From cute to empress

Chapter 257 Rumors and Truth

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Please do something for me!" The peasant woman's heart-wrenching cry was like a thunderclap, splitting the cheerful appearance of the celebration and also splitting the composure I had barely maintained.

I hurried down the steps and signaled the guards to come forward and help me. "Auntie, please stand up and speak slowly. What happened?"

The peasant woman raised her head with tears in her eyes and tremblingly pointed at the equally terrified people behind her, "Your Majesty, they... they said that the wheat grown with the new technology is poisonous! Eating it will make you sick, it will..."

She didn't say anything else, but the words she left out were more vicious than any curse, instantly sending the people around her into an uproar. The originally joyous atmosphere vanished, replaced by doubt, panic, and unease.

"Your Majesty, is this all true? Are there really problems with new technologies?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, we are using new technology to farm. If there is a problem, what should we do?"

The people were talking to each other, worry and fear spreading among the crowd, and the originally joyous celebration suddenly became a mess. My heart sank. This was more serious than I had imagined!

I tried to remain calm and raised my voice, saying, "Everyone, be quiet! I assure you, there's absolutely no problem with the new technology! Someone must be maliciously spreading rumors. Don't believe them!"

"Your Majesty, we believe you, but..." A peasant woman looked hesitant, "But there's no smoke without fire!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, if the new technology is truly sound, why would anyone spread these rumors?"

Although the people fear me as the empress, when it comes to their own safety, they prefer to trust their own judgment.

I took a deep breath and was about to explain when the doctor of agronomy who had been standing behind me suddenly stepped forward. He said to me solemnly, "Your Majesty, I have ascertained that the person spreading the rumors is none other than a competitor of Merchant A, the wealthy businessman we are collaborating with to promote our new technology. They can't bear to see our good harvest, so they're deliberately spreading rumors to disrupt public opinion!"

"What?!" I was shocked and furious. "Where is this wealthy businessman A? Bring him to me immediately!"

"Your Majesty, please calm down," the previously silent County Magistrate B suddenly spoke up. "I believe the most urgent task right now is to calm the people and find out the truth, not..."

Before he could finish his words, an old yet resonant voice suddenly rang out from the crowd: "Your Majesty! I request to use myself to test the new technology!"

I looked in the direction of the sound and saw Mr. Tian, ​​leaning on a cane, trembling as he walked out of the crowd...

As Mr. Tian finished speaking, the crowd erupted in exclamations of surprise. I looked at this venerable elder with mixed feelings. Mr. Tian was a longtime village resident and one of the first farmers to embrace new technologies. His crop yields, achieved with these new techniques, doubled compared to previous years, and everyone praised him profusely.

"Uncle, have you really thought it through?" I asked worriedly, "This is not a joke!"

Mr. Tian nodded firmly, looked at me with his weathered eyes, and said word by word, "Your Majesty, I have lived for most of my life and have seen all sorts of storms and waves. I believe in you, and I also believe in new technologies! To reassure everyone, I am willing to take this risk!"

As he spoke, he turned to the people behind him and said loudly: "Fellow villagers, I believe that the new technology is good and can help us live a better life! If you are worried, let me try it for you first. If anything happens to me, you can..."

"Old man!" I couldn't help myself any longer and stepped forward to hold his hand. "Don't worry, I will definitely find out the truth and clear the name of the new technology!"

With Mr. Tian's insistence, we finally selected several farmer representatives who volunteered to participate in the experiment. In front of everyone, we made food from the grains they grew using the new technology and let them taste it themselves.

Time ticked by, and the atmosphere in the square became heavy and oppressive. I suppressed my uneasiness and closely watched the reactions of Mr. Tian and the others.

A quarter of an hour passed, half an hour passed... Mr. Tian and others were still chatting and laughing, without any signs of discomfort.

Whispers gradually began to rise among the crowd, and the uneasy mood gradually dissipated.

Just then, a middle-aged man who looked like a businessman pushed his way through the crowd, quickly walked up to me, plopped to his knees, and shouted, "Your Majesty, I'm guilty! I'm Merchant A, promoting new technology. Those rumors were spread by my competitors. They can't stand my success and are deliberately spreading rumors to stir up trouble. Your Majesty, please investigate!"

Looking at the weeping businessman before me, I understood. It seemed the agronomy doctor was right. Someone was indeed behind this!

Rich Merchant A wept bitterly as he pulled out a thick stack of account books from his bosom and presented them to the emperor. "Your Majesty, this is evidence of those people bribing grain merchants from all over the country and spreading rumors. Please review it!"

I took the account book and carefully read it, and the more I read, the more shocked I became. These account books had detailed records and clear handwriting, which was enough to prove that everything Rich Merchant A said was true!

I closed the account book, looked coldly at the kneeling businessman A, and asked in a deep voice, "Since you have evidence, why didn't you produce it earlier?"

Rich Businessman A's face turned pale, and he said in a trembling voice, "I...I just found out..."

Of course I knew he was lying, but he had helped us uncover the truth, so he had made amends. I waved my hand, motioning for him to stand. "Get up! I'll have someone investigate this matter. You can go back and wait for the news."

Rich Businessman A felt as if he had been pardoned and retreated with profuse gratitude.

I looked around and saw that the doubts on the people's faces had disappeared, replaced by relief and joy. A huge stone finally fell from my heart, and a relieved smile appeared on my face.

At this moment, my personal guard quickly walked up to me and whispered, "Your Majesty, urgent news from the border..."

The guard's face was a little solemn, and his voice was lowered. "The border guard... General Zhen said that there is no need to alarm the emperor, he will take care of everything."

