On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

First he was jealous of Qizhuer, and then he wanted to take over the newspaper.

Murong Yan is really interesting.

Does that mean she is gradually slipping away from my control?

Or does she have other thoughts?

The late spring light shines through the carved window lattices, casting mottled shadows on the blue bricks of the reception room.

After thinking about it carefully, I decided to forget it. There was no need to argue with Murong Yan over everything.

Since he wants the newspaper, give it to her.

But Lin Zhen would never increase his investment in Murong Yan. He would not care if she became financially stretched because of taking over the newspaper.

Just as Chen Mo was about to speak, he saw Lin Zhen sitting down in the main seat and raising his chin towards Huanbi who was standing beside him.

Huanbi lowered her eyes and walked forward, took out the ebony pipe from the brocade bag at her waist, and filled it with tobacco skillfully.

The hem of her moon-white skirt swept across the ground, the pear-blossom white hairpin in her hair trembled slightly with her movements, and her eyes and eyebrows conveyed her feelings at the moment her fingertips lit the tinder.

"Zizizizi--" The sparks in the pipe flickered. Lin Zhen took a deep puff of the tobacco. The smoke slowly overflowed from his nostrils, blurring his furrowed brows.

He remembered what Chen Mo had just said: Murong Yan promised to exempt the reporter's family from labor service.

Ah.

There is no free corvee in Daqian anymore, and even many ordinary people want to join the corvee team, that is, to work.

Working for the court not only earns wages, but also provides food and shelter. As long as you persist for a few years, your whole family will become wealthy.

Moreover, the soldiers in charge of supervision never treated the workers harshly. For urgent work, they would work in three shifts, while for less urgent work, they would work from 8 am to 5 pm. Their life was simply too good.

Murong Yan said that exempting family members from corvee labor was a useless and even a bad move.

Lin Zhen knocked his pipe against the carved armrest.

Huanbi handed over the celadon spittoon, which was also an ashtray.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the cinnabar mole exposed under Lin Zhen's neck.

It was a mark symmetrical to Murong Yan's, except his was on the right shoulder and hers was on the left.

"Your Majesty wants a newspaper? Then I'll give it to her!"

"Husband, calm down. Be careful of the smoke choking your throat."

Lin Zhen waved his hand and took another deep breath: "If she wants fame, I will give her fame; if she wants money,

The pipe pointed out the window at the servant feeding the camels. "Starting next month, the monthly allowance sent to the palace by the prince's palace will be cut in half, the casino's share will be reduced from 30,000 taels to 10,000 taels, and the share of the liquor will be completely cancelled. I just can't believe it. Why does she always come up with these nonsense?"

After saying that, Lin Zhen turned the pipe upside down and poured water on it to extinguish it.

Chen Mo stood aside and said, "Prince, would His Majesty agree to your doing this? After all, that is His Majesty's private money. He can reduce it at will... Don't let His Majesty get angry with you later."

"So what if she's angry? You're using my money to act generous and buy people's hearts, just like I'm stingy with my subordinates. Don't worry about the rest. From now on, send the newspaper's news to me for review before publishing. As for the money, let her ask the Ministry of Revenue for it! I don't believe I can't deal with her!"

Lin Zhen's male chauvinism came back again.

He felt that Murong Yan should consult him about anything she wanted to do, especially matters related to government affairs, instead of just using his money to do things.

This is against the rules, and even more so against the way a couple should get along.

It's like a man is out making money while his wife is lying at home.

That's perfectly reasonable, but if you're using your husband's money to invest in stocks or other investments, shouldn't you discuss it with him?

You have a lot of money and you can spend it just like that. If that’s the case, then go out and make money on your own.

Huanbi silently picked up the cloak on the ground and heard Lin Zhen's voice suddenly become cold: "Send someone to the palace later to tell her not to send any more camel milk. Chengyu has twenty wet nurses to feed him, so she doesn't need to worry about it."

Chen Mo bowed in response and was about to leave when he saw Lin Zhen suddenly stand up, his cloak fluttering in the wind behind him.

"Let's go to the stable." He walked towards the door without looking back. Huanbi hurriedly followed him, holding up her skirt. When she passed by Chen Mo, she looked back inadvertently.

Chen Mo smiled friendly and turned to leave the palace.

The cobblestone path leading to the stable was covered with willow catkins. Lin Zhen walked so fast that Huanbi almost had to jog to keep up.

"Prince, be careful!" Huanbi suddenly exclaimed, and saw a camel rushing out from the direction of the stable in front of her like crazy. The felt saddle on its hump was tilted to one side, and the dust raised by its hooves was blinding.

Lin Zhen subconsciously turned around, stretched out his long arms and picked up Huanbi horizontally, then jumped on tiptoe to the crabapple tree on the side of the road. His movements were so fast that they brought up a gust of wind. Huanbi could even smell the scent of dry tobacco and cedar mixed on his body.

