Golden Branch

Dayu followed the old system of the previous dynasty.

There is a queen, four wives and nine concubines in the harem.

The Imperial Concubine is the head of the four ladies, and her rank and honor are second only to the Empress.

It is not in accordance with the rules to confer the title of noble concubine on a woman while the queen is still alive.

However, at this moment, the person who proposed to confer the title of Imperial Concubine on Jiang was precisely the woman whom the sage relied on and trusted the most - Queen Li.

So, upon hearing Queen Li's words, the sage opened his eyes.

He was lying on his back, and when he looked up he could see the lowered face of his wife and cousin.

He looked straight into Queen Li's eyes, "Noble Consort?"

"Yes. A Jiang has always been a man of integrity, and this time he was even more fearless in taking Twelve Lady and Little San Lang out of the capital."

When Queen Li mentioned Jiang, she did not show any jealousy or disgust, but rather love and gratitude.

Although I know my husband will not fail, I have indeed won a great victory now.

But, before the dust settles, who can be 100% sure?

On September 14th, Queen Li not only wore soft armor and carried weapons, but also carried a deadly poison.

If she fails, she will resolutely face death and never let her husband leave alone.

Queen Li could be cruel to herself and her eldest son, but she could not bear to sacrifice her young daughter and grandson.

Entrusting the orphan to Jiang and letting them escape early was both a sign of her kindness and a way to leave a descendant for Yang Chong.

Jiang Shi did not disappoint her trust and entrustment.

The news from Yizhou let Queen Li know that her Twelve Mothers and Little Sanlang were both doing very well.

Even though he was hunted and faced desperate situations several times, Jiang never abandoned him.

She protected her two children very well.

This achievement alone is enough to earn a generous reward.

Furthermore——

"Ajahn Yeh is an old man who serves you wholeheartedly and wholeheartedly."

When talking about her husband's favorite concubine, Queen Li did not feel the slightest bit of jealousy.

In the eyes of her, the mistress of the house and her husband's business partner, concubines like Jiang were just playthings and the couple's property.

Of course, as a woman, Queen Li could not have really had no grudges towards her husband's other women.

However, she was no longer at the age of jealousy, and she was never limited to the struggles within the inner house.

She is the mistress, and now she is the mother of the country.

Not to mention her son, she even has grandchildren.

She and her husband are not only husband and wife, but also like siblings, a friendship that shares weal and woe, and a partnership that aims to achieve a great cause.

Since they are not just a simple couple, they cannot care about the love between men and women.

She needs to think more about it—

Once the husband becomes the emperor, it is impossible for there to be only one queen in the harem.

The fourth lady is noble, virtuous and virtuous. Even if her husband does not want her, she will be coveted by various forces such as aristocratic families and nobles.

What's more, my husband already has concubines.

In addition to Concubine Jiang, there was also a Concubine Wang in the Prince of Qi's Mansion, as well as several concubines including Cui, Zheng, and Liu.

Some of these women, like Concubine Jiang, were beauties presented to them by subordinates and gentry, some were relatives and old friends of the Yang family (various aristocratic families), and some were relatives of the generals under Yang Chong.

There is no way. In ancient times, "marriage" was the best way to form an alliance.

Yang Chong was able to recruit so many talents and attract so many families to follow and depend on him, not only because of his personal charm, but also through marriage alliances.

Among Yang Chong's many women, Jiang was the one with the lowest birth and the simplest background.

If someone had to sit at the head of the Four Ladies, Queen Li would rather that person be Jiang.

At least, Jiang had no family background and no offspring, so she would not shake the status of Queen Li and her children.

Jiang is smart and will never do something stupid by being too clever.

These two points alone were enough for Queen Li to push her to the position of noble concubine.

Jiang's contributions and her "sisterly" friendship with Queen Li are not that important compared to practical interests.

"...Da Lang, you like Jiang too, don't you?"

Queen Li collected her thoughts and said to the Saint with a smile, deliberately sounding a little sour.

The saint was slightly embarrassed.

Not to mention, among all his women, he really liked Jiang the most.

There's nothing we can do. Jiang is the most beautiful and has a cold personality.

She respected and admired him as her husband, but she was not infatuated with him.

She treated him as a god, as the most important, man, not as the most important person.

Because Jiang respected and loved Queen Li, her mistress, even more!

Sometimes, when seeing the scenes of Empress Li and Jiang's "wives and concubines" getting along harmoniously, and the "sisters" dating each other, the saints had a strange feeling that "I am the third party".

He would not be jealous of his wife, but he also knew that he was not everything to Jiang.

The most important people in her life are not only him, but also Queen Li, herself, and her fat daughter!

People are probably a little bit mean.

Jiang did not regard him as the only one. Unlike some women, she was not obsessed and clinging to him. Instead, he valued Jiang more.

Today, even if Queen Li did not speak first, the Saint wanted to enthrone Jiang as a noble concubine.

Queen Li's "proposal" only gave the saint the opportunity to "go with the flow."

"Okay! I'll listen to you, sister!"

The saint smiled awkwardly and agreed readily.

Now that they have a noble concubine, the three concubines Shu, De and Xian are used by the emperor and empress to balance the power of various families.

Concubine Wang, who came from the Wang family of Taiyuan, was named Shufei.

The daughter of Zheng from Xingyang, she was the virtuous concubine.

There is also the Cui family, the most aristocratic foreign relative family in the north, who was given the title of Defei.

The harem had been roughly rewarded, and next came the meritorious officials of the King of Qi's line.

"...And that kid from the Lou family, he tricked the Lou family army out from Lou Jin, rushed all the way, and has already arrived at the border town."

"A Rui said that this little guy has great ambitions and has been practicing martial arts since he was young. Even though this is his first time going on a campaign, he will definitely perform well."

When the sage mentioned Lou Yu, he was very happy.

Even if Lou Yu had not deceived the Lou family army, the saint would not be afraid of the garrison at Xuanwu Gate.

As the Grand Marshal of the Army, the General of the Twelve Guards, and the God of War General of the Dayu Dynasty, the troops he could mobilize were absolutely beyond the imagination of the Emperor.

Lou Yu's actions were at most a pleasant surprise.

Yes, it’s best;

No, and it does not affect the overall situation.

Lou Yu seemed to understand this as well. After deceiving the Lou family army, he did not participate in the action, but turned around and attacked the Turks.

If the saint were to stir up trouble at Xuanwu Gate, the capital would certainly not be stable enough, and the Turks, who had been eyeing Dayu covetously, would certainly take the opportunity to invade.

If Lou Yu leads his troops to attack and inflict heavy damage on the Turks, he will surely achieve military merit.

This can help you establish more merits than just following behind a saint.

Faced with the temptation of "following the dragon", Lou Yu was able to calmly make choices, which shows his intelligence and decisiveness.

Saints like young men like this.

He is strategic, knows how to make choices, and most importantly, he is young. He is definitely a promising talent.

The little guy was personally trained by Arui and will definitely become a capable assistant to his son in the future.

Yang Rui, the eldest son, is not only a son to the saint, but also a capable subordinate and the designated heir.

He is his and his sister's eldest son, and carries all their hopes and ambitions.

In the future, he will be the only one to inherit all this!

Therefore, among the first three imperial edicts issued by the saint after he ascended the throne, there was an edict to appoint Yang Rui as the crown prince.

Therefore, the Saint and Queen Li both sincerely hope that Yang Rui can become the successor to their careers!

The saint would naturally look up to his son's confidant.

"My dear, there's no rush."

Queen Li will only value Yang Rui more.

Empress Li loved Yang Rui's direct descendants even more because they were raised by him.

She smiled and said, "Let's see how he performs this time. If he wins, he'll certainly be rewarded. But if he loses, my dear, he's still young. A fourteen-year-old boy should have more experience!"

Queen Li said the "ugly words" in advance to pave the way for Lou Yu.

Winning is the best, but don't punish if you lose.

He is still a child.

The saint smiled.

child?

What kind of child would scheme against his own mother, taking advantage of her guilt and stupidity to steal the Lou family heirloom?

What child would dare to cheat an army of 100,000 using only a family heirloom?

There are also subsequent supplies of military equipment, food, and other supplies... After Lou Jin knows that he has been deceived, he will definitely be angry and embarrassed, and he will definitely not give his full help with military supplies and other logistics.

Even if he wants to help, Lou Yu will probably have to bow his head.

Lou Yu is a proud child and will never bow his head easily.

His refusal to bow his head was not just out of anger, but he must have enough confidence.

The saint's eyes flickered as he thought of some of the things A Rui had reported to him—

In Yizhou, a few kids have really made a lot of interesting things.

But my sister is right, there is no rush!

Let’s take a look!

He wanted to know what kind of surprises Lou Yu and his friends behind him could create without the help of their elders!

……

"Noble Consort? Mother! Is this true? Have you been canonized as a Noble Consort by the Saint?"

Half a month later, Concubine Jiang, oh no, Imperial Concubine Jiang met the person sent from the capital.

Although he was not an official of the Ministry of Rites and had not been formally enthroned, he was just a person sent by Queen Li.

However, Concubine Jiang still knew the good news in advance.

The Imperial Concubine is the head of the four ladies and is of the first rank.

It was very difficult for her, a woman who had married for the second time, with no family background and no children, to sit in this position.

This was probably the peak of her life.

The overall situation was settled, and she became a royal concubine. She was no longer in danger of losing her life every day, and she had the ability to protect herself and her daughter!

"Yes! The Saint has already drafted an edict. When I return to the capital, the enthronement ceremony will be held."

She was a noble concubine, and although not as honorable as the queen, she also had a separate enthronement ceremony.

"Ajiu, you don't have to worry anymore!"

Concubine Jiang looked at her daughter. She knew her daughter's heart knot and understood her daughter's fear.

Her voice was gentle, but her eyes were firm. "I will protect you and will never let you become a prey to others."

After thinking about it, Concubine Jiang couldn't help but tell her daughter her plan in advance:

"After I return to the capital, I will find a way to arrange a title for you!"

At least she can be a princess, and if she is lucky, she may even be able to become a princess.

With her noble status and her protection, her daughter has nothing to fear.

She could be as unbridled, flamboyant, and willful as the noble ladies in the capital...