From cute to empress

Chapter 315: Outwitting the treacherous

"We discovered that Prince An... might appear in... an ancient temple..." The Imperial Master's voice was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples in my heart.

An ancient temple? Could Prince An be hiding in a temple? I was puzzled, but I also knew that the Imperial Master wouldn't speak without a purpose. If he said so, there must be a deeper meaning behind it.

"Excuse me, Imperial Master, which temple is this?" Zhen Youcai asked with a bow, his brows slightly furrowed.

The Imperial Master simply shook his head, clasped his hands together, and whispered a Buddhist mantra: "Amitabha, the secrets of heaven cannot be revealed, everything can be left to fate."

Zhen Youcai and I exchanged glances, each seeing a mixture of confusion and understanding. While the Imperial Master didn't say it explicitly, his words were clear enough. Prince An was at the end of his rope. Where else could he turn except to pray to the gods?

"I understand. Thank you for your guidance, Imperial Master." I stood up and bowed deeply to the Imperial Master, already having a plan in mind.

That night, the moon was dark and the wind was strong, it was the perfect night for murder.

Zhen Youcai and I, along with a team of elite soldiers, disguised ourselves and arrived at Qingliang Temple, an ancient, less-popular temple outside the city. The temple had long been in disrepair, its vermilion gate mottled and flaking, creating a gloomy atmosphere in the night.

"Your Majesty, we really have to stay here..." Zhen Youcai lowered his voice, looking a little worried.

I gestured for silence, glanced around, and whispered, "I trust the Imperial Master's judgment. Prince An must be here. Remember, we only need to wait for the opportunity and must not alert the enemy."

After saying that, I sneaked into the temple first, followed by Zhen Youcai, and the rest of the guards scattered around the temple, surrounding the entire temple, making it impossible to get in or out.

Inside the temple, the incense was sparse, with only a few dim oil lamps emitting a faint light, which made the Buddhist hall dim and even more eerie.

We held our breath, walked lightly, and searched every corner carefully, but we still couldn't find any trace of King An.

"Strange, could it be that the Imperial Master made a wrong judgment?" Zhen Youcai asked in a low voice, a hint of anxiety in his tone.

My brows furrowed, and I felt a little uneasy. Just then, a faint sound of footsteps came from behind the temple, and it was particularly clear in the quiet night...

Zhen Youcai and I looked at each other, a gleam of light flashed in our eyes, and we both lowered our steps and walked towards the direction where the sound came from.

"Squeak-"

With a soft sound, a wooden door at the back of the Buddhist hall was gently pushed open, and a dark figure flashed and walked in...

Zhen Youcai and I quietly approached the wooden door. We exchanged glances, a tacit understanding flowing between us. I took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and shouted, "Who is it?!"

A figure in night clothes turned around in panic, holding an oil lamp in his hand, and looked at us in panic. In the dim light, I recognized him at a glance: it was the King An we had been searching for!

"Prince An, how long are you going to hide?!" Zhen Youcai drew the sword from his waist, pointed the tip of the sword directly at Prince An, his eyes full of flames of anger.

Seeing his whereabouts exposed, Prince An abandoned his disguise, ripped off the black cloth from his face, and sneered, "Humph, I didn't expect you to find me! What a pity, you came too late!"

After saying this, he suddenly smashed the oil lamp in his hand to the ground. With a "bang", the oil lamp shattered, and flames shot up, instantly igniting the curtains on the ground. The dry curtains caught fire and the fire spread rapidly, and the entire Buddhist hall was soon engulfed in flames.

"Oh no! He wants to burn down the Buddhist temple!" Zhen Youcai exclaimed, but was forced to cough repeatedly by the choking smoke.

I calmly observed my surroundings and found a narrow passage behind the Buddhist hall, which should lead to the back mountain of the temple. I made a quick decision, took Zhen Youcai's hand, and said, "Don't worry about him, let's go!"

After saying that, I pulled Zhen Youcai and rushed into the passage. Behind us, we heard King An’s crazy shouting and the sound of a blazing fire.

We ran all the way and finally escaped the sea of ​​fire. By then, flames were already blazing outside the temple, and the shouts of killing were deafening.

"Your Majesty! Are you okay?" A team of guards saw us escape from the sea of ​​fire and quickly surrounded us, asking anxiously.

"I'm fine." I waved my hand, my eyes swept over the crowd, and said in a deep voice, "Prince An has been trapped in the sea of ​​fire. Pass the order down! No one is allowed to approach the Buddhist temple. Anyone who disobeys the order will be executed!"

"As you wish!" the guards responded in unison.

