On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

The solemnity of the Golden Throne Hall was replaced by the damp cold of the Jiangnan winter and the miasma of Lingnan.

The strategy of "combining hardness and softness" formulated by Murong Yan and Lin Zhen was like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples in the vast ancient land of Southern Chu.

The imperial edicts on tax reduction and exemption from corvée were posted in the villages of Lingnan, the fishing villages of Minyue, and the towns of Jiangnan, attracting countless people to watch and discuss.

However, the implementation of the new policy is far from as simple as a decree.

Undercurrents are surging beneath the calm surface of the water. The counterattack of the old forces, the collision of the new order, and the shadow that has fled to the South Seas are quietly converging.

In Lingnan, deep in the Ten Thousand Mountains, there is "Heishi Cave".

Dong Village is built against the mountain, with bamboo houses scattered around and shrouded in clouds and mist.

The newly appointed Lingnan Pacifier Li Yan, dressed in a green official robe, brought with him several followers and a small team of black-armored guards. After several days of trekking, he finally arrived at this Dongzhai, which was regarded as a "barbaric place".

In front of the village gate, the chief Pan Xiong led dozens of strong and capable men, armed with bamboo spears and machetes, blocking the way with vigilant and defiant eyes.

The atmosphere became tense instantly.

"Lord Pandong," Li Yan said, cupping his hands. "I am here on the orders of Her Majesty the Empress of Daqian and Marshal Zhenbei to announce the new policies, which will reduce taxes and exempt labor service, and help the people start anew. I hope Lord Pandong will lead his people to convert and share in peace."

"Reducing taxes?" Pan Xiong sneered, his voice rough. "Can you trust the Han officials? The previous dynasty, Nan Chu, also said that tax cuts resulted in increasing taxes layer by layer, more vicious than the venomous snakes in the mountains."

"This is the imperial edict written by His Majesty himself," Li Yan unfolded the bright yellow scroll, and the black dragon flag fluttered in the wind. "The Great Qian Dynasty will keep its word and never lie."

"Hmph," Pan Xiong said firmly, a hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes. "Even if the tax is reduced, what does it matter? We, the Dong people, have lived in these mountains for generations and are self-sufficient. We don't need government control. We don't understand and don't follow your Han people's rules."

"Lord of the Cave," Li Yan's voice deepened. "All land under heaven belongs to the king, and all the people are his subjects. Since Black Stone Cave is within the territory of Daqian, it must obey the king's laws. Your Majesty's benevolent reduction of taxes and exemption of labor service is a grace from heaven. If Lord of the Cave insists on resisting, it will be disobeying the order, and the consequences will be borne by you."

"Disobeying the order?" Pan Xiong's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he pointed the machete in his hand at Li Yan. "Then let's see which is stronger, your king's law or our Dong people's swords."

"Protect the lord," the captain of the black armor guards shouted, and instantly drew his sword from its sheath. Several guards quickly formed a formation, protecting Li Yan behind them. The musketeer raised his musket, and pointed the black muzzle at Dong Ding.

The atmosphere was tense and ready to explode.

Li Yan's face was as gloomy as water, his hand on his waist knife, his eyes flashing like lightning: "Master Pandong, I will ask you again, do you accept the order or not?"

Pan Xiong looked at the eerie muzzle of the musket, then at the majestic Panlong flag behind Li Yan, and the struggle in his eyes became even stronger.

Dong Ding behind him also showed fear on his face and took a step back.

"Master of the village," an old voice came from the village.

A white-haired old man came out with a cane and said, "The Daqian Heavenly Army defeated Southern Chu like a whirlwind. We are no match for them. Besides, reducing taxes is indeed a good thing."

Pan Xiong's expression shifted constantly. Finally, he suddenly stabbed his machete into the ground with a muffled thud. "Okay, I, Pan Xiong, will accept your order. But if the government goes back on its word and oppresses our people, the entire Black Stone Cave will fight to the bitter end."

"Don't worry, Lord Dong," Li Yan put away the imperial edict and said in a gentle voice, "Daqian's laws are strict. Anyone who oppresses the people, whether Han or barbarian, will be severely punished. I swear here."

A storm was temporarily calmed down under the deterrence of force and the promise of appeasement.

However, Li Yan knew very well that this was just the beginning.

In the thousands of villages and strongholds of Lingnan, deep-rooted xenophobia and suspicion of the new policies permeate the land like miasma in the mountains.

Minyue, Quanzhou Bay.

The cold wind blew up salty waves, which hit the newly built pier.

The huge "Zhenhai-class" ironclad warship is like a steel behemoth, anchored in the deep-water harbor, with its black muzzle pointing to the sea.

On the shore, a large-scale new shipyard is under construction in full swing.

The huge steam crane roared as it lifted the heavy keel into place.

On the construction site, craftsmen and laborers were busy working, and the sounds of horns, hammers hitting, and steam engines were intertwined.

