From cute to empress

Chapter 172: Persistence of Faith

The moment his staff pointed at me, the entire world seemed to fall silent. Only the fervent gazes of the believers and the thunderous cries of "freedom of belief" echoed in my ears. What I felt wasn't fear, but a deep sense of powerlessness. Faith, once a pure land in the hearts of the people, had now been twisted by the ascetic monk into a sharp blade, pointed directly at imperial power, and at me.

"Your Majesty, urgent news from the border: the Northern Di have assembled a 100,000-man army and have breached Jiayu Pass. General... General..." The guard's voice trailed off, but my heart raced faster. The Northern Di are invading! Is this fate? Amidst internal and external troubles, how long can I, the empress, hold out?

"Your Majesty!" A familiar call was like a flash of lightning that broke through the haze. I looked up suddenly and saw Zhen Youcai wearing armor and standing outside the crowd. His eyes were full of anxiety and worry.

"Talent!" My nose felt sore and I almost cried. In front of him, I no longer had to pretend to be strong. All my weakness and fatigue turned into a soft call.

He walked quickly to my side, knelt on one knee, and clasped his hands together: "Your Majesty, please forgive me for being late in protecting you!"

"I'm glad you're back, I'm glad you're back." I took a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil in my heart. Youcai's return was like a shot in the arm, giving me a glimmer of hope amidst despair.

"Your Majesty, the border war is urgent. I implore you to dispatch troops immediately to resist the Northern Di!" Zhen Youcai said in a firm tone and with a sharp gaze.

I nodded. I knew that now was not the time to be sad. I had to cheer up and protect my country and my people.

"Master Ascetic, you keep talking about freedom of belief, but you collude with foreign enemies and intend to rebel. Is this what you believe in?!" Zhen Youcai turned to face the ascetic monk, his voice cold and intimidating without anger.

"You...you are slandering me!" The ascetic monk obviously did not expect Zhen Youcai to suddenly appear, and was a little panicked for a moment.

"Whether this is slander or not, just ask these believers behind you and you'll know!" Zhen Youcai pulled out a letter from his pocket and held it high. "This is a secret letter we found in the Beidi military camp. It clearly states your plan!"

Every word in the letter was like a heavy hammer, hammering down on the believers' hearts. Their once fanatical eyes gradually turned confused, and they began to doubt whether they had truly been deceived.

As I took in everything before me, a plan already formed in my mind. I walked over to Zhen Youcai, standing shoulder to shoulder with him. My gaze swept over everyone present, and I slowly spoke, "Today's events were due to my negligence. My failure to recognize the problem in time allowed Master Kuxing to take advantage. However, I can assure you that I have never intended to suppress anyone's faith. Everything I do is for the prosperity of the Great Zhou!"

"Your Majesty is wise!" Zhen Youcai took the lead in kneeling, and other soldiers also knelt on one knee, shouting "Your Majesty is wise."

The believers looked at each other in bewilderment. They had never seen such a scene before and didn't know what to do for a moment.

"Master Ascetic, do you have anything else to say?" I looked at the ascetic monk with sharp eyes, as if I could see through all his disguises.

His face was pale and his lips trembled slightly, but he refused to admit defeat.

"Amitabha..." An old voice came from outside the crowd. I looked in the direction of the voice and saw an old man in a cassock, supported by several monks, walking slowly towards me...

The old man had a kind face, but his eyes couldn't hide his majesty. Every time he took a step, the people around him automatically made way for him. Someone in the crowd exclaimed, "It's Master Huineng! And Taoist Xuanzhen!"

I was shocked. These two were leaders of Buddhism and Taoism, highly respected and admired. How could they be here today? They slowly walked up to me, clasped their hands together, and bowed in greeting: "I am honored to meet your majesty."

"Master, Taoist Priest, please stand up quickly." I hurried forward to help them up. "You two came here today for..."

Master Huineng sighed, his kind eyes falling on the ascetic monk, his tone carrying a hint of disappointment: "Austere, you were originally my disciple, very talented, why did you choose to embark on this path of no return?"

"Master..." The ascetic monk's body trembled noticeably, and a trace of struggle flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by fanaticism. "I'm right! Everything I do is for true faith!"

"True faith?" Taoist Xuanzhen sneered. "True faith is compassion and saving the world, not stirring up disputes and colluding with foreign enemies like you did! Look at you, what have you done?!"

"I..." The ascetic was speechless, and the believers behind him began to waver and whisper.

I seized the opportunity, stepped forward, and spoke loudly, "Everyone, I know you are all devout believers, with faith in your hearts. But faith shouldn't be blind, and certainly shouldn't be exploited! The ascetic monk colluded with foreign enemies and intended to rebel. His actions have violated the original intention of faith!"

"Your Majesty, what you said is absolutely true." Master Huineng and Taoist Priest Xuanzhen also stepped forward to express their opinions. "As religious leaders, we must set an example, guide believers, and maintain harmony between religion and the country!"

