Golden Branch

"Mother, does Brother dislike us?"

Lou Lang is young and spoiled, but he is not really naive and ignorant.

Especially her personal experiences in the past year have made her realize what it means to be fickle and unpredictable.

Falling from the branches to the dust, from being surrounded by people to being ignored by everyone.

The little girl, who was eight or nine years old, fully understood the cruelty of reality.

Not to mention anything else, just her name——

In the past, when others mentioned the young lady of the Duke of Anguo's mansion, they would express envy and jealousy: "The young lady of the Lou family, twins of dragon and phoenix, a sign of good fortune, named by a saint, she will surely be rich and glorious!"

But now, even though the saint has become the emperor, the name that once symbolized supreme grace, also, also—

It didn't become a laughing stock, after all, Dayu was still the Yang family's kingdom, and the emperor was still living well in the Daming Palace.

But, a new emperor appoints new ministers.

For a confidant of the former emperor like the Duke of Anguo, it is lucky not to be purged after the new emperor ascends the throne. It is reasonable for them to lose power, be sidelined, and sit on the bench.

The young Lou Lin and Lou Lang had a deep understanding of the decline of the Anguo Mansion.

They are no longer two or three-year-old children. One of them has already started school, and the other will go out and socialize with Madam Dugu.

They have been able to feel the wind and rain outside firsthand and have experienced it deeply.

The feeling of falling from a height is really uncomfortable.

Not to mention anything else, just taking today's banquet as an example, if it were a year ago, Madam Dugu and Lou Lang, mother and daughter, would definitely be the distinguished guests who would be treated with special attention.

The female ruler of the main family, even if she is a princess, will come out to greet her personally—

Duke Anguo Lou Jinke controls an army of 100,000 and is stationed at Xuanwu Gate. He is the most important official in the capital.

The saints value him highly, and even the descendants of dragons and phoenixes dare not treat him lightly.

Lou Jin's beloved wife, as a wife whose status is due to her husband, is naturally one of the most noble ladies in the capital.

However, a year later, Mrs. Dugu's situation has fallen to this point -

When they came to Princess Langya's warm-room banquet, not only did Princess Langya herself not show up, there was not even a respectable female official or housekeeper.

She was just an ordinary maid, and she was just being polite to me, nothing special at all.

However, this kind of banquet is already the highest standard that Madam Dugu has received in recent months.

Mrs. Dugu didn’t even receive an invitation to many banquets hosted by the newly rich families!

Mrs. Dugu truly felt the taste of a family's decline.

Lou Lin and Lou Lang also have their own experiences and feelings.

Fortunately, the Lou family has not yet completely declined.

They also have Lou Yu.

When Lou Lang thought of his biological brother who had the same father as him, a gleam of light flashed in his fox eyes, which were exactly like Madam Dugu.

She raised her little head and whispered, "Mother, I heard that Princess Langya and my brother have a very close relationship. There's a banquet at the Princess's residence today, and my brother should be coming. So, can I go find my brother?"

That's her biological brother.

Although he has been adopted and has never met his father, his blood relationship is still unbreakable.

Lou Lang has a twin brother, a boy and a girl. The age difference between them is very small, and the brother is only two quarters of an hour older than her.

Lou Lang simply could not feel the tolerance and pampering of an "eld brother who is like a father" from Lou Lin.

The elder brother Lou Yu, who was far away in Hedong, became the shadow of the perfect brother in Lou Lang's fantasy.

Especially as Lou Yu grew up, he followed the Prince of Qi on errands and became a disciple of famous scholars at home and abroad. Although he was not in the capital, he was praised by the powerful people in the capital as the "other people's child".

At that time, the Lou family was still the most powerful family in the capital. Wherever Lou Lang went, he was always surrounded by people and praised by everyone. However, when he heard the young ladies talking about the talented men of the Lou family with curious and dreamy tones, Lou Lang couldn't help but feel proud.

Such an outstanding young man is my elder brother.

Today, this outstanding elder brother has become the towering tree that supports the Lou family.

Lou Lang respected and admired him more and more, and wanted to get closer to him more and more.

Madam Dugu lowered her head and saw the anxiety and longing in her daughter's eyes, and she couldn't help feeling a pang of sadness in her heart.

Lou Yu is not only Lou Lang's elder brother from the same father, but also his own brother from the same mother.

Lou Lang is the sister closest to Lou Yu.

However, Lou Lang, the legitimate sister of the Duke of Qi, had never been close to the Duke of Qi.

Lou Yu would rather pamper and obey a neighbor's sister than take care of his own younger siblings.

Yes, although Lou Yu had just arrived in Beijing, his care for Wang Jiu had already spread quietly throughout the capital.

