Golden Branch

"Ok!"

Lou Yu nodded, he was indeed leaving.

Moreover, this trip may take several months, or even longer!

Qi...along the canal...the capital!

Lou Yu has waited for so long and finally has the chance. He is determined to soar to the sky.

Lou Yu's eyes were deep, and he was able to control his emotions perfectly.

Even at this moment, when he is about to rush to the "battlefield", his blood is already boiling and he is eager to try, but he can still do it without leaving any trace.

"Brother, just go!"

Wang Heng seemed unaware of the turbulent current beneath Lou Yu's calm darkness. She raised her round face, sweet and sweet, yet firm, "Lou's Fortress, I'm here!"

If she had to get married, she would marry her brother.

To round it off, she is my brother's fiancée.

While her brother is out working hard, she will take good care of the house for him.

This Hedong, this Lou family fort, will not be in chaos even if it has no owner, and will not be coveted by others!

Wang Heng is not just about eating, she also has the ability to manage the household and take charge of the rear.

Hearing Wang Heng's words and feeling her determination and confidence, Lou Yu lowered his head, and a hint of tenderness flashed in his calm and gentle eyes.

He was relieved that his fat girl had grown up and was able to take on the responsibilities of the mistress.

Of course, the fat girl is indeed capable, but he will also give her enough trump cards.

Lou Yu took out a small white jade seal from his sleeve pocket.

The seal is not big, about the size of an adult man's thumb.

The seal button at the top of the seal is not the common auspicious symbols such as turtle, lion, tiger, etc., but a dog.

Ahem, there's nothing we can do about it. It's because a certain little bully was born in the year of Wuxu, the zodiac sign for the dog, so the seal on his private seal was carved into the shape of a dog.

Wang Mian: ...You are indeed a little pervert.

Wang Heng: ...Brother is indeed willful.

"This is my seal, which can mobilize all people and property in the Lou family's fortress."

Lou Yu didn't hesitate and directly stuffed the small dog-head seal into Wang Heng's little hand.

"Ajiu, take it. After I leave, you will be in charge of the Lou's Fort!"

When the lord is away, the lady will take charge.

This is a rule, and it is also a reflection of the deep love and mutual trust between husband and wife.

This seal is not just a small personal seal, but also a symbol of the power of the Lou family's fortress.

When Lou Yu handed it over to Wang Heng, he was entrusting his entire fortune to her.

Wang Heng held the small seal in both hands, which didn't seem to have much weight.

But she still felt a heavy responsibility.

"……Um!"

This time, Wang Heng did not say anything like "Don't worry". She nodded slowly, seriously and solemnly.

Wang Heng felt like a steadfast defender, but she didn't know that in Lou Yu's eyes, she looked cute and adorable.

Lou Yu couldn't help but sigh in his heart——

"Fat girl, you're still young!"

"She needs me to wipe out everything for her and make her rich."

"Before I leave, I still need to help her take care of some things. I won't let her be distracted, stressed, or embarrassed!"

Lou Yu is now really able to think things through.

Although he was preparing to do something big outside, he would not ignore Wang Heng's trivial matters.

Lou Yu would still help Wang Heng deal with many small things, which might not be important, in advance.

For example, the Wang Lin family who are about to return.

In Dayu, where ethics and morals are valued, elders have an innate and absolute advantage over younger generations.

Not to mention Wang Lin, her biological father, there was Cui, who had no blood relationship with Wang Heng and no grace to raise her, but because of her status as stepmother, she could decide Wang Heng's life or death.

If this person had good intentions, it would be fine. Wang Heng only needed to follow the rules. Even if it was just acting, as long as she performed the role of "loving mother and filial daughter", they could live in harmony and be well.

The hateful Cui was vicious and stupid. As a newly married bride who had no children yet, she wanted to get rid of Wang Heng, who had no major conflict of interest with her.

A few years passed, and Cui had a legitimate son. She became more confident and had more excuses to dislike Wang Heng.

In the past, Wang Heng could still hide in the manor and hardly had any dealings with Cui.

Cui seemed to be able to forget about Wang Heng, a burden.

But now, the Wang family has fallen, and Wang Lin and other members of the Wang family have to return to Yizhou and make a living in misery.

All the slaves and servants were gone, and the soldiers and farm households were confiscated. If things went wrong, Wang Lin and his children would have to work in the fields.

As a noble lady from an aristocratic family, how could Cui accept such a huge gap?

If everyone in the Wang family was like this, the Cui family might be able to be more balanced.

Fortunately, Wang Heng had the protection of Lou Yu and could continue to be a noble and respectable female monarch in the Lou family fortress.

How could Cui, who already hated Wang Heng, be willing to accept this?

