From cute to empress

Chapter 206: Ancient Book Magic Awakens the Nation

"Let's start." I said in a deep voice. Although my voice was light, it revealed an unquestionable majesty.

The Guardian of the Ancient Books nodded slightly and flipped open the ancient tome in his hand, which seemed to have endured through millennia. The pages were yellowed, yet radiated a faint golden glow. The ancient words seemed to come alive, leaping through the air and weaving into mysterious runes that enveloped me.

A powerful force surged from all directions, and I felt as if my body had become a balloon, about to burst from the force. The words of the guardian of the ancient tome echoed in my mind. They were the key to the magic. Every word, every syllable, seemed to be engraved deep in my soul, guiding and directing me.

"Mengmeng, hold on!" Zhen Youcai's voice came from a distance, filled with worry and encouragement. I tried to open my eyes and look at him, but I found that everything in front of me was blurry, with only a golden light flickering.

I gritted my teeth, concentrated all my willpower, and, following the guidance of ancient texts, directed this powerful force to every corner of the country.

A miracle happened at this moment.

I felt a warm power flowing from my body, spreading throughout the country. Lush green crops grew on the once barren land; the once dry rivers were filled with clear water again; the once dilapidated city walls became stronger and taller.

I saw smiles on the faces of the people, confidence in the eyes of the soldiers, and hope for the future of the country.

However, just when I thought everything was going well, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my body, as if all my strength had been drained away. My consciousness began to blur, and the golden light in front of my eyes gradually disappeared.

"Mengmeng!"

"His Majesty!"

I heard someone calling my name, but I was too weak to respond.

"Quick, call the imperial physician..."

…My consciousness seemed to have fallen into an endless darkness. There was no sound, no light, only nothingness. I tried hard to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

"Mengmeng, wake up!" Zhen Youcai's anxious voice trembled in my ears, as if he was suppressing a huge fear. I wanted to respond to him, wanted to tell him that I was fine, but my throat seemed to be blocked by something, and I couldn't make a sound.

"How is His Majesty?" It was Prime Minister Li's voice. His tone seemed worried, but I could hear a subtle hint of... anticipation. I was startled and wanted to open my eyes to see clearly, but I was still unable to do so.

"Imperial Physician, when will His Majesty wake up?" There was a barely perceptible tremor in Zhen Youcai's voice. I could feel him holding my hand tightly, the warmth of his palm coming through my skin, giving me a slight comfort.

"This..." The imperial physician hesitated, as if he had something to hide. "Your Majesty has used up a great deal of your vitality by performing this forbidden technique. This old minister...this old minister is powerless to help!"

"What? Forbidden technique?" Zhen Youcai's voice suddenly rose. "How can it be a forbidden technique? Didn't you say it was just ancient magic?"

"This..." The imperial physician fell to his knees, trembling with fear.

"Enough!" Minister Wang, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly spoke up. "At this point, assigning blame is futile. The most urgent task is to find a way to save His Majesty as soon as possible."

"Minister Wang is right," Prime Minister Li echoed. "Your Majesty is now unconscious. The country cannot be without a ruler for a day. In my opinion, it is better to..."

I felt the hand holding mine suddenly tighten. Zhen Youcai interrupted Prime Minister Li in a cold voice: "Prime Minister Li, what do you want to say?"

Prime Minister Li paused, a false smile on his face: "General, please don't misunderstand me. I am only concerned about the safety of the country. I have no other intentions."

"Hmph!" Zhen Youcai sneered, "I, the general, will protect the country's safety. Prime Minister Li, please don't worry about it."

I sensed a tense atmosphere in the room, and a sense of unease washed over me. I struggled to open my eyes, to see clearly, but my consciousness grew increasingly hazy, until, finally, I was completely plunged into darkness...

"Someone, come here! Please ask Prime Minister Li to go down and rest!" Zhen Youcai's voice was cold and resolute, without the slightest hesitation.

"What...what are you going to do!" Prime Minister Li's voice was full of panic and anger.

"Someone come here!" Zhen Youcai ignored Prime Minister Li's roar and just repeated it coldly again.

I felt someone approaching, and then my body was gently picked up. The familiar warmth and breath made me feel a little more at ease.

"Mengmeng, don't worry, I will find a way to save you, I will..." Zhen Youcai's voice was low and firm, as if he was making a promise to me.

I wanted to respond to him, but I didn't even have the strength to open my eyes. I could only let the darkness swallow me...

"Come, pass the order down. Seal off the palace. No one is allowed to enter or leave without my order!" My consciousness felt like it was falling into a bottomless abyss, surrounded by endless darkness and silence. Only Zhen Youcai's anxious voice could be heard intermittently, sometimes far away, sometimes near, as if separated by a thick barrier.

"Mengmeng, you must hold on! I've sent people to find the guardian of the ancient books. He must be able to save you!"

The guardian of the ancient books? Is it that mysterious old man? I heard he possesses wisdom and power unimaginable to ordinary people. Perhaps he can really save me...

"General, Your Majesty is a lucky man and will be fine." There was a hint of worry and comfort in Minister Wang's voice.

"Yes, General, it is more important for you to take care of your health." Princess Zhao's voice was soft and weak, but it was firm.

