On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

Du Ruhui and Zheng Jiao bowed and withdrew, their hearts filled with turbulent emotions. Even in his grave illness, His Majesty's mind remained so clear and decisive; such willpower was truly awe-inspiring.

Silence returned to the hall. Lin Zhen looked at Murong Yan, who was breathing heavily with her eyes closed, and felt an overwhelming pang of heartache.

He leaned down and gently kissed her forehead, saying in a hoarse voice, "Yan'er, why force yourself like this? Leave these things to me."

Murong Yan opened her eyes, looked at his worried face, reached out to smooth his furrowed brows, and said softly:

“My lord, I know you care about me. But there are some things that I must personally order to deter those evil spirits. I cannot let them think that I have fallen.”

She paused, her tone taking on a hint of coquettishness, "However, I really need to rest now, my husband. You stay with me and don't leave."

"Okay, I won't leave. I'll stay with you." Lin Zhen sat down on the edge of the couch so that she could lean against him more comfortably.

Murong Yan closed her eyes with relief and murmured, "This dress is quite comfortable to wear, but the train is too long and it always gets messed up."

Her voice gradually faded, filled with a deep sleepiness.

......

The atmosphere inside the Penglai Palace became exceptionally heavy after Murong Yan, despite her illness, issued a series of strict decrees.

Externally, news that Empress Shenghui was "safe and sound" and would soon receive the homage of local officials spread rapidly, temporarily suppressing the rampant rumors; internally, Du Ruhui and Zheng Jiao were doing their best to investigate the source of the rumors and strengthen coastal defenses, while Lin Zhen stayed by Murong Yan's bedside without leaving her side, hoping for a slight improvement in her condition.

Murong Yan remained bedridden. Although her high fever subsided slightly, it turned into a persistent low-grade fever and cough. She was so weak that even sitting up on her own required a great deal of effort.

She was still wearing that dark gold phoenix descending to earth dress, the soft Suzhou brocade cotton fabric repeatedly soaked with sweat, making her figure appear even thinner.

The five-zhang-long train spread out even more messily under the bed, just like her chaotic thoughts and struggling physical strength at this moment.

A black and gold mink shawl was draped over a nearby screen to keep warm when getting up at night.

However, that very afternoon, Du Ruhui brought what seemed to be "good news".

"Your Majesty, Your Highness," Du Ruhui reported with a hint of relief on his face, bowing, "Lord Kong Wenbo and his eldest son Kong Zhixuan have traveled day and night from Qufu to Penglai to pay their respects to Your Majesty and present several secret remedies passed down in the Kong family. The Kong family has been Confucian scholars for generations and is well-versed in medicine, especially in nourishing vital energy, which may be beneficial to Your Majesty's health."

Kong Wenbo was the contemporary Duke Yansheng and the head of the Kong family, enjoying a high reputation among scholars and in the imperial court.

His sudden visit, and the offering of his family's secret medicine, were seen by outsiders as a timely help, demonstrating the unity of the court and the people under the Holy Emblem.

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhen frowned slightly, a hint of doubt flashing through his mind.

The Kong family has always been aloof, so their sudden intervention at this time seems rather coincidental.

But when he saw that Murong Yan, in her dazed state, heard the words "Kong Family Secret Medicine" and her eyelashes fluttered slightly, as if she were expecting something, he suppressed his doubts and said in a deep voice, "Lord Kong is very thoughtful. Tell them to wait in the side hall. We will make a decision after the imperial physician has examined the prescription."

"Your old minister obeys." Du Ruhui withdrew to make the arrangements.

About an hour later, Du Ruhui came to report again, saying that the imperial physician had preliminarily examined the pills and powders offered by the Kong family, and found that they were all made of precious tonic herbs, with no signs of incompatibility or toxicity, and could be tried at the discretion of the physician.

Murong Yan, who had just regained consciousness, nodded weakly upon hearing this: "Descendants of Confucius, their loyalty is commendable. Summon them in, I want to see them."

Although Lin Zhen felt uneasy, seeing that Murong Yan was determined to see him as a sign of respect for the Confucian sect, he did not stop her, but secretly became more vigilant.

He carefully helped Murong Yan up, placed a thick, soft pillow behind her, and adjusted the collar of her nightgown, making the Phoenix Descent dress a little neater, although the train still hung limply down to the side of the bed and meandered to the ground.

"Husband, please help me put on that wedding robe," Murong Yan asked softly, her voice barely audible.

She was referring to the long, black dress accessory—a black and gold shawl—that was folded aside and embroidered with cloud and phoenix patterns in gold thread.

This item is usually worn over an outer robe, symbolizing status and dignity.

Lin Zhen did as instructed, taking the magnificent and solemn black and gold shawl and carefully draping it over Murong Yan's shoulders. The long ends of the shawl fell naturally in front of her, and the phoenix embroidered with gold thread shimmered with a calm luster in the dim light, adding a touch of unassailable majesty to her sickly face.

Just then, the eunuch led the two into the hall.

