Golden Branch

"Of course, Ah Ying and Ah Tao are of humble status, so when they go to the Crown Prince, they are just servants."

Wang Heng changed the subject and said slowly, "If my grandmother had gone with me, she would have suffered some injustice in the first few years."

What Wang Heng said was absolutely true.

Aying and Atao were both slaves. Even if they were taken in by Yang Rui, they could only be concubines at most.

The old woman beside the maid was even more humble.

With such an identity, Zheng Yi entered the Prince of Qi's Palace and was sure to be looked down upon and suffer some hardships.

There is no way, strength determines everything.

When one's status is too humble, even if Zheng Yi has countless palace fighting tricks, he cannot use them.

Not to mention plotting against the Crown Prince's Consort, even the lady in charge of the inner courtyard could crush Zheng Yi to death with just a flick of her finger.

Zheng Yi was no longer the young master's tutor, nor was she a female attendant. She was just an old woman who served as a maid in the same room with the emperor. This identity alone was enough to make her suffer from oppression in the Prince of Qi's mansion.

Since Wang Heng wants to do a favor, she will definitely do it thoroughly.

She did not give Zheng Yi just one "alternative", but multiple options.

She looked at Zheng Yi and said softly, "Auntie, a few days ago, my mother sent me a letter, and she mentioned something——"

"Princess Pingyi in the capital is currently selecting a tutor for her daughter."

"Auntie, if you are willing, I am willing to recommend you!"

The princess's mother-in-law is much more noble and respectable than the old woman who serves as a concubine to the prince of Qi.

The key point is that Princess Pingyi's daughter is twelve years old this year and is already eligible for marriage.

Princess Pingyi is the concubine daughter of the current saint. Her biological mother died early, and she has no reliable maternal family. She and her brothers Yang Chong and others are not born of the same mother.

In order to deepen her ties with her brothers, or in other words, for the power of her princess mansion, she intended to marry her daughters to the emperor's grandsons.

In this way, Zheng Yi had the opportunity to "show his talents".

She was not greedy for imperial power, but always wanted to continue to stir up trouble in the capital and the palace. She could have entered the princess's mansion and helped the princess's daughter rise to prominence.

The Prince of Qi's Palace and the Princess's Palace are both inextricably linked to the royal family.

Wang Heng put both options in front of Zheng Yi and let him choose, which can definitely be described as dedicated and thoughtful.

Zheng Yi stared at Wang Heng for a long time before sighing silently in his heart:

I really underestimated Jiu Niang.

She is not only smart, but also acts almost flawlessly.

In fact, she only gave Zheng Yi the option of going to the Prince of Qi's Mansion, which was enough to make him stop feeling resentful. Unexpectedly, he did this -

The resentment in Zheng Yi's heart caused by being driven away disappeared in an instant.

In addition to being moved, Zheng Yi also felt a little awe: Jiu Niang is so thoughtful at such a young age, and you can't afford to offend such a person!

Wang Heng really doesn't have any big ambitions and may not become the supreme ruler in the future.

But the people around her are not easy to deal with.

Both Lou Yu and Concubine Jiang were able to kill Zheng Yi silently.

Wang Heng was soft-hearted, but those two were decisive and murderous.

Taking a deep breath, Zheng Yi was completely relieved.

The grudge between her and Wang Jiu was settled. Wang Jiu did not owe her any kindness in educating her, and she did not hate Wang Jiu for kicking her out!

"Thank you, Jiuniang! I am ashamed that I failed to serve you properly and even made you tired of making such plans for me!"

Zheng Yi knelt down sincerely and kowtowed deeply, both to thank Wang Heng and to apologize and say goodbye.

……

At night, Wang Heng slept alone in the dormitory.

She had just laid down when she heard some noise against the window.

Wang Heng: ...Okay! The Little Overlord is here again!

Sitting up, Wang Heng pulled open the bed curtain and saw a figure rushing in.

"Brother!"

Wang Heng sat a little further inward to make some room for Lou Yu.

Lou Yu didn't hesitate, took off his boots skillfully and jumped onto the bed.

He hurried back from the camp today and was on the high platform by the river, fully focused on dealing with Shen Du.

After the picnic by the river, Lou Yu personally escorted Shen Du and his party to the Lou family fort.

Next comes settling in and having meals.

It was not until the evening that everything came to an end and Lou Yu had time to come and see the fat girl.

I haven't seen her for half a month, and the fat girl has become plump again.

Lou Yu sat cross-legged on the couch and raised his hand to rub Wang Heng's little face. It was chubby and tender, but it was a pity that he couldn't pinch it!

"So? A showdown with that old woman?"

When Lou Yu faced Wang Heng, he didn't need to exchange pleasantries or be polite. He would just say whatever he wanted to say directly.

