On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

After the censor finished speaking, the hall fell silent; you could hear a pin drop.

She spoke slowly, her voice not loud, yet clearly reaching everyone's ears, tinged with a hoarseness from illness, but carrying an undeniable authority:

"Kong Wenbo and his son, as descendants of a sage, have received the country's favor for generations, yet they do not think of repaying it. Instead, they collude with foreign invaders to assassinate me. Such behavior is intolerable. What is wrong with my treating them as treasonous? Do you, my beloved ministers, think that my life is not as important as the so-called 'public opinion of the literati'?"

Her words were like ice, causing the temperature in the entire hall to plummet. The imperial censor immediately broke out in a cold sweat, knelt down with a thud, and repeatedly pleaded for death.

Murong Yan didn't look at him, but scanned the entire room and continued:

"I know some people have reservations, feeling that my methods are cruel. But I want to tell you, mercy towards rebels is cruelty towards the loyal and virtuous, and irresponsibility towards the country and its people! The sin of the Confucius family lies in their hearts, not in their names! What I have eliminated are traitors who have brought disaster to the country and its people, and what I have upheld is the law and peace of the imperial court! As for the moral character of the scholars..."

She paused slightly, her tone turning serious:

“A true scholar should be loyal to the emperor and love his country, and care about the common people, rather than being bound by the personal ties of one family or clan! If anyone harbors resentment or even intends to do evil because of the downfall of the Confucius family, then he has cut himself off from the court and from the world! I will not tolerate this!”

Her voice echoed in the hall, carrying an awe-inspiring righteousness and a resolute killing intent. All the officials held their breath, and no one dared to utter a word.

At this moment, they once again clearly felt how firm and terrifying the will of the seemingly frail woman on the dragon throne was.

After the court session, back in her palace, Murong Yan removed her heavy court robes and crown, wearing only the Phoenix Descending to Earth dress, and collapsed onto the couch, almost completely exhausted.

Lin Zhen quickly stepped forward to support her, her eyes filled with heartache.

"Why force yourself like this..." he sighed.

Murong Yan leaned against him, wearily closing her eyes. Her voice was weak but carried a hint of relief: "Husband, there are some things that I must say myself before this storm can truly begin to subside. As for those rats hiding in the shadows..."

Her voice trailed off, heavy with sleepiness, "I'll leave it to my Prince to handle."

Lin Zhen held her tightly, feeling her soft breathing, his heart filled with a protective instinct.

......

After the reprimand that shocked the court and the public in the Zichen Palace, the criticisms on the surface did indeed subside.

However, both Murong Yan and Lin Zhen knew that the hostility and hatred lurking in the shadows would not dissipate because of a few harsh words.

The power accumulated by the Kong family over a thousand years is deeply entrenched, like a centipede that, though dead, does not fall down.

Completely eradicating its influence, especially the possible orphan, became Murong Yan's most pressing concern.

On this day, Murong Yan summoned her trusted ministers in the warm pavilion of the rear hall of Zichen Palace: Prince Regent Lin Zhen, Prime Minister Du Ruhui, Minister of War Zhou Qing, and the newly appointed commander of the secret guards, Ying Yi.

She was still wearing that elegant phoenix-themed dress, which was both practical and dignified. The long, dark gold brocade train trailed out on the smooth floor, becoming disheveled from her frequent pacing and contemplation, sometimes brushing against the chair legs, sometimes getting tangled with the carpet tassels.

The atmosphere inside the warm pavilion was heavy. Murong Yan dismissed all other people, leaving only the emperor and his ministers.

"Prime Minister Du, Minister Zhou, what's the progress of the investigation into the remnants of the Kong family and their potential cronies?" Murong Yan got straight to the point, her voice hoarse from recovering from illness, but her gaze sharp as an eagle.

Du Ruhui bowed first and reported: "Your Majesty, in accordance with Your Majesty's strict decree, the Three Judicial Offices, together with local officials, have conducted a thorough investigation of the Kong family's relatives by marriage, disciples, and former officials. Currently, over three hundred people have been identified as implicated. Among them, some indeed harbor resentment towards the court's handling of the matter and have been secretly colluding. Over fifty ringleaders have been arrested, and the rest remain under surveillance. However…"

He paused, a troubled look on his face.

"The Confucian family is a large and deeply rooted family, and its doctrines have a wide influence. Many of its connections are not overt, so there is considerable resistance to investigation, especially among scholars, where there are many who outwardly comply but inwardly defy it."