"Youcai, have you made any progress?" I asked Zhen Youcai beside me in a low voice.

He nodded slightly and whispered in my ear, "Your Majesty, I have already found out that the ascetic monks are indeed supported by forces from neighboring countries. They have been secretly providing funds and supplies for the purpose of..."

Before he could finish his words, there was a sudden commotion in the crowd. A panicked figure squeezed out of the crowd, ran to the ascetic, and whispered a few words in his ear.

I saw the ascetic's face turn pale in an instant. He suddenly raised his head and looked at me with eyes full of hatred...

The change in the ascetic's expression didn't escape my eyes, and a sense of foreboding washed over me. Without giving it time to think, I acted decisively and shouted, "Come! Capture the ascetic and his accomplices and interrogate them!"

The guards received the order and quickly moved forward to surround the ascetic. However, at this moment, something unexpected happened! The ascetic suddenly pulled out a black ball from his sleeve and threw it into the air!

"Be careful!" Zhen Youcai reacted extremely quickly, shielding me under his body. With a loud bang, the black sphere exploded in the air, and a thick black fog instantly spread out, covering the sky and the sun, choking people and making them cry and cough.

When the black fog dissipated, I looked up from Zhen Youcai's arms, only to be shocked by the sight before me: the square was completely deserted, and there was no trace of the ascetic monk and his followers! They had simply vanished into thin air!

I was seething with rage, yet helpless. The ascetic's escape was undoubtedly another provocation, a sign that this farce wasn't truly over yet. I took a deep breath, suppressed my rage, and turned to face the still-shocked citizens in the square.

"Everyone!" My voice echoed across the square. "I know that some of you have been bewitched by the ascetic monk and exploited by him. I don't blame you, for you are also victims."

I looked around, my gaze firm and full of strength. "Today, I want to tell everyone here that I will not allow anyone, under any pretext, to endanger the stability and unity of our nation! I will implement stricter management of all religious activities to ensure they are legal and compliant, and to eliminate all hidden dangers!"

My voice resounded, echoing throughout every corner of the square. The people looked at each other, some still bewildered, but for many, clarity had returned. They began to understand who truly had the best interests at heart.

Over the next few days, I issued a series of decrees to rectify religious order, crack down on illegal religious activities, and strengthen the education and management of religious personnel. Meanwhile, Zhen Youcai also stepped up his investigation into the truth behind the ascetic monk's escape and the forces behind him.

My firm stance and decisive measures yielded significant results. The people, deceived by the ascetic monk, gradually came to their senses and expressed their support for the court's decision. The power the ascetic monk had painstakingly built up over the years collapsed, and his supporters dwindled and vanished.

However, just when I thought this religious turmoil was about to subside, Zhen Youcai suddenly came to my bedroom with a serious expression and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened..."

Late at night, I reviewed the memorials and rubbed my brow wearily. I had devoted nearly all my energy to the task of rectifying religion, leaving me exhausted both physically and mentally.

"Your Majesty, it's time to rest." Zhen Youcai walked in with a bowl of ginseng soup, with a hint of worry between his brows.

"Is there any progress on the ascetic monk's matter?" I took the ginseng soup and took a sip.

"Not yet, but I believe he will appear again soon." Zhen Youcai sat down next to me, his tone revealing an inexplicable heaviness.

"He won't be able to stay alive for much longer. I have already drafted a decree, which will be announced to the world tomorrow to overhaul religion throughout the country." I put down the memorial in my hand with a firm tone.

"Your Majesty is wise." Zhen Youcai nodded in approval, but his eyes were a little vague, and he seemed to be hesitant to speak.

"What's wrong? Just say what you want to say." I keenly noticed that something was wrong with him.

Zhen Youcai hesitated for a moment and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I received a letter from a carrier pigeon today, saying that the Northern Frontier..."

Before he could finish his words, a guard rushed in and knelt on the ground: "Your Majesty, urgent news from eight hundred miles away! Urgent news from the northern border!"

My heart sank, and a sense of foreboding washed over me. I took the secret letter from the guard, unfolded it, and my expression suddenly changed.

"Neighboring country...actually at this time..." My fingers holding the secret letter trembled slightly, and my heart was in turmoil.

The secret letter clearly stated: Neighboring countries have deployed troops on the border, watching covetously, as if they are planning to invade!

"It seems that our ascetic friend has another trick up his sleeve..." Zhen Youcai clenched his fists, a cold light flashing in his eyes.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. Troubles from within and without, enemies from all sides! Was this just a coincidence, or was it intentional?

"You have talent." I raised my head, my eyes determined. "Pass the order down. We will hold court tomorrow morning to discuss countermeasures!"

"Yes!" Zhen Youcai took the order and left. I was the only one left in the bedroom. Facing the flickering candlelight, a thousand thoughts were in my mind.

"Your Majesty..." Zhen Youcai returned with a serious expression, "I...have a plan..."