Golden Branch

Wang Heng opened her eyes wide and listened to Wang Mian talk about the bloody scenes that might happen at various banquets.

The most common one is falling into the water.

The second method is to put drugs in alcohol and tea.

Wang Heng had no idea that there was such a useful medicine in the world that could make one faint with just one sip.

Its efficacy is comparable to that of Ma Fei San.

Brother, there are so many wounded soldiers in the military camp. It would be great if we could have this kind of "magic medicine" to treat their wounds.

Then there are the incense, sleep-inducing and aphrodisiac... No, which family hosting the banquet is not powerful and aristocratic?

The slaves in the house are basically old people who have been employed for several lifetimes.

How could a slave born and raised in the family be easily bribed by an outsider and bring such fragrant pills mixed with filthy things into the house?

Do guests bring their own?

Oh, how could the master's servants allow guests to act alone?

If there is an unexpected need to change clothes, there will be slaves to accompany you.

It is both serving and monitoring.

As a country bumpkin who grew up in the countryside of Hedong, Wang Heng was indeed shocked by the various methods Wang Mian described.

However, she was a girl from aristocratic family, and she could refute those tactics one by one using her familiarity with the family and rules.

overboard?

When someone is having a banquet, wouldn’t they arrange maids who are familiar with water to patrol and guard the waterside pavilions and lakes?

If a guest falls into the water, there is no need for male guests to rescue him, as the maids will do it.

Drugged?

Not to mention that the Dayu Dynasty did not have such a magical medicine. Even if it did, there would be no chance to do anything in such a large family with strict etiquette and slavery rules!

Its shortcomings are similar to those of incense.

The slaves who have been raised by a big family for hundreds of years are really not that easy to bribe.

The lives of their entire family and many relatives and friends are in the hands of their master. If they betray their master, it will not be just her (him) who will be punished, but the entire family and even the entire clan!

The servants are not so short-sighted. It is impossible for them to gamble their entire family's life and future for a few dollars!

Of course, this does not apply to impoverished families or upstarts without sufficient foundation.

However, such cases are still rare.

So, when Wang Mian talked about all the bloody dramas, Wang Heng was both curious and unbelievable.

"...Although it sounds outrageous, we must be on guard!"

After complaining, Wang Heng nodded slowly.

What if, in the eyes of others, she, Wang Jiu, the Princess of Langya, is also a country bumpkin who has lax family rules and a lax attitude towards servants?

Wang Heng turned around and said to Mother Fu, "Give the order to double the staff on top of the original arrangement!"

Her princess mansion and her warm-room party are definitely not a stage for evil spirits to wreak havoc.

If you want to engage in intrigue and conspiracy, please go out, it doesn’t matter if you turn left or right, but don’t go to the princess’s house, so as not to dirty her yard!

"Yes!" Fu's mother quickly bowed and agreed.

"Also, remind everyone that today is the first banquet at the Princess's Mansion, and there must be no mistakes!"

"All servants and guards in the mansion, please be alert and do not be negligent. Make sure the guests have a great time!"

Wang Heng emphasized it again, and Fu's mother, Bai Zhi and others could hear her seriousness and took the order seriously.

When they go down, they will also tell everyone in a cold and solemn voice: Keep your nerves tight, keep your eyes open, and never slack off.

If you get through today successfully, the lady will have a generous reward.

But if someone's mission goes wrong, don't blame the lady for being ruthless.

The Wang family, led by Wang Heng, has always been clear about rewards and punishments.

She has been in charge of a farm since she was six years old and has her own way of controlling her subordinates.

In front of the servants, she is not a sweet, soft, good-tempered, easy-going and easily influenced girl.

She is the master, the "god" who controls the fate of all slaves!

……

"Sister!"

Madam Lou was still able to keep her composure, but Zheng Chi couldn't wait for the banquet to begin.

Finding a gap, she squeezed through the crowd and found Zheng Shisan.

Zheng Chi's gaze once again swept over Zheng Shisan from head to toe.

The sister who was humble, sallow and thin in my memory now had black hair and gorgeous clothes.

From the strands of hair to the slightly exposed shoes, Zheng Shisan exudes nobility and refinement.

She was like a pampered lady from a wealthy family, dressed in fine clothes and fed with delicious food, and doted on with all kinds of care.

"That's not right! Zheng Shisan isn't the most expensive lady. She is the Zheng family's most shameless bastard!"

The jealousy in Zheng Chi's heart was gnawing at her heart like crazy.

Zheng Chi was not jealous of Zheng Shisan's stunning beauty and pitiful and delicate temperament.

What the Zheng family has the most is beautiful women.

What really hurt Zheng Chi's eyes was her "honor".

"Abao!"

