Golden Branch

"what?"

"Prince Rui's Mansion? Crown Princess?"

"you?!"

Madam Lou and Zheng Chi, the grandfather and grandson, widened their eyes in disbelief and exclaimed in unison.

They stared at Zheng Shisan.

Madam Lou was surprised but delighted. "Thirteenth Lady, marriage is such a big deal, don't talk nonsense! You, you really managed to get married to Prince Rui's mansion?"

Zheng Chi was stunned, then envious and jealous. She subconsciously denied it:

"How is that possible! Zheng Shisan, you've really grown up! You're talking in your sleep in broad daylight! Just you? A bastard daughter of a lowly maid? And you still dream of becoming the Crown Prince's Consort of the Rui Palace?"

She was a legitimate daughter, so noble and honorable, that when she was discussing marriage with the Duke Cheng'en, she could only marry the son of a concubine's son.

How could Zheng Shisan become the Crown Prince's Consort?

How can this be?

Why should she?

Zheng Chi's heart was gnawed by jealousy.

Her denial of Zheng Shisan's marriage was not because she didn't believe it, but because she was unwilling to believe it!

"Mother, thanks to the princess's kindness, Thirteen was able to find a good match."

Zheng Shisan faced the shock of Madam Lou and Zheng Chi with calmness.

She knelt upright with her hands on her knees, her posture elegant and her temperament noble.

She didn't waste her breath arguing with the grandparents about what was true or false.

Because Prince Rui’s Mansion will come to the Zheng family to propose marriage soon.

She didn't care whether Madam Lou and Zheng Chi were simply shocked or had developed evil thoughts because of this.

Because Mr. Lou will take action.

Zheng Shisan knew that he and Lou Yu were just insignificant people.

But she is Jiu Niang's person, Jiu Niang values ​​her, so Lou Yu will help her.

Zheng Shisan had the confidence given by Wang Heng, so she dared to return to the Zheng family and directly tell the Zheng family the good news.

She wasn't afraid at all that someone from the Zheng family might cause trouble!

"Is it true?"

"Princess? Wang Jiu, oh no, was it Princess Langya who arranged this good marriage for you?"

Mrs. Lou finally came back to her senses from her shock.

She looked at Zheng Shisan again, her eyes filled with relief and pride: "Good! Haha! Good! You are worthy of being the daughter of the Zheng family. You are indeed blessed."

In Mrs. Lou's opinion, it was Zheng Shisan who made a name for himself.

Even if this marriage was arranged with the help of Princess Langya, it was Zheng Shisan who won the princess's favor with his own abilities.

Over the past few years, the Zheng family has fallen on hard times, and Madam Lou no longer has the pride and arrogance of the noble lady of the Lou family.

She no longer had that inexplicable aversion towards her illegitimate younger generations.

So what if she is a concubine's granddaughter? She is still her bloodline.

In particular, several of the Zheng family's illegitimate granddaughters are quite promising.

Zheng Ying and Zheng Tao were the elders who served Yang Rui. After Yang Rui was named the crown prince, these two concubines also moved into the Eastern Palace smoothly.

Among them, Zheng Tao was rewarded for her childbearing and became the prince's concubine, which was a legitimate concubine with a high rank and a Jade Butterfly in the royal family.

Although Zheng Ying is still only a prince's successor, she is in the Eastern Palace and has some favor, so she may be able to make further progress in the future.

Two granddaughters, both have promising futures.

They have Zheng Yi, the old fox who has been active in the palace, to assist them, and they will definitely be able to reach a higher position in the future.

There is also Zheng Shisan, who is one of Princess Langya’s most capable study companions.

The Zheng family has fallen to the bottom, but they can still occasionally participate in some banquets, relying on these -

The Zheng family declined, but the Zheng women had a deep connection with the royal family.

After being obsessed with the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children for most of her life, Mrs. Lou finally "woke up."

