On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

He opened the file,

"These are the petitions for relief from various counties and prefectures, piled high! Yet the treasury is utterly empty! Most of the wealth amassed by the Northern Yan royal court over the years was plundered by its own soldiers during the siege, or carried off by the royal family's cronies! The grain in the treasury is barely enough to sustain the Yanjing garrison for a month! There's even less money left! There's nothing left to provide relief to the victims! Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice, Master!"

"Hmph!" Lin Zhen slammed the table! The immense force caused the pen holder on the table to jump, and ink splattered!

"What a wasteland! What a heartless person! Is this the kingdom that tens of thousands of our soldiers fought bloody battles for, buried their bones in a foreign land? Is this the gift those chiefs gave to me?! Is this the rich legacy that the Northern Yan royal court left to me?!"

His voice was like suppressed thunder, echoing in the empty hall!

A cold and violent rage erupted from him like a substance! The temperature in the hall seemed to drop several degrees in an instant!

The atmosphere in the hall instantly dropped to freezing point!

Xiao Hanzhou stood solemnly with his hands hanging down, his face serious, not daring to breathe.

Cheng Xuan's pretty face was filled with fear, and her hand subconsciously pressed on the hilt of the dagger at her waist, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

In the shadows, Mao Mengji stood silently like a ghost, his skinny fingers gently stroking the cold hilt of the knife, his eyes flashing with a bloodthirsty and excited light, as if he was a jackal that smelled blood.

"Pass the order!" Lin Zhen's voice was like the clanging of metal, breaking the silence with an unquestionable determination!

"First, immediately, in the name of this Crown Prince, issue the 'Northern Yan Peaceful Notice'! Post notices in every city and town, reaffirming the laws of the Great Qian Empire and announcing a one-year tax exemption for all of Northern Yan! Open the Yanjing treasury and distribute grain as relief to the victims! At the same time, use work-for-relief to recruit able-bodied refugees to repair official roads, city walls, and water conservancy ditches! Workers must be paid daily, with no delays! Anyone who dares to withhold relief grain, exploit the people, or extort wages..."

Lin Zhen's eyes flashed with cold light as he spoke word for word, "...regardless of official rank or background, I will kill you! Without mercy!"

"Second, send a letter to Hu County by carrier pigeon! Order Chu Xiling's disciples to lead the exploration team, bring their equipment, and head north at full speed! Immediately survey the mineral deposits around Yanjing! Select a mining site and prepare to build a government-run mine! Hu County will allocate the necessary craftsmen and core equipment day and night, regardless of cost! Within three months, I want to see the first batch of Northern Yan iron produced!"

"Three, make Mao Mengji!"

"I'm here!" Mao Mengji stepped out of the shadows, like a poisonous snake out of a hole, his voice hoarse and excited.

"Pull out the most elite soldiers of the Jinwu Guard and recruit brave warriors from the north to form the Jingbian Camp! You'll be given half a month to wipe out the bandits in Black Wind Ridge and Broken Soul Valley! I don't want prisoners, only the heads of the bandit leaders! Bring them to me! If anyone is colluding with local tyrants or tribal chiefs..."

Lin Zhen's gaze was like an icy blade, slashing across Mao Mengji's face. "...No matter who is involved, we will eliminate them all! No one will be spared! Use their blood to set a standard for the evil spirits of Northern Yan!"

"I obey your command!" Mao Mengji's eyes were blazing with ferocity, and the corners of his mouth curled up in a cruel and pleased arc. He bowed and accepted the order, like a beast about to pounce on its prey!

"Fourth, order Xiao Hanzhou!"

"Disciple is here!" Xiao Hanzhou was cheered up.

"Draft a stern and proclamation to the chieftains of all Northern Yan tribes! Helian Tieshu, Wulianghetai... every chieftain worth a name, without exception, must come to the Yanjing headquarters within ten days to meet this prince! Submit the actual number of your tribe's population, land, pastures, and weapons and armor! Wait for the court to make arrangements! Those who fail to arrive within the deadline, or who make false reports..."

Lin Zhen's voice suddenly turned cold, like a cold wind from the Netherworld, instantly freezing the entire hall.

"...consider it treason! This prince will personally lead the army to crush their tribe, exterminate their entire clan, burn their pastures, and annihilate their descendants, destroying them all! Don't say I didn't warn you!"

Orders were issued one after another, like thunder!

With the iron will and thunderous means to crush all obstacles!

The spirits of everyone in the hall suddenly lifted, the oppressive atmosphere was instantly broken, and a solemn and high-spirited fighting spirit spread!

There was a gleam of excitement in Chengxuan's eyes. Xiao Hanzhou took a deep breath and picked up his pen to write quickly.

Mao Mengji licked his cracked lips, his eyes burning with bloodthirsty desire.

However, just as the solemn order had barely faded!

