Golden Branch

"Princess, Twenty-One has just returned to the capital. He has been busy these days. It is better to let him rest well in the palace!"

Zheng Shisan understood what Wang Heng meant, and without waiting for Wang Heng to speak, he took the initiative to decline.

Wang Heng was startled for a moment, then looked at Zheng Shisan with a worried look: "Shisan Niang, were you wronged in the Rui Palace?"

After Zheng Shisan got married, she managed her marriage very carefully.

For the sake of Yang Shou, he even put his old master Wang Heng aside temporarily.

How come suddenly——

It must be something that Prince Rui's family did that completely chilled Zheng Shisan's heart.

"Just this morning, my family 'persuaded' me to take in a mistress."

Zheng Shisan knew that he couldn't hide it from his own princess, so he just told her directly.

She looked indifferent, as if she was talking about something that had nothing to do with her.

Wang Heng: ...Okay! The Rui Palace really treats Zheng Shisan as a soft persimmon.

Zheng Shisan twitched the corner of his mouth and said with a hint of self-mockery, "Princess, I need to let everyone in the Rui Palace know that I, Zheng Shisanniang, am just a virtuous wife, not a bitch!"

She wouldn't ask someone if their hand hurt after being hit in the face.

She can help her husband rise to the top, but she also requires him to have a conscience and be grateful.

It is better for Yang Shou not to go on this expedition. He should just stay in the capital and continue to be a playboy.

She had to make the Rui Wang family understand a fact: without her help, Zheng Shisan, Yang Shou could only fight cocks and run errands, and there was no possibility of achieving anything.

"Shisan Niang, aren't you afraid that others will say you don't know the big picture and don't care about the overall situation?"

"Princess, if someone really asks me that, I will ask her: What is the overall situation? Whose overall situation is it?"

Zheng Shisan was so clear-headed that he was almost cold-hearted.

She laughed coldly, "I'm not forbidding Yang Shou from taking a concubine. I'm just abiding by the rules and not allowing concubines into the house. Why are you so ignorant?"

"As for the overall situation, haha, if it has nothing to do with me, why should I care about it?"

After hearing this, Wang Heng looked at the coldness in Zheng Shisan's eyes and knew that her half-best friend was indeed completely disappointed with the Prince Rui's Mansion.

"Alright, let's do as you say! The Rui Palace is really confused and needs a good lesson."

The Rui Wang Mansion did not completely lose its wealth, but only missed an opportunity to gild itself, which can indeed be considered a "small punishment".

"Thank you, Princess!"

Seeing that Wang Heng did not continue to dissuade him, but was very supportive of him, a warm feeling surged through Zheng Shisan's cold heart.

As expected, how can a bastard compare to a good girlfriend?

She knelt on the ground and thanked him solemnly and sincerely.

……

Let’s talk about Dugu, who left Tangquan Villa angrily.

After getting on the carriage, he ordered the servants, "Return to the capital! Go to the Duke of Qi's mansion!"

The driver subconsciously glanced at the sky and reminded her with some embarrassment, "Madam, it's getting late. If we hurry now, we might not be able to reach the capital before curfew!"

It’s dark when you’re halfway there, and there’s no village or shop nearby. Wouldn’t that be troublesome?

The driver and other servants could spend the night on the roadside, but the lady is such a delicate person, she must not be wronged like this.

After hearing this, Dugu also looked up at the sun.

The sun began to move westward, and judging by the time, it was probably around 3:00 p.m.

There are still twenty or thirty miles to go from Mount Li back to the capital, and it will take at least half a day to take a carriage, so it is really too late.

"I was really confused by Wang Jiu's anger and forgot all this!"

Dugu had a habit of blaming others for his own mistakes.

She thought for a moment and said, "Then let's go to our villa in Mount Li first."

As the former most powerful family, the Duke of Anguo's Mansion naturally has many industries.

When the new city of Chang'an was completed, Lou Jin was a powerful founding duke who was one of the most influential people in the capital.

Therefore, the Anguo Mansion occupied a lot of land in the capital and surrounding counties.

There are also farms, villas, etc. in Mount Li.

As the mistress of the Anguo Mansion, Dugu was very familiar with her own business.

After a brief thought, she found a villa quite close to this place.

After telling the driver the exact location, he whipped his whip and with a snap, the carriage started moving quickly.

Half an hour later, Dugu arrived at the villa.

The steward of the villa heard the noise and ran out to greet them.

Dugu glanced casually and strode into the yard.

When she reached the main hall, she sat down.

Logically, they should have been well accommodated in the villa, but Dugu really couldn't swallow that humiliation.

"Go, arrange for a smart person to ride a fast horse back to the capital."

"First, I'm going to tell my husband that I'm staying in the other courtyard tonight. Please don't worry."

"Second, go to the Duke of Qi's mansion and tell Hanzhang that Princess Langya insulted me..."

Dugu sat cross-legged and gave orders quickly.

She didn't know that she didn't need to send anyone to look for Lou Yu. After she left the hot spring villa, a pigeon had already flown to the capital with the information.

In the evening, Lou Yu returned from his shift at the Dali Temple.

The bright red official uniform made his handsome face and elegant temperament look even more elegant.

