On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

Murong Yan nodded with a smile: "What Minister Cui said is very true. The stability of the court is indeed fundamental."

However, Lin Zhen, who was sitting next to Murong Yan, narrowed his eyes slightly.

He keenly sensed that Cui Mingyuan's words seemed to deliberately highlight his and the frontline soldiers' roles, while limiting Murong Yan's role to "holding the fort" and "stabilizing," subtly implying a separation of the emperor and empress's contributions.

Moreover, the Cui and Kong families have always been considered equals among scholars, and their relationship is deeply intertwined.

Although the Cui family has remained silent on the surface since the Kong family was wiped out, its members and disciples have recently expressed their dissatisfaction with the "excessive punishment" in some informal settings. However, their words are extremely cryptic, leaving no room for criticism.

Murong Yan seemed oblivious to anything amiss, continuing to chat and laugh with everyone.

She even pointed enthusiastically to a pair of mandarin ducks playing in the pond and smiled at Lin Zhen:

“My husband, look, those mandarin ducks are in pairs, which perfectly matches the scenery of spring.”

Lin Zhen snapped out of his thoughts, turned to look at her, his eyes full of tenderness, and smiled in agreement, "Yes, spring is just right, and all things are full of vitality. It's just a pity that we both have heavy responsibilities and rarely have such leisure time to enjoy it together."

His words carried a hint of regret, which further revealed the deep affection between the couple.

Upon hearing this, Murong Yan's eyes revealed a hint of dependence, and she sighed softly: "Yes, if it weren't for my husband sharing so much with me, I'm afraid I wouldn't even be able to enjoy this moment of spring."

Her tone was sweet and coquettish, as if she were pouting at her closest loved one.

This interaction, in the eyes of the court officials, was naturally a beautiful story of the emperor and empress's love and harmony between the ruler and his subjects.

Many people smiled knowingly. Only Cui Mingyuan, as he lowered his eyes to drink, had a fleeting, extremely subtle, complex light flash deep in his eyes, seemingly a mixture of regret and indifference.

But he quickly raised his head, his face still bearing that gentle, respectful, and composed expression.

The banquet continued. Several more ministers rose to offer toasts, praising the victory and wishing for a great triumph in the north.

Murong Yan responded to each question with grace and natural poise.

When a young lady from the imperial family performed a pipa solo, Murong Yan rewarded her with a pair of jade ruyi scepters as encouragement, which drew praise from everyone for the emperor's benevolence.

During this time, Murong Yan seemed to have been sitting for a while and wanted to change her posture to enjoy the scenery on the other side of the window. She turned slightly to face the direction of Taiye Pond.

Just as she turned around—

The movements exuded a relaxed and natural air, as if one were enjoying a banquet!

The long, messy, five-zhang-long trailing trail of dark gold Suzhou brocade, which was spread around the phoenix chair and on the ground, was quietly stirred by this gentle turning movement!

The luxurious brocade brushed against the smooth ground, making a very slight rustling sound.

As the train gently billowed up, it revealed the "Golden Embroidery" lining, densely woven with gold threads, which shimmered with a warm and keen light like the rippling waves of a lake in the bright spring sunshine!

The phoenix pattern covering the entire nightgown and its train instantly burst forth with a clear and profound golden light that, beneath its serene surface, revealed the most exquisite details!

That light was filled with scrutiny of the words and deeds of his subjects, vigilance against potential risks, and the wisdom of an emperor who, though surrounded by prosperity, was concerned about the future. It was noble and magnificent, and carried a calm power that seemed relaxed but was never relaxed, a power that controlled the whole situation.

This fleeting glimpse symbolizes her ability to maintain a clear head even amidst the revelry and celebrations of a ruler.

The hem of her skirt fell, concealing the sharp golden light.

Murong Yan gazed at the clear blue sky and water outside the window, seemingly completely immersed in the spring scenery.

However, on her seemingly calm profile, Lin Zhen caught a very subtle, thoughtful expression.

The banquet lasted until late afternoon.

The officials and their families kowtowed in gratitude for the Emperor's grace and then withdrew in turn.

