Golden Branch

Wang Lin was good at calculating. He thought that even if his daughter had to give up her place as a famous scholar disciple, she should give it to a family member.

For example, his only legitimate son.

Yes, Wang Lin and Cui had a son.

When Cui had a miscarriage, Wang Lin, for his own benefit and wanting to take the opportunity to take revenge on Cui, insisted that it was her period.

By getting the help of the Lou family and suppressing the arrogance of the Cui family, Wang Lin can be said to have killed two birds with one stone.

But he acted so calmly and spoke so confidently that Cui began to doubt him, and the matter was thus glossed over.

However, Cui's health has been poor since then.

It took her two full years to get pregnant again.

At this time, Cui may have already had some guesses in her mind, although she did not express it. However, after her period was delayed for three days, she immediately called the court doctor.

But the month is too early and the doctor can't be sure.

However, Cui still made the matter known to everyone, and Wang Lin was one of the first people to receive the "good news".

Half a month later, the court doctor took Cui's pulse again and confirmed that she was indeed pregnant.

Cui was extremely careful and protected herself and her child very well throughout her pregnancy.

For this reason, Cui temporarily put aside the fight with her mother-in-law and handed over the housekeeping power she had just regained to Madam Xie.

Madam Xie: ...

She really wanted to tell her daughter-in-law: Cui, you worry too much!

I really don't like you, but I want a legitimate grandson.

At that time, Wang Lin was already over thirty years old and had only a few illegitimate sons.

Although there is blood inheritance, a concubine's son is still not as noble as a legitimate son.

Especially in the Wang family, there is an obsession with legitimate children and "legitimacy" that outsiders cannot understand.

In Wang Lin's view, a concubine's son is just a tool to continue the bloodline, rather than an heir who can support the family and revitalize the family.

Unfortunately, his beloved Jiang only gave birth to a daughter for him.

He did not like Cui, but Cui was his legal wife. Wang Lin would secretly plot against Cui and also have children with her.

When Cui became pregnant, Wang Lin was no less happy than Cui.

Mrs. Xie loved Cui's wife and her family, so she naturally valued the fetus in Cui's belly for the sake of her son and her family.

Therefore, there is no need for Cui to be so cautious. Even if Madam Xie wants to discipline her daughter-in-law, she will not harm her grandson!

No matter what the Wang family masters had in mind, Cui went through the entire pregnancy smoothly and gave birth to a son safely.

In the second year of Kaitai, when the Xin Dynasty was established, the Wang family's eldest son was born.

Wang Lin was overjoyed and personally named his son "Chang".

The Wang family was filled with jubilation. The servants were all rewarded with two months' wages. Even Wang Heng, who lived far away on the farm, received a red envelope.

Afterwards, the Wang family moved back to the capital, and Cui took the young Wang Chang with them.

Wang Lin stayed alone in Yizhou, separated from his son, but he did not neglect his son.

There would be letters every ten days, either asking about his son's growth or testing his schoolwork.

Now, Wang Chang is seven years old and has already started to learn. Last year, he was admitted to the Lishan Academy in the capital.

Wang Chang was a decent talent, not a child prodigy, but smarter than other children of the same age.

At least, in the letters written by Madam Xie and Mrs. Cui, Wang Chang was a smart and outstanding child.

Wang Lin suddenly felt that there was someone to carry on his legacy, and he began to worry more about his son's future.

Wang Heng had become Shen Du's student and had a very good relationship with Mr. Shen Du.

Wang Lin thought that when Wang Chang grew up a little, he would ask Wang Heng to find a way to ask Shen Du to accept Wang Chang as his disciple.

Of course, Wang Lin knew that Shen Du, the famous scholar, was not a turtle in a wishing well. He would not grant every wish, nor would he allow anyone to do whatever they wanted.

Favors are precious, so Wang Lin would never give such an opportunity to someone from another family.

Even if these people are relatives of his wife's family or mother's family.

Wang Lin refused them one by one. Madam Xie was better. Between her own son and the relatives who were several levels apart, she was closer to the former.

Cui was different. She believed that Wang Lin loved Wang Heng so much because he could not forget his ex-wife Jiang.

Not only did he refuse to let Wang Heng give up her spot, he also forbade Wang Heng to plead with Shen Du.

"Humph! He's such a loving father who loves his daughter, but he wouldn't even let that girl get involved in anything embarrassing!"

It has to be said that women and men consider issues from different perspectives.

Wang Lin did it for his son and his family.

However, Cui believed that Wang Lin could not forget his old love for Jiang, so he was particularly partial to Wang Heng and saved her from all kinds of disturbances and troubles!

Cui became more and more resentful, and her relationship with Wang Lin became increasingly distant.

Now that her mother's family had something to show off in front of Wang Lin, no matter how big or small it was, Cui was happy to publicize it.

Wang Lin was indeed stimulated.

