On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

Murong Yan opened her eyes, grasped his massaging hand, pulled it down to her lap, and unconsciously rubbed the calluses on his palm with her fingertips, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes:

“That’s exactly right. When dealing with wolves, only by brandishing a hunting rifle can you make them fear you. But…” She frowned slightly.

“I am worried that some people in the court, seeing that there is no major battle on the border for the time being, will bring up old issues again, criticize the border troops for wasting money and food, and even... feel pity for the Kong family again.”

Lin Zhen gripped her slightly cool fingers tightly in return, his tone firm:

"Rest assured, Prime Minister Du and I have already discussed this matter. The year-end sacrificial ceremony to Heaven and the grand court assembly on New Year's Day will be the best opportunity. At that time, His Majesty can personally declare the court's determination to prioritize military preparedness and strengthen border defenses, and commend the merits of the border troops. At the same time, we will have the Censorate find a few exemplary cases and impeach a few officials who have performed their duties ineffectively or spread negative remarks, as a warning to others. As for the Kong family..."

He snorted coldly.

"If anyone is out of touch with reality, this is a good opportunity to clean house once again."

His words were filled with decisiveness and ruthlessness, which reassured Murong Yan.

She rested her head on his strong arm and whispered, "With my husband planning everything so well for me, I can rest easy. It's just that you have to work hard, with the end of the year approaching, and you still have to worry about these things."

"For you, for the Great Qian Dynasty, what hardship is there?" Lin Zhen lowered his head and kissed her hair, his voice gentle, "As long as you are well, I am at peace."

Just then, a palace attendant whispered from outside, "Your Majesty, Your Highness, the Deputy Commander of the Secret Guard, Ying Qi, has an urgent secret report to submit."

"Summon." Murong Yan immediately sat up straight, her languid expression vanishing, replaced by her imperial majesty.

Shadow Seven strode in, knelt on one knee, and presented a small copper tube: "Your Majesty, Your Highness, an urgent report from the 'Night Owl' of the Northern Frontier!"

Lin Zhen took the copper tube, checked that the sealing wax was correct, and then took out the thin silk wrapped inside, quickly glancing at it. His expression instantly turned serious, and he handed the silk to Murong Yan: "Yan'er, look."

Murong Yan took it, glanced at it, and her pupils contracted slightly. The handwriting on the secret report was messy, clearly indicating that it was written in an urgent situation:

"...It has been confirmed that Uwei, the Left Wise King of the Northern Desert, secretly met with an envoy from the Dayuan Kingdom of the Western Regions three days ago. The two sides held a secret meeting until late at night, the contents of which are unknown. However, when the Dayuan envoy left, Uwei personally saw him off to the tent with unusual enthusiasm. This is suspected to be related to the war after the spring, or may involve the trade of military horses and weapons..."

“Dayuan Kingdom…” Murong Yan put down the silk paper, her fingertips lightly tapping the armrest of the phoenix chair, making a soft tapping sound. Her eyes flashed with cold light. “The finest horses of the Western Regions are unparalleled in the world, and their ironware is also quite exquisite. Uwei is secretly contacting Dayuan at this time, his intentions are treacherous! If they obtain a large number of warhorses and fine weapons, it will be like adding wings to a tiger!”

“It seems that Uwi is determined to make a big move this time.” Lin Zhen’s tone was icy. “We must prepare in advance. In addition to strengthening border defenses, perhaps… we should also make some moves in the Western Regions. Dayuan is not a monolithic entity; there are pro-Daqian forces within its borders.”

"What does my husband mean...?" Murong Yan looked at him.

"Send someone to secretly contact the nobles in Dayuan who are at odds with Wuwei. Perhaps we can offer them substantial benefits to make them obstruct, delay, or even sabotage this transaction. At the very least, we need to find out the specific details and scale of their deal." A strategist's shrewdness flashed in Lin Zhen's eyes.

"This plan is excellent!" Murong Yan praised. "This matter must be kept absolutely secret, and the people chosen must be extremely reliable."

“I’ll have Yingyi handle it. He’s meticulous and familiar with affairs in the Western Regions,” Lin Zhen decided immediately.

With the important matter settled, the atmosphere inside the hall grew even more somber. The threat from the north, like the deepening night outside the window, weighed heavily on their hearts.

