On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

Beside the official road outside Guangling City, there is a royal villa nestled among mountains and beside water, named "Qinfang Garden".

The day before returning to the palace, Murong Yan did not handle government affairs in the palace, but moved here. In name, she was there to enjoy the garden scenery, but in fact, she wanted to take advantage of this quiet place to rest for a while.

It was early summer, and the garden was filled with colorful flowers, shady trees, and a gurgling stream fed by fresh water, creating a pleasant scenery.

Murong Yan was in a rare mood of relaxation, and even agreed to Lin Zhen's proposal to set up a small banquet in the largest water pavilion in the garden, "Lan Yue Xuan", where only the couple would drink together, with Musk Moon serving them.

However, Murong Yan did not change into light casual clothes.

She still chose the bright yellow kesi phoenix robe with nine dragons and four phoenixes, and wore a slightly lighter pearl crown (although it was still a phoenix crown, some of the heaviest gold and jade decorations were omitted), and naturally wore the two-meter-long cloud brocade train as well.

However, in this garden environment, the huge tail embroidered with vast mountains and rivers is no longer just a symbol of majesty, but seems to have become a work of art that is strangely integrated with this landscape garden.

"My dear husband, do you find it strange?" Murong Yan said, holding up the white jade wine cup, looking out the window at the fish playing outside, a smile on her lips, "I am still wearing this heavy court robe in such a leisurely place?"

Lin Zhen poured her a glass of iced plum wine and said with a smile, "Yan'er, there must be a deep meaning behind this."

Murong Yan gently swirled the amber liquid in her cup, her gaze far away. "Our journey to Guangling is almost over. Along the way, I've been majestic, attentive to the people, in danger, and playing the zither... But this imperial attire remains my most formal appearance. Today, in this garden, I wish to be alone with you in this most formal attire, letting the shadow of our country and nation fall upon this leisurely landscape. It's as if..."

She paused, searching for the right words, "Just like an ordinary couple, except our home is a little bigger."

Lin Zhen's heart moved, and he held her hand on the table: "Our home is this world."

Murong Yan interlocked her fingers with his, her eyes filled with tenderness.

It is this deep affection that remains unchanged no matter what she wears or where she is that supports her in shouldering the heavy burden of this vast country.

However, the emperor's leisure time is always short.

After three rounds of drinks, a faint noise came from outside the garden, as if there was a dispute.

Musk Moon immediately went out to check, and returned a moment later, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Your Majesty, Lion, many people have come from outside the garden, kneeling and petitioning, wanting... wanting to see Your Majesty in person and share in the royal blessing."

It turned out that the news that the emperor and empress were staying in Qinfang Garden had somehow spread, and the nearby neighbors were extremely excited. They came with their elderly and children, hoping to see the emperor's face from afar.

The guards guarding the garden naturally tried to stop them, and there was a stalemate between the two sides.

Murong Yan and Lin Zhen looked at each other.

"The people are simple-minded, and their hearts are pitiful." Murong Yan put down her wine glass. "But if I show up easily, I'm afraid it will break the rules. If other places follow suit in the future, it will be difficult to deal with."

Lin Zhen pondered, "If I don't see him at all, I'm afraid it will chill the people's hearts. How about... a compromise?"

Murong Yan's eyes flickered, and she had a plan: "Send an order. I cannot leave the garden to meet you. But please roll up the bamboo curtains around this waterside pavilion. I will feast and read here. The people are allowed to watch from a distance in the designated area outside the garden. No noise is allowed, and no one is allowed to cross the boundaries."

This not only fulfilled the wishes of the people, but also maintained the royal distance and majesty.

When the order was passed down, the people outside the garden cheered loudly and knelt down to thank God for his grace. Then, under the guidance of the guards, they gathered in an orderly manner on the other side of the water pavilion, about a hundred steps away, separated by a wide lawn and a pond.

The bamboo curtain slowly rolled up, and Lanyuexuan became like a gorgeous stage.

Murong Yan was still sitting at the table, with Lin Zhen sitting beside her.

The bright yellow phoenix robe and the two-meter-long river and mountain train were presented to the people without reservation under the bright light in the pavilion.

The people in the distance suddenly let out suppressed, awed exclamations.

They had never seen the emperor's clothes so clearly, especially the magnificent and extremely gorgeous trail of mountains and rivers behind Murong Yan, which sparkled with a sacred light in the sun and deeply shocked everyone.

Many elderly people were so excited that their eyes were filled with tears and they kept kowtowing.

Murong Yan did not deliberately put on a majestic attitude. She just continued to talk softly with Lin Zhen, occasionally raising her glass, or pointing to a scenery outside the window and whispering, with a calm expression and even a hint of a smile.

Lin Zhen considerately served her food and poured her wine, and there was a natural and warm tacit understanding between the two.

This picture of the emperor and empress living in harmony and enjoying their leisure time in the beautiful water, separated by mountains, rivers and trees, formed a strange scene that was both solemn and friendly, and was deeply imprinted in the hearts of all the watching people.

