Golden Branch

After hearing the report, Wang Heng was very excited and immediately sent someone outside to make detailed inquiries.

Half an hour later, the servant respectfully reported:

"Great victory in the northwest! Ten thousand killed in battle, twenty thousand captured, over ten thousand horses, cattle and sheep captured!"

"The Turkic royal court was destroyed, and the Khan, Khatun, and others were all captured!"

"Princess, the horses trampled upon the royal tent, and the Turks were annihilated. General Yuchi was mighty!"

"Oh, by the way, I heard that the vanguard this time is General Lu Jue, the son of Princess Jincheng!"

The servant was able to reply properly at first, but as he spoke, perhaps because he was too excited, he started to dance around.

Wang Heng's eyes flickered. Were the Turks destroyed just like that?

The border threat that has plagued the Central Plains dynasty for one or two hundred years just disappeared like that?

As for the servant's subsequent praise of the coach's might and the vanguard's domineering nature, Wang Heng did not comment too much.

In her opinion, the fundamental reason is——

"The Saint is mighty! Your Highness is wise!"

It was the sage who decided to deploy large-scale military forces in the northwest, and it was also he who overpowered all the ministers in the court and insisted on it.

There is also the crown prince, who sits in the rear and is responsible for logistics.

Food, military equipment, medicine, etc. could only be transported to the border town in a continuous manner thanks to the prince's efforts to gather them from all over.

Of course, General Yuchi, the commander-in-chief of the Northwest March, also made outstanding contributions.

However, as Princess Langya and a royal noblewoman, Wang Heng was the best able to distinguish between "primary and secondary".

Yuchi's achievements, tracing back to the source, are indeed the result of a wise man knowing how to use his talents.

Therefore, the first credit must go to the saint.

Next is the prince!

Finally, there are the head coach, forwards, etc.

Wang Mian, however, was more concerned about one person: "Lu Jue? Princess Jincheng's son?"

Her eyes suddenly lit up.

Is this the young Master Lu Jue that she knows?

In the capital, among the many sons of nobles and the new generation of military generals, Lu Jue is probably the only one who can be compared with Xiao Wuji.

However, Xiao Wuji is the prince's confidant and belongs to the Eastern Palace.

Lu Jue is the saint's nephew who was raised by the saint. Regardless of blood relationship or closeness, Lu Jue has more advantages.

It was just that in the early years, the Saint was too partial to Lu Jue, fearing that he was young and hot-blooded and would be easily broken, so he kept suppressing him.

Unfortunately, Lu Jue wanted to go to the battlefield more. In order to "take advantage" of the fighting, Lu Jue ignored his assignment on the Grand Canal and secretly ran to the northwest.

After he had made military achievements and proved himself, the sage let him go and allowed Lu Jue to fight everywhere in the northwest front.

After several years of hard work, Lu Jue has grown into a true warrior, not a privileged child with gilded skills.

Of course, because of this, Lu Jue missed the person he loved——

cough!

As Wang Heng's eldest daughter, Wang Mian knows everything about her.

That year, Lou Yu forced Wang Heng to marry him, and Wang Heng resisted in various ways.

Wang Heng once considered Lu Jue, who took the initiative to show his affection, as a potential husband.

Looking across the entire capital, among the young men who can be compared with Lou Yu, Lu Jue is undoubtedly the most outstanding one.

Childhood sweetheart VS someone who drops from the sky.

Wang Mian was extremely excited and even had an inexplicable anticipation, wanting to see who would be better.

result--

Tsk, no suspense!

This little pervert Lou Yu is so cunning.

He simply cut off the source of the problem and took advantage of Lu Jue's desire for the battlefield, making him run to the northwest on his own initiative.

For Yu Lujue, perhaps this is his chance to establish himself and prove himself, and also the capital to be eligible to marry the girl of his dreams -

He didn't want to always rely on others, he wanted to earn glory for his future wife on his own.

Moreover, with merit, he can take the initiative in getting married, and can also seek marriage approval and blessings from elders such as uncle and mother.

In the beautiful blueprint that Lou Yu outlined for Lu Jue, bah, no, it was Lu Jue’s own wish that he would make great military achievements in the northwest and become the champion marquis of the Dayu Dynasty, and then he would be able to marry Wang Heng in a grand ceremony!

Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to win glory on the battlefield and win the heart of a beautiful woman?

Wang Mian: ...Haha, no wonder Lou Yu, a childhood sweetheart, can defeat the one who falls from the sky. He is really crazy and greedy.

Lou Yu plotted against Lu Jue, and in disguise, made Wang Heng face reality.

In this world, Lou Yu is the only one who can always put Wang Heng first.

Lu Jue really loved Wang Heng, and for her, he spared no expense to build a crabapple garden.

Lu Jue also managed to make his family accept Wang Heng and provided various assists in secret.

