On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

After several days of sailing, the royal fleet finally arrived at the first stop of its eastern tour – Penglai in Dengzhou.

The days of rough seas, coupled with the tension from the failed attack that night, made Murong Yan's already weakened body even more exhausted.

When the ship entered Penglai Water Village, she was able to maintain her dignity and appear at the bow of the ship, receiving the shouts and homage of the naval soldiers, almost entirely thanks to Lin Zhen's support and her strong will.

Flags fluttered in the Penglai Water Fortress, warships of all sizes stood in formation like a forest, and soldiers in bright armor stood solemnly like pine trees, creating a magnificent and spectacular scene.

However, Murong Yan's pale face and the way she needed to lean on something to keep her balance did not escape the notice of some observant people.

The news spread like wildfire through the Dengzhou officialdom and undercurrents: "The Empress's illness is serious and may not last long."

After moving into the Penglai Palace, Murong Yan was almost unable to get up.

She was placed in a secluded pavilion by the sea, with the turbulent ocean right outside the window.

The fatigue from the past few days caused her old illness to relapse, and she had a persistent low-grade fever, spending most of her time in bed.

That phoenix descending to earth dress became her most intimate comfort. The soft, dark gold brocade wrapped her ailing body, and the long train trailed around the bed. Because she was too weak to tidy it up, it looked particularly messy, as if it were an externalization of her struggling emotions at this moment.

A black and gold mink shawl hangs nearby, just in case.

Lin Zhen was extremely worried. Apart from handling necessary military affairs, he stayed by her bedside almost every step of the way, personally serving her medicine.

Several renowned physicians from the Imperial Physicians' Office took turns examining the patients and carefully considering the medications prescribed, filling the hall with a strong medicinal aroma all day long.

"Husband, what's the situation outside?" Murong Yan asked, slightly out of breath, after taking a sip of bitter medicine. Her voice was weak, but her eyes remained clear, revealing her concern for the situation.

Lin Zhen gently wiped away the medicine stains from her lips with a silk handkerchief and replied in a calm tone, "Everything is fine. Zheng Jiao is preparing the navy, and the military parade will be held as scheduled in three days. The prefect of Dengzhou and officials from surrounding prefectures and counties have all come to pay their respects, but I turned them all away on the grounds that you need to rest."

He paused, then added, "On the other hand, the Japanese delegation also sent a letter, saying that they had heard that His Majesty's health was not good and were very worried, and requested to visit him."

Upon hearing this, Murong Yan's lips curled into a cold smile, and her cheeks, flushed from the fever, added to her intimidating aura: "Worried? She probably can't wait to see for herself whether I am terminally ill."

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them again, she had made up her mind. "Tell her that I have caught a cold and need to rest, so I cannot receive guests. But I will personally attend the grand review three days from now."

"Yan'er!" Lin Zhen frowned. "How can your body withstand this?"

"We must support them!" Murong Yan's tone was resolute, her phoenix eyes flashing with unwavering determination. "If I don't even show up for the military review, wouldn't that play right into the hands of those villains? Wouldn't they think I'm powerless to control the situation? Cough cough..."

A violent cough interrupted her. She paused for a moment, then continued, "Husband, help me up. There are some things that must be arranged immediately."

Lin Zhen knew that she had made up her mind, so he could only carefully help her up and put a thick, soft pillow behind her back.

Murong Yan sat leaning back, her breathing unsteady, but her expression unusually focused. She instructed the eunuch standing beside her, "Summon Du Ruhui and Zheng Jiao."

A moment later, Prime Minister Du Ruhui, who was left in charge of government affairs in Anzhou, and Zheng Jiao, the naval commander in charge of the military review, bowed and entered the hall.

Upon seeing Murong Yan's sickly and haggard appearance yet her forced spirits, both men were startled and bowed respectfully.

"Prime Minister Du, have things been peaceful in the court since I left the capital?" Murong Yan's voice was soft, but it carried an invisible pressure.

Du Ruhui quickly stepped forward and reported, "Your Majesty, all government affairs are proceeding as usual, and all departments are performing their duties diligently. However... recently, several censors jointly submitted a memorial, stating that Your Majesty's health is not good, and the eastern tour has been arduous, which may not be a blessing for the country. They request that Your Majesty return to the capital to recuperate as soon as possible."

He carefully presented several memorials to the emperor.

Murong Yan took the memorial but did not read it. She simply smiled coldly: "A blessing for the country? Are they afraid that if I die outside, the court will change? Or... is someone impatient and wants to use this to test the waters?"

Her gaze swept over Du Ruhui and Zheng Jiao, and both of them felt a chill.

