On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

Lin Zhen, dressed in a prince's python robe, followed closely behind her, standing slightly behind her. He stood tall and straight, his sharp gaze sweeping across the entire area like the most loyal guardian deity.

"Rise, my lords." Murong Yan sat upright on the phoenix throne, her voice clear and melodious, neither too loud nor too soft, yet clearly resonating throughout every corner of the hall, carrying an innate sense of authority.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The officials bowed again before rising and standing solemnly on both sides according to their rank.

The main hall was completely silent; you could hear a pin drop. Everyone sensed an atmosphere different from the peaceful festivities of the New Year, knowing that today's court assembly must be for important matters.

Without any pleasantries, Murong Yan cut straight to the point, turning her gaze to Prime Minister Du Ruhui, the head of the civil officials: "Prime Minister Du, the New Year holidays are over. How are the affairs of state in various regions proceeding smoothly? Have any new military reports been submitted from the northern frontier recently?"

Her voice was steady, yet it made everyone prick up their ears.

Du Ruhui stepped forward, bowed, and reported, "Your Majesty, thanks to Your Majesty's great blessings, the administration of various regions is generally running smoothly, and the people are enjoying the New Year in peace. As for the northern frontier..." He paused, then took out a memorial from his sleeve, "The Ministry of War received an urgent military report from General Zheng Jiao of the Northern Garrison last night, which is about to be presented to Your Majesty."

"Read it." Murong Yan said succinctly.

Du Ruhui unfolded the memorial and read it aloud.

In his report, Zheng Jiao detailed the unusual recent movements of the Northern Desert Royal Court: various tribes were reducing their military strength, but were conducting frequent drills, stockpiling large quantities of arrows and provisions, and building siege equipment. Scouts also discovered that small groups of elite troops were frequently spying on the border defenses.

Finally, the report highlighted that Uwei, the Left Wise King of the Northern Desert, recently openly toured various tribes with the so-called "sage's son-in-law" Kong Zhiqian, rewarding soldiers and boosting morale in his name, revealing his intention to invade the south.

After the report was read, a suppressed gasp and whispers filled the hall.

Although everyone had heard about the situation in the northern frontier, such a detailed military report and the sensitive title of "the son-in-law of the Holy Descendant" still made the officials realize the seriousness of the situation.

Murong Yan's expression remained calm, revealing neither joy nor anger. Her gaze swept over the assembled officials: "You have all heard this. The northern deserts are preparing for war, and they are using the banner of remnants of traitors. Their intentions are despicable. What are your thoughts on this?"

As soon as the words were spoken, an old general with a fiery temper strode out from the ranks of military officers, his voice booming like a bell:

"Your Majesty! The barbarians of the northern deserts harbor wolfish ambitions and have never given up their desire to destroy us! Now they dare to bring up the rebellious son of the Kong family, attempting to confuse the public. This is a great disgrace! I believe that we should immediately mobilize our elite troops to reinforce the northern frontier, launch a preemptive strike, and give them a crushing blow before they are fully prepared! Let us display our national prestige and deter these villains!"

This man was the Marquis of Jingbei, who fought against the northern deserts throughout his life and was the most resolute in advocating war.

"Lord Jingbei is mistaken!"

An elderly official with white hair and beard immediately stepped forward to refute him. He was Wang Yunzhi, the Minister of Rites, and his face showed worry.

"Your Majesty! Weapons are instruments of destruction, used only as a last resort by wise men. Although the northern deserts are restless, it is still unknown whether they will truly dare to launch a large-scale invasion southward. Our dynasty is currently celebrating the New Year, and although the national treasury is full, a major war would consume countless resources and cause immense suffering. Moreover, the north is bitterly cold, and although spring is approaching, the snow is just beginning to melt, and the roads are muddy, which is advantageous for defense but not for offense. If we rashly send troops at this time, and the battle goes poorly or we become bogged down, wouldn't that be a waste of national strength and give the enemy an opportunity to exploit us? It would be better to carefully guard the passes and send eloquent envoys to the northern deserts to explain the advantages and disadvantages, which might avert the disaster of war before it even begins."

