After eavesdropping on my thoughts, my whole family changed their fate

Ji Wanning had a kind face, but there was a nameless anger in her eyes, and she tried hard to suppress it.

She put down the chicken soup, sat next to Gu Ci, and squinted her eyes.

"Ci'er, tell my aunt what he did to that woman. If you dare to lie, you will bear the consequences!"

If Jin Zechuan dares to bring her back as a concubine, he will be dead and will never see the sun again tomorrow!

Gu Ci was so frightened that his body trembled, and cold sweat broke out from his head.

"No, no, no, don't get me wrong. My uncle didn't bring her back. That girl was not an orphan at all. She had only been in the barracks for a few days when she was discovered stealing the city defense map. My uncle caught her in one fell swoop and tortured her severely. He found out that she was a spy left behind by the defeated army."

"We kept her here so that she could find a way to confuse our generals and steal the city defense map. We also wanted her to burn our food supplies. Fortunately, my uncle is rational, wise and brave. He doesn't like women and only loves you, my aunt. That's why he didn't get deceived. You are the only one in my uncle's heart."

Hearing these words, Ji Wanning nodded with satisfaction, "That's more or less. Okay, you guys should go back and have a rest. You have to report to the palace early tomorrow morning. Don't delay. I'm leaving first."

She picked up the chicken soup, returned to her usual docile self, and turned back to her own yard.

Gu Ci was so scared that he wiped his sweat. His aunt was a very gentle person when nothing happened, but once her bottom line was touched, she would become a different person and would not tolerate any injustice.

If Jin Zechuan dared to bring that woman back, she would kill them both.

"Alright, alright, let's go. I'll tell you the story tomorrow when I get back from court. You two should go back to bed."

Gu Ci got up and went back to his room. After listening to the story, Jin Yuanyuan and Gu An also went back to their own yard to rest.

The next morning, Jin Zechuan went to court with his generals.

The battle was a great victory and the emperor was very satisfied.

"Well, well! Jin Zechuan, you fought well in this battle. Not only did you capture five enemy cities, but you also seized tens of thousands of grains and fodder. Your contribution is invaluable. All of you will be promoted and rewarded with 100 taels of gold!"

Not only that, they also seized a lot of gold, silver and jewelry. If he liked anything, he put it into his private vault. Just thinking about it makes him feel wonderful.

"I remember that General Jin wrote in his memorial that Gu Ci blew up an enemy city and annihilated tens of thousands of enemy troops by himself. He should be credited with the greatest achievement in this battle."

"Then promote Gu Ci to the rank of seventh-rank Shangyun Cavalry Captain, allowing him to enter and leave the palace freely. Also, grant him a mansion and a thousand taels of gold as a reward."

Everyone else was rewarded uniformly, only Gu Ci and Jin Zechuan were rewarded individually. This honor is something that many people do not have.

Gu Ci, who was standing behind Jin Zechuan, received the emperor's personal reward for the first time. He was so happy that he stood there motionless and even forgot to kneel down to express his gratitude.

Jin Zechuan, who was already familiar with the emperor's personal rewards, glanced at Gu Ci and reminded him in a low voice.

"What are you still standing there for? Come and thank me for my grace."

Gu Ci came back to his senses, knelt down and kowtowed, singing loudly: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace. Long live the emperor!"

Some people were happy for him when he received this reward, while others were jealous. Most of those who were jealous of him were the young masters who used to be good friends with him.

He was originally a piece of useless mud, and it would have been great for him to be an unofficial official, living off his ancestors' wealth all his life. Why on earth could he be promoted from the eighth rank to the seventh rank and rise to prominence just by making some effort?

There are many people who say sour things behind the scenes.

Some people were jealous, while others were happy for him. None of the brothers who had fought on the battlefield with him were dissatisfied.

Gu Ci is capable, hardworking, studious, and smart.

He has put in so much effort and the achievements he has obtained are all real. He has been promoted so quickly at such a young age, and none of his brothers are jealous or reluctant.

After the court session, Gu Ci was still in shock, "Uncle, I never dared to dream that one day, I would rise to the top not by relying on my family, but on my own abilities."

Jin Zechuan patted his shoulder with pride, feeling very pleased.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. This is what you deserve. This is all the merit you've earned by hacking and slashing with your sword. And this is just the beginning. You should follow your uncle's example. When you become the commander of an army, you can feel emotional about it, hahahaha."

Gu Ci was no longer as timid as before. There was more confidence in his eyes and his expression became much more serious.

"Uncle, don't worry. I will definitely become a marshal in the future. I will!"

Jin Zechuan was very satisfied. What's the point of going to the battlefield and fighting a war if you have no ambition? If you don't fight or compete, you might as well become a monk and ring the bell in the temple. Only by setting a bigger goal can you have motivation.

The two were walking out while chatting, when suddenly, the chief eunuch came over and called them.

"General Jin, Captain Yun, please stay."

They both stopped at the same time, "Eunuch, what does the emperor want?"

The eunuch flicked his whisk, his eyes curved into a line, and he looked very kind.

"General, a few days ago, the Crown Prince went to the Jiuanyuan hot pot restaurant opened by Miss Jin in the mansion. He ate there and brought back a portion. The Emperor was there at the time and tasted it. It was delicious. He specially ordered this old servant to inform him and asked Miss Yuanyuan to come to the palace tomorrow and bring another portion of hot pot."

Jin Zechuan had just returned and didn't know what Jiuanyuan was, but he roughly guessed that Yuanyuan must have opened a store, so he immediately agreed.

"Understood, Your Majesty, please rest assured that I will convey it to you."

At this time, Jin Yuanyuan had no idea that the emperor had already noticed her hot pot.

She was dozing off while listening to the teacher's lecture in class.

This teacher particularly liked to recite Buddhist scriptures, but she had no interest in the scriptures, so she kept listening in a daze, her mind wandering.

She didn't want to listen, but Gu An didn't understand at all, as if he was listening to a foreign language. He put the book in front of his mouth and whispered to Jin Yuanyuan.

"Yuanyuan, Yuanyuan, where are we going to play tonight? My second brother just came back, and mother is very busy now. She has no time to take care of us. It's a good opportunity to go out and have some fun. How about we go to see a variety show? Or go ice skating on the river outside the city? It will be spring in a few months, and we won't be able to play anymore."

Jin Yuanyuan was a little excited and whispered, "Okay, okay, He Linyuan's leg has just healed, we can all have fun together. Ice skating is good, I kind of want to go."

Xiaojiu, who was sitting in front of her, heard the conversation between the two and quickly agreed.

"I want to go, too! Ice skating is great. My family has some skates that were sharpened two years ago, and we also have a sled for sitting on. We can let Ruan Qi and Ding Mo pull us along when the time comes."

He Linyuan listened to the teacher's lecture with one ear, while listening to the chattering of the three people in front of him with the other.

When he saw the teacher looking at them, he felt something was wrong and quickly reminded them.

"Stop chatting, Master is here!"