On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

In the midsummer of the first year of Shenghui, the cicadas were chirping loudly and the weather was so hot and humid that it was hard to breathe.

The Shuofeng City in the northern border is still under siege by heavy troops. Bater has become a turtle in a jar, but the trapped beast still fights and the war is in a stalemate.

The deterrent forged by Murong Yan's blood of the Lu family caused the domestic aristocratic families to temporarily fall into a dead silence. In the court, no one dared to openly say "no" to the new policy.

However, this silence is not surrender, but the suffocating calm before the storm.

Murong Yan and Lin Zhen both knew that those deeply entrenched forces would never sit idly by and wait for death. They were like poisonous snakes under the dark river, looking for new breakthroughs.

As expected, an urgent secret report from Liaodong, like a stone dropped into a stagnant pond, stirred up new ripples. The secret report was not about the northern border, but from Goguryeo, Daqian's eastern vassal state.

As night fell, the bedroom in Fenghuan Palace was cool as autumn because of the huge ice mirrors in the four corners.

Murong Yan had just played a game of chess with Lin Zhen and seemed a little tired. She was lazily leaning on the soft couch by the window, wearing the black and gold Su Jin cotton nightgown with the pattern of "Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" that seemed to be touching her skin - the Divine Phoenix Descent Dress.

Lin Zhen sat beside the couch, holding a round fan in his hand, gently fanning her, his eyes gently falling on her slightly closed eyelids.

Under the soft light of the night pearl, the Phoenix Dress exudes a quiet and luxurious luster.

The extremely black Su Jin base material absorbs the light, and its color is as quiet as midnight. The golden cotton wool and real gold thread woven into it emit faint dark golden waves, which is mysterious and noble.

Above the nightgown, the towering phoenix has hidden all its sharpness in the quiet night. Its feathers are layered and its lines are smooth, making it look more graceful and elegant, like a divine bird at rest.

The black diamond on the phoenix eyes has a restrained luster.

One of her wide, light, trumpet-shaped sleeves draped softly over the edge of the couch, while the other rested on Lin Zhen's wrist, which was fanning herself. The black jade ring on her left thumb felt warm and cool to the touch.

The five-meter-long Su Jin train was not deliberately spread out, but was spread out in a winding and even somewhat messy manner on a large area of ​​mirror-smooth black jade floor in front of the couch. The dark gold brocade on the cold ground was like spilled ink, gorgeous with a hint of lazy casualness.

The soft and breathable cotton and the loose design of the nightgown keep her comfortable on summer nights.

"My husband, playing chess today is giving me a headache." Murong Yan closed her eyes, her voice filled with a hint of coquettish complaint, without any dignity in the court.

Lin Zhen chuckled softly, his voice mellow and gentle, "Yan'er is giving in to me. In terms of chess skills, I am not even a fraction as good as Yan'er."

He put down his fan and gently massaged her temples.

"But government affairs have been too stressful these days?"

Murong Yan enjoyed his massage, making a slight "hmm" sound through her nose, like a cat having its fur stroked.

At this tender and tender moment, a trusted palace maid knocked softly on the door outside the palace and reported: "Your Majesty, an urgent report from Liaodong, 800 miles away."

The warm atmosphere in the hall froze for a moment. Murong Yan slowly opened her eyes, the laziness in them fading as a sharp light flashed across them.

Lin Zhen's massaging hands also paused slightly.

"Come in." Murong Yan's voice was calm, and she did not stand up.

The palace maid bowed and walked in, presented a parchment tube sealed with wax, and then retreated quietly.

Lin Zhen took the secret report, opened the sealing wax, quickly glanced through it, frowned slightly, and then regained his composure.

He handed the secret report to Murong Yan, "Yan'er, the King of Goguryeo is gravely ill, and his brother, Regent Gao Yun, has suddenly launched a rebellion, placing the Crown Prince under house arrest and seizing control of the royal city. Furthermore, the report states that Gao Yun has been interacting unusually frequently with the caravans of the Taiyuan Wang clan and the Qinghe Cui clan in recent months, receiving a large number of 'gifts' from the Central Plains, some of which are suspected to contain military equipment blueprints and lists of craftsmen."

Goguryeo is the most important vassal state in the eastern border of Daqian. Once any changes happen, it will directly threaten the stability of Liaodong and may even put Murong Yan in the dilemma of fighting on both the east and west fronts!

And behind them, the shadow of the aristocratic family suddenly appeared again!

They actually extended their reach beyond the borders!

Murong Yan listened quietly, her face devoid of any surprise. Even a faint, cold smile curved the corners of her mouth. She didn't immediately turn to the secret report. Instead, she extended her index finger, adorned with a black jade ring, and tapped it intermittently on the rosewood table beside the couch.

