On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

The bloody odor from the West Market execution ground had not yet dissipated, but the sky of the imperial capital was already shrouded in another layer of even heavier haze.

The news that the "Black Water Platform" of Southern Chu funded the former Qin army to assassinate the King of Zhenbei was like a spark thrown into boiling oil, instantly igniting the anger of the entire Daqian court.

The solemn and murderous atmosphere in the Purple Palace had not yet subsided when a letter from the state of Southern Chu, like a provocative slap, slapped the faces of the rulers and ministers of Daqian.

The letter was delivered in an extremely arrogant tone.

In his letter to the state, Chu Batian, the new king of Southern Chu, not only denied that the "Black Water Platform" had funded the assassin, but also falsely accused Daqian of "frame-up" and "deliberate provocation."

Even more outrageous was the fact that the letter ended with a blatant declaration: "I am deeply sorry to hear that your crown prince was frightened by the assassination attempt. However, this is the will of heaven. I hope your country will abide by its responsibilities and refrain from further unjust actions, otherwise it will be too late to repent when the wrath of heaven descends!"

"How dare you!" Murong Yan slammed the letter onto the imperial desk. A frost covered her beautiful face, and anger burned in her phoenix eyes. "Nan Chu has gone too far!"

"Your Majesty, calm down." Minister of War Zhao Wu's gaunt face bore a scar, his eyes blazing with ferocity. "The clowns of Southern Chu are courting their own destruction! Your Majesty, please issue a decree; I am willing to be the vanguard in crushing Nanjing!"

"Minister Zhao, please be patient." Minister of Revenue Zhang Heng said solemnly, "Southern Chu's actions are intended to provoke our country and draw our troops. Then they can wait for us to tire themselves out, or they can collude with other countries and take advantage of our weakness. We must be on guard."

"Minister Zhang's words make sense," said the newly appointed Minister of Personnel, Lu Wenyuan. "However, if we don't respond to the rampant Nanchu, how can we demonstrate our national prestige? How can we deter the scoundrels?"

The ministers in the hall were arguing with each other, advocating war or peace, and the dispute was endless.

Everyone's gaze finally fell on the silent dark figure below the imperial steps.

Lin Zhen slowly stood up, his black dragon-patterned uniform gleaming coldly under the candlelight in the hall.

His expression was calm, and his deep eyes swept across the ministers and finally fell on the throne.

"All Nanchu wants is a war." Lin Zhen's voice was low, but every word was clear, piercing the clamor in the hall. "It is true that they funded the assassins who tried to kill me. It is true that they sent provocative letters. It is also true that they colluded with foreign nations."

He paused, his voice turning cold: "But now is not the time for a decisive battle."

"My husband's intention," Murong Yan's eyes narrowed slightly.

"The northern border has just been pacified, and Qin has recently annexed it, leaving much to be done," Lin Zhen said. "Although Southern Chu is strife-ridden, its navy is formidable and holds the natural fortress of the Yangtze River. A hasty decisive battle would be unpredictable and would only waste national strength."

"So are we just going to swallow our anger?" Zhao Wu said unwillingly.

"Forbearance?" Lin Zhen's lips curled up in a cold arc, "There is no such word in my dictionary."

His eyes flashed like lightning as he swept over the ministers: "If Nan Chu dares to raise his hand, chop off his claws!"

"First," Lin Zhen said in a steady voice, with unquestionable determination, "I order the Admiral of the Jiangnan Navy to blockade the Yangtze River estuary from today. All ships flying the flag of Southern Chu will be seized, their cargo confiscated, and their personnel detained. This will cut off the lifeline of their maritime trade!"

"Secondly," he continued, "order the garrison commander of Xiangyang, Jingzhou, to deploy his troops along the riverbank from today, conduct naval exercises and landing drills, and beat drums and fire cannons daily to demonstrate military might. This will make the Nanchu garrison along the river sleepless and uneasy!"

"Third," Lin Zhen's eyes flashed with a cold light, "I will order the Embroidered Uniform Guards of the Metropolitan Censorate to thoroughly investigate all Nanchu trading houses and guilds within the territory from today onwards. Anyone suspected of collaborating with the enemy will have their property confiscated. The principal offender will be executed immediately, and any accomplices will be exiled three thousand miles away. Their spies and agents within Daqian will be eradicated completely!"

"Fourth," he said, his voice deepening, "Send a message to the Miao King of Southern Xinjiang and the various tribes in the southwest, promising them great rewards and instructing them to harass the food supply routes to the rear of Southern Chu to tie down their forces!"

"Fifth," Lin Zhen finally looked at Murong Yan, "Your Majesty, please issue an edict condemning Nan Chu for its betrayal, funding the assassination of the prince, and provoking the Celestial Empire! Order them to hand over the mastermind of the Black Water Platform and those involved in the case, and compensate them for the losses of five million taels of silver. The deadline is one month. If you fail to do so, it will be deemed a declaration of war!"

"Excellent!" Murong Yan's eyes lit up, and she slammed the table and stood up. "Husband, this strategy is excellent! Applying pressure step by step and layer by layer will demonstrate the power of Heaven while avoiding rashly starting an all-out war! Order all departments to execute this immediately!"

"We obey your order!" All the ministers accepted the order in unison, and the murderous atmosphere in the hall became even stronger.

The royal palace "Qihuang Garden".

In the warm room, the candlelight flickered.

Princess Yuhua was dressed in plain white clothes and sat quietly in front of the desk.

