On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

In the early summer of the first year of Shenghui, the weather was getting hotter, but the undercurrents inside and outside the court were even more scorching and oppressive than the weather.

Murong Yan's series of countermeasures that bypassed the aristocratic families and started a new business were like precise scalpels. Although they failed to immediately dismember the aristocratic families, they actually severed several important blood vessels on which they depended for survival.

The interests of the grain transport industry were damaged, the salt and iron monopoly was broken, and official positions were squeezed out by upstarts from humble backgrounds... All of this made the aristocratic families feel deep pain and unprecedented panic.

In panic, the major clans that had been acting independently and even fighting against each other began to put aside their past grudges and collude more closely than ever before in the face of the threat to their survival.

A larger and more covert conspiracy quietly unfolded in the dark night.

Taiyuan, secret room of Wang’s ancestral hall.

The flickering candlelight illuminated faces that ranged from aged to sinister. Besides the head of the family, Wang Xun, Lu Chengqing, head of the Fanyang Lu family, Cui Wenjing, head of the Qinghe Cui family, and several representatives from Jiangnan's powerful families were all present!

This is the first time in nearly a hundred years that the heads of several top aristocratic families have lowered their status and gathered secretly.

"Everyone," Wang Xun said in a hoarse voice, filled with a desperate determination, "Murong Yan is a ruthless woman. She is pressing forward step by step, determined to sever the thousand-year-old roots of our family! If we continue to fight on our own, we will be waiting to be killed!"

Lu Chengqing's face darkened. "Your Excellency is absolutely right. The land-for-silver exchange rate has caused us heavy losses in the grain transport business, and recruiting craftsmen to contract for salt and iron has cut off our financial resources! This feud is irreconcilable!"

Cui Wenjing was deeply concerned: "Opening up the library will only increase the number of people from poor families. If this continues, our academic orthodoxy will be lost. How will our descendants survive in the world?"

"We must join forces!" a Jiangnan representative gritted his teeth. "She's in the open, we're in the dark. A head-on confrontation would be suicidal, but we can attack from other angles..."

"That's right!" A malicious light flashed in Wang Xun's eyes.

"Doesn't Murong Yan claim to be destined to be with us? Then let's make a fuss about this destiny!"

He lowered his voice,

"Contacting old associates at the Imperial Astronomical Observatory, they spread rumors of unusual astrological signs, female ruler meddling in government, and the world in chaos! At the same time, they paid a large sum of money to sorcerers to spread the rumor among the people that she was wearing a strange nightgown (a "divine phoenix descent dress"), indicating a demonic phoenix was coming to power and signs of rebellion!"

“And the economy!”

Lu Chengqing added,

"Didn't she issue a new currency, the Shenghui Tongbao, to stabilize the financial system? We can secretly hoard large quantities of copper coins, creating a currency shortage while simultaneously raising prices and causing panic and resentment among the people! Let her new policies become the fuse that fuels public unrest!"

"Most importantly," Cui Wenjing said sinisterly, "contact all our students and friends in the court and slow down all government affairs, especially military supplies and border defense! Let the court machinery slowly collapse from within! I want to see how long Murong Yan can continue to be so arrogant in a court with internal chaos and unstable borders!"

"And Lin Zhen!" Wang Xun's son Wang Yunzhi said bitterly, "Keep spreading rumors, portraying him as a treacherous lord. Ideally, alienate him from Murong Yan! If we can sow suspicion between the ruler and his subjects, great things will be accomplished!"

Inside the secret room, vicious plots were drawn up one after another, quietly weaving an invisible net against Murong Yan and Lin Zhen. They even began to secretly contact those former Qi and barbarian tribes who resented Murong Yan's destruction of their country, promising them huge profits in an attempt to collude with both insiders and outsiders.

The news of these conspiracies reached Murong Yan's desk faster than the aristocratic families had expected, through the omnipresent secret guards.

However, unlike the aristocratic families' imagination of Murong Yan's rage, the Fenghuan Palace bedroom at this moment was a scene of leisure and laziness. In the evening, the setting sun's afterglow filtered through the window screens, coating the hall with a warm golden hue.

Murong Yan had just woken from a nap, wearing her black and gold Sujin cotton nightgown, the "Divine Phoenix Descent Dress," and was sprawled lazily on the soft couch by the window. Lin Zhen sat beside the couch, holding a jade comb, gently combing her hip-length, cascading black hair.

The Divine Phoenix Dress glowed with a languid, luxurious sheen under the warm glow of the setting sun. The extremely dark black Su Jin base material absorbed the golden light, revealing a warm, inky hue.

The golden cotton velvet and genuine gold thread woven into the fabric radiated a warmer, softer glow. Above the nightgown, the towering phoenix had also subsided its daytime sharpness, its feathers appearing soft and fluffy in the light.

One of the wide and light bell sleeves hung down the edge of the couch, while the other rested on Lin Zhen's knees.

The black jade ring on her left thumb was illuminated by the setting sun, appearing transparent and warm.

The five-meter-long Su Jin train was casually spread on the expensive Persian carpet under the couch. The dark gold color and the intricate patterns of the carpet were intertwined, like lazily flowing magma.

The comfort of cotton made her look particularly cozy on summer evenings.

"Husband..." Murong Yan closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of her hair being gently treated. Her voice was hoarse and soft, just waking up. "What time is it? I seem to have slept for a long time..."

Lin Zhen put down the jade comb, brushed her smooth hair with his fingertips, and said softly, "It's the end of the afternoon. Did Yan'er sleep well?"

He picked up the warm honey water beside him and handed it to her lips.