Zheng Shisan was instructing her servants on a task when she heard a familiar yet unfamiliar voice. She turned around and saw her younger sister whom she hadn't seen for three or four years.

The sixteen-year-old girl has shed the immaturity of her youth and has begun to possess the gentleness and charm of a woman.

Zheng Chi's appearance is not the best, but it is still pretty.

She was slender, with a graceful figure, and possessed the pride of a legitimate daughter. With her new clothes, she looked like a lady from an aristocratic family.

However, there was a glint of discomfort in her eyes.

Zheng Shisan is no longer the humble concubine she used to be.

She followed Wang Heng, studied in Deyin Hall, and also attended Mr. Shen's classes.

The more I read, the stronger and more resilient I become.

She only looks like a weak and easily bullied little white flower, but in fact she is a thoughtful and sharp-minded lady.

"Zheng Chi, you have ill intentions towards me!"

"She, is she jealous?"

Zheng Shisan remained calm and forced a standard smile: "You are here too? But are you here with my mother?"

"Grandmother? Sister, you still need a Grandmother!"

Zheng Chi originally wanted to endure it, but when she saw Zheng Shisan so calm, she became very angry.

She is just a commoner's daughter, but she pretends to be a noble lady.

How could she be worthy of it!

Zheng Chi had already caught Zheng Shisan's handle: "Sister, it's been a few days since you returned to Beijing, right?"

"Why haven't you come home yet? Why haven't you paid your respects to your mother, father, and other elders?"

"Or is it that, since my sister has become attached to a noble, she no longer cares about her family members?"

Unfilial!

But the biggest crime!

If a woman is involved, even if she is a little follower of the princess, the princess cannot openly favor her.

Zheng Shisan was accused of being unfilial by Zheng Chi, but she was not worried or angry.

She still maintained her smile and said slowly, "Abao, I am the princess's study companion, so I must serve her first!"

"Our Zheng family is the most loyal to the emperor and the country. I believe that both my mother and my father will understand and support me!"

Her subtext was very clear: if the Zheng family knew that she was the princess's study companion and needed to be with the princess all the time, they would definitely be very happy.

Filial piety?

Ah!

Compared with the power that can be gained by clinging to powerful people, it is not worth mentioning at all.

She is really not the humble and pitiful person she used to be who could be manipulated by the Zheng family.

She has Jiuniang.

Zheng Chi choked.

She naturally understood the implication of Zheng Shisan's words, and she also knew that what Zheng Shisan said was true -

Just now, when the grandmother saw Zheng Shisan, her face was full of joy.

In the heart of the eldest mother, Zheng Shisan, who was able to get close to the princess, was her most precious and filial granddaughter!

"...Sister, you are absolutely right!"

Zheng Shisan's hidden thorns hurt Zheng Chi and also made her regain her sanity.

She finally realized: Damn it, I didn't come here to quarrel with Zheng Shisan, but, but -

Zheng Chi remembered that just to the east of the main courtyard was the garden, where there was a lake in the courtyard.

The lake is connected to the courtyard.

And in the courtyard, there are many male guests at this moment.

Across the lake, you can faintly hear the men's chatter and laughter from the next door seat.

"Sister, since you are the princess's companion and live in the princess's mansion, you must be very familiar with the princess's mansion!"

"I think this princess's mansion is cleverly laid out and has a pleasant scenery. Sister, could you show me around?"

Zheng Chi had a plan. Not only did she not want to see Zheng Shisan enjoying such glory and making a fool of herself in public, she also wanted to eliminate the "enemy" in advance - the granddaughter that the grandmother valued the most could only be her!

If Zheng Shisan made a fool of herself and was disliked by the princess, the eldest mother would naturally no longer look at her differently.

"Abao, do you want me to show you around the princess's mansion?"

A hint of sarcasm flashed in Zheng Shisan's eyes.

Zheng Chi is really getting worse as she gets older, or perhaps she has really been spoiled.

Who is Zheng Chi, and what is her current identity as Zheng Shisan?

However, Zheng Chi still wanted to boss her around like he did in the past, and he didn't hide his dark thoughts of "I want to plot against you" at all.

Just now, the housekeeper came to report to her: "Thirteenth Lady, the princess has ordered us to be extra cautious and not make any mistakes."

The flower garden, the lake in the courtyard, the waterside pavilion and rockery... are all places that need special attention.

Zheng Chi wanted to go "for a walk", and Zheng Shisan must be crazy and stupid to fulfill her wish.

"Yes, sister! You are a very kind and loving sister. You wouldn't refuse to fulfill even a small wish of mine, would you?"

Zheng Chi was practicing a not-so-clever form of moral kidnapping.

Zheng Shisan said, hey, I'm sorry, I'm really not a saintly sister who loves my brothers and sisters.

