On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

The smoke from the fall of Jinling City had not yet dissipated, and the air was filled with a strong mixture of sulfur, blood, and burnt odors.

On the once prosperous Qinhuai River, pleasure boats have overturned, buildings have collapsed, and sporadic flames are still flickering among the broken walls.

The streets were littered with corpses, and blood had frozen into dark red ice in the cold winter wind.

The cries, groans, and the majestic orders of the Daqian soldiers intertwined together, forming a desolate picture after the fall of this thousand-year-old capital.

The elite soldiers of Daqian Black Armor, under the cold light of muskets and bayonets, were like a cold steel torrent, quickly and orderly taking over the defense of Jinling City.

On the city wall, the tattered Nan Chu dragon flag was torn down and replaced by a black coiled dragon flag, which fluttered in the biting cold wind.

"Send the Marshal's orders!" The messenger galloped, his voice piercing the din of the city. "All units will clear out the remaining enemies in their designated areas, extinguish the fires, and treat the wounded. Anyone who resists with weapons will be killed without mercy, and anyone who takes advantage of the chaos to loot will be executed on the spot!"

The order was as heavy as a mountain. The Daqian soldiers quickly divided into small teams and began to work like precise gears.

Teams of soldiers, armed with muskets, vigilantly searched every corner of the streets.

The scattered resistance was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, instantly crushed by the dense hail of bullets. The fleeing soldiers, crying and screaming, were ordered to squat with their heads in their hands. If they hesitated for a moment, the cold bayonets would be at their throats.

Another team of soldiers carried water cannons and rushed towards the still burning houses and buildings.

The cold water column poured onto the blazing flames, making a harsh "sizzling" sound and sending up large amounts of white smoke.

Under the collapsed houses, the injured people were carefully carried out and sent to a makeshift medical tent.

"Notice to reassure the people!" Under the protection of soldiers, clerks posted notices with the seal of the King of Zhenbei on the city gates, street corners, and the walls of the remaining government offices.

"The Heavenly Armies of Daqian will attack the unjust and tyrannical Chu. Now that Jinling has been pacified, all the soldiers and civilians of Southern Chu who surrender will be forgiven. Those who abide by their duties will be protected by Daqian. Those who commit crimes and take advantage of the situation will be killed without mercy!"

Once the notice was issued, the panicked people calmed down a little.

Some of the Nanchu officials and soldiers who had been hiding came out of their hiding places trembling with fear and surrendered to the Daqian soldiers.

The chaotic order in the city began to be restored with difficulty under the iron-blooded and deterrent measures.

Jinling Imperial Palace, Purple Palace.

This palace, symbolizing the highest power in Southern Chu, lay in ruins. The door was shattered, the beams and pillars were charred, and the exquisite carvings were shattered by the explosion.

The dragon throne fell to the ground and was trampled into pieces.

Broken porcelain, torn brocade, and bloodstains that had not yet dried were scattered on the ground.

Murong Yan and Lin Zhen walked into the hall side by side.

Murong Yan was dressed in golden phoenix armor, and her scarlet cloak fluttered in the cold wind blowing through the hall. Her phoenix eyes swept across the mess with the majesty of a victor and a hint of scrutiny.

Lin Zhen was wearing a black cloak and had a calm expression. His deep gaze swept across every corner of the hall like a searchlight.

"Search!" Lin Zhen said in a low voice.

"Yes!" A team of elite guards immediately dispersed, holding muskets, and vigilantly searched every corner of the hall, including behind the dragon throne, between the curtains, and areas where secret passages might exist.

"Report!" A guard commander stepped forward quickly and knelt on one knee. "Your Majesty! Marshal! We've discovered a hidden door behind the palace! It's been blown up and sealed! It's suspected to be the entrance to the secret passage!"

"There really is a secret passage." Lin Zhen's eyes flashed with coldness, "Chu Batian escaped through this."

"Can I pursue her?" Murong Yan asked.

"The secret passage has been blown down from the inside and will be difficult to clear for a while," said the guard leader. "We've sent people to search for possible exits!"

"A lost dog can't fly even with wings," Lin Zhen said coldly. "Order the Embroidered Uniform Guard to give him a full-scale hunt! Block all main roads out of the city! Strictly inspect anyone passing through! Offer a reward of 10,000 gold for his head!"

"As ordered!"

