Golden Branch

Is this a threat?

Did Dugu try to threaten Wang Heng into submission by threatening her with marriage?

Wang Heng secretly laughed. This old woman had such a big face that she was so self-righteous as to believe that she could influence the marriage between the Wang and Lou families.

How could he really think that she, a cousin from the next room, could have such influence on Lou Yu, who had already separated from the family and lived in a separate house?

To put it bluntly, even if Lou Yu had not been adopted, Dugu, as the "legitimate mother", could not do anything to Lou Yu.

This person has known how to plan for himself since he was six or seven years old.

Over the years, he studied hard and practiced martial arts. At the age of fifteen, he deceived 100,000 Lou family soldiers to fight against the Turks and go deep into the heart of the grassland.

He almost risked his life to fight for a better future, just to avoid being controlled and constrained by others.

Lou Yu is a paranoid and perverted guy. He doesn't recognize his relatives and is bloodthirsty and cruel.

Lou Rang, his uncle, was first broken in the leg by Lou Yu and then his life was taken.

So what if Dugu is the biological mother?

She had never raised Lou Yu, and Lou Yu had no admiration or attachment to her at all.

If Dugu dared to make a move, Lou Yu would risk the wrath of the world and kill his mother.

Wang Heng understands Lou Yu and is more aware of his abilities.

In the current situation, let alone the Dugu family, even Lou Jin cannot influence Lou Yu's decision.

Dugu's words and actions are nothing but self-humiliation.

But this person always fails to recognize the reality and always has inexplicable self-confidence.

I really don’t know if she is really stupid or if she has been raised too naive by Lou Jin.

Lou Yu had clearly drawn a line between himself and the Anguo Mansion, but Dugu was still confused.

"Madam, you have a very good memory. I will indeed be out of mourning in a few months."

"Brother has already asked the Imperial Astronomical Observatory to help choose an auspicious date. Once the date is set, brother should send invitations to many cousins ​​and relatives of the Lou family!"

Wang Heng looked naive and innocent, as if she couldn't hear the threat in Dugu's words.

When talking about marriage, a hint of shyness flashed in her pair of black and white lychee eyes.

Madam Dugu frowned slightly: Is this Wang Jiu stupid?

Can't you hear the hidden meaning in my words?

Do you really think that with a marriage certificate, the marriage is set in stone and there is no possibility of any changes?

Hanzhang is her own flesh and blood, and her marriage is a matter of her parents' decision.

If she, as a mother, does not agree to Wang Jiu marrying into the family, Lou Yu will also have to consider some things.

Although Madam Dugu was not completely sure that she could ruin this marriage, she could still give Wang Jiu some frustration and let her know that after a woman gets married, she can rely not only on her husband but also on whether her mother-in-law is satisfied.

But in reality, the mother-in-law is often more important than the husband.

The husband is required to study, take exams, make friends, and go out, while the wife is trapped in the inner house and spends the most time with her mother-in-law.

If the mother-in-law deliberately makes things difficult for the couple, even if the couple is in love, it will end in misery.

Of course, Madam Dugu also understood that according to etiquette, she was not a proper mother-in-law.

But my aunt is also an elder.

As an elder, she has the right to interfere in the affairs of the younger generation.

In the past year, Mrs. Dugu was harassed by relatives from her natal family and her brother-in-law's family. After dealing with one problem, a new one would arise.

Lou Jin could help her, but she didn't want to bother Lou Jin all the time. She was afraid that the troubles behind her would one day disgust Lou Jin.

She was originally a dodder that depended on Lou Jin, and her feelings towards him were very complicated.

They used to be masters and servants, and now they are husband and wife, all of which are filled with superiors and inferiors, and high and low.

Dugu was a very respectable person in the Lou family and was deeply loved by Lou Jin.

However, the word "pampering" still highlights the relationship between the two: What is pampering? It comes from top to bottom, from the owner to the pet.

Dugu knew very well that she and Lou Jin had never been equal.

She was the humble one, and she subconsciously wanted to please Lou Jin.

In the past, Lou Jin was very powerful. Dugu would occasionally cause trouble, but Lou Jin just regarded it as a hobby between husband and wife. He was willing to pamper her and clean up the mess for her.

But now, Lou Jin has lost his military power and authority, and he is gloomy and decadent.

Dugu was indeed not smart, but she had her own secret to survival.

She could sense the emotions of the person next to her, knew his current bottom line, and did not dare to trouble him too much.

Fortunately, whether it is my mother's family or my brother's family, although there are many troubles, it is not a big deal.

Dugu didn't even need to take out Lou Jin's business card, just her title of Lady of the State would be enough to solve the problem.

Just like this time of studying, Lishan Academy became famous in the capital before it even opened.

Dugu's family and her brother's family both had children who needed to study. They had heard that Lishan Academy would be a top-tier aristocratic academy, and they all had delusional thoughts.

Enter Lishan Academy, make friends with more powerful people, and further achieve class transcendence!

It is not enough to rely on the Dugu family alone.

When they entered the capital and saw the wealth and splendor, they wanted to climb higher.

Lishan Academy is the best shortcut they can get.

Of course, the Imperial College or even the Hongwenguan would be better, but unfortunately they are out of their reach.

The admission quota to the Hongwenguan Academy belonging to the Duke of Anguo's Mansion had long been occupied by Lou Lin.

Even if there are any extras, they will be other men of the Lou family.

Dugu's many adopted nephews don't even have a chance to rank!

So, it is better to go to Lishan Academy. Although it is not as prestigious as the Imperial College and Hongwenguan, it is also a gathering place for powerful people.

Dugu's most powerful relatives regarded Mount Li Academy as a "second best" alternative, but they did not know that Mount Li Academy was not a place that one could enter just by having money.