The Linfeng Pavilion gradually quieted down, leaving only the palace servants cleaning up the mess.

Murong Yan did not get up immediately. She remained seated on the phoenix chair, her fingertips unconsciously tapping the armrests. Gazing at the setting sun outside the window, the smile on her face slowly faded, and she regained the cool and profound demeanor she usually displayed when handling government affairs.

Lin Zhen waved for all the palace servants to retreat outside the pavilion and wait. He walked to Murong Yan's side, bent down, and asked softly, "Yan'er, what's wrong? Are you tired?"

His hand naturally covered the back of her hand, which was resting on the armrest.

Murong Yan grasped his fingers in her hand, applying slight pressure, and looked up at him. Her phoenix eyes held none of the previous languor, replaced by a sharp clarity.

"Husband, don't you think... Cui Mingyuan's words today were a bit... too thorough?"

Lin Zhen's heart skipped a beat; sure enough, his Yan'er had noticed it too.

He nodded, sat down beside her, and whispered:

"Well, it seems watertight, but in reality... it divides our credit too clearly. Moreover, recently, officials from the Cui family faction, while not openly opposing the Northern Expedition in scholarly discussions, have been advocating benevolent governance and leniency regarding the Kong family's affairs, subtly implying that... the punishments may have been too severe."

Murong Yan sneered, her fingertips tracing the black jade ring:

"The Kong family colluded with foreign enemies to assassinate the emperor. The evidence is conclusive. Exterminating their three clans is the law of the land! How can it be considered too harsh? Cui Mingyuan... His Cui family had close ties with the Kong family. Now that the Kong family has been destroyed, his Cui family is sitting on the sidelines, and has even gained a reputation for being sensible."

Her gaze deepened.

"I have a feeling that his remarks today while he was in charge of the central government were not unintentional. Perhaps... he was testing us, or perhaps he was drawing a line, or even perhaps he was laying the groundwork for some reasonable position for the Cui family's possible future actions?"

Lin Zhen's expression turned serious: "You mean... the Cui family might harbor ulterior motives? They're just better at hiding them than the Kong family, and their methods are more sophisticated?"

"They may not rebel immediately." Murong Yan shook her head, her eyes cold.

"But perhaps they are not content to be merely subjects. With the fall of the Kong family, the Cui family seems to have become the leaders of the literati? They may want to expand their influence in a more moderate and covert way, or even... subtly restrain imperial power. For example, by advocating the idea of ​​a figurehead emperor and co-governing the country with the scholar-officials. Today's words may be a cautious test to see my reaction."

As she spoke, she stood up, her long, dark gold train gliding across the ground. She walked to the window, gazing at the shimmering waters of Taiye Pond, her voice carrying a hint of coldness:

"It seems that in this court, the open enemy is the northern desert, while the hidden enemy... may have only just begun to show its face. The Kong family is a raging fire, while the Cui family... may be a slow poison."

Lin Zhen walked behind her, gently placed his hands on her shoulders, and said firmly:

"Whether it's fierce fire or slow-acting poison, with me here, I will never let them harm you in the slightest. If the Cui family behaves themselves, fine, but if they dare to make the slightest move, I will make sure they suffer a fate even worse than the Kong family!"

Murong Yan felt the strength and determination in his palm, and her heart warmed. She leaned back slightly against his firm chest and whispered:

“With my husband here, I am naturally not afraid. However… it is easy to dodge a spear in the open, but difficult to guard against an arrow in the dark. The Cui family is deeply rooted, with disciples and old friends all over the court and the country. We need to be more careful in dealing with them and cannot be as ruthless as we were with the Kong family. Otherwise, it will easily cause turmoil in the scholar community, which will be detrimental to the war in the northern frontier.”

"I understand," Lin Zhen said softly, putting his arm around her waist.

"I will have Night Owl intensify his surveillance of the Cui family and their related forces, especially their interactions with academies and upright officials across the country. At the same time, I will also keep an eye on who in the court is close to the Cui family and what matters might be influenced by them. We must know ourselves and our enemy in order to deal with them calmly."

"Mmm." Murong Yan responded softly, resting her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes, and enjoying this moment of peace and comfort.