"Goguryeo Wang family, Cui family," she repeated softly, as if savoring the connection between these words.

Her tone did not express joy or anger, but rather an expected weariness.

Lin Zhen said in a deep voice, "Gao Yun has ulterior motives. The aristocratic family is trying to create trouble for Yan'er in the east, tie down our forces, and perhaps even open up a second battlefield."

"The second battlefield?" Murong Yan sneered, finally picked up the secret report, and quickly scanned it.

"Just relying on the few troops that Goguryeo had? And the scrap metal that the Wang and Cui families sent?"

Her tone was full of contempt.

She casually threw the secret report back onto the small table, leaned back into the pillow, and closed her eyes again, as if the urgent military report was just an insignificant piece of gossip.

"Gao Yun is nothing but a clown. The aristocratic family is desperate and is trying every possible means to cure their problem."

She paused and ordered lazily,

"My husband sent a decree to General Li Xin, the garrison commander of Liaodong, to close the checkpoints and strengthen security. However, no soldier is allowed to enter Goguryeo territory without my permission."

"Hold still?" Lin Zhen raised his eyebrows slightly, then understood. "Yan'er wants to wait and see? Let Gao Yun jump first?"

"Not bad." The cold arc on Murong Yan's lips deepened.

"Gao Yun's usurpation of the throne is illicit and unjustifiable, and the people of Goguryeo may not be convinced. If we rush in, he'll only use the pretext of 'resisting foreign aggression' to consolidate his power. It would be better to let him fend for himself first, and wait until he's mostly eliminated internal opposition and has used up most of the 'aid' sent by the Wang and Cui families before we take action. Wouldn't that save us some effort?"

This is a typical case of waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out and striking back later!

"As for the Wang and Cui families," Murong Yan's fingertips tapped the tabletop lightly, making a crisp sound, "since they are so keen on supporting outsiders, I will grant their wish."

She opened her eyes, a sly murderous intent flashing in them. "Order the secret guards to 'accidentally' leak the evidence of the Wang and Cui families' collusion with Goguryeo to the remaining forces of the imprisoned Crown Prince of Goguryeo. Then, let them know that I sympathize with the Crown Prince's plight."

This move is like driving a tiger to devour a wolf and diverting disaster to the east!

Let the internal struggles in Goguryeo consume the resources of the aristocratic families!

Lin Zhen's eyes gleamed with admiration. "Brilliant plan! This way, Gao Yun will regard the Crown Prince's former followers as a serious threat and will do his utmost to eliminate them. Once they learn that the Central Plains noble families are backing Gao Yun, they will undoubtedly resent him to the core. Whichever side wins will be severely damaged and will also forge deep hatred with the noble families. Our dynasty can reap the benefits."

"And," Murong Yan added, her tone still lazy, but every word was as sharp as a knife.

"Have Li Xin organize a few 'military exercises' on the border. Make them large-scale. The cannons should be loud and the flags should be bright. They should be able to see the lights and hear the movements at night."

This is a deterrent by force, a way to defeat the enemy without fighting!

"As for the Wang and Cui families," Murong Yan's eyes grew dark. "Don't touch them for now. Let them continue to act like this. I want to see what tricks they can come up with. Once they've climaxed this drama, I'll settle the score with them."

Her strategy is full of cold patience and precise calculation.

She is not in a hurry, but wants to play the long game, catch the big fish, lure both internal and external enemies into the net, and then catch them all in one fell swoop!

After giving the order, Murong Yan seemed really tired.

She waved her hand, signaling Lin Zhen to take the secret report away.

Then she turned around, facing Lin Zhen, stretched out her arms, and said with a tone of deep weariness and dependence: "Husband, hold me, I'm sleepy."

The moment she turned around——

The action carries a determination to put worries behind!

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 gracefully and powerfully like a phoenix flapping its wings, sweeping across the smooth couch and the cold floor 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 shimmered brilliantly under the light of the night pearls, was revealed!

The pattern of hundreds of phoenixes facing the sun and the winding lotus branches shone in an instant, shining with golden light, noble and dazzling, as if all her strategies and decisions just now were condensed in this stunning glimpse of beauty!

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

Lin Zhen immediately stepped forward and lifted her up. Murong Yan obediently nestled in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his chest like a child seeking shelter.

The five-meter-long tail hung down and swayed behind Lin Zhen with his steady steps, making a slight rubbing sound in the silent hall.

"Husband," she said sullenly in his arms, "there's no end to this and that. I just want to be with you quietly."

Lin Zhen's heart was filled with infinite love and pity. He hugged her tighter and walked towards the dragon bed in the depths of the bedroom: "Okay, your husband will accompany you. Even if the sky falls, your husband will hold it up. Yan'er, sleep well."

The candles in the hall went out one after another, leaving only one eternal lamp emitting a hazy glow.