On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

After Murong Yan finished speaking, she leaned back in her chair with a leisurely air, watching her quietly, as if admiring a struggling prey that was about to be added to her collection.

The dark gold train flowed silently at her feet, like chains of fate.

Princess Sakura slumped into her chair, tears streaming silently down her face.

She felt incredibly humiliated, angry, and terrified.

But what could she do?

Revolt?

That would only bring utter destruction to Japan.

Murong Yan is right. This may truly be the only "gift" that Japan can receive, exchanging her personal dignity for a slim chance of survival for the country.

She recalled Lin Zhen's handsome face and composed demeanor. That initial flutter of excitement had been crushed by the cruelty of reality, leaving only endless sorrow.

She struggled for a long time, and finally, all her emotions turned into a sigh of despair.

She struggled to slide off the chair, kneeling before Murong Yan, her forehead pressed tightly against the cold floor. With all her might, she choked out:

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty's grace is beyond my comprehension." Her voice was broken. "I am willing to stay and serve Your Majesty and His Highness the Prince. I dare not have any improper thoughts. I only ask to stay by Your Majesty's side to learn the etiquette and culture of the Celestial Empire. If I can receive even a little guidance from Your Majesty, I will die without regret. I am willing to obey all of Your Majesty's decrees."

Her words were filled with humiliation and helplessness, but also carried a hint of sober resignation.

She knew that from this moment on, she was no longer a princess of Japan, but a lowly concubine under the feet of Empress Murong Yan, awaiting the arrangement of fate.

Seeing her completely submissive posture, Murong Yan finally revealed a genuine, satisfied smile.

That smile was cold and cruel.

“Very well.” She uttered two words softly, like a final verdict. “Get up. Remember what you said today. From now on, behave yourself and I will certainly not treat you or the Japanese nation behind you unfairly.”

Having said that, Murong Yan stood up, her five-zhang-long, dark gold train sliding across the ground with a soft rustling sound. She didn't glance at the Prince Cherry Blossom on the ground again, turned, and prepared to leave the flower hall.

The moment she turned around——

The movements conveyed a sense of ease and indifference that came with the completion of taming!

The five-zhang-long dark gold trail that stretched across the ground like shackles binding the Japanese princess's heart was suddenly lifted up!

The luxurious brocade swept across the ground with a swish, as if announcing the end of one era and the beginning of another!

As the train suddenly billowed up, it revealed the "Golden Lace" lining, densely woven with gold threads, shimmering with absolute dominance and merciless grace under the cold candlelight!

The pattern of a hundred phoenixes facing the sun burst forth with a dazzling yet cold golden light, like a final judgment. The light was filled with the arrogance of a conqueror, the arbitrary arrangement of the fate of the defeated, and a cold rationality that regarded all emotions and dignity as tools to be used. It was noble, magnificent, and carried an unquestionable sense of authority that looked down on all living beings and held the power of life and death!

This fleeting glimpse was a bloody stamp on the fate of the Japanese princess and even the nation behind her.

The hem of her skirt fell, concealing the cold golden light along with the humiliation that filled the room.

Murong Yan walked calmly out of the flower hall, leaving behind the figure kneeling on the ground, heartbroken and devastated.

The night was deep, and the lotus pond was still fragrant, but some things had completely changed.

......

The night is deep.

The study area of ​​Anzhou Imperial Palace was still lit up.

Lin Zhen had just finished reviewing the last urgent report on the allocation of military supplies for the siege of Pyongyang. He rubbed his slightly swollen temples and was about to get up and return to his bedchamber.

The study was brightly lit by candlelight, illuminating his slightly tired but still handsome profile.

Just then, extremely faint, hesitant footsteps came from outside the study, followed by a eunuch's hushed questioning and attempt to stop him. Lin Zhen frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "What is it?"

The study door was gently pushed open, and a palace attendant bowed and reported, "Your Highness, Princess Sakura of Japan requests an audience, saying she has important matters to discuss."

A barely perceptible hint of annoyance flashed in Lin Zhen's eyes, but her expression remained calm: "Please let her in."

He sat back down in the chair behind his desk without getting up.

A moment later, Princess Sakura walked in timidly.

She had clearly dressed up carefully, changing into a more elegant, yet more figure-hugging, light purple kimono embroidered with cherry blossoms. Her hair was neatly styled, and her face was lightly powdered, making her look pitiful in the candlelight.

