On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

The spring breeze of the first year of Shenghui did not bring any warmth to the aristocratic families that had occupied Daqian for hundreds of years. Instead, it brought a biting cold current blowing from the depths of the imperial city, sweeping through their mansions.

Murong Yan's instructions, which seemed to be about "promoting culture and education", "encouraging land reclamation" and "optimizing armaments", were like precisely shot poisoned crossbow arrows, each one aimed directly at their lifeblood.

The edict was issued to the whole country through the imperial court. The wording was grand and under the banner of "Holy New Deal, Benefiting All People", making it difficult to refute it openly. However, the hidden blade of weakening the vassal states made these thousand-year-old families feel a biting chill and a fatal threat.

When the news came back, the reaction of the major families was not simply anger, but a complex emotion mixed with great fear, deep resentment and desperate struggle.

They knew very well that this empress was different from any previous monarch. She did not want compromise or balance. She wanted complete submission or complete destruction.

Taiyuan, Wang family ancestral home, late at night.

The ancestral hall was brightly lit and filled with the scent of sandalwood, but it could not dispel the pervasive depression and despair.

The head of the family, Wang Xun, a white-haired old man in his sixties, held the copied imperial edict in trembling hands, repeatedly reading it, his face grim. Beneath him, gathered the core members of the clan, all with sullen faces.

"Opening the library and sharing classics—haha, what a way to promote culture!" Wang Xun's voice was hoarse and tearful. "This is going to undermine the very foundation of our Cui family! Without these rare and valuable books, who among the scholars of the world would still recognize us as the ancestral family of literature?!"

"Father!" His eldest son, the young and strong Wang Yunzhi gritted his teeth, "This witch! She's clearly trying to destroy my family's thousand-year accumulation in an instant! We can't just sit there and wait for death!"

"That's right!" Another elder beat his chest and stamped his feet. "And that Lu family! Encouraging land reclamation? They're clearly condoning unruly people to seize fertile farmland! And the Wang family! Setting up an Ordnance General Administration? They're trying to sever our ties with the military! Their hearts are damnable! Their hearts are damnable!"

Vicious curses and wails rang out in the ancestral hall.

"Murong Yan! You are a hen crowing at dawn, a temptress! You are violating human ethics and trampling on the holy way! You shall not die a good death!"

"And that Lin Zhen! A treacherous villain! You seduced the emperor! You aided and abetted the tyrant! You two, a pair of bastards, will be punished by heaven!"

Wang Xun burst into tears and threw the imperial edict to the ground, shouting, "Curses are useless! The situation is like a knife at my neck! Murong Yan wants to boil the frog in warm water, and we must not be the frog in the pot!"

There was a glint of ruthlessness in his eyes.

"Didn't she want to share? Fine! Let's let her share as much as she wants! Send out orders to loan out the most obscure and ambiguous rare books in the library first to those from less privileged backgrounds! Then send someone to secretly guide them, making them fight tooth and nail over the interpretation of the classics! Let's throw this cultural education into chaos!"

"Also," Wang Yunzhi added grimly, "Contact the Fanyang Lu family, the Qinghe Cui family, and all the affected families! Murong Yan wants to defeat them one by one, but we insist on sticking together! She's in the open, and we'll always find an opportunity in the dark."

Fanyang, Lu family farm.

An unusual tension hung over the vast fields. Lu Chengqing, the calculating middle-aged patriarch of the Lu family, listened sullenly to the steward's report.

"Master, the surveyor sent by the court has arrived. He said there is a large area of ​​unowned wasteland next to our fertile farmland, and they want to give it to the refugees to reclaim it."

"Unowned wasteland?" Lu Chengqing sneered, "That's the pasture reserved by my Lu family! It's cultivated wasteland!" A cold glint flashed in his eyes, "Tell the people below, if those refugees dare to get close, release the dogs at night! Or let a few accidents happen! After a few deaths, see who dares to come and claim this imperial favor!"

"But sir, the court has issued an order. If you stop me..."

"An imperial decree?" Lu Chengqing sneered. "The emperor is far away! The law cannot punish the masses! Murong Yan's hand can't reach that far! Besides, why not secretly transport the old grain in the warehouse to the barbarians in Mobei in the north? Aren't they always short of food? Get a good price and find something for our emperor to do!"

Qinghe, Cui's Academy.

The academy, once bustling with the sounds of reading, was now filled with suppressed discussions. Cui Wenjing, the head of the Cui family, a self-proclaimed scholar, lost his composure and turned grim.

"Opening the library is truly a disgrace!" he lamented. "My Cui family's collection of books is the labor of our ancestors. How can we allow those vulgar people to casually browse and defile it?"

"Father," his son Cui Hao whispered, "We can't openly disobey your order, but we can strictly review borrowing qualifications! We can set up many barriers to entry and delay the process! Besides, the library's long-standing disrepair and the need to close it for repairs are also a reason."

A hint of helplessness and gloom flashed across Cui Wenjing's eyes:

"That's all we can do. Also, contact our students and friends in the court and submit a petition! Not outright opposition, but rather discussing the difficulty of implementing the new policies and the need for a long-term plan! Use the tactic of procrastination! At the same time, spread the news of Murong Yan's implementation of the new rituals and suppression of the aristocratic families. We must leave her as a tyrannical and unjust figure in the minds of the scholars!"

Vicious curses, sinister calculations, and desperate counterattacks quietly grew and spread in the deep mansions of the major families.

Like wounded trapped beasts, driven by fear, they began to use the wisdom, connections and resources they had accumulated over thousands of years to weave an invisible network of resistance.

