On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

The spring breeze in the first year of Shenghui seems to be a little chillier than in previous years.

Although the afterglow of the lights and decorations still lingered within the imperial city, an invisible pressure for change originating from the core of the highest power had quietly surged like an undercurrent, overwhelming the hustle and bustle of the festival.

After consolidating her military hegemony and brutally suppressing internal dissent (such as the Kong family), Murong Yan finally extended her iron fist to the spiritual foundation that had maintained the empire's rule for thousands of years - the system of rites and laws.

What she wants to do is not to make some minor repairs, but to completely subvert and reconstruct, thereby announcing the arrival of an era that belongs entirely to her, Murong Yan.

There was no grand court meeting on this day, but the "Wenyuan Pavilion" deep in Fenghuan Palace was brightly lit.

This place was originally the place where the royal family stored books and proofread classics, but now it was temporarily requisitioned as the core center for formulating new etiquette and laws.

The fragrance of books and ink mixed together in the pavilion, but it was filled with a tense and solemn atmosphere that was different from the past.

The huge rosewood desk was piled high with ancient books and volumes, as well as many newly compiled manuscripts with the ink still wet.

Murong Yan did not sit in the main seat, but was leaning lazily on a large recliner covered with white tiger skin by the window, wearing a black and gold Su Jin cotton nightgown with the pattern of "Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" - the "Divine Phoenix Descent Dress" that was incompatible with this rigorous academic environment but seemed to suppress all literary debates with its absolute gorgeousness.

Lin Zhen sat on a round stool behind her, with several documents spread out in front of him, but most of the time, his eyes were on Murong Yan.

Under the illumination of the bright palace lanterns in Wenyuan Pavilion, the Divine Phoenix Dress presents a breathtaking splendor.

The extremely dark black Su Jin base material absorbed the light, its color as quiet as midnight, suppressing the old colors of the surrounding books.

The woven golden cotton wool and real gold thread flow with cold and sharp dark golden waves under the light, which is mysterious and noble, forming an extreme contrast with the simplicity of the books in the room, as if declaring the absolute control of imperial power over knowledge itself.

On top of the nightgown, the overwhelming giant phoenix, embroidered only with red gold thread, is even more majestic in the solemn atmosphere at the moment. The phoenix feathers are layered and shining like molten gold. The noble majesty reveals the murderous spirit of crushing the old shackles!

The black diamonds in her phoenix eyes were cold and penetrating, reflecting the flickering candlelight and the panicked figures of the civil servants writing furiously at their desks. One of her wide, light, trumpet-shaped sleeves casually draped over the edge of a chair, its gold tassel unmoving. The other rested on the armrest of the recliner, the black jade ring adorning her fingertips tapping intermittently against the smooth wood.

And the five-meter-long Su Jin tail was spread out directly on the cold golden brick floor of Wenyuan Pavilion without any scruples!

The jewels inlaid on the utterly luxurious train reflected a cold light, like an inky golden decree descending upon the palace of knowledge, coldly covering the original texture of the ground. The softness of the cotton and the comfort of the nightgown at this moment further highlighted the owner's lazy posture and unquestionable authority.

More than a dozen Hanlin scholars who were urgently summoned to the palace, known for their talent and quick learning but mostly from humble backgrounds or small and medium-sized families, were trembling at both sides of the long desk, writing furiously according to the outline dictated by Murong Yan or occasionally supplemented by Lin Zhen, drafting a code of conduct called "Daqian Shenghui New Rituals".

Cold sweat streamed down their foreheads, because almost every requirement of the Empress challenged the core of Zhou rituals that had been passed down for thousands of years!

"Regarding the funeral ceremony," Murong Yan began lazily. Her voice was low, but it reached everyone's ears clearly, carrying an unquestionable tone. "The three-year mourning period will be abolished. The mourning period for parents will be limited to one hundred days. After one hundred days, the deceased will be reinstated and return to their respective posts. Those who violate this will be treated as disloyal."

As soon as this statement came out, everyone in the audience was shocked!

This completely subverts the Confucian fundamental principle that "filial piety" is the most important virtue!

An older scholar couldn't help but look up, his lips trembling: "Your Majesty! This is shaking the foundation of human relations! I'm afraid that scholars all over the world..."

"Scholars?" Murong Yan chuckled and interrupted him. Her eyes swept across him, cold as a knife. "What's the point of keeping scholars who can't be used by me? I want officials who can get things done, not filial sons and grandsons who can only guard the graves."

Her tone was light, but it made the old scholar turn pale and silent in an instant.

"Weddings," she continued, the black jade ring on her fingertips pausing its tapping. "The cumbersome formalities of the Six Rites will be abolished. Marriages between men and women will only require registration with an official matchmaker and approval from the court. Widows will be encouraged to remarry, and chastity suicide will be prohibited. Violators will be severely punished."

This is another fatal blow to the concept of "chastity".

"Sacrificial rites," she said, her gaze fixed on the dark night sky outside the window, her voice tinged with a hint of ethereal coldness. "Abolish the co-existence of Heaven, Earth, the Emperor, Parents, and Teachers. I am Heaven. From now on, sacrifices will be made to me and the country first. The Confucius Temple may be retained, but its status will be downgraded to a secondary worship."

This is to completely place imperial power above all traditional beliefs!

One after another, earth-shattering new etiquette clauses came out of her mouth slowly, involving official system, clothing, ceremonial guards, and even all aspects of daily life.

The core is only one point: to break the cultural privileges and political status monopolized by the aristocratic families by virtue of their right to interpret the Zhou rituals, and to establish a new order with imperial power as the only core, which is efficient and absolutely obedient.

