Golden Branch

Lou Yu looked deeply at Wang Heng who was talking so eloquently.

He knew that in this world, only Ah Heng understood him the most.

To use Wang Mian's strange words, his three views are most consistent with Aheng's.

As the old saying goes, he and Aheng had the most similar thoughts.

Just like this time, without any discussion, both of them chose almost the same way to "retaliate" against Madam Dugu.

As for Aheng's interpretation of Lou Jin, it is surprisingly consistent with his.

Wang Heng would never be like some women who not only failed to understand him but also stood on the moral high ground to accuse him of being intolerant and unfilial.

If he killed someone, Ah Heng would hand him the knife and help him destroy the body.

Always abandoned and always alone, no one understands or comforts Lou Yu's inner loneliness except Aheng.

No matter what happens, Ah Heng will stand firmly by his side without asking reasons or making any distinctions.

How could he bear to let go of Ah Heng, who was so compatible with him, and how could he be willing to be separated from her?

Anyone who stands between him and Aheng is his enemy, and he will never show mercy to them.

"Aheng, you're right. Lou Jin has spent over a decade painstakingly cultivating the image of someone who loves his wife like his life. He certainly can't destroy it himself."

"Besides, some things, even if they are fake, become real as you act them out."

Lou Yu still maintains his mean nature.

He was also merciless when commenting on his biological parents' love story.

Perhaps, at the beginning, Lou Jin really liked Dugu.

But later on, this pure love was mixed with too many other factors.

In terms of reputation, politics, children, family and other aspects...Today, Lou Jin "has to" love Dugu deeply.

He "had to" be devoted to her and remain loyal to her.

Just as Ah Heng said, Lou Jin is proud and conceited. He is used to controlling everything and will definitely not let his years of hard work go to waste just for a little temptation.

Even if he regrets it, he will still go all the way on his knees.

It's no use sending him women.

It would be most effective to directly cause trouble for the Dugu family!

……

Mrs. Dugu was very lucky. She gave birth to a filial son and found a filial daughter-in-law.

Knowing that she was alone and helpless, they spent several years and expended countless manpower and financial resources to find her relatives.

Biological mother, biological brothers, and a large group of relatives.

They were originally the lowest class of common people, but they were blessed with wealth and power, and had a relative who was the wife of a duke.

That's the mistress of the Duke's Mansion, a noble lady, rich and powerful.

I heard that she is very favored by the Duke. After so many years of marriage, she is the only woman in the backyard of the Duke's Mansion.

Being the original wife and the favorite concubine in one person, she is definitely a winner in life. No wonder the wife of Duke Anguo is the object of envy and jealousy of countless women in the entire capital.

This woman, whose surname is Zhao, is the daughter of the Zhao family.

If one person succeeds, the whole family will benefit. If their daughter becomes the wife of a duke, their Zhao family will be able to escape from being a peasant and become a noble family.

The Zhao family, mother and her two children, were just "vanguards".

After recognizing them as relatives, Mrs. Dugu thought that she could send them back to their hometown by giving them some money.

Mother Zhao said happily, "Daya, we won't go back! You are so noble in the capital, you will definitely be able to take care of our family!"

"From now on, we'll settle down in the capital. Oh, smoke is rising from the Zhao family's ancestral tombs. We can't let this great blessing go to waste."

The two brothers also looked at each other with admiration: "Yes! Sister (Amei), we are in the capital."

"The capital is great, so prosperous, so wealthy. Even if I work for others, I can earn more money."

"What's more, we are the uncles of the Duke's Mansion. With a brother-in-law like the Duke of Anguo, how can we miss out on a good life?"

The mother and her two children had long been dazzled by the splendor and prosperity of the capital and the wealth and luxury of the Duke's mansion.

They don't want to go back to their hometown. They want to stay in the capital, rely on the Duke's Mansion, and enjoy themselves.

Maybe, they can even get a small official position and completely change the Zhao family's status!

Only a fool would go back!

Madam Dugu: ...Yes! I was the fool, actually dreaming that I could send such a group of people away!

However, subsequent facts told Mrs. Dugu that this was just the beginning.

After Zhao's mother and son settled down in the capital, they wrote a letter to their hometown.

In the following two or three months, before the Chinese New Year, all the relatives and clansmen of the Zhao family, both distant and distant relatives, rushed to the capital with their families.

Dozens of people rushed to Madam Dugu like locusts.

Mrs. Dugu's eyes were darkening again and again.

It was the "wife-doting maniac" Lou Jin who personally stepped forward and purchased a farm on the outskirts of the city to settle these people down.

Madam Dugu instinctively wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but reality did not allow it.

Well, the gift from a filial son is "rare", but the filial piety of a filial daughter-in-law is no less.

Mrs. Dugu's sworn brother and sister-in-law are not as impoverished as the Zhao family.

They were boatmen, and after the Grand Canal was dug, they made a living on the river.

It’s hard work going in and out of the water, but you can also make money.

They joined a river transport gang and even got a "ranking official" of some importance.

