On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

After learning of Lin Zhen's purpose, Song Zhenglin's desperate expression finally subsided. Under the careful care of his wife, Qin, he settled steadily into a chair. With a thick bandage wrapped around his neck, he looked rather disheveled. Nearby, a doctor was concentrating on taking his pulse, the atmosphere solemn.

Song Zhenglin's eyes fell on the floor tiles under his feet. He sighed softly, his heart filled with shame for his previous loss of composure.

He thought he had done nothing wrong, but because of an unwarranted panic, he staged such a farce in front of Lin Zhen.

He didn't even dare to think deeply. If his youngest son had not appeared outside the door at this moment, he would probably have been a cold corpse by now, not to mention the impact this incident would have on Lin Zhen and even the entire palace.

Song Zhenglin's eyes were filled with deep remorse. He bowed slightly to Lin Zhen and said to him, "Your Highness, I was reckless. Please forgive me."

Lin Zhen was unaware of the tainted reputation he had become, and assumed the old man had been frightened by Lian Qiang's incident and had lost his composure. He smiled friendly and said, "Sir Song, there's no need to be so. It's just that the matter of the carriage and horse business was personally commissioned by His Majesty, and I had no choice but to come and visit you."

"I know nothing about business, so why did the prince choose me?"

This was also the question Song Zhenglin was most curious about. If Lin Zhen went to find the officials whose families supported merchants, it would make sense. After all, few people in the court knew about his situation.

If Lin Zhen couldn't explain it clearly, he would definitely doubt Lin Zhen's purpose.

Lin Zhen knew that the old man before him was a scholar steeped in knowledge and steadfast in his adherence to tradition, so he didn't beat around the bush and said bluntly, "You certainly don't understand business, but the power of town planning lies in your hands. I've come here today to ask Lord Song's approval to design separate roads for carriages on the four streets of Suzaku, Xuanwu, Qinglong, and Baihu to facilitate their passage."

After that, Lin Zhen began to talk about the planning of the urban area. When he talked about the fact that people were not allowed to cross the streets at will and could only walk on designated paths, Song Zhenglin's face darkened slightly, and he was obviously dissatisfied with it.

Song Zhenglin immediately waved his hand and spoke earnestly. "Your Highness, I can allow you to set up parking spaces in the alleys. But why shouldn't you allow the people to go out on the streets? This Daqian is still the people's Daqian, not the Crown Prince's."

Lin Zhen sighed softly and had to explain again, "Lord Song has misunderstood what I meant. It's not that the people can't go out on the streets, but for safety reasons they are not allowed to walk on the roads reserved for carriages. Just imagine, a carriage is moving at lightning speed. If there is a collision, the consequences will be disastrous."

"Even so, it's hard to believe. Every brick and tile of this city was forged with the sweat and sweat of the people. And yet, to deny them entry to 'our own' city, isn't this absurd? I hope Your Highness will calm down. I simply cannot comply with your decision."

Lin Zhen curled his lips helplessly, thinking that this old man was too old-fashioned.

"Urban development is surging, and improving people's livelihoods is a necessity of the times. We cannot rigidly adhere to the old system. The emergence of carriage companies not only provides great convenience for people's travel, but also allows coachmen to support their families, and Your Majesty can also obtain a considerable profit from it. More importantly, such a transportation network can make the army more flexible and able to assemble quickly. For the country, the people, and even the monarch, this is a great benefit to the country and the people.

To balance safety and convenience, we can establish traffic posts at appropriate intervals to allow citizens to cross the carriageway safely. These traffic posts will naturally require dedicated personnel to direct them. This will not only ensure pedestrian safety but also create new employment opportunities for society. As the direct beneficiaries, the people will naturally be happy and have no complaints. I hope Lord Song will not be bound by convention and agree to this."

Song Zhenglin withdrew his hand from taking the patient's pulse, gently stroked the goatee on his chin, and his eyes were deep.

The doctor beside him bowed respectfully, and without saying a word, he quietly retreated with his medicine box, leaving only silence in the room and unfinished words.

Finally, Song Zhenglin said, "If that's the case, then this matter does have some merit... However, this is only the Crown Prince's one-sided statement. Whether it is truly His Majesty's intention remains to be discussed."

Lin Zhen was almost speechless.

