On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

In the cold winter, the night is as dark as ink, and the Jingxin Garden in the palace looks like a silver-white ink painting.

The snow had stopped falling long ago, and a thick layer of snow had accumulated on the ground, like a soft quilt, gently covering everything in the garden.

The trees in the garden were weighed down by the snow, and each branch was wrapped in crystal clear icicles, sparkling coldly in the dim light.

The lake surface had long been frozen, like a huge mirror, smooth and silent. Only the occasional falling snow would gently touch the ice surface before being blown away by the cold wind.

The snow on the winding corridor was cleared, and a few candles were swaying in the wind. The dim light barely illuminated the way forward. From a distance, it looked like a long dragon sleeping in the snowy night.

At this moment, a pavilion in the Jingxin Garden was brightly lit and filled with warmth.

The six ministers of state arrived in response, walking through the snow, chatting and laughing. Over their official uniforms, they wore thick mink cloaks, and the fur on their hats and collars was still covered with a few scattered snowflakes.

"Hahahaha, the prince actually wants to treat us all of a sudden. This is going to be a big meal!"

"That's right. Since I became the Minister of State, I haven't eaten the prince's food yet. I will definitely taste it today!"

"I guess the prince doesn't just want to treat us, he must have other things to do. Don't get too drunk later. Especially Minister Liu, you are the prince's personal soldier. Stay and talk with the prince and drink less!"

"Hahahaha, that's for sure!"

It was the first time in Daqian that the six ministers were invited to a banquet before the wedding, so everyone was very curious about what was going on and why they had to bring these unrelated people together.

As soon as I stepped into the pavilion, a group of pretty maids came to greet me lightly. They were wearing pink jackets and moon-white cloaks. They had pretty faces and lively eyes.

The leading maid bowed and said softly, "My lords, you have had a hard journey. Please allow us to help you undress."

As they spoke, a maid skillfully untied the mink cloaks of the ministers, gently shook off the snow, and then carefully hung them on the hangers nearby. Two other maids carried incense burners and swept back and forth under the clothes.

Inside the house, the blazing charcoal brazier emits blazing heat, driving away the oppressive cold.

A large carved dining table was placed in the center, filled with delicious food, steaming hot and fragrant, forming a sharp contrast with the ice and snow outside.

The six ministers came over and bowed.

"Your humble servant greets His Majesty, the Crown Prince."

Lin Zhenxian was wearing a dark purple thick brocade robe, with his silver hair neatly tied up. Although he was old, his face was vigorous and his eyes were deep.

Lin Zhen was wearing a snow-white brocade robe with delicate and intricate cloud patterns embroidered with silver thread on the collar and cuffs. He wore a jade belt around his waist and a jade crown on his head. He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and looked heroic. He was playing with a jade pendant in his hand, which added a bit of elegance and leisure to his appearance.

Seeing everyone bowing, he immediately stood up and said with a smile: "Hahahaha, everyone, thank you for your hard work. Please take a seat."

According to status, the current Daqian is stronger in military affairs than in literature, so the Minister of War Liu Kaiwei sits opposite Lin Zhen and Lin Zhenxian, followed by the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Rites.

After everyone was seated, Lin Zhenxian gave a wry smile and said, "Alright, now that everyone is here, Zhen'er, stop hiding things and just say whatever you want to say."

The others were also looking forward to it, but Lin Zhen kept it a secret.

"No hurry, it's freezing cold, let's eat first."

Lin Zhenxian shook his head, not knowing what this kid was up to.

But now everyone was here and he couldn't ask directly, so he just had to eat first.

Everyone took their seats. Behind each Shangshu, including Lin Zhenxian and Lin Zhen, there was a graceful maid standing. They had graceful figures and smiling faces, holding wine jugs or clean towels in their hands.

The only difference is that the person standing behind Lin Zhen is Huanbi, while the person standing behind Lin Zhenxian is Qingzhu! !

For a moment, the house was filled with the aroma of wine, and the sounds of bowls and chopsticks clinking and cups and plates colliding were endless.