"Report!" Another general entered the hall. "Your Majesty, Marshal, the Southern Chu treasury has been seized! However, not even a tenth of the gold, silver, and grain remains. According to prisoners, Chu Batian had most of the treasures moved before he escaped!"

"A cunning rabbit has three burrows." Murong Yan's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly. "Order the Ministry of Revenue officials to immediately take over the national treasury and count the remaining funds! Thoroughly investigate the whereabouts of the money and property!"

"Yes!"

"Report!" Chu Xiling, the head of the Burning Thunder Division, stepped into the main hall, followed by several Burning Thunder Guards. "Your Majesty! Marshal! A large number of undestroyed blueprints and some imitation Burning Heaven Thunder debris were discovered in the secret vault of the Southern Chu Ministry of Industry!"

"Oh?" Lin Zhen's eyes fixed, "Present it!"

Chu Xiling signaled, and Fen Leiwei presented several rolls of torn drawings and several pieces of twisted and deformed metal debris.

Lin Zhen picked up the drawing and scanned it quickly.

The drawings depict complex mechanical structures and explosion principles. Although rough and full of errors, the core idea is somewhat similar to the "Burning Sky Thunder" of Daqian in its early days!

Those metal debris were obviously failed imitations of explosive devices!

"Nan Chu actually has such ambition!" Murong Yan's voice turned cold.

"It's just a last-ditch effort." Lin Zhen put down the blueprints, a flicker of disdain in his eyes. "This imitation is crude and less than 30% as powerful as ours. However, if it spreads among the people, it could cause disaster. I order the Burning Thunder Division to immediately confiscate all related blueprints and artifacts. Anyone who keeps any will be charged with treason!"

"Yes, sir!" Chu Xiling bowed and accepted the order, a sharp look flashing in her cold eyes.

After a few days, the smoke and chaos in Jinling City gradually subsided.

The fire was put out, the bodies were cleared, and the streets were cleared.

Although the ruins are still shocking, the atmosphere of panic has been replaced by a depressing calm.

Daqian's black-armored soldiers patrolled the streets, maintaining order. Notices reassuring the people were posted everywhere, promising tax reductions and relief for the victims, calming the anxious public.

In the Jinling Imperial Palace, although the Purple Palace was in ruins, it had been urgently cleared out.

In the square in front of the temple, craftsmen are working day and night to build a towering altar for offering sacrifices to the sky.

"Your Majesty's coronation ceremony is complete," Minister of Rites Zhou Zheng reported, bowing, his voice tinged with excitement and fatigue. "The altar will be completed tomorrow. The auspicious time is set for 3:15 PM the day after tomorrow!"

Murong Yan stood on the steps in front of the palace, her golden phoenix armor shining brightly in the winter sun.

She looked at the busy scene in the square, and her phoenix eyes flashed with an unprecedented light.

After razing Jinling and destroying Nanchu, she will officially ascend the throne as emperor on this land that symbolizes the highest power in Jiangnan, becoming the true ruler of the world!

"Good." Murong Yan's voice was clear and melodious, carrying an unquestionable majesty. "Announce to the entire city: the day after tomorrow at noon, I will offer sacrifices to heaven and earth in front of this Purple Palace to accede to the throne as emperor. I will grant amnesty to the people and start anew with them!"

"I obey your order!" Zhou Zheng bowed excitedly.

"Husband," Murong Yan turned to Lin Zhen beside her, her eyes filled with tenderness and trust, "I need you to be with me at this grand ceremony."

Lin Zhen, clad in black armor and a cape, stood tall and straight like a pine tree. His deep gaze swept across the square, across the city that symbolized his glorious military exploits, and finally landed on Murong Yan.

"Yan'er's becoming emperor is destiny." Lin Zhen's voice was low and firm. "As her husband, I will protect her."

He paused slightly, his gaze gazing towards the vast expanse of territory to the south. "Although Southern Chu has been destroyed, much remains to be rebuilt. The Miao tribes still need to be pacified, and pirates in the southern border are still causing chaos. All of this is the foundation of the new dynasty."

"My husband, you are absolutely right." Murong Yan nodded, her eyes gleaming with ambition. "After the coronation ceremony, you and I will work together to rule this vast land!"

In the biting cold wind, the altar of heaven in the Jinling Imperial Palace rose from the ground and pointed straight to the sky.

The black coiled dragon flag fluttered in the wind on the palace walls. This ancient capital, freshly baptized by war, waited with bated breath for the birth of a new emperor and the dawn of a prosperous era south of the Yangtze River.