Murong Yan got up, walked to the window, and looked at the ancient pine tree in the courtyard standing proudly in the wind and snow. She remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, "The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease. This year is unlikely to be peaceful."

Lin Zhen walked behind her and gently placed his hands on her shoulders, offering her silent support: "Don't worry, we'll meet force with force and water with water. Our Great Qian has been established for decades, what storms haven't we weathered? As long as we, the ruler and his subjects, are of one mind and our soldiers fight with all their might, we will surely defeat the enemy."

Murong Yan turned around, buried her face in his chest, took a deep breath of his reassuring scent, and said in a muffled voice, "Yeah, I know. It's just... I always feel sorry for you, that I can't even let you have a peaceful New Year."

"Nonsense." Lin Zhen gently stroked her back and chuckled softly, "Every day with you is like New Year's Day. After we pacify the northern frontier, I'll celebrate another one with you properly, how about that?"

"It's a deal." Murong Yan raised her head, a genuine smile finally appearing on her face, though the smile still carried a lingering worry. She turned to retrieve another memorial from the table, but in that instant—

His movements carried a heavy, hesitant weight and a decisive, swift execution.

The long, dark gold trailing behind, stretching five zhang (approximately 10 meters) and spreading haphazardly on the ground, was suddenly stirred! The magnificent Su brocade brushed across the ground with a soft "whoosh" sound.

As the train billowed up, it revealed the "Golden Embroidery" lining, which was intricately woven with gold threads and shimmered in the candlelight with a brilliant and unwavering light like a galaxy in the dark night!

The phoenix pattern burst forth with a dazzling and awe-inspiring brilliance in an instant, a radiance filled with the decisiveness to meet challenges, the power to protect the country, and a firm belief in standing shoulder to shoulder with one's beloved!

The hem of her skirt fell, obscuring the dazzling golden light.

Murong Yan picked up the memorial and continued her discussion with Lin Zhen in hushed tones.

......

The festive atmosphere is already so strong that it's hard to tear it away. Red lanterns have been hung at the entrances of government offices, and even under the solemn walls of the imperial city, new peach wood charms symbolizing good fortune have been put on.

The air was filled with the faint smell of gunpowder from firecrackers, mingling with the aroma of cooking New Year's dishes in every household.

However, the warm pavilion deep within the Zichen Palace seemed to be shrouded by an invisible barrier. The noise and celebrations outside could only be heard as faint background noise, like the babbling of a distant stream.

Inside the warm pavilion, the underfloor heating was burning brightly, creating a cozy atmosphere that contrasted sharply with the thick frost patterns that had formed on the window frames.

Unlike previous years when she was busy trying on new auspicious robes or overseeing preparations for the palace banquet, Murong Yan was still wearing the Phoenix Descent Dress that had become her second skin.

Under the warm candlelight and prolonged baking, the jet-black Suzhou brocade seemed to absorb enough heat, emitting a serene glow like the warm currents of the deep sea.

The woven gold cotton and the phoenix patterns embroidered with gold thread no longer shimmer and leap as they used to, but rather resemble the dormant phoenix feathers, flowing with a warm and restrained golden radiance that is poised to burst forth.

The black and gold mink shawl was carefully draped on a rosewood frame away from the heater because the indoor temperature was too high, so as to prevent the fur from losing its luster due to the heat.

The five-zhang-long Suzhou brocade trailing behind Murong Yan spread out more and more wildly and messily on the gold brick floor after she sat quietly reviewing memorials for a long time.

Part of it was unintentionally trampled under her feet, forming several deep folds; part of it meandered to the bottom of the bookshelf, intertwining with the tassels of the floor-length curtains; and a long section meandered through half of the warm pavilion, leading directly to the palace gate, like a silent, dark gold river, quietly dividing the vast space.

This disorder is not caused by haste, but by a kind of disorder formed by extreme focus and prolonged stillness, bearing the traces of contemplation.

She used one of her wide, bell-shaped sleeves to support the bottom edge of a thick book she was reading, with gold tassels from the cuff dangling onto the desk. The other sleeve rested softly on the arm of her chair, swaying gently with her occasional turning of the pages.

The black jade thumb ring on her left thumb made a very subtle rustling sound as she flipped through the paper memorials.