On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

Lin Zhen walked forward slowly, wearing a luxurious purple-gold python robe, with an intricately carved dragon jade pendant hanging around his waist. His steps showed the demeanor of a graceful young man, attracting friendly smiles from everyone, and they tactfully made way for him.

His arrival was like a breeze that swept through the hustle and bustle, gently dispersing the chattering crowd.

With their status, they don’t even have the qualifications to talk to Lin Zhen.

Lin Zhen had no objection, as if it were all natural. However, Mao Mengji's reaction was completely different. Upon seeing Lin Zhen, his face instantly darkened, and he snorted disdainfully. He then turned, pushing his wheelbarrow towards the other side of the restaurant.

Lin Zhen's lips curled up into an amused smile, and he quietly followed Mao Mengji.

Mao Mengji pushed the wheelbarrow straight to the backyard of the restaurant.

A clever servant was already waiting there. Seeing Mao Mengji coming, he hurried forward and began to move and unload the wine jars with swift hands and feet.

The servant was sharp-eyed. He caught a glimpse of Lin Zhen entering the courtyard and quickly put down his work and ran over to bow. "Greetings, sir. May I know what brings you here?"

Lin Zhen smiled slightly, his tone was somewhat gentle and elegant: "It's okay, I came to see a friend."

However, Mao Mengji completely ignored Lin Zhen's politeness. He turned his back to Lin Zhen and said impatiently, "I'm not your friend. Please go back."

"General Mao..."

Mao Mengji paused and said calmly, "Thanks to the prince, I am no longer a general."

"I'm sorry about your demotion."

Mao Mengji sneered and said, "Oh, the prince is worth a fortune, there is no need to do this."

Before he finished speaking, a three-year-old child, a delicate and delicate girl, staggered out of the restaurant. Her steps were unsteady but full of eagerness. She threw herself into Mao Mengji's arms, hugged his thighs tightly, and called out in a baby voice, "Daddy!"

Mao Mengji lowered his head, his eyes full of tenderness: "Ping'er, be good. Daddy is working."

"No, no! Ping'er wants daddy to hug her!"

The little girl opened her arms coquettishly, expecting to be lifted high by her father. Mao Mengji shook his head helplessly, and could only rub his palms lightly on his clothes. Then he carefully took his daughter into his arms, his doting expression beyond words.

Lin Zhen walked slowly to Mao Mengji, a gentle smile spread across his face, his eyes fixed on the innocent little girl in front of him.

The little girl was not shy at all. Instead, she responded to Lin Zhen's gaze with an innocent sweet smile.

"What a lovely girl! How could you bear to let her grow up in this brothel?"

Mao Mengji said: "My daughter should follow me. This is her fate."

Lin Zhen sighed softly, his words tinged with regret: "You clearly have a brighter future ahead of you, so why do you choose to torture yourself like this?"

"I'm sorry I don't understand what you said, Prince."

Lin Zhen reached out to hug the little girl.

As a result, Mao Mengji turned around and hugged his daughter without giving any face at all.

Lin Zhen's hand hung awkwardly in the air, and finally slowly fell down, gently stroking the tip of his nose, with a hint of helplessness in his bitter smile.

"Gu Yunting is not only selfish, corrupt, and harms the people, but his subordinates are also mean-spirited and treat human life as worthless. This kind of person is definitely not a wise leader. You should have left long ago."

Mao Mengji's eyes were firm when he heard this, and his tone was full of unquestionable determination: "I, Mao, come from a humble background. It was the Prime Minister who promoted me and brought my family to the capital so that we wouldn't die of hunger and cold. I must repay this favor. If the prince wants to use me to deal with the Prime Minister, then forget it."

Lin Zhen said, "No, I don't need you to deal with Gu Yunting at all. That's not your strong suit. You're a cavalry general. Galloping on the battlefield is what you should do and it's your lifelong wish. If you're willing to follow me, I will entrust you with the important task of serving as a lieutenant commander in Qinghe County, specializing in training soldiers and generals. If you perform meritorious service in the Qian-Chu War in three months, you will receive a separate reward."

Mao Mengji's ears resounded with thunder as he heard this. A flicker of disbelief flashed across his eyes. "What did you say? Three months from now, our country will be at war with the State of Chu?"