Maybe no one has said it, but everyone knows that Lou Yu is upright and elegant, and values ​​friendship and loyalty.

She was just the neighbor's sister, but because they had grown up together for several years, Lou Yu was already deeply concerned about Wang Jiu.

From selecting the princess's mansion, to personally going to the Ministry of Personnel to select officials for the princess, to today's busy preparations for the banquet at the princess's mansion.

To put it bluntly, Lou Yu was not as devoted and attentive to his "uncle and great-grandparents" (his biological parents).

It is even more incomparable to biological brothers and sisters.

Why?

A'lin and A'lang are A'yu's brothers and sisters, but they are outshined by Wang Jiu!

Mrs. Dugu experienced the reality of falling from a great height, and the huge sense of gap made her feel a little unbalanced.

Now, her son, whom she thought could help her and the family return to prominence, finally came to Beijing, but he turned a deaf ear to them and was open-hearted to an outsider.

The already unbalanced heart began to twist and gave rise to some resentment.

In such a mood, Mrs. Dugu had no mind to appreciate the scenery of the princess's mansion.

She felt a lump in her chest, and in response to her daughter's question, she said, "Of course! Ah Lang, you are your eldest brother's biological sister."

It is natural for a younger sister to want to be close to her older brother.

Even Lou Yu could resent his parents, but he could not vent his anger on his younger brother and sister.

After all, children are innocent.

Lou Lin and Lou Lang have never done anything to let him down!

Mrs. Dugu thought so, and she actually became more confident and righteous—

Yup!

Because of the adoption, there was a rift between A Yu and her and her husband.

However, Lou Lang and A Yu had no hatred or grudge against each other.

They are siblings from the same father and mother, and they are the closest people in the world.

And, the best part is, the twins are still children. Even if they do something inappropriate in order to get close to Lou Yu, they can use the excuse that "the children are young and don't understand."

Unlike her and her husband, who are both adults and elders, even if they want to make amends, it is not easy for them to be servile and flattering.

In this world, there are only parents who are "never wrong". How can there be any reason for parents to apologize to their sons?

The more Madam Dugu thought about it, the more she felt it made sense, and she couldn't help but raise her head high.

"Let's go congratulate the princess first, and then talk to your brother!"

Madam Dugu took Lou Lang's hand and strode towards the main courtyard on the central axis with her chest puffed out.

……

Today's banquet at Princess Langya's mansion is definitely the biggest event in the capital in recent months.

Almost all the dignitaries, big and small, in the capital gathered here.

As for Wang Heng, she was taking the opportunity to show herself and needed to "publicize" the name and identity of Princess Langya.

She didn't deliberately set a limit.

No matter if they were upstarts or established families that had lost power, Wang Heng would send invitations to them as long as they met certain conditions.

At most, some of them are distinguished guests who need her to entertain them attentively, while others are ordinary guests who only need to meet them briefly.

This time, Wang Heng really didn't care too much. Even the Cui family and the Lu family, who had grudges against her, and the Zheng family and the Dugu family, who had a delicate relationship with her, received invitations.

"This Princess Langya's Mansion is quite magnificent!"

Mrs. Lu felt quite embarrassed after returning to Beijing.

Humph, it’s all Wang Jiu’s fault for being cunning and deliberately “framing” me.

A young lady like Mrs. Lu, who has a good family background and has been taken care of by "noble people" for decades, is the most willful and spoiled.

Even if she made a mistake, she never reflected on herself but instead blamed everything on others.

Back then at the post station, she was the one who didn't give in.

Later, because of the incident at the post station, she was disliked by the emperor and empress. She was ashamed and angry, and she began to bear a grudge against Wang Heng.

Even Lou Yu was secretly remembered by Lady Lu.

What’s even more hateful is that the situation was stronger than the person, and her brother-in-law was forced to go to the Daming Palace. After Mrs. Lu returned to Beijing, she immediately ran to the Daming Palace to ask her brother-in-law to make the decision for her.

However, after meeting her brother-in-law, Mrs. Lu was shocked to find that the man who was once so wise and upright had turned into a waste who was addicted to alcohol and sex.

Apart from drinking, he spends time hanging out with young beauties.

The founding emperor of a nation, yet he became... depraved and absurd in broad daylight!

What’s even more ridiculous is that only one year after my brother-in-law abdicated, there were already several pregnant women in the Daming Palace.

My brother-in-law is like this, he is not in good health despite his old age.

Mrs. Lu could see clearly that her brother-in-law had aged significantly. He no longer had that high-spirited and aggressive spirit, nor did he have the domineering aura to unify the world. He was now just an old man who only knew how to drink and sleep with women.

Brother-in-law, you’re useless!

Her greatest support collapsed!

It was because she saw the current situation of the former emperor with her own eyes that Mrs. Lu finally realized the reality.

