if the reforms were not stopped.

"Your Majesty..." Xiaolan looked at me worriedly, but didn't dare to ask any more questions.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil within me. The monk's accusations were still fresh in my mind, and now the neighboring country was coming on strong, pushing me to the brink. Religious Reformation was imperative. Those who exploited faith to amass wealth and commit evil must be punished. The people needed a pure faith. However, the neighboring country was watching closely. If I persisted and war broke out, the people would suffer.

"Master Huineng and Taoist Xuanzhen!" I tried to make my tone sound calm.

Two religious leaders came hurriedly. I handed them the letter from the king of the neighboring country. After reading it, the two old men's faces became extremely solemn.

"Your Majesty, this is a very difficult matter!" Master Huineng clasped his hands together, lowering his brows and pondering. "Neighboring countries believe in our Buddha, and there are also many Buddhists in our country. If we handle it improperly, it may arouse public anger and trigger war."

Taoist Priest Xuanzhen stroked his graying beard, a look of worry on his face. "Your Majesty, our Daoist sect has always advocated tranquility and inaction, following the laws of nature. In my humble opinion, it would be better to postpone reforms until the time is right."

I understand the stakes involved, but do I really have to bow to the powerful and allow these parasites to continue to erode the people's faith? My heart is filled with struggle and pain. On one side is the precarious country and society, and on the other is the people who yearn for peace. How should I choose?

"Your Majesty, General Zhen requests to see you!" The guard's voice broke the silence in the hall.

Zhen Youcai… Hearing this name, a glimmer of hope suddenly ignited in my heart. He has guarded the border for many years and is very resourceful. Perhaps he can give me some advice.

"Xuan!" I said this word with almost all my strength.

Zhen Youcai, dressed in military uniform, walked into the hall with steady steps and saluted: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you!" He looked up at me with a hint of worry between his brows, and then he regained his usual composure.

"My dear minister, please excuse me!" I said hastily. "The war at the border is intense. Why are you not guarding the frontier? Why are you here in the capital?"

Zhen Youcai said calmly, "I heard there were unusual movements in the capital, and I'm worried about Your Majesty, so I've come to protect you." He paused, his eyes scanning Master Huineng and Taoist Priest Xuanzhen before finally settling on the letter in my hand. "Is this about a neighboring country?"

I nodded, handed him the letter from the neighboring king, and told him about the ascetic monk. After hearing this, Zhen Youcai frowned and paced back and forth in the hall, as if thinking about something.

"Your Majesty," he finally stopped and said firmly, "In my opinion, the most urgent task is to resolve domestic issues first, and then engage in diplomatic mediation with neighboring countries."

"How to solve it?" I asked, as if I had grabbed a life-saving straw.

"Your Majesty's promotion of religious reform is inherently beneficial to the country and the people, but it's being rushed, which is bound to cause dissatisfaction among some," Zhen Youcai analyzed. "The most urgent task is to appease the people and make them understand the significance of the reform."

"General Zhen is absolutely right," Master Huineng agreed, clasping his hands together. "I wish to lead the monks in preaching the teachings to the common people and guiding them to correctly understand the true meaning of faith."

Taoist Xuanzhen also stroked his beard and said, "I am also willing to do my best to help Your Majesty overcome the difficulties."

Looking at these three people, I felt a surge of warmth in my heart. In this critical moment, they didn't choose to play it safe, but stood firmly by my side, supporting my decision.

"Okay!" I nodded heavily. "With your help, I believe we can resolve this crisis!"

However, at this moment, a sudden noise came from outside the hall...

The noise was getting closer, and just as I was wondering what was happening, I saw two civilian-looking men and women being escorted in by guards. They were both dressed in coarse linen clothes, but they couldn't hide the determination in their eyes.

"What's going on?" I asked in a deep voice.

The guard knelt on one knee and reported, "Your Majesty, these two people gathered outside the palace gate to make a noise and disrupt order. Please forgive them!"

"Your Majesty! We have a grievance to appeal!" The woman ignored the guards' obstruction, knelt down in the middle of the hall, and spoke loudly.

