Golden Branch

Lou Yu sent someone to the Zheng family to deliver a visiting card one day in advance.

Although everyone in the Zheng family didn't know the purpose of Lou Yu's visit, they all took him very seriously.

This is Duke of Qi Lou Yu and Lou Hanzhang.

Although he is only in his teens, he has already reached a height that many people would never reach in their lifetime.

If the Zheng family were not related to the Lou family by marriage, they would not be able to touch this noble person.

"...They are relatives after all! Haha, Han Zhang is actually a gentle, filial child!"

Mrs. Lou’s surname is Lou, and she is extremely proud of any help from her natal family.

She subconsciously thought that Lou Yu came to the Zheng family just for her, her great-aunt.

The combined age of the two brothers, Zheng Songnian and Zheng Henian, is several times that of Lou Yu.

However, these two people, one claimed that he was "born at the wrong time" and had no hope of a career in the government, so he indulged in idle talk, while the other was busy and busy, but spent half his life stuck as a fifth or sixth rank official.

Whether in terms of talent, ability, official position, etc., they are far from being comparable to Lou Yu.

They felt both envy and jealousy towards Lou Yu, as well as awe and admiration.

He was born into a noble family and achieved success at a young age.

Rise to the top and make decisions.

Lou Yu's life is exactly what they most desire to be.

Unfortunately, it cannot be copied, and they don’t even have the possibility to imitate it.

In the end, they can only look up to them and try every possible way to get closer to them.

Now, the exiled immortal, who has always been aloof and noble, has condescended to visit the Zheng family.

Zheng Songnian and Zheng Henian, two middle-aged men from aristocratic families who had achieved nothing, found it difficult to maintain their so-called pride. All they had left was joy and excitement.

From the moment they received the visiting invitation, the entire Zheng family was on high alert.

They cleaned the courtyard and disciplined the servants, keeping the lights on all night long, just to satisfy the distinguished guest, Lou Yu.

Zheng Chi and Zheng Shisan are two young girls, so it is not their turn to interfere in family affairs.

But they all guessed Lou Yu's purpose.

Zheng Chi was feeling uneasy, yet a hint of fantasy crossed his mind: "Cousin, your visit to the Zheng family may not be just to promote Zheng Shisan."

"What kind of person is my cousin? Back then, he even looked down on me, let alone Zheng Shisan?"

"...When I was in Hedong, I was a guest at the Lou family and even discussed marriage with my cousin. Does he, does he still remember the feelings we had back then?"

"My cousin is indeed engaged to Wang Jiu, but engagement isn't marriage. Furthermore, Wang Jiu is in mourning and won't be able to finish his mourning for three years. With such a long time, there are too many variables!"

"Cousin and Yang Shou, cousin is better!"

Zheng Chi was already possessed by a demon, and his thought processes were completely different from those of a normal person.

She always has wild ideas about the same thing.

Zheng Shisan: ...Ha! Whatever, it's just wishful thinking, it's not illegal!

In the entire Zheng family, the one who knew Lou Yu’s intention best was Zheng Shisan.

She was familiar with Lou Yu, and knew Wang Heng even better.

"The Zheng family must have done something, and Jiu Niang discovered it."

"Nine Lady is worried about me, so to ensure that my marriage to Prince Rui goes smoothly, she asked Lord Lou to come forward."

"...Nine Lady has truly been very kind and generous to me!"

Although it was Lou Yu who made the move, Zheng Shisan still remembered the favor to Wang Heng.

Because she is too self-aware. If it weren't for Jiu Niang, Lord Lou wouldn't even look at her, let alone help her?

"I'm useless and can't do things for Jiuniang like Amian does. I can only make some small things by myself..."

Zheng Shisan was grateful to Wang Heng and sped up the work at hand.

The flowered paper was ready, and she began to prepare new incense for Wang Heng.

In addition to these, Zheng Shisan would also go to the kitchen and carefully study some new dishes.

"Nine Mother is in mourning and cannot eat meat. I want to study more vegetarian dishes."

Zheng Shisan wants to make vegetarian dishes as delicious and nutritious as possible.

Jiu Niang has lost weight again, and we can't let her lose any more weight.

Zheng Shisan thought silently and found that he had a lot of things to do next.

And all of these basically have nothing to do with her marriage, and are all about Wang Heng.

Zheng Shisan was willing to do it, as she was Jiu Niang's little follower.

Even if she gets married in the future, the most important person in her heart will always be Jiu Niang.

……

That day, Lou Yu came to Zheng's house as promised.

Zheng Songnian, Zheng Henian, Madam Lou and other elders of the Zheng family were all waiting at the gate to welcome them.

"Greetings, great aunt!"

"Meet my two cousins!"

Lou Yu was wearing a moon-white robe with wide sleeves and half-tied up long hair. With his handsome face, he looked like a gentleman.

He is gentle and calm, and humble and respectful when facing his elders.

Seeing him behave like this, Zheng Songnian and others couldn't help but sigh inwardly: What a great Lou Hanzhang, he is indeed a gentleman like jade.

"Han Zhang, you're too polite! We're all family, no need to be so polite!"

"Quick! Please come in!"

Zheng Songnian and Zheng Henian were quite flattered. When they treated Lou Yu, they did not regard him as a relative's child, but as a powerful superior.

The Zheng brothers' attitude was not only due to their power, but more because of Lou Yu's aura.

He is obviously gentle and generous, yet he is inexplicably awe-inspiring.