"Abao, you are not a child anymore, it's time to be sensible!"

Zheng Shisan smiled sweetly, but his words were full of admonition: "I am the princess's study companion. Today, there is a banquet in the princess's mansion. The princess values ​​me and has entrusted me with a task. I must carry out my mission with utmost care. How can I let personal matters take the place of public office?"

"If you want to enjoy the scenery of the Princess's Mansion, you can go there by yourself, or find a servant to lead the way."

"I have something else to do, so I won't chat with you any more!"

Zheng Shisan was not polite at all. She scolded her ignorant younger sister like an elder sister and then turned around and left.

She didn't care whether her refusal would upset Zheng Chi, nor did she care that her leaving in anger had already made Zheng Chi mad as a pufferfish.

"Zheng Shisan! You! You!"

Just left like that?

But Zheng Chi didn't dare to get angry.

All around him were the wives of the powerful and influential people in the capital, all of whom were people of status and respectability.

Zheng Chi's reputation was ruined, and if a quarrel arose, Zheng Chi would certainly not gain any benefits.

Not to mention the guests, even the eldest mother, in order to curry favor with Princess Langya, might blame her and then scold her in public.

Li Yan on the other side also turned his gaze to the lake in the courtyard.

only--

"There are so many maids by the lake? There are even small boats in the lake? And there are also boat girls who are proficient in swimming on the boats?!"

What does it mean?

Prevent people from falling into the water at any time?

The defense of the princess's mansion is so thorough?

Li Yan withdrew her gaze, lowered her eyelids, and hid the regret in her eyes.

……

"Princess Ping An, here you are!"

"Princess Hengyang, here you are!"

"The King and his wife, arrive!"

"King Wei, Princess Changle, here we are!"

As the banquet was about to officially begin, several important guests arrived.

As the host, Wang Heng went there in person.

She and Lou Yu went to the front hall to greet him.

"What a stunning beauty!"

The princesses, princes, princesses and other distinguished guests were all amazed when they saw Wang Heng for the first time.

They paid a visit to Concubine Jiang and witnessed the stunning appearance of the most beautiful woman in the world.

Now, seeing the slightly immature Wang Heng, I feel that "the pupil is better than the master".

As expected of Concubine Jiang's beloved daughter, her appearance and demeanor are indeed not those of an ordinary person.

There were rumors in the capital before that Wang Jia Jiuniang was greedy, fat, and ugly.

Although there were rumors two or three days ago saying that "the rumors are false and Princess Langya is a stunningly beautiful woman", people still had doubts.

From an ugly monster to a fairy, the gap is too big, it's simply polarization.

The rumors are becoming increasingly unreliable.

Everyone couldn't help but speculate that Princess Langya might not be ugly, but she wasn't a fairy either.

However, after seeing it today, everyone realized that the rumors were not false, but that the rumors were not enough.

Princess Langya, stunning everyone!

"Sister!"

Princess Changning didn't have so many thoughts.

She had already seen the beautiful sister, and now when she saw her again, the little girl had only one thought -

Ahhh, where is the zoo?

Where is the surprise that sister mentioned?!

"Jinu!"

Wang Heng was also happy to see the lovely little princess.

She bent down and took the princess's chubby hand, "Don't worry, I've prepared everything you want!"

"Uh-huh!"

Changning nodded vigorously. She was really looking forward to it.

Princess Ping'an and other royal relatives couldn't help but flicker their eyes and look around when they saw the intimacy between Wang Heng and Changning.

Unexpectedly, the little princess born to the queen was as close as a sister to Concubine Jiang's daughter.

Could the rumors be false?

Queen Li and Concubine Jiang were not mortal enemies, but on the contrary, they had a very good relationship?

If this were not the case, it would be difficult to explain the way Princess Langya and Princess Changning get along.

After all, Princess Changning is young, and anyone she interacts with must first pass the test of the Emperor and Empress.

If the Queen did not agree, Princess Langya would not be able to appear in front of Princess Changning, and naturally she would not be able to "seduce" the young princess on her own.

There is only one explanation for Wang Jiu’s good relationship with Changning: Queen Li supports him!

"...No matter what the relationship between the Queen and the Imperial Concubine is, one thing is certain, that is, Wang Jiu is truly favored!"

After a glance, everyone came to a conclusion.

Those who are truly favored, even princesses and queens, will also be looked up to.

Princess Pingan, in particular, was even more thankful that she had made a prompt decision and admitted her mistake, otherwise—

The legitimate little princesses all called Langya "Sister" and were close to her. As a illegitimate princess whose mother died early, she really did not have such great honor and power.

Everyone's attitude towards Wang Heng became increasingly serious, and they were also looking forward to the upcoming banquet at the Princess's Mansion...