Perhaps some deeply rooted ideas cannot be easily changed.

However, when she faced promising illegitimate granddaughters such as Zheng Shisan, she no longer felt disgusted or disdainful of them, but was able to act like a loving grandmother.

"Thirteen, you returned home this time just to get married, right?"

Madam Lou smiled like a loving grandmother and said softly to Zheng Shisan, "Just stay home and relax. The elders will take care of everything."

"And your dowry... Although my Zheng family is not as prosperous as before, we still have some wealth."

"You are marrying into a wealthy family. I, Grandma, will not let you be looked down upon by the Rui Palace regarding your dowry."

Mrs. Lou really had it figured out. When facing her illegitimate granddaughter, whom she had never liked, she actually took the initiative to mention the dowry.

Madam Lou married into the Zheng family with a grand wedding.

After all these years of constant support, there wasn't much left of her dowry.

Madam Lou held these things tightly, and even when Zheng Chi was discussing marriage, she was not prepared to give too much.

These are all her funeral money.

Live to use for retirement!

Even if I die, I will be buried with her!

Although Mrs. Lou did not express this idea explicitly, everyone in the Lou family knew about it.

Therefore, at this moment, Madam Lou took the initiative to offer to add some makeup for Zheng Shisan. Not only was Zheng Chi late, but even Zheng Shisan was a little surprised:

Yo!

Is this red rain from the sky?

Or is the sun rising from the west? !

How could the selfish and cold-hearted grandmother, who had the attributes of a Pixiu, suddenly become so generous?

A hint of amusement flashed across Zheng Shisan's phoenix eyes.

She knew that her grandmother was trying to curry favor with her and win back her, the cheap granddaughter who had married the best.

Perhaps in the eyes of a true dignitary like Lou Yu, Prince Rui has become flashy and superficial.

But for the Zheng family, which had already fallen to the bottom, it was an unattainable noble family.

It is definitely the greatest fortune for the Zheng family to be able to cling to the Rui Palace.

Perhaps it is still the hope for the Zheng family to turn things around and revive.

It is understandable that Mrs. Lou was willing to give up her dowry for this purpose.

Zheng Shisan had long since become alienated from the Zheng family, and the hurt they had suffered in the past could never be healed by just a small amount of dowry.

However, Zheng Shisan also understood that she could not completely cut ties with the Zheng family.

Even if it was just superficial harmony, she had to maintain it.

There is no way. If a woman is not close to her parents' family, others will not think that her parents are mean, but will only think that the woman is unfilial.

Furthermore, Zheng Shisan really didn’t want the dowry that Madam Lou gave her, but it’s better not to refuse something that’s given for free.

All she needs to do is keep her original intention, not be exploited, and maintain face with the Zheng family.

"Thirteen is deeply grateful for Grandmother's kindness."

Zheng Shisan bowed slightly and said a very official thank you.

She was neither flattered nor grateful. To her, Mrs. Lou's kindness was just a trivial matter.

Mrs. Lou's smile was a little stiff.

She didn't expect that Shisan Niang, this lowly maid, would be so ungrateful.

That was her funeral money, and she didn't even give it to her legitimate granddaughter or grandson.

Zheng Shisan, however, looked indifferent!

As expected, these bastards are all ungrateful wolves who can never be tamed.

It’s a pity that God is so blind that he allowed such a person to succeed and become the most promising person in the Zheng family.

Madam Lou was secretly angry, while Zheng Chi was openly jealous and resentful.

Why!

She was obviously the grandmother's favorite granddaughter, but the grandmother gave her dowry to Zheng Shisan!

The marriage in the palace, the dowry from her eldest mother, and the honor of being the Crown Prince's Consort in the future... these should have belonged to her!

Correct!

She is the most noble little girl in the Zheng family!

So what if Zheng Shisan is the princess’s study companion?

After all, she couldn't get rid of her illegitimate status.

