From cute to empress

Chapter 272 The Secret of the Jade Pendant

When I woke up, I found myself lying in a simple wooden house, covered with a rough blanket. I struggled to sit up, my head dizzy, and many images flashed by like fragments: the earthquake, the crowd, and...Zhen Youcai's anxious face.

I tried hard to recall, but my memories were like beads on a broken string, impossible to string together. How did I end up here? Where was Zhen Youcai?

"Are you awake?" an old voice sounded. I looked in the direction of the voice and saw an old lady with a wrinkled face walking in, holding a wooden bowl. "Don't worry, child, you are safe now."

The old lady told me that I was buried in the rubble during the earthquake and that she and her son had rescued me. Only then did I realize that my arm was wrapped in a thick bandage and was aching slightly.

"Where is this?" I asked weakly.

"This is a small village on the border of a neighboring country," the old woman sighed, "you have been in a coma for five days and five nights."

Five days and five nights?! I was shocked. What about Zhen Youcai? He must be frantic! I had to contact him as soon as possible!

However, the next news was heartbreaking. The old lady told me that after the earthquake, rumors spread that I had been... killed.

"Impossible!" I stood up suddenly, but was brought back to reality by a sharp pain. "This is impossible! There must be something wrong!"

I stumbled out of the cabin, staring at the unfamiliar village before me, my heart filled with fear and despair. I, the dignified Empress of the Great Zhou, had become a missing person, my life or death uncertain.

What was even more difficult to accept was that when I finally overcame all odds and returned to the Great Zhou, an even harsher reality awaited me. Rumors about my disappearance were rampant both inside and outside the palace. Some said I was abducted by a neighboring nation, some said I had already perished, and some suspected this was all part of a carefully orchestrated political conspiracy.

My former colleagues, who had fought alongside me, were now estranged because of my disappearance. Art critics openly questioned my leadership, saying I had prioritized personal safety over national interests and had plunged the entire collaborative project into the abyss.

"Your Majesty, with all due respect," the once enthusiastic wife of the wealthy businessman said in a cold tone. "This incident has made me doubt your judgment and execution ability. I need to reassess the investment risks..."

The wealthy businessman's wife's words stung my heart like a sharp icicle. I suppressed my anger and explained calmly, "Madam, this earthquake was just an accident. I..."

"Accident?" The wealthy merchant's wife sneered and interrupted me. "Your Majesty, I cannot believe that an earthquake could make you disappear without a trace. Moreover..." She paused, her eyes sweeping over the people behind me. "General Zhen, your companion, rushed into the disaster area recklessly. Could it be that all he found was a pile of rubble?"

I was startled and subconsciously glanced at Zhen Youcai. His face was gloomy and he said nothing, his eyes gleaming with complex emotions, as if he was trying hard to suppress something. I had never seen him so unfamiliar, and this made me even more uneasy.

"Madam, what do you mean?" the art critic stepped forward, his tone sharp. "Are you doubting General Zhen's loyalty?"

"I'm just telling the truth," the wealthy businessman's wife said without giving in. "This partnership is of great importance, and I must be responsible for my investment. Until the truth comes out, I will retain my doubts."

"Enough!" I slammed the table, trying to control the situation. "Now is not the time for internal strife. The most urgent task is to find out the truth and find the mastermind behind this!"

However, my words fell on deaf ears, eliciting no response. Everyone remained silent, their faces filled with suspicion, distrust, and disappointment. The team, once united and full of hope, now seemed to be falling apart, like a pile of loose sand.

"Your Majesty," Zhen Youcai suddenly spoke in a low and hoarse voice, "I have something I want to tell you alone."

I suppressed my uneasiness and nodded, motioning him to follow me. We arrived at the Imperial Garden. The garden, once teeming with flowers, now seemed barren to me, just like my current mood.

"Did you find anything?" I asked, my voice trembling.

Zhen Youcai was silent for a moment, then he pulled out a beautifully carved jade pendant from his bosom and handed it to me: "I found this on the border of a neighboring country. It's said to be a token of the neighboring country's royal family."

I took the jade pendant and looked at it carefully. Suddenly, some images flashed through my mind. It was the artist from the neighboring country. What he wore on his chest seemed to be this jade pendant!

"This jade pendant..." I suddenly looked up at Zhen Youcai, with an ominous premonition in my heart, "You mean..."

"I suspect," Zhen Youcai took a deep breath and said in a heavy tone, "from the very beginning, we fell into a carefully designed trap..."

