Golden Branch

"Si Niang is indeed smart."

Speaking of Jiang Si, Wang Heng's tone was a bit complicated: "Lu Jue returned to the court with the Western Expedition Army and attended several banquets, where he met Si Niang."

"Mother knows that I once had contact with Lu Jue. If Lu Jue had not suddenly left for the northwestern border town, I might have arranged a marriage with Lu Jue."

Wang Heng was not at all shy when talking about the man she had once listed as a candidate.

She lowered her voice so that only the mother and daughter could hear, and said, "Lu Jue is the eldest princess's son and the Saint's most beloved nephew. He has also made great military achievements in the border town. He is definitely one of the best young masters of the new generation."

"Many of the powerful people in the capital regard General Lu as an excellent candidate for the position of the Emperor."

"And Lu Jue, due to some chance encounter back then, became very close to Si Niang."

Wang Heng did not directly describe Jiang Si's appearance, but she and Concubine Jiang both understood.

The reason why Lu Jue favors Jiang Si among all the noble ladies is because of transference.

He treated Jiang Si as a substitute for Wang Heng.

Back then, he missed his chance to marry Wang Heng because he went to the battlefield.

Now, having returned triumphantly, he wanted to make up for his regrets.

The marriage between Wang and Lou cannot be changed, so just find a substitute.

The Jiang family has a shallow foundation, but Concubine Jiang is the most favored in the harem.

Moreover, given Lu Jue's status, it would not be easy for him to marry a new wife of noble birth and prominent family background.

In the days to come, he wants to continue leading troops to fight and gallop on the battlefield.

Too much power and deep roots can easily arouse the king's fear.

Indeed, the current saint is his biological uncle and the elder who raised him.

However, when it comes to imperial power, even father and son can turn against each other, let alone uncle and nephew?

Especially since Lu Jue's biological mother, Princess Jincheng, is still alive. As the Iron Lady of Dayu with outstanding military achievements, she is already very prestigious in the army.

With such a mother behind him, the grace of a saint, and his own excellence, he will surely become a general commanding a large army in the Dayu Dynasty in due time.

A sage is not afraid of being more powerful than his master, and neither is the prince.

But the saint is almost fifty years old, and the prince also suffers from heart disease. It is hard to say what the future will be like!

If Lu Jue can think long-term, he needs to be cautious about his marriage.

For him, marrying a woman of ordinary family background but who is very much to his liking would bring more benefits than disadvantages.

Jiang Si is a good choice.

Needless to say, Lu Jue's value in the marriage market is even greater.

Family background, appearance, career, emperor's favor... everything is the best.

Given Jiang Si's conditions, it would be her absolute luck to marry such a man.

"...But Si Niang didn't choose General Lu!"

Wang Heng's tone was filled with surprise and a sigh, "Si Niang is indeed clear-headed. She hasn't been deceived by the external splendor."

“She found herself and stayed true to herself.”

"Si Niang doesn't want to be someone else's substitute, she just wants to be Jiang Si Niang."

Wang Heng must be proud of being able to resist temptation and make a rational and sober choice:

Her two or three years of training were not in vain!

Concubine Jiang raised her eyebrows: "Fourth Lady didn't choose Lu Jue?"

Wang Heng nodded gently, "Yes, Qilang of the Yuchi family is in love with Si Niang. He has already informed his parents and has received the consent of the elders in the family."

"General Yuchi's youngest son?"

As the saint's most beloved woman, Concubine Jiang had followed him for more than ten years and naturally knew his confidants.

Yuchi Mingde was one of the earliest people to follow the sage, and was also the sage's most capable and trusted general.

In the previous expedition to the West, Yuchi Mingde was the commander-in-chief of the army that conquered the Turks.

He was loyal to the saint, followed him for more than ten years, and made great military achievements.

During the Xuanwu Gate Remonstration, Yuchi Mingde was one of the two vanguards. He led his troops directly into the Taiji Palace and "persuaded" the emperor to write an edict to establish a crown prince. He then personally escorted the emperor into the Daming Palace.

After the sage ascended the throne, he rewarded people according to their merits and conferred the title of founding county duke on Yuchi Mingde.

After Yuchi Mingde was granted the title of Duke of Fuguo, he did not lose his military power and still led tens of thousands of troops.

Yuchi Mingde is not only an old nobleman in the north, but also a pillar of the new dynasty. Because of him, the Yuchi family is prosperous and wealthy.

In such a family, even if he is just the youngest son who does not inherit the family business, he is still an excellent candidate.

A hint of satisfaction flashed in Concubine Jiang's eyes, but she was not someone who would ignore her relatives for the sake of family interests.

She asked softly, "Where's Si Niang? Is she attracted to Yuchi Qilang?"

"Well, of course I like it!"

Wang Heng nodded again. "Si Niang took the initiative to tell me about this. She is willing to marry into the Fuguogong Mansion!"

The young master of the Duke's Mansion is of similar age, has outstanding looks, and is wholeheartedly in love with her. Even if Jiang Si does not love him that much, she will make a choice based on many considerations.

Wang Heng didn't explain her words too clearly, but the clever Concubine Jiang understood them all.

Imperial Concubine Jiang pondered for a moment and said, "Since you are going to marry into the Fuguogong Mansion, Si Niang should also have a respectable status."

"How about this, I will ask the Saint to issue an edict to grant Si Niang a title."