Murong Yan took a sip from his hand, sighed contentedly, and then slowly opened her eyes. Her phoenix pupils shimmered with light, reflecting Lin Zhen's concerned face. "Well, I always sleep well with my husband by my side."

She reached out and gently held Lin Zhen's hand. She scratched his palm with the black jade ring on her fingertips.

At this time, a trusted palace maid came in quietly, presented a sealed report, and then quickly left.

Lin Zhen took it, unsealed the seal, and quickly glanced through it. He frowned slightly, then regained his composure. He handed the report to Murong Yan: "Yan'er, urgent news from the secret guards. Those rats finally couldn't help themselves and got together."

Murong Yan didn't answer it immediately, but yawned lazily, as if she didn't care about the content of the report at all. "Oh? Who went? What bad intentions are they planning?"

Her tone was as if she was talking about the weather.

Lin Zhen briefly recounted the contents of the report, including the curse of the aristocratic family, the economic sabotage plan, the delay of government affairs, and the conspiracy to alienate them.

Murong Yan listened quietly, without any expression of surprise on her face, and even a very faint, playful curve appeared at the corner of her mouth.

"Is the star sign strange? Is a demonic phoenix appearing? Is it creating a money shortage? Is it delaying government affairs? Is it alienating us?"

She repeated softly, as if listening to a bad joke.

She finally reached out and, with two fingers, picked up the report. She glanced at it casually, then chuckled. The sound was crisp, yet piercingly cold. "It's really hard for them. They came up with such a clichéd thing after getting together."

She threw the report on the small table beside the couch, as if it were something dirty.

"If curses worked, I would have died a thousand times over. Economic means? Haha, I can issue new currency, which can control prices. They're hoarding copper coins? Perfect! I'll issue an edict to exchange old coins for new ones at a discount. Let's see who gets the short end of the stick!"

She spoke slowly but clearly, getting to the point.

"As for delaying government affairs..." Murong Yan's eyes flashed with a cold light.

"Issue a decree to the Cabinet to establish a New Policy Inspection Office, composed of young men from humble backgrounds and young generals. They will be given the power to report directly to higher authorities and verify the execution of government policies! Anyone who procrastinates or shirks responsibility will be suspended and investigated by the Inspection Office! I want to see who is faster, their procrastination or my sword!"

"Also, you want to alienate us?" Murong Yan suddenly turned around and faced Lin Zhen, wrapping her arms around his neck, looking straight into his eyes with her phoenix eyes, her tone was a little domineering and coquettish.

"…Husband, would you believe those nonsense?"

Lin Zhen looked at her face so close to him, his eyes filled with unreserved trust and affection. He lowered his head and placed a gentle yet firm kiss on her lips:

"As a husband, I only trust Yan'er. Any words of dissension are like the barking of a dog in my ears."

Murong Yan smiled with satisfaction, her smile bright and bright, dispelling the coldness from before. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and said sullenly, "I knew it..."

After a while, she raised her head, a cunning glint in her eyes. "...But since they like playing dirty so much, I'll play along with them."

She said to Lin Zhen, "My dear, have the secret guards accidentally leak the time, location, and participants of their secret meeting to those who have grudges against them or to the small families who want to join me. Also, let them know that I value loyalty very much these days."

This move is a typical case of killing with a borrowed knife and dividing and disintegrating!

Let the family become chaotic first!

Lin Zhen's eyes flashed with praise: "Great idea. I'll arrange it right away."

"No hurry." Murong Yan pulled him back and leaned back lazily on the pillow. "It's getting dark, I'm hungry, my husband, please have dinner with me..."

"Okay." Lin Zhen responded lovingly and waved his hand to signal the palace servant to serve the meal.

Dinner was served, all of which were the light dishes Murong Yan liked. However, Murong Yan had no appetite and only ate a few bites before pushing the bowl and chopsticks away.

Lin Zhen didn't force her. He personally served her a small bowl of bird's nest with rock sugar and fed her spoonful by spoonful.

The candlelight in the hall was bright, illuminating the two people who were leaning on each other.

Murong Yan ate the bird's nest in small bites, and occasionally glanced at the darkening night outside the window with a deep look in her eyes.

She knew that the aristocratic family's counterattack had begun, but she was not afraid at all.

On the contrary, the feeling of being in control of the overall situation and having the enemy at her fingertips gave her a morbid excitement.

After finishing her meal, Murong Yan stood up and went to the window to get some fresh air. She had just taken two steps when she seemed to remember something and turned around abruptly!

The movements were filled 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 spread out like the wings of a phoenix sensing its prey, sweeping across the soft carpet with a swish!

As the hem of the skirt suddenly floated up, the "gold woven all over the ground" lining, which was densely woven with gold threads and sparkled brightly under the candlelight, was revealed!

Golden light flowed, and the pattern of a hundred phoenixes facing the sun lit up in an instant, noble and dazzling, with the coldness and ridicule of someone who could see through all the conspiracies!

The skirt falls, and the brilliance is restrained in the quiet ink color.

Murong Yan looked at Lin Zhen, a meaningful smile on her lips: "Husband, it seems that this summer will not be boring."

Lin Zhen walked up to her and held her hand: "With Yan'er here, your husband will never feel bored."

The two smiled at each other and walked hand in hand into the depths of the bedroom.

Outside the window, the night is as dark as ink, with undercurrents surging; inside the window, there is tenderness and lingering affection, but murderous intent is lurking.

This smokeless war, initiated by the aristocratic families, has just entered the more intense middle stage.

And the divine phoenix dress still follows like a shadow, witnessing how its owner makes every move in this intricate chess game.