On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

The end of the year is approaching, but the air in the capital has not warmed up at all due to the approaching festival. Instead, it has become more stagnant and cold.

The north wind, whistling day and night, whipped up the fine snow, as if foreshadowing something ominous. Within the imperial city, the undercurrent was no longer an undercurrent, but gradually converged into a surging, almost irrepressible tide.

Prince of Jingbei Murong Hong and Prince of Anping Murong Zhang have grown strong.

Through coercion, inducement, and promises, they not only connected with a large number of court officials who were dissatisfied with Murong Yan's rule, but also extended their tentacles to the core of the capital's defense - the patrol camp under the command of the Nine Gates Admiral, and the Right Army of the Yulin Guard responsible for guarding the outer periphery of the imperial city!

Several key generals have been won over or controlled, and we are just waiting for a signal to open the city gates and lead the rebels straight in!

At the same time, they planned to launch a thundering attack during the New Year's Eve ceremony, while all the officials were paying their respects and the crowd was mixed, to control the Golden Palace and capture and kill the "Tyrant Demon Queen"!

The fangs of conspiracy have been poisoned and are aimed at the heart of the palace.

On this day, the sky had just cleared after a snowfall, and the sunlight shone palely on the snow-covered glazed tiles, reflecting a harsh, cold light. However, Murong Yan did not stay in the warm palace, but appeared in a remote and cold hall in the palace - the Ministry of Punishment.

She wasn't here for no reason.

She was still wearing the gorgeous, thick, warm and comfortable black and gold cotton nightgown with the pattern of "Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix", as if this dress was the armor and crown that she would never take off.

In the dim light of the cold and gloomy palace, the base material of the black-gold cotton presents a quiet texture that swallows the light, and the natural golden cotton wool shimmers faintly, mysterious and noble.

On the nightgown, the overwhelming golden embroidery of a giant phoenix looked even more ferocious and gorgeous in the shadows. The red gold was like coagulated blood, the rose gold was like the setting sun, the silver was like a cold blade, and the purple gold was like the dark night. The gemstones in the phoenix eyes flashed with a cold light that could see through all conspiracies.

The wide, soft trumpet sleeves fell, the gold tassels at the cuffs unmoving. And the five-meter-long, incredibly heavy cotton train dragged unscrupulously across the cold, rough, and even darkly stained bluestone floor of the Ministry of Punishment!

The extremely luxurious tail and the gloomy and dirty environment formed a suffocatingly sharp contrast!

The gems and gold embroidery inlaid on it stubbornly reflected the faint but dazzling light in the dim light, as if a dark golden river came from the sky, judging sin, and mercilessly flooding over this filthy land!

Lin Zhen did not accompany them and was reportedly handling urgent military affairs in the previous dynasty.

Murong Yan was flanked by a team of expressionless and murderous Fengling guards.

The eunuch in charge of the Ministry of Punishment and a group of foreign servants knelt on the ground, trembling all over, with cold sweat soaking the backs of their clothes.

Murong Yan sat lazily on a chair covered with white tiger skin. The chair was moved in temporarily and was out of place in this gloomy place.

Her hand under her wide flared sleeves gently supported her chin, and her eyes calmly swept over the three people kneeling in front of her.

The three men were dressed in rags and covered in wounds, clearly having been tortured, yet their eyes still held a hint of stubbornness and fear. They had been captured by the Fengling Guards on duty last night while attempting to smuggle a batch of "medicinal herbs" into the palace through Xihua Gate.

The commander guarding Xihua Gate was none other than the confidant of the deputy commander of the right army of the Imperial Guard, who was secretly controlled by the two princes!

"Speak," Murong Yan said, her voice cold and emotionless, echoing in the gloomy palace. "What's hidden under that cart of 'medicinal herbs'? Weapons? Crossbows? Or kerosene?"

The three of them gritted their teeth, lowered their heads and remained silent.

The eunuch in charge of the punishment at the Ministry of Punishment was so frightened that he kowtowed profusely, "Your Majesty, calm down! This servant...this servant will increase the severity of the punishment! I will make them talk!"

Murong Yan waved her flared sleeves slightly, signaling him to shut up.

She stood up slowly, and the five-meter-long cotton tail made a heavy friction sound on the rough ground.

She walked towards the three people step by step. Her luxurious nightgown against the dark background made her look like a god descending from hell, with a terrifying aura.

She stopped in front of one of them, leaning forward slightly, the edges of her flared sleeves almost touching the ground.

"Your right hand has thick calluses on the base of the palm," she said, her voice soft as a venomous snake's tongue. "Did they develop from years of gripping a knife or pulling a bowstring?"

The man's body trembled violently!

Murong Yan straightened up and turned her gaze to the other person: "Although your boots are old, they are the standard leather boots that the border troops just replaced this year. The grooves on the soles haven't worn off yet."

The second person's face turned pale instantly!

Finally, her eyes fell on the third person: "You smell."

She sniffed the air lightly, a hint of disgust in her eyes. "The smell of saltpeter and sulfur, although very faint. Are you transporting gunpowder instead of kerosene?"

The third person completely collapsed!

The entire Ministry of Punishment was in a dead silence! Everyone was terrified!

Your Majesty, she...she could actually notice such a subtle detail?!

Murong Yan slowly turned around and walked towards her seat.

The moment she turned around! Her movements were a little hurried, with a hint of impatience!

The extremely heavy five-meter cotton train was suddenly lifted up by the sudden turn, and the huge dark golden skirt rolled up like a raging wave, sweeping across the cold and rough ground with a loud noise!

As the hem of the skirt suddenly floated up, it suddenly revealed the gorgeous lining with a dark brocade base and extremely intricate embroidery of hundreds of phoenixes facing the sun and lotus flowers with bright gold thread!

The golden phoenix pattern on the lining suddenly flashed in the dim light, its golden light dazzling and magnificent, forming a stark contrast with the dark gold background of the nightgown and the gloomy environment. It was like a sudden burst of lightning in the endless darkness, noble, dazzling, and carrying a sense of ruthless judgment!

This breathtaking splendor was fleeting, and the hem of the skirt fell immediately, but the majesty and insight in that moment had completely broken down the psychological defenses of the three people on the ground!

"It's...it's gunpowder..." One of them collapsed and cried, "It was the prince, the King of Jingbei who ordered us to bring it into the palace and bury it...bury it under the Qianqiu Pavilion, and wait..."

"Wait until the end-of-year ceremony, when I and the officials arrive, to detonate it, right?" Murong Yan replied, her voice calm, as if discussing a trivial matter that had nothing to do with her. She had already sat back in her chair, her hand beneath her flared sleeves gently brushing the giant phoenix wings on her robe sleeves.

The three of them looked ashen and collapsed completely.

Murong Yan leaned lazily against her chair, her gaze icy as she cast a cold glance at the trembling eunuch in charge of the Ministry of Punishment, who knelt on the ground. "Whose subordinates are those of the Right Army of the Imperial Guards guarding Xihua Gate? How could they allow such a thing into the palace? And how could you, the Ministry of Punishment, have no prior knowledge of this?"

The eunuch in charge of the punishment was so frightened that he almost fainted: "This slave deserves to die! This slave deserves to die! Zhang Huan, the deputy commander of the Right Army, he... he recently adjusted the palace guard rotation... This slave... This slave..."

"Zhang Huan..." Murong Yan softly repeated the name, a cruel arc raised at the corner of her mouth, "Very good."

She slowly stood up, and her five-foot tail once again dragged heavily on the ground.

"Propagate my command." Her voice was soft, but like an icicle, piercing everyone's heart. "Zhang Huan, deputy commander of the Right Army of the Imperial Guard, neglected his duties, colluded with foreign enemies, and attempted treason. His crimes are unforgivable. Arrest him immediately, and exterminate his entire clan. All officers above the rank of lieutenant general in the Right Army are suspended and handed over to the Fengling Guard for a thorough investigation."

"The eunuchs in charge of the Ministry of Punishment are ignorant and incompetent. They will be dragged away and beaten to death."

"As for these three..." She glanced at the three people lying limp on the ground, her trumpet sleeves waving lightly, "Since they like gunpowder, then tie them up under Qianqiu Pavilion and let them experience the feeling of being blown up into the sky for themselves."

The order was given, extremely coldly, without any room for maneuver!

"Your Majesty, please spare me! Your Majesty, please spare me!" The cries and pleas for mercy instantly filled the entire Ministry of Punishment!

Feng Lingwei did not hesitate and immediately stepped forward to carry out the order!

Murong Yan seemed not to hear these sounds. She frowned slightly and looked down at the stain on the edge of her tail (caused by sweeping the ground just now), and a trace of displeasure and heartache flashed in her eyes.

"It's dirty..." She muttered softly, with a hint of genuine regret in her tone, as if this was more important than the shocking conspiracy that had just been exposed and the order to massacre that had been issued.

She ignored the blood and wailing behind her, and walked towards the Ministry of Punishment with her magnificent five-meter-long tail. The Phoenix Feather Guards immediately stepped forward to protect her.

When she reached the palace door, pale sunlight shone in, falling on her dark gold nightgown, creating a cold halo.

She suddenly stopped, without looking back, and her cold voice spread throughout the hall:

"Tell the people behind you..."

Her voice paused, as if with a hint of playful laughter, but it was icy cold:

"If you want to play with fire, I'll accompany you."

"Just be careful not to burn yourself."

With that, she stepped into the sunlight, her heavy train dragging across the threshold, leaving behind a luxurious and cold trail.

Inside the hall, there were only the muffled sounds of execution and desperate wails.

Murong Yan returned to her bedroom and immediately ordered someone to prepare fragrant bath water, especially asking them to use a special perfumed lotion to carefully clean the stains on the train of her nightgown.

She took off her nightgown and immersed it in warm water filled with flower petals and spices. She sat by the pool and scrubbed the edge of the dress very carefully, bit by bit, with her velvet-knotted hands, looking as focused as if she were treating a fragile treasure.

Lin Zhen hurried over, his face solemn, having obviously learned everything that had happened at the Ministry of Punishment. He saw Murong Yan washing her nightgown with her own hands, a complex look flashed in his eyes, and he quickly stepped forward.

Murong Yan raised her head and saw him. A trace of grievance and dependence appeared on her face. She stretched out her wet finger and pointed at the stain: "Husband... look... it's dirty..."

Lin Zhen felt a pang in his heart. He squatted down and held her hand. "It's okay. It will be clean. Yan'er has been wronged."

"They stained my clothes..." Murong Yan complained softly, but her eyes were cold, "They also wanted to blow me up with gunpowder..."

Lin Zhen's eyes flashed with murderous intent: "Don't worry, Yan'er, I have sent more people and will definitely catch the rebels in one fell swoop!"

Murong Yan shook her head and returned her attention to cleaning the tail. Her voice became lazy and cruel: "No rush... Let them gather a little longer... It would be better..."

She gently rubbed the golden phoenix pattern on the brocade, and the corners of her mouth curled up in that familiar, enchanting, and tyrannical arc:

"Isn't the New Year's Eve celebration coming soon?"

"I just need some fresh embellishments."

She raised her head and looked at Lin Zhen, her eyes clear but terrifying:

"Use their bones and blood to decorate my clothes. Do you think it looks good, my husband?"

Lin Zhen saw the undisguised anticipation for a bloody feast in her eyes, and his heart was shaken. However, he could only hold her slightly cold hand tighter and said in a deep voice, "...As long as Yan'er likes it, that's good."

Murong Yan smiled with satisfaction, lowered her head, and continued to wash her gorgeous clothes with concentration, as if that was the most important thing in the world.

Outside the window, the north wind was howling and the snow began to fall again.