From cute to empress

Chapter 208: The Power Struggle Caused by the Space-Time Gate

Night enveloped the palace, casting a mysterious hue over the magnificent palace. I stood at the window, gazing at the twinkling lights of thousands of homes in the distance, my heart as dark as the night itself.

"Your Majesty, it's time for you to rest." The personal maid reminded softly.

I shook my head, motioning for her to leave. I couldn't sleep. Tomorrow was the day of the decisive battle, and I had to stay awake to deal with any unexpected situation.

The "Shadow" spreads across the land, their goal being to seize our dynasty's most precious treasure: a mysterious ancient tome passed down from ancient times. It's said this tome holds immense power, capable of controlling the fate of the world and even warping time and space. To obtain it, the "Shadow" will wage war and bring destruction upon all.

"I will never let them succeed!" I clenched my fists, a determination gleaming in my eyes.

"Your Majesty, what are you talking about?" Zhen Youcai pushed the door open and walked in. He was wearing silver armor and looked heroic, like a god of war descending from the sky.

"Nothing, I was just thinking about how we should deal with the battle tomorrow." I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down.

"Your Majesty, rest assured. I have made all the necessary preparations." Zhen Youcai walked over to my side, his eyes determined. "The city defenses are strong, the food and fodder are plentiful, and the morale of the soldiers is high. They are determined to defend the country to the death."

I know Zhen Youcai poured his heart and soul into this war, toiling day and night, barely closing his eyes. He always put my safety first, neglecting his own health.

"Youcai, thank you for your hard work." I held his hand, feeling the warmth of his palm, "We will face this together."

Zhen Youcai held my hand in return, his eyes full of tenderness: "Your Majesty, I will always be by your side."

I nodded, a warm feeling welling up in my heart. I knew that no matter how many difficulties and obstacles there were ahead, I would have him by my side to face them.

"Report——"

A soldier hurried in and knelt on one knee: "Your Majesty, the king requests an audience!"

"Xuan."

Minister Wang hurried in, a trace of anxiety on his face. "Your Majesty, I have something important to report..."

Minister Wang's face was pale, his forehead beaded with beads of sweat, evidently a hurried journey. He took a deep breath, calming his breathing before speaking, "Your Majesty, I have, as you instructed, transported all the remaining food and fodder in the city to the city defense barracks. This is enough to sustain our army for three months. Furthermore, I have contacted several surrounding counties, and they have promised to gather food and fodder and send it to the capital as quickly as possible. Your Majesty, rest assured."

I nodded. Minister Wang always did things prudently, and I felt completely at ease leaving the logistics to him. "Thank you for your hard work, my dear Lord Wang."

"It is my humble duty to share your majesty's worries," Minister Wang replied respectfully.

"How's the situation with Princess Zhao?" I turned to Zhen Youcai and asked.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Princess Zhao has successfully convinced the people in the city that we can resist the enemy's invasion, and has organized the people to help defend the city, stabilizing the situation in the city." Zhen Youcai replied with a bow.

"Where's General Sun? Any updates on Shadow's movements?"

"General Sun leads the scouts to investigate the enemy situation day and night, but Shadow's whereabouts are secretive and there is no definite news yet." Zhen Youcai frowned slightly, obviously very afraid of Shadow's concealment ability.

I pondered for a moment, a faint unease building within me. "Pass the word down, General Sun, to be extremely cautious. 'Shadow' is full of cunning schemes, so don't let your guard down."

"I obey your order." Zhen Youcai took the order and left.

It was late at night, and I forced myself to lie down in bed, but I still couldn't fall asleep. My mind kept replaying the evil deeds of the "Shadows" and their determination to obtain the ancient books.

Suddenly, there was a slight knock on the door, which was particularly clear in the quiet night. "Who?" I asked alertly.

"Your Majesty, I have something to ask you." An old voice came from outside the door, with an imperceptible tremor.

It's the Guardian of Ancient Books... Why would he come to see me at this time? I was startled and immediately got out of bed and opened the door.

"Your Majesty..." The guardian of the ancient books looked solemn and hesitated to speak.

"Come in and talk." I led him into the room, closed the door, and motioned him to sit down and talk.

