On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

The next day, Lin Zhen indeed kept his word.

He actually turned away all the ministers who came to see him outside Qifeng Pavilion, with only one reason: His Majesty was unwell and needed to rest, so all government affairs were to be handled by the cabinet.

He himself stayed by Murong Yan's side every step of the way.

Murong Yan slept exceptionally soundly. When she woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.

She opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was Lin Zhen's handsome face magnified in her vision. He was lying on his side beside her, propping his head up with one hand, staring at her intently, his eyes full of gentle smiles.

"Awake? Did you sleep well?"

"Hmm..." Murong Yan stretched lazily, feeling all the fatigue of the past few months disappear.

Just then, a young palace maid quietly entered, carrying a bowl of steaming lotus seed soup.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, the lotus seed soup is ready."

Lin Zhen took the lotus seed soup, waved for the palace maid to leave, and then personally fed it to Murong Yan spoonful by spoonful.

"Try it and see if it's the taste you like. I specifically instructed the imperial kitchen to add more rock sugar."

Murong Yan opened her mouth and took a bite.

The sweet and sticky lotus seeds melt in your mouth, and the warmth flows from your stomach all the way to your heart.

"Delicious." She squinted her eyes contentedly, like a cat that had just been fed.

Just at this tender moment, a servant outside the palace suddenly spoke in a low but still urgent voice.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness! Prime Minister Du has an extremely urgent matter to discuss!"

"Extremely urgent?"

Lin Zhen frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes.

He gave a firm order yesterday that no one should disturb him.

Du Ruhui, as the Grand Secretary, was most aware of the importance of matters. He would never use the phrase "extremely urgent" at this time unless it was a matter of utmost importance.

Could it be that the epidemic in Jiangnan has taken another unexpected turn?

Murong Yan sat up straight, the languid look on her face instantly disappearing, replaced by the majesty of an emperor.

"Let him in," she said in a low voice.

Lin Zhen looked at her with a pang of sympathy, knowing that this rare moment of peace was about to be interrupted again.

He put the lotus seed soup in his hand aside.

Soon, Du Ruhui, with his white hair and beard, hurriedly entered, led by a palace attendant.

Upon entering the hall and seeing Murong Yan and Lin Zhen unharmed, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at first, but then his face showed an extremely solemn and anxious expression.

"This old minister pays his respects to Your Majesty and Your Highness the Prince!" He immediately performed a full kneeling bow upon entering.

"Prime Minister Du, please rise quickly." Lin Zhen personally stepped forward and helped him up. "What happened? What made you so panicked?"

"Your Majesty, Your Highness..." Du Ruhui stood up, took out a secret report sealed with wax from his wide sleeves, presented it with both hands, his voice trembling slightly, "This is a secret report that 'Night Owl' just sent back from Jiangnan, an extremely urgent report! Please review it, Your Majesty and Your Highness!"

Murong Yan's heart sank.

She recognized the wax pellets; they were the highest-level intelligence from "Night Owl," used only when a momentous event, enough to shake the very foundations of the nation, was discovered.

She took the wax pill, crushed the sealing wax, and pulled out a roll of silk as thin as a cicada's wing.

Lin Zhen also came over and watched with her.

With just one glance, their expressions changed drastically at the same time!

The secret report contained few words, but every single one of them was like a thunderclap, exploding in their hearts!

"Kong Zhiqian has appeared in Jiangnan. However, he is not alone. Accompanying him is the former crown prince, Li Xian!"

The former crown prince!

Li Xian!

The reappearance of this name, which had been forgotten by the world for nearly twenty years, has had an even greater impact than Kong Zhiqian's previous spread of the plague!

The Great Qian Dynasty was founded by seizing the empire from the previous Li family.

Although Emperor Taizu used ruthless methods to almost completely exterminate the Li imperial family, he ultimately made a mistake, allowing the five-year-old Crown Prince Li Xian to escape with the desperate protection of some loyal old ministers.

For twenty years, the imperial court never gave up its pursuit of him, but he seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.

Everyone assumed that he had either died on the run or had gone into hiding as an ordinary countryman.

But unexpectedly, he was still alive!

Moreover, at this most critical juncture, he got entangled with Kong Zhiqian, a treacherous and cunning strategist!

"This...how is this possible?!" Murong Yan's voice trembled with disbelief.