Over the years, they have accumulated a considerable fortune.

The sworn brother and sister-in-law do not need any financial support from Madam Dugu, and they can even give "dividends" to the Duke's Mansion in return.

But, their troubles are the biggest.

They wanted to use the power of the Duke's Mansion to expand the influence of their gang and improve their status. It would be even better if they could take over the entire canal's river shipping business.

Lou Jin: ...Ha! You really dare to think so!

I am a bald duke with only an empty title, but I dare not stretch my hands so far. These vagrants actually have such delusions.

But they saved Madam Dugu. Duke Lou, who loved his wife the most in the Dayu Dynasty, naturally could not treat his wife's savior badly.

"The new river manager is from the Wei family, and I have some connections with the Wei family."

"How about this, I'll write a letter, and you can take it to the Hedao Yamen. They should be able to take care of it then!"

Lou Jin has decided to "endure" and will swallow it along with the blood even if his teeth are knocked out.

He suppressed the anger in his heart and handed the handwritten letter to his sworn brother.

He couldn't let his sworn brother dominate the canal, he could only give him some help.

My brother was a little disappointed.

However, there is no rush!

With things like this, take your time!

As long as he establishes a relationship with the Duke's Mansion, he can do a lot of things next.

Madam Dugu didn't know that she was being pestered, but she was really busy during this period.

Relatives and benefactors appeared one after another, and rumors about her were flying all over the place.

Madam Dugu must be thankful that the Anguo Mansion has fallen into decline.

If she were still as prominent as before, Madam Dugu would have received more attention and criticism.

Even so, Mrs. Dugu was exhausted and in a mess.

She had no intention of plotting against Lou Yu and Wang Heng.

Mrs. Dugu didn't care about concubines or substitutes at all.

The extremely bad relative and greedy benefactor made her exhausted both physically and mentally, and she couldn't speak out her pain.

While dealing with these troubles, she also had to comfort her husband and children.

"Who on earth could have harmed me like this?"

……

It is the end of September, the end of autumn and the beginning of winter, and the weather is starting to get cooler.

Wang Mian and Zheng Shisan got married one after another.

Thanks to Wang Heng and their own efforts, even after getting married, the two of them were not trapped in the inner house.

Needless to say, Wang Mian and Xiao Wuji were in perfect harmony, loving and respecting each other. Xiao Wuji also understood that his wife was not an ordinary woman in the inner chamber.

She has her own career and ambitions that are no less than those of men.

He loved her and was willing to support her.

Therefore, Wang Mian is still able to go out freely and do business and pursue his career as he pleases.

Zheng Shisan and Yang Shou's marriage was a bit of a high-class marriage.

She and Yang Shou did not achieve mutual understanding.

She treated Yang Shou more as a partner, or even a boss.

Since she uses tricks to manage her business, she cannot be sincere and open.

She even needed to raise the banner of Princess Langya to gain relative freedom.

However, Zheng Shisan is content.

Given her status, it is rare for her to have the life she has now.

She is not greedy and will not want more.

It is enough for her to maintain her identity as the Crown Prince's Consort and protect the princess!

Wang Heng was in mourning and stayed indoors, so her two close friends, Wang Mian and Zheng Shisan, took the initiative to visit her.

They still gathered at the princess's mansion from time to time, just like before they got married.

They sat together, drank tea, chatted, shared their thoughts, and talked about gossip in the capital.

"Ajiu, I heard that Concubine Jiang summoned the Jiang family, and the saint also bestowed the title on the Jiang family?"

Wang Mian handed Wang Heng a handful of melon seeds that he had roasted himself and asked casually.

"Yes! Mother has recovered well after her confinement, so she found time to meet the Jiang family."

"My mother recognized my uncle and finally confirmed that the Jiang family was indeed her relative."

Once the identity is confirmed, the corresponding rewards can be bestowed.

"The sage bestowed upon my uncle the title of Earl of Cheng'en and granted him a house in Chongrenfang."

"Also, several young men from the Jiang family were rewarded with admission to the Imperial College."

The saint's reward to the Jiang family was neither too heavy nor too light, just right.

It not only shows the love for the concubine but also does not break the rules.

"Where's Jiang Si? Has he been granted a title?"

Wang Mian pinched the new flavor of melon seeds and didn't put them directly into his mouth.

Her tone was a little hesitant, and it was obvious that she cared a lot about Jiang Si.

Wang Heng raised her eyes and first answered the eldest daughter's question: "No imperial title!"

Then, she asked, "A Mian, why are you focusing on her? What's wrong with her?"

Wang Mian thought for a moment, composed his words, and then slowly said, "Aheng, you haven't met Jiang Si, so you don't know that she looks a lot like Concubine Jiang."

She looks more like Concubine Jiang's "own daughter" than Wang Heng, her biological daughter.

Wang Mian has read too many novels with substitute themes, and the plots are so melodramatic that they are almost unreasonable.

But reality is far more magical than fiction.

Especially since Ajiu is about to leave Beijing, will Jiang Si take advantage of the situation and take her place?