After leaving Daming Palace and returning to Dugu's home, Mrs. Lu fell ill.

Unfortunately, even though she ordered people to spread the news of her serious illness, the emperor and empress did not respond at all.

In desperation, Mrs. Lu held on to her sick body, gritted her teeth, wrote a letter requesting an audience, and personally delivered it to the palace gate.

She had already humbled herself to the dust, but still failed to meet the emperor and empress in one go.

After a long struggle at the palace gate, Mrs. Lu was about to faint, and only then did the palace respond.

Lady Lu was allowed to enter the palace to meet the emperor.

However, when meeting the emperor and empress, this supreme couple did not act too close or warmly.

In their eyes, Madam Lu was not only a so-called elder, but also a political enemy, and even more so a confused old woman who caused trouble for them!

Mrs. Lu was once again poured with a basin of cold water.

The emperor and empress are so unfilial, oh no, they don't care about the old relationship, she is their aunt.

Especially the saints, whose biological mothers died early, and they miss and care about their deceased mothers the most.

In the past, when the sage was still the King of Qi, he showed great respect to Lady Lu because of his deceased mother.

But at that time, Lady Lu relied wholeheartedly on her brother-in-law, and the entire Dugu family was also the emperor's most die-hard followers.

The former emperor was afraid of the King of Qi, and Lady Lu also disliked the King of Qi.

The Dugu family and the Prince of Qi's Mansion were engaged in various open and covert struggles, and Lady Lu never took into account that the Prince of Qi and his wife were her nephews (nieces).

... Having sown evil seeds, she is now reaping the bitter fruits. Even if Madam Lu regrets it, it is too late!

Then we can only try our best to make up for it!

Although Mrs. Lu likes to pass the buck, she is not really stupid.

After leaving the palace and returning home, Mrs. Lu began to think carefully.

Putting aside all the old grudges, the direct trigger that made the emperor and empress angry was the rumors that she was disrespectful to the princess.

"What a fake princess Wang Jiu is! She relied on her mother's charm to charm the saint and now thinks she is a royal princess."

"It was you who took the initiative to give in, yet you fabricated rumors and slandered me!"

"...I'll let this one of yours go for now! It's all about the dignity of the royal family. I can sacrifice my own pride and apologize to that little bitch Wang Jiu!"

It was wrong for her to disrespect the princess.

But if Princess Langya really accepted her apology, would she also be guilty of "disrespecting elders"?

The successive blows made Mrs. Lu realize that she was no longer the fearless noble lady she used to be.

She will bend down and apologize...it just depends on whether Wang Jiu, a young girl, can bear it!

This room-warming banquet of Princess Langya is the opportunity that Lady Lu has longed for.

She would solemnly and humbly apologize to the princess in front of all the dignitaries in the capital!

Mrs. Lu was secretly ruthless, but on the surface she maintained a mask of nobility and kindness.

By her side are her two most favored grandchildren: Dugu Wei and Li Yan.

Dugu Wei is bright and outgoing, while Li Yan is cold and reserved.

The two little girls, each beautiful in her own way, were of marriageable age. As soon as they entered the princess's mansion and exchanged greetings with the many guests, some ladies who had sons of marriageable age at home could not help but take a few more glances at them.

But soon, they all reacted——

The little girl is indeed very good, but unfortunately she is from the Dugu family.

The Dugu family is already in decline, and there is also the confused Madam Lu... Forget it, no matter how good a girl's family is, she still has to be controlled by the family.

Some noble ladies felt quite sorry about this.

Feeling the regretful or sympathetic gazes of these people, Dugu Wei's eyes flashed with a hint of loss.

But she always held her head high.

Li Yan glanced at the still proud Dugu Wei and gently lowered her eyelids.

This cousin is always so arrogant... It really makes people envious and jealous!

There was an old woman in the crowd, inexplicably excited—

"Thirteenth Lady? And there's Fifteenth, or Sixteenth? Are they both in the Princess's residence?"

Mrs. Lou of the Zheng family also relied on the Lou family's reputation and found ways to get an invitation to the banquet at the princess's mansion.

Beside her is her most beloved granddaughter Zheng Chi.

As for Zheng Shisan and Zheng Shiliu, the two lowly bastards, they had long been completely forgotten by Madam Lou.

Mrs. Lou even forgot what the two of them looked like.

It was Zheng Chi who recognized the two girls who were helping to entertain the guests with the palace maids at a glance.

They were dressed in gorgeous clothes and had extraordinary bearings. They were no longer the pitiful and timid concubines of the past, but noble ladies who were more confident than Zheng Chi.

Zheng Chi was shocked and jealous, and hurriedly told Madam Lou.

Mrs. Lou was only surprised: Great! This is great news!