Wang Heng nodded, "I've spoken to Grandma about everything!"

"Did you tell her both options?"

"Ok!"

"So which did she choose? Go to Prince Qi's mansion, or seek refuge with Princess Pingyi?"

Wang Heng tilted her head, "Brother, guess?"

Lou Yu curled his lips, with a hint of sarcasm in his smile.

Of course, he was not mocking Wang Heng, but some self-righteous and calculating old woman.

Wang Heng wanted to correct her: Grandma is not old, she is only in her thirties, and because she takes good care of herself, she looks like she is in her twenties, a dignified and elegant lady.

However, Wang Heng would not say these complaints out loud.

She is not only used to hiding her shortcomings, but also used to restraining her emotions and hiding her thoughts.

"It should be Prince Qi's Mansion!"

Lou Yu gave the answer without much thought.

Wang Heng's eyes flashed, as if saying: Brother, how did you know?

However, she insisted on playing with Lou Yu, deliberately pouting her lips and saying, "Brother, when I go to the Prince of Qi's Mansion, I'm just an old woman of lowly status. How can I compare to the respectability of the tutor of the young lady in the Princess's Mansion?"

Lou Yu's smile began to extend to his eyes. The fat girl's face really couldn't hide her thoughts at all.

She really should be given a mirror so she can see how rich her expressions are.

Whatever is in your mind is written on your face.

She asked foolishly: Ah, how did you know?

"It's indeed respectable to be a tutor at the Princess's Mansion, but don't forget that the young lady at the Princess's Mansion is already twelve years old this year."

Lou Yu smiled as he patiently explained to Wang Heng, "At this age, although his mind may not be fully mature, it has already taken shape."

"If Zheng Yi were to go to Lady Jun at this time, he wouldn't be valued at all."

The girl in the princess's mansion was not Wang Heng, and she was not raised by Zheng Yi since childhood.

There are bound to be some shortcomings in this regard.

Of course, with Zheng Yi's skills, he should be able to win over the little girl.

However, there is a difference between conviction and wholehearted dependence.

The most precious thing between people is the friendship deep in their hearts.

Zheng Yi is very calculating, but she is also afraid that others will calculate against her.

Compared with the noble ladies from the princess's mansion who he met halfway, Aying and Atao are more reliable.

Although these two people also met Zheng Yi halfway, their surname is Zheng.

According to seniority, they are all Zheng Yi's nieces.

Zheng Yi and the Zheng family were not on good terms, but the grudge has been settled.

Moreover, because of their backgrounds and experiences, Aying and Atao do not have much sense of belonging to the Zheng family.

Zheng Yi can use the surname to build a closer relationship with the two little girls, and can also use the sufferings that Aying and Atao have suffered in the Zheng family to separate them from the Zheng family, so that they will only trust her as their aunt and grandmother!

Lou Yu told Wang Heng all this in detail.

Wang Heng looked thoughtful.

After a moment, she suddenly said, "Brother, I understand!"

She raised her chin slightly and said with a little pride: "Zheng Ai went to the princess's mansion and she can indeed gain the trust of the princess's daughter."

"But besides her, she also has parents, a wet nurse, a personal maid, and a whole group of people to take care of and help her."

"Auntie can't be the only person the little girl trusts and relies on."

If you can't be the only one, it will be difficult to completely control the little girl.

"Aying and Atao are different. Apart from their blood relationship, the only one they can rely on is Aunt Zheng!"

They will listen to the advice of the knowledgeable and strategic Zheng Yi, so that Zheng Yi can truly use all her means!

Lou Yu smiled, stretched out a finger, and gently tapped Wang Heng's fair forehead. "Not bad! You've learned to draw inferences from one example!"

Wang Heng quickly reached out to touch her forehead, frowning and scolding, "Brother! It hurts!"

"Okay! Okay! It's my fault, brother! You forgot that our fat girl is so delicate!"

Lou Yu apologized half-heartedly, then quickly changed the subject: "By the way, have you figured out all the questions the teacher gave you for the test today?"

"Yeah, yeah, the pheasant and rabbit problem in the same cage. Brother, you explained it to me before. I can do it!"

Wang Heng nodded obediently and stretched out a tender, chubby little finger to indicate that a difficult problem had been solved.

"One more question!"

Lou Yu was not surprised. Although his fat girl was not smart enough, she was hardworking.

She would carefully write down the books he read to her and the questions he explained.

Wang Heng could solve the problem about pheasants and rabbits in the same cage, so the only question left was "calligraphy".

Lou Yu had already thought of this for Wang Heng!

He reached into his collar and pulled out a folded piece of paper.

"Brother, what is this?"

"There's a poem that the gentleman once wrote. It's not very famous, but it was written when he was young and not yet famous."

It is not well-known, but it is my proudest work.

