Golden Branch

Lou Yu is the nightmare of Lou Yao and other young masters of the Lou family, but others are unaware of it.

"Lou Si, since he's your cousin, he's family!"

"Yes, yes, I've never seen the Duke of Qi's true face. It's truly fate that we meet by chance today. Why don't we go say hello to the Duke of Qi?"

Several young boys and girls, each with their own ideas, all had the same goal of instigating Lou Yao.

Lou Yao felt miserable, but Lou Yu couldn't say it out loud.

say what?

That he was pitiful when he was young and was chased and beaten by his younger cousin?

The son of the Lou family, who came from a family of military generals, had poor martial arts and abilities, which were his original sins.

I couldn't beat my younger cousin, and it would be embarrassing to tell this story.

The key point is that Lou Yu is no longer the same as before.

He had a title and a reputation as a gentle gentleman.

If Lou Yao mentioned the past, even if what he said was true, it would be mistakenly regarded as "slander".

Maybe some people would think that he is narrow-minded and jealous of his cousin who is better than him!

"Lou Si, let's go! Let's go pay our respects to Duke Qi!"

"Oh, I must see if Lou Yulou Hanzhang is really as beautiful as the legend says."

Lou Yao was full of confusion, but his friends were all very excited.

Especially the two or three little girls, their eyes were shining with anticipation for the handsome man, and they shouted excitedly.

"……All right!"

Lou Yao knew that he couldn't hide today.

He had no choice but to bite the bullet, tighten his grip on the reins, turn his horse's head, and head towards the long team.

Lou Yao only hoped that Lou Yu would become as humble and gentle as the legend said.

Woohoo, please don’t be like you were when you were little, heartless, cold and cruel!

……

The capital city is prosperous and there is a daily curfew. During the specified time, a large number of people enter and leave the city gates.

Neither Wang Heng nor Lou Yu wanted to use their power to bully others, so they followed the rules and lined up on the official road.

"Shisanniang, we are about to go to the capital. What are your plans, you and Shiliuniang, after arriving in the capital?"

While waiting, Wang Heng and others would not sit there idly.

She looked out the car window and saw the towering city walls and the majestic city gate tower.

This is the capital, where they are about to start a new life.

A new world will naturally bring new changes.

For example, her little sisters are very likely to not be able to continue to stay by her side as they did in the past.

A Mian is getting married.

Shisan Niang may also have to "return home" - Zheng Shisan's surname is Zheng!

In the past in Hedong, Shisan Niang and Shiliu Niang were guests at their "cousin's" house.

Now, they have come to the capital, and the Zheng family is also in the capital. The two unmarried girls, Shisan Niang and Shiliu Niang, cannot abandon their biological father, grandmother and other relatives and continue to live with their relatives.

After hearing Wang Heng's words, a hint of loss flashed across Zheng Shisan's delicate and pitiful face.

What Wang Heng thought of, she had naturally thought of it a long time ago.

She is the concubine's daughter of the Zheng family and cannot stay in her cousin's house all her life.

unless--

In the past few years, Zheng Shisan has identified Wang Heng as his "mistress" and has served her wholeheartedly.

However, the marriage between Jiu Niang and Lou Langjun could never be finalized.

Zheng Shisan's identity as a "concubine" is somewhat embarrassing.

If she were still separated from her family, she could continue to stay at her "cousin's" house.

But she is about to go to Beijing. If the Zheng family receives the news, they will definitely send someone to pick her up.

It’s not that the Zheng family values ​​her, Zheng Shisan, and Zheng Shiliu Niang, but the concubine’s daughters have grown up and are good-looking, so the Zheng family will never let them go.

"Nine Lady, I heard that two years ago, with the help of Duke Anguo, my father was finally promoted from a sixth-rank Imperial College Doctor to a fifth-rank Imperial College Doctor."

"For two years, my father was still wandering around the Imperial College."

"He has been in Beijing for three or four years. He entered the officialdom thanks to the recommendation of Duke Anguo. His only promotion was also due to his support..."

Speaking of this, Zheng Shisan felt a little ashamed for his scumbag father - he was a child of a noble family who claimed to be talented, but in the end, when he was given the opportunity to enter the officialdom, his performance was mediocre.

If it weren't for the care of his in-laws, his scumbag father Zheng Henian would probably have been stuck in his position as a doctor of the Imperial College until his death.

Even so, Zheng Henian is considered to be the one with the highest official position and the most promising among the young men in the Zheng family.

His elder brother Zheng Songnian was even worse than him.

Both of them are mud, the only difference is that Zheng Henian can be helped to "stick" to the wall.

Zheng Songnian is completely hopeless.

The Zheng family's son was really mediocre, so Madam Lou set her sights on her daughter.

Especially the two concubine daughters of the Zheng family, who followed Yang Rui in the early years.

At that time, Yang Rui was only the Crown Prince of Qi, and his concubines were not considered noble.

But now, Yang Rui has become the crown prince, and is deeply trusted and loved by the emperor and empress, so the concubines in the Eastern Palace have become more respectable.