The academy has an entrance examination.

There are also many school rules and mottos.

After carefully studying the enrollment brochure of Mount Li Academy and asking someone to get some test questions, Dugu's relatives discovered in despair that they would most likely fail such an exam!

Fortunately, Wang Jiu is not an outsider. Her fiancé is Lou Yu, Dugu's cousin and a family member.

Moreover, during this period, Wang Jiu was in mourning, and the person who was busy running around for the academy was Lou Yu.

A group of cheap relatives felt that since they were family, they should give them convenience.

Dugu also agreed with this.

She was too distracted by her natal family and her brother-in-law's family, and could not interfere with the marriage between Lou Yu and Wang Heng for the time being. Now she was asking Wang Heng to do something for her, and she did not feel guilty at all.

Instead, she was very confident: I am your future husband. If you want to marry Hanzhang smoothly, you must be filial to me and help me solve my problems!

However, the facts were not as Dugu had imagined.

This Wang Jiu is so stupid that he didn't even understand her hint.

She was a little more straightforward, and Wang Jiu actually said something about cousins.

Dugu's face looked a little dark.

She had suffered too many setbacks today, and she had been enduring it for a long time, but now she couldn't bear it anymore.

In a fit of rage, Dugu sneered, "Oh, Jiuniang, you're so sure that on the auspicious day chosen by the Imperial Astronomical Observatory, you'll be able to successfully marry into the Duke of Qi's mansion?"

"Why can't you be sure? My brother and I's marriage was arranged by my late father, with the Eastern Palace as the matchmaker. It's truly a match made in heaven, and it will definitely go smoothly."

Wang Heng widened her eyes and deliberately showed an ignorant and innocent expression.

"Or does your aunt not want your brother to get married smoothly?"

She opened her cherry lips, looking a little surprised and puzzled, as if wondering: Aren't you my brother's relative? Why don't you hope that he is happy?

"..."Wang Jiu, is there anyone as stupid as you who asks questions directly to people's faces?

The powerful people from prominent families always pay attention to being tactful and giving hints when they talk to each other.

Even a glance can understand each other.

Rarely do they speak openly.

Although Dugu hated Wang Heng, she rarely dealt with her.

Therefore, she never knew that Wang Jiu was such a fool.

“Hearing the music and knowing the elegant meaning”, do you understand?

"Hmph! Since Jiu Niang is so determined, then this lady will wish you success!"

No, I can't continue talking to this little girl.

Dugu, whose defense had been broken, stood up with a bang, said this stiffly, and left.

Dugu decided that she would go directly to find Hanzhang.

Whether it was about her nephews' schooling or Hanzhang's marriage, she had to talk to Hanzhang properly.

Wang Heng: ...Uh, there's not much to say, just hope that your wish comes true.

……

When Zheng Shisan arrived, he happened to pass by Dugu and his group.

Zheng Shisan didn't want to be involved with the Dugu family, so he left in advance.

After the group had gone far away, Zheng Shisan came out from the corner, turned his head to look, and then quickly walked into the main courtyard.

She walked to the corridor, bowed and greeted him.

After she sat down, she asked curiously, "Was the person who just left the house the wife of Duke Anguo?"

"Yes! It's her! She wants to help her nephews get in through the back door so they can enter Lishan Academy without taking the entrance exam!"

"Then go for the 'special recruitment' option. It's only three to five times the salary. The Duke of Anguo's Mansion shouldn't be short of that little money."

As Wang Heng's confidant, Zheng Shisan naturally knew all the affairs of Lishan Academy.

She spoke casually, and did not even blink when she mentioned the three to five thousand strings of cash.

To her, this amount of savings, which an ordinary family could not accumulate in their entire life, was just a small amount of money.

"The Duke of Anguo's Mansion is not short of money, but Madam Dugu is!"

Wang Heng understood what he meant. It wasn't like the children of the Lou family needed to be exempted from the entrance examination, and the Duke of Anguo's Mansion would not pay for the Dugu family's cheap relative.

This is not an ordinary subsidy, but a luxurious enjoyment that costs a huge amount of money.

Even though Lou Jin dotes on his wife dearly, he still has to consider the entire Anguo Mansion.

Moreover, Lou Jin has lost his power, and all he can control are the mundane things.

It’s not that Lou Jin has become stingy, he’s just better able to distinguish between right and wrong and to know what’s important.

"Why are you suddenly here at Mount Li? Could it be that Yang Shou has returned to the palace?"

After talking about some gossip about the Duke of Anguo's Mansion, Wang Heng looked at Zheng Shisan with concern.

When Yang Shou returned to Beijing, the matter of Li Mingtang could no longer be concealed.

It was easy for Yang Shou to suspect Zheng Shisan.

Wang Heng knew that Zheng Shisan was capable, but she was still worried that Zheng Shisan would suffer losses.

"Well, I'm back now, and I also know about Doctor Li's visit to the palace. However, Mr. Lou is extremely capable and has great connections, so it's useless for Yang Shou to be disappointed!"

Zheng Shisan's meaning was very clear, her betrayal of Yang Shou had not been exposed.

Wang Heng nodded. "That's great! However, you are Yang Shou's wife after all, so it's not appropriate to be too distant with him."

Wang Heng recalled something Lou Yu had mentioned to her the past two days, so she asked, "The Queen's illness is under control, and His Majesty and the Crown Prince are very relieved. The His Majesty intends to send troops to conquer Tuyuhun..."

The harem is stable, and the saint's heart of conquering the world is stirring again.

As long as the troops are dispatched, the generals will have the opportunity to establish meritorious service, and many playboys can also mingle among them, gilding themselves, picking up loose ends...