The maids kept a keen eye on all directions and poured wine for the adults in front of them at the right time. Their movements were graceful and light, and the wine trickled into the cup without spilling a drop. If they saw that there was a vacancy in the dish in front of a master, they would immediately pick up the delicious dish with silver chopsticks and gently place it on the plate. If soup was accidentally spilled, they would quickly wipe it clean with a towel, so that the table was always kept tidy.

This kind of service made the six ministers a little uncomfortable, especially Liu Kaiwei, because he knew Lin Zhenxian's temper.

Although the old man holds a high position of power, he has always been honest and upright. How could he indulge in such extravagance? Eat such fine food? And even give each of them a maid?

The other ministers also looked at each other in surprise. They had indeed never enjoyed such good service.

Some of them had never been to the palace and thought that it was always like this in other people's homes, so they had to get one for themselves when they returned.

But beneath this seemingly ordinary family dinner atmosphere, there are actually undercurrents. Everyone knows that tonight's dinner is about discussing matters concerning the fate of the Daqian nation, otherwise Lin Zhen would not have called the heads of the six departments.

Lin Zhen sucked on a fish head until it sizzled with oil, then wiped his hands and mouth, drank a sip of wine, and said, "Actually, there's nothing serious about calling you all here today. It's just that the Korean envoy came to my house today and talked about something. I can't make up my mind, so I need to discuss it with you adults."

Liu Kaiwei laughed and said, "Hahaha, with the prince's intelligence, why would he need to discuss this with us? Why don't you just make the decision?"

Song Zhenglin also smiled: "Haha, that's right, Daqian now has the prince and the prince in charge, everything can be said in one word, there is no need to be too humble."

"No." Lin Zhen shook his head. "If we want Daqian to get on the right track, we must follow the rules. In fact, I invited His Majesty today, but His Majesty had something to do and couldn't come in person, so he asked me to handle it on your behalf. In that case, I will speak frankly."

Huanbi poured Lin Zhen another glass of wine, and Lin Zhen drank it in one gulp. He said, "The Korean envoy is named Jin Junxi. He wants to use their Korean iron ore in exchange for our Daqian Erguotou."

Lin Zhenxian put down his chopsticks, as if he'd heard something shocking. Then he slammed his hand on the table, a dull thud that shook the wine cups a few times. His brow furrowed, his eyes sharp as an eagle's. "South Korea is actually trading ore for Erguotou? Did Xiaopang kick him in the head? What kind of trick is this?"

Everyone paused, put down their bowls and chopsticks, and turned their eyes to Lin Zhen.

Lin Zhen had a confident smile on his face, but the other ministers were not so relaxed.

Even a fool would know there's something wrong with exchanging wine for ore.

Minister of Works Song Zheng swallowed the food in his mouth and frowned slightly.

He raised his hand and gently stroked his beard. After thinking for a moment, he said, "What do you think, my lord?"

"Tell me what you think first."

"As you know, the Wuqing Development Zone is currently very busy, and various construction projects are indeed in urgent need of large quantities of steel. However, in my opinion, we are not in such a state of shortage. Moreover, the iron ore in the Northeast is already being developed. I have a feeling that there is something fishy about this proposal made by South Korea, so I dare not agree to it rashly."

As he spoke, he took down the wine glass and took a sip. The warm wine went down his throat, dispelling some of the chill, but his eyes still showed doubt.

Seeing this, the maid behind him immediately filled his wine glass silently.

Minister of War Liu Kaiwei was already a burly figure, dressed in military uniform, with a tiger-skin vest casually draped over the back of his chair. Upon hearing this, he put down his wine glass heavily and slammed his fists on the table. "Sir, my Daqian is currently expanding its soldier recruitment, and the demand for military equipment has increased dramatically. We are seriously short of weapons and armor. If I could trade this mere Erguotou for the iron ore I desperately need to alleviate my urgent need, in my humble opinion, it would be a good idea! After all, wine is for drinking, but iron is for fighting."