Lin Zhen put Huanbi down and looked her up and down. Seeing that she was not injured, he shouted towards the stable, "You useless bastard! You can't even take care of a camel!"

He watched the camel rushing towards the back garden and kicked the stone bench beside him in anger.

Several servants came out panting, carrying lassoes. The leading servant was pale and said, "Prince, spare me! It was Lai Fu... Master Lai Fu suddenly rushed out and bit a female camel to death. The rest were shocked!"

"Lai Fu?" Lin Zhen frowned, and his anger subsided a lot.

Lai Fu normally wouldn't even eat venison, so why would he suddenly eat camel? Could it be that his vicious nature hasn't changed?

It shouldn't be like this... Lai Fu never causes trouble.

He asked, "Why did Lai Fu come here so suddenly? Where are the other camels?"

"My Lord, the other camels are tied up, only this one escaped."

"Hurry up and catch up, don't scare the child."

"Yes!"

The servants ran away like the wind, and one of them lost his shoes and didn't even dare to look back to pick them up.

Lin Zhen pulled Huanbi and followed the servant to the stable. From a distance, they saw a camel with its neck bitten off lying under the wall. Its blood had dyed the willow catkins on the ground red. Lai Fu was holding the camel's leg in his mouth, growling deeply in his throat, and he was eating it very happily.

“Laifu!!”

Lin Zhen shouted, and Lai Fu raised the tiger's head and opened his bloody mouth.

It looked as if he was smiling.

Huanbi was afraid of it, so she stood far away. Lin Zhen walked over, touched its big head, and said, "Brother, why do you want to eat camel meat?"

Lai Fu is usually very lazy. He has to have food brought to his mouth and won’t eat normal food.

Ergou bought ten pounds of braised beef with soy sauce with his own money. Lai Fu just smelled it and then hit Ergou with his tail, making him fall over.

Lai Fu roared.

I didn’t know what to say, but I really liked fresh camel meat, so I just continued eating.

Ergou came running out of the backyard, panting. Seeing Lin Zhen there, he knelt down and kowtowed, "Prince, I deserve to die! I don't know why Laifu went crazy when he heard the camel bray and jumped over the five-meter-high wall in one go!"

Lin Zhen looked at Lai Fu's golden fur stained with blood, his amber eyes fixed on the remaining camels, and suddenly remembered something: "Are you not fed enough?"

Ergou rubbed his hands anxiously, "No, my Lord! Laifu can eat 30 kilograms of pork in one meal now. I find new ways to feed him every day. I even fed him a leg of lamb this morning!"

He pointed at the meat jerky beside Lai Fu's mouth and said, "Look, he usually wags his tail when I give him this, but today he ignores me!"

Lin Zhen wanted to reach out and touch Lai Fu's tiger head again, but he saw it suddenly growl and take two steps back, with a hint of vigilance in its eyes.

This unusual behavior made his heart sink.

"Strange." He muttered to himself, and saw that the hair on Lai Fu's neck was standing up, not at all as docile as usual.

Moreover, it has tasted fresh meat and blood today, and it is likely to attack humans in the future.

This is troublesome.

Huanbi came over tremblingly, handed Lin Zhen a wet handkerchief, and whispered, "My husband, Lai Fu has never been afraid of anyone since he came into the mansion. Today is really strange."

Lin Zhen wiped his hands and glanced at the camel in the corner of the stable.

The remaining three huddled in the corner, the silver bells around their necks jingling, while Lai Fu stood beside the dead camel, occasionally making threatening roars.

"Forget it." He waved his hand. "Let it eat first. You guys clean up the dead camels it has left. Keep an eye on the rest. If anything goes wrong again, you all go guard the imperial mausoleum!"

As they left the stable, Lai Fu's roar gradually subsided, and only the sound of flesh being torn could be heard.

Lin Zhen looked back and saw the white tiger using its claws to poke at the silver bell on the camel's neck. The bell made a tiny sound, which was particularly harsh in the quiet late spring morning.

"Husband." Huanbi suddenly stopped and said, "Do you think Lai Fu seems to be startled by something?"

She remembered the look Lai Fu had given Lin Zhen just now. It was not awe, but fear.

Lin Zhen walked forward in silence, and the jade bracelet hit the jade pendant on his waist, making a crisp sound.

He remembered the camel Murong Yan had sent him, which had a small notch on each ear.

As far as he could remember, camels didn't seem to have this defect.

Could it be that someone tampered with it?

Lin Zhen is always suspicious now. Whenever something special happens, he will think of conspiracy, especially towards Xuanhemen.

During this period, neither the Xuanhe Gate nor the Hard Gate caused any more trouble.

The first one is Murong Yan.

She is now a martial arts master, and any petty thief who enters the palace will die.

Secondly, Daqian is now basically an iron wall, leaving them no way to infiltrate.

"Monkey." He suddenly said to Hou Chun, who had a low sense of presence, "Go find out where these camels came from and whether anyone has tampered with them."