These days, Lou Yu is not only busy with his duties at the Dali Temple, but also has to take care of some affairs of the Eastern Palace.

In addition, the sage wanted to send troops to attack Tuyuhun. As the sage's most powerful helper, the prince would be responsible for logistical issues such as military equipment, food and wages.

The prince is extremely busy, and as one of the prince's most trusted confidants, Lou Yu cannot be idle either.

Xiao Wuji is also one of his confidants, but this time, the prince intends to let Xiao Wuji lead a deputy general and participate in this expedition.

Xiao Wuji had to focus on his own duties, select personal soldiers, train soldiers, and make various preparations for the upcoming expedition.

Logistics and other matters could only be managed by Lou Yu, who was in charge of the rear.

While Lou Yu was reading the files of the Dali Temple, he had to think about allocating carriages and horses and conscripting laborers.

busy!

He is very busy!

He was already very busy with official business, and he also had to devote his energy to helping Wang Heng look after the princess's residence and prepare for the opening of the academy.

Being so busy, Lou Yu had almost no time to go to Mount Li.

"Alas, I can't go see the little girl again today. I don't know if she misses me!"

Lou Yu secretly estimated the things he had accumulated on hand, and knew that he really couldn't spare the time today, so he sighed inwardly with some regret.

Since he couldn't go to see the little girl, he couldn't take the opportunity to get close to her and kiss her, which made a certain little pervert who had just had a little broth very anxious.

Just at this moment, the secret guard sent a letter by carrier pigeon.

Lou Yu took the note and quickly scanned the two lines of words on it.

His features were still gentle, but his eyes had lost their warmth.

"I really did give in and didn't continue. That's why she had the time to disgust Ah Heng!"

Lou Yu strode into the Duke of Qi's Mansion, walked to the study in the front yard, and threw the note into the incense burner in the corner.

"Come here, order someone to uncover the case of Zhao Sanlang seizing the people's land!"

"And the Wu family. They're along the canal, using the name of the Duke of Anguo's Mansion to bully the market and commit crimes. All their illegal activities should be reported to the government..."

Lou Yu still uses the old method——

If Dugu caused trouble, he would attack her family and her sworn brother's family.

However, Lou Yu felt that there was still a difference between him and the Dugu family.

The Dugu family was looking for trouble for no reason, but he had actual evidence of the Zhao and Wu families' crimes.

"Don't worry, I won't beat them to death with one blow. I'll let them take their time!"

"This time, even if it's just a small punishment, I'll kill one of Dugu's nephews and chop off one of Wu's arms as retribution for provoking Aheng this time!"

Lou Yu felt that he had been very restrained and kind.

If it were really up to him, in the past, he would have even dealt with the Dugu family.

Biological mother?

For Lou Yu, the so-called grace of birth does not exist.

He would not have the slightest affection for strangers he had hardly ever met, and he would not be soft-hearted.

Now he still lets Dugu live in peace and security, not because he cares about the relationship between mother and son, nor because he is soft-hearted, but because Dugu still has value in living.

Of course, if Dugu is always confused and fails to recognize himself, and really touches Lou Yu's bottom line, Lou Yu doesn't mind "killing his own relatives for the sake of justice."

A hint of cruelty flashed across Lou Yu's eyes, and his hand involuntarily touched his thumb.

Failed again!

Last time he crushed the White Jade Crusher, Ah Heng hasn't given him a new one yet.

Yeah, next time I see the little girl, I must remind her.

……

Without the "shackles" to control him, Lou Yu was indeed even more brutal.

As soon as he gave the order, the secret guards took action.

The next day, the victim ran to Jingzhao Prefecture to beat the drum to appeal for justice. An hour later, Zhao Sanlang, a nephew of Dugu, was escorted to the court.

Thousands of miles away in Yizhou, the gang led by Dugu's sworn brother Wu Silang was surrounded by soldiers who suddenly appeared.

Wu Silang and his gang considered themselves to be a river transport gang engaged in legitimate business, but they were defined as water bandits by the river administration office.

In less than a day, the gang of several hundred people collapsed, and the gang leader Wu Silang had his arm chopped off in the fierce battle.

Dugu was unaware of these changes.

She was still waiting for Jingzhong's reply, especially Lou Yu's response.

However, she didn't wait for Lou Yu, but waited for Lou Jin with frosty eyes.

"My dear? Why are you here?"

Seeing Lou Jin coming in exhausted, Dugu quickly stood up.

She walked over quickly and asked softly, "My dear, is there something going on in the capital? Or do you have any instructions?"

Anger was boiling in Lou Jin's heart, but when he lowered his head and saw his wife's gentle face and the dependence in her eyes and heart, the anger was suppressed again.

Jiaojiao was a naive person to begin with, and was spoiled by herself, so she had no idea what kind of evil heart that boy had.

Little beast!

You disrespectful little beast with no ethics and no morals!

He was so cruel just because his mother told him to.

The Zhao family is indeed despicable, but they are also blood relatives of that little beast.

He was so good, with just one sentence, he destroyed Zhao Sanlang's chance of survival.

There was also a "bandit suppression" incident in Yizhou.

That little bastard was suppressing bandits, clearly slapping his own mother in the face...