I stood before the blazing temple, watching the flames rise into the sky, but my heart remained remarkably calm. I knew that Prince An would never be able to escape.

The next morning, the fire gradually died down and Qingliang Temple was reduced to ruins. Among the ruins, we found the body of Prince An, he had been burned to charcoal and was unrecognizable.

I ordered King An to be buried hastily and ordered the reconstruction of Qingliang Temple.

A few days later, I received news that a suspicious monk had been apprehended and suspected of colluding with Prince An. I ordered the monk to be brought to the main hall and interrogated personally.

"What's your name?" I sat on the high dragon throne, looking down at the monk kneeling below, my tone majestic and cold.

The monk lowered his head and said nothing.

"I'll ask you again, what's your name?" My voice rose a few degrees, with unquestionable majesty.

"My poor monk... my Buddhist name is... Huiming..." The monk finally spoke, his voice trembling, and it was obvious that he was extremely scared.

"Master Huiming, do you know your crime?" I looked at him coldly, with a cold light flashing in my eyes.

"I... don't know..." Master Huiming shook his head hurriedly, but did not dare to look me in the eye.

"How dare you! As a monk, you don't abide by the rules and regulations, and you even dare to collude with traitors and rebels with the intention of rebellion. Now that there are witnesses and evidence, you still dare to quibble?!" I slammed the armrest of the dragon throne and shouted angrily.

"Your Majesty, please spare me! Your Majesty, please spare me!" Master Huiming was so frightened that his whole body was shaking and he kowtowed repeatedly begging for mercy.

"Someone, come here, drag out this traitor who deceives the emperor and colludes with rebellious ministers and villains, and behead him in public!" I stood up suddenly, pointed at Master Huiming, and shouted sternly.

"Yes!" The guards on both sides rushed forward and dragged Master Huiming away...

I watched Master Huiming being dragged away, without a trace of pity in my eyes. I knew that treating an enemy was like treating a ferocious beast; I could never be soft-hearted, or I would only harm myself.

I slowly glanced at the civil and military officials in the hall and said in a deep voice, "I hope you will all take today's events as a warning. If anyone dares to collaborate with the enemy, betray the country, or shelter the traitor, I will not show mercy!"

My sharp gaze swept across the faces of those who were either terrified or in awe, finally landing on Zhen Youcai. He stared back at me firmly, his eyes full of admiration and support.

The capture of Master Huiming has greatly boosted public morale and intimidated those harboring evil intentions. The fate of the traitor is a prime example of the principle of killing one to serve as a warning to the rest. I know that after this incident, the court will experience a rare period of calm.

After dealing with the traitor, Zhen Youcai and I immediately plunged into preparations for the celebration. Despite the events of Prince An's rebellion and Master Huiming's death, the celebration was approaching and we couldn't afford to delay.

"Your Majesty, this is the schedule for this celebration. Please take a look." Zhen Youcai handed me a carefully compiled document.

I took the document and read it carefully, discussing the details with Zhen Youcai from time to time, striving to arrange everything perfectly.

"Have the accommodations for the envoys from various countries been arranged? Special attention must be paid to their safety," I reminded them.

"Your Majesty, don't worry. I have arranged for the imperial guards to strengthen patrols to ensure that everything is safe." Zhen Youcai said in a firm tone, with a hint of fatigue in his eyes, but more of confidence.

I was feeling a little tired after days of hard work, but I forced myself to concentrate and continue discussing the various matters related to the celebration with Zhen Youcai. I knew that this celebration was not just a ceremony to celebrate my ascension to the throne, but also a demonstration to the world of my determination and ability to govern the country.

Late at night, I stood alone by the window, gazing at the brightly lit capital in the distance, a mixture of emotions welling up in my heart. Over the past period of time, I've experienced so much, growing from a fledgling young woman to the empress I am today. Only I understand the hardships and difficulties involved.

"Your Majesty, it's late, you should rest." Zhen Youcai's concerned voice came from behind.

I turned around and smiled at him: "I'm fine, I'm just thinking about tomorrow's celebration..."

"Your Majesty, don't worry. Everything has been prepared. Tomorrow will definitely be a grand celebration." Zhen Youcai's tone was firm, which gave me great confidence.

I nodded, but I felt a tinge of unease. For some reason, I felt like something was about to happen...

On the eve of the celebration, the night was as cold as water. I lay in bed, unable to sleep. Various images kept flashing through my mind: Prince An's hideous face, Master Huiming's terrified eyes, and...

"Dong dong dong..."

Suddenly, a rapid knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.

"Your Majesty, something's wrong!" Zhen Youcai's voice rang out from outside the door, a hint of panic and haste...