Golden Branch

"It turns out to be the fourth lady of the Jiang family!"

Even though Lou Yu's heart was already filled with murderous intent, he didn't show it on his face.

She smiled softly, with a gentle and warm expression, and her deep eye sockets were filled with tiny rays of light.

With an extremely handsome face, it is enough to make countless men and women's hearts beat faster and their cheeks blush.

What a handsome and elegant young man.

Not only is she good-looking, but her voice is like the sound of jade.

Bang, bang, bang!

Jiang Si heard his own heartbeat.

Her mouth was dry, her throat was tight, and her whole face was burning.

In Jiang Si's more than ten years of life, such a beautiful and noble young man is a banished immortal that he would never even dream of.

Now, he was standing in front of her alive.

He was still talking to her, so gently... He was Princess Langya's fiancé, and Princess Langya was her cousin, and looked a lot like her!

For some reason, Jiang Si always had an inexplicable feeling when facing Mr. Lou, who was famous in the capital.

There are rumors that even someone as noble as Mr. Lou has a superficial side.

The reason why he married Wang Jiu was not only because of Wang Lin's dying request, but also because of Wang Jiu's stunning appearance.

And she looks very similar to her cousin Wang.

Then, is it... Of course, Jiang Si didn't dare to fantasize.

During these days in Beijing, she has become clear about her identity and value.

She just thought that maybe she could use this face that looked like a noble person to gain more benefits for herself.

Lou Yu is not only a handsome young man, but also a talented man famous in the capital.

Mr. Lou is a famous teacher. If you can get his guidance, your value will be improved.

If she was luckier and could get a few words of praise from him, then she, who grew up in a remote border town, might also be known as a "talented woman".

Although he has learned elegant language, there are still some traces of accent, and Jiang Si feels inferior.

Even though she had the "favor" of the imperial concubine and had a similar appearance to that of a noble lady, when she went out to a banquet and interacted with other noble ladies, she still couldn't help but lower her head and bend over.

This kind of inferiority complex that is deeply ingrained in one's bones really needs help from a strong external force.

And nobles like the Young Lady of the Marquis' Mansion, the Princess of Duan, and Mr. Lou are the help that Jiang Sixiang wants to seek!

Princess Zheng was very kind to her, and she liked her own face very much.

Mrs. Wang was a little cold. Jiang Si didn't understand the reason, but he didn't force it.

There is also a Lou Yu——

"Brother-in-law, I'm Jiang Si!"

Hearing Lou Yu's response, Jiang Si hurriedly revealed his identity.

"Ok!"

Lou Yu nodded gently with a gentle expression.

Then there is no more then.

He did not continue the discussion about Jiang Si's question "Can I call you brother-in-law?"

He didn't refuse, but he didn't agree either.

"I have something else to do, please help yourself, Madam Jiang Si!"

Lou Yu pinched his sleeves and turned to leave.

"Brother-in-law! Please stay!"

Jiang Si felt a pang in her heart when she saw that Lou Yu seemed amiable but acted decisively.

It seems that Lou Yu is not as gentle and refined as he appears to be.

He is so cold and so, so sharp!

It is so unattainable, like a god's residence above the clouds.

But, after finally meeting him, Jiang Si didn't want to give up. She said anxiously: "I, I heard that you are good at calligraphy and painting, can you -"

The words "Please give me some advice" were still lingering on his lips when Jiang Si suddenly stopped talking.

Because, Lou Yu really "stayed" and turned his head.

But Lou Yu’s eyes were really scary.

It was deep, cruel, and without any warmth, as if the person standing in front of him was not a living beauty, but a corpse.

Oh no, talking about corpses is a nice thing to say.

That cold and disgusted look was as if he was looking at a pile of rotten meat!

There was also that kind of cold aura, as if the devil had descended. Jiang Si didn't even dare to look at that handsome face.

No matter how beautiful it is, there is still a sense of bloodiness and horror that comes from the mountains of corpses and seas of blood!

"……you you!"

Jiang Si was so frightened that she stepped back repeatedly, and her slightly dark face instantly lost all its color.

Lou Yu didn't say anything, nor did he take any action. He just looked at Jiang Si coldly.

Jiang Si felt cold all over, as if her heart was being tightly grasped by someone. A desperate feeling of suffocation, like a spider web, tightly wrapped around her.

How can this be called a gentle gentleman?

They are clearly killer gods and demons that broke out of hell.

She actually wanted to establish a relationship with him and had the audacity to call him "brother-in-law".

Lou Yu's eyes were like a pair of invisible hands, strangling Jiang Si's throat.

All her delusions and calculations disappeared without a trace.

"Lou, Lord Lou, please spare me. I was wrong! I won't dare to do it again!"

With a thud, Jiang Si finally couldn't hold on any longer and fell to the ground with weak legs.

She was covered in cold sweat and stammered begging for mercy.

Seeing Jiang Si being so humble, Lou Yu's eyes became even colder.

How dare this slut kneel down and beg for mercy with a face similar to Ah Heng?

Lou Yu's fingers couldn't help twisting, he wanted to peel off this mask with his own hands!

Just when Lou Yu was about to lose control, he suddenly heard voices and chaotic footsteps not far away.

"Oops! Something happened!"

"...Princess Ping'an's consort has passed away!"

Someone was vaguely shouting, and the content was quite shocking, and Lou Yu was awakened.

He pinched the white jade crushing seal with his thumb, and the menacing murderous aura was instantly retracted.

