From cute to empress

Chapter 145 Trouble rises again

Zhen Youcai took a deep breath, handed me the letter, and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, the border is in danger. The northern barbarians are invading again. War is imminent!"

My heart sank, the joyous atmosphere instantly shattered, replaced by solemnity and worry. The Northern Barbarians have repeatedly invaded and disturbed the peace on the border, and now they dare to provoke again. How despicable!

I suppressed the surging emotions within me and quickly scanned the letter. It was written by General Li, stationed at the frontier, and the urgency of the war was evident in every word. I clenched the letter in my hands, my fingertips turning white, and a mixture of emotions washed over me.

"My dear, you..." I looked up at Zhen Youcai, the words on the tip of my tongue but I didn't know how to say them. The situation at the border was critical, and as a general guarding the border, he must be extremely anxious at this moment, wanting to rush back to the border immediately.

Zhen Youcai seemed to see my worry and reluctance. He knelt on one knee, clasped his fists, and said in a deep voice, "I request your permission to return to the border immediately to protect the safety of the country!"

I took a deep breath, calmed myself, and said in a deep voice, "My dear, please return quickly and repel the invading enemy to protect our land!"

"I obey your command!" Zhen Youcai stood up, his eyes determined. He turned to face the foreign envoy and said with a fist clasped, "Your Excellency, a sudden battle broke out on the border. I must return immediately. I hope you will forgive me."

The foreign envoy was obviously also shocked by this sudden change. He was stunned for a moment, then regained his composure and stood up and said, "General Zhen, it is only natural for you to defend the country. I fully understand. But..."

He paused, then turned his gaze towards me, his tone tinged with worry. "I just don't know, these trade negotiations..."

"Please rest assured, Your Excellency," I said in a steady voice, with unquestionable determination. "This negotiation concerns the diplomatic relations between our two countries. Our dynasty will certainly give it its all. Even if General Zhen is not here, I will do my best to facilitate this matter and will not let Your Excellency return empty-handed."

My gaze swept across the crowd. The previously calm faces of the Zheng Chamber of Commerce president and Mr. Liu were now tinged with a subtle, unnoticeable quirk. I sneered inwardly. How could I not know what they were planning?

"Your Majesty is wise," the foreign envoy nodded slightly, as if relieved. "I believe that even without General Zhen, with your Majesty's wisdom and ability, you will be able to handle this matter properly."

"Translator Li," I turned and ordered, "Please tell the envoy that today's incident was completely unexpected. I hope you will forgive me. I will host a banquet tomorrow and continue to discuss trade matters with you."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Translator Li responded respectfully, then turned to the foreign envoy and translated my words.

After hearing this, the foreign envoy smiled slightly and said, "Then I'll trouble you, Your Majesty."

After seeing off the foreign envoys, I rubbed my swollen temples, feeling exhausted. The border situation was tense, forcing Zhen Youcai to return early, casting a shadow over the trade negotiations. Even more worrying was the chairman of the Zhengzhou Chamber of Commerce and the businessman Liu. Would they seize this opportunity to stir up trouble and profit?

I rubbed my temples with my fingers, unconsciously increasing the pressure. No, I can't lose my composure. Times like this require me to remain calm. I took a deep breath, suppressed my irritation, and scanned the crowd in the hall, finally landing on the president of the Zheng Chamber of Commerce and Mr. Liu. A meaningful smile played at the corner of my mouth. "My dear ministers, what do you say..."

"My two dear ministers, what do you think? Will the trade at the border be affected if the war breaks out?" I asked casually, but my eyes were fixed on the changes in their expressions.

Chairman Zheng and Mr. Liu exchanged a glance, a flicker of panic in their eyes, but they quickly concealed it. Chairman Zheng coughed dryly and feigned composure, saying, "Your Majesty is wise. With this war, border trade will undoubtedly be affected, but I believe this is only temporary. Once the fighting subsides, trade will naturally return to normal."

"Oh? President Zheng is so sure?" I looked at him with a half-smile. "I heard that President Zheng has stockpiled a lot of goods at the border, waiting for the outbreak of war so that he can raise the prices and profit from the national crisis."

"Your Majesty! You...where did you hear this rumor? I am completely loyal to Your Majesty. Heaven and earth can bear witness to this. I have no second thoughts!" President Zheng fell to his knees with a thud, cold sweat on his forehead.

"Yes, Your Majesty, President Zheng has always been loyal to the emperor and patriotic, and would never do such a thing!" Liu, the big businessman, also knelt down and pleaded for President Zheng.

I sneered, said nothing, and just watched their performance quietly.

"Your Majesty, I believe that the most urgent task is to quell the war as soon as possible and restore order at the border, so as to ensure the smooth progress of trade." Seeing that I didn't say a word, the great businessman Liu rolled his eyes a few times and spoke again.

"Master Liu, what you said makes sense," I replied calmly. "Then, in your opinion, how can we quell the war as quickly as possible?"

"This..." Mr. Liu was stunned for a moment, obviously not expecting me to ask him back.

"I think it would be better if we did this," I said calmly, yet with undeniable authority. "Once the war breaks out, supplies will be in short supply at the border. You two, my dear ministers, are both wealthy merchants in our dynasty. How about you two take the lead and donate some food and supplies to the border to alleviate this urgent need?"

Chairman Zheng and businessman Liu's faces turned grim upon hearing this. They had hoped to make a fortune from the war, but they had been outmaneuvered by me.

"Your Majesty is wise! I am willing to donate 100,000 taels of silver and 50,000 dan of grain to show my loyalty!" President Zheng gritted his teeth and took the lead in expressing his position.

"Your humble servant is also willing to donate 50,000 taels of silver and 30,000 dan of grain!" Seeing that President Zheng had expressed his opinion, the great businessman Liu had no choice but to bite the bullet and donate as well.

I nodded with satisfaction. Although these two people are greedy and cunning, they will still be obedient at critical moments in order to protect their own interests.

"Very good, you two, my dear ministers, are indeed very understanding of justice. I am very pleased." I said with a smile, "Tomorrow morning, I will commend you two for your patriotic actions in front of all the civil and military officials."

Upon hearing this, Chairman Zheng and Mr. Liu's expressions improved a little and they quickly expressed their gratitude.

After seeing them off, I rubbed my throbbing brow, but I didn't feel any more relieved. This trade negotiation was far more complicated than I'd imagined.

At this moment, a guard hurried in, knelt on the ground, and presented a secret letter with both hands, "Your Majesty, urgent news from the border!"

My heart trembled. I quickly took the secret letter, unfolded it, and my face suddenly changed. "Hurry and pass it to Lord Wang!"