It's really fucking hard to talk to someone who isn't greedy for money, isn't lustful, doesn't want benefits, but clings to power and won't let go.

"So what does Lord Song think?"

Hearing this, Song Zhenglin smiled meaningfully. "Haha, Your Highness, you could just go out and paint the carriageway on the street. Why bother condescending to ask for your permission? Is my approval that important?"

"Of course it's important. Rules and regulations are the cornerstone of governing a country and bringing peace to the world. How can we act arbitrarily? Otherwise, the country will be in chaos."

"Prince, do you know that these words coming out of your mouth are even more ridiculous!"

Lin Zhen suppressed the anger in his heart and remained calm and patient.

"That's because you don't know me well enough. Although I kill people, I only kill those who deserve to be killed. For example, those guards of the Gu family, their evil deeds are too numerous to list. And like Lian Song, although he didn't die directly at my hands, it was a divine punishment carried out by those under my command. This man was full of evil, repeatedly oppressing the people and humiliating innocent girls, but because of the Gu family's protection, he was able to get away with it and escape the severe punishment of the law, so I had to take action on behalf of the law."

"As the regent prince, I may not have the power to strike down tyrants and execute corrupt officials like the prince, but it is not wrong for me to take the lives of a few evildoers. As Lord Song has seen, I have never had any problems with any court official."

"This is different from discussing city planning with you. You alone manage the urban planning of the entire Daqian. If we want to make changes to the streets, we need your consent. This is not only a respect for you, but also a loyalty to Your Majesty. If I wield a little power and try to overstep my authority and make decisions on my own, then what's the difference between me and the father and son of the Gu family?"

Everything Lin Zhen said made sense, and his sincerity was evident in his words. Even Song Zhenglin, an old scholar with a wealth of experience and knowledge, had to nod his head secretly, unable to find any fault with it.

Song Zhenglin had certainly heard of the Lian Qiang case, and he was also well aware of this man's character and official style.

So if something happened to him, Song Zhenglin would only applaud and would never blame Lin Zhen. On the contrary, he would thank Lin Zhen for getting rid of such a pest.

The reason why he was hostile to Lin Zhen and even had suicidal thoughts when they first met was entirely because Lin Zhen's reputation was too bad.

All the officials hated Lin Zhen to the core because of Lian Qiang's incident. They brainwashed Song Zhenglin every day about how vicious and hateful Lin Zhen was, which gave him a preconceived idea.

Now thinking about it carefully, Song Zhenglin suddenly realized that he had been misled by those rumors.

The prince in front of him is much more reliable than those people.

Song Zhenglin nodded gently, a gentle smile playing on his lips. "I appreciate your advice. Your Highness, you can go ahead and take charge of the carriage road. I will cooperate with you throughout the process."

Hearing this, Lin Zhen's chest was suddenly relieved. He then bowed and said sincerely, "In that case, thank you very much."

"Your Excellency, you are too kind. As long as it can help the people, I will do my best! If Your Excellency is not busy, why not...stay for dinner?"

Lin Zhen looked at the watery soup on the table and thought it was not as good as the one at home.

So he declined politely, "Thank you for your kindness, sir. However, I need to immediately start the carriage business and dare not slack off. Sir Song, please rest assured and recuperate. I will take my leave."

Song Zhenglin wanted to get up and see him off, but Lin Zhen's steps were so light that he was like a breeze and he walked out of the courtyard in an instant.

He didn't want to stay even a minute longer.

Talking to such an old man is tiring both mentally and verbally.

Song Zhenglin's eyes followed Lin Zhen's receding figure, a smile on his lips as he nodded frequently. He twirled his graying beard gently with his hands, then turned and loudly ordered behind him, "Come on, quickly prepare another sumptuous meal! I must drink and feast to my heart's content today! Hahahaha..."

The old wife, Qin, had been standing quietly at the back, listening to their conversation, feeling shrouded in confusion. She slowly walked out and asked with a puzzled look on her face, "Why is the master so happy?"

Song Zhenglin looked at Qin, his eyes twinkling as he smiled, "Madam, the Crown Prince is definitely not the sinister and vicious person the outside world says he is. He is actually a loyal minister who truly cares about the world and the people! I admire him immensely. No wonder His Majesty now looks at him differently!"

"Come here, take a shower and change clothes! I need to go to the palace to see His Majesty after dinner!"