The long tail was no longer a cold symbol of power, but seemed to have become a part of this beautiful picture, connecting the emperor and empress in the pavilion with the common people outside who were looking up at them.

At this time, among the people on the other side of the river, a little girl about five or six years old with a red hairband seemed to be mesmerized by what she saw. She broke free from her mother's hand and staggered a few steps towards the water pavilion, babbling something and holding tightly in her hand a handful of freshly picked wild flowers.

The guards suddenly became nervous and wanted to step forward to stop them.

Murong Yan also saw the small figure, and she raised her hand slightly to stop the guard.

She looked at the little girl's pure eyes, which were fearless, full of curiosity and yearning, and the softest part of her heart was touched.

She whispered something to Lin Zhen, who nodded and gave an order to Musk Moon.

Musk Moon immediately walked quickly out of the pavilion and to the shore. She didn't approach the little girl, but instead called softly across the pond to her anxious mother, "Don't panic, sister-in-law! Your Majesty, seeing the little girl's cleverness and cuteness, has asked if you may allow her to come closer and grant her some fruit bait."

The mother and the people around her were stunned, then filled with immense excitement and honor. The mother nodded repeatedly.

Musk Moon then walked around the pond and came to the other side. She bowed to the people first, then smiled and took the little girl's hand, saying softly, "Little sister, follow me. His Majesty wants to treat you to some candy."

Amidst countless envious gazes, Musk Moon slowly walked back to the waterside pavilion, holding the hand of the curious and slightly shy little girl.

The little girl walked to the entrance of the pavilion and looked at Murong Yan, who was sitting at the table in a gorgeous and shining phoenix robe. She seemed a little frightened by her aura, stopped, blinked her big eyes, and did not dare to move forward.

Murong Yan smiled slightly, trying to make her expression appear softer. She even leaned forward slightly, lowered her voice, and asked from a distance, "Little sister, what are you holding in your hand?"

The little girl timidly raised the bunch of wilted wild flowers.

Murong Yan's smile deepened: "It's really beautiful. Is this a gift for me?"

The little girl hesitated for a moment and actually nodded.

Murong Yan gestured to Sheyue, who gently nudged the little girl's back encouragingly.

The little girl finally mustered up her courage, and with her short legs, she ran into the pavilion, all the way to Murong Yan's seat, holding the bunch of wild flowers high in the air.

Everyone watched with bated breath.

Murong Yan did not take the flowers immediately, but first stretched out her hand wearing exquisite armor and touched the little girl's head very, very gently, with an extremely gentle movement.

Then, she took the bouquet of inconspicuous yet innocent wildflowers, put it to her nose and sniffed it gently, praising it, "It smells great, thank you."

She took a plate of exquisite imperial desserts from the table and handed it to the little girl personally: "This is for you, okay?"

The little girl's eyes lit up. She took the snack and smiled sweetly, revealing her gums with a missing front tooth. She said incoherently, "Thank you, Fairy Sister!"

The call of "Fairy Sister" made Murong Yan smile, and even Lin Zhen beside her laughed.

Murong Yan asked Musk Moon to take some candies and a small Ruyi gold locket to reward the little girl, and then asked Musk Moon to send her back safely.

The little girl, holding the reward, was happily led back to the other side by Musk Moon and was immediately surrounded by her excited family and neighbors.

This scene was clearly visible to all the people from afar.

At that moment, Murong Yan's dazzling phoenix robe and majestic train seemed to be softened by her gentle smile and the gesture of caressing the child.

In the eyes of the people, she is no longer a symbol of an unattainable emperor, but a beautiful, kind "fairy sister" who even smiles at children.

The invisible barriers seemed to be broken by this childlike innocence.

The people's cheers and thanksgiving were even more sincere and warm.

Murong Yan sat back at the table, looking at the small bouquet of wild flowers in her hand, and said softly to Lin Zhen: "Husband, you see, the beauty of this country sometimes lies in these subtle details."

Lin Zhen looked at her gently: "And this country is lucky to have you."

After that, Murong Yan sat in the pavilion for a while before ordering someone to lower the bamboo curtain.

On the way back to the palace, she looked out the window at the fields speeding by and suddenly said, "After returning to the capital, have the Imperial Household Department find a similar garden outside the capital. It doesn't have to be large, just elegant. Every spring and summer, it could be opened for a day, allowing the common people to admire the royal gardens from afar. Perhaps... we could also select young children and give them fruits and sweets."

Lin Zhen knew that her move was intended to narrow the distance between the royal family and the people and soften the royal family's majestic image, so he nodded and agreed: "Okay, I'll arrange it."

Inside the phoenix chariot, Murong Yan closed her eyes slightly, her fingertips still seeming to retain the soft touch of the child's hair and the faint fragrance of the bunch of wild flowers.

She still wore the heavy phoenix robe with a long train, but she felt that today, it seemed a little lighter than before.