On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

The five-zhang-long Suzhou brocade train had become the focal point, showcasing her status and personality.

It did not adhere to etiquette, but rather spread naturally from the main seat where Murong Yan sat, across the smooth wooden floor, and even part of it meandered into the carpeted rest area, intertwining with the bonsai and incense table legs casually placed in the flower hall, forming a mess that both asserted dominance and carried a touch of leisurely laziness.

This disarray, at this moment, is a silent declaration: even when entertaining foreign guests, her rules are rules.

The softness of cotton and the name "nightgown" add a touch of mystery and approachability to this social occasion.

Lin Zhen sat to Murong Yan's right, dressed in a prince's everyday robes, exuding a calm and composed demeanor.

His gaze was mostly fixed gently on Murong Yan, only occasionally glancing politely at the guests opposite him.

His presence was like a stabilizing force, serving as both an extension of Murong Yan's power and a source of emotional support for her.

Tonight's special guest, Princess Sakura, sat to Murong Yan's left, opposite Lin Zhen.

She had clearly dressed up carefully today, wearing the most formal twelve-layered kimono. The layered colors attempted to showcase the magnificence of the Japanese imperial family, but compared to Murong Yan's simple yet exquisite dark gold, it appeared cumbersome and cramped.

She kept her head down, her hands nervously clasped on her knees, barely daring to look up, much less touch the exquisite ivory chopsticks in front of her.

In the corner behind her, the guard commander, Ōtomo Suruga, stood like a statue, his face ashen, his eyes fixed on the table as if it were covered in thorns.

The atmosphere at the banquet was strange and awkward from the very beginning.

Murong Yan seemed completely unaware. She first served Lin Zhen a piece of fresh and tender perch sashimi with her own chopsticks and said softly, "Husband, try this. It was just caught this morning and is very delicious."

The gestures were natural and affectionate.

Lin Zhen smiled and accepted the spoonful, returning the favor with a spoonful of crab roe tofu: "Yan'er, have some more too. You've been working hard lately and need to replenish your energy."

The warm interaction between the two was as natural and fluid as the delicious food on the table.

However, this heartwarming scene made Princess Sakura on the other side feel extremely uncomfortable.

She felt like a superfluous decoration, and every whispered laugh between Murong Yan and Lin Zhen felt like a needle pricking her heart.

The translator she brought knelt a little distance behind her, equally nervous and barely daring to breathe.

Murong Yan seemed to only then notice the guest's silence. She put down her chopsticks, gently wiped her mouth with a silk handkerchief, and turned her gaze to Prince Sakura, a smile on her face that seemed gentle but was actually inscrutable.

"Your Highness, are these dishes not to your liking? Why don't you touch them?" Her voice came through the translator, still clear and melodious, yet carrying an invisible pressure.

Princess Sakura trembled, quickly raised her head, forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, and stammered in broken Chinese, "Your Majesty's dishes are exquisite, but this humble subject is filled with trepidation."

"Fearful?" Murong Yan raised an eyebrow slightly, leaning back in her chair. One hand rested casually on the tablecloth, her fingertips tapping lightly against the surface, the black jade ring making a soft knocking sound.

"The Prince is my guest, what is there to be afraid of? Do you think that I and the Prince have neglected our guest?"

As she spoke, her gaze seemed to sweep over Lin Zhen intentionally or unintentionally, and Lin Zhen returned her a helpless yet doting look.

"No! I wouldn't dare!" Princess Sakura nearly jumped up from her seat in fright, waving her hands repeatedly. "His Majesty and His Highness have been very hospitable; it's just that I'm nervous."

Seeing her panicked state, Murong Yan's smile deepened, becoming even more profound.

She suddenly changed the subject, her tone becoming light and even tinged with a gossipy curiosity, and asked:

"Speaking of which, what does Your Highness think of my imperial consort, Prince Lin, as a person?" Her question was extremely abrupt and direct, like a sharp sword that instantly pierced through all the hypocritical pleasantries.

"!!!"

The air in the flower hall seemed to freeze instantly.

Princess Sakura's face turned deathly pale instantly, all color drained from her, her lips trembled, and she couldn't utter a single word.

She subconsciously glanced at Lin Zhen out of the corner of her eye, only to see him calmly and focused on removing fish bones from Murong Yan, as if he hadn't heard the crucial question.

Suruga Ōtomo clenched his fists so tightly they cracked, and veins bulged on his forehead.

"Hmm? Why aren't you saying anything?" Murong Yan urged, her tone still relaxed, but her phoenix eyes gleamed with an all-knowing light. "Speak freely, it's just casual conversation. I heard that the Inner Prince ran into the Prince on the street a few days ago and they had a very pleasant chat? He must have a good impression of the Prince?"

Princess Sakura felt a chill run from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.

She fell to her knees with a thud, her forehead touching the ground, her voice trembling with sobs and utter terror: "Your Majesty, please understand! This humble subject had no such intention! That day, I merely happened to meet His Highness the Prince and asked him a few questions about the local customs and scenery of Anzhou. I had no other intentions whatsoever! His Highness is as majestic and noble as the bright moon in the sky, while this humble subject is as insignificant as dust. How could I possibly have the slightest thought of disrespect! I beg Your Majesty to investigate!"

She spoke incoherently, desperately denying everything, as if a second's delay would bring about her death.

Murong Yan watched quietly as she lay prostrate on the ground, trembling. The smile on her face gradually faded, replaced by an unfathomable calm.

She didn't wake her up immediately, but instead picked up her wine glass and took a small sip.

After a long silence, she finally spoke, her voice calm and even: "Why is Your Highness so nervous? I was just asking casually."

She put down her wine glass and said softly to Lin Zhen beside her:

"My lord, I suddenly remembered that there are several urgent reports in the study concerning the military supplies of Pyongyang that require your immediate review. I'm afraid they won't be ready before the banquet ends."

Lin Zhen was incredibly clever and immediately understood her intention.

He stood up and said respectfully, "Yes, Your Majesty, I will take care of it immediately."

He didn't even glance at the cherry blossoms on the ground, but simply nodded slightly to Murong Yan before turning around and leaving the flower hall with steady steps.

With Lin Zhen's departure, the pressure in the flower hall seemed to ease suddenly, but a more suffocating silence then filled the air.

Murong Yan then turned her gaze back to the still kneeling Princess Sakura and said calmly, "Rise, Princess. Now it's just the two of us sisters, we can have a proper talk."

Princess Sakura trembled as she got up and sat back down in her chair, but dared not raise her head again.

She knew that the real test was only just beginning.

Murong Yan gestured to the palace maids to reserving food for herself and Prince Sakura. Then, she picked up her chopsticks and began to eat with elegant posture, as if the thrilling scene just now had never happened.

......