She was also holding a seemingly old book in her hands.

"Greetings, Your Highness." She bowed gracefully, her voice soft and alluring, with a deliberate tremor.

"What urgent matter brings the Prince to visit so late at night?" Lin Zhen asked indifferently, his gaze fixed on the official documents on the desk, without looking at her.

Princess Sakura rose, took a few steps forward, presented the scroll in her hand, and said softly, "Your Highness, I have recently been studying Chinese classics and have encountered some difficult passages. I am puzzled and cannot sleep at night. I have heard of Your Highness's erudition, so I have taken the liberty of coming here to ask Your Highness for some guidance."

As she spoke, she raised her eyelids, her eyes glistening with tears, filled with admiration and supplication.

Lin Zhen glanced at the scroll; it was the common "Analects of Confucius," and he sneered inwardly.

Japanese nobles have long been versed in Chinese, so how could they possibly find such basic texts difficult to understand late at night?

That's a really lame excuse.

He already understood that this was by no means a request for advice, but rather a more direct test and seduction by the woman who couldn't contain herself after Murong Yan's "favor" last night.

“Your Highness is too modest.” Lin Zhen’s expression remained unchanged, but his tone was distant. “The Analects is an introductory book. With Your Highness’s intelligence, why would you need my guidance? If you have any questions, you can seek clarification from a scholar in the Ministry of Rites tomorrow. It’s late at night, and we are alone as a man and a woman. This might cause controversy. Your Highness, please go back.”

He directly ordered them to leave, showing no mercy.

Princess Sakura was caught off guard by Lin Zhen's direct and cold attitude. Her face paled instantly, and a hint of panic and resentment flashed in her eyes.

She bit her lower lip, but instead of backing away, she took another step forward, almost touching the edge of the desk, her voice becoming increasingly soft, tinged with a sob:

"Your Highness, do you despise your foreign ministers so much?" Her eyes reddened, tears welling up but not falling. "Your foreign ministers know their lowly status and dare not have any improper thoughts. They only admire Your Highness's culture and wish to stay by Your Highness's side. Even if they are just servants, serving tea and water, they would be content to listen to Your Highness's teachings and learn a little from them."

Her words were full of self-deprecation and pleading, but her eyes stared boldly and directly at Lin Zhen, trying to convey some ambiguous signal.

She even slightly adjusted her posture, making the neckline of her kimono seem to loosen a little unintentionally.

This almost blatant seduction stirred a strong sense of disgust and impatience in Lin Zhen.

He suddenly stood up, his figure tall and straight, looking down at her with a sharp, piercing gaze, all traces of gentleness he had shown earlier vanished.

"Prince!" His voice was cold and carried an unquestionable authority. "Mind your identity and words! I am the Prince of Daqian, the Empress's husband! As an envoy of Japan, you should know propriety and shame! Your words and actions have already overstepped your bounds! If you persist, don't blame me for punishing you according to the law!"

His rebuke was like ice water, extinguishing all of Princess Sakura's illusions.

She staggered back two steps in fright, her face drained of color, and tears finally rolled down her cheeks—tears of shame, despair, and terror.

She finally understood that the man before her had a heart of stone, and to him, apart from Murong Yan, all other women in the world were like dust.

"Your Highness, please forgive me. I take my leave." She spoke incoherently, almost fleeing, and covered her face as she ran out of the study.

Lin Zhen watched her figure disappear, his brows furrowing tightly.

He was not ignorant of romance, nor was he completely oblivious to beauty.

To be fair, Princess Sakura was indeed beautiful, with an exotic charm. Her fragility and admiration, in other times and places, might have aroused a man's pity.

But at this moment, he felt only disgust. He could see clearly that this woman's so-called "learning culture" was just a pretense; her real purpose was nothing more than to get close to him to obtain the secrets of the Great Qian Dynasty, or to seek benefits for herself and Japan.

This calculated "obsession" disgusted him.

More importantly, Murong Yan was the only one in his heart.

That woman, sometimes ruthless and decisive, sometimes charming and adorable, who stood shoulder to shoulder with him in ruling the world, had already captured his entire heart and soul.

Any other woman paled in comparison in his eyes.

Thinking of Murong Yan, Lin Zhen's irritation was instantly replaced by a warm feeling.

He didn't want to stay in this unpleasant study any longer.

"Prepare the lamps and go to the bedchamber," he instructed the person outside the door, his voice regaining its usual calmness.