On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

The next morning.

Hundreds of officials knelt in the square outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Zhang Jianzhi held the imperial edict in his hands, stood on the high platform, and read it aloud in a loud voice.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Empress decrees: Prince Cheng, Murong Zhao, a member of the imperial clan, instead of serving his country, harbored rebellious intentions. Last night, he openly caused chaos in the Taihe Hall, attempting to assassinate the emperor and usurp the throne. His crime deserves death, and his entire family, including nine generations, will be exterminated. He is hereby ordered to be arrested immediately, and anyone who sees him will be killed without exception. Anyone who harbors him will be punished as an accomplice. This is the imperial decree!"

After he finished speaking, the square fell silent.

Those officials who had been incited by Prince Cheng last night were now deathly pale, their foreheads dripping with cold sweat.

"deliver an imperial order!"

Zhang Jianzhi put away the imperial edict and glanced at everyone.

"Immediately seal off the nine gates of the capital, and no one shall be allowed to enter or leave without authorization. The Ministry of War shall immediately dispatch personnel to all prefectures and counties to post notices and issue nationwide arrest warrants for the remaining followers of Prince Cheng."

"According to the order!"

All the officials responded in unison.

Lin Zhen stood on the steps of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, looking down at the bustling scene below.

Murong Yan walked to his side. Today, she was still wearing that black and gold phoenix descending to earth dress, with a shawl draped over her shoulders. The five-foot-long continuous train stretched across the steps, shimmering with a faint golden luster in the morning light.

"How far do you think King Cheng can run?"

“He won’t go far.” Lin Zhen turned to look at her. “His connections are all in Beijing. Once he leaves here, he’s nothing.”

Murong Yan nodded, her voice carrying a hint of coldness.

"Then let him know the price of betrayal."

Lin Zhen smiled and reached out to take her hand.

"Don't worry, we won't give him another chance this time."

……

Outside the capital, in a dilapidated inn.

King Cheng sat on the bed, his face terribly gloomy.

His python robe was already tattered, and there were several bloodstains on his face.

"Your Highness, notices are plastered all over the outside." A trusted aide rushed in. "Nationwide wanted notice. Anyone who sees you will be killed without exception."

King Cheng suddenly stood up and kicked the table over.

"Lin Zhen! Murong Yan!"

He gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with resentment.

"Your Highness, what should we do now?" the confidant asked cautiously.

King Cheng took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

"Go and contact those people in the north."

"The North?" The confidant was taken aback.

“Yes, the North.” A ruthless glint flashed in King Cheng’s eyes. “Since Lin Zhen won’t let me live, then I will make sure that the Great Qian Dynasty never has a peaceful day again.”

……

Inside the palace, the imperial study.

Murong Yan sat at her desk, holding a memorial in her hand.

Lin Zhen stood by the window, looking at the scenery outside.

"Is there any news from Yue Fei's side?" Murong Yan asked.

"Just received it." Lin Zhen turned around. "He has mustered his troops and is ready to head north at any time."

Murong Yan put down the memorial and rubbed her temples.

"Li Jing's death makes me very uneasy."

Lin Zhen walked over, stood behind her, and gently placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Don't overthink it. We'll deal with whatever comes our way."

Murong Yan leaned back in her chair and looked up at him.

"Aren't you worried?"

"What's the use of worrying?" Lin Zhen smiled. "What's meant to happen will happen. We should think about how to deal with it."

Murong Yan sighed.

"Sometimes I really envy you; you can stay so calm about anything."

"That's because you're here." Lin Zhen lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead. "As long as you're here, I'm not afraid of anything."

A blush rose on Murong Yan's face, and she reached out and pinched his waist.

"Grumpy."

……

Meanwhile, in the Ministry of Justice prison.

Zhang Jianzhi, accompanied by several officials, entered the innermost cell of the prison.

There were more than a dozen people locked in the cell, all of whom were Cheng Wang's henchmen who were arrested last night.

