On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

Kim Soon-cheol's face was gloomy, and he tapped his knees absently with his fingers. Rain dripped down from the cracks in the dilapidated roof, splashing tiny mud droplets at his feet.

"Why are you panicking?"

His voice was hoarse, tinged with suppressed madness, "She, Murong Yan, wants to use the righteous path to suppress the evil path? Hmph! Perfect! She summons gods, we'll send her ghosts!"

"Sending a ghost?" The messenger looked up in confusion.

“That’s right!” A malicious glint flashed in Jin Shunzhe’s eyes. “Isn’t she going to hold a grand blessing ceremony? At that time, all the important people in Anzhou, as well as those ignorant masses, will come to watch the spectacle. We’ll give her a ‘big gift’ at the ceremony!”

He leaned closer to the oil lamp, lowered his voice, almost whispering, but the chill in his words was colder than the torrential rain outside: "I've already contacted the people of the 'Black Witch' stronghold outside the city. They have a secret medicine, colorless and odorless, which, when mixed into incense and candles, produces smoke that can induce brief hallucinations, making people see their most terrifying visions. We'll find a way to slip these tampered incense and candles into the offerings for the grand ceremony!"

The gang leader gasped: "To embarrass those monks and Taoists, and even Murong Yan herself, in public during a blessing ceremony? Are you kidding me?"

"It's more than just a disgrace!" Jin Shunzhe sneered, his scars contorting. "We'll show everyone that the gods Murong Yan summoned can't protect her at all! Even Heaven despises this butcher! We'll make those attending the ceremony witness the 'wrath of the gods and spirits'! Then, all the prayers and auspicious omens will become a huge joke! Let's see how Murong Yan will clean up this mess! Who among those foolish people will dare to send their children to her 'cursed' school again!"

This plan is more malicious and riskier than spreading rumors.

It directly targets the "orthodox" and "auspicious" image that Murong Yan is trying to establish, aiming to deliver the most fatal blow at her most glorious moment.

“But Chief Gold,” the messenger said worriedly, “the ceremony will be heavily guarded. How can we possibly send in tampered incense and candles? Besides, can we trust the people from the Black Witch Village? They’re asking for a very high price.”

Jin Shunzhe snorted coldly: "No matter how strict the security is, there will always be loopholes. Among the minor officials in charge of procuring sacrificial offerings, there will always be those who are greedy and afraid of death. With a large sum of money, there will always be brave men. As for the 'Black Witch' bandits, they only care about money and don't care about worldly affairs. Moreover, we have leverage over them, so they dare not be unworthy of our efforts. If this matter succeeds, Murong Yan's prestige will be completely destroyed, and our reputation among the remnants of Goguryeo will be unmatched! The great cause of restoring the kingdom will then be within reach!"

As he spoke, he pulled a heavy little cloth bag from his pocket and tossed it onto the table with a dull metallic clang: "This is the deposit. Double it after the deed is done. Go contact the people at the 'Black Witch' stronghold and make sure the medicine is ready within three days. You…"

He turned to the gang leader and said, "Go find that distant cousin who works in the treasury. No matter what means you use, whether it's coercion or bribery, you must make him an inside man to mix the incense and candles we provide into the sacrificial offerings for the grand ceremony!"

"Yes, leader!" the two replied in unison, their eyes flashing with a mixture of fanaticism and fear.

“Remember!” Kim Soon-cheol stood up, his figure appearing unusually tall and dangerous in the dim light. “This matter concerns our life and death, as well as the fate of Goguryeo! Only success is allowed, failure is not an option! If anything goes wrong, someone might dare to betray us.”

He didn't finish his sentence, but his hand was already on the hilt of the short sword at his waist, his meaning clear.

Just then, amidst the sound of wind and rain outside, there seemed to be a very faint sound, like a tile loosening.

"Who?!" Kim Soon-cheol was extremely alert. He suddenly blew out the oil lamp and shouted in a low voice!

