On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

Chapter 972 Soon to be appointed Grand Marshal

The second year of Shenghui, the first day of March, night.

Inside Anzhou City, in stark contrast to the solemn and austere atmosphere of the Daqian military camp outside the city, there was a carnival scene as if people had survived a disaster.

The defenders' morale reached its peak after repelling the fierce attack of the Daqian army during the day, and a false sense of optimism permeated the entire city.

The city garrison was brightly lit and filled with people drinking and chatting.

In the hall, the charcoal fire was burning brightly, dispelling the chill of the spring night.

The long table was filled with meat cooked from the looted food stores in the city, rare sea fish, and opened jars of fine wine.

The city's main commander, Cui Renshi, a burly and ruddy-faced general, was sitting proudly on the main seat, accepting the flattery of his subordinates.

"General, you are truly mighty! Today, on the city wall, you personally wielded your sword and killed three enemy chieftains who had climbed the walls. You are truly the most powerful general of Goguryeo!"

"Yes! The Daqian army may seem fierce, but in front of the general, they are nothing but chickens and dogs!"

"If you ask me, after this battle, the general's reputation will spread throughout the peninsula! After repelling Murong Yan and lifting the siege of Pyongyang, the regent will surely appoint the general as the Grand Marshal! Commanding all the troops in the country!"

Cui Renshi was flattered and laughed heartily, slamming his wine bowl heavily on the table, splashing wine everywhere.

"Hahaha! Thank you all for your kind words! That little girl Murong Yan, relying on her looks and some strange clothes, dared to invade our territory? It's a joke! The weird black and gold nightgown she wore on the battlefield today could be seen from a long distance away. She really brought shame to the emperor! When this general captures her, I will definitely take a good look at what's under that robe!"

The language is vulgar and full of profanity.

The crowd below burst into laughter and flattery again, as if victory was already in their grasp and wealth and glory were within reach.

They laughed at Murong Yan's clothes and attributed the day's tenacious resistance entirely to their own bravery, but chose to ignore the piles of corpses of their comrades under the city and the Daqian military camp that was still surrounded by troops.

In other corners of the city, the soldiers who had managed to survive were also given some wine and meat, and were also immersed in the temporary joy of victory, completely unaware that a fatal crisis was quietly approaching.

At the same time, in the shadow of the mountains on the east side of Anzhou City, there was a completely different scene.

The night is dark, with no stars or moon shining, making it the perfect time for a covert operation.

A team of elite Daqian warriors, dressed in black night clothes and with charcoal ash on their faces, moved silently through the mountains and forests like ghosts.

They were agile and well-trained, avoiding all possible patrol posts and heading straight for several key designated mountainside locations.

The team was led by Han Meng, the captain under Lin Zhen who was best at mountain warfare.

He crouched on the back of a ridge, his sharp gaze piercing the night sky as he gazed down at the brightly lit and faintly noisy city of Anzhou below. To him, the revelry within the city was nothing more than a condemned man's last supper before his execution.

"Hurry up! Put all the 'fire oil' cans in place! Bury them under the dead leaves and extend the fuses!" Han Meng lowered his voice and ordered his men.

The soldiers immediately took action, carefully taking out the sealed ceramic jars from the leather bags on their backs. These jars were filled with sticky, black, and pungent crude oil.

They chose several locations with dense trees and upwind access, buried the oil tanks properly, and connected long, grease-soaked hemp ropes as fuses.

The whole process was silent, in stark contrast to the hustle and bustle in the city below the mountain.

The air was filled with the peculiar smell of crude oil and the earthy odor of the mountains and forests, mixing into an unsettling atmosphere.

Han Meng checked all the burial points and after confirming that they were correct, he made a gesture. The assassins disappeared silently into the dark forest just as they had come, leaving only the seeds of death hidden under the dead branches and leaves, quietly waiting for the call of the east wind.

Murong Yan did not sleep well.