He was a typical representative of the peace faction.

"Minister Wang's words are far too cowardly!" Another middle-aged general stepped forward; it was Sun Wu, the Vice Minister of War. "The northern barbarians are wolves by nature; how can they be swayed by words? To merely guard the passes and passively endure attacks is a path to certain death! Uwei's invocation of the Kong family is clearly an attempt to demoralize our people! If we do not show a strong stance now, the northern barbarians will only think that our dynasty is afraid to fight, and they will become even more unscrupulous! We must launch a thunderous counterattack!"

“Minister Sun! Have you not heard the saying, ‘Though a nation may be large, it will perish if it loves war’?” an imperial censor interjected. “Your Majesty has just ascended the throne and should govern the country with benevolence and virtue, allowing it to recuperate and thrive. The northern border defenses are solid, and General Zheng Jiao is a capable commander. As long as we remain vigilant, the northern deserts may not dare to act rashly. If we initiate war, victory is fine, but defeat will endanger the nation! Moreover, war will inevitably lead to increased taxes, and it will be the people who suffer the most!”

The officials who spoke out mostly considered the issue from the perspective of people's livelihood and morality.

"Wouldn't it be even worse to let the people suffer if we allowed the northern deserts to prepare and their army to press on our borders?" Marquis Jingbei glared angrily. "When the flames of war ignite within our borders, and the people are displaced, wouldn't that be even more tragic?!"

The imperial court was immediately divided into two distinct factions.

The pro-war faction, mainly composed of military officers, was passionate and advocated preemptive strikes to stop war through war; the pro-peace faction, mainly composed of civil officials and some censors, emphasized national strength and people's livelihood, advocated diplomatic mediation, and cautiously avoided war.

The two sides argued endlessly, citing classical texts, and the atmosphere in the hall was tense.

Murong Yan sat upright on the phoenix chair, listening quietly with no expression on her face, only her fingertips unconsciously stroking the black jade thumb ring.

Lin Zhen stood beside her, his gaze sharp and calm as he observed each minister who spoke, memorizing their words and expressions.

The argument lasted for nearly half an hour, with both sides sticking to their own version of events and neither able to convince the other.

At this moment, Du Ruhui stepped forward again and announced in a loud voice:

"Your Majesty, my colleagues! Argumentation is pointless; the key lies in Your Majesty's decisive judgment. In my opinion, both war and peace must be based on an accurate assessment of the enemy's and our own situation. The threat from the northern deserts certainly warrants vigilance, but whether to immediately launch a large-scale military operation requires weighing the pros and cons. The most urgent task is to send more elite troops to the northern frontier to strengthen defenses, and to grant General Zheng Jiao the authority to make on-the-spot decisions based on the enemy's situation. If any small groups in the northern deserts provoke us, we must resolutely strike them down. At the same time, we can secretly send envoys to contact forces within the northern deserts that are at odds with Uwei, or to the various states in the Western Regions, to sow discord and undermine them. This is what is meant by 'showing strength outwardly, cultivating virtue inwardly, observing the situation calmly, and striking only after the enemy has made its move.'"

Du Ruhui's words were a compromise, emphasizing both the importance of war preparedness and the possibility of non-military means, which immediately calmed the heated debate somewhat.

The ministers' gazes once again focused on the empress, who stood atop the nine-tiered imperial staircase, clad in a dark gold phoenix-embroidered dress, exuding natural majesty.

Murong Yan finally moved. She slowly raised her hand, and the hall fell silent instantly. Her gaze calmly swept across the entire hall, and every minister who met her eyes involuntarily lowered their heads.

