Golden Branch

The secret guards are dispatched!

That little bastard yesterday clearly... He was just pretending!

What fear, what cowardice, Lou Dalang is just pretending!

"He's only seven years old. He's usually so naughty and unlearned, yet he actually has this much scheming and cunning?"

"Could it be that Lou Jin secretly ordered someone to write him a letter, informing him of the 'truth' about his marriage to the Dugu family?"

Mrs. Cui's face was as gloomy as water, and her eyes were cold.

She tried not to listen to the sounds outside—

Snapped!

clap clap!

This is the sound of a whip hitting flesh.

Ah ~

Spare me! Young Master, spare me!

This was the sound of Hu San and other servants wailing and begging for mercy.

"This bastard, he did it on purpose!"

She deliberately brought people to her yard, deliberately made them scream and howl, deliberately—

Unfortunately, Mrs. Cui was helpless.

It's ridiculous, she is the lady of the Lou family, but she can't even do anything to a seven-year-old child.

Madam Cui wanted to command the guards and followers of the Lou family, but then what?

There are secret guards around Lou Dalang.

The secret guard represents Lou Jin.

Lou Jin is not here, the attitude of the secret guards is Lou Jin's intention -

Lou Jin did not give up Lou Dalang just to get married.

He is still the little bully of the Lou family.

As for adoption, it is even more nonsense.

Madam Cui could imagine that even if she rushed into the yard and shouted hysterically "Come here", the guards and followers might come from all directions. However, after arriving at the yard and seeing that the executioners were secret guards, they would quietly step aside.

They will not obey Mrs. Cui's orders.

What's worse, they would even stop Madam Cui and her confidants from ruining Lou Dalang's plans in the name of "protection"!

Therefore, even though she knew that the secret guards had been dispatched and that Lou Dalang had come to slap her in the face on purpose, Madam Cui did not move, and did not even offer a single word of accountability.

say what?

As the young master of the Lou family, what's wrong with Lou Dalang punishing a few disrespectful servants?

The only thing that should be criticized is probably that it is not appropriate to do this in the elders' yard, as it is easy to disturb the elders.

But, as Mrs. Cui said before when she was trying to defend herself, General Lou Jin should be generous and magnanimous and should not bother with an old woman.

As for Madam Cui, as an old ancestor from a prominent family and a respected elder, she shouldn't bother with a naughty boy!

Mrs. Cui didn’t know that there was a saying in later generations that “magic can defeat magic”, but she knew that she had lost this round of competition.

A complete defeat, with no face left.

Mrs. Cui could imagine that from today on, she, as the wife of a lady, would no longer have any dignity in the Lou family.

Even the bride-to-be, Dugu, would have to thank Lou Dalang after hearing about this.

In the inner courtyard, between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law, either the east wind prevails over the west wind, or the west wind prevails over the east wind.

Lou Dalang "accidentally" helped Dugu suppress her mother-in-law's arrogance in advance, which was definitely a great achievement.

After Dugu came into the family, she could easily take back the housekeeper's power without having to confront Cui directly.

Perhaps, with this connection, Dugu and Lou Dalang, the stepmother and son, can even play the role of a loving mother and a filial son.

"...We lost! We completely lost!"

Closing her eyes tightly, Mrs. Cui's well-maintained face was filled with frustration and loneliness!

……

"..."

Wang Heng was sitting in Lou Dalang's yard, holding a fragrant Hu pancake in her hand.

The Lou family is a noble family in the northern region, and they have a chef who specializes in making Hubing.

The pancakes are the size of an adult man's palm, baked to a golden and crispy texture, with sesame seeds all over the crust and a strong aroma of oil.

However, Wang Heng was having trouble eating at this moment.

Faintly, you can still hear screams.

As for why those people screamed, although Wang Heng did not see it with her own eyes, she could imagine it - they were being punished!

Thirty lashes!

The whip was so long and rough that even a light touch from Wang Heng would leave red marks on her tender little hands, not to mention a harsh beating.

One whip left a streak of bright red blood.

After a few more blows, the skin and flesh were turned over and blood flowed everywhere.

Wang Heng had never seen such a brutal and tragic scene. Even the naughty kid Lou Dalang wanted to let the fat girl know how powerful he was, and he never thought of letting her "watch the execution."

He called the secret guards and gave orders, successfully tying up all the slaves who had humiliated him that day and throwing them to Old Lady Cui's yard. Then Lou Dalang directly pulled Wang Heng back to his own yard.

Ah Zhou and other maids were all trembling with fear.

The slaves who can work in the deep mansions are not fools.

The fool would have been driven away or even beaten to death long ago.