Before he could finish his words, a guard came running over in a panic and knelt before us, his face pale. "Your Majesty, this is bad! The envoys from the neighboring country... the neighboring country have requested an audience and said..."

He paused, his voice trembling: "He said he would take you back..."

The guard's words reverberated like thunder in my ears. An envoy from a neighboring country? Bringing me back? This all felt like a farce, and I was at the center of it, with nowhere to escape.

"Your Majesty, please think twice!" Zhen Youcai grabbed me and said solemnly, "They clearly have ill intentions. You absolutely cannot..."

I took a deep breath and interrupted him: "I know, but I can't just walk away. I want to see what tricks they are up to!"

I forced myself to calm down and collect my thoughts. The sudden appearance of an envoy from a neighboring country, carrying that jade pendant, was too much of a coincidence. Could it be that the earthquake wasn't a natural disaster, but man-made? And I was their long-planned target?

The more I think about it, the more horrified I become. But even at this point, I can't lose my composure. I must get to the bottom of this, not only for myself but for my country.

I followed the guards to the main hall. The envoy from the neighboring country was standing arrogantly in the center of the hall. Upon seeing me, he sneered, "Your Majesty, how are you?"

"What do you mean?" I looked at him coldly, "Why did you take me away?"

"Your Majesty, you're joking," he said, feigning surprise. "You are the princess of our neighboring country. You have been living abroad for many years. It is only natural that you should return to your own country."

"What nonsense!" I shouted angrily. "I am the ruler of a country. How can I allow you to speak nonsense?"

"Your Majesty, why be so angry?" he said slowly. "If you don't believe me, you can ask General Zhen beside you. He saw with his own eyes how our people rescued you from the rubble."

As he spoke, he glanced at Zhen Youcai meaningfully. Zhen Youcai's face turned pale, and he said nothing, only clenching his fists tightly.

My heart skipped a beat, and a bad feeling came over me. I suddenly remembered that Zhen Youcai was the first person to arrive at the earthquake site, and it was he who told me that there was no trace of me.

Could it be that... he really betrayed me?

No, it's impossible! I shook my head, trying to get rid of this terrible thought. Zhen Youcai and I have been through life and death together, and have experienced so many ups and downs. There is no way he would betray me!

"Your Majesty," the envoy from the neighboring country saw that I was silent and thought I was guilty, so he became even more arrogant, "He who knows the current situation is a hero. You'd better come with us obediently to avoid physical pain."

I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down. I couldn't just sit there and wait for death. I had to save myself!

I looked around and found a guqin placed in a corner of the hall. It was a treasure sent as tribute by a neighboring country. It was said that only those who were proficient in music could play beautiful music.

An idea struck me. I walked over to the guqin, sat down, and gently plucked the strings. The melodious sound echoed through the hall, like a stream of clear water, washing away the anxiety and fear in my heart.

As I played, I carefully observed the neighboring country's envoy's reaction. Sure enough, when he heard the music, a look of surprise appeared on his face.

"You...you can actually play this song?" he asked in surprise. "This is a song that has been lost in our neighboring country for a long time..."

He didn't say anything more, but I already understood his meaning. This piece of music is an important clue to the cultural exchange between the two countries!

I was overjoyed, but I remained calm and continued playing. When the song ended, I stood up and looked at the envoy from the neighboring country with a determined gaze: "Do you want to know the origin of this song? I can tell you, but you must agree to one condition..."

I told him my conditions, and he hesitated for a moment, but finally agreed. I was secretly happy, knowing that I had made the right bet.

I followed the envoys from the neighboring kingdom out of the palace and embarked on the journey home. All the while, I pondered how to resolve this crisis. I didn't know what awaited me, but I believed that as long as I was alive, I would be able to find the truth and clear my name!

However, when I returned to the palace exhausted, I found that what greeted me was not concern and comfort, but indifference and suspicion.

"Your Majesty," the art critic was the first to speak up, his tone icy, "You are finally back. We are all waiting for your explanation."

The people behind him, including my former companions, looked at me with strange and scrutinizing eyes, as if I were a stranger, or perhaps...an enemy.

I opened my mouth and wanted to explain, but my throat was dry and I couldn't utter a word.

"Explain?" Zhen Youcai suddenly stepped forward, blocking me behind him, his tone trembling with a barely perceptible tremor. "What explanation? Mengmeng...she doesn't need any explanation!"