Perhaps, what the Rui Wang Mansion wants more is Zheng's daughter, rather than Zheng Shisan!

It was obviously an absurd idea, but once it got into Zheng Chi's mind, the more he thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense.

She secretly glanced at Madam Lou, who had a stiff smile, and Zheng Shisan, who was indifferent to the point of being apathetic, and a bold plan suddenly emerged in her mind.

……

"Grandma, Zheng Shisan doesn't care about you or the Zheng family at all."

"Maybe, she still blames you and hates you! She won't think that a bastard like her shouldn't be treated well. She will only think that the eldest mother is unkind and the Zheng family is bad!"

"Even if someone like this marries into Prince Rui's mansion, she will never repay her parents!"

Zheng Chi is worthy of being Mrs. Lou’s most beloved granddaughter, and she knows her mother very well.

It is said to be pampering, but in fact it is more about interests.

Otherwise, in the past two years, Mrs. Lou's attitude towards Zheng Chi would not be so different from heaven and earth.

Before being convicted by the Cheng'en Mansion, Zheng Chi had an arranged marriage with the Cheng'en Mansion, and she was still the most noble girl in the Zheng family.

When the Cheng'en Mansion was ransacked and Zheng Chi broke off the engagement, she became a poor little girl who was even despised by her eldest mother.

What is love and what is not love?

To put it bluntly, it is about whether it can bring benefits to Madam Lou and the Zheng family.

Zheng Chi was treated like this, and Zheng Shisan would be no exception.

Zheng Shisan married well, but this is not the most important thing. The most important thing is that marrying well can also subsidize and support her parents' family!

Zheng Chi dared to bet that Zheng Shisan not only did not feel any admiration for the Zheng family's closest relatives, but instead felt resentment towards them.

Mrs. Lou should also be aware of this.

What Zheng Chi had to do was to expose this point, let Madam Lou recognize the reality, and change her mind in time: "Mother, we can't let Zheng Shisan have the opportunity to take revenge on the Zheng family."

"The one the Rui Wang Mansion is seeking to marry is Zheng Shisan, but who Zheng Shisan is specifically is up to our Zheng family to decide!"

Zheng Chi is playing a word game.

Because Zheng Shisan was out of favor, he didn't even have a name.

In the family tree, she is Zheng Shisanniang.

Rankings and the like can be changed.

For example, Zheng Chi, she ranks fourteenth among her sisters, only one rank different from Zheng Shisan.

The Zheng family can easily make an excuse: they remembered the birthday wrong, and Zheng Chi is the Thirteenth Lady!

"As long as the wedding ceremony is held, even if it fails afterwards, we can only make the best of it!"

"Besides, this isn't wrong! The Zheng family's affairs still have the final say with you, the ancestor!"

Zheng Chi leaned close to Madam Lou's ear and told her his plan of using someone else's trick in a rather persuasive voice.

Mrs. Lou: ...It's ridiculous, but it makes damn sense.

Zheng Shisan has been back for a few days. She is only polite on the surface to Madam Lou, her father, her stepmother and other elders, and does not show the respect and filial piety of a younger generation at all.

In her heart, there is only one Princess Langya, not her blood relatives.

If she becomes rich, it would be good if she doesn't take revenge, but she will definitely not help her parents' family.

How about, just give it a try?

……

Zheng Shisan didn't know that his proud younger sister had already begun to make bold plans.

After she returned to the Zheng family, she was arranged to live in the best courtyard.

However, the so-called best still cannot be compared with the Princess Mansion.

Fortunately, Jiu Niang was concerned about her and anticipated that her life might not be very comfortable after returning to the Zheng family, so she ordered people to send her things continuously.

Vegetables, fruits, cloths, jewelry, and even ice, which the Zheng family lacked the most, were all delivered to Zheng Shisan's courtyard like flowing water.

Zheng Chi: ...Even more jealous! She wants to replace Zheng Shisan and take away everything that belongs to him!