The guardian of the ancient books spoke slowly, his voice low and hoarse: "Your Majesty, this old servant... This old servant has something extremely important to tell you. It concerns the outcome of this war, and..."

He paused, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, "And... the secret of the ancient book..."

My heart trembled. The guardian of ancient books was usually indifferent and taciturn, but today he was acting out of character, which showed that this matter was of great importance. "Please speak, old man. I am all ears."

The Guardian of the Ancient Books took a deep breath and said slowly, "Your Majesty, do you know why the leader of 'Shadow' is so obsessed with ancient books?"

I shook my head. This question had been bothering me. "Isn't it to use the power of ancient texts to overthrow the government and usurp the throne?"

The guardian of the ancient tome chuckled bitterly, "Your Majesty, what you say is nothing but speculation. I, this old servant, have guarded the ancient tome for decades and know its secrets well. 'Shadow's' true purpose is to find a forbidden technique that can open the gate of time and space."

"A portal?" I exclaimed. "You mean, they want..."

"That's right. They want to travel to other time and space, gain greater power, and ultimately rule the entire world." The guardian of the ancient book said in a heavy tone, "And the key to opening the door to time and space is hidden in the ancient book."

I suddenly felt a huge pressure coming over me. If I let "Shadow" succeed, the consequences would be disastrous.

"Then how can we stop them?" I asked anxiously, "Is there no way to prevent them from finding the forbidden technique to open the gate of time and space?"

The guardian of the ancient text pondered for a moment and said, "Although the 'Shadows' are powerful, they are not invincible. The skills they practice are extremely powerful and require the constant absorption of negative energy to maintain. However, the ancient texts record a formation that can purify negative energy and weaken their power."

My eyes lit up, as if I had grasped a life-saving straw. "Old man, do you know how to set up this formation?"

The guardian of ancient books nodded and said, "I will draw the formation diagram right away. Your Majesty, please remember it carefully." After that, he walked to the desk and began to write furiously.

At this moment, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door, accompanied by the guards' anxious reports: "Your Majesty! It's bad! Prime Minister Li... Prime Minister Li..."

My heart sank, and a sense of foreboding settled over me. "What happened to Prime Minister Li?"

"Prime Minister Li...he's missing!"

"Missing?!" I jumped up in shock. Prime Minister Li has always advocated war, so why would he disappear at this critical juncture? A bad premonition came over me. Could it be... that the "Shadow" had attacked us?

"Quick, pass on my order, block the city gates, and search the entire city for Prime Minister Li's whereabouts!" I tried to calm myself down and gave the order quickly.

"Your Majesty, news has come from Prime Minister Li's residence that Prime Minister Li has disappeared after leaving a letter." The guard's voice was trembling.

I took the letter from the guard and saw only a few words on it: "Do not investigate. Take care!" The handwriting was messy, as if it was written in a hurry.

"How could this happen..." I murmured to myself, my heart chilled. Is Prime Minister Li doing this to prevent us from worrying and letting him face the unknown danger alone?

"Mengmeng, don't panic. Maybe Prime Minister Li just wants to be alone." Zhen Youcai, who had been silent all the time, held my hand. His hand was warm and strong, which gave me a little comfort.

I shook my head, fighting back the tears. Now wasn't the time to be sad. I had more important things to do. "Youcai, the Shadow's target isn't me, or the ancient books, but the entire world! We can't let them succeed!"

"I know." Zhen Youcai's eyes were firm and gentle. "No matter what happens, I will be by your side and we will face it together."

I held his hand tightly in return. At that moment, my heart was filled with strength. The darkness before dawn is always the most difficult to endure, but I know that as long as we remain steadfast in our faith and united as one, we will surely overcome the darkness and usher in the light of dawn!

I took a deep breath and turned to look outside the hall. There was a land about to face a decisive battle, and there were the eyes of countless people longing for peace. I am their monarch and their hope. I must not fall!

"Pass the order, prepare the entire army for battle! Tomorrow morning, follow me to fight against 'Shadow'!" My voice resounded throughout the hall and spread throughout the entire palace.

The night deepened, and the entire country was enveloped in a tense yet resolute atmosphere, awaiting the decisive battle. I stood atop the city wall, gazing into the distance. There, the army of the dark forces surged toward us like a tide...