I signaled the guards to let them go and asked, "Who are you? What grievances have you brought? Tell us what you have."

The woman raised her head, tears welling in her eyes, and choked with sobs, "I am a resident of Lijia Village outside the city, and my family has been devoted to Buddhism for generations. Recently, rumors have been spreading that Your Majesty wants to destroy Buddhism and Taoism. We are in constant fear! I dare to ask Your Majesty to see through this and give us justice!"

The man beside him also kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, we are all devout believers and have never done anything to harm the court. Why should we endure such an unprovoked disaster?"

Their cries hammered at my heart like a heavy hammer. It turned out that the public's misunderstanding of the Reformation was so profound! I took a deep breath and was about to explain when I saw the woman pull a bright yellow cloth from her bosom and hold it aloft.

"Your Majesty, please look!" she said excitedly. "We worked on this overnight, and it's filled with the signatures of people from all over the country. They all sincerely support Your Majesty and the reforms!"

I took the piece of cloth and saw it was covered with names, some of the words were crooked, but full of sincerity and hope. My heart was deeply moved at that moment.

"Your Majesty," Zhen Youcai walked over to me and whispered, "You have heard the voices of the people. Please believe that we will definitely overcome the difficulties we face!"

I nodded, my eyes swept over everyone in the hall, and I said in a deep voice, "I have made up my mind. First, we will focus on resolving religious issues at home, while strengthening border defenses to prevent invasion from neighboring countries!"

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Just as I was about to negotiate with a neighboring country, my personal maid hurried into the palace, holding an exquisite wooden box in her hands. She whispered to me, "Your Majesty, someone outside the palace has sent something, and they specifically ask you to open it personally..."

I took the wooden box and was greeted by a faint sandalwood scent. I opened it and saw a letter inside. The envelope simply read "From the Empress" with no signature. I unfolded the letter and saw the following words written in beautiful handwriting:

"Your Majesty, I am honored to receive your letter. I understand that Your Majesty is troubled by religious issues, and the actions of neighboring countries are simply exploiting this opportunity to stir up trouble. However, religious disputes cannot be resolved overnight, and Your Majesty must not act hastily. If you wish to resolve this situation, you can visit the Vulture Peak Temple in the Western Mountains. There is an item hidden there that may help Your Majesty resolve this dilemma. Remember, this matter requires Your Majesty's personal involvement, and you must not reveal a single word, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous. I urge Your Majesty to reconsider."

I read it over and over again, my doubts growing. This letter seemed strange, its contents so cryptic. Who could have written it? I knew of the Lingjiu Temple on Mount Xishan; it was a royal temple, always a popular place of worship. But what could possibly be hidden within it that could resolve this religious crisis?

"Your Majesty, what happened?" Zhen Youcai asked with concern when he saw my serious expression.

I handed him the letter and said in a deep voice, "You'll know after you read it."

After reading the letter, Zhen Youcai also frowned: "The origin of this letter is unknown, and the content is so strange. Your Majesty must not believe it!"

"I know," I said after a moment's hesitation, "but if what's said in the letter is true, then the Vulture Peak Temple on the Western Hills might actually hold the key to solving the problem. I've made up my mind. Tomorrow I'll go to the Vulture Peak Temple in disguise. This is between you and me, and it must not be spread to anyone else."

Zhen Youcai wanted to persuade me again, but I had made up my mind, so he had to give up and repeatedly reminded me to be careful.

The next morning, I changed into ordinary civilian clothes, accompanied only by two personal guards, and quietly left the palace, heading straight for the Lingjiu Temple on the western mountain. The temple, nestled against the mountainside, was a popular and bustling place, with a constant stream of pilgrims offering their incense. To avoid attracting attention, I deliberately avoided the crowds and ascended the mountain via a small path in the back.

The mountain road was rugged and difficult to navigate. It took about an hour to finally reach Lingjiu Temple. Just as I was about to enter the temple, I suddenly heard a sound of air piercing behind me. Startled, I turned sharply and saw a flash of cold light. A sharp arrow shot towards my face...