On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

Lin Zhen's expression turned serious: "Half an hour ago, the speedboat reported that two suspicious 'merchant ships' were spotted about fifty miles to the northeast. The ships had a deep draft, but they did not appear as stable as one would when fully loaded with cargo. Their speed was sometimes fast and sometimes slow, as if they were intentionally or unintentionally approaching our route. Zheng Jiao has already dispatched more sentry ships to monitor them, but the other side has not yet made any unusual moves."

Murong Yan narrowed her phoenix eyes, a cold glint flashing within them: "It seems some people are already impatient."

She sat up straight, the blanket slipping off her shoulders to reveal the delicate gold phoenix pattern at the neckline of her nightgown.

"Order Zheng Jiao to keep a close watch, but do not provoke them. I want to see what tricks they are up to."

“I have already given the order.” Lin Zhen nodded, his eyes equally cold. “The ‘Night Owl’ experts arranged by Shadow One have also been mixed in with the escorting sailors, ready to deal with any unforeseen circumstances.”

Just then, Zheng Jiao's steady voice came from outside the cabin door: "Your Majesty, Your Highness, this humble general Zheng Jiao has important matters to report."

"Come in," Murong Yan replied, gesturing for Lin Zhen to help her drape the blanket back over herself to maintain the dignity of an empress.

Zheng Jiao pushed open the door and entered, dressed in the civilian clothes of a naval commander, his face solemn. After bowing, he reported directly:

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, those two suspicious ships suddenly changed course and accelerated towards the southeast, seemingly trying to get away from our fleet. But I feel something is amiss, and I have ordered two centipede speedboats to follow and investigate."

"Southeast?" Lin Zhen walked to the hanging nautical chart and traced it with his finger. "There are many islands and complex waterways over there, making it a good place to hide and set up an ambush."

He turned to Zheng Jiao and said, "Make sure the ships following us keep their distance and do not venture into dangerous areas. Report any unusual activity immediately."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Zheng Jiao accepted the order and was about to leave when Murong Yan called out to him.

"General Zheng," her voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority, "order the entire army to be on high alert, but on the surface, everything will remain as normal. I want to see how long they can keep up this 'feigned retreat' tactic."

"Yes! Your Majesty is wise!" Zheng Jiao's spirits lifted, and he bowed and withdrew.

Silence returned to the cabin, but the atmosphere had become noticeably tense. Murong Yan looked at Lin Zhen: "Husband, what do you think their intentions are?"

Lin Zhen pondered for a moment and said, "If we directly attack the royal fleet, it would be tantamount to declaring war, and the Japanese may not have the courage to do so at present. What I am more worried about is that they may use more insidious means, such as disguising themselves as pirates to attack, or creating an accident."

"An accident?" Murong Yan sneered. "To create an accident on my eastern tour? We'll see if they have the ability!"

Although she was still recovering from her illness, the murderous aura emanating from her brows made the temperature inside the cabin seem to drop several degrees.

The dark gold phoenix pattern on her divine phoenix descending to earth dress seemed to subtly flow with the fluctuations of her emotions.

Lin Zhen held her hand and noticed that her fingertips were slightly cool. "No matter what, with me here, I will never let anyone hurt you in the slightest."

Meanwhile, on the two "merchant ships" dozens of miles away from the "Zhenhai", a completely different scene unfolded.

In the dim light of an oil lamp on the lower deck of the ship, several men dressed in tight-fitting clothes and with gloomy faces sat around.

The leader was none other than Kim Soon-cheol's confidant, named Park Young-chang.

"Boss, the Holy Emblem's fleet is heavily guarded, and they have fast ships following us. It's not a good time to make a move," one of his men said worriedly.

Park Young-chang's eyes flashed with a fierce light as he licked his dry, cracked lips: "A head-on confrontation would be suicide. But don't forget the 'good stuff' Mr. Pyeong Jung-sung gave us."

He pointed to several sealed wooden barrels in the corner.

"Once it's completely dark and the wind shifts to the southeast, we'll circle around to their upwind side. We'll quietly scatter these 'gifts' into the sea... Hehe, even if Murong Yan had nine lives, she'd still be in serious trouble!"

"But... but leader, is this thing really useful? And won't it have too many consequences?" another person hesitated.

"Shut up!" Park Young-chang hissed. "This is the only chance! Pyeong Jung-seong said this thing dissolves instantly in water, is colorless and odorless, and will drift away unnoticed by the wind and ocean currents. By the time they realize something is wrong, it will be too late! As for the consequences? Great men don't concern themselves with trifles! As long as we can get rid of Murong Yan, any price is worth paying!"