He paused, looking towards the distant palace wall. "Also, tell the kitchen: from today onwards, add three grams of cinnabar to the meat you feed Lai Fu."

"Yes." Hou Chun responded and left.

Lin Zhen stood under the crabapple tree, watching the petals fall into his palm, and suddenly remembered that Murong Yan liked to use crabapple petals to dye her nails.

He chuckled and crushed the petals. The bloody juice stained his fingertips, just like the blood on the camel's neck just now.

"Bi'er, arrange for someone to notify the Chess Buddha. If he can't find me, go ask Li'er and tell him to wait for me in the backyard."

"Yes, husband."

......

A few days ago, I promised Hou Chun that I would be a matchmaker for him.

In fact, there was no need for Lin Zhen to personally take action in this kind of matter. He could just send a subordinate to do it. After all, Guo Xin was only the chief clerk of the Ministry of Rites, and was not even a small official in front of Lin Zhen.

But in order to show the importance the palace attached to this matter, Lin Zhen still planned to go and see it in person. At the same time, he was also curious about how graceful the little girl was who could make money by writing at such a young age.

The carriage rolled over the bluestone road, and the West Market outside the window gradually became lively.

Lin Zhen lifted a corner of the car curtain and saw that Xinghuafang was under intensive construction. The former rubble field had been demolished and the foundation was still under construction. At the same time, the water under Anhe Bridge was also being cleared and widened.

Almost everyone in Daqian is very busy now. They all have their own things to do and are contributing to the country.

very nice.

Guo Xin's house is hidden at the corner of West Market. Its green tiles and white walls are covered with vines, and a faded plaque with the words "Tranquility and Far-reaching Aspirations" hangs on the lintel.

As soon as Lin Zhen got off the car, the servant at the door was stunned.

Because just by looking at the carriage, you can tell that Lin Zhen's carriage is the only one in the city that is so luxurious.

The servant came forward hurriedly and said, "I am here to see the prince."

"No need to be polite. Tell your master that this prince is here to visit."

"Yes, my lord, please follow me!"

Lin Zhen followed the servant to the reception room of the house.

It is called a reception room, but it is actually the living room of the house and is not specifically used to entertain guests.

When Guo Xin heard that Lin Zhen was visiting, he hurried out.

He was wearing a half-worn blue cloth gown, the cuffs still stained with ink. Seeing Lin Zhen sitting on the chair, he hurriedly lifted the hem of his gown and knelt to kowtow, his voice trembling with excitement: "Your humble servant Guo Xin pays his respects to the Crown Prince! I didn't know that the Crown Prince was coming, and I failed to greet him. I deserve death!"

Lin Zhen quickly reached out to support him, but saw that Guo Xin was tense all over and had a red mark on his forehead.

"Master Guo, there's no need to be so polite. I'm here on a private visit today, not an official one."

He looked at the small courtyard in front of him. The bluestone road was spotlessly clean, and the roses in the corner were in full bloom, adding a touch of homely atmosphere compared to the exquisiteness of the royal palace.

Guo Xin stood up, still hunched over, rubbing his hands together, not knowing what to do. "Your Highness, I'm so kind to you. My humble abode is so simple, I'm afraid I might offend your eyes..."

Before he could finish his words, he heard the sound of teacups clashing from inside the house. A middle-aged woman ran out from the inner room. When she saw Lin Zhen, she was startled at first, then hurriedly bowed: "I pay my respects to the prince!"

"Mrs. Guo, you're too polite."

Lin Zhen looked around and saw that the main hall was simply furnished with an octagonal table and four bamboo chairs, and an ink painting of a landscape hung on the wall, which was consistent with Guo Xin's reputation of being indifferent to fame and fortune.

Guo Xin was already panicking, rubbing his hands together and saying to the woman, "Quick! Bring the snacks for the distinguished guests from the east wing! And go kill a chicken and make a pot of soup for the prince!"

"No need to bother." Lin Zhen held his hand. "I came here today to discuss an important matter with Lord Guo."

"Your Highness, there is no need to address me as Lord. This makes me feel flattered. Please address me as Xiao Guo."

"Uh..." Xiao Guo...

Not quite right.

Lin Zhen said, "Then I'll call you Lao Guo. It'll be easier to talk that way."

"Thank you, Prince!"

Just as he finished speaking, light footsteps were heard from the inner room. A young girl came out holding a chessboard. Her plain skirt was embroidered with a few branches of black orchids, and her black hair was tied up with a simple jade hairpin. It was Guo Ran.

When she saw Lin Zhen, she was slightly startled at first, then she bowed and saluted, her voice as clear as a spring: "My humble daughter, Guo Ran, greets the prince."

Lin Zhen's eyes swept across the jade hairpin on her temples and fell on the red rope on her wrist.

To be honest, this girl is very quiet and makes people like her at first sight.

Guo Ran seemed to be aware of his gaze, and the tips of her ears turned slightly red. When she lowered her head, her slender neck was revealed, as straight as a new bamboo after rain.