In fact, it wasn't just Cui, but Wang Lin and Wang Heng's brothers and sisters, seeing the huge difference between themselves and Wang Heng, they couldn't help but feel envy, jealousy, and resentment!

If you have resentment, it is easy to be instigated and do evil things.

By that time, Lou Yu was not in Hedong and was unable to protect Wang Heng without fail.

"...It's better to strike first. Before I leave, I need to help Ajiu eliminate all the hidden dangers!"

Cui is the most vicious and also the most critical.

If it is done well, there may be a "surprise".

Lou Yu thought quickly in his mind, and his white and slender fingers subconsciously groped for the Elephant Bone Destruction Technique.

Wang Heng's eyes jumped: Hiss! Such a fierce murderous intent!

Brother, you want to kill someone again?!

Or is he going to make decisions for her and deal with hidden dangers?

Hidden danger?

It shouldn't be the servant around her.

Following Zhao Jinniang's death, all the servants, guards, etc. around Wang Heng were tested, examined, and verified.

After a major purge, there is no one around Wang Heng who is "loyal to her".

Who else?

and many more!

Could it be the Wang family who are still on the way?

Wang Lin?

Cui family?!

Speculations quickly flashed through Wang Heng's mind.

She is smart and understands Lou Yu better.

Just by the murderous intent that no one else could feel, Wang Heng almost guessed the truth.

Brother, this time, I think you want to "break my heart"!

……

He took over Lou Yu's seal and the guards and secret guards that Lou Yu left in the Lou family fortress.

Wang Heng officially became the queen of Lou's fortress.

Concubine Jiang knew all this and wanted to say something, but when she saw her daughter's clear eyes that were almost ignorant, she swallowed her words back.

It’s okay, Ajiu is still young.

Besides, now is a time when so many things are going on, and it is not the time to worry about these things.

After the big thing is accomplished and the dust has settled, and Jiuniang is older, she will teach her well.

Putting those words of warning in her heart, Concubine Jiang changed the subject——

"Ajiu, do you want to be the head of the Wang family?"

Wang Heng was stunned for a moment.

Homeowner?

The head of the Yizhou Wang family?

she?

A little girl?

Oh no, this is not the point. The point is that the Wang family was raided, leaving only a few dozen acres of sacrificial land. It was just a "broken family" with a group of old, weak, women and children... What's so good about being the head of such a family?

Do we want her to clean up the mess on her own initiative and feed that group of blood-sucking worms?

Of course, Wang Heng understood that her mother said this because she wanted her to have a "home" where she could go.

After all, for a woman, even if she is married, she still needs the support of her parents’ family.

If the wife's parents are supportive, the husband and the entire in-laws will not dare to bully her.

If a woman's parents' home is unreliable or even non-existent, she can only hope that her husband has a conscience and her parents-in-law are kind if she wants to live a good life!

However, you can never bet on anything other than a man's conscience or whether outsiders are kind.

Therefore, in the Dayu Dynasty, having a mother's family was still very important.

Wang Heng has lived alone in Zhuangzi since she was a child and has no dependence on her parents or family.

She has absolutely no concept of "home".

On both sides, she has her mother and Lou Yu——

Looking at Wang Heng's delicate little face, almost all her thoughts were written directly and in detail.

Concubine Jiang was not surprised at all.

She curled the corners of her lips and whispered, "Ajiu, I know you don't need to rely on your mother's family!"

“However, there are many things that can be done without, but cannot be absent!”

"You and Lou Yu grew up together and have been together for many years. In the future, you will become husband and wife. Even if there is no love between men and women, there is still a brother-sister relationship. He will never bully or hurt you!"

Concubine Jiang lowered her voice and said softly and slowly, "However, people's hearts are fickle. Ah Jiu, you can rely on Lou Yu, but you can't rely on him alone."

Having a "mother's home" is like having a way out.

You should know that there were seven ways to leave the Dynasty of Dayu, and three ways not to leave.

If a woman has lost her natal family, she may not be divorced, but it will be difficult for her to get a divorce.

Concubine Jiang said this now not to curse her daughter, but to prepare for a rainy day.

Just like she said just now, "You can do without it, but you can't live without it."

"It's a simple matter. It's best to arrange a backup plan in advance so that you don't need it in the future. If you need it and don't have it, won't you regret it?"

Speaking of this, Concubine Jiang felt a little disappointed.

She couldn't help but think, a few years ago, when she was being persecuted by Wang Lin, if her parents' family were still around, would there be a turning point?

Perhaps, she still cannot escape the fate of being treated as a plaything, but there is always a glimmer of fantasy and hope in her heart.

At that time, she was really isolated and helpless, with nowhere to escape.

Having experienced a painful experience that was deeply rooted in her bones, Concubine Jiang hoped that her daughter would not suffer all this.

