On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

The deafening roar of artillery fire continued, shaking the earth. Flames and thick smoke erupted from the new army's artillery positions, tearing the pursuing rebels into pieces. Broken limbs and shattered armor flew everywhere, and the shrill screams were drowned out by even greater explosions.

The rebels' offensive was instantly suppressed by this absolute firepower advantage, their formation completely collapsed, and the survivors retreated in horror.

Lin Zhen hugged Murong Yan tightly and stood in the safe rear.

The guards quickly formed a new defensive circle around them, their shields like a wall, vigilantly watching the chaotic battlefield. The air was filled with smoke, and the pungent smell of blood and sulfur mixed together, suffocating.

Murong Yan snuggled tightly in Lin Zhen's arms, her hands under the wide flared sleeves tightly grasping the part of his chest clothing that was not stained with blood, her knuckles turning white from the force.

Her face was pale, her long eyelashes trembling, and she subconsciously shuddered slightly with every boom of cannon fire. Her extremely luxurious yet tattered black Hundred Phoenix robe, illuminated by the smoke and blood, presented a breathtaking beauty with an aura of destruction.

The profound black background seemed to swallow up all the blood and murderous aura around it, leaving a heart-wrenching silence. Atop the robe, the one hundred phoenixes embroidered with gold and silver thread still shimmered with brilliant colors of red, rose, silver, and purple gold, but stained by smoke and scattered blood, their brilliance had become dim and mournful. The gemstones in the phoenix's eyes reflected the light of the nearby fire, like tears of blood.

The edges of the extremely wide trumpet sleeves had been singed and curled, and the precious black pearl tassels on the cuffs were covered with ashes and dark red bloodstains, hanging heavily.

The three-meter-long tail of the robe, which had been cut off at the root and only the remaining hem of the robe, had now completely fallen on the blood-soaked imperial steps in the distance, mixed with the broken ceremonial objects and fallen corpses. The black diamonds, black jade and deep sapphires inlaid on it were covered with thick filth. The once brilliant galaxy turned into a dead, dark stream of dirt, stinging Murong Yan's eyes.

She didn't even dare to look back at the lost glory. She just felt empty in her heart, as if she had lost an important support.

"Lin Zhen, the traitor! Murong Yan! Do you think this is the end?!" A violent roar like thunder came from the direction of the retreating rebels, drowning out the noise of artillery fire!

The defeated rebels separated to both sides like a tide, and a team of elite cavalrymen, their armor stained with blood but still full of murderous aura, surrounded the two men and rushed towards them against the flow of people!

The leader was a man of burly build, with a ferocious face, and wearing the damaged armor of King Jingbei. It was Murong Hong!

The person standing half a horse length behind him had a sinister look on his face and was wearing the uniform of Prince Anping but it was stained with blood. It was Murong Zhang!

These two actually led the last of their soldiers to charge! Their target was Lin Zhen and Murong Yan!

"Shoot!" the new army general gave a stern order.

Arrows rained down, Murong Hong and Murong Zhang waved their weapons to block them, and the assassins around them kept falling off their horses, but they continued to charge forward, their eyes filled with crazy despair and hatred!

"Protect the prince! Your Majesty!" The Royal Guards' formation contracted and the musketeers reloaded their ammunition.

Lin Zhen protected Murong Yan behind him, his face as cold as ice, his eyes as sharp as an eagle, fixed firmly on the two charging at him. He raised the strange short rapid-fire rifle in his hand again.

"Lin Zhen! You traitor who stole my country! Return the Murong family's kingdom to me!" Murong Hong roared, galloping on his horse, pointing the long sword in his hand.

"Your Majesty! You have been deceived by treacherous officials! We, your subjects, will purge the emperor's court today, even if we die!" Murong Zhang's voice was sharp, filled with false grief and indignation, as he tried to make a final attempt at persuasion.

Murong Yan heard this distorted cry, especially one directed at Lin Zhen, and an indescribable rage overwhelmed her fear. She suddenly leaned out from behind Lin Zhen, her face still pale as she shouted, "Nonsense! You traitors! You deserve to die!"

Her voice was clear, with a rare sharpness and majesty. Although it was mostly drowned out by the sound of artillery fire, it still startled Murong Hong and Murong Zhang who were rushing over.

They seemed to have not expected that the empress, whom they regarded as a vase and should have been panicked, would actually speak out and scold them at this moment.

Just this moment of shock!

Lin Zhen moved! His eyes turned cold, and he seized this fleeting opportunity. His arm was as steady as a rock, and he pulled the trigger!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three rapid gunshots rang out almost in a row! Three specially crafted steel bullets were fired at a speed that was difficult to detect with the naked eye!

Murong Hong swung his sword to block, but was a moment too slow! A bullet directly shattered the head of the warhorse under his crotch! The warhorse screamed miserably and fell to the ground with a thud! Another bullet struck his right shoulder where he held the sword, and blood splattered! He screamed and fell heavily from the horse's back!

