On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

The warm breeze of March failed to blow away the clouds of war hanging over the Daqian Dynasty.

Urgent military intelligence from the border flew into the imperial city like snowflakes, and each one carried the smell of blood and anxiety.

After obtaining the defected Yuwen Shu and the core technology he carried, the State of Qi did not immediately send a large army to attack the border, but instead adopted a more insidious and destructive strategy.

They took advantage of the improved artillery range and accuracy, frequently dispatching small groups of elite cavalry to cross the border to carry out harassment, precisely striking granaries, arsenals, and even command hubs in the Daqian border military towns!

At the same time, they used the prototypes of their new ships to block coastal waterways, plunder merchant ships, cut off Daqian's trade and contacts with overseas vassal states, and attempted to strangle Daqian economically and logistically!

On the southwestern border, the large barbarian tribes that were instigated and armed by the State of Qi began to invade the border crazily.

They no longer engaged in small-scale robbery, but organized an army of tens of thousands of people. Relying on the sophisticated armor and siege equipment provided by Qi, they began to besiege the important border town of Daqian!

Their tactics were cunning, they avoided the strong and attacked the weak, burned down villages, massacred border residents, cut off official roads, and caused the southwest front to be in constant flames, making it difficult for them to cope!

Attacked from both sides, the situation is critical!

However, there was no panic within the palace.

Deep underground in the imperial city, there is an extremely secret place - the Phoenix Throat Hall.

This hall was no traditional palace, but a vast underground strategic secret chamber, filled with secret information, hung with large, precise military maps, and displayed with countless sand tables and models. This was the heart of the empire's war effort.

At this moment, the lights in the Phoenix Throat Hall were bright, but the atmosphere was solemn.

On the huge sand table of the Kyushu territory, the black flags representing the enemy and the red barbarian symbols are spreading from the north and southwest to the heartland of Daqian like poisonous snakes.

Lin Zhen and several core generals and secret guard leaders were gathered in front of the sand table, discussing in low voices with serious expressions, and everyone had a frown on their face.

There was a heavy mechanical sound, and a secret door slid open.

Everyone fell silent instantly and stood in silence with their heads bowed.

Murong Yan walked in slowly wearing the extremely gorgeous and dreamy black and gold Su Jin cotton nightgown, which looked extremely out of place in this strategic secret hall filled with cold metal and murderous aura, and seemed to be destined by heaven. It was the Phoenix Descent Dress.

The extremely dark black Su Jin base material absorbed the light reflected by the countless eternal lamps and crystal mirrors in the hall, presenting an abyss-like ink color. However, the golden cotton wool and real gold thread woven into it flowed with a dark and sharp golden light under the cold light, mysterious and noble, forming a thrilling contrast with the cold military equipment around it.

On top of the "Divine Phoenix Descent Skirt", the overwhelming giant phoenix is ​​embroidered with only red gold thread. In the solemn and murderous environment at this moment, it looks even more scorching and oppressive. The phoenix feathers are layered, as if they are about to break through the clothes at any time and burn all the enemy chiefs in the world!

The black diamonds in her phoenix eyes were icy and penetrating, reflecting the flames of war on the sand table. Her wide, light trumpet sleeves fell, the gold tassels at the cuffs motionless.

And the five-meter-long Su Jin tail dragged directly on the cold and smooth black iron floor of the Fenghou Hall without any scruples!

The gems inlaid on the extremely luxurious train reflected a cold and dazzling light under the cold light, like a flowing ink-gold boundary, closely connecting the killing core of the empire with her absolute authority.

She had a peerless appearance, but her expression was as cold as ten thousand years of black ice. Her gaze fell precisely on the huge sand table, as if she could see through all illusions in an instant.

"Your Majesty." Lin Zhen bowed slightly, and the others knelt on the ground.

