On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

Qin State Posthouse, inside the warm room.

The charcoal brazier dispels the chill of late winter, and the air is filled with a faint pine fragrance.

Lin Zhen, dressed in dark casual attire, sat upright in a rosewood armchair, fiddling with a soft, mutton-fat jade pendant, his gaze as tranquil as water. Huanbi stood beside him, her aquamarine jacket and skirt accentuating her delicate elegance, like a quiet shadow.

Prime Minister Qin Xiang sat opposite, with a barely perceptible trace of fatigue and relief on his old face.

"Your Highness Lin," Qin Xiang said in a low, solemn voice, "His Majesty has approved the proposal of surrender."

Lin Zhen's eyes flickered slightly, and the jade pendant on his fingertips paused: "Good."

"Yes," Qin Xiang changed the subject, "Your Majesty has an additional condition."

"Oh?" Lin Zhen raised his eyebrows.

"Your Majesty wishes to marry Princess Yuhua to Your Highness as Consort Ping," Qin Xiang said, "to strengthen the alliance between Qin and Jin."

The warm room fell silent for a moment, but the crackling of the charcoal brazier could be clearly heard.

Huanbi lowered her eyes, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and then she regained her composure.

Lin Zhen's expression remained unchanged, but a barely perceptible ripple flashed across his deep eyes.

"Princess Yuhua," Lin Zhen said slowly, "is the apple of His Majesty Yingji's eye."

"That's right." Qin Xiang nodded. "The princess is only 28 years old, virtuous, beautiful, and talented, earning her great favor from Your Majesty. This is Your Majesty's way of showing sincerity and ensuring the safety of the Ying family in Qin."

Lin Zhen was silent for a moment. Marriage through marriage has been a practice since ancient times.

The princess is the bond that maintains the relationship between the two countries. It seems warm and affectionate, but in fact it contains hidden strategies.

Ying Ji's move was both a gesture of goodwill and a test, and it also served as an insurance for the Ying family's future.

"Princess, are you willing?" Lin Zhen asked.

"The princess understands the righteousness and has agreed." Qin Xiang said.

"Okay." Lin Zhen nodded, his voice steady, "I agree."

Qin Xiang's eyes flashed with a glimmer of relief: "Your Highness is wise. This will bring happiness to the people and Qin Qian will always be friends with him."

"Yes," Lin Zhen changed the subject, "submission is a matter of state. The monarchs of both countries need to personally sign a letter of credence to announce it to the world."

"Of course," Qin Xiang said, "Your Majesty has approved the establishment of an altar at Hangu Pass, the border between our two countries, to swear an oath."

"Good," Lin Zhen said. "Please ask Prime Minister Qin and this palace's deputy envoy to discuss the specific matters."

"Yes, sir." Qin Xiang bowed.

To celebrate the initial peace agreement, Qin Emperor Yingji held a banquet in the palace.

Qin Imperial Palace, Linde Hall.

The night was falling in deep winter, but the lights in the hall were bright as day.

Huge golden pillars with coiled dragons support the towering dome, and the walls are painted with ancient murals depicting the heroic scenes of the Qin ancestors expanding the territory.

The air was filled with the rich scent of sandalwood, alcohol, and a slightly decadent majesty that belonged to an ancient dynasty.

Qin Emperor Yingji sat high on the throne, his dark dragon robe gleaming coldly in the candlelight. His aged face held a trace of imperial majesty that he deliberately maintained, but his brows could hardly conceal his fatigue and loneliness.

Your Highness, all the civil and military officials were dressed in court robes and stood solemnly, creating a solemn atmosphere.

Lin Zhen sat in the first seat of VIPs. His dark dragon-patterned uniform made him look as tall and straight as a pine tree. His deep eyes were calm and peaceful, like a deep pool or an ancient well, scanning everything in the hall.

Huanbi, dressed in a simple and elegant aqua-green palace dress, stood quietly behind him, like a silent shadow.

The melodious sound of stringed instruments rose, and the palace banquet officially began.