"Mrs. Jiang Si, there's some snow on the ground and the road is slippery. Why are you so careless?"

Lou Yu greeted with concern and wanted to help lift the man up, but due to the strict rules between men and women, he waved and called the servants nearby.

Jiang Si: ...that evil spirit has disappeared?

The person in front of me is no longer some devil from hell, but a gentle nobleman?

Lou Yu's expression changed so quickly that Jiang Si was a little dazed. "Was it just my imagination? This is Lou Yu, Lou Hanzhang, the elegant gentleman praised by everyone in the capital. How could he be so cruel and brutal?"

Jiang Si was completely stunned. When the servants rushed over to support her, she didn't react at all.

"Mrs. Jiang Si, are you feeling unwell? If you are, you should return home early and take good care of yourself!"

Lou Yu showed care and concern gently, with a kind heart and gentle spirit.

He also instructed the servants, "Mrs. Jiang Si seems a little unhappy. Please report this to the young lady and send her back safely."

If you are "sick", just stay in the Jiang family and don't show off in public. Don't disgust others!

Lou Yu really wanted to kill Jiang Si or destroy her face.

However, Lou Yu also knew that this kind of thing could not be done carelessly.

Even if you have to do it, you must be fully prepared and not leave any traces.

Lou Yu does not abstain from killing, but he will not cause any trouble.

For now, letting Jiang Si get sick and staying indoors is the best solution.

As for the rest, let him figure it out slowly.

"Yes! I'll obey your orders!"

The servants of the Xiao family were very familiar with Lou Yu.

Even though Lou Yu was just a guest, he responded respectfully.

Two servants, one on the left and one on the right, supported Jiang Si.

At this moment, Jiang Si's maid also came.

Several servants, taking care of Jiang Si, who had not yet come to his senses, walked directly out of the inner courtyard of the Xiao family and headed towards the second gate.

Lou Yu didn't even glance at Jiang Si and the others, but instead looked around and found the source of the chaos.

One or two men in indigo robes ran in hurriedly.

"Where is the princess? Where is Princess Ping'an?"

"Something happened! Something happened in the princess's mansion! The prince consort is dead!"

"Who? Who's dead?"

The fact that the death was announced at someone else's family's banquet shows that the person who was in the accident was extraordinary.

Soon, all the guests knew—

Princess Ping'an, the saint's eldest daughter, and her husband, Pei Si, the son of the Hedong Pei family, died early this morning!

As the head of the household, Xiao Wuji and Wang Mian didn't care about the bad luck when they heard the news. The couple looked at each other, nodded in unison, and began to act separately.

Xiao Wuji went to the outer courtyard and found the servant of the princess's mansion to confirm the authenticity of the news and appease the male guests.

Wang Mian went to the flower hall, courtyard, garden, etc. to look for Princess Ping'an.

"Have Princess Ping'an and her husband become so estranged?"

They were clearly a couple, yet one went to a villa outside Beijing, while the other stayed in the city, and yet she even came alone to attend the plum blossom viewing banquet at the Marquis' Mansion?!

Wang Mian muttered softly as he walked quickly.

Hongxiu, the personal maid who follows closely beside her, has served Wang Mian for five or six years and has a very good relationship with her master.

Hongxiu is fifteen or sixteen years old. She acts steadily and is very capable.

She followed Wang Mian into the Xiao family and not only continued to serve Wang Mian, but was also responsible for managing the inner courtyard and collecting and organizing information from various channels.

Therefore, Hongxiu is very familiar with many families and stories in Beijing.

She looked around to make sure there were no outsiders around, then lowered her voice and whispered, "Madam, there have been rumors that Princess Ping'an and Prince Consort Pei are not on good terms."

"Princess Ping'an likes colors, while Prince Consort Pei is just handsome!"

Hongxiu's words are still relatively tactful.

Wang Mian had met Princess Ping'an and her husband. Princess Ping'an inherited her parents' good looks. She was bright and pretty, a true beauty from the North.

As for the son-in-law Pei Si, he is not ugly at all. He has a nose and eyes, and is quite well-proportioned.

It's just regular and there's nothing outstanding about it.

When Ping An got married, the sage was still only the King of Qi.

As a concubine of the royal palace, marrying the son of the Pei family, the most aristocratic family in Hedong, was not considered a low marriage.

What the King of Qi valued was family, status, and the three dukes of the Pei family.

Appearance and the like are secondary.

Princess Ping'an, as an unfavored concubine, was able to marry into a noble family, and she was happy and satisfied at that time.

However, as the saint ascended the throne and Ping An was given the title of princess, she began to dislike Pei Si.

There's no way around it. Princess Ping'an only cares about looks and she likes beautiful women.

She is also very "philanthropic". She does not love a single flower, but likes to own the entire garden.

Princess Ping'an is no longer in love with someone else, but loves everyone. Although Pei Si is angry, he has to endure it because of her identity as a princess.

But if he lived in the princess's mansion and watched Princess Ping'an being surrounded by women, Pei Si couldn't do it.

He can indeed endure it, but he is not really a living turtle.

Pei Si simply adopted the strategy of "out of sight, out of mind" and hid in a villa outside the city on the pretext of recuperating from illness.

The couple lived apart for nearly half a year, except for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, when Pei Si returned to the capital.

Just after the New Year, before the end of the first month of the lunar year, Pei Si moved out of the princess's mansion again.

Less than three days after moving out of the Princess's Mansion, he died...