"Report--!!" A shrill and hoarse cry, accompanied by heavy and staggering footsteps, came from outside the hall!

A Jinwu Guard scout, covered in blood, with his armor torn to pieces and almost looking like a bloody man, stumbled into the hall as if he had been fished out of a pool of blood!

His left arm hung limply, with a knife wound deep enough to see the bone running from his shoulder to his elbow. The skin and flesh were rolled up, and blood was still oozing out!

His right leg was limping, obviously he was seriously injured!

He fell to his knees with a thud, his bloody forehead banging heavily on the cold bluestone slab. His voice was hoarse, filled with endless grief, despair, and urgent sobbing:

"Your Highness! This is terrible! The squad that was sent to Blackstone Fort by order of General Mao... was ambushed by a large group of horse bandits in Wild Wolf Valley! They... they had hundreds of cavalry! They were well-equipped and well-trained! They were no ordinary bandits! Brothers... brothers fought to the death... but... we were outnumbered... our entire army... was completely annihilated!!"

The scout's voice was choked with sobs, his eyes were bloodshot, and tears of blood mixed with sweat flowed down his face.

"Only my subordinates fought their way out at the risk of their lives... broke through the siege and returned to report the news! The horse bandits... the horse bandits are extremely rampant! They actually... actually cut off the head of the messenger Captain Zhang and hung it on the gate of Black Stone Fort! They threatened... threatened..."

He suddenly raised his head, staring at Lin Zhen with bloodshot eyes, and roared with all his strength: "... He threatened to take your head within three days... and hang it on the gate of Yanjing City as a sacrifice!!!"

"What?!" Everyone in the hall changed color in anger!

Cheng Xuan drew out her dagger with a clang, pointing the tip of the sword straight out of the hall, her pretty face flushed with anger!

The murderous intent in Mao Mengji's eyes was like a volcano erupting. His skinny hands instantly gripped the hilt of the knife, and his joints cracked!

Xiao Hanzhou's face turned pale, and the pen in his hand fell onto the table with a "click"!

Lin Zhen turned around suddenly!

The black cloak drew an arc as sharp as a knife behind him!

His eyes instantly flashed with a murderous intent that was as solid as a substance and could freeze the soul!

The murderous intent was like ten thousand year old black ice, instantly freezing all the air in the hall!

Like a peerless weapon unsheathed, its sharp edge pierced the sky! The entire hall seemed to be enveloped by an invisible storm!

He slowly walked up to the scout who was dying but holding on and refused to fall, and looked down at him.

The voice was low, yet it reverberated like thunder in the deadly silent hall, carrying a soul-shaking, almost terrifying calmness:

"Take this prince's head... and hang it on the city gate... as a sacrifice?"

The corners of his mouth slowly curled up into an arc that was extremely cold and without a trace of warmth. That smile seemed to come from the abyss of the underworld, filled with murderous intent that was enough to burn everything!

"Good! Very good! Helian Tieshu... Black Water Tribe... This prince was just worried about not being able to find an animal to sacrifice to the flag!"

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes like lightning, sweeping over the murderous crowd in the hall. His voice suddenly rose, like thunder from the sky, shaking the dust off the beams:

"Mao Mengji!"

"I am here!" Mao Mengji took a step forward, like a ferocious beast out of a cage, his voice hoarse and excited!

"Inspect the troops! Prepare the horses! Send orders to the three armies! Put on your armor! Draw your weapons! Assemble and stand by!"

"Yes!" Mao Mengji responded loudly, turned around and rushed out of the hall with big strides, bringing up a gust of fishy wind!

"Cheng Xuan!"

"I'm here!" Cheng Xuan straightened her back, with a fighting spirit in her eyes!

"Take my token! Quickly mobilize the Flintlock Battalion! Bring all firearms and ammunition! Assemble on the parade grounds within one hour!"

"Yes!" Cheng Xuan took the token and rushed out of the palace like an orange lightning!

Lin Zhen's gaze finally fell on Xiao Hanzhou: "Hanzhou! You will be in charge of the headquarters for the time being! Calm the people in the city! Prepare to receive battle reports!"

"Disciple obeys your command!" Xiao Hanzhou took a deep breath, suppressed the turbulent waves in his heart, and responded in a deep voice.

Lin Zhen said no more, suddenly grabbed the golden dragon sword on the table that represented his identity, and strode out of the hall!

The black cloak fluttered behind him!

His voice, like a judgment from the underworld, carried an iron-blooded will to crush everything and cleanse the universe. It resounded in the empty hall, amidst the howling cold wind, heralding the arrival of a bloody storm.

"At dawn tomorrow! The troops will march towards Blackstone Castle!"

"This prince will personally take Helian Tieshu's head! Use the blood of the Black Water Tribe to sacrifice for the new policy of Northern Yan!!"