Night fell, like a giant black curtain, slowly enveloping the Bohai Sea.

The sea breeze gradually picked up, stirring the waves and making a splashing sound.

The Zhenhai was brightly lit, but under each light, vigilant eyes were hidden.

At Lin Zhen's insistence, Murong Yan finally returned to her bed in the inner cabin to rest.

But she didn't sleep well; the turbulence of the waves and the lurking dangers kept her awake.

Lin Zhen lay fully clothed on the couch in the outer room, his long sword beside him. Any slight sound would make him open his eyes immediately.

As midnight approached, the wind direction indeed shifted to the southeast, just as Park Young-chang had predicted.

Two pitch-black "merchant ships," like ghosts, took advantage of the darkness and the island's cover to quietly circle around, attempting to maneuver to the upwind position of the royal fleet.

However, they underestimated the capabilities of "Night Owl".

A spies known as "Night Owl," lurking atop the mast, used their exceptional eyesight to spot the two treacherous vessels attempting to approach using the island's shadows, all under the dim moonlight.

He immediately used a specially made lantern with extremely low light to signal the centipede speedboat on guard.

The news quickly reached the Zhenhai. Zheng Jiao, who was on night watch, immediately knocked on Lin Zhen's cabin door.

"Your Highness! Something's up! Those two ships circled around to our southeast upwind side under cover of night, and their behavior is extremely suspicious!"

Lin Zhen instantly snapped awake, all sleepiness vanishing from his eyes. He quickly rose, adjusting his soft armor as he ordered in a deep voice, "Order all warships to quietly adjust their sails and seize upwind positions! Notify His Majesty's personal guards to strengthen their defenses, but without my order, His Majesty's rest must not be disturbed!"

He paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Have the centipede boat approach. If they discover any actions such as dumping foreign objects into the sea, attack immediately without warning!"

"Yes!"

The order was swiftly relayed. The massive royal fleet, like a colossal beast awakening, began to silently adjust its course on the night sea.

The well-trained sailors maneuvered the sails, while the warship quietly accelerated and headed southeast.

Park Young-chang stood at the bow of the ship, watching the approaching, brightly lit outline of the Holy Emblem fleet, a sinister smile spreading across his face.

He waved to his men, signaling them to prepare to open the sealed wooden barrels.

However, at that moment, a sharp whooshing sound suddenly came from the side and rear!

Several flaming arrows streaked across the night sky like meteors, striking their ship's gunwales and sails with pinpoint accuracy!

Immediately afterwards, two small but exceptionally agile centipede-shaped speedboats, like venomous snakes of the sea, suddenly sprang out of the darkness, their ballistae gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

"Oh no! We've been discovered!" Park Young-chang exclaimed in alarm. "Quick! Dump the stuff into the sea! Hurry!"

But it's too late.

The sailors on the centipede ship were well-trained. They fired their crossbows in unison, not directly at sinking the ship, but precisely at the barrels being carried to the side of the ship!

"Bang! Bang!" Several muffled sounds rang out as the wooden barrels were pierced by crossbow bolts, and the murky, pungent liquid inside flowed out, most of it spilling onto their own deck, with only a small amount splashing into the sea.

"Retreat! Retreat now!" Park Young-chang roared in exasperation when he saw that things had failed.

The two "merchant ships" turned around in a panic, attempting to escape under the cover of darkness and through the complex waterways.

However, the Holy Emblem's warships had already secured a favorable position, and they were not about to escape so easily.

A small-scale chase and confrontation suddenly unfolded on the Bohai Sea under the cover of darkness.

Arrows whistled and crossbows roared, shattering the tranquility of the night.

The loud noise finally alerted Murong Yan in the inner cabin.

She sat up and listened intently to the sounds outside.

Lin Zhen had already arrived outside her cabin door and said in a deep voice through the door, "Yan'er, don't worry, they're just a few ignorant rats. Zheng Jiao is taking care of them. You can rest assured."

Hearing her husband's steady voice outside the door, Murong Yan's unease gradually subsided.

She lay back down, pulling the fleece blanket tighter around her. The soft fabric of the Phoenix Descent dress clung to her skin, bringing a strange sense of comfort.

She knew that with Lin Zhen and loyal soldiers around, this storm wouldn't capsize her ship.

Outside the cabin, the sounds of naval battle gradually faded away. The two treacherous ships that attempted to create an "accident" ultimately failed due to the superior strength of the Holy Emblem Navy, and fled into the darkness with their wounds.