Chu Xiling, the head of the Burning Thunder Division, was wearing an indigo work suit and a waterproof oilcloth cape. Her cold face was stained with oil. She was standing on a high platform, holding a telescope, carefully observing the construction progress of the dock.

Surrounding her were several engineers from the Fenlei Guard and shipyard managers.

"Lord Chu, there are still some deviations in the keel splicing process of this Exocet-class clipper," an engineer pointed at the blueprint with a frown.

Chu Xiling put down the telescope and took the blueprint. Her cold eyes scanned the complex lines. "The mortise and tenon joint structure here needs to have its stresses recalculated and replaced with the newly developed 'cross-jointing' method from the Institute of Physics. Also, the sealing material for the steam turbine drive shaft is not strong enough and is prone to leaking high-temperature steam. It needs to be replaced with a 'vulcanized rubber' composite material."

She spoke slowly, but each word was clear and to the point.

The engineers hurriedly took notes, their faces filled with admiration.

"Master Chu, Master Chu," the shipyard manager came running over, breathless and anxious. "It's bad. Last night, a fire broke out in the warehouse storing fine iron plates in the west area of ​​the shipyard. Although it was put out in time, the damage was considerable. Someone also discovered signs of vandalism on the outer wall of the warehouse."

Chu Xiling's cold eyes suddenly became as sharp as a knife: "Man-made sabotage?"

"Yes," the steward wiped his sweat. "And the other day, Master Liu, who was in charge of casting the core components of the steam turbine, had his home burglarized. Although the blueprints weren't lost, his tools were destroyed and he was frightened."

"Humph," Chu Xiling snorted coldly, "Nanyang's claws are long enough."

She turned and said to a Fenlei Guard officer, "Order the shipyard to enter Level 1 alert immediately. Increase the number of Fenlei Guard patrols and strictly check all personnel entering and leaving. Anyone who appears suspicious will be detained and thoroughly investigated."

"Yes,"

"Also," Chu Xiling said in a cold voice, "notify the Minyue Thousand Households of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to thoroughly investigate this case. Anyone who collaborates with the enemy and sabotages the situation will be killed without mercy, no matter who the mastermind is."

"Yes,"

Chu Xiling looked at the turbulent sea, a cold light flashing in her clear eyes.

The construction of the shipyard is related to the Nanyang strategy and cannot be lost. The shadow of Chu Batian, like the fog on the sea, is trying to hinder Daqian's edge.

In the South Seas, deep in the Xingluo Islands, there is a hidden island.

Several simple wooden houses are built against the mountainside under the shade of coconut trees.

The waves hit the rocks, making a monotonous roar.

Inside the wooden house, the atmosphere was oppressive. Chu Batian, dressed in coarse linen, had dishevelled hair and beard, a haggard complexion, and bloodshot eyes. He no longer possessed the majestic demeanor of his former self.

Prime Minister Chen Yuan stood aside with his hands hanging down, looking dejected.

"Your Majesty," a short, dark-skinned pirate leader knelt on one knee and said in a hoarse voice, "We succeeded at the Quanzhou Shipyard. We burned a batch of their fine iron and scared away a master craftsman. They're in big trouble."

"Good," Chu Batian's eyes flashed with a morbid excitement, which was then replaced by a deeper sinister look. "Well done, reward."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," the one-eyed shark grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"However," Chen Yuan said worriedly, "Your Majesty's move may slow down the progress of Daqian's shipbuilding, but it also exposes our whereabouts. Daqian's Embroidered Uniform Guards and Burning Thunder Guards are no pushovers."

"What are you afraid of?" Chu Batian slammed the table, his eyes flashing with crazy hatred. "I have nothing left, so why should I be afraid of them tracking me down? Murong Yan and Lin Zhen destroyed my kingdom and killed my people. This hatred is irreconcilable. As long as I breathe, I will make sure they never have peace."

He panted heavily, his eyes gleaming with a fierce gleam. "Send the order down. Contact the local kings and pirates on the various islands who are dissatisfied with Daqian. Tell them that once the Daqian navy is completed, they will be the next target. As the lips and teeth are intertwined, they will be in dire straits. Tell them to provide me with money, food, ships, and manpower. I will raise a new fleet to harass the coast of Daqian, plunder their merchant ships, and make their lives miserable."

"Yes," a hint of greed and ruthlessness flashed in the eyes of the one-eyed shark.

"Also," Chu Batian said in a cold voice, "send people to infiltrate the Lingnan Minyue people to incite those unruly Dongzhai tyrants. Tell them that Daqian's tax reduction is a scam, designed to paralyze them. Once they gain a foothold, they will double down on their exploitation, causing them to rebel and stir up trouble in Murong Yan and Lin Zhen's backyard."

"Your Majesty is wise," Chen Yuan hastily agreed, but his heart was chilled. He knew this was just a desperate struggle, but he had no other choice.

The waves still pounded against the rocks, and within the wooden hut, the poisonous flames of revenge burned fiercely in the darkness. The undercurrents of the South China Sea were quietly gathering, attempting to retaliate against the nascent empire.