On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

Chapter 942: Goguryeo Envoy Park Yong-chung

The cold winter of the first year of Shenghui was a mixture of humiliation and anxiety for Park Yongzhong, the envoy of Goguryeo.

The scene of seeing the Daqian Empress Murong Yan in the Taiji Hall was engraved in his mind like a nightmare.

He, a famous warrior of Goguryeo, was shocked speechless in front of a woman wearing a nightgown. Finally, he was "invited" out of the hall like a stray dog ​​and placed under house arrest in this magnificent cage called "Honglu Temple".

The Honglu Temple's premises were spacious and comfortable, with ample supplies, but the covert and overt guards surrounding it, as well as the prohibition of "not leaving the capital without imperial order, and not meeting outsiders privately," were like invisible shackles, making it hard for him to breathe.

Murong Yan's strange black and gold nightgown - he later learned from a bribed clerk in the museum that it was called the Divine Phoenix Dress - often swayed before his eyes.

He remembered how the extremely dark black background absorbed the light from the hall, how the giant phoenix embroidered with gold thread looked down upon all living beings with majesty, and especially how the hem of the woman's skirt fluttered when she turned around, revealing the dazzling golden lining, which was like a brand, burning his self-esteem.

He, Park Yongzhong, had gone through mountains of swords and seas of fire, but he was frightened by a piece of clothing and a woman?

This shame, like a poisonous snake, gnawed at his heart.

However, Park Yong-chung is not a purely reckless man.

Regent Gao Yun sent him here because he was attracted by his rough appearance under the name of bravery, so that he could paralyze his opponents and act in secret.

The real mission is to try to contact the forces in Daqian that are dissatisfied with Murong Yan, especially those powerful families with deep roots, to seek cooperation and work together for great things.

Late at night on the fifth day of his house arrest, the lights in the Honglu Temple were dim. Park Yong-chung dismissed his attendants and sat alone by the window, gazing out at the cold, crescent moon cut off by the high walls.

Footsteps were heard, and his trusted deputy envoy, who was also the real think tank of this trip, Master Jin, walked in quietly with a hint of suppressed excitement on his face.

"Your Excellency, we have news." Scholar Jin lowered his voice and handed over a thinly rolled piece of paper. "Through a greedy servant in the academy, we have contacted the Wang family in Taiyuan. They are cautious, but willing to meet."

Pu Yongzhong's eyes flashed. He took the note and read it in the dim candlelight. There were only a few numbers on it: "Tomorrow night at midnight, the third carriage in the back alley of the 'Zuixianlou' in the West Market."

No signature.

"Is it reliable?" Park Yongzhong asked in a deep voice, his knuckles turning white from the force.

"It should be reliable. The servant's family is under our control. Moreover, the meeting place they proposed wasn't some secret private residence, but rather the bustling West Market. It might seem dangerous, but it's actually hidden and unlikely to arouse suspicion. This kind of scheming is in line with the style of an aristocratic family."

Bachelor Jin analyzed.

Park Yongzhong nodded and held the note close to the candle flame and burned it to ashes.

"Okay! Get ready and go to the appointment tomorrow night. Remember, be careful, Murong Yan's secret guards are not vegetarians."

Thinking of Murong Yan, the lazy yet sharp eyes of the dark golden figure in the Tai Chi Hall and the invisible sense of oppression brought by the five-meter tail winding on the ground seemed to appear before his eyes again.

He shook his head, forcing himself to suppress the discomfort.

The next night, Park Yong-chung and Jin Xueshi changed into casual clothes, took advantage of the darkness and the route they had already planned, cleverly avoided the surveillance outside the Honglu Temple, and sneaked into the still bustling West Market like ghosts.

Zuixianlou is a famous den of brothel in Chang'an. Even at midnight, the lights are still on and the sounds of stringed instruments can be faintly heard.

The back alley is relatively quiet, with several luxurious carriages parked there waiting for their owners.

As agreed, they found a third, seemingly ordinary carriage with a green canopy. The driver, a taciturn old man, simply nodded as they approached and lifted the curtain.

Park Yong-chung and Jin Xueshi quickly got into the carriage. The interior of the carriage was plainly decorated, but it was very soundproof, and the windows were covered with thick curtains.

The carriage didn't start, simply sitting there quietly. After about an incense stick of time, the other door was gently opened, and a thin, middle-aged man in a black cloak swiftly entered.

There was only a small oil lamp lit in the car, and the light was dim, so the specific face of the person coming in could not be seen clearly, but the temperament of someone who had been in power for a long time was hard to conceal.

"Envoy Park?" The voice of the visitor was low and cautious.

"That's right. Who are you?" Park Yongzhong suppressed his excitement and responded in a deep voice.

"My surname is Wang, and I am the seventh child in my family." The visitor did not reveal more, but the identity of "Taiyuan Wang" was self-evident.