"Speak, who else does Prince Cheng have in common?" Zhang Jianzhi stood outside the prison door, his voice icy.

The people in the cell kept their heads down and no one spoke.

"Not going to talk?" Zhang Jianzhi sneered. "Guards, bring the torture."

Several jailers entered the cell and dragged a man out.

The man was tied to the rack, and the jailer picked up a branding iron and heated it until it was red-hot over charcoal.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!" The man finally broke down when he saw the branding iron. "Prince Cheng has someone in the Ministry of Revenue, it's Wang Ming, the Vice Minister of Revenue!"

Zhang Jianzhi's eyes sharpened.

"Who else?"

"And there's Li Wen, the Minister of Rites, and Zhao Gang, the Vice Minister of War..."

The man rattled off more than a dozen names in one breath.

After listening, Zhang Jianzhi turned and left.

"Arrest all of these people; don't let a single one escape."

The news quickly reached the Imperial Study.

Murong Yan's expression grew increasingly grim as she looked at the list.

"so many people?"

Lin Zhen took the list and glanced at it.

"Not many, there are always some opportunists in the court."

Murong Yan stood up and walked to the window.

"I never expected that Prince Cheng could win over so many people."

“He’s a hereditary prince, he has resources,” Lin Zhen said. “These people follow him simply because they want a share of the pie.”

Murong Yan turned to look at him.

"Now what?"

"Arrest them all." Lin Zhen's voice was calm. "Leave no one alive."

Murong Yan nodded.

"Issue the decree to immediately arrest everyone on the list, confiscate their property, and exterminate their entire clan."

……

That afternoon, a storm swept through the capital.

Hundreds of imperial guards stormed into the officials' residences and arrested them all.

The streets were filled with cries and screams, and countless family members were dragged out of the mansion.

The people stood on the street, watching this scene, feeling both fear and exhilaration.

"Serves him right!" someone whispered. "He brought this upon himself by following King Cheng in rebellion."

"That's right, Her Majesty the Empress is wise, these traitors deserve to die."

Discussions arose one after another.

Inside the palace, Murong Yan stood on the steps of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, looking down at the officials kneeling in a row.

She wasn't wearing a wedding robe today, but only that black and gold phoenix-embroidered gown. The five-foot-long train stretched casually across the steps, and the golden phoenixes on the hem shimmered in the sunlight.

"Gentlemen," she began, her voice not loud, but clear enough for everyone to hear, "today's events are a warning from me. Anyone who dares to harbor disloyal thoughts again will suffer the same fate."

The audience was silent.

Murong Yan's gaze swept over the crowd.

"I know that some people think I am a woman and not worthy of sitting in this position. But I want to tell you that whether I can sit firmly or not is not up to you to decide."

She paused, her voice turning colder.

"My empire was built by my own efforts. Anyone who tries to take it will have to pay with their life."

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone lowered their heads.

Lin Zhen stood inside the hall, looking at the woman on the steps, a smile playing on his lips.

This is the Murong Yan he knows.

Domineering, decisive, and leaving no room for doubt.

……

Night falls.

Murong Yan returned to her bedchamber and collapsed onto the couch.

Lin Zhen walked over and sat down beside the phoenix couch.

"tired?"

"Hmm." Murong Yan closed her eyes, her voice tinged with weariness. "I killed too many people today, and I feel a little uneasy."

Lin Zhen reached out and gently stroked her hair.

"Those who deserve to die must be killed. Being soft-hearted will only lead to more deaths."

Murong Yan opened her eyes and looked at him.

"I know, I'm just a little tired."

Lin Zhen smiled and leaned down to give her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

"Then get some rest. There's a lot to do tomorrow."

Murong Yan reached out and grabbed his sleeve.

"Talk to me."

"it is good."

The two sat quietly, the moonlight outside the window like water, spilling onto the black and gold phoenix descending to earth dress, giving it a faint luster.