"I heard that the prince is just like that, kind and benevolent, yet imposing without even getting angry."

"Lou Hanzhang was trained by the Crown Prince, so naturally he looks just like him!"

Zheng Songnian was fine, but Zheng Henian was an official and had seen the prince in the yamen.

Therefore, when he secretly observed Lou Yu, he found the shadow of the prince in Lou Yu!

"So, the rumors are all true! Lou Yu is the most trusted confidant of the Eastern Palace!"

The crown prince's position as heir to the throne was extremely stable, and Lou Yu was truly in a high position of power.

Prince, the Zheng family cannot get close to you.

Even if there is a daughter of Zheng as a concubine.

Lou Yu, however, is a relative of the Zheng family, and now Lou Yu has come to visit in person—

Zheng Henian's heart began to beat rapidly.

"Han Zhang, I wonder why you're here?"

Mrs. Lou relied on her status as an elder and did not act overly politely. After the host and the guests were seated, she went straight to the point.

Lou Yu smiled faintly, and when Madam Lou asked, he bowed slightly as a sign of respect for his elders.

After Madam Lou finished speaking, he first glanced at Zheng Henian, and then slowly said:

"The sage wishes to compile the History of Qin."

The name of the previous dynasty was "Qin".

After the establishment of a new dynasty, compiling history for the previous dynasty became a routine practice.

Compiling the history books of the previous dynasty was definitely a major event for the civil officials of the new dynasty.

This is not only about one's own career and reputation, but also a good opportunity to go down in history.

Compiling history books was a major event for the court.

Those who can participate in it are either great scholars of classics and history, or important officials of the court.

The Zheng brothers basically don’t even have the qualifications to do odd jobs.

However, Lou Yu suddenly came to Zheng's house and took the initiative to mention this matter.

Zheng Henian is indeed mediocre, but he is not completely stupid.

His eyes suddenly lit up, and his body, which had been sitting upright, trembled slightly with excitement.

"Han, Han Zhang, y, what do you mean?"

Zheng Henian was so excited that he couldn't speak clearly.

"The Saint has ordered me to coordinate this historical revision."

Lou Yu smiled gently and spoke to the point.

He is the chief host of this "History of Qin" and he has a certain say in who can participate in it.

Perhaps the main compilation requires the appointment of the saint or the prince, but Lou Yu can decide some miscellaneous and errand tasks.

With just one word from him, Zheng Henian, who had mediocre talents and an unsuccessful career, was able to join this event and add a highlight to his resume.

If you can perform well, I can't say that you will soar to the sky, but you can make further progress in your career!

Boom! Boom!

Not only Zheng Henian himself, but also Zheng Songnian and Mrs. Lou understood Lou Yu's hint.

The mother and her children were all very excited.

They didn't know what to say for a moment.

It was Madam Lou, who was older after all, and she claimed to be a direct relative of Lou Yu.

She clenched the rosary in her hand, her voice trembling as she asked anxiously, "Han Zhang, is this feasible?"

"Your cousin is certainly well-versed in classics and history, but he is not well-known, so he may not be qualified to participate in such a grand event."

"Han Zhang, you, you--" Can you really guarantee that Zheng Henian will be involved?

The following words were too straightforward, so Mrs. Lou did not say them out loud.

But everyone understood what she meant.

Lou Yu did not answer directly, but changed the subject: "Thirteenth Lady is about to have good news. She is the princess's study partner, and the princess treats her like a real sister."

"The princess and I have already made an engagement. I will take care of whatever the princess is thinking about."

"My cousin is a very kind and loving elder. I'm sure he wouldn't let a junior like me worry about these trivial matters."

Lou Yu's meaning was also very clear -

I can give the young master of the Zheng family a chance to advance, but the Zheng family must be obedient and must not cause any trouble!

The two brothers, Zheng Songnian and Zheng Henian, had no idea of ​​Zheng Chi's absurd idea. Although they understood what Lou Yu was hinting at, they couldn't figure out what it was.

Mrs. Lou, who knew the inside story, understood it.

She felt guilty and excited at the same time. Finally, she looked straight at Lou Yu and said firmly, "Han Zhang, don't worry. Shisan Niang's marriage will be smooth and happy!"

Before, Madam Lou was indeed confused by Zheng Chi's deception and actually came up with the stupid idea of ​​"marrying in place of someone else".

Lou Yu's arrival was like a bucket of cold water, waking her up——

The reason why Zheng Shisan was able to get close to King Rui was not because her surname was Zheng, but because she was Wang Jiu's man.

If anyone dares to interfere with Zheng Shisan's marriage, Wang Jiu and Lou Yu behind her will not let them go.

A substitute for a dead person?

Haha, it's clearly courting death!

She was so old and confused that she actually believed Abao's nonsense.

Fortunately, Zheng Shisan couldn't hear Mrs. Lou's inner voice, otherwise, she would definitely correct him:

Dear mother, how can you be senile and confused?

You are clearly unwilling to accept this!

I am unwilling to accept that a bastard like me can have a better fortune than the noble legitimate daughter.

After all, as an extreme supporter of the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, Madam Lou could never let go of her prejudice against legitimate and illegitimate children in her heart.

……

"Zheng Chi was sent away? To a farm outside the city?"

Zheng Shisan received the good news that afternoon.

Zheng Shisan: ...

She was ready to have a fight with Zheng Chi, but unexpectedly, it was over before it even started.

This is the beauty of holding the right thigh!