I have a backer, but the backer is not that reliable and always causes trouble for me.

Cui Zai, Lou Rang and others were able to rise to prominence, so how could he be willing to accept that?

The Cui family is already bad enough.

There is also the Xie family.

The Xie family, to which Mrs. Xie belongs, is different from the Wang family of Yizhou.

The Xie family is the famous Xie family that moved to the southern border.

Several decades ago, when the Southern Territory was in a state of change, Madam Xie's family was brutally liquidated by the new emperor, and her husbands were either exiled or fled.

Mrs. Xie followed her father and brother and fled to the northern border.

Relying on the name of the Xie family, my father got an official position of some importance in the northern border.

The Xie family is neither good nor bad——

The real noble families in the North look down on them.

However, Xie felt humbled by the poor family and military achievements in the north.

When it was time for Madam Xie to discuss marriage, Xie's father looked everywhere and found that only the Wang family seemed suitable.

Whether it is the Wang family of Yizhou or the Wang family of Langya, it is the Wang family after all, and it was once a top family on par with the Xie family.

The marriage between Wang and Xie was a perfect one.

In this way, Madam Xie married Wang Lin's father and became the mistress of the Wang family.

The Xie family also took root and flourished in the northern border.

However, the Xie family's fortune probably ended with the downfall of the family.

Mrs. Xie's brothers and nephews were not particularly talented. In the past thirty or forty years, the highest official position they had achieved was the Chief Censor, a position of the fifth rank.

As for this official position, the surname "Xie" has the added bonus.

The Xie family has already fallen into decline.

Last year, Yang Chong took over the southern border and unified the north and the south.

The noble families in the southern border began to move north, including Madam Xie’s relatives who had once lived in the northern border.

Although they are two or three generations apart, they are within the five generations and have a unified family tree. They are the direct branch and lineage passed down from an ancestor.

The Xie family in the southern border has been more prosperous than the Xie family in the northern border in the past ten or twenty years.

Mrs. Xie's cousin was promoted to the third rank Imperial Censor, and her grandson was a talented young man who was directly demoted to a princess by the emperor of the southern border.

cough!

Big problem!

He should have been a prince consort who enjoyed great glory, but his country in the south was destroyed.

The emperor was imprisoned, but Yang Ji was kind and generous. He did not kill the king of the fallen country, but conferred the title of Marquis of Anle on him.

Those who understand will understand that the so-called Marquis of Anle is a mascot used by the northern court to highlight achievements.

Glory, no!

There is only the humiliation and resentment that one dares not express!

Marquis Anle did not dare to feel resentful and could only "be happy and not miss Shu".

The former princess has transformed herself into a noble lady in a marquis's mansion.

only--

Marquis Anle is just a decoration. The noble lady of the marquis's mansion is only slightly better than the ordinary daughter of an official.

For example, the princess fiancée of Xie Yanzhi, the great-nephew of Lady Xie, was favored by the seventh prince, King Han, and was forcibly married as a concubine.

Xie Yanzhi lost his fiancée and inexplicably offended King Han. He could no longer stay in the capital.

Madam Xie lamented, "Yanzhi was the most outstanding young man in the Xie family, yet his career was ruined for no reason."

Perhaps, King Han did not intend to target Xie Yanzhi.

After all, the so-called nobleman only cares about the beauty he has snatched away. As for the beauty's unlucky fiancé, King Han doesn't care at all.

It is very likely that King Han did not even know that there was such a person as Xie Yanzhi.

However, there is no shortage of people in this world who take advantage of others’ misfortunes and bully the weak and flatter the strong.

The King of Han didn't even need to say anything, as there were many villains who wanted to curry favor with the noble by stepping on Xie Yanzhi.

Even though Xie Yanzhi was talented, handsome, and had an impressive surname, he still did not get the opportunity to enter the officialdom.

No one recommended him, and even if someone wanted to help, there would be people secretly obstructing him.

Xie Yanzhi was smart and perceptive. After one or two "setbacks", he knew his situation.

I can’t stay in the capital anymore.

He had to find another way, another way out.

Yizhou is a nice place.

That is Wang Lin's territory, and even if my cousin doesn't help, he won't hinder him.

Not to mention, there is Shen Du in Yizhou.

Mr. Shen is from the Southern Territory. He would never help the powerful people in the Northern Territory to suppress and bully the younger generation in the Southern Territory.

Mr. Shen has not been silent in recent years, but has produced many excellent works.

Two years ago, a book called "Mathematical Classics" introduced a new calculation tool - the abacus. It also wrote many calculation formulas around the abacus and solved hundreds of calculation problems.

Last year, Mr. Shen "published" a collection of his essays, organizing and compiling his articles, poems, notes, etc. over the years into a collection for wide distribution throughout the world.

The so-called "publishing" means abandoning the model of copying books and instead adopting woodblock printing and printing, ushering in a new era of books.