"Prime Minister Du, keep these memorials in the palace and do not issue them. Convey my oral decree to those censors: I am well and my eastern tour is a move to consolidate the foundation and strengthen the nation. Their intentions are commendable, but their words are overly cautious. Let them remain in their posts and not say anything more."

Her approach demonstrated both tolerance and a subtle warning, striking the perfect balance.

"Your old minister obeys the decree." Du Ruhui secretly breathed a sigh of relief and bowed to accept the order.

Murong Yan then turned her gaze to Zheng Jiao: "General Zheng, how are the preparations for the military parade going?"

Zheng Jiao's spirits lifted, and he reported loudly, "Your Majesty, everything is ready! One hundred and twenty warships of various sizes and fifteen thousand elite naval personnel are all lined up and ready to go! We await Your Majesty's personal inspection, which will surely display the majesty of our Holy Emblem!"

"Good!" Murong Yan nodded approvingly, then changed the subject, her tone becoming serious, "What progress has been made in the investigation of what happened at sea that night?"

Zheng Jiao's expression turned solemn: "Your Majesty, based on the scattered confessions of the captured prisoners and the secret investigation by 'Night Owl,' it can be basically determined that the two ships were acting under the orders of the Japanese merchant Taira no Sadamori. The wooden barrels on board did indeed contain a drug concocted using a secret Japanese method, which slowly releases poisonous miasma upon contact with water. Their target was Your Majesty's imperial carriage. Kim Soon-cheol's remnants were involved, providing intelligence and cover. Currently, Taira no Sadamori has already fled upon hearing the news, and his whereabouts are unknown."

The atmosphere in the hall froze instantly. Lin Zhen clenched his fists, his eyes filled with murderous intent. Murong Yan, however, remained unusually calm, though her gaze deepened.

"It really was them." She paused for a moment, then slowly said, "Zheng Jiao, after the military review, you are to immediately strengthen coastal defenses. Increase the number of troops at all key coastal passes, ports, and islands, and strictly inspect all ships, especially those flying Japanese flags or having ties with Japanese merchants. In addition, establish a rapid reaction fleet, equipped with powerful crossbows and firearms, specifically for patrolling the nearshore waters. If anything suspicious is encountered, intercept and question it first. If resistance is encountered, kill without mercy!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" Zheng Jiao responded with a resounding voice, feeling the heavy responsibility on his shoulders.

Murong Yan then looked at Du Ruhui: "Prime Minister Du, upon returning, in my name, draft a strongly worded imperial edict questioning the Japanese court: 'What crime should their merchant Taira no Sadamori, who colluded with our dynasty's traitors to assassinate me, be charged with? Order them to apprehend the culprit within a specified period, bring him to our court for trial, and thoroughly investigate whether any domestic forces were involved! Failure to respond within the deadline or a perfunctory response will be considered a declaration of war against the Holy Emblem!'"

Her voice was not loud, but every word carried immense weight, imbued with the wrath of an emperor and an unchallengeable majesty.

Once this letter of state is sent, it is tantamount to putting the conflict between the two countries into the open.

"This old minister... obeys the decree!" Du Ruhui was greatly shocked, knowing that His Majesty was about to take a tough stance.

After giving these instructions, Murong Yan seemed to have exhausted all her strength. She leaned back wearily against the soft pillows and waved her hand, saying, "You... go ahead and get busy. I'm tired."

Du Ruhui and Zheng Jiao bowed and withdrew from the hall, their hearts filled with turbulent emotions. They had witnessed a frail but resolute emperor who, when his life was threatened, not only did not back down but instead launched a more forceful counterattack.

After seeing the two off, Lin Zhen returned to the bedside and looked at Murong Yan's sleeping face with her eyes closed and brows slightly furrowed. His heart was filled with heartache and respect. He gently tucked her in, his fingers brushing against the cool black jade thumb ring on her nightgown.

Three days later, on the viewing platform of Penglai, Murong Yan, dressed in a formal nautical dress with a cloak over it, sat gracefully under the canopy, supported by Lin Zhen.

The sea breeze whipped at her clothes; her face remained pale, but her back was ramrod straight, her gaze sweeping across the orderly ranks of the imposing naval fleet on the sea. As the warships cut through the waves, cannons roared, and banners blotted out the sky, she even managed a forced smile of approval.

This scene, witnessed by countless eyes, quickly spread throughout Dengzhou and even across the sea. The news that the Empress was reviewing troops despite her illness was like a heavy hammer, shattering some people's illusions that "the Empress is about to collapse," and also declaring to the whole world: the Empress with the holy emblem still firmly controls the empire's direction.