Golden Branch

Lou Yu wiped his sweat, tore the note into pieces and threw it into the teacup.

The ink was smudged and the scraps of paper turned into a paste.

Lou Yu continued to practice.

After practicing for a long time, he stopped, wiped the sweat off his face, and went to the bathroom to wash up.

She changed into a brand new bright red round-necked robe embroidered with gold thread, and tied a thin jade belt around her waist.

Purses, jade pendants and other accessories are hung on the jade belt.

With his hair tied up and pinned with a white jade hairpin, Lou Yu took a long and thin box and strode out of the Duke's Mansion.

After walking around half the street, Lou Yu arrived at the princess's mansion.

The vermilion lacquered gate of the princess's mansion was already open, and servants and maids were coming in and out, busy as a hustle and bustle.

The entire princess's mansion was decorated with red shawls and colorful ribbons, which looked very festive.

Everyone, from top to bottom, was very dedicated, and every level of the courtyard was cleaned spotlessly.

It is no exaggeration to say that even the mounting stone at the gate has been polished to a shine.

Lou Yu pretended to ask someone to pass the message.

Soon, he received the reply that "the princess summoned him".

Holding the slender box in one hand and lifting the hem of his clothes with the other, Lou Yu went up the steps, followed the corridor, passed through the front yard and the courtyard, and came to the main courtyard on the central axis.

Begonia Courtyard!

Wang Heng's courtyard in the princess's mansion still used the old name of Hedong Zhuangzi.

A crabapple tree was also transplanted into the yard to suit the occasion.

Under the crabapple tree, there is a stone table and stone chairs.

The flowers have withered, and there are only a few scattered fruits among the lush branches and leaves.

Lou Yu walked to the crabapple tree, and inexplicably felt dazed.

This place doesn't seem to be the capital, nor the princess's mansion.

But it was in Wangjiazhuangzi, in the countryside of Hedong.

The boys and girls used to play and have fun under the crabapple tree.

For nearly ten years, he and Aheng had spent countless days and nights together.

Admiring crabapple blossoms, picking crabapple fruits... They were so close, their souls were so compatible, yet -

"No! Ah Heng and I will eventually become husband and wife!"

Today Ah Heng comes of age, and after this, she can talk about marriage.

Lou Yu was tall and could pick the branches and leaves of the crabapple tree with just a raise of his hand.

The slender box rested in his hand, and he was able to wrap it around it easily.

Holding the box tightly, Lou Yu gathered his thoughts and continued walking towards the main hall.

"I beg you, Princess!"

Lou Yu saluted in a proper manner.

Wang Heng was too lazy to say anything polite like "We are all family, there is no need to be so polite, brother."

She smiled and said, "Brother, why are you up so early today?"

"give you!"

Lou Yu did not answer directly, but pushed the box in his hand in front of Wang Heng.

Wang Heng's eyes flickered. Based on the shape and size of the box, she could already guess what was inside - a hairpin.

This should be the hairpin that Lou Yu specially prepared for her coming-of-age ceremony.

Uh, she has received several of these hairpins.

There was a phoenix hairpin made of red gold and inlaid with rubies, sent by Concubine Jiang, and a white jade hairpin sent by the head of the Wang family of Langya.

In addition to those given by others, Wang Heng also prepared two or three of her own.

Having grown up without her parents, Wang Heng has long been accustomed to relying on herself!

"Is this the hairpin my brother prepared for me?"

Although Wang Heng has no shortage of hairpins, she will not take other people's kindness lightly.

Joy flashed across her beautiful little face.

I took the box and opened it, and what caught my eye was not a hairpin made of precious materials such as gold and jade.

Instead, it was an antique wooden hairpin with a faint woody fragrance.

"Well, I carved it myself. I asked Master Xingyu of Baoguo Temple to bless it for 9981 days. It's not that valuable, but I just hope it brings good luck and safety!"

Lou Yu did not deliberately show off his hard work, but he would not keep it silent either.

He gave Aheng a hairpin not for its value, but only for its ability to bring her good fortune and longevity.

Wang Heng's eyes flashed with emotion, "Thank you, brother!"

"You've already gifted me a crown adorned with gold and jade, and now you've taken the trouble to pray for me. It's truly my great honor to have a brother like you in my life."

My brother is really very good to her.

Wang Heng only wishes that they could be good siblings for the rest of their lives!

"It is my good fortune that I can meet you."

Except Lou Yu himself, no one knows how important Aheng is to him.

Even Ah Heng didn't know.

...So, he will never let go, and will not do any of these bullshit "brother and sister" things!

Only a husband and wife can spend their lives together and be buried together after death.

……

As time went by, the princess's mansion once again saw a bustling scene of traffic.

The densely packed carriages blocked the entire street.

To this end, the Jingzhao Prefecture, Jinwu Guard and other government offices specially arranged officials and soldiers in advance to maintain public order and protect the dignitaries.

The entire Pingkangfang seemed to become noisy.