My heart suddenly tightened. Zhen Youcai always said he would take care of everything, always protecting me and not letting me worry. But this time, I could clearly read a hint of uneasiness in the guard's face.

Taking a deep breath, I suppressed the turmoil in my heart and asked in an effort to maintain a calm tone, "How is the battle situation on the border? Do you need reinforcements?"

"Your Majesty," the guard knelt on one knee, clasping his hands together. "General Zhen's letter only stated that a small group of enemies had been repelled. Your Majesty, please rest assured."

"A small group of enemies..." I muttered to myself, but my brows were tightly locked together.

The borders were always unstable, and harassment from small groups of enemies was a common occurrence. Logically, such incidents didn't need to be reported, let alone specifically emphasized "don't alarm His Majesty." Unless... unless the enemy was not simple, or... they had other intentions.

All sorts of possibilities raced through my mind, and the feeling of unease grew stronger.

"I understand. You can go down." I waved my hand, signaling the guards to retreat.

After the guard left, I stood there for a long time, my mind racing. Finally, I decided to trust Zhen Youcai, and myself.

I took a deep breath, straightened my back, and turned to face the people who were waiting eagerly in the square.

"People!" I shouted, my voice clear and firm. "Today is our harvest celebration! The promotion of new technologies has brought us an unprecedented harvest. This is a victory for all of us!"

As soon as I finished speaking, thunderous applause and cheers broke out in the square.

I smiled as I looked at the faces in front of me that were filled with joy and hope, and my heart was filled with strength.

"I know," I continued, "there have been a lot of rumors about new technologies lately, causing doubts and even panic. But I want to say, please trust science and the truth! New technologies have been tested and verified countless times and are safe and reliable!"

I looked around, my gaze firm and powerful. "As your monarch, I promise you that I will never allow anyone with ulterior motives to destroy our achievements or hinder our development!"

As I finished speaking, the square erupted in even more enthusiastic applause and cheers. This time, the applause was filled with a touch more determination and trust.

The celebration ended successfully in joy, and I returned to my bedroom with a heart full of relief and a hint of indescribable worry.

When the palace maid was changing my clothes, I accidentally discovered an unopened letter on the table.

"What is this?" I asked.

"Your Majesty," the maid replied softly, "General Zhen sent someone to deliver it, saying it was for Your Majesty..."

My heart moved and I quickly picked up the letter and opened it impatiently.

When the familiar handwriting came into view, my heart beat faster.

"Mengmeng, seeing you is like seeing you..."

In the letter, Zhen Youcai told me that the harassment on the border was just a bunch of rabble, and he had already wiped them out, so I didn't need to worry. He also said that he would be back in the capital soon, and when he did, he would take me to see the most beautiful scenery and eat the most delicious food...

At the end of the letter, he wrote: "Mengmeng, wait for me, soon, we will never be apart again..."

I couldn't help but smile happily. However, at this moment, my eyes accidentally fell on the back of the letter paper. There was a line of very light handwriting, as if it was hastily written with a very fine charcoal pencil. If you don't look carefully, you can hardly notice it.

"Be careful... the court..."

My smile froze on my face instantly...

Zhen Youcai's letter was like a reassurance, calming all my anxieties and worries. Yes, with him around, what else is there to be afraid of?

I read his letter over and over again, unable to stop smiling. His warmth, his breath, seemed to linger on the paper. I could almost see him bent over his desk, writing, a smile between his brows, yet a subtle hint of fatigue.

"Your Majesty?" The maid's voice sounded cautiously, "It's late, you should go to bed early."

Only then did I realize how time had slipped by. I carefully put the letter away and blew out the candle. In the darkness, the words on the back of the letter kept replaying in my mind: "Be careful... the court..."

Zhen Youcai, always cautious, never made a move without a purpose. He wrote this sentence down, he must have discovered something. But what could he have discovered? Who in the court would harm me at this moment?

Familiar faces flashed through my mind, but I couldn't figure out who was secretly controlling all this. Could it be...

No, it won't! I shook my head, trying to dispel the doubts in my heart. However, that uneasy feeling was like an indelible shadow, always lingering in my heart.

The next day, I forced myself to cheer up and summoned trusted court officials to ask if there had been any unusual developments in the court recently.

"Your Majesty," the Minister of Revenue bowed and replied, "The national treasury is currently full, the people are living and working in peace, and there are no unusual circumstances."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the Minister of Personnel echoed, "Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, you have diligently governed the country, and the world is at peace. There is really nothing to worry about."

Several other ministers also said that everything was normal and asked Your Majesty to rest assured.

Seeing their calm expressions, I became even more confused. Was I really overthinking things? But how could I explain Zhen Youcai's warning?

I took a deep breath, suppressed the uneasiness in my heart, and was about to ask again when I suddenly heard a noisy sound coming from outside the hall.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" A guard rushed in and knelt on the ground. "General Zhen... General Zhen... he's back!"

My heart skipped a beat, and before I could even open my mouth, I saw Zhen Youcai, dressed in military uniform, striding in.

"Mengmeng!" He walked up to me excitedly, his eyes full of joy and love.

I looked at his exhausted appearance and felt so distressed. Just when I was about to ask him something, he hugged me in his arms.

"I'm back!" His voice was low and hoarse, but full of power, "I will never leave you again!"

I hugged him tightly, feeling his warm embrace, my heart filled with happiness and satisfaction.

"Your Majesty," he suddenly let go of me, knelt on one knee, and took out an exquisite box from his arms, "This is my gift from the frontier..."

Before he finished speaking, my eyes were drawn to something in the box, and my face turned pale in an instant.

That is a... jade seal!