Golden Branch

"Princess Jincheng whipped Wei Shilian out of the princess's mansion with a horsewhip!"

Zheng Shisan brought his children to pay his respects to Wang Heng.

While chatting with her best friend, she mentioned with some emotion the latest news in Beijing that happened in the past two days.

"Princess, I never thought that in the capital, even the Princess of Jincheng would encounter such a thing!"

"What shameless things are the Wei family saying? The princess has no children, so are they going to make Prince Consort Wei extinct?"

Although Zheng Shisan was talking about other people's gossip, her face showed not only sympathy, but also deep empathy.

"...Just because Princess Hengyang isn't a male?"

"Princess Jincheng fought for many years and had a difficult childbirth. I thought her closest relatives would understand and support her. I didn't expect that the ones who hurt her the most were precisely her so-called relatives."

The more Zheng Shisan spoke, the lower his voice became.

Even someone as noble as the Princess of Jincheng, as powerful and respected as she is, cannot escape the shackles of gender.

If she had changed her gender, with her achievements, even if she couldn't become the crown prince, she could still become a powerful prince.

He had three wives and four concubines and enjoyed himself to his heart's content.

But just because she was a woman, she lost not only the right to compete for the throne, but even her own backyard was in such a mess.

Zheng Shisan couldn't help but think of herself. She was far inferior to Jincheng. If she didn't have a son, her fate would only be more miserable.

Wei Shilian was concerned about Jincheng's identity and only dared to secretly have a woman outside and have an unrecognized son from his concubine's family.

Her husband, Zheng Shisan, would not be so "wronged". He would take a concubine openly.

In order to give his son a more respectable status, he would even find a woman from a good family and create a concubine.

Zheng Shisan's daughter is almost two years old. According to her original plan, she was not in a hurry to find Yang Shou to give birth to a son.

But now, the Jincheng Princess Mansion was in chaos, and Zheng Shisan inexplicably felt a sense of crisis.

Wang Heng raised her eyebrows and said calmly, "Shisanniang, do you think Wei Shilian took a concubine because the eldest princess only had one daughter?"

Zheng Shisan looked at Wang Heng. Her lips moved a few times, but she didn't say anything.

Her meaning was clear: Isn't it?

Wang Heng curled the corners of her lips and reminded her, "Shisanniang, you might have forgotten that the concubine is only half a year younger than Wuyou!"

"That is to say, when the princess was four or five months pregnant, Wei Shilian found a concubine!"

"Haha, Prince Consort Wei is amazing! His medical skills are even better than Li Xian'er's. He can even determine the gender of a baby four or five months into the pregnancy!"

Zheng Shisan was stunned for a moment, and it took him a while to react: "Princess, you mean——"

Yup!

The eldest princess was still pregnant and the child had not yet been born. How could Wei Shilian and the Wei family be sure that it was a daughter?

And he found a mistress so quickly?

What for offspring?

It's obvious that I have other thoughts!

Furthermore, even if Princess Hengyang was born, Wei Shilian should not be in a hurry to find another woman.

If Princess Jincheng can give birth to a daughter, she can also give birth to a son.

At that time, Jincheng didn't say that he would not have children again!

Wei Shilian didn't even wait and took care of his mistress.

This matter is not for the sake of offspring at all!

He is just mean and has a treacherous mind. He wants both the royal honor of Jincheng and the happiness of having two beauties on both sides!

Now that the incident has happened, he dares not admit his own despicable behavior, but still tries to put the blame on Jincheng.

Who made you childless?!

Childless?

Even though Jincheng had no children, she was still an iron lady with great military achievements.

The Wei family was originally a second- or third-rate family, but it was because of Jincheng that they were able to survive in troubled times and become even more glorious!

He received a favor but didn't think about repaying it, and was so disgusting. He is really a villain!

Zheng Shisan, an outsider, couldn't help but speak up for Princess Jincheng.

She also has a deep feeling and worry about being a fellow wanderer in this world.

After scolding Wei Shilian and the entire Wei family, Zheng Shisan's anger was slightly relieved.

She looked at Wang Heng again, and after trying to hold back, she couldn't help herself. "Princess, you and Lord Lou really only want Anan as your child?"

Anan is indeed good-looking. He is just a few months old and has inherited the most perfect genes from his parents.

Zheng Shisan saw it and couldn't help but like it.

But, she is just a little girl after all!

The Lou family has the title of founding county duke that needs to be inherited.

Even if there is no title, there should be a male heir to inherit the family line.

Not to mention those who lived too far back, just take Lou Yu and Wang Heng as an example. If they passed away without any male offspring, who would offer sacrifices to them?

Wang Heng raised her eyes and looked at Zheng Shisan calmly: "Yes! Brother said that he only wants Anan as his child."

Even Wang Heng herself would never give birth again.

The pain of pregnancy and childbirth, it is enough to experience them once in this life!

Her noble status, wealth that rivals a country, and a husband who is as handsome as Wei Jie and Pan An... If something unexpected happens during childbirth, all of these will be gone!

To quote a joke Wang Mian once said: Women must protect themselves well, otherwise, once they die, other women will sleep with their husbands, spend their money, and abuse their children!

You don’t even need to look for examples deliberately. Just look at The East Palace and you’ll feel it.

The Crown Princess died while saving the Crown Prince.

As a result, less than three years after her death, a new bride came into the family, and the eldest son was marginalized and had to follow the ministers.

It’s not that little Lu is mean, haha, most of the methods used in the inner house are ways to kill people without bloodshed and make people speechless.

Although Wang Heng did not have much experience in domestic and palace fighting, she had a daughter-in-law who was good at telling stories, as well as real cases from many families around her. She knew the twists and turns involved very well.

Emotions are fickle and human nature is complex, so Wang Heng doesn't want to rely on others for her safety and happiness.