She stood alone at the door of the big tent, lifted a corner of the curtain, and looked into the distance at the sporadic torchlight on the Anzhou city wall in the darkness, and at the mountains farther away that were as silent as the back of a giant beast in the night.

There was only a cow horn lamp lit in the tent, and the light was dim.

She was still wearing the dress that resembled a phoenix descending from the earth, and casually draped the black and gold mink shawl over it to protect herself from the night chill.

In the dim light, the Phoenix Dress presents a mysterious and profound beauty.

The extremely dark black Su Jin base material almost blends into the night. Only the golden cotton wool and real gold thread woven into it emit a faint dark golden luster under the dim light, like the pupils of a beast in the dark night.

Above the nightgown, the outline of the giant phoenix was faintly visible in the dim light, carrying a sense of dormant power.

The wide flared sleeves hung at her sides, and the black jade ring on her left thumb glowed faintly in the darkness.

The five-meter-long tail of Su Jin dragged a messy and blurred trace on the dim ground behind her, as if it was an extension of her current mood.

The softness of the cotton and the comfort of the nightgown could not completely dispel the complicated feelings in her heart about the cruel measures that were about to be launched.

There were light footsteps, and Lin Zhen came in after lifting the curtain, with a hint of coolness from the night dew and the chill from the mountains on his body.

He walked behind Murong Yan and reported softly, "Yan'er, Han Meng and the others are back. Everything is going well. The 'spark' has been planted, and we're just waiting for the east wind."

Murong Yan didn't turn around, but just said "hmm" softly. She continued to stare into the distance, silent for a moment, and then asked in a low voice, "Husband, what do you think those people in the city are doing now?" There was no emotion in her voice.

Lin Zhen walked up to her side, and together they stared toward Anzhou City. He said calmly, "What else can they do? They're just celebrating, living a life of drunkenness and debauchery. They think they've won by stopping the daytime attack."

Murong Yan suddenly chuckled, with a hint of sarcasm and a hint of indescribable pity in her laughter: "How pitiful and sad."

As she spoke, she turned around and faced Lin Zhen.

The moment she turned around——

The dark golden train and the hem of the shawl that were dragging messily in the dim light were moved with a swish sound, and appeared particularly clear in the silent tent!

As the tail of the boat floated up, the densely woven gold lining inside was revealed. In the dim light, it seemed to contain the fire of hell!

The pattern of Hundred Phoenixes Facing the Sun instantly flashed with a dark golden light. The light was cold and cruel, and it perfectly matched the order she was about to give!

The skirt fell and the golden light disappeared.

Murong Yan looked up at Lin Zhen. In the dim light, her eyes were surprisingly bright. She reached out and gently took Lin Zhen's cold hands, warming them with her palms. "Husband, your hands are so cold. Thank you for your hard work."

Lin Zhen held her warm and soft hand tightly and shook his head: "It's not hard to share Yan'er's worries."

He looked at her, his eyes full of tenderness and determination.

"But once this fire is lit, there's no turning back."

Murong Yan gently rested her forehead on his chest and said in a muffled voice, "I know, but they refuse to surrender, and we don't have much time to waste here."

She paused, her voice filled with a hint of coquettish dependence, "Husband, you will always be with me, right? Even if I do something terrible."

Lin Zhen's heart ached. He hugged her tightly in his arms and wrapped her in his cloak: "Silly Yan'er, no matter what you do, your husband will always be by your side. You are my wife, and even more so my king. Your decision is my direction."

Murong Yan rubbed gently in his arms, as if drawing strength from him.

After a while, she raised her head, her eyes regaining their calmness and determination. "Pass the order down, let the soldiers have a good rest, and proceed according to the plan when the east wind rises at midnight!"

"Yes!" Lin Zhen replied in a deep voice.

Outside the tent, the night was deep.

The noise in Anzhou City gradually subsided, and the drunken defenders fell asleep.