There is no need to hand-copy word by word and book by book. You only need to carve a template and you can achieve large-scale printing.

Thousands of copies of "Junhe Collection" were distributed throughout the country overnight, covering the north and the south.

Thousands of scholars were amazed when they saw this new type of "printed book".

Great scholars and celebrities from all walks of life also praised Shen Du as the leader of literati.

Book printing technology is also a magical skill that can be recorded in history and benefit future generations!

Shen Du became famous again, and the current saint issued several decrees to summon Shen Du to serve in the government.

There were also several princes who tried to win him over, either openly or covertly.

Shen Du declined several times. Although he had not yet come to Beijing, everyone knew that this famous scholar Shen would sooner or later take control of the central government and become a high-ranking official.

Even if you don't become an official, you can still be a white-robed prime minister, stirring up the situation and ruling the country.

Shen Du is no longer just a celebrity, but also a powerful official in the "Abyss". As long as the opportunity comes, he will be able to soar into the sky.

The value of Shen Du and Shen Junhe has increased again.

Moreover, as early as three or four years ago, he broke his rule of not accepting disciples, and more people tried every means to become his disciples.

Cui Zai and Xie Yanzhi are just two of countless people.

Moreover, they all have a certain amount of capital and a certain hope of successfully becoming a disciple!

……

"Prince, are you really leaving?"

Are you going to hand over this river camp to that loser Lou Rang?

Fourteen-year-old Lou Yu has reached a height of 1.7 meters and is still growing.

Every month or two, clothes would become two inches too short and shoes would hit my toes.

From a distance, he looked not much different from an adult man.

There were blue hairs on his lips and his voice was changing.

This is quite an awkward age indeed.

The voice is no longer the heavenly sound of a child, but is hoarse and rough like the quack of a duck.

It really doesn't match his handsome appearance.

Therefore, ever since Lou Yu entered the voice changing period, he rarely spoke.

After all, he has a noble status, so even if he is a gentle gentleman, he can still be a cold and aloof exiled immortal.

Talking less and being more dignified can also make up for the childishness in your face.

He was wearing a moon-white round-necked robe with a belt loosely tied around his waist. He had no gold or jade accessories and looked very casual.

This is casual clothing, worn when not going out or meeting guests.

Lou Yu and Yang Rui have known each other for several years. Although he still politely calls him "Prince", he has long regarded him as his elder brother in his heart.

After receiving the news from the capital, Lou Yu ran directly to Prince Qi's Mansion without changing his clothes.

"Ok!"

Facing Lou Yu, Yang Rui did not hide anything and responded calmly.

"River Manager? Lou Rang?"

Lou Yu was silent for a moment, then continued to ask in a somewhat raspy duck voice.

"……Um!"

Yang Rui nodded slightly.

It was an imperial decree to establish the so-called River Office and create the post of General Manager.

And Lou Rang, the first chief manager of the river, was personally appointed by the sage.

This is no longer a problem that Yang Rui can control.

He must "obey orders."

Lou Yu didn't say anything else. He pursed his lips, and his deep eye sockets made his eyes look particularly profound.

He has a handsome face, bright eyes and white teeth. As long as he doesn't speak, he is an extremely beautiful young man admired by everyone.

Several years of study have made him introverted and gentle. He is no longer a sharp blade, but a sword hidden in a box.

He no longer had that arrogance and domineering demeanor, but instead exuded nobility and elegance from the inside out.

Even though he had the intention to kill at this moment, there was not much coldness in his eyes.

He truly managed to keep his emotions under control.

Even for those who know him very well, it is almost impossible to guess what he is thinking.

As the person who successfully "transformed" Lou Yu, Yang Rui now finds it difficult to see through him.

This child has "graduated".

He is no longer the naughty boy who only knew how to be clever, but has grown into a real young talent.

Although it is still a little immature, the future is immeasurable.

"You don't need to be angry, and you don't need to take action!"

Yang Rui couldn't see Lou Yu's murderous intent, but he was familiar with the child he raised.

No matter how gentle, humble and respectful Lou Yu appears on the outside, he is cruel and even bloodthirsty in his bones.

Once you provoke him, he won't attack you, but if he does, it will be a killing move!

Lou Rang, you can’t die yet.

He is just a minion, paving the way for the real person behind the scenes.

Killing him will not only fail to solve the problem, but will also cause more trouble.

Yang Rui did not tell Lou Yu these words.

Because, there is no need!

Lou Yu thought about it briefly and understood. He looked at Yang Rui and asked, "The Grand Canal?"

The sage wanted to build the Grand Canal, or rather, the sage wanted to give the credit for the canal to the King of Chu?!

PS: Small theater——

Depressed Lou Xiaoyu: Ahhh, I avoided the embarrassing teeth-changing period, but I couldn’t avoid the even more embarrassing voice-changing period!