“What you all say makes sense.” Her voice rang out, clear and steady, with an undeniable decisiveness. “The Marquis of Jingbei is commendable for his loyalty and bravery, Minister Wang is concerned about the people’s livelihood, Vice Minister Sun is thoughtful and thorough, and Prime Minister Du is experienced and prudent in governing the country.”

She paused slightly, a sharp glint flashing in her phoenix eyes: "However, I would like to ask you all, will the Uwei in the northern desert lay down their butcher's knives and become Buddhas on the spot because our dynasty seeks peace by avoiding war? Will the orphan of the Kong family suddenly realize his mistakes and return to his ancestral home because our dynasty is appeasing him?"

Her voice was not loud, yet it struck the hearts of every minister like a heavy hammer. No one could answer.

Murong Yan slowly stood up. The instant she rose—

His movements conveyed the authority and decisiveness of someone who had listened to the debates of his ministers and was about to make a final decision!

The long, dark gold brocade train, stretching five zhang in length and spreading out in disarray above the imperial steps and in front of the phoenix throne, was suddenly stirred by this action of rising up!

The luxurious brocade brushed against the smooth gold brick floor, producing a clear and long "whoosh" sound that echoed throughout the silent hall.

As the train quietly billowed up, it revealed the "Golden Floor" lining, densely woven with gold threads, which shimmered with a blazing and majestic light like molten gold under the bright candlelight in the palace!

The phoenix pattern covering the entire nightgown and its train instantly burst forth with an incomparably dazzling golden light, as if it had discerned the situation, weighed the pros and cons, and ultimately made a decisive decision!

The light was filled with recognition of the courage of the pro-war faction and understanding of the concerns of the pro-peace faction, but more importantly, it was the imperial wisdom that transcended the controversy and looked down on the overall situation, as well as the great courage to take on the ultimate responsibility. It was noble, glorious, and carried a shocking sense of pressure that a major decision was about to be made!

The hem of her skirt fell, obscuring the dazzling golden light that symbolized the final decision.

Murong Yan stood atop the high steps, looking down at the assembled officials. Her voice suddenly rose, clear and firm, echoing throughout the hall:

"The troubles in the northern deserts are not a recent phenomenon! Uwei's intentions are clear to everyone! Seeking peace and avoiding war will not bring peace; it will only make the wolves think our dynasty is weak and easy to bully! My mind is made up!"

"The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue are hereby ordered to immediately procure provisions and military equipment, and to secretly dispatch 100,000 elite troops from the capital region and the Central Plains to the northern frontier in batches, under the command of General Zheng Jiao, the General Who Guards the North! All garrisons in the northern frontier shall immediately enter a state of first-level combat readiness and defend the border at all costs! If even a single soldier from the northern desert dares to cross the border, I will punish them severely and show no leniency!"

"The Ministry of Rites and the Privy Council shall select capable individuals to secretly travel to the Western Regions to sow discord between the Northern Desert and the various tribes, cutting off their external support! At the same time, we shall closely monitor the territory, and anyone who dares to spread surrender rhetoric or secretly colludes with the Northern Desert shall be punished for treason and executed without pardon!"

Her gaze finally settled on Du Ruhui: "Prime Minister Du."

"The old minister is here!"

"I entrust you with overall command, coordination of all departments, ensuring smooth implementation of policies and uninterrupted logistics!"

"Your old minister obeys the decree!" Du Ruhui bowed and accepted the order, his heart filled with dread.

Murong Yan's gaze slowly swept over the assembled officials below, their expressions varied, finally settling on the void, as if she could see the distant northern frontier. Her voice carried a chilling killing intent:

"I want Uvi to understand, and I want the whole world to understand! This Great Qian Dynasty was won through conquest! This peace and prosperity of Great Qian was secured with iron and blood! No evil spirits or monsters will be allowed to covet it even a little!"

"Retreat!"

Having said that, she looked away from everyone, turned around, and left the main hall with Lin Zhen, surrounded by the dark gold, messy yet majestic trailing tail.