Wang Heng: ...There is some truth to that.

Did her mother want her to choose one of Wang Lin’s sons to be a “puppet”, and let her, the eldest sister, take over the responsibility of the head of the household?

correct.

How many sons does this scumbag father have?

Wang Heng grew up in Zhuangzi and did not care about the Wang family's inner courtyard, nor did she want to care about it.

However, based on the principle of knowing yourself and knowing your enemy, she still had a certain understanding of her "home".

Wang Lin had a second wife, Cui, and several concubines.

After Cui got married, she only gave birth to one son, Cui Chang, who was the fifth among his brothers.

Several concubines also have their own children. The sons under Wang Lin’s name should be ranked... eighth!

Wow, that’s quite a lot.

However, even if a child has false teeth, they may not grow back.

Wang Heng suffered greatly from Cui's vicious and intolerant nature, so she could naturally imagine that Wang Lin's illegitimate sons and daughters would not have an easy life.

Oh no, "having a hard time" is just a nice way of saying it. What's more unpleasant and more realistic is:

The Wang family has a mistress named Cui, and there have always been funerals in recent years.

For example, there was a concubine named Azhu who had three children, two sons and one daughter. Two of them died of illness and one drowned "accidentally."

"Wait! Ah Zhu!"

Wang Heng suddenly thought that this Ah Zhu seemed to be the maid that came with her mother as a dowry.

Therefore, something must have happened to Ah Zhu again, and Ah Mu knew about it, which led to today's conversation about the head of the Wang family.

Wang Heng lowered her eyelids slightly to hide the fleeting gleam in her eyes.

"Mother, you are right!"

Wang Heng raised her head, looking cute and innocent again.

She pursed her lips, and her big, round, bright eyes, with distinct black and white, were full of faith in her mother.

"Mother, do you have a choice?"

Wang Heng asked softly.

Concubine Jiang didn't notice anything unusual. After a moment's hesitation, she said, "I do have a candidate! Do you still remember Ah Zhu?"

Wang Heng: ...It really is her!

Wang Heng nodded obediently: "Remember! Auntie Azhu is your dowry servant!"

Concubine Jiang was quite relieved to hear Wang Heng call Ah Zhu "Auntie".

She knew that Wang Heng would "respect" Ah Zhu for her sake.

The younger generation is willing to look up to the elders, even if they are just servants.

It is not that slaves themselves deserve respect, but it is for the sake of filial piety.

"That's right. She was my dowry and married into the Wang family with me. When I was pregnant with you, I asked her to serve Wang Lin..."

Slowly recounting her "entanglement" with Ah Zhu, Concubine Jiang finally sighed, "Mrs. Cui was vicious. All three of her children died young."

"Now, the Wang family has been deported back to Yizhou. Ah Zhu gave birth to a son on the way, and her health has deteriorated. Both mother and child are unable to endure."

"If you want, I can order someone to rescue the child."

"Of course, if you have no intention of becoming the head of the Wang family, you don't have to pay any attention to me!"

Concubine Jiang's meaning was very clear. She was just discussing with her daughter and offering a suggestion.

Whether she is willing or not depends on her own wishes.

She would never force anything, nor would she oppress others by using her status as an elder.

An Ah Zhu doesn't have such a big face.

Moreover, this matter is not only about saving people and accumulating merits, but also for Ajiu's own good.

Wang Heng lowered her eyelids again. "For my own good? And you're giving me a chance to choose? That's really, really good!"

The naughty child living in Wang Heng's heart couldn't help but puff up her cheeks.

"...Okay! Mother, I'll think about it!"

……

official way.

There is a post station thirty miles away from Yizhou.

Everyone in the Wang family was already exhausted and sick from the hardships they had experienced along the way.

Wang Lin was slightly better, after all, he was a man and was stronger than women and children.

However, he had suffered too much stimulation and was in a very depressed state.

He no longer had the high spirits he had when he first came to Beijing, but instead exuded a dead air from the inside out.

Dismissed from office!

The house was searched!

Ten years of hard work, all gone to waste!

He was beaten back to his original form.

It is even worse than ten years ago, when he still had slaves, servants, and other property.

But now——

Wang Lin was half dead, and Madam Xie was really sick.

She was old, and her body couldn't bear the stress and the exposure to the elements.

Cui was also "sick".

Humph, she doesn't want to serve that old hag.

When the Wang family fell into poverty, she did not cut her losses in time and divorced them, but instead followed them back to Yizhou. This was already very kind of her.

Waiting for illness?

impossible!

Instead of spending that time and energy, I would rather take good care of Goro.

Cui Shi didn't know that Lou Yu, who was supposed to go downstream, had taken a detour. He wanted to kill her...