Even if this person is Lou Yu, her brother and husband whom she trusts and is attached to immensely!

Anyway, she already has Anan, so she has left her own bloodline.

Her life is extremely fulfilling.

She doesn't have to force having a son!

"...Anan is indeed very good, but he is not a young master after all!"

"Not to mention the title of Duke of Qi, just the future sacrifices—"

Zheng Shisan spoke cautiously.

She seemed to be asking Wang Heng, but wasn't she actually asking herself?

In fact, there is no need to wait a hundred years. Once a daughter gets married, she will become the wife of another family.

Who can you rely on for your retirement and the rest of your life?

Wang Heng had been with Zheng Shisan for many years and naturally understood her.

Just by looking at her expression, Wang Heng knew that Zheng Shisan was worried about her by "judging others by herself".

Wang Heng smiled and said softly, "Thirteenth Lady, I am a princess, and my brother is the Duke of Qi. Given our status and the emperor's favor, as long as we don't make any serious mistakes during our remaining years, we will be buried in the imperial mausoleum a hundred years from now."

Buried in the imperial mausoleum, as long as the Dayu Dynasty does not fall, there is no need to worry about issues such as sacrifices.

To put it bluntly, the title of Duke of Qi is indeed hereditary and seems to be able to be passed down for hundreds of years.

However, looking at history, how many of those founding heroes were able to truly ensure that wealth and prosperity would continue for generations?

For those who are more miserable, the title cannot be passed down to the second generation. In their later years, they will be imprisoned and their titles will be stripped away.

If you are lucky, the family business can be passed down for three or four generations, but there may also be a crisis where unfilial descendants bring disaster to the ancestral business.

Without a dynasty that lasts for thousands of years, even aristocratic families will eventually fall, let alone nobles?!

Furthermore, I am not afraid of being scolded. Wang Heng only cares about her own wealth and glory in this life. How could she care about the generations of the Lou family?

Even Lou Yu didn't have much sense of belonging to the Lou family.

He did not inherit his title from his father, but earned it through his own hard work.

Lou Yu and Wang Heng have had no relatives since childhood and have shallow kinship ties. They do not have such deep dependence and feelings for so-called relatives and family members.

They value clans, more out of consideration for interests -

These are their personal networks and the tools they use to drive their power!

With just a little effort, you can get relatively loyal support, so why not do it?!

Instead of counting on so-called descendants, it is better to hope that the Dayu Dynasty will last for thousands of years.

The couple will definitely be buried in the imperial mausoleum, and there will definitely be a lot of incense and worship!

As for relying on others in old age, that is even more ridiculous.

She was a princess, and Lou Yu was a founding duke.

Both of them had hundreds of slaves and guards under their names.

When it comes to serving people, can equally precious children compare to professional servants?

After hearing what Wang Heng said, Shisanniang was stunned.

After a long while, she nodded.

He looked at Wang Heng with admiration and envy: "Princess, you really think clearly!"

Yes, as long as you are strong enough, you don’t have to worry about what will happen before or after your death.

As for the daughter, her parents are noble enough to protect her for decades, so why should they pin their hopes on a son?

I'm not afraid to say something taboo, but who has ever seen the emperor's favorite daughter being bullied?

My dear princess, not actively doing evil is a good quality that deserves praise.

This was not due to her own fault, but because she had an extremely powerful father.

Of course, Zheng Shisan knew that he was not as good as Wang Heng and had not yet reached the point of acting arbitrarily.

However, through this conversation with Wang Heng, her inner anxiety about being childless was greatly alleviated.

Zheng Shisan thought it over and decided that it would be great if he could have a son.

If you can't, there is no need to complain or suffer.

Following the princess well and trying your best to help your daughter find a future is better than anything else.

Zheng Shisan is the most self-aware and the most insightful.

She is not smart enough or strong enough, but she knows how to curry favor with others.

"Cluck! Cluck!"

The girl, who is less than two years old, can already speak clearly.

Zheng Shisan's daughter was squatting next to Anan at this moment, playing with toys and teasing Anan.

Anan waved his chubby arms, with silver hair hanging from the corners of his mouth, and had a lot of fun playing with the little sister.

A gleam flashed in Zheng Shisan's eyes. Perhaps, in the future, she could bring her daughter to accompany the little girl more often.

Relying on her status as the princess's tutor, Zheng Shisan became the Crown Prince's consort in the royal palace.

Her daughter may also be able to replicate her path to success.

Zheng Shisan had a strong premonition that Anan, a little baby of only six or seven months old, might be more reliable than Yang Shou in the future!

……

When Lou Yu returned from the Ministry of Revenue, it was already late.

The closer it gets to the end of the year, the busier the six ministries become.

In particular, the Ministry of Revenue was in charge of taxes throughout the country, and was responsible for local appropriations, military expenses, officials' salaries, and so on.

Big and small things, complicated and trivial.

In addition to his normal official duties, Lou Yu also has to teach Xiao Dalang.

This kind of teaching is not just about imparting knowledge, but also about sharpening and correcting one's character.

Lou Yu is extremely serious, so he is extremely busy and tired.

However, Lou Yu never brings his emotions from outside back home.

From the moment he stepped into the courtyard, he neatly separated his official duties from his personal ones.

After a simple wash and changing into casual clothes, Lou Yu came to the main hall.

Wang Heng was leaning on the table, lost in thought.

I was awakened by the sound, looked towards the door, and saw it was Lou Yu, so I wanted to get up to greet him.

"Just sit down!"

Lou Yu waved his hand, wearing snow-white footwear, and strode over on the warm floor.

"What? Something on your mind?"

Lou Yu took a casual glance and noticed something was wrong with Wang Heng.

He lifted his skirt, sat cross-legged across from