This network may not be able to directly challenge Murong Yan's imperial power, but it is enough to create countless troubles, delays and chaos, trying to turn this "boiling frog in warm water" into a long and exhausting quagmire.

However, at this moment, within Fenghuan Palace, there was an atmosphere of profound tranquility and warmth, a stark contrast to the turbulent undercurrents outside. It was already dusk, and the chambers were ablaze with candlelight, wafting the air with the scent of warm incense.

Murong Yan had just finished showering, her inky black hair still damp with moisture, draped behind her.

She did not change into her pajamas, but let the palace maid wipe her body dry, and then she put on the black and gold Su brocade cotton nightgown that seemed to be in touch with her skin - the Divine Phoenix Descent Dress.

The silky smooth cotton fabric conforms to her exquisite curves, bringing a comfortable touch.

Lin Zhen had been waiting nearby. When he saw her emerge, he naturally took the dry, soft towel from the maid and gently wiped the ends of her hair himself. His movements were extremely gentle, fearing to hurt her in the slightest.

The Divine Phoenix Dress glowed softly in the warm candlelight. The ultra-black Sujin base absorbed the light, as still as night; the golden cotton velvet and genuine gold thread woven into it shone with a warm, dark golden ripple.

The towering phoenix on the nightgown looked less menacing in the indoor light, its feathers layered, adding to its elegance and grace. Wide, light, trumpet sleeves cascaded down her sides, their gold tassels untouched.

The black jade ring on her left thumb was even more moist after being shrouded in water vapor. The five-meter-long Sujin train stretched out across the soft carpet in the bedroom, embroidered with intricate lotus patterns in gold thread. The interweaving of black gold and gold patterns was magnificent.

"Husband," Murong Yan lazily leaned on the pillow of the soft couch, tilting her head slightly to facilitate Lin Zhen's movements. Her voice was hoarse and relaxed after taking a bath. "Is there anything new outside today?"

She closed her eyes, as if asking casually.

Lin Zhen continued to move his hands, his voice steady and gentle, "It's nothing serious. Just some routine government affairs. I have already sent the details of the new policy to various ministries and counties according to Yan'er's instructions."

He paused for a moment and added in a normal tone,

"Also, the secret guards reported that there have been some disturbances in Taiyuan, Fanyang, and Qinghe. It's nothing more than some curses and minor movements."

He simply summarized the reactions of the noble families as "movements" and "small actions."

Murong Yan heard this, and the corners of her mouth slowly curled up into a very faint, cold arc, without even opening her eyes: "Oh? Curse me? Haha, I thought they could come up with some new tricks."

Her tone was filled with undisguised contempt, "It seems I overestimated them."

Lin Zhen dried the last strand of her hair, put down the soft towel, sat down beside her, and naturally took her into his arms, letting her lean on his chest.

His chin rested lightly against the top of her head, inhaling the cool plum scent of her hair.

"The struggle of a trapped beast only adds to the laughter. Yan'er, don't take it to heart."

Murong Yan adjusted herself to a more comfortable position in his arms, sighing contentedly like a cat finding a warm stove. "I don't have time to pay attention to their barking."

She stretched out her hand and playfully stroked the buttons on Lin Zhen's collar.

"The more they curse and the more they resort to unseemly tricks, the more it proves that I am on the right track."

She wore a black jade ring on her fingertips, and the slightly cool touch came through the fabric.

"My lord," she suddenly raised her face, a cruel light glimmering in her phoenix eyes that bordered on innocent. "What do you think their expressions would be when they discovered that their curses couldn't harm me at all, and that their little moves were like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, only to bring about an even more severe blow? It would surely be very interesting, wouldn't it?"

Lin Zhen lowered his head, gazing at her beautiful yet dangerous face so close to him, a mixture of affection and murderous intent mingled within him. He reached out and gently stroked her cheek, his voice low and firm, "They will despair. They will discover that their centuries of accumulation are vulnerable to Yan'er's absolute will. Their expressions will surely be breathtaking."

He paused and added, "Your husband will help Yan'er. Enjoy it."

Murong Yan seemed to be pleased by his words and chuckled softly. Her laughter was crisp, but inexplicably cold.

She took the initiative to move forward and placed a brief but possessive kiss on his lips.

"My husband still understands me."

After the kiss, she nestled back into his arms, her tone returning to a lazy tone: "My husband, just take care of those things. I'm tired and don't want to bother with these dead bones in the grave."

She contemptuously called those century-old families that were struggling desperately "dried bones in the tomb."

"Okay." Lin Zhen replied, tightening his arms and holding her in his embrace. "Your husband will take care of everything. Yan'er just needs to wait for good news."

The flickering candlelight in the hall casts the embracing figures on the wall, creating a warm and peaceful atmosphere.

Murong Yan seemed truly sleepy, her breathing gradually becoming even in his arms. Lin Zhen remained motionless, letting her lean against him, his gaze fixed on the dark night sky outside the window, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.

He knew that the aristocratic families' counterattack had begun, but so what?

Everything was already under his and Yan'er's control.

The outcome of this game was determined from the very beginning.

After an unknown amount of time, Murong Yan unconsciously turned her head slightly in her sleep, as if trying to find a more comfortable position.

The light and elegant five-meter-long Su Jin train was moved by this subtle movement, and the dark golden skirt quietly slid down the edge of the couch, floating slightly in an elegant arc, revealing a corner of the gorgeous lining woven with dense gold thread, which shone brightly under the candlelight.