On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

After strolling for a while, Murong Yan felt a little tired. Her fancy clothes were heavy after all. Lin Zhen took her to a seat on the second floor of a street-facing teahouse that had been cleared and decorated.

Sitting by the window, Murong Yan sipped the fragrant tea handed to her by Lin Zhen while looking at the bustling crowd downstairs. Suddenly, she whispered, "Husband, they... seem to be doing well."

She saw that most of the people had satisfied smiles on their faces, children were running and playing, and the city was full of life.

"Well," Lin Zhen stood behind her, holding her shoulders with both hands, and looked out the window, "because Yan'er governs the country well and the world is peaceful, they can live and work in peace."

Murong Yan blushed slightly and whispered, "It's my husband who governs the country well..." She knew in her heart that this prosperous era was almost entirely created by Lin Zhen.

"You and I are one as husband and wife, ruling the country together." Lin Zhen lowered his head and kissed the top of her head.

After a short rest, Lin Zhen suggested returning home, fearing that she was tired. Although Murong Yan was a little reluctant, she nodded obediently.

When she went downstairs, her three-meter-long black train once again became the focus of the audience. Under the careful care of her maid, it slowly slid across the wooden stairs like a moving and gorgeous river.

Before getting on the carriage, Murong Yan suddenly turned around and took a look at the vibrant market, then whispered to the steward beside her: "Reward."

The general manager immediately bowed and accepted the order. Then, a large amount of silver, money and silk were distributed to the merchants and people in the West Market, which aroused jubilation and more sincere gratitude.

The carriage slowly started, leaving the bustling West Market. Inside the carriage, Murong Yan leaned on Lin Zhen's shoulder, playing with the unfinished phoenix sugar painting, a satisfied smile on her lips.

"Are you happy?" Lin Zhen hugged her and asked in a low voice.

"Happy," Murong Yan nodded, looking up at him with a gleam in her eyes, "It's more fun than counting money in the palace."

She paused and added softly, "It's just that... this dress seems a little too conspicuous..."

Lin Zhen laughed heartily upon hearing this. He couldn't help but lower his head and peck her lips lightly, tasting the sweetness of the remaining sugar painting. "My Yan'er, you deserve to be so conspicuous. Let the whole world know how truly stunning and charming their Empress is."

Murong Yan buried herself in his arms shyly, but her heart was as sweet as honey.

The carriage pulled back to the heavily guarded palace, shielded from the hustle and bustle of the mundane world. But Murong Yan's mind was already imprinted with those vivid scenes. Her elegant, heavy black robe seemed tinged with a touch of human warmth. The bustle and energy of West Market enveloped the slowly approaching Emperor and Empress like a warm tide.

Although Lin Zhen had ordered that there was no need to clear the area and impose martial law, the elite guards still silently cordoned off a small, relatively empty area. The people watched from afar with awe and curiosity, their eyes mostly focused on the moving, extremely luxurious black figure.

Murong Yan didn't care about those looks.

She left the house today on a whim, wanting to see with her own eyes what the "lively and lively" market her husband had described looked like.

And she chose to wear this dark black robe with hundreds of phoenixes on it entirely out of her own will - she loved the sense of supreme honor brought by this robe, loved the gorgeousness and exquisiteness of the hundreds of phoenixes soaring on it, and even more loved the fit that seemed made for each other when she wore it and stood next to Lin Zhen's casual clothes.

For her, this black robe has long transcended the constraints of etiquette and has become a part of her, the source of her comfort and confidence.

The extremely dark black background does not appear abrupt against the slightly messy yet lively backdrop of the West Market. Instead, it is like a quiet black jade in the turbid world, absorbing all the light around it, but reflecting faint blue and dark purple light from the inside, mysterious and noble, making everything around it dim.

On the robe, the one hundred phoenixes embroidered with countless rare gold, silver and colored threads fully awakened under the bright spring sunshine, each feather sparkling with a vivid and dazzling brilliance that was almost eye-searing. The red gold was as bright as the scorching sun, the rose gold was as flowing as the rays of the sun, the silver was as bright as the moonlight, and the purple gold was as noble as auspicious clouds. The tiny red and blue gems on the phoenix eyes reflected a sharp light comparable to that of the stars. The hundreds of phoenixes had different postures, some stretching their necks to sing, and some flapping their wings as if they were about to fly, looking lifelike, as if they would break away from the robe in the next moment, soar into the sky, and attract hundreds of birds to congratulate them.