After all, she is her niece from her mother's side, and she was trained by her daughter, and she was successfully married to the Yuchi family. It is completely worthy of Concubine Jiang's intervention.

Concubine Jiang was the most favored concubine in the harem. Her success should have brought prosperity to the entire Jiang family.

Concubine Jiang was not so arrogant as to give her nephew a high position and generous salary, or give her niece an extraordinary title. She just wanted to make the wedding more decent and give a moderate reward. Not to mention the saint, even the censor of the previous dynasty would not impeach her.

"On behalf of Si Niang, I thank the Saint for his grace and for my mother's love!"

Wang Heng was delighted when she heard this.

She quickly stood up, bowed gracefully, and knelt down to express her gratitude on Jiang Si's behalf.

"Get up! You're not a stranger, kid. Where do all this false formalities come from?"

Concubine Jiang scolded her daughter with a smile. When Wang Heng stood up and returned to her seat, she continued, "Jiang Si's marriage is set. What about you? Have you set a date?"

"I heard Hanzhang has been going to the Imperial Observatory these days. Has he already chosen an auspicious day?"

Compared with her adopted niece, Concubine Jiang still values ​​her biological daughter more.

Moreover, the man my daughter is going to marry is Lou Yu and Lou Hanzhang.

The saint and the prince, a pair of supreme father and son, both doted on him very much.

The reason why Lou Yu does not hold a high position now is not because he is not favored, but because he is valued by the saint and the prince.

They all genuinely cared about Lou Yu, not wanting him to show off too much, and even less wanting to force things.

With the emperor's favor and ability, in the next few years or decades, Lou Yu will eventually become the most powerful minister second only to the emperor.

Before Concubine Jiang had a son, she didn't pay much attention to these things.

She was just a favored concubine and all she had to do was please the Saint.

But now that she has a son, Concubine Jiang has more things to think about and want.

Concubine Jiang did not intend to get involved in the throne. She knew how stable the Eastern Palace was, and she would never have any unnecessary ambitions.

She just hoped that when her son grew up, he would have a good fiefdom, be favored by the king sitting on the dragon throne, and become a free and wealthy prince.

And this not only depends on the will of the saint, but also requires the support of important officials in the court.

Many times, even the royal family is not as popular with the emperor and has more power than the powerful officials in the court.

Her son is lucky, as his future brother-in-law will be a powerful official.

When he grows up, he will have noble royal blood and the support of his powerful brother-in-law, so his life will not be too bad.

Therefore, unlike Wang Heng who was "scrupulous", Concubine Jiang was very satisfied and extremely insisted on marrying her daughter to Lou Yu!

"Mother, please stop teasing your daughter! My brother is indeed choosing a wedding date. The tentative plan is March, but the specific auspicious date has not yet been decided."

Wang Heng reported truthfully, and when she mentioned the specific auspicious day, a hint of helplessness flashed across her eyes.

She dared to bet that given her brother's personality, he would definitely choose the nearest auspicious day from those selected by the Imperial Observatory.

"Then let the Imperial Observatory choose as soon as possible. In fact, the marriage has already been decided. A day earlier or later will not make much difference."

Having said this, Concubine Jiang looked at Wang Heng steadily.

This child looks well-behaved and sweet, but actually has a rebellious heart.

Concubine Jiang, who was in the palace, also heard about her and Lou Yu's various mischiefs.

"It's because of their childhood affection that Han Zhang loves and cherishes her, that's why he indulges her in every way!"

"Anyone else would never allow her to be so naughty and mischievous!"

Concubine Jiang complained to the saint like this more than once.

She always "disdained" her own daughter in front of the saint, but it was not out of flattery, but to defend her daughter in advance and try hard to make her daughter feel more present.

My daughter's Princess Langya is fake and there is no blood relationship between us, so we should mention her more often to prevent her from being forgotten by the saint.

In the capital, the grace of the saints is what matters most.

As long as the saint remembers her, even a fake princess can become the brightest pearl in the capital.

Concubine Jiang regarded the saint as her husband, so when she was with him on weekdays, they would always talk about trivial matters such as family matters and raising children.

The sage had always liked Concubine Jiang. After he became emperor, he felt lonely at the top and cherished Concubine Jiang's "unchanged original intention."

The sage's feelings for Queen Li were not only of love as a husband and wife, but also of respect as a sister and a valued partner.

However, being with Concubine Jiang was a purer love between a man and a woman.

The two have been in love for more than ten years, and now they get along like an old married couple.

The saint couldn't help but feel close to Wang Heng, who always referred to him as "old wife". Even though they hadn't seen each other for two or three years, there was no sense of estrangement between them.

Because even a saint knows all of Wang Heng’s embarrassing moments and all the things she did to Lou Yu!

Wang Heng: ...So, mother, I am also a part of your play with the saintly couple?

Concubine Jiang couldn't hear Wang Heng's little complaints, and even if she knew, she wouldn't care: This child is just so naughty.

"You can't always be so willful just because Han Zhang likes you. Since you've agreed to the marriage and have performed the filial piety, then treat Han Zhang well."

The relationship between husband and wife also needs to be managed. Even if the feelings are deep, they cannot just consume without cultivating.

Concubine Jiang is quite experienced in being a wife. Otherwise, would anyone really think that her continued favor for more than ten years was just due to her appearance?