Murong Yan did not ask them to stand up, but walked slowly to the main seat of the sand table. The five-meter-long tail of the "Divine Phoenix Descent Skirt" spread out behind her, rolling over the models representing mountains, rivers, and streams.

She leaned forward slightly, her slender fingers, clad in black velvet, pointed precisely at a military town in the northern border that had recently been marked as attacked. "What are the losses here? Have you confirmed the type of artillery?"

Her voice was cold and emotionless, but it got to the point.

The general in charge of military intelligence in the northern border knelt on the ground, sweat dripping from his face. He quickly reported, "Your Majesty, 30% of the granary has been destroyed, with over a hundred casualties. According to the surviving soldiers, the Qi army's artillery has a range of nearly 20% longer than before, and is more accurate when it lands. It's suspected to be the improved version of the 'Thunderbolt Fire' that Yuwen Shu brought."

Murong Yan's fingertips didn't stop as she slid towards several coastal ports marked as attacked. "How many sea routes have been cut off? How many merchant ships have been lost? Can the compensation keep up?"

She even used a brand new term that came from the newly established institutions of Gewuyuan and the Ministry of Revenue.

The official in charge of shipping and economy answered in a trembling voice. The data was detailed, but there was a sense of despair in it.

Murong Yan listened quietly, with no expression on her face, and just tapped the model of Qi's capital on the sand table with her fingertips.

After listening to the reports from the North and the sea transport, she turned her gaze to the southwest, pointing her finger at a key town besieged by a barbarian army. "Who is the commander here? How many days can the food, fodder, and crossbows in the city hold out? Which direction did the barbarian siege vehicles come from?"

The southwestern generals reported one by one that the situation was critical.

After everyone had finished reporting, the hall fell into dead silence, and the atmosphere of despair almost froze.

Murong Yan suddenly chuckled, the sound echoing in the cold palace, making people's hair stand on end. "Is this all you have? Are you worthy of causing unrest in my kingdom?"

She slowly stood up and glanced at the people kneeling on the ground. Her eyes were cold and sharp. "Does Qi think that it can show off in front of me just because it has a few broken maps?"

She clenched her hands under her wide trumpet sleeves and said, "Pass on my order. No, there is no need to pass on my order."

She turned her gaze to the leader of the secret guards: "Have all the Night Owls been released?"

The leader of the secret guards shuddered and suddenly looked up. "Your Majesty! According to your secret order three days ago, all the 'Night Owls' lurking in Qi have been activated! They are targeting Yuwen Shu, the craftsmen he took with him, and the three major military workshops in Qi!"

"Very good." Murong Yan's lips curled up cruelly. "Tell them that I don't want to hear any more news about Qi's new firearms. They know what to do."

"Yes!" Fanaticism and fear flashed in the eyes of the secret guard leader as he took the order and left. Thus began a silent and extremely dark assassination and sabotage operation targeting the core technology of Qi.

"As for the sea route," Murong Yan turned her gaze to Lin Zhen, "I remember that the Institute of Gewu completed the final test of the 'Jiaofeng' boat at the end of last year?"

Lin Zhen's eyes fixed and he nodded.

"Dispatch three 'Jiaofeng' ships secretly out of the harbor." Murong Yan said calmly, "Target the Qi ships transporting artillery and supplies. I will make sure they never return. Remember to make it look like a shipwreck."

"Yes," Lin Zhen replied solemnly. A new type of ship, secretly developed by Daqian and capable of underwater stealth attacks, was about to be deployed in combat for the first time.

"Also," Murong Yan pointed to the vague mountainous area between Qi State and the barbarian territory on the sand table, "the old road of the 'Ancient Tea-Horse Road' here should still be usable, right?"

An old minister looked up in astonishment and said, "Your Majesty, that was abandoned by the previous dynasty."

"I know it's abandoned," Murong Yan interrupted him, a cold glint in her eyes. "Find a group of assassins disguised as merchants and send some 'gifts' to the barbarian camp along this old road."