Ever since Yang Rui proposed to recommend him to Shen Du a few months ago, Lou Yu began to find ways to collect all the information about Shen Du.

Including his personal experience, the rise and fall of his family, and all his works.

Lou Yu had money, servants assigned to him by Lou Jin, and some connections of Lou Hu.

Lou Yu tried every possible means, didn't care about the money, and really got everything he wanted.

Lou Yu even found out the "secret" that Shen Du had been seriously ill and had not been able to eat a full meal for several years.

Wang Heng would build a high platform by the river and have a picnic, and it was Lou Yu who reminded her in advance.

Wang Heng’s picnic by the river was not just today. She had been “fishing” on the high platform almost every day in recent days.

Therefore, it was really not a surprise to "accidentally" meet Shen Du.

But it was the result of her "sitting back and waiting"!

Lou Yu also got Shen Du's travel notes, notebooks, collections of works and other materials.

Among them is this seven-character poem.

Wang Heng took it, unfolded it, and her eyes flashed slightly.

Because the handwriting on the paper was Lou Yu's imitation of hers, a slightly childish small calligraphy with hairpin flowers.

Tsk, this really puts Lou Yu in a difficult position.

He has been practicing martial arts since he was young, and his wrists are extremely powerful. The words he writes are sharp and powerful, and can be seen through the paper.

Moreover, he is good at running script with a slightly wild style, rather than regular script with a square and straight shape, not to mention the small regular script with flowers on the hairpin that is suitable for ladies in the boudoir.

But Lou Yu was still able to imitate Wang Heng's calligraphy so vividly that even Wang Heng herself couldn't help but feel dazed when she saw it:

Did I write this?

Probably not. There is a sharp edge in these words that Wang Heng cannot write.

"You copy it first and see if you can replicate it. If you can't, use this one!"

Lou Yu said seriously.

Although during the day, Shen Du said that Lou Yu was not allowed to help.

But Lou Yu has become accustomed to helping Wang Heng handle everything.

Besides, the teacher only said "don't help her answer the questions", but he didn't say you can't help her write!

When Lou Yu plays word games, he really has no psychological burden at all!

"...Okay! Thank you, brother!"

Wang Heng happily put the paper away, raised her little head, and thanked him sweetly, "I knew it, brother, you're the best!"

There was a smile in Lou Yu's eyes. This fat girl had the sweetest mouth.

The words "Brother is the best" really warmed his heart.

It was worth it for him to help the fat girl cheat, endure the dust and exhaustion from the long journey, and grit his teeth to write for her!

"You know me best, so listen to me. I will always treat you well from now on!"

Lou Yu was satisfied. The fat girl's wholehearted dependence on him was enough to offset everything.

……

Three days later, at Wangjiazhuangzi.

Following Wang Heng's suggestion, Wang Mian brought her favorite little gadget and came to see Wang Heng.

Wang Heng examined it and said, "Not bad! This should satisfy you, sir!"

Wang Mian nodded and said it was necessary.

This thing has been popular for one or two thousand years and has not been eliminated until later generations. It can be regarded as a great artifact of the Celestial Empire.

"Oh, and that formula you researched yourself, you should also show it to the master!"

"Sir, you are extremely intelligent and knowledgeable. You will definitely be able to see the value of this item."

Since Shen Du is satisfied with the "thing", he should be able to value the person who created it.

That’s Amian!

Perhaps, if Shen Du is happy, he can break the family background and accept Amian as his disciple.

Wang Mian: ...I hope so!

The things are good, but in this damn feudal dynasty, class is a gap that cannot be easily crossed.

Wang Mian has become completely "honest" and no longer thinks that there is anything special about her identity as a time-traveling woman.

Sitting on the carriage, Wang Heng, Wang Mian, and Zheng Shisan, who had a very low sense of presence, together with maids and servants, went to the Lou family fort in a grand manner.

Wang Heng held her handwritten words in front of Shen Du with both hands.

Shen Du unfolded his eyes, his gaze slightly fixed.

The words are just average.

But the content of this word...it's a play from thirty or forty years ago, and there are still people who remember it?

Wang Heng, oh no, to be exact, it was Lou Yu's behavior that did seem to be taking advantage of the situation.

But damn, he was happy. A poem he wrote in his youth could be found by a student far away in the north after decades, and he wrote it down carefully... Talent is limited, but the intention is what counts.

To a celebrity like Shen Du, who had seen many geniuses, even if Wang Heng hid her shortcomings, she was still not talented enough.

It's just slightly better than mediocre, and can barely be considered excellent.

However, with the intention and good fortune... this disciple can be accepted!

Shen Du has decided to accept Wang Heng, but Wang Heng still wants to continue doing math problems. For this, she asks Wang Mian to take out the magic tool for calculation - the abacus!