There was a book open on the table, but she didn't turn a page for a long time.

Outside the window, the cold wind was howling, blowing up the snow on the ground, making a whimpering sound.

On her face, the half-gold fire phoenix mask gleamed with a cold luster in the candlelight.

Under the mask, the uncovered left eye was still clear, but as still and silent as the surface of a frozen lake.

The bloody execution ground in Xishi and the demise of the old Qin army weighed on her heart like heavy shackles.

Nan Chu's provocation and Daqian's thunderous counterattack made her feel like she was in the center of the storm, walking on thin ice.

The princess's trusted maid walked in lightly, her voice tinged with panic, "There's a rumor going around that the prince has ordered a blockade of the Yangtze River, seized Nanchu ships, and deployed troops along the river. A war is imminent."

Princess Yuhua's fingertips trembled slightly, but she remained silent.

"Also," the maid's voice lowered, "I heard that the Censorate and the Embroidered Uniform Guard are arresting people all over the city. Many businesses that have dealings with Nanchu have been raided, and people have been arrested."

Princess Yuhua slowly raised her hand and gently brushed her fingertips across the cold Fire Phoenix mask.

The touch of the cold metal on the edge of the mask calmed her troubled mind a little.

"I understand." Her voice was cold and emotionless, "Go ahead."

The maid looked at her worriedly, seemed to want to say something but stopped herself, and finally bowed and retreated.

Silence returned to the warm room.

Princess Yuhua's gaze fell on the dancing candlelight.

Lin Zhen's retaliation was swift and precise. He blocked the Yangtze River, severing the enemy's trade lifeline; deployed troops along the riverbank to exert military pressure; purged traitors and eliminated Southern Chu's spies; contacted vassal states to disrupt the enemy's rear; and launched diplomatic rebukes, seizing the moral high ground. Each step was carefully planned and linked together.

This is not only retaliation, but also a carefully planned strategic deterrence.

She knew very well that Lin Zhen's move was not only a response to Nan Chu's provocation, but also a demonstration of Daqian's strength and determination to her and all those who had ulterior motives.

The blood of the former Qin army has not yet cooled.

Nan Chu's claws had been cut off.

In the face of this iron-forged order, any resistance seems so pale and powerless.

A hint of bitterness spread across her tightly pursed lips.

Restore the country? Save the princess? How ridiculous.

The blood of Meng Lie and others only dyed the steps leading to higher power red.

And she, the "princess" who was treated as a chess piece, what else could she do except to stay in this golden cage, wear a cold mask, and play the role of "Pingfei"?

She closed her uncovered left eye, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow on the edge of the mask.

When he opened his eyes again, there was a still, silent pool in his eyes, without any ripples.

She picked up the book on the desk, brushed her fingertips across the cold paper, and began to read.

It was as if the storm sweeping across the empire outside the window had nothing to do with her.

It was a cold winter night in the capital.

However, this ancient capital was completely boiling with excitement because of the orders one after another.

At the mouth of the Yangtze River, dozens of new ironclad warships of the Daqian Jiangnan Navy, spewing out billowing black smoke, blocked the wide river like giant steel beasts.

A thick iron chain stretched across the middle of the river, with the black muzzle of a gun pointing towards the river surface.

Any Nanchu merchant ship attempting to pass through was forcibly intercepted and seized.

The cries and pleas of the ship owner and sailors seemed so weak in the biting river breeze.

The cargo was emptied and the people were escorted ashore and put into a makeshift prison camp.

The once busy golden waterway instantly turned into a dead forbidden area.

Jingzhou and Xiangyang fronts.

Daqian's elite soldiers in black armor lined up along the long river bank, with flags waving and swords and spears like a forest.

The huge "Burning Sky Thunder" was pushed onto the high ground by the river, with the black muzzle pointing directly to the south bank.

Every morning, the deafening sound of war drums and the roar of the test firing of the "Burning Sky Thunder" were like rolling thunder, resounding through the sky, frightening the Nanchu defenders on the opposite bank and keeping them awake at night.

In the imperial capital, the cavalry of the Censorate and the Embroidered Uniform Guard were everywhere, like wolves and tigers.

One after another, the business houses and guild halls that had close ties with Nanchu were sealed off, and the doors were sealed with glaring seals.

The shopkeeper and the manager were dragged out by the ferocious officers, put in shackles, and put into a prison van.

Boxes of account books and goods were confiscated and taken away. The once bustling streets were now shrouded in a solemn and panic atmosphere.

The intelligence network that Nanchu had operated in the Imperial Capital for many years suffered a devastating blow.

Deep in the dense forests of southern Xinjiang, swift horses galloped, delivering Daqian's decree and generous rewards to the Miao King and the leaders of the southwestern tribes.

The silent forest began to surge with uneasy undercurrents.

At the same time, the sternly worded letter from the Empress Murong Yan of Daqian, stamped with a bright red jade seal, was also delivered to the capital of Southern Chu, Jinling, at an expedited speed of 800 miles.

The letter listed the crimes of the "Black Water Platform" of Southern Chu, such as funding assassins, assassinating princes, and provoking the Celestial Empire, and demanded that Southern Chu hand over the mastermind and compensate for the losses within a time limit, otherwise it would bear the consequences!

Orders, like invisible iron chains, were issued from the Zichen Palace in the imperial capital, tightening around Nan Chu's throat.

A war without the smoke of gunpowder, but more brutal than real swords and guns, has begun.