"Envoy Park was humiliated in Taiji Hall, and we all feel the same pain. Murong Yan has acted perversely and trampled on etiquette. Our family's century-old foundation has also suffered greatly as a result."

Pu Yongzhong sneered inwardly, knowing that the other party was trying to gain sympathy, but his face showed indignation: "Mr. Wang is absolutely right! Murong Yan is arrogant and conceited, treating Goguryeo as nothing! My lord, the regent, is a man of great talent and strategy, and is willing to discuss major plans with like-minded people!"

Master Wang Qi leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice even lower:

"Murong Yan's situation may seem stable now, but it's actually fraught with crises. Her new policies are harsh, fueling resentment among the people; the military deployment in the northern border is costing money and food. More importantly, she and Lin Zhen, nominally ruler and subject, are in reality a nefarious relationship, a hen crowing at dawn, with yin and yang reversed. This is a sign of national ruin! As long as the timing is right and internal and external forces work together, great things can be accomplished!"

"Oh? I'd like to hear more about it!" Park Yongzhong leaned forward, his eyes flashing with ambition.

"Right now is a golden opportunity," said Master Wang Qi. "Murong Yan has exhausted a large amount of her grain reserves in her efforts to stabilize grain prices and enforce a fixed official market price. Now that grain transport is sluggish, it's difficult for new grain from the south to be transported north. My family can secretly manipulate this situation to completely cut off their food supply! The capital will then be in chaos! If the Goguryeo army can exert pressure on the eastern border at this time, or even create some 'friction', Murong Yan will be caught in a dilemma!"

Park Yongzhong was ecstatic. This coincided with Regent Gao Yun's plan! However, he pretended to be thoughtful: "Sending troops is a major national event and requires sufficient benefits to drive it."

A shrewd glint flashed in Wang Qiye's eyes. "After this is accomplished, the land of Liaodong, east of the Yalu River, will all belong to Goguryeo! In addition, my family is willing to offer five million taels of silver and five hundred thousand dan of grain and fodder to support military supplies!"

This was an extremely tempting offer! Park Yongzhong almost agreed immediately, but he forced himself to remain calm: "This matter is of great importance, and I must report it to my Lord, the Regent, for a final decision. However, Mr. Wang is so sincere, and I will do my utmost to facilitate it!"

The two sides held secret talks for nearly half an hour, finalizing the details of contact methods, information transmission channels and initial action steps.

Master Wang Qi promised to pass on important information such as the defense map of Daqian’s border to Goguryeo through special channels.

Before leaving, Master Wang Qi casually mentioned, "That woman Murong Yan wears that weird, divine phoenix dress all day long, thinking she's noble, but she's actually ridiculous! When the big thing is done, perhaps you could give that dress to Envoy Park to atone for the humiliation she suffered that day?"

His tone was filled with contempt and temptation.

Park Yongzhong immediately recalled the gorgeous and oppressive image of the dark gold phoenix robe, and his heart skipped a beat. He chuckled dryly, "I appreciate your kindness, sir. We'll talk about it later."

Wang Qiye left quietly, and the carriage quickly started, taking Park Yongzhong and the others back to the vicinity of the Honglu Temple. Back at the residence, Park Yongzhong still felt his heart beating like a drum, with both the excitement of his conspiracy succeeding and an indescribable uneasiness.

He stood in front of the window, looking towards the direction of the imperial city, as if he could see Murong Yan lazily nestled in Lin Zhen's arms in the Fenghuan Palace, the train of her divine phoenix dress flowing silently like a river in the dark night.

"Women's nightgown," he cursed under his breath, trying to dispel the strange shadow in his heart and focus on the conspiracy he had just reached.

Little did he know that his meeting with Master Wang Qi, and their supposedly secret conversation, had already been recorded word for word by the "Night Owl" lurking in the dark, and turned into a secret report that was being sent at the fastest speed to the palace he both hated and feared.

In the warm bedroom of Fenghuan Palace, Murong Yan had just finished bathing and let the palace maid wipe her wet hair. She had already changed into the dry and comfortable dress of the same style as the Divine Phoenix Descent Dress.

Lin Zhen sat aside, holding a newly delivered memorial in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Yan'er, it seems the fish over at the Honglu Temple have taken the bait." He put down the memorial and said softly.

Murong Yan raised her eyelids lazily, and the corners of her mouth curled up in an expected arc: "Oh? You are even more impatient than I thought." She stretched out her hand wearing the black jade ring. Lin Zhen took it naturally and gently massaged her fingers.

"Do you want to close the net?" Lin Zhen asked.

"What's the rush?" Murong Yan chuckled and held his hand. "Let them jump around for a few more days. I want to see how many secrets they can reveal."

Her tone was lazy, but her eyes were as cold as ice.

The secret running of Goguryeo envoys and the conspiracy and collusion of the aristocratic families were quietly carried out under the shadow of this prosperous imperial capital.

However, all their actions seemed to be a ridiculous drama that had already been seen through in front of a sleeping phoenix.