For example, Lu Jue's half-sister, Princess Hengyang Wei Wuyou, was Wang Heng's most active friend before she got married.

She often took the initiative to look for Wang Heng. When they met in public places such as elegant gatherings and palace banquets, Wei Wuyou would also show his love and closeness to Wang Heng.

When getting along with Wang Heng, Wei Wuyou would always subtly bring up the topic of his brother, hinting explicitly or implicitly that his brother admired Wang Heng!

Unfortunately, the person Lu Jue faced was Lou Yu.

Even if Lu Jue had help, he would still be no match for Lou Yu.

Lou Yu and Wang Heng eventually became husband and wife, their sweet and loving life was a model of aristocratic couple.

Lu Jue made a contribution and returned to Beijing excitedly, only to face the wedding ceremony of the two.

As Wang Heng's best friend, Wang Mian couldn't imagine how sad Lu Jue must have been, but during that period, Lu Jue did become more reserved and mature.

He, however, did not talk about marriage again.

Wei Wuyou, who is a few years younger than him, got married last year, but Lu Jue is still single.

Wang Mian couldn’t tell whether this was because of her own good friend.

After all, Lu Jue had stayed in the capital for a year, so he begged the saint again and went to the northwest with the army again.

This time, I was away for three years.

Now, the Turks have been completely defeated and the war in the northwest has come to an end.

Lu Jue achieved a magnificent transformation through repeated victories on the Northwest battlefield.

He is not only the nephew of a saint and the son of the Iron Lady, he is also a leader of the younger generation of the Dayu Dynasty!

He is one step closer to his dream of becoming a champion!

"...I just wonder if this young general still remembers the stunning beauty beneath the crabapple tree!"

As a time-traveling girl who has read too many online romance novels, Wang Mian couldn't help but have wild thoughts.

According to the routine of online novels, if Lu Jue is the male protagonist, then he might find a substitute because he can't forget his old love.

Or, a handsome young general VS a noble and pretty princess?

"Unfortunately, there is no princess of the right age in the capital!"

As a member of the powerful family, Wang Mian had a good understanding of the princes and nobles in the capital.

The princesses of Dayu were either already married or, like Princess Changning, were still half-grown children.

"Or perhaps, a foreign princess? Hmm, a transnational love story, coupled with the melodramatic elements of a nation's destruction and the family's demise, it's a quintessentially ancient, heartbreaking story."

Wang Mian had already imagined many melodramatic plots from ancient Chinese online novels.

Wang Mian was actually looking forward to Lu Jue's return, even though he was not very familiar with him.

She had an inexplicable premonition that with Lu Jue's return to the capital, a new drama would be staged in the capital!

……

The great victory in the northwest brought jubilation to the court.

The saint, who was worried and irritated because of the failure of the Eastern Expedition, finally smiled.

It really is a series of good things!

Lou Yu returned, bringing back shiploads of gold, silver, jewelry, timber, medicinal herbs, etc.

It not only filled the national treasury, but also the private treasuries of the saints and princes.

Prince Yong, Prince Shu and other traitors were all escorted back to the capital. After being investigated by the Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple and other government offices, their crimes were proven. The emperor was merciful and spared their lives for the sake of the emperor, but only ordered them to guard the imperial mausoleum.

When the genius doctor Li Mingtang returned to Beijing, he brought back newly made medicine, and the queen's condition was under control again.

Now, there is another great victory in the Northwest——

The large army fought and wiped out the main force of the Turks, and the Turks became history!

"Ajue, this brat has really made something of himself!"

The tiger cub that I raised myself actually roared like a tiger in the mountains. The sense of accomplishment from raising him was even more satisfying than going to the battlefield myself!

There is also the East Palace, which is also a harmonious place.

The former dynasty, the harem... Inexplicably, the saint has a feeling that the whole world is in the palm of his hand!

Gaochang, Tuyuhun and Turks have all been destroyed, and next are Tubo and Goguryeo.

next year!

It is already October. After the New Year, we can discuss the Eastern Expedition again!

"I can lead the army in person!"

……

The news of the great victory in the northwest instantly made the capital city, which seemed a little deserted due to the arrival of winter, become lively.

The Yuchi Mansion and the Jincheng Princess Mansion were already highly respected, and now they have become even more glorious.

Especially at the Jincheng Princess Mansion, visiting cards from various families came in like snowflakes.

Among them, families with daughters of marriageable age are the most active.

Lu Jue is already 20 years old, but he is still unmarried!

He was born into a noble family, was favored by the emperor and empress, and now he had military merits. In addition to these favorable external conditions, Lu Jue himself was also handsome and dignified.

This is simply the most favored husband candidate for countless parents and unmarried girls.

With Lu Jue's conditions, he can marry anyone, no matter if she is a noble lady from an aristocratic family or a princess from the royal family!

Princess Jincheng suffered from many injuries due to years of fighting.