This is not only an institutional change, but also a profound ideological cleansing.

Lin Zhen sat beside her and did not participate in the drafting of specific clauses, but his presence itself was a strong support.

Sometimes he handed her a cup of warm ginseng tea, and sometimes he added one or two practical suggestions about military etiquette or diplomatic etiquette in a steady voice. His eyes were always calm, as if everything Murong Yan did was natural.

When a scholar's hands trembled and ink spilled due to excessive pressure, he would glance at him lightly. The pressure in his eyes was enough to calm the person down instantly.

Throughout Wenyuan Pavilion, the only sounds were the scraping of brushes on paper and Murong Yan's occasional, cold, yet decisive voice. The atmosphere was oppressive and suffocating.

It was not until midnight that the preliminary framework of the new ritual was roughly drafted.

All the scholars looked exhausted and knelt down with pale faces to present the manuscripts.

Murong Yan did not flip through the pages immediately, but stretched lazily, letting her wide flared sleeves unfurl.

She turned her head and looked at Lin Zhen. The cold look on her face melted instantly, and was stained with a hint of tiredness and dependence: "My husband, I am tired."

Lin Zhen immediately stood up, walked to her, stretched out his hand naturally, and gently massaged her temples.

His movements were gentle and practiced, his fingertips warm. "I know Yan'er has been working so hard. You don't have to do these trivial things yourself."

"No," Murong Yan closed her eyes, enjoying his massage, her voice tinged with a hint of willful stubbornness. "This 'New Ritual' is my first great gift to the first year of Shenghui, and it's also my ultimatum to those old antiques. I want to personally watch it being born."

Her tone carried the pleasure of a creator and the coldness of a destroyer.

She waved her hand, asking the maesters who were barely standing to retreat.

Suddenly, only the two of them were left in the huge Wenyuan Pavilion, and the room was filled with the scent of ink and piles of manuscripts.

Murong Yan then picked up the thick stack of drafts for "Daqian Shenghui New Rites" and casually flipped through a few pages, a satisfied smile on her lips. She put the manuscript down and stood up, the five-meter-long tail sliding across the ground.

"My dear husband," she said, walking to the long table, her eyes sweeping over the books that represented the old order. Her voice was clear and cold, "Tomorrow at the grand court meeting, I will promulgate this 'New Rites'."

Lin Zhen walked up to her and said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, Yan'er, the imperial guards of the capital are on full alert, and all the secret guards are in place.

If anyone dares to oppose me in court," his eyes flashed coldly, "I will make him bleed in the Golden Palace!"

Murong Yan turned her head and looked at him, a complex light flashing in her eyes, a glint of dependence, satisfaction, and a hint of almost crazy trust. She reached out and gently stroked his cheek: "With my husband here, I'm not afraid of anything."

Her fingertips were slightly cool and had the moistness of black jade.

Suddenly, she frowned slightly, raised her hand, and looked at the ink stains on her fingertips - obviously accidentally stained when she was flipping through the draft just now.

A trace of extreme disgust flashed across her face, as if the ink was something dirty.

"It's dirty," she whispered, with genuine annoyance in her tone.

Lin Zhen immediately understood and pulled a snow-white handkerchief from his sleeve. He dipped it in the clear water from the silver basin beside him and very carefully and gently wiped her fingertips. His movements were focused and gentle, as if he was handling a fragile treasure.

Murong Yan let him wipe it, but her eyes once again cast on the pile of "New Etiquette" manuscripts, her eyes became deep: "This ink will soon be stained with blood."

Her voice was low and prophetic.

After wiping her fingers clean, Murong Yan seemed to be in a better mood.

She turned around and faced Lin Zhen, her face once again showing that lazy look of fatigue: "Husband, carry me back. I'm sleepy."

Without hesitation, Lin Zhen took a step forward and lifted her up. Murong Yan obediently nestled in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her face on his warm chest.

The wide, bell-shaped sleeves fell, brushing against his arms. He carefully tucked part of the five-meter-long, dark-golden train into his arms, while the other part trailed gracefully behind him, leaving a breathtakingly gorgeous mark on the smooth floor of Wenyuan Pavilion.

Just as Lin Zhen hugged her and turned to walk towards the door of the pavilion, Murong Yan seemed to remember something and turned her head back suddenly!

The action carries a sense of determination!

The light and elegant five-meter-long Su Jin train was suddenly lifted up by the sudden look back, and the huge dark golden skirt spread out like the wings of a phoenix that finally judged the universe, sweeping across the books and manuscripts on the ground with a swish!

As the hem of the skirt suddenly floated up, the "gold woven all over the ground" lining was revealed, which was dazzling and radiant under the palace lanterns!

The patterns of a hundred phoenixes facing the sun and ten thousand blessings and longevity on the lining suddenly flashed in the light, with golden light flowing, and it was gorgeous and brilliant to the extreme!

It seemed to symbolize that the old books would soon be covered by the will of the Emperor, a brand new law written in gold and blood!

Noble, dazzling, and with unquestionable subversive power!

The skirt fell, and the brilliance was restrained in the quiet ink color.

Murong Yan buried her face deeper into Lin Zhen's arms, her voice muffled, "It's going to be noisy again tomorrow."

Lin Zhen hugged her tightly and walked out of Wenyuan Pavilion steadily into the deep night of the first year of Shenghui.

His voice was low and firm, echoing in the silent palace corridor: "No problem. With my husband here, I will ensure that Yan'er's New Etiquette will be implemented smoothly."