She felt a chill run from the soles of her feet straight up to the top of her head.

Kong Zhiqian, under the guise of "purging the emperor's inner circle," could at most mislead some uninformed scholars and ignorant masses. Because his own position was illegitimate and his words lacked legitimacy.

But Li Xian is different!

He was the former crown prince and the only legal heir to the Li family's empire!

If he were to step forward and raise the banner of "restoring the country," the nature of the situation would be completely different!

Those former officials of the previous dynasty who were already dissatisfied with the Great Qian Dynasty, local powerful families, and even the remnants of some purged aristocratic families may very well regroup under his banner!

One Kong Zhiqian has already stirred up unrest among the people of Jiangnan.

Add Li Xian to the mix...

This is tantamount to pouring a bucket of kerosene over a pile of dry firewood!

"Is the news true?" Lin Zhen's voice also became extremely solemn.

He understood better than Murong Yan how terrifying the title of "former crown prince" could be at certain times.

“Your Highness,” Du Ruhui replied, bowing, his face pale, “the commander of ‘Night Owl’ in Jiangnan swears on his life that the news is absolutely true. He personally witnessed Kong Zhiqian and Li Xian appearing together at a secret gathering in Suzhou. Also attending the gathering were the heads of several once-powerful but now fallen aristocratic families from the previous dynasty in Jiangnan.”

"What do they want to do?!" Murong Yan slammed her hand on the edge of the bed, her phoenix eyes flashing with murderous intent. "Do they want to rebel?!"

"I'm afraid... it's not as simple as a rebellion." Du Ruhui's lips trembled slightly as he continued, "According to a secret report, Kong Zhiqian has offered Li Xian a treacherous plan. They... they plan to launch an uprising simultaneously in Jiangnan on the eighth day of next month, taking advantage of your and the Prince's grand wedding celebration, when the whole world is focused on you!"

"A grand wedding celebration?" Lin Zhen and Murong Yan exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.

Following the great victory of the Northern Expedition and Lin Zhen's triumphant return, in order to further consolidate the prestige of the Emperor and Empress and to fulfill their initial promise, the court had already decided to hold a grand royal wedding for the two on the eighth day of next month.

This news has already spread throughout the world.

At that time, the attention of the entire Daqian Dynasty will be focused on Chang'an and on this celebration.

Kong Zhiqian and Li Xian actually chose this time to launch an attack in Jiangnan!

How malicious their intentions were!

This is no longer a simple rebellion; it is clearly an attempt to slap the face of the Great Qian Dynasty, Murong Yan, and Lin Zhen in front of the entire world!

They want to use the flames of war in Jiangnan to "celebrate" this wedding!

"Good...good for Kong Zhiqian! Good for Li Xian!" Murong Yan trembled with anger, her knuckles turning white from clenching her fists. "They're trying to make me, the Prince, and the entire Great Qian Dynasty a laughingstock!"

"Your Majesty, please calm down! Your Highness, please calm down!" Du Ruhui quickly knelt down. "The most urgent matter is not to get angry, but to come up with a solution as soon as possible! There are less than twenty days left until the eighth of next month! If we cannot nip this rebellion in the bud before then, and they actually succeed in their uprising and coordinate with the capital, the world will surely be in chaos!"

A deathly silence fell over Qifeng Pavilion.

Lin Zhen didn't speak. He walked to the window, looked at the bright sunshine outside, and his eyes became as deep as the sea.

He knew that Du Ruhui was right.

This matter is far more troublesome than dealing with the northern deserts.

Dealing with the northern desert is an external threat and a military issue, which can be resolved with swift and decisive action.

Dealing with Li Xian and Kong Zhiqian is an internal problem, a political issue.

Especially in the Jiangnan region, a land of fish and rice with complex social dynamics.

Sending a large army to suppress the rebellion would create too much of a disturbance, which would only confirm the rumors of instability in the Daqian regime, playing right into the enemy's hands. Moreover, once war breaks out, the Jiangnan region will be devastated, and the important tax-producing areas will be destroyed, something the court simply cannot afford.

However, if a large army is not dispatched, the local garrison troops in Jiangnan alone are probably no match for those long-planned rebels.

Going forward is a mistake.

Retreat is also a mistake.

This is a complete and utter dead end!

Kong Zhiqian, this cunning strategist hiding in the shadows, has finally revealed his most deadly fangs.