Especially Ah Zhou, who had served Lou Dalang for two or three years. He was the smartest and understood this little ancestor the best.

Lou Dalang’s previous “anxiety” was just acting.

In fact, Lou Dalang had played similar pranks before.

It’s just that at that time there was no “cooperation” from Madam Cui, only Lou Dalang was making trouble on his own, so the servants would not be easily fooled.

This time, even Madam Cui was killed, and the servants and even the guards were all...

"...I, I shouldn't be disrespectful to the young master, right?"

After Zhou came to his senses, he was so scared that he broke out in a cold sweat.

Then, she tried hard to recall her words and actions of the past two days, going over them carefully and without missing anything. It seemed that there was nothing offensive in them.

At most, at most, there is no longer the same respect and obedience as before.

"Furthermore, the young master got angry at Hu San, Pao Ding and the others, but he didn't find fault with me. Does this mean that the matter is over?"

With their hearts beating fast, Ah Zhou and other servants in the courtyard became extremely cautious and humble.

Even Wang Heng received the most respectful and attentive service.

Wang Heng didn't care about this, she was still troubled by the shouting.

Oh, it must be very painful to scream so miserably!

Wang Heng sighed silently.

"Fatty, why don't you eat? Do you not like eating Hu Bing? Or is this Hu Bing not tasty?"

Lou Dalang didn't care about the screams, nor did he pay attention to the reactions of Zhou and others. His eyes were always fixed on Wang Heng.

Seeing Wang Heng holding the Hubing in a daze, he couldn't help but ask.

It shouldn’t be!

The fat girl loves to eat it the most. I can’t say that the Lou family’s Hu Bing is the best, but it is not worse than the ones sold in the market.

Could it be that the people in the kitchen were still unwilling to give up and did not dare to offend him openly, so they deliberately tampered with the food?

Lou Dalang's face darkened, and a cold aura gathered in his eyes.

Feeling a chill, Wang Heng shuddered slightly and quickly came to her senses.

She glanced at Lou Dalang, then opened her mouth and bit it.

Mmm, delicious!

The wheat aroma of the pancake, mixed with the aroma of oil and a layer of sesame aroma, is simply a delicacy.

Wang Heng's eyes lit up instantly, and a look of satisfaction and joy that was familiar to Lou Dalang appeared on her round face.

When Lou Dalang saw this, his expression turned from gloomy to bright.

It seems that the fat girl doesn’t dislike eating it, nor does it seem that there is something wrong with the Hu Bing.

So she just now——

Lou Dalang narrowed his eyes, carefully recalled Wang Heng's stunned state just now, and paid attention to the surrounding environment.

Across two yards, faint screams could still be heard from the air.

Lou Dalang immediately understood that the fat girl was frightened.

Come to think of it, the fat girl is different from herself. She is a pampered little girl raised in the backyard of a deep house. She should have never seen or heard anything too bloody.

Even if you didn't see it with your own eyes, the screams were still creepy.

"Someone, go to the front and tell them to stop the execution!"

Lou Dalang shouted in a deep voice.

Ah Zhou was stunned for a moment, then quickly responded, "Yes, I'll go right away!"

Wang Heng raised her head, her eyes sparkling, a few sesame seeds still clinging to the corners of her mouth. "Brother, are you doing this for me?"

Knowing she was afraid, he ended the punishment early?

"certainly not!"

Even a duck's mouth is not as stubborn as Lou Dalang's. He immediately denied it and said uncomfortably: "I am the one who is annoyed by the noise!"

He's not doing this for the fat girl.

"Yeah! Brother is right!"

Wang Heng nodded obediently. As a person with a stable mood, she naturally did what her brother said.

"Hmph! Stop talking nonsense and eat!"

Lou Dalang became more and more embarrassed, and stretched out his hand, wanting to pinch it out of habit.

However, thinking of his previous promise and seeing a red mark on the fat girl's fair cheek, he raised his hand and pulled Wang Heng's little hair.

"By the way, Fatty, do you want some beef? If you do, let the chef make it!"

"I heard there's a new way of eating beef in the capital. They chop up the cooked meat and put it in a pancake. Fatty, would you like to try the beef in a pancake?"

Lou Dalang himself was not a person who was greedy for food, but he liked to watch the fat girl eat.

The little guy was very serious when eating, as if he was doing something great.

Moreover, the entire dining process was not rude, but rather gave people a pleasant feeling.

A good-looking person, even when he is feasting, is a beautiful sight.

"Okay! Let's try it! Ah Mian said pork is delicious too. When the pigs from our farm are ready for slaughter, Ah Mian will make braised pork. Then, I'll treat you, brother!"

