On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

"Announcement - the Japanese envoy, Prince Sakuranai, comes to the audience -!" The eunuch shouted in a high voice.

The palace door opened, and under the guidance of several Daqian ceremonial officers, the Japanese delegation walked into the hall with their heads lowered and their steps cautious.

Leading the charge was none other than Princess Sakuranai. She was dressed in the most dignified Japanese imperial court attire today, twelve layers of vibrantly colored garments. But compared to Murong Yan's deep, abyssal, golden-gold hue, it suddenly seemed cumbersome and petty.

Behind her followed the guard commander Otomo Suruga and several deputies, all of whom bowed their heads and dared not look directly upwards.

The group arrived at the hall and knelt in accordance with etiquette. Princess Sakura said respectfully in slightly stiff Chinese: "I, the younger sister of the Emperor of Japan, Princess Sakura, have been ordered by my sister to pay my respects to His Majesty the Great Qian Shenghui Emperor. May His Majesty live long, be in good health, and may the country prosper forever."

There was a barely perceptible tremor in the voice.

Murong Yan glanced down calmly and did not shout immediately, letting the invisible pressure last for a moment.

She had already learned about this woman's identity and Japan's internal plans from the "Night Owl" secret report. She sneered in her heart but remained calm on the surface.

"Stand up." Murong Yan finally spoke. Her voice was cold and transmitted throughout the hall through her internal energy, carrying with it an unquestionable majesty.

"You are a guest from afar. Please take a seat."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Prince Sakuranai breathed a sigh of relief. Under the guidance of the ceremonial officer, he carefully sat down on the low stool set up beside the hall, while Otomo Suruga and others stood solemnly behind him.

As per custom, Princess Sakuranai once again expressed greetings to Emperor Daqian on behalf of the Queen of Japan and presented a list of gifts that had been prepared long ago, which consisted of Japanese specialties such as gold beads, corals, swords, lacquerware, etc.

Murong Yan nodded slightly, signaling the eunuch to accept it, and said calmly: "Your Queen is thoughtful."

She paused, her phoenix eyes fixed on Princess Sakura, and she got straight to the point. "Prince, you've come a thousand miles across the sea to come here. Surely, it's not just to pay your respects and bring gifts to me? The affairs of Goguryeo are known to the world. What are your thoughts?"

This is a direct question, and also an opportunity for Japan to state its intentions.

However, upon hearing this, Prince Sakurainai did not offer "mediation" or "concern" as expected. Instead, she bowed again, putting on a look of sincere admiration as much as possible, and said with the flattery she had practiced for a long time:

"Your Majesty, be wise. I have come here on your behalf, and my primary duty is to express my deepest respect to Your Majesty on behalf of the Empress. Your Majesty, despite being a woman, has governed a vast empire, and your achievements in civil and military affairs are unrivaled in the world. You are truly a role model for women and a model for rulers of all nations. I have long admired Your Majesty's renown since my time in Japan, and now, having seen Your Majesty in person, I feel even more deeply that Your Majesty's divine power and extraordinary demeanor far surpass what has been rumored. I am truly filled with admiration!"

Her words were full of deliberate flattery, and her eyes tried to show admiration, without uttering a single word about Gao Juli.

The envoys behind her also echoed her. For a moment, the hall was filled with flattery of Murong Yan's personal charm and ability to govern the country, as if they were really here for a pilgrimage rather than for diplomatic mediation.

Murong Yan sat upright, listening expressionlessly, her fingers tapping the armrests of the chair from time to time.

Lin Zhen stood aside, with a barely perceptible hint of sarcasm on the corner of his mouth.

This kind of low-level trick of flattery and killing is really clumsy and ridiculous in their eyes.

After Prince Sakurachi's passionate "admiration" came to an end and the hall quieted down a bit, Murong Yan slowly raised her eyes, her gaze like lightning, shooting directly at Prince Sakurachi. With a hint of playful smile on her lips, she asked, her voice not loud, but clearly heard by everyone:

"Oh? So, my dear Prince, you have come all the way here, braving the wind and waves, to my land of Liaodong."