The cuffs of her extremely wide flared sleeves were decorated with fine black pearl tassels, which gently collided with her steps, making a crisp and pleasant sound, forming a wonderful contrast with the calm and luxurious aura around her.

The giant black jewel-studded train, which was three meters long and seamlessly connected to the robe, became the most eye-catching focus of the entire street.

Eight maids in black robes knelt and followed behind, carefully lifting the end of the tail with a golden hook lined with soft silk to prevent it from being completely dragged in the dust. But even so, the front end of the tail, more than a meter long, still stretched out on the bluestone road like a living inky galaxy.

The black diamonds, black jade and deep sapphires inlaid on it madly reflected the cold and dazzling star-like light that was impossible to look directly at under the sunlight. Wherever it passed, it almost made the rough ground look as if it was covered with broken diamonds!

When have the people ever seen such a scene?

They knelt on the ground and shouted "Long live the emperor". At Lin Zhen's signal, they stood up, but still did not dare to get close. They could only look at him from afar, their eyes filled with immense shock, awe, and... an indescribable, almost obsessive worship.

They may not understand government affairs or the Industrial Revolution, but they can understand the ultimate beauty and dignity.

In their eyes, this reclusive empress has long been no different from the Queen Mother of the West.

Seeing it with my own eyes, I felt even more that the rumors were not true! That gorgeous attire, that whole demeanor, it was only fitting that it should be so!

"Long live your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty's divine appearance!"

"May Your Majesty live forever!"

Sporadic, sincere cheers and blessings rang out from the crowd, and more and more people followed suit, their voices filled with love and excitement.

Murong Yan listened to those sincere calls and looked at the pure admiration rather than fear on the people's faces. The slight discomfort in her heart caused by being stared at quietly dissipated, and was replaced by a faint, novel warmth.

She couldn't help but straighten her back slightly, and the hundred phoenixes on her black robe seemed to become more energetic.

She turned her head to look at Lin Zhen, with a hint of inquiry and joy in her eyes.

Lin Zhen smiled at her and nodded, his eyes gentle and encouraging. He was happy to see her being admired and loved by the people.

At this moment, a loud sound of gongs and drums and cheers came from the front, drawing the crowd's attention. In a fenced-off area, they saw a foreign acrobatic troupe performing vigorously.

There were shirtless, muscular men performing stone-breaking feats with their chests; there were graceful Hu Ji women in colorful gauze skirts performing belly dances to the rhythm of rapid drum beats, their waists as flexible as snakes; there were dwarfs performing somersaults nimbly while carrying huge pottery jars on their heads...

Murong Yan stared intently, especially when she saw a clown in colorful clothes who could spit out long fire dragons from his mouth. She opened her red lips slightly in surprise, and the hand under her flared sleeves unconsciously grabbed Lin Zhen's sleeve.

"Husband! Look! He can spit fire from his mouth!" Her voice was filled with childlike wonder.

Lin Zhen chuckled and patiently explained, "It's a mixture of special oil and tinder held in the mouth. When it comes into contact with sparks, it ignites. It looks thrilling, but it's actually a skill."

Murong Yan nodded, half understanding, but her gaze remained riveted. Seeing the Emperor and Empress stop, the fire-breathing artist intensified his performance, his dragon spitting out long and fierce fire, drawing gasps and cheers from the surrounding crowd.

At the climax of the performance, a petite and pretty girl walked onto the stage. She first bowed deeply towards the emperor and empress, and then began to perform the bowl-balancing act.

She threw up the glazed pottery bowls one by one, and caught them accurately with her forehead, nose, and even toes. The stacks became higher and higher, and finally she had stacked twelve bowls, which she could spin and dance lightly without the bowls moving at all!

The people were fascinated by the performance and their cheers were deafening.

Murong Yan was also mesmerized, her eyes filled with admiration. She had never seen such a lively and interesting performance so closely, and she found it much more interesting than the rigid songs and dances in the palace.

After the performance, the girl calmly collected all the bowls and bowed to the emperor and empress again. Beads of sweat covered her forehead, but her face was filled with a smile of pride and anticipation.

The troupe leader took a gong and began to ask for tips from the audience around him. The people opened their wallets and coins fell into the gong like raindrops.