Braised pork, roujiamo, Wang Heng didn’t know what they were, but seeing Wang Mian swallowing his saliva while talking about them, they must be delicious.

These days, Wang Heng counted the days on her fingers, waiting for the arrival of the twelfth lunar month.

"..."

Lou Dalang opened his mouth, instinctively wanting to refute:

What’s so great about a pariah even if he has some adventures?

Stupid, and self-righteous.

He made up a clumsy lie that was full of loopholes.

Not to mention this clever young man, even Zheng Ai, who had only been here a few days, had probably discovered the problem with the untouchable.

Neither Lou Dalang nor Zheng Ai showed any reaction, not because they didn't dare or didn't want to, but because they were observing and being cautious.

Wang Mian is humble, but there is a Wang Heng above Wang Mian.

Lou Dalang cares about the fat girl, and Zheng Ai is even prepared to treat Wang Heng as her future mistress, so they naturally have to consider Wang Heng.

"That bitch is lucky. The fat girl treats her as a friend. Otherwise—"

Lou Dalang's cruelty and Zheng Yi's cunning can make Wang Mian "disappear" silently!

……

I stayed in the Lou family manor for half a day, eating Hu pancakes, soft and tender beef, soup noodles and various snacks.

Wang Heng left with a satisfied look on her round belly.

She finally understood that her "I will support you" was more like a joke.

Lou Dalang had not fallen out of favor at all, so he didn't need a little girl like her to support him.

General Lou led his troops to Jizhou, but left behind sufficient manpower and money.

Lou Dalang, a seven-year-old child, was much richer than her.

There are seven or eight warehouses filled with gold, silver, jewelry, ancient books and paintings.

Several prefectures and counties, including Qizhou and Yizhou, had thousands of acres of fertile land, which were all registered under Lou Dalang's name.

There are also slaves, retainers, secret guards and other populations...

Lou Dalang's wealth is simply not comparable to that of a little girl like Wang Heng.

It is no exaggeration to say that it can exceed the Wang family's accumulation of one or two hundred years!

"...Amian is right. Killing people and setting fires brings gold belts, and fighting really does make money!"

Wang Heng sat in the carriage and muttered secretly in her heart.

The Lou family has had many generals for generations, and what Lou Jin inherited was not only the Lou family army, but also the Lou family's rich wealth.

Lou Jin himself also fought wars in the east and the west. Not to mention other places, just in Yizhou... Lou Jin probably couldn't remember how much wealth he had plundered from the wealthy families in Yizhou.

As Lou Jin's only offspring, Lou Dalang has a lot of private property.

With such a rich fortune, even if his stepmother does not accept him, Lou Dalang will not have to worry about hunger or suffer from hardship.

Fortunately, Lou Dalang didn't know what the fat girl was thinking, otherwise, he would have pinched the fat girl's chubby face regardless of the agreement:

Fatty, is this all you have got?

Or is this all you ask of me? Just enough food, clothing, and money?

Although Lou Dalang is young, he is also the son that Lou Jin raised with great care.

He had lived in military camps, fought on the battlefield, and sat in his father's arms countless times, watching his father strategize and direct the country in the military tent and study.

The word "power" has long been engraved into Lou Dalang's genes.

A real man, if he doesn't eat from five tripods when he is alive, he will be cooked in five tripods when he is dead!

He was born into a noble family, he was favored by his father, he was cruel and wise... He was fully qualified to stir up trouble like his father, and one day, he would stand at the pinnacle of power.

……

After a trip to the Lou family manor, Lou Dalang and Wang Heng reconciled as before.

Lou Dalang still came to climb over the wall of Wangjiazhuang from time to time, and Wang Heng generously shared with Lou Dalang the delicious food she had obtained and the various "surprises" brought by Amian.

The days passed one by one, and soon the first snow of winter fell quietly.

It rained heavily all night long. The next day, when people opened the door, they saw a vast expanse of white.

In the wind and snow, a group of people, escorting more than a dozen carriages, slowly arrived in Hedong County.

"Here comes the bride!"

The Lou family manor, covered in snow, suddenly began to move.

Maids were coming in and out, servants were sweeping and cleaning, and even Mrs. Cui, who had been "sick" for more than a month, struggled to get up.

The new bride, the mistress of the Lou family, has arrived!

Lou Dalang was not interested. He was favored by his father and did not care much about who his biological mother was.

"...I'll go to Wang's house later and find the fat girl to play in the snow!"

While Lou Dalang was secretly thinking, the carriage had already stopped.

A young and beautiful woman, supported by a maid, slowly got out of the carriage.

Lou Dalang took a casual glance and was stunned.

His face is colder than ice and snow!