She paused, her tone carrying a hint of undisguised teasing and curiosity, "Just to come and praise me in person?"

The hall suddenly became dead silent.

The smile on Prince Sakuranai's face froze instantly, his face turned red and white, and he opened his mouth, but didn't know how to respond.

Otomo Suruga and others behind her were sweating profusely and hung their heads even lower.

Murong Yan's light-hearted question was like a sharp dagger, directly stripping off their hypocritical cloak and exposing their true purpose that they dared not say out loud in broad daylight.

The reception ceremony ended in a strange and awkward atmosphere.

The Japanese envoys were arranged to rest in the inn.

"We'll discuss this later."

Murong Yan returned to the back hall, having already taken off her heavy formal dress and wearing only her light-weight Phoenix dress, leaning lazily on the couch. Lin Zhen sat beside her, peeling grapes and feeding them to her.

"Hehehe." Murong Yan couldn't help laughing when she thought of Prince Sakura's embarrassed look in the hall just now. She ate grapes while grabbing Lin Zhen's sleeve and shaking him.

"My dear husband, did you see that? The Japanese princess's face turned green. How funny! Did she think she could just say a few nice words and get away with it? She's so naive and cute."

Lin Zhen smiled and pulled her into his arms, wiping the juice from her lips with his fingertips. "You're just a clown, adding to the laughter. The Japanese sent this woman here simply because they think women are easy to talk to. They want to use such a crude trick to build friendship and get close to each other, and then plot their own schemes. Little do they know that in the face of Yan'er's absolute strength, all these conspiracies and tricks are nothing but child's play."

"That's right!" Murong Yan raised her chin proudly, "She's still a little naive to try to play tricks on me, but..."

She suddenly blinked and smiled slyly, "My dear husband, you said that she is quite pretty. If she really just wants to stay and praise me, should I consider giving her a female official position? Let her say nice things to me every day to make me happy?"

Lin Zhen couldn't help laughing when he heard that. He bent down and kissed her smooth forehead. "When did my Yan'er ever need such a flatterer to cheer her up? Isn't it enough to have her husband here? If she really wants to stay in Pyongyang after it falls, there are plenty of places that need repairs."

There was a hint of dry humor in his words.

Murong Yan was amused and giggled, nuzzling into his arms. "My husband is the best at coaxing me. Well, let's leave them alone for a few days and see what tricks they can come up with. Anyway, the people in Pyongyang are almost exhausted, so we have plenty of time to play with them."

As she spoke, she stood up from Lin Zhen's arms, walked to the window, and looked out at the night view of Anzhou City. The lights were dim and the whole place was peaceful.

Under the soft light in the room, the dress that resembled a divine phoenix descended from the earth glowed with dark golden light quietly.

Just as she turned around and wanted to say something to Lin Zhen——

The movements are full of ease and playfulness after seeing through everything!

The five-meter-long dark-golden tail that was scattered in front of the couch was moved, and with a swish, it brushed across the smooth floor!

As the train quietly floated up, the "gold woven all over the ground" lining was revealed, which was densely woven with gold threads and sparkled with wisdom and mockery under the warm light!

The lines of Hundred Phoenixes Facing the Sun flashed with a sharp golden light that could see through everything. The light was full of condescending scrutiny and ruthless contempt for foolish tricks. It was noble, brilliant, and carried an absolute confidence that everything was under his control!

This fleeting glimpse was the most thorough insight into all the little tricks of the Japanese delegation.

The hem of her skirt fell, covering up the wise golden light.

Murong Yan walked back to Lin Zhen, snuggled into his arms again, and yawned: "My husband, I'm sleepy. Let's talk about those Japanese people tomorrow."

"Okay, take a rest." Lin Zhen said softly, picked her up and walked towards the bedroom.

The flattery and calculations of the Japanese delegation were nothing more than a tiny breeze on this warm night, which could not disturb the mood of the emperor and empress at all.

The end of Pyongyang City and the fate of these "guests" who came from afar had already been determined by Murong Yan's seemingly casual question.