The leader was about fifty years old, with a thin face, three long wisps of beard, and dressed in a scholar's robe. He had a refined and scholarly demeanor and was none other than Duke Yansheng, Kong Wenbo.

Behind him followed a young man in his early twenties, whose features resembled those of Kong Wenbo, but whose eyes were slightly darting. This was his eldest son, Kong Zhixuan.

The two men stepped forward and knelt respectfully, saying, "Your subject Kong Wenbo (Kong Zhixuan) greets Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Greetings to Your Highness the Prince!"

"Please rise, Lord Kong." Murong Yan leaned against the pillow, slightly raised her hand, her voice weak but trying to remain calm, "I am very pleased that Lord Kong has come from afar."

Kong Wenbo rose, bowed his head, and said, “Your Majesty’s health is not good, and we are deeply worried. We offer you our family’s secret recipe, ‘Ginseng and Poria Root-Strengthening Pill’ and ‘Mind-Calming and Spirit-Stabilizing Powder,’ which may help Your Majesty regulate your vital energy and stabilize your foundation. This is the sincere wish of the Kong family, and we hope Your Majesty will allow us to try them.”

As he spoke, he gestured to Kong Zhixuan behind him to bring out an exquisite sandalwood medicine box.

Lin Zhen's sharp gaze swept over the medicine box, then looked at the Kong family father and son, and said calmly, "Thank you for your trouble, Lord Kong. The imperial physician has examined it, and I thank you on behalf of His Majesty."

He gestured for the eunuch to take the medicine box, but did not immediately give it to Murong Yan.

Kong Wenbo remained calm and continued, "Your Majesty, this elixir requires a special medicinal guide to be taken for optimal effect. May I step forward and explain its usage to Your Majesty?"

His tone was earnest and reasonable.

Murong Yan, without suspicion, nodded slightly: "Granted."

Kong Wenbo bowed in gratitude and stepped forward slowly. Kong Zhixuan followed closely behind.

Lin Zhen instinctively took half a step forward, standing protectively in front of the bed, her gaze fixed on the two of them.

Kong Wenbo walked to a spot about three steps away from the bed, stopped, took out a small porcelain bottle from his sleeve, and was about to begin explaining.

An unexpected change occurred at that very moment!

Suddenly, a terrifyingly fierce light flashed in Kong Zhixuan's eyes, who had been looking down demurely!

He suddenly pulled out a short blade about seven inches long, with a dark blue color and clearly coated with poison from his bosom. His figure was as fast as lightning. He bypassed his father and rushed straight to Murong Yan on the bed!

He roared fiercely, "Murong demoness! Prepare to die! Restore my Goguryeo!"

All of this happened too fast, too unexpectedly!

Who would have thought that the eldest son of Confucius, a descendant of a sage, was actually a long-lurking remnant of Goguryeo!

And they chose this time and place to carry out this swift and deadly assassination!

"Protect the Emperor!" Lin Zhen reacted extremely quickly, roaring as he sprang up, his soft sword at his waist flashing like a poisonous dragon unsheathed, aimed straight at Kong Zhixuan's wrist!

However, he was a little too far away, and Kong Zhixuan's dagger had already just pierced Murong Yan's chest!

Murong Yan was seriously ill and unable to react in time, watching as the poisoned blade was about to strike her!

At the critical moment, the black and gold wedding robe that she had just put on and that hung in front of her became an unexpected barrier!

Kong Zhixuan's dagger pierced the soft yet resilient body of the embroidered robe first!

The phoenix embroidered with gold thread seemed to let out a silent lament. Although the shawl was pierced, it greatly slowed down the speed and force of the dagger!

It was this split second of delay that gave Lin Zhen a chance to save his life!

His soft sword struck first, hitting Kong Zhixuan's wrist with a sharp "clang"!

Blood splattered, and the short blade clattered to the ground!

"Take him down!" Lin Zhen shouted, his sword thrusts unabated, aiming straight for Kong Zhixuan's vitals!

Upon hearing the commotion, the guards outside the palace swarmed inside!

However, when Kong Wenbo saw that his plan had failed, he showed no fear. Instead, he took advantage of the chaos to smash the small porcelain bottle that he had claimed was a medicinal ingredient onto the ground!

With a loud bang, the porcelain bottle shattered, and a thick, pungent, fishy-smelling white smoke instantly filled the entire inner hall!

"The smoke is poisonous! Hold your breath!" Lin Zhen exclaimed in alarm. He immediately rushed to the bedside, covered Murong Yan's mouth and nose with his sleeve, and waved his sword to disperse the smoke.

Chaos erupted inside the hall; visibility was obstructed, and coughing filled the air. Once the guards dispersed the poisonous smoke, they found Kong Zhixuan lying in a pool of blood, barely breathing, while Kong Wenbo seized the opportunity to smash a window and attempt to escape!

"Chase! Kill them all!" Lin Zhen's eyes were bloodshot, his voice trembling with anger and lingering fear. He held Murong Yan tightly in his arms, who was coughing violently from shock and the toxic fumes and was almost fainting. His heart was breaking.