"Gift?" The old minister was puzzled.

"Yes." Murong Yan chuckled. "The gifts could be dead rats infected with the plague, salt mixed with Jinshi powder, or a few swords 'captured' from the 'fallen' Qi soldiers and engraved with barbarian totems. You decide what to use. I only want results."

Her voice was gentle, yet it sent shivers down everyone's spine! This was intended to stir up suspicion and civil unrest between the barbarians and the State of Qi! Her tactics were incredibly sinister!

"As for the southwest," Murong Yan's gaze fell on the besieged town again, "the defending commander is Wang Jian, right? Tell him I'll give him five more days. If the city is breached after five days, let him commit suicide to apologize. I'll take good care of his family."

She paused, then added, "Draw a brigade of elite soldiers from the Imperial Guard, dress them in frontier army uniforms, and set out tonight. Avoid the official roads, bypass Black Wind Gorge, and head straight for the barbarian army's rear forage camp. Burn it down."

Orders were issued one after another, cold, precise, and ruthless, completely skipping the normal court process and being directly executed! Every move hit the enemy's weak spot!

The ministers were horrified when they heard this, but they were also terrified and a little inspired by the ruthlessness and wisdom contained in it.

Murong Yan seemed a little tired after she finished speaking. She turned slightly sideways, her eyes sweeping across the intertwined symbols of enemy and friend on the sand table. Suddenly, she turned around!

The movements were swift and graceful, with unquestionable majesty!

The light and elegant five-meter-long Su Jin train was suddenly lifted up by the sudden turn, and the huge dark golden skirt unfolded like the wings of a phoenix ready to take off, sweeping across the cold black iron floor with a swish!

As the hem of the skirt suddenly floated up, it suddenly revealed the gorgeous lining inside. It was made of the same dark black Su brocade as the base, but with more brilliant and dazzling red gold thread, with the ultimate craftsmanship of "weaving gold all over the ground", and was embroidered with hundreds of phoenixes facing the sun, lotus patterns and patterns of longevity and blessings!

The golden phoenix and patterns on the lining suddenly flashed in the cold light of the Phoenix Throat Hall. The golden light was dazzling and magnificent to the extreme, like the scorching sun suddenly rising in the cold strategic core, noble, dazzling, and carrying the determination to crush all enemies!

The skirt falls down, and the brilliance is restrained.

But Murong Yan's murderous intent was as real as a substance: "Remember," her voice was cold, echoing in the hall, "I don't care what method you use or how many people die."

Her gaze was like a knife, sweeping across everyone. "Within a month, I want to see Qi's artillery rendered mute! I want to see the barbarian army starving and fleeing back into the mountains! I want to see Yuwen Shu's head hung on Qi's city walls!"

"Otherwise," the cruel curve of her mouth deepened, "you will disappear along with the urban management you are guarding."

After saying this, she no longer looked at anyone, and turned around, wearing her gorgeous and heavy "Divine Phoenix Dress", and walked towards the secret door step by step, leaving a thrilling trail behind her.

The secret door slowly closed, isolating her beautiful yet cold figure outside.

A deathly silence fell within the Phoenix Throat Hall. After a long moment, Lin Zhen slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping over the pale faces of the crowd. His voice was calm, "Did you hear all this? Execute it."

Everyone woke up as if from a dream, and hurriedly followed the order and left. Their steps were hurried but with an efficiency that was born out of extreme fear.

Lin Zhen stood alone in front of the sand table, staring deeply at the key points that Murong Yan had just pointed out. His fingertips unconsciously brushed across the place where her tail had just brushed past, as if he could still feel the coolness of Su Jin and the hardness of the gold thread.

He knew she was more than just giving orders.

She had already seen through the thick fog and the key to breaking the deadlock, and in the most cruel, direct and effective way, she accurately stabbed the blade into the enemy's heart.

The war had taken a turn from the moment she stepped into the Phoenix Throat Palace.