I tried hard to open my eyes and tell them that I was fine, but my eyelids felt like they were being weighed down by a huge rock and I couldn't open them.

"Prime Minister Li has arrived!"

Prime Minister Li? What was he doing here? I was startled, a sense of foreboding welling up in my heart.

"General, His Majesty is now unconscious. The country cannot be without a ruler for a day!" Prime Minister Li's voice was filled with a subtle sense of pride. "In my opinion, it is better to..."

"Not as good as what?" Zhen Youcai's voice suddenly turned cold, revealing a chilling chill.

"Why not... make the crown prince the emperor, and let the empress dowager rule the country from behind the curtain!" Prime Minister Li finally showed his true colors.

"How dare you!" Shangshu Wang shouted angrily, "Your Majesty is in the prime of life, and the Crown Prince is young. How can you be allowed to speak nonsense here?"

"Minister Wang, are you planning a rebellion?" Prime Minister Li said with a sinister smile, "Don't forget, the guards inside and outside the palace now obey my orders!"

My heart sank. Prime Minister Li was trying to usurp the throne! No, I absolutely couldn't let him succeed!

"Prime Minister Li, don't let your wishful thinking lead you to despair!" Princess Zhao's voice suddenly became sharp. "Do you really think you can cover up everything?"

"Oh? Princess Zhao, what do you mean by this?" Prime Minister Li said with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

"General Sun, why don't you take action now?" Following Princess Zhao's order, the sound of swords clashing came from outside the door.

"You...you guys..." Prime Minister Li's voice was full of panic and anger.

"Prime Minister Li, you colluded with foreign enemies and intended to rebel. Now that you are caught red-handed, why don't you surrender?" General Sun's voice was loud and majestic, carrying an irresistible force.

I felt relieved. It seemed that Minister Wang and Princess Zhao had already anticipated that Prime Minister Li would take the opportunity to cause chaos, so they made preparations in advance.

"Come here, take Prime Minister Li down!" Zhen Youcai gave the order, and Prime Minister Li was subdued to the ground by the guards who swarmed over.

"You...you will not die well! Cough cough..." Prime Minister Li was still making his last struggle, but his voice became weaker and weaker, and finally, it completely disappeared in the noise.

"Mengmeng, did you hear that? Prime Minister Li has been caught, you are safe..." There was a hint of fatigue in Zhen Youcai's voice, but it couldn't hide his joy.

I wanted to respond to him, but my consciousness became increasingly blurred, and finally, I fell into complete darkness...

"Squeak-"

There was a slight sound, as if someone pushed open the door, and an old voice sounded in my ears: "You are General Zhen, right? I am..."

There was a soft sound, as if someone pushed open the door, and an old voice sounded beside my ears: "You are General Zhen, right? I am the guardian of ancient books."

I tried to open my eyes, but they felt heavy as if they were filled with lead. My mind was hazy, and the sounds in my ears were intermittent, as if they were covered by a thick layer of fog.

"Your Majesty, she is in critical condition and requires the power of an ancient magic circle to awaken her." The ancient book guardian's voice was solemn, "I need your assistance."

I don't know how long it took, but I felt a warm force slowly pouring into my body, and consciousness gradually returned. I tried to open my eyes, but everything was blurry. I vaguely saw a tall figure standing by the bed, looking at me anxiously.

"Mengmeng, you're finally awake!" A familiar voice, filled with unconcealed joy and worry, was Zhen Youcai! I tried to speak, but my throat was so dry that I could only utter a faint sound.

"How do you feel? Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?" Zhen Youcai quickly poured me a glass of water and carefully fed it to me.

"I'm fine..." I shook my head weakly, "Prime Minister Li..."

"Prime Minister Li has been brought to justice. You don't have to worry." Zhen Youcai held my hand, his eyes firm and gentle. "Just focus on recuperating. Leave everything else to me."

Under the meticulous care of Zhen Youcai and the guardians of ancient texts, I quickly recovered. When I once again entered the throne room, all the civil and military officials knelt in reverence, their cheers of "Long live the emperor" resounding through the heavens.

"Long live my emperor! Long live!"

I looked at the familiar faces before me, feeling a surge of emotion. From a newly arrived time traveler to the now universally admired empress, this journey hasn't been easy.

"My dear ministers, please stand." I waved my sleeves, signaling everyone to stand up. "It's been a long time since we last met. Thank you for all your hard work."

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty!" everyone responded in unison.

I glanced around, my gaze finally landing on Zhen Youcai. He was clad in armor, a dashing figure, his eyes filled with confidence and determination. I smiled at him, my heart filled with gratitude and warmth.

"General Zhen, has there been any unusual movement at the border recently?" I asked.

"Your Majesty, everything is peaceful at the border." Zhen Youcai stepped forward and said with a bow, "It's just..."

There was a hint of hesitation in his tone, as if he was having trouble bringing something out. Something in my heart stirred, a faint sense of unease.

"Just what? But you can say it."

"It's just that General Sun and I discovered some unusual traces while patrolling the border..." Zhen Youcai paused and said solemnly, "It seems that a force we have never seen before is quietly approaching..."