With the support of Zheng Ying and Zheng Tao, as well as Zheng Ai, they gradually made a name for themselves in Yang Rui's backyard over the course of several years.

Zheng Ying also gave birth to a daughter, and Zheng Tao became pregnant.

There are still vacancies for the concubines of the Eastern Palace, including Prince Liangti and Prince Liangyuan.

This is a concubine of a certain rank. If Zheng Tao can give birth to a grandson of the emperor, she can be promoted based on her merit in childbearing.

If the Zheng family, which had long been in decline, became the maternal family of the emperor's grandson and the maiden family of Crown Prince Liangti, then, that would be hope for revival.

With the success of her two concubines' daughters, Mrs. Lou wanted more and more to revitalize the Zheng family through "marriage".

"My father's career was not going well, and my uncle was only interested in 'pure talk'. The rise and fall of the Zheng family actually rests on the shoulders of a woman!"

Having said that, Zheng Shisan's heart was filled with sadness, and a hint of sarcasm flashed across his delicate and timid face.

A family that doesn't let its men work hard to make progress, but relies on women's skirts. The key is that this family doesn't even treat concubines' daughters as human beings!

Zheng Shisan just felt it was ironic.

Oh no, the Zheng family not only doesn't treat concubines' daughters as human beings, but even the legitimate daughters will be used without mercy when it comes to taking advantage of them.

"Jiu Niang, do you still remember A Bao?"

Zheng Shisan thought about the letter he had received from Beijing and learned many "private secrets" of the Zheng family, and the sarcasm on his face became more and more obvious.

"Zheng Chi?"

The "cousin" who was badly betrayed by Lou Yu back then?

The little girl who was the first to be fed "bean sprouts" by Lou Yu?

Well, Lou Yu’s aesthetic taste at that time was probably distorted by her.

In Lou Yu's opinion, a little girl should be chubby and round, as cute and soft as Wang Heng.

As for Zheng Chi and other daughters of the Zheng family, they were too thin. Although they were not malnourished, they looked less blessed.

Lou Yu sarcastically called it bean sprouts.

Yet it is so vivid!

Wang Heng agreed madly in her heart, but she couldn't show it.

So much so that for a long time, Wang Heng couldn't look at the dish of bean sprouts.

Lou Yu’s prank really scared Zheng Chi.

Even though Madam Lou tried her best to bring them together, Zheng Chi was attracted by the power and wealth of the Lou family and eventually gave up on Lou Yu.

She didn't want to be forced to eat by Lou Yu and force-fed into a fat person!

Wang Heng: ...Poor kid, he was scared away by my brother.

Wang Heng still remembered this cousin from the Zheng family, even though it had been three or four years. But when Zheng Shisan mentioned her, a slender and graceful figure still emerged in her mind.

"Yes! A Bao is Zheng Chi's nickname."

Seeing that Wang Heng still remembered his legitimate sister, Zheng Shisan continued, "I received news last year that Lady Lou had chosen an excellent marriage for Abao after she came of age."

Zheng Shisan really had no respect or love for his elder, Madam Lou.

Her words "Lou Tai Yi Ren" were definitely full of sarcasm.

What Mrs. Lou values ​​most is status and wealth, but as a result, her son is not up to the standard.

Even with the support of powerful relatives, he still couldn't get promoted for several years.

After much struggling, he barely made it to the fifth rank.

The mother and wife of a fifth-rank official were given the title of Yi Ren by imperial decree.

Lady Lou was given the title of Taiyiren because her son was granted a title.

Wang Heng dared to bet that Madam Lou must really dislike the title "Tai Yiren".

But she is just "too pleasant".

Wang Heng also noticed that Zheng Shisan emphasized the pronunciation of two words: "Excellent?"

A "wonderful" marriage?

In other words, not very good?!

Wang Heng frowned slightly. Wasn't Zheng Chi Mrs. Lou's most beloved granddaughter?

This person is probably also a loyal believer of the religion of the legitimate and illegitimate gods.

It’s not that the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children was not important in ancient times, but that the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children was relative and conditional.

It doesn't mean that all children born out of wedlock are really inferior.

Under normal circumstances, a large family will respect the original wife and legitimate descendants, but will not look down on illegitimate children and treat illegitimate sons and daughters as slaves.

For example, in the Lou family, the illegitimate sons of Madam Lou were all carefully educated. When Lou Jin went to the battlefield, the people he trusted and relied on the most were his many brothers.

Among the brothers, there are many who were born out of wedlock.

If these people made contributions, Lou Jin would not be jealous or steal the credit, but would reward them and seek wealth and honor for them.

The reputation of the Lou family army was not only created by the commander-in-chief, but also by the many Lou family members who united as one and fought bravely against the enemy.

Even Wang Heng, after becoming the head of the family, took great care of and nurtured her half-brothers and half-sisters.

She would not simply distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate children, but would look at their character and talents.

The Zheng family, led by Madam Lou, is different. They only consider the legitimate and illegitimate children.