During the southern expedition, Princess Jincheng would have died on the battlefield if it were not for the anti-inflammatory medicine presented by Wang Mian.

Although she survived by chance, her body did not fully recover.

Over the years, Princess Jincheng has been recuperating in Beijing.

He would either stay in the princess's mansion in Beijing or in the Tangquan Palace in Mount Li. He seldom went out on weekdays, and even less often held large banquets.

Princess Jincheng is so low-key, not only because of her health, but also because she wants to retreat while the going gets tough.

Although she is a woman, she has made outstanding military achievements.

Although it cannot compare with the achievements of a saint, it is unique in the royal family.

She has tens of thousands of female soldiers, and several bigwigs in the military are also close friends with her.

Princess Jincheng was "made by women, and also failed by women".

Because she was a woman, even if she had outstanding military achievements, she could only be named a princess and would not be regarded as an heir by the emperor.

Precisely because she was a woman, she avoided the suspicion of the former emperor, and the current saint also trusted her very much.

She had experienced countless battlefields, married two husbands, and her original husband was "killed by illness" by Jincheng himself because of family interests.

Although a second husband will not betray his wife, he has many little thoughts.

The Jingzhao Wei family is a famous and prominent family.

In a large and prosperous family, there are constant frictions and conflicts.

Jincheng is not an ordinary woman, but as a married woman, she has to face the trivialities of her husband's family.

In particular, Jincheng only gave birth to a daughter for Prince Consort Wei.

Not having a son seems to be a woman’s original sin, even if she is an iron lady with outstanding military achievements.

Over the years, the Wei family has either openly or covertly persuaded Jincheng to take a concubine for her husband, or kindly suggested that she adopt a son, and they never stop.

Jincheng: ...Hehe, I have sons, so why do I have to have someone else’s?

what?

Lu Jue’s surname is Lu, not Wei?

So what? What does it have to do with her?

If it weren't for the fact that Prince Consort Wei was relatively well-behaved and that they had a daughter together, Jincheng would have turned against the Wei family long ago.

Afterwards, the Wei family wanted to use Jincheng's prestige in the army to benefit the Wei family. The Wei family also tried to interfere with the princes... Wei Prajna even married the fourth prince.

Is it so easy for the Fourth Prince to marry?

Outsiders don't know his identity, but as the saint's biological sister, how could Jincheng not know her?

According to the royal genealogy, the fourth prince was the son of Concubine Wang Shufei, but in fact, his biological mother was someone else.

It would be fine if she was an ordinary woman, even a palace maid or even a Hu girl.

Unfortunately, the fourth prince's biological mother's surname was Yuwen, and she was a member of the royal family of the previous dynasty.

If you look closely, this Yuwen is the aunt of the former crown prince and current Earl of Yongle.

Although they are not direct descendants, they are of the same royal blood.

With such a mother, the Fourth Prince is destined to have no chance of becoming the emperor.

Not to mention, the saint loved and respected the queen, and the kingdom of Dayu was conquered by the couple working together.

The successor to the saint can only be born to the queen.

There is also the crown prince, who is not only the eldest son, but also wise and open-minded, perfectly meeting the requirements of a successor.

The sage trusted the prince, and everyone in the court recognized him as the legitimate heir.

The crown prince's position as heir to the throne is indestructible.

Even if there are changes on the prince's side, there are other legitimate sons.

Even if we take a step back and say that none of Queen Li's sons are good enough, those bigwigs who followed the saint to build the empire would agree that the fourth prince would take the throne.

Although they were not the ones who destroyed the previous dynasty, the Dayu Dynasty inherited the territory of the previous dynasty.

They had fought a war with the Yuwen family before, but after a while, they let Yuwen's grandson become the emperor. Isn't that ridiculous?

The Wei family couldn't see through this, or perhaps, they knew it but still had hope in their hearts -

The Fourth Prince's bloodline is a fusion of the royal families of two dynasties, and he possesses unparalleled nobility.

He is also knowledgeable and capable, and his virtue is second only to that of the crown prince.

The prince was indeed very good, but he was born with a disease, and his eldest son was even disabled.

No one can guarantee whether the prince will be as sickly as Queen Li.

I can't even guarantee that if something happens to the prince, Xiao Dalang can shoulder the heavy responsibility of being the crown prince!

The East Palace may appear impregnable on the surface, but it actually hides dangers!

This is also the reason why many families are secretly making moves.

The Wei family wanted to speculate——

"Humph! What an idiot!"

Jincheng guessed the Wei family's plan and couldn't help but sneer.

Her brother, her eldest nephew...how could these idiots plot against them?

No one in the Wei family was confused, and the only one who still had some sense was her husband, Wei Shilian.

Alas, the prince consort is still good to her——

"What? What did you say? The prince consort has a concubine, and the son born from that concubine is only half a year younger than Wuyou?"

Before Lu Jue returned to Beijing, Jincheng received a piece of news...