Palace maids in colorful clothes shuttled around, serving delicacies and fine wines.

Ying Ji raised his glass, his voice low and hoarse: "Your Highness Lin has come a long way to facilitate the Qin-Qian peace agreement, and your contribution will be remembered for generations to come. I offer a toast to Your Highness."

"Your Majesty, you are welcome." Lin Zhen raised his glass in response, his voice steady.

After three rounds of drinks, the atmosphere became slightly relaxed, but an invisible sense of oppression still permeated the hall.

Ying Ji put down the wine jar, glanced around the hall, and said slowly: "To celebrate the initial conclusion of the peace agreement, I have specially ordered my daughter Yuhua to perform a dance to liven up the atmosphere."

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall instantly became quiet.

All eyes, whether curious, inquiring, or complex, were all cast towards the heavy gilded palace door.

The sound of stringed instruments quietly changed, from the solemn and magnificent sound just now to an ethereal, distant melody with a hint of mysterious exotic style, like the cold Buddhist sound floating down from the top of the snow-capped mountains, flowing slowly in the hall.

The palace door was slowly pushed open by two eunuchs in silent silence.

A figure, illuminated by countless palace lanterns, slowly walked in like a dark stream of light breaking through the night.

Princess Yuhua.

Her appearance instantly took everyone's breath away.

The hall was brightly lit, but at this moment, it seemed as if all the lights dimmed, just to highlight her presence.

She was wearing a long black dress with gold patterns.

The dark black was not just any ordinary ink color, but was like the sky at the deepest midnight, so deep that it seemed to absorb all light.

The skirt is embroidered with an intricate and ancient totem using extremely fine gold thread - a fire phoenix with its wings spread out, ready to fly.

Each feather is clearly visible, and under the dancing candlelight, it shines with a molten gold luster, as if it will break free from the shackles of cloth and soar into the sky at any time.

Her skirt was wide, and as she walked, it dragged silent ripples on the smooth golden brick floor. The golden phoenix appeared and disappeared in the flow, mysterious and noble.

Her black hair was like the finest black satin. It was not tied into a complicated bun, but loosely tied into a stunning bun. A few strands of hair hung down on her cheeks, adding a bit of laziness and unruliness.

A red gold and kingfisher-embellished phoenix hairpin was pinned diagonally on top of her bun.

The phoenix had a lively shape, its wings slightly spread, and a pigeon-blood ruby ​​in its mouth. As she walked, the ruby ​​swayed gently, reflecting an enchanting and dazzling light.

However, the most breathtaking and eye-catching thing is the half mask she wears on her face.

The mask is made of red gold and is shaped like a lifelike fire phoenix with its wings spread out, ready to fly.

It cleverly covered her right eye and half of her cheek. The phoenix held its head high, its wings spread wide, its feathers inlaid with rubies as fine as sand, and its edges outlined with fire-marked agate, gleaming with a scorching and dangerous light under the candlelight.

The edge of the mask fit the contour of her left cheek, extending to her temples and blending into her black hair.

This mask, like a mysterious seal, covers half of her face, but reveals the other half to the world without reservation.

The skin on her left cheek, which was not covered by the mask, was whiter than snow and as delicate as the finest mutton-fat jade. Against the backdrop of the dark black dress, it exuded a breathtakingly cold luster.

Beneath a smooth, full forehead, a nose as straight and slender as jade, its lines graceful and clean. Her lips, untouched by the mask, were like newly opened rose petals, plump, moist, and tinged with a natural blush. Now, slightly pursed, they exude a cold and distant air that reeks of aloofness.

She has a tall and slender figure, and the dark black dress perfectly outlines her curvy figure.

With narrow shoulders, a thin waist, plump breasts and long legs, her proportions are astonishing, like a work of art carefully crafted by the Creator.

It is a kind of beauty full of power and temptation, like a mandala quietly blooming in the dark night, mysterious, charming, and with fatal attraction, and like a snow lotus standing proudly on the snowy plateau, solitary, cold and inviolable.