Needless to say, the princess's mansion is bustling with activity.

Officials from the Ministry of Rites came to preside over the specific procedures of the coming-of-age ceremony.

The Imperial Astronomical Observatory also calculated an auspicious time for the coming-of-age ceremony early on.

The auspicious time has arrived and the coming-of-age ceremony officially begins.

The Wang clan women took over the responsibility of welcoming guests and other matters on behalf of Wang Heng's elders.

Princess Jincheng made time in advance and rushed from the military camp to add a hairpin to Wang Heng.

Wang Heng, wearing a brand new bright red dress and with her hair loose, walked to the main hall and saluted Princess Jincheng.

Then she knelt down.

Princess Jincheng washed her hands and walked up to Wang Mian.

The official held a tray in his hand, on which was placed a phoenix hairpin made of red gold, wrapped in silk and inlaid with rubies.

"On the auspicious day of the month, you will start to add Yuanfu. Abandon your young aspirations, follow you and become virtuous. The test of longevity is only Qi, and you will be blessed."

Princess Jincheng recited the congratulatory message aloud, knelt down, and tied Wang Heng's hair and put on a hairpin.

Then she stood up and returned to her original position.

Wang Mian stepped forward and carefully adjusted Wang Heng's hairpin.

Wang Heng stood up and bowed to the elders and guests attending the ceremony.

Then comes the two plus.

It was still the Princess of Jincheng who recited the congratulatory message, took off her golden hairpin and replaced it with a mutton-fat jade hairpin.

This time, another sponsor, Lu Youan from the Duke of Zhao's mansion, came forward and gave Wang Hengzheng a hairpin.

Then comes the three plus.

Originally, Wang Heng wanted to use the gold and jade hair crown that Lou Yu gave her, but in the morning Lou Yu specially sent her a wooden hairpin blessed by a high-level monk, which had a very beautiful meaning, so Wang Heng changed her plan temporarily.

The wooden hairpin doesn't look gorgeous and seems to be very cheap.

However, the guests watching the ceremony will not underestimate it——

Princess Langya was a person of very high status. Not to mention the imperial favor she received, the glass workshop under her name alone made a fortune every day.

Princess Langya is of noble status and is not short of money.

As long as she wants, she can get any jewelry, no matter how precious and rare it is.

Moreover, look at the guests of honor and the sponsors at today’s coming-of-age ceremony; they are all powerful and influential people.

Especially the Princess of Jincheng, she is the famous Iron Lady.

He was either away at war or staying in the barracks handling military affairs. When he had some free time, he never participated in banquets hosted by the powerful.

This should be the first time that Princess Jincheng, who is in her forties, attended the coming-of-age ceremony and served as the main guest.

As the host family that could invite this top female general, one can imagine how honored and respectable Princess Langya was.

There is no need to bring up Concubine Jiang, the mother of the favorite concubine. Just the title of Princess Jincheng is enough to make Princess Langya be looked up to by the powerful and wealthy.

Lou Yu knelt in the first row of guests, watching Wang Heng complete her coming-of-age ceremony with a smile on his face.

His Ah Heng has finally grown up!

……

After the coming-of-age ceremony, there was a banquet at the princess's mansion.

Wang Heng ordered people to prepare a full set of glass products.

From tableware to cups, all utensils used in banquets are made of glass.

The color is transparent, the texture is translucent, and the styles are diverse...the cups, plates, and bowls are obviously a complete set at first glance.

The complete set of supplies looks exquisite and classy.

The number of guests attending the coming-of-age ceremony this time was not as many as the last house-warming party.

After all, the coming-of-age ceremony was the most important day in Wang Heng's life, and it was somewhat private.

It is not appropriate for just anyone to attend such an important occasion.

At least they are “relatives and friends”.

Fortunately, given Wang Heng's status as Princess Langya, her "relatives and friends" are all powerful and influential people.

Therefore, although the number of guests attending the coming-of-age ceremony was not large, their quality (that is, purchasing power) was very high.

Seeing these exquisite, crystal-like glass tableware, the guests praised them, but they also felt itchy in their hearts -

Large pieces of glass are too expensive.

But, I can still afford small cups and plates.

At the banquet, the guests ate, watched the singing and dancing, and thought secretly.

Lou Yu found an opportunity, leaned close to Wang Heng's ear, and whispered a few words:

"Aheng, that thing has been exposed!"

"Xiao Wuji has already captured the man and will be returning to the capital soon!"

Without mentioning the specific incident, Wang Heng immediately realized: "The Jizhou incident?"

Did Mrs. Lu really do something stupid?

Lou Yu saw the silence in Wang Heng's eyes, and couldn't help but smile.

His Ah Heng just can't hide her thoughts like this.

The little face was as white as a sheet of paper.

Whatever you think in your heart will be clearly written on your face.

However, Lou Yu was once speechless about Mrs. Lu's stupidity.

He could especially understand Ah Heng's feelings at the moment.