Lin Zhen nodded lightly, his expression solemn: "Yes, but this matter is of great importance. You must keep it a secret and not reveal a single word."

Mao Mengji's gaze lingered on the tender face of his daughter in his arms, with complicated thoughts surging in his heart, and he was hesitant to make a decision.

Seeing this, Lin Zhen didn't urge him. Instead, he gently patted his shoulder and said encouragingly, "A true man has a broad mind. A hero should shed his blood on the battlefield. How can this small restaurant be your home?"

After saying this, Lin Zhen turned around gracefully and walked towards the distance with firm steps.

Mao Mengji still stood there, as if he was deeply touched by Lin Zhen's words. His mind wandered between reality and dreams, and he couldn't come back to his senses for a long time.

Lin Zhen was right. His greatest wish was to fight for Daqian on the battlefield. Although he faced death on horseback, the military power was always in the hands of Lin Zhenxian, which made him a hero without a place to use his talents. He could only stay in the Prime Minister's Mansion and do dirty things for the Gu family.

Now that Lin Zhenxian’s grandson has come in person to recruit him, he has new hope, but the Lin family and the Prime Minister’s family are rivals!

The barrier in his heart, between his ideal and reality, made him hesitate.

Just as he was overwhelmed with thoughts and unable to make a decision, Ping'er in his arms, her clear eyes gleaming with innocence, asked with longing, "Daddy, is he a general?"

"I..." Mao Mengji was speechless for a moment.

Am I?

Mao Mengji suddenly became unconfident.

Just at this moment, a gentle voice came from the threshold of the restaurant, interrupting the silence.

His wife, Mao Li, walked out of the restaurant and whispered to Ping'er, "Silly girl, your father is of course a great general!"

The little girl was so excited that she was waving her arms and legs, her clear voice full of pride: "Wow! Daddy is a general! Daddy is so awesome!"

She jumped out of her father's arms and rushed into the bustling restaurant happily, shouting excitedly to everyone she met.

"You know what? My father is an incredible general!"

"Yes, my father is the most powerful general, no one can compare to him!"

"Hehe, I'm the daughter of the great general's mansion!"

The innocent pride and satisfaction in his words were as bright and moving as flowers blooming in spring.

Even Mao Mengji's sister Mao Yuewu, seeing this scene, smiled with relief, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but bloom into a beautiful arc.

She instructed a clever servant to carefully look after the lively little girl while she walked gracefully into the courtyard. Her gaze fell gently on Mao Mengji, who was still standing there in a daze. She whispered softly, "Brother, I heard everything you said to the prince. This is a great opportunity! You should be an eagle soaring in the sky, fighting in the vast air. Why do you have to humble yourself and compete with ordinary chickens for a grain of rice under my little eaves?"

Mrs. Mao Li then spoke gently, her voice filled with hope for her husband: "Yes, my husband, the Prime Minister was indeed very kind to us in the past, but things are unpredictable and our fate has ended. Why don't you take this opportunity to find another wise master and realize your dream! Look at Ping'er, she really hopes that you will become a great general!"

Mao Mengji struggled, his brows full of hesitation: "But... Lin Zhen is definitely not a wise leader..."

Mao Yuewu opened her red lips slightly, her voice gentle but firm.

"Lin Zhen is currently only the Crown Prince, holding no real power. But don't forget, his grandfather, Lin Zhenxian, is the Great Qian Dynasty's number one war god! He treats every soldier as his own, never mistreating them. If you can join the Lin family, you'll be entering Lin Zhenxian's inner circle. With this prince as your backing, your ambitions and dreams will surely be realized."

"Husband, this is the best opportunity for our Mao family to rise. If we give up, we will really have to guard this restaurant for the rest of our lives."

Mao Mengji also knew that what his sister and wife said made sense, but he was struggling inside.

Is this considered treason?

What if the Lin family asks me to deal with the Prime Minister in the future?

Just as he was hesitating at this moral crossroads, the waiter hurried over, interrupting his thoughts and whispering to Mao Yuewu, "Boss, the prince has come back and said he wants to eat at our place!"

Mao Yuewu's expression instantly turned serious upon hearing this, and she quickly ordered, "Be careful and wait for me, I'll be right there!"

After saying that, she hurriedly disappeared behind the door.