Almost at the same time, Murong Zhang's mount was hit in the chest by a bullet, and it fell to its knees with a cry of grief. He was thrown off the horse and fell unconscious!

Lin Zhen's marksmanship is extremely accurate and ruthless!

"Catch him!" Lin Zhen ordered coldly, without a trace of emotion in his voice.

The imperial guards and the new army soldiers rushed forward and quickly pinned down and tied up Murong Hong and Murong Zhang, who were dizzy and seriously injured.

When the rebels saw their commander captured, their last bit of morale completely collapsed. They dropped their weapons and knelt down in surrender.

A shocking rebellion was suddenly quelled at such lightning speed.

The battlefield suddenly became quiet, with only sporadic sounds of fighting and the groans of the wounded. The smoke slowly dissipated, revealing the devastation and bloodshed everywhere.

Lin Zhen finally breathed a sigh of relief, but his tense nerves weren't completely relaxed. He immediately turned around, put his hands on Murong Yan's shoulders, and looked her up and down anxiously: "Yan'er! Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

His eyes swept over every stain and tear on her luxurious black robe, his eyes filled with heartache and fear, as if the tear on the robe hurt him more than the wound on his shoulder.

Murong Yan shook her head and looked at him in shock. Her eyes finally fell on his shoulder, which was still bleeding. Tears welled up in her eyes: "Husband... your wound... there is so much blood..."

Her hands were trembling under her flared sleeves, she wanted to touch his wound but didn't dare.

"It's nothing, just a superficial wound." Lin Zhen glanced at the wound nonchalantly, reaching out and gently wiping away the tears that had fallen from the corners of her eyes with his fingertips. His voice instantly changed from being cold to extremely gentle, "I scared my Yan'er... It's my fault."

He carefully smoothed her messy hair and brushed away a streak of cigarette ash from her dark-robed shoulders, his movements delicate and careful, as if handling a rare treasure. His gaze fell on her scorched cuffs and the empty hem of her robe, a terrifying murderous intent swirling in his eyes.

But when facing her, his tone was still gentle: "This robe... it's been treated unfairly. After returning to the palace, I will ask the embroidery workshop to use the best material and the best embroiderer to make you a new one... no, make ten better ones as compensation."

Murong Yan shook her head vigorously, tears falling even harder, not for the robe, but for him: "No... I just want my husband to be safe..."

She stretched out her dusty trumpet sleeves and gently wrapped them around his waist, burying her face in the hollow of his uninjured shoulder, absorbing the reassuring warmth and breath. The luxurious yet tattered black robe and the bloodstained python robe pressed tightly together.

Lin Zhen's heart softened, and he hugged her back tightly, rubbing his chin against the top of her head, whispering soothingly, "It's okay, it's all over... The traitor has been captured, and no one can disturb my Yan'er anymore."

At this time, the commander of the new army came to report: "Your Highness, the rebel leaders Murong Hong and Murong Zhang have been captured, and most of the rebels have surrendered. Please give your instructions, Your Highness!"

Lin Zhen's eyes turned cold instantly, but his arms around Murong Yan remained gentle. He said calmly, "Take them away and keep them under strict supervision! Clean up the battlefield, treat the wounded, and count the casualties. And..."

He paused, his voice icy, "Recover the remains of His Majesty's tail and clean it up. Don't leave a single gem behind!"

"Yes!" The general bowed and accepted the order, then quickly retreated.

Murong Yan raised her head from his arms and looked at him with tearful eyes: "Husband, what do you still need that tail..." She thought that the tail had been destroyed in the war or trampled beyond recognition.

"Those are Yan'er's things," Lin Zhen looked down at her with a deep gaze, "even if it's a piece of cloth or a gem, it's yours. No one is allowed to ruin it." His tone was filled with an almost paranoid sense of possession and protection.

Murong Yan's heart was beating fast and she hugged him tighter.

Lin Zhen lifted her up sideways, carefully avoiding his own wounds, and walked towards the already prepared imperial chariot. Her robe was torn, its flared sleeves drooping, and her ornate garment was stained with dust. Yet, under the setting sun and the smoke of gunpowder, it still shone with a broken yet stubborn brilliance. He gently placed her in the chariot and sat in it himself, holding her securely by his side.

The imperial carriage set off, and under the escort of elite troops, it slowly drove away from the bloody battlefield and returned to the palace.

Inside the chariot, Murong Yan leaned wearily against Lin Zhen's arms, gradually sinking into a half-asleep, half-awake drowsiness. Lin Zhen lowered his head, gazing at her brows, still slightly furrowed even in her sleep, and the glaring stains and tears on her black robe, his eyes filled with surging anger and endless heartache.

He knew that, though the rebellion had been quelled, its aftermath was still lingering. He knew that those who had injured his Yan'er and destroyed her beloved robes would be dealt with, with interest, in a proper and equitable manner.

The setting sun stained the sky a mournful crimson. The regal imperial chariot, bearing the empress and her beloved, sailed toward the magnificent imperial city. Behind them lay the gradually fading, blood-soaked battlefield, and the shattered, inky galaxy, lost but yet to be found.