"Brother, Amian and I need to speed up!"

Wang Heng suddenly said this.

Lou Yu and she have such a good understanding.

There really wasn't much to say between the two of them.

Wang Heng's words seemed incomprehensible, but Lou Yu understood instantly: "Indeed!"

When the crown prince of the previous dynasty was arrested, the news of the Dugu family's collusion with the Turks was exposed.

The Turks were already eyeing the Dayu Dynasty covetously.

Last year, Lou Yu inflicted heavy losses on the Turks and even fought back all the way, penetrating deep into the enemy's territory and achieving a great victory.

However, only Zuo Xian Wang was captured, and Lou Yu did not even find the location of the Turkic royal court, and did not cause serious damage to the Turkic vitality.

Instead, it gave the Turks another excuse to send troops—revenge! Rescue Zuo Xian Wang!

The news that the crown prince of the previous dynasty was captured by Xiao Wuzhi would definitely reach the Turks.

Princess Cheng'an, who never forgot her dream of restoring her country, would certainly take the opportunity to incite the Turkic Khan.

If the Turks send troops, the Dayu Dynasty will certainly not be a coward and passively accept the beating.

The saint has already sat firmly on the throne and is ready to wipe out the powerful enemies around him.

Perhaps, this god-like general who shines through time and space with his military exploits wants to lead the army in person.

When fighting a war, it’s all about logistics.

It was easy to send troops, so the Dayu Dynasty followed the previous dynasty and adopted the military system.

A large number of good family men farm in peacetime and serve as soldiers in wartime.

With just one imperial decree from the court, hundreds of thousands of troops could be assembled.

But, where is the money? Where is the food?

This is even before the soldiers provided their own armor, weapons and even horses.

Otherwise, the burden on the court will be even heavier.

The prince knew the ability of Wang Heng, Wang Mian and other small guys to make money, and he also knew about the lucrative businesses such as glass, salt and sugar.

The prince then asked Wang Heng to be responsible for raising money and food for the 300,000-man army for three years.

Originally, the prince only wanted to make preparations in advance and did not set a deadline for completing the task.

However, now that the war is imminent, in order to support his father's western expedition, the prince must hope that his subordinates can get enough money and food as soon as possible.

Wang Heng suddenly felt the pressure.

"Get money! We must get a large amount of silver and money before the court decides to use the army!"

Wang Heng was so excited that she didn't even care about the banquet that was about to begin. She went to Wang Mian and said, "A Mian, we can start the auction you mentioned!"

In addition to daily store sales, pre-orders and other marketing, we also organize more high-end auctions.

Wang Mian also suggested that the customer base could be expanded from the powerful and wealthy to the poor and wealthy businessmen.

The poor families are not really poor, they are just a family that has fallen on hard times.

The poor also have accumulated wealth over several lifetimes or even hundreds of years, and their wealth is not even less than that of the wealthy families.

As for wealthy businessmen, there is no need to mention them. Apart from status, the most important thing they have is money.

However, the Dayu Dynasty had a strict hierarchy.

The structure of scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans cannot be transformed just by having money.

For example, merchants, even if they are as rich as a country, cannot wear brocade or use carriages that are too large.

It is impossible for them to follow the "fashion" of the powerful circle.

Just one "exceeding the rules" can crush them to death.

Glass is very ingenious. It is a high-end luxury product praised by the powerful and wealthy, but it is not restricted by the court.

Therefore, Wang Heng and Wang Mian dared to bet that as long as they added wealthy businessmen and others into the mix, they would be able to squeeze out a huge amount of money from them.

Perhaps, just one auction can complete the task assigned by the prince.

Lou Yu silently watched the two little girls huddled together, chattering and discussing enthusiastically.

Wang Heng, who is actively making money, looks extremely lively.

She is no longer a well-behaved, good-tempered little cutie, but a bright, lively and stunning beauty.

but--

"Aheng, business is ultimately a minor matter, don't get too obsessed with it!"

The education Lou Yu received was that of a standard traditional scholar-official.

Perhaps it has not yet reached the almost perverted level of "everything is inferior except reading", after all, the Dayu Dynasty valued military power.

Military generals have more say in the court than civil officials of the same rank.

However, no matter whether they are civil or military, they all belong to the "scholars", the most noble class.

But merchants are lowly people!

It is enough for the disciples under his command to manage a few things and earn wealth for the master.

How could Ah Heng, a noble lady from a noble family and a princess of the imperial dynasty, engage in a menial job?

Wang Heng smiled brightly upon hearing Lou Yu's reminder: "Don't worry, brother. I know what's going on!"

Like Lou Yu, Wang Heng was also an ancient native.

She also values ​​etiquette and abides by rules in her heart.

Although he was influenced by Wang Mian and had some interest in business, he would not "lose sight of the forest for the trees".

Glass and other businesses are just necessary for the task, not the core of her future career.

Wang Heng has a very clear and definite plan for her career...