The room was plunged into darkness instantly, with only a brief flash of lightning outside illuminating the three tense and contorted faces.

The sound of raindrops hitting the roof was even clearer.

The other two immediately held their breath, gripped their weapons, and nervously stared at the doorway and the leaky roof.

After a moment of silence in the darkness, only the sounds of wind and rain and heartbeats could be heard.

After a long silence, Kim Soon-cheol slowly relit the oil lamp, his face even more somber: "It might be a stray cat, or the wind, but we can't stay here any longer! Split up and proceed according to plan! Next time we'll contact each other, same place, same code!"

"Yes!"

The three dared not linger any longer. They quickly packed their things and, like ghosts, silently slipped into the torrential rain and darkness outside, disappearing without a trace.

The dilapidated house returned to silence, with only the sounds of wind and rain and the dripping of water remaining.

However, shortly after they left, not far from the house, beside a deep puddle, a dark figure that was almost blending into the darkness slowly raised its head from the muddy water.

He was soaking wet, his face smeared with mud, and only his eyes, sharp as an eagle's, gleamed in the instant the lightning flashed.

It was Shadow Three, one of Lin Zhen's most skilled undercover agents, known as "Night Owl." He had just risked getting close to investigate and almost got discovered.

Shadow Three wiped the mud off his face, a hint of excitement and seriousness flashing in his eyes.

Although he didn't overhear the entire conspiracy inside the room, the keywords "prayer ceremony," "incense and candles," and "Black Witch Village" were enough for him to realize that an even more insidious conspiracy against the Empress was brewing on this stormy night.

He dared not delay and immediately slipped into the deeper darkness like a raccoon, rushing towards the palace. He had to report this news to His Highness the Prince as soon as possible.

The torrential rain continued to pour down, washing away the filth of the world, but also temporarily concealing the traces of the conspiracy.

This night in Anzhou City was destined to be anything but peaceful.

Murong Yan's prayer ceremony, intended to "set the record straight," was already fraught with danger even before it began.

A few days later.

Despite the torrential rain, the sky unexpectedly cleared up at dawn today.

Sunlight pierced through the thin clouds, shining on the damp city of Anzhou, causing a misty vapor to rise, which had a somewhat auspicious meaning.

The Qiming Academy, both inside and out, has been newly decorated, with banners waving and incense tables set up high.

The invited monks, Taoist priests, and local shamans all stood solemnly, dressed in their ceremonial robes.

Officials of all ranks from the Protectorate General, military commanders, gentry representatives, and a large number of people allowed to watch crowded the square in front of the school.

Everyone eagerly awaited Her Majesty the Empress's arrival to witness this grand ceremony aimed at "praying for peace and dispelling rumors."

At the exact hour of Chen (7-9 AM), drums and music resounded.

Murong Yan's imperial carriage arrived slowly, escorted by elite imperial guards.

She was still wearing that phoenix-themed dress today.

The black and gold sable shawl, a symbol of nobility, was unnecessary on such a sunny early summer day; it was carried by a palace maid.

The black jade ring on her left thumb shone with a deep luster in the sunlight.

In this solemn and dignified occasion, the Phoenix Descends to Earth gown, shrouded in a magnificent formal dress, resembles a dormant dragon, its radiance restrained, yet adding to its mystery and grandeur.

The deep black Suzhou brocade absorbs the heat of the sun, as calm as an abyss, while the woven gold cotton and real gold threads flow with a solemn and sacred glow like sacrificial goldware in the gaps of the dress.

The giant phoenix pattern on the nightgown, together with the dragon and phoenix patterns on the formal dress, perfectly complements the imperial power.

The five-zhang-long Suzhou brocade train was not fully revealed this time, mostly covered by the trailing hem of the gown. However, its end was still faintly visible from the bottom edge of the gown, forming a chaotic base on the red carpeted platform, a restrained yet still existing symbol of absolute power.