On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

Seeing Zhang Li's anxious expression, Lin Zhen waved his hand with a look of certainty on his face and said, "No need. I know who spread the rumor."

"who is it?"

"Your Majesty's maid, Huanhuan."

"Hanhuan?" Zhang Li propped her chin up with one hand. Her slender, white fingers, as smooth as mutton-fat jade, rested gently on her rosy cheek, her knuckles slightly bent, like a magnolia bud about to bloom. After a moment, she said, "Why would she do this?"

"Because of revenge. His Majesty hurt the Gu family and also hurt Gu Beichen. And Huanhuan is a woman who loves Gu Beichen to the core, so it is reasonable for her to avenge Gu Beichen and expose His Majesty's identity."

There was one most important thing Lin Zhen didn’t say.

That is, only those few people can confirm Murong Yan's gender, and no one except Huanhuan will tell it to others.

Zhang Li asked again, "Then what should we do? We can't just ignore public opinion, right?"

Lin Zhen stood up, paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, the heels of his boots tapping the ground, making a rhythmic sound.

Soon, he stopped, a shrewd look flashing in his eyes, and he said loudly: "I plan to go to the Ministry of Industry tomorrow and find a movable type printing machine, so that I can launch a newspaper."

When these words were spoken, everyone in the room was shocked.

Yue Wu and Qing Wen exchanged a look of confusion. Finally, Qing Wen couldn't help but speak first: "Husband, what's this newfangled thing called movable type printing? And you mentioned newspapers? We've never heard of them. What exactly are they?"

Yue Wu also nodded slightly, full of curiosity.

Lin Zhen smiled slightly and patiently explained, "Movable type printing is a craft. Traditional stereotype printing required carving a whole block of wood for each book, which was time-consuming and labor-intensive. If there were any typos, correcting them was incredibly troublesome. Movable type printing is different. Individual characters are made into small movable type, which are then combined as needed during typesetting. After printing, they can be disassembled and reused. This way, whether printing books, documents, or our upcoming newspaper, efficiency is greatly improved and costs are reduced."

Having said that, Lin Zhen walked to the window and gently pushed it open. The night wind blew in, ruffling his hair, as if blowing away some of the heavy atmosphere in the room.

He pointed out the window and continued.

"As for newspapers, they're like a public news box, published regularly. They cover important court events, letting the people know about government decrees and official appointments and dismissals; they also report on daily life, such as price fluctuations at local markets and what's happening in the countryside; they even include masterpieces by scholars and anecdotes from various regions. In short, these newspapers allow people to stay informed about world affairs without leaving their homes."

Zhang Li nodded thoughtfully. Her discerning mind had already begun to consider the pros and cons of the situation. She said softly, "My husband is right. But how should we prepare the content of this newspaper?"

"Of course, we need to open a newspaper. This newspaper will be like a gathering place for information. We will first recruit talented scholars to write, and then have them go into the streets and the court to collect news materials. Whether it's price fluctuations affecting people's livelihoods or the political disputes among ministers in the court, we must record them truthfully. At the same time, we will appoint our own people to supervise and ensure that the content published is beneficial to the current situation. In this way, the newspaper can become a trusted source of information for the people and truly play its role."

Zhang Li raised the corner of her mouth slightly, "That's great! Once this newspaper comes out, those rumors will surely be refuted."

Lin Zhen slowly shook his head, his expression solemn, and sighed softly, "No, now that the rumor that Your Majesty is a woman has spread everywhere, the situation has gotten out of control, and it is almost impossible to salvage it. In this case, why not take this opportunity to make it public directly."

The four girls looked at each other and saw shock and worry in each other's eyes. The atmosphere in the room became solemn again.

Zhang Li was the first to break the silence. She frowned slightly, her eyes full of worry, and asked softly: "Husband, what if the ministers object? After all, this concerns the foundation of the country. What if it causes turmoil in the court..." Before she finished speaking, her voice was already trembling slightly, obviously she had thought of all kinds of terrible consequences.

"As long as I'm here, no one will object." Lin Zhen stood tall with his hands behind his back, exuding an unquestionable aura.

......

The candlelight in the council hall flickered, and the light and shadows swayed on the walls, as if a group of demons were dancing wildly, making the atmosphere particularly depressing.

Murong Yan was wearing a dragon robe and sitting on the dragon throne. Her face was gloomy. When she learned that her identity as a woman had been exposed by Huanhuan, she was furious. Her jade hands were tightly gripping the armrests of the dragon throne, and her knuckles turned white.

"What did you say? They doubt my gender? This is outrageous! Come, order the Hundred Cavalry Division to investigate this matter immediately. We'd rather kill the wrong person than let him go!"

The voice echoed in the empty hall, carrying a bone-chilling chill.

Minister of War Liu Kaiwei stepped forward. He was dressed in court robes, his face calm and composed. He bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. Now that the rumors have spread, concealing them will only backfire. I suggest that Your Majesty make the truth public."

"What do you mean? Even you doubt my gender?" Murong Yan stared at him intently. Liu Kaiwei bowed even lower and replied with a stiff upper lip, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince... has already told me."

"You!" Murong Yan was furious. Then she thought of something and her face instantly turned red. "This Lin Zhen! He actually told everything to others without even discussing it with me!"

She thought Lin Zhen had told others about their lovemaking in bed, so she pressed on, "What should we do now?"

"Your Majesty, with the Crown Prince here, it doesn't matter if you admit to being a woman. The Crown Prince holds great power and prestige. He can both stabilize the court and appease the people. Your Majesty might as well come to court tomorrow as a woman and openly admit your identity. This will only demonstrate your openness and courage."

Liu Kaiwei's voice was neither fast nor slow, but every word seemed to strike at Murong Yan's heart.

He was right. With Lin Zhen around, no one could make any waves.

He is my strongest support.

Thinking of this, Murong Yan couldn't help but be glad for the decision she made in Fengxian Pavilion that day.

It seems that it is time to tell the world my true identity.

For some reason, Murong Yan actually let out a long sigh, feeling a sense of relief and liberation.

"Well, whatever, Liu Aiqing, please go back first."

"The minister obeys the order."

Liu Kaiwei walked out, and it was already late at night.

Murong Yan called out to Musk Moon loudly.

"Mu Yue!"

"The servant is here."

"Take out all those bras and burn them. Never wear them again. Immediately order the eunuchs to embroider a new dragon robe for women. It must be beautiful and gorgeous!"

"Yes, slave, go now!"