On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

Murong Yan raised her hand and gently supported the mother and son who were about to kneel down.

She walked slowly into the simple courtyard, her dark gold train trailing behind her, gliding silently across the ground without picking up a speck of dust.

She looked at the mother and son, who were in shock and fear, and a gentle light appeared in her phoenix eyes.

"You are Zhao Tieniu's wife?"

Her voice was soft, like a clear mountain spring, instantly soothing the anxiety and fear that Wang Xiue felt due to nervousness.

"Yes... Your Majesty, it is indeed so." Wang Xiu'e looked at the Empress, who was so majestic and approachable at this moment, and her awe deepened.

"I have come to take him home."

As Murong Yan spoke, she took the wooden plaque, which was wrapped tightly in yellow cloth, from the hands of the guard behind her.

She slowly handed the wooden plaque to Wang Xiue.

The moment Wang Xiu'e saw that wooden sign.

She deflated like a punctured balloon, her body swaying violently as she nearly fell to the ground.

Fortunately, Lin Zhen, who was standing nearby, stepped forward in time to support her.

"The head of the family..."

Looking at the wooden plaque engraved with Zhao Tieniu's name, Wang Xiue's swollen eyes welled up with tears once again.

She reached out her hands, roughened by years of labor, and tremblingly accepted the wooden plaque that felt heavier than the whole world to her.

She held the wooden sign tightly in her arms, as if she were embracing her husband whom she had not seen for half a year.

"Honey, how could you just leave like this...? Didn't you say you'd come and live a good life with me and Tiger after the war? You liar... you, you untrustworthy, big liar..."

As she cried, she gently pounded the wooden sign with her fist, as if blaming her husband for breaking his promise.

"Wow--!"

The little boy named Tiger, seeing his mother crying so sadly, also burst into tears, "Mom, don't cry... Dad, does he not want us anymore?"

The innocent child's voice was like a sharp knife piercing everyone's heart.

Murong Yan looked at the tragic scene of life and death before her, and tears welled up in her beautiful phoenix eyes. She turned away, unable to bear to look any longer.

Lin Zhen walked to her side, gently pulled her into his arms, and silently comforted her.

After a long while, Wang Xiue's crying gradually stopped. She raised her head, her eyes, already blurred with tears, looked at Murong Yan, and said in a hoarse voice, "Your Majesty, I'm sorry to have made you laugh."

"It is I who should apologize." Murong Yan shook her head, breaking free from Lin Zhen's embrace and regaining the aloofness and majesty befitting an empress.

"Zhao Tieniu sacrificed his life for the country; he is a hero of the Great Qian Dynasty."

She turned her head and looked at the magistrate of Qinghe County behind her, who was terrified and pale.

"Preach my will."

Her voice was devoid of any emotion.

"Zhao Tieniu was posthumously awarded the title of 'Loyal and Martial Colonel' and enshrined in the Martyrs' Shrine of Qinghe County, where he is worshipped by the people."

His wife, Wang Xiu'e, was granted the title of "Third-Rank Lady". His son, Zhao Hu, was to be allowed to study at the Imperial Academy when he turned sixteen, with all his tuition and fees covered by the court.

"In addition, I will bestow upon you a mansion, a hundred acres of fertile land, five hundred taels of gold, and fifty bolts of brocade."

These words stunned everyone present, especially Li Mao, the magistrate of Qinghe County.

He never dreamed that his humble Qing dynasty would produce a third-rank imperial consort.

This is a momentous event that will bring glory to the ancestors and the emperor!

"This humble subject...this humble subject kowtows to thank Your Majesty for Your divine grace!"

After realizing what was happening, Wang Xiue quickly pulled her son and was about to kneel down and kowtow to Murong Yan.

"Get up."

Murong Yan raised her hand, signaling them to rise.

She walked up to the little boy, who was still in a daze, knelt down, and gently wiped away the tears on his face with her spotless hands.

"Tiger, is that right?"

Her voice was very gentle.

"Mmm." The little boy looked at the older sister in front of him, who looked like a fairy, and nodded shyly.

"Remember, your father is a hero."

Murong Yan looked at him, her beautiful phoenix eyes filled with expectation and...encouragement.

"When you grow up, you must be like him, a true man, understand?"

"Yes! I understand!" The little boy nodded emphatically, his clear eyes shining with determination.

"When I grow up, I'm going to be a great general, even more powerful than my dad! To protect the fairy sister!"

The child's innocent voice made everyone present laugh.

Even Murong Yan, whose face was as cool and elegant as the moon, had a captivating smile on it.

She stood up, took one last look at the mother and child who were still immersed in grief, and then turned and walked out of the courtyard.

They've done all they can; the rest is up to them.

After leaving Qinghe County, the convoy continued south.

In the following days, Murong Yan and Lin Zhen visited more than ten families of fallen soldiers.

These families included impoverished farmers who had farmed for generations, ordinary merchants who ran small businesses in the city, and wealthy gentry and landlords.

Without exception, when they received the wooden plaques engraved with the names of their loved ones from Murong Yan, they all burst into heart-wrenching wails.

The grief of parents burying their children, the despair of wives losing their husbands, the bewilderment of children losing their fathers...

One tragic scene after another, involving life and death, unfolded before Murong Yan's eyes.

Each time, it was like a sharp knife, stabbing deeply into her heart.

She began to become increasingly silent.

Often, she would sit quietly alone in the carriage, watching the scenery rushing past the window, without saying a word.

The jet-black phoenix-adorned dress, embodying the ultimate in darkness, appeared all the more profound and somber in this oppressive atmosphere.

The five-zhang-long, dark gold train trailed across the carriage floor, resembling a frozen ocean of sorrow.

The giant phoenix on the hem of the skirt, always radiating divine light, seemed to sense its owner's sorrow, its phoenix eyes slightly closed, its brilliance restrained.

Lin Zhen knew that she was feeling bad.

He didn't offer those pale and powerless words of comfort.

He simply stayed quietly by her side, holding her cold little hand in his own palm, using his body heat to warm her heart, which had become cold because of sadness.

On this day, they arrived at a bustling prefecture called "Yunzhou".

This is the hometown of Chen Jingzhi, the highest-ranking officer among the fallen soldiers.

Chen Jingzhi's mansion is located in the center of Yunzhou City. It is a large courtyard house with five courtyards and five entrances.

The vermilion gate and the towering stone lions all testify to the owner's extraordinary status.

When Lin Zhen and Murong Yan's convoy arrived at the gate of the Chen residence.

The head of the Chen family, Chen Jingzhi's father, was a sprightly old man in his sixties, who led his entire family in a line at the door to wait.

"This humble citizen, Chen Yuanshan, along with his entire family, respectfully welcomes Your Majesty and Your Highness."