From cute to empress

Chapter 180 A Glimmer of Faith

"How could this happen?!" I held onto the table, took a deep breath, and tried to calm myself. "Pass the order down. Immediately mobilize all the city's defenders and water dragon teams to put out the fire! We must do everything possible to control the fire and minimize the losses!"

"As you wish!" The two guards took the order and left, leaving only me and a few trusted ministers in the imperial study.

"Your Majesty," an old minister said worriedly, "This fire is very strange. I'm afraid..."

I understood what he meant. The timing and location of the fire were too coincidental. It was very likely that someone had set it on purpose in order to undermine the Reformation or even... overthrow my rule.

My hands were clenched into fists, my nails digging deep into my flesh, but I felt no pain at all. Now wasn't the time to assign blame; the priority was to put out the fire and appease the people!

I forced myself to calm down and said in a deep voice, "Pass the order down. Block the news and strictly forbid anyone from spreading rumors! Also, immediately send people to all the major temples and Taoist temples to strengthen security and prevent similar incidents from happening again!"

"According to the order!"

I left the imperial study and looked out over the city walls. Thick smoke billowed into the sky, staining half the sky black. My heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand. Pain and anger mingled, making it nearly impossible to breathe.

The fire raged all night and wasn't extinguished until the next morning. Looking at the scorched earth before me, I felt immense pain. Countless believers had lost their spiritual support, countless people had lost their homes, and all this was because my reforms had touched upon the interests of certain individuals!

I dragged myself to the burned-out temple. The air was thick with the pungent smell of smoke and dust, and the shattered walls still bore the scars of the raging fire, a truly shocking sight.

"Your Majesty!" Two figures knelt down in front of me. I looked closely and saw that they were pilgrims A and B who often came to burn incense.

The two of them were originally dressed in fine clothes, but now they were covered in dust and their clothes had several holes burned in them. It was obvious that they had participated in the firefighting.

"What are you doing..." I looked at them with mixed feelings.

"Your Majesty, please forgive us! It's all our fault that we failed to protect the temple..." Pilgrim A burst into tears.

Pilgrim B also choked up and said, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, we will definitely rebuild the temple and will not leave the Buddha homeless!"

Their eyes were filled with sadness and determination, but I saw hope and the power of faith in them.

"Alright!" I took a deep breath and helped them both up. "I believe that as long as we all work together, we will be able to overcome the difficulties before us!"

I looked at the believers who gradually gathered together. They spontaneously cleared the ruins and carried wood, preparing to rebuild their homes and rebuild their faith.

At dusk, I received an expedited letter from the border. I opened it and saw it was a handwritten letter from Zhen Youcai. I clutched the letter tightly, and a bad feeling suddenly welled up in my heart...

The setting sun's afterglow bathed me, illuminating the thin sheet of paper in my hand. The handwriting was all too familiar to me: Zhen Youcai's powerful, forceful brushstrokes. Yet, the anxiety and worry etched between the lines pierced my heart like an invisible blade.

"The war situation on the border is tense, and the invasion of barbarians is even more rampant. I am afraid that... the capital will suddenly catch fire and the people will be displaced. I am extremely anxious..." I muttered to myself, and my heart became heavier with each word I read.

Zhen Youcai wrote in his letter that he had made all the necessary arrangements and would be returning to the capital soon. He also said that he knew I must be under tremendous pressure at the moment, but that he trusted me and asked me to take good care of myself and wait for his return.

Yes, he is always like this, no matter when and where, he is always my strongest support. But, don't I also want to fight side by side with him and face this precarious situation together?

I held the letter tightly against my chest, as if I could feel Zhen Youcai's warmth and his heartbeat.

"Your Majesty, Master Huineng and Taoist Master Xuanzhen request to see you." The maid's voice interrupted my thoughts.

I took a deep breath, put the letter away, and said calmly, "Let them in."

A moment later, two venerable elders appeared before me. Master Huineng had a kind face, clasped his hands together, and bowed slightly; Taoist Master Xuanzhen had a solemn expression, gently waved his whisk, and performed a Taoist ritual.

"Your Majesty, I heard that a fire broke out in the capital, so I came to visit you. I wonder if Your Majesty is well?" Master Huineng's voice was as calm as ever, but it carried a soothing power.

"Your Majesty, I observed the sky at night and found that there has been an evil spirit spreading over the capital in recent days. I am afraid that evil spirits are causing trouble..." Taoist Xuanzhen frowned, and there was a hint of worry in his tone.

I forced myself to cheer up and said to them, "Thank you both for your concern. I'm fine. It's just that this fire came out of nowhere, and I'm worried..."

Before I could finish my words, I was interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps.

"Your Majesty! The ascetic monk requests an audience!"

I was slightly stunned, then said, "Let him in."

The ascetic monk staggered into the imperial study. His face was pale and his body was wrapped in bandages. It was obvious that his injuries had not yet healed.

"Acetic monk, why are you here instead of taking good care of your injuries?" I asked with a hint of blame in my tone.

The ascetic raised his head, his eyes filled with guilt and self-blame. "Your Majesty, I..." He took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind. "I have something to tell you about this fire..."

"Your Majesty, this fire wasn't a natural disaster, but a man-made one!" The ascetic monk suddenly knelt on the ground, his voice hoarse. "It was... it was some radical elements who were waving the banner of 'divine punishment'. They... they were dissatisfied with the religious reforms Your Majesty was promoting, believing it was a blasphemy against the gods, so..."

His words rang like a bolt from the blue. I stood up abruptly and asked in disbelief, "What did you say? How is this possible?"

The religious reform I promoted was intended to rectify the chaotic religious world and combat those cults and scum who exploited the names of gods and Buddhas to amass wealth and cause harm. This reform did indeed affect the interests of some and sparked some controversy, but I never imagined that someone would be so mad as to commit such a heinous act!

"Your Majesty, every word the ascetic monk said is true." Master Huineng clasped his hands together, a look of compassion on his face. "Those radicals have been blinded by hatred. They have misinterpreted the teachings, misled the people, and have already embarked on a wrong path."

Taoist Priest Xuanzhen also echoed, "Your Majesty, this matter is of no small importance. We must quickly uncover the truth and bring the culprits to justice to appease the public's anger!"

My heart felt like it was being weighed down by a huge rock, so heavy it was almost impossible to breathe. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself, and said to them, "Thank you all for telling me this. I have made up my mind."

I ordered the ascetic monk to be taken away for treatment, then summoned the commander of the Royal Guard and ordered him to immediately launch an investigation and bring the arsonists to justice.

"Your Majesty, do you really believe what the ascetic monk said?" After everyone left, Xiaolan, the maid who had been silent all the time, couldn't help but ask.

I looked at her worried eyes and said firmly, "It's better to believe it than not. This matter is very serious. I must treat it with caution."

I understand that this fire is just the beginning. The radical elements hiding in the shadows are like reefs lurking beneath the surface of calm waters, ready to stir up a storm at any moment. I must find a solution as soon as possible to protect my people and everything I have worked so hard to build.

At this moment, a guard hurried in, knelt on the ground, and presented a letter with both hands, "Your Majesty, the envoy from the neighboring country urgently requests an audience and has brought a secret letter."

I took the letter, a sense of foreboding rising in my heart. I slowly unfolded the letter, my eyes scanning the handwriting, and my face suddenly turned extremely grim.

"What's wrong, Your Majesty?" Xiaolan asked anxiously when she saw that my face looked wrong.

I clutched the letter tightly in my hand and said word by word: "Neighboring country...they...they..."