Minister of War Zhou Qing then reported: "Your Majesty, the garrisons in various regions have strengthened their defenses, especially in Shandong and the surrounding prefectures, to prevent the remnants of the Kong family from resorting to desperate measures, inciting popular uprisings, or launching attacks. However, the troops are scattered, and if a large-scale riot were to occur, it would be difficult to suppress it immediately."

As Murong Yan listened to the report, her slender fingers unconsciously rubbed the edge of the cool black and gold mink shawl on her sleeve, her brows furrowing more and more tightly.

She turned to Lin Zhen, who had remained silent: "Husband, is there any news from Yingyi about that possible surviving member of the Kong family?"

Lin Zhen shook his head solemnly: "Night Owl has used all its resources to search for that young boy who might be named Kong Zhiqian, but there is still no news of him. It's as if he has vanished into thin air. There are two possibilities: one is that he has died in the chaos of battle and his body has not been found; the other is that someone has already secretly moved him and hidden him very deep."

His voice was low, carrying a hint of barely perceptible worry.

The latter possibility undoubtedly implies a greater hidden danger.

Murong Yan took a deep breath, suppressing her agitation. She walked to the window, looked at the lush greenery of the palace gardens outside, and said in a deep voice, "We must find him! We must find him alive or dead! If this child is not eliminated, he will become a source of disaster! The influence of the Kong family must be eradicated completely, leaving no possibility for it to rise again!"

Her tone was resolute, brooking no argument. Just as she abruptly turned around, intending to continue her deployment—

His movements were filled with suppressed anger and anxiety!

The five-zhang-long, dark gold trailing tail that stretched out haphazardly on the ground was suddenly stirred!

The luxurious Suzhou brocade brushed across the ground, making a soft "swish" sound.

As the train billowed up, it revealed the "all-over gold" lining, densely woven with gold thread and shimmering in the sunlight!

The phoenix pattern burst forth with dazzling light in an instant, as if symbolizing the burning anger and unwavering will in the owner's heart.

As her skirt fell, Murong Yan's gaze swept over the crowd:

"Increase the reward! Mobilize the martial arts world! Anyone who provides clues about the core remnants of the Kong family, especially that orphan, will be rewarded with a thousand gold pieces and a noble title! At the same time, Prime Minister Du, draft an edict to proclaim to the world that all former disciples and officials of the Kong family who voluntarily confess their past connections to the government and sever ties within a specified period will be pardoned; those who remain obstinate and secretly collude will be punished the same as traitors once discovered!"

"Your Majesty, we obey!" Du Ruhui and Zhou Qing replied in unison.

Just then, a series of extremely hurried and even slightly panicked footsteps came from outside the warm pavilion. A eunuch, disregarding etiquette, held an urgent military report with three red feathers inserted in it. He almost fell to the ground outside the pavilion door, shouting in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty! Your Highness! Urgent dispatch! Report from the Northern Frontier! The Northern Royal Court has assembled 100,000 iron cavalry, broken through the Great Wall defense line, and split into two groups. One group is besieging Yunzhou, and the other is heading straight for the Yanran Protectorate! The Northern Frontier is in dire need of help!"

"what?!"

The expressions of everyone inside the pavilion changed drastically!

Murong Yan turned around abruptly, snatched the military report from the eunuch's hand, and quickly opened and read it.

As she read on, her expression shifted from shock to disbelief, and finally to raging fury!

The military report not only detailed the military situation of the invasion of the Northern Desert army, but also included a fragment of a secret letter intercepted by frontline generals, which was suspected to be sent by the Northern Desert royal court to a secret contact point.

The letter used cryptic language, but the gist was that the Northern Kingdom's southward journey was at the invitation of the "descendants of the Central Plains" to jointly punish the "false dynasty." The letter even mentioned the character "Confucius" and the "injustice suffered in Qufu"!

"You bastard! Utterly shameless!" Murong Yan slammed the secret report to the ground, her chest heaving with extreme anger, her face turning deathly pale, and she almost lost her balance. Lin Zhen rushed forward and caught her in time.

"The Kong family! It's actually the remnants of the Kong family! They actually dared... dared to collude with the barbarian tribes of the northern desert! They let wolves into the house!"

Murong Yan's voice was sharp with anger, and carried a tearing pain.

"In their quest for revenge, they have betrayed their ancestral heritage and placed the people of the northern frontier under their iron heel! Their hearts are despicable! Their crimes deserve the extermination of their entire clan!"

She had never been so angry before.

The assassination of Kong Wenbo and his son was a direct betrayal; and now, the remaining Kong family forces have colluded with their sworn enemy, the Northern Desert Royal Court, which is an outright act of treason!

This goes far beyond the scope of a power struggle; it is a betrayal of the entire Holy Emblem nation and the country!