On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

Yue Wu listened quietly at the side. At the right moment, she picked up a piece of lotus cake, picked it up with silver chopsticks, and carefully placed it on the small plate in front of Lin Zhen: "Husband, try this. I just made it. I don't know if it suits your taste."

She had a gentle smile on her face and her eyes were full of anticipation.

Lin Zhen picked up a piece as he was told and took a light bite.

The pastry broke with a crisp sound, revealing a delicate and sweet red bean paste filling that melts in your mouth. It is sweet but not greasy, with a light lotus fragrance.

"Excellent craftsmanship!" Lin Zhen praised sincerely, "Crispy and sweet, both in form and spirit! Yue Wu's pastries always leave people with an endless aftertaste and soothe the heart."

Yue Wu's smile grew even wider, like a blooming spring flower, filled with contentment and joy: "As long as my husband likes it, I want you to try it too?"

She picked up another piece and gave it to Shangguan Wan'er.

Shangguan Wan'er sipped the food gracefully, nodding in praise. "Crispy yet not crumbly, sweet yet not greasy, shaped like a real flower. Sister Yue Wu's cooking skills are getting better and better."

The three of them ate snacks, drank tea, and chatted about family matters.

Shangguan Wan'er asked about the customs and culture of Hu County, and Lin Zhen picked out some interesting things to tell her, such as the powerful shouts of the port workers, the huge kilns in the cement factory, and the novelties brought by the blond and blue-eyed Western businessmen.

Yue Wu stood by, sometimes agreeing with a few words, sometimes adding tea and water for the two of them, her movements gentle and neat, like a butterfly flying through flowers.

Occasionally, she would interrupt and talk about a newly opened silk shop in the capital, or a new opera performed by a certain opera troupe. Her words were filled with the lively atmosphere of the market, adding a bit of liveliness to the quiet and elegant atmosphere.

The sunlight filtered through the window screens, casting warm shadows on the three people. The aroma of tea, snacks, and lilies intertwined together, creating a warm and harmonious atmosphere, like a meticulously painted fine brushwork painting.

Lin Zhen looked at the gentle and dignified Wan'er in front of him, and an indescribable warmth surged in his heart.

Unlike Liu Miaoyan's fiery love, Wan'er's affection is like a mountain spring, warm and silent, but flowing continuously, nourishing his heart.

She was always so dignified and proper, keeping the palace in order, taking care of his life meticulously, and hiding all her emotions under a calm appearance.

This calmness, tolerance and tenacity are his most solid backing and the harbor he most desires after returning from his wanderings.

"Wan'er," Lin Zhen put down the teacup and said gently, gazing at her intently, "I'll be with you in Qifengxuan today. I'll talk to you, read a book, or watch you embroider."

There was a subtle hint of attachment and compensation in his tone.

Shangguan Wan'er heard this, and a hint of subtle surprise flashed across her eyes, like a star falling into the lake, and then turned into a gentle smile, like spring water just beginning to melt: "My husband can accompany me, I am naturally happy. But..."

She paused and turned her gaze toward the palace outside the window, its majestic outline shining golden in the sunlight.

Her voice was gentle, but it carried a reminder that could not be ignored.

"My husband returned to the capital yesterday, exhausted and dusty, and has yet to enter the palace for an audience. Her Majesty must be thinking of him. She... misses you very much."

She spoke the last four words very softly, but they hit Lin Zhen's heart like a heavy hammer.

Lin Zhen was slightly stunned.

He had indeed not yet entered the palace after returning to Beijing.

The hustle and bustle of Hu County, the warmth of the palace, and Liu Miaoyan's passion almost immersed him in it, temporarily forgetting the ties and responsibilities in the towering palace city.

Lin Zhen pondered for a moment, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes, including surprise, guilt, responsibility, and the indescribable complex feelings for Murong Yan.

Wan'er brought this up at this moment, not only to remind him that the etiquette between the monarch and his subjects cannot be abolished, but perhaps it also carried a subtle hint of bitterness?

After all, she was the almighty empress, an existence he could not ignore.

"Wan'er is right." Lin Zhen took a deep breath and stood up. His dark python robe shone with a majestic luster in the sunlight. "It's time to enter the palace to report to His Majesty on the affairs of Hu County and to report on my work and pay my respects."

He looked at Shangguan Wan'er with a gentle yet firm gaze.

"I'll come back to accompany you when I return from the palace."

Shangguan Wan'er stood up and bowed gracefully, her posture flawless. "My husband, business is more important. I will be waiting for you in Qifeng Pavilion."

She raised her head, her clear eyes filled with complete trust, support, and a subtle sense of relief of being understood.

Yue Wu also quickly stood up and bowed respectfully: "I respectfully send my husband off."

Lin Zhen nodded and looked at Wan'er deeply, a look that contained apology, promise and deep affection.

He turned around and strode out of Qifengxuan.

The sunlight shone on his broad shoulders, reflecting his tall and majestic outline.

He walked towards the gate of the palace, but his heart had already flown to the magnificent palace, which symbolized supreme power but also had complex emotions.

Inside Qifengxuan, Shangguan Wan'er watched him leave and stood in front of the window for a long time.

The sunlight danced on the hem of her white skirt, illuminating her face as calm as water. Only in the depths of her clear eyes did a trace of indescribable complex emotions pass through - there was concern for her husband, awe for the empress, and a deep, faint melancholy that belongs to a woman.

Yue Wu stood beside her, gently holding her arm, silently conveying warmth and comfort.

......

The two heavy vermilion-lacquered doors of the Regent's Palace slowly opened, and the heavy door hinges emitted a low roar, like a giant dragon awakening.

Above the door lintel, the gilded plaque with the words "The Prince Regent's Palace Built by Imperial Order" hung high, shining with a majestic golden light in the midday sun that made people dare not look directly at it.

In the square in front of the gate, two rows of royal guards, wearing dark fish-scale heavy armor, holding eight-foot-long steel spears, and with narrow-bladed swords hanging from their waists, had already stood there solemnly!

These elite warriors who have fought in many battles are all as strong as iron towers, with eyes as sharp as eagles, and they exude a murderous aura that is as tangible as iron!

They were like two rows of silent steel statues, motionless, with only their helmet tassels swaying gently in the breeze, revealing the unparalleled power and achievements of the owner of this mansion - Daqian Regent Lin Zhenxian!

A black gilded carriage, whose size far exceeded that of an ordinary prince's, slowly drove out of the palace gate, pulled by four "Treading Snow Black Horses", which were completely black, majestic, covered with fine steel scale armor, and had red gold forehead protectors embedded on their foreheads.

The car body is made of century-old rosewood and wrapped in thick black fine steel plates. It is engraved with intricate coiled dragon and cloud patterns, and the edges are inlaid with sparkling red gold trim.

Hanging on each of the four corners of the roof is a fist-sized, round "golden bell to ward off evil spirits". As the carriage moves forward, it emits a low and distant humming sound, carrying the majesty of exorcising evil spirits and suppressing evil spirits.

On the shaft of the carriage, the old coachman of the palace, Lin Zhong, sat as steady as a mountain. He was dressed in a dark suit, his gray beard fluttering in the wind, but his eyes were as sharp as lightning, and his hands on the reins were as steady as a rock.

On both sides of the carriage, there were eight royal cavalry guards, each wearing heavy black armor, carrying powerful crossbows on their backs, and long swords with sheaths on their waists. The horses' hooves stepped on the bluestone road, making a uniform "clacking" sound like war drums!

However, in this solemn and majestic guard team, there is a bright color that is particularly eye-catching!