For the sake of so-called "rules", concubines' sons were suppressed and concubines' daughters were not treated as human beings.

When the family was completely in decline, he began to take advantage of his daughter.

At this time, no one cares about whether the child is born of legitimate or illegitimate birth.

Wang Heng said that she couldn't understand Mrs. Lou's thoughts.

"Yes! A wonderful marriage!"

Zheng Shisan couldn't help but sneer, "Mrs. Lou is quite impressive. She actually managed to get close to Duke Cheng'en's mansion."

"She promised Abao to the illegitimate grandson of Lord Cheng'en—"The illegitimate son of the illegitimate son!

This is definitely the biggest irony for Madam Lou, who has been obsessed with the "legitimate dignity" all her life.

For Zheng Chi, it was also the greatest humiliation.

Wang Heng: …

Well, it’s really hard to evaluate her.

The "goodness" of this "excellent" marriage was not just that the noble legitimate daughter married the illegitimate daughter of a concubine, but that the Cheng'en Mansion was overthrown.

The Cheng'en Mansion is the maiden home of Empress Dowager Li, and is the sworn enemy of the Feng'en Mansion's Li family.

After the mutiny, Yang Chong succeeded to the throne, and the Feng'en Mansion successfully stood at the pinnacle of power. Their Li family had two dukes -

In addition to Queen Li's father who continued to hold the title of Duke Feng'en, her eldest brother was named Duke Jingguo because of his military achievements.

The value of Feng'en Mansion, a top-level relative, has reached the threshold.

The Feng'en Mansion rose, while the Cheng'en Mansion completely declined.

If Empress Dowager Li had not still been around, the Cheng'en Mansion would not only have lost its power, but would have most likely been stripped of its title and had its property confiscated!

Among so many powerful people, Madam Lou was able to accurately choose the Cheng'en Mansion. She is definitely "discerning" and "lucky"!

"and many more!"

While Wang Heng secretly complained, she didn't miss the key point in Zheng Shisan's words: "Promise? Just an engagement, not married yet?"

Zheng Shisan smiled. Her Ninth Mother was just so perceptive.

"Yes! Originally, the Cheng'en Mansion was too arrogant and wanted to influence the Zheng family, so they deliberately set the wedding date for six months later, which is the end of the year."

When Duke Cheng'en was getting engaged, he certainly didn't expect that their family's glory would come to an abrupt end in September.

The Li family was completely defeated in the mutiny.

Although the title of Duke Cheng'en was preserved, many men of the Li family were killed or injured during the mutiny.

After the mutiny, many members of the Li family were also "held accountable".

Only an empty shell remained of the Cheng'en Mansion, and only a very small number of male members were saved!

Zheng Chi's fiancé survived, but was implicated (pushed out to take the blame?) and sentenced to exile.

Madam Lou not only felt regretful, but also terrified - the Li family's misfortune would not implicate the Zheng family.

Mrs. Lou was decisive and quickly broke off the engagement with the Li family.

After a lot of trouble, Zheng Chi was freed, but his reputation was ruined.

The Zheng family is becoming increasingly decadent!

However, Madam Lou still had the ambition to revive the family. Since her legitimate granddaughter had become a useless pawn, she began to "value" her illegitimate granddaughters.

Mrs. Lou may have forgotten about her two adopted granddaughters, Zheng Shisan and Zheng Shiliu, who were abandoned in Hedong.

However, Princess Langya came to the capital, and as her companion, Zheng Shisan would definitely come into the sight of the powerful.

Her status will also become noble.

Mrs. Lou will definitely not let go of such a "blue chip stock"!

Zheng Shisan didn't want to be used by Mrs. Lou, and he was even more unwilling to return to the Zheng family.

In the Zheng family, she was a lowly bastard who was despised and bullied.

All her good days were spent at the Lou family, with Jiu Niang.

She had already decided on Jiu Niang and would never become someone else's pawn.

Madam Lou! The Zheng family!

None of them deserve it!

Wang Heng listened silently to Zheng Shisan telling about the Zheng family's troubles.

Although Zheng Shisan did not directly express whether she was willing to return to the Zheng family, Wang Heng had already heard her meaning from her words.

"Okay! Shisan Niang, you are mine. As long as you don't want to, no one can force you!"

Wang Heng now finally had the confidence to make such a domineering promise.

She is a princess, someone who can protect herself.

“…Nine Lady!”

Zheng Shisan raised his head, and there was a hint of mist in his charming phoenix eyes.

She knew that the most reliable person in this world was her Jiu Niang.

How about the Zheng family?

So what if the building is too pleasant?

As long as Jiu Niang is here, no one can control or bully her!

……

Yanshoufang, Zheng’s house.

Mrs. Lou still didn't know about the return of Zheng Shisan and others, but their family received another piece of bad news:

"What? You were stripped of your job?"

Madam Lou stared at Zheng Henian in disbelief. A doctoral student at the Imperial College, he just taught and supervised students, and didn't get involved in government affairs or party politics, yet he could lose his job?!