On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

It was very cold in the twelfth lunar month, and the sky in the capital was always gray, with low-hanging leaden clouds, making it hard to breathe.

The festive period of the Lunar New Year had not yet arrived, but a sense of impending disaster had already enveloped the city. Rumors were swirling, alleging that the empress was tyrannical, extravagant, and favored treacherous officials, drawing the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people.

The two princes who were "unjustly killed" were quietly portrayed as tragic heroes by the people, who expected them to "restore order."

The rebellion preparations of Jingbei King Murong Hong and Anping King Murong Zhang have gone from connecting with court officials and infiltrating palace defenses to a more substantial stage - raising huge military funds and secretly reorganizing their private armies!

Relying on his former power as the head of the Ministry of Revenue and secret intimidation, Murong Hong smuggled salt, iron, and silk on a large scale through several secretly controlled water transport routes, and even secretly traded with overseas foreign countries to make huge profits!

Countless gold and silver flowed like underground rivers into several villas he secretly established outside the capital.

Murong Zhang used his past influence in the army and, in the name of "suppressing bandits" and "building strongholds", secretly transferred batches of sophisticated military equipment, armor, and food from various garrisons and transported them to secret strongholds.

He even spent a large sum of money to bribe the brave soldiers of the border army and the fugitives from the Jianghu, and formed a private army of considerable size and good combat effectiveness!

Their tentacles even extended to the imperial treasury! By bribing several low-ranking officials who held the keys to the treasury, they stole gold ingots and jewels from the treasury several times, melting them down and using them as military funds!

The gears of conspiracy, turning madly in the darkness, have emitted a dangerous roar.

Deep within the palace, the heating in the warm room burned fiercely, creating a warmth reminiscent of spring, a world apart from the bitter cold outside. Murong Yan, clad in her luxurious, lightweight, cool, and silky black and gold Sujin cotton nightgown, lazily reclined on a soft couch covered in thick black fox fur.

The nightgown is made of the finest black Su brocade, woven with natural golden cotton wool and fine gold thread. Under the soft light of palace lanterns, the fabric presents a restrained black background and flowing dark gold luster, which is mysterious, noble and light as if it does not weigh anything.

On it, the giant phoenix, which covers the entire body and even the tail, is embroidered with red gold threads of different twists, thicknesses, and lusters using the unique "gold-plated embossed feather embroidery" technique. The phoenix feathers are layered and lifelike, sometimes blazing like flowing molten gold, sometimes deep like stars in the dark night. The majestic momentum and ultimate dignity are displayed solely by the changes in the golden color.

The phoenix eyes were inlaid with two huge, perfectly cut black diamonds, cold and penetrating.

The wide and light trumpet cuffs are sewn with layers of Su brocade of the same color to create the shape of phoenix feathers, and the edges are rolled with fine red gold bead tassels, which are gorgeous and elegant.

The five-meter-long Su brocade train, which was connected to the nightgown, was even more gorgeous. It was embroidered with a pattern of birds paying homage to the phoenix with finer gold thread, and was densely inlaid with countless black diamonds, black jade, and black gold. Although it looked heavy and luxurious, the Su brocade was extremely light and its actual weight was much lighter than it looked. However, Murong Yan still liked to let it drag naturally and meanderingly on the mirror-like golden brick floor of the warm room, enjoying the supreme majesty brought by its layout.

Her cloud-like black hair was not tied up, but draped over her shoulders, flowing over the gorgeous pattern of her dark gold nightgown and the dark fox fur.

She was playing with a long, transparent black jade hairpin in her hand, but her eyes were not focused, but fell on a red plum blossom outside the window that was bent by the snow. Her eyes were filled with her usual laziness and a hint of emptiness.

Four palace maids stood in the corner with their heads bowed, holding their breath in concentration.

There were faint footsteps outside the palace, and Lin Zhen walked in. His face was calm, but there was a subtle hint of fatigue and solemnity between his brows. He waved his hand to dismiss the palace maid.

He walked to the couch and sat down very naturally. He reached out and smoothed a strand of hair by her cheek, his fingertips warm. "Yan'er, are you bored? Do you want the musicians to play some music?"

Murong Yan slowly turned her head, her eyes fixed on his slightly furrowed brows. She gently raised her hand from under her trumpet sleeves and lightly tapped there with her fingertips: "Husband, are you upset?"

Lin Zhen was slightly startled, then smiled and held her hand: "Nothing, just some trivial matters."

Murong Yan looked at him quietly, her eyes clear and penetrating, "Is the treasury out of money again? Or has someone stolen my things again?"

Lin Zhen's heart suddenly shuddered!

He had indeed just received a tip-off that there seemed to be a theft in the inner treasury, and the amount was not small. He was secretly investigating and had not reported it to her yet!

How...how did she know?!

He forced himself to remain calm and said softly, "Yan'er, why do you say that? Everything is fine in the palace."

Murong Yan tilted her head slightly, her wide trumpet sleeves brushing against his arm. Her voice was soft yet tinged with a hint of cold understanding: "I smell the stench of money and betrayal, and it's getting stronger and stronger..."

She slowly sat up straight, her Su Jin nightgown rustling with the slightest sound as she moved, and the five-meter-long train also slid slightly. She cast her gaze toward the palace gate, as if she could see through the palace walls into the distance.

"Isn't it Murong Hong who is secretly selling my salt and iron?" she asked softly, her tone as flat as if she was asking about today's snacks.

Lin Zhen's pupils suddenly shrank!

"Isn't it Murong Zhang who is secretly transferring my soldiers and armor?" she continued to ask, her fingers under her flared sleeves unconsciously wrapped around a strand of gold tassel.

Lin Zhen's breath was choked!

"And..." She slowly turned her head and looked at Lin Zhen, her eyes icy cold. "Are there a few gold ingots missing from my inner treasury? Hmm?"

Lin Zhen froze completely, staring at her in disbelief! This information was the result of his searching the vast dark web!

She lived deep in the palace, wearing a nightgown, how...how could she act like she was there with her own eyes?!

Murong Yan looked at his shocked expression and suddenly smiled. Her smile was strange and beautiful, with a childlike innocence and cruelty. "Are they happy with the money they made? Are their soldiers well trained? Are they using the stolen gold well?"

She stood up slowly, and the five-meter-long Su Jin tail dragged lightly but majestically on the ground.

She walked to the window, looked at the snowflakes flying outside, and gently pressed her hands under her flared sleeves on the cold glass window.

"I remember the batch of red gold pearl powder that Jiangnan sent as tribute last year. It had the best color..." She seemed to be talking to herself, "It would look best on me when I use it to paint my phoenix eyes..."

She suddenly turned around!

The movements are swift and graceful!

The light and elegant five-meter-long Su Jin train was suddenly lifted up by the sudden turn, and the huge dark golden skirt floated up like a flowing cloud, brushing across the smooth ground with a swish!

As the hem of the skirt suddenly floated up, it suddenly revealed the gorgeous lining inside. It was also made of dark black Su Jin, but it was embroidered with extremely complex patterns of hundreds of phoenixes facing the sun and entwined lotus flowers with brighter red gold thread!

The golden phoenix pattern on the lining suddenly flashed under the illumination of the palace lanterns. The golden light was brilliant and gorgeous, forming a thrilling contrast with the dark gold background of the nightgown. It was noble, dazzling, and full of ruthless insight!

The skirt falls down, and the brilliance is restrained.

Murong Yan's gaze had turned cold and sharp. She looked at Lin Zhen, her voice clear and calm, yet carrying an undeniable pressure: "Go and check. The Canal Transport Bureau, the Salt and Iron Bureau, the Armory, the Imperial Treasury... leave out no one who was involved."

She raised her chin slightly, her flared sleeves waving softly. "Chop off their hands for me. Melt the gold they embezzled and make shackles out of it."

"Melt down the weapons they smuggled in and beat them into plowshares."

"Burn their hidden stores of food and fodder, and scatter the ashes on their ancestral graves."

Her tone was understated, as if she was giving instructions for tonight's menu: "As for those two uncles who thought I didn't know they were still breathing..."

The corners of her mouth curled up in an extremely cruel and joyful arc:

"Tell them that I really like the military pay they saved for me and the soldiers they trained."

"I will go and get it myself at the end of the year."

"Use their skulls to make drinking vessels."

"Use their blood to dye my new clothes."

After saying that, she stopped looking at Lin Zhen, and walked slowly back to the couch with her gorgeous five-meter-long train. She leaned back lazily and picked up the long black jade hairpin to play with it again, as if the cold and bloody order had never been issued.

Lin Zhen stood there, his heart churning. He was shocked by her sharpness and coldness, and also terrified by the bloody storm that was about to come. He took a deep breath, a glint of determination flashing in his eyes. He bowed and said in a deep voice, "...Your Majesty, I obey your command."

He turned and strode away, his steps steady but filled with a murderous air.

Murong Yan looked at his departing back, and the cruel curve at the corner of her mouth slowly widened.

She gently stroked the giant phoenix's cold black diamond eyes on her nightgown and whispered to herself, her voice trembling with excitement:

"The game is getting more and more interesting, please don't let me down..."

Outside the window, the snow fell heavier and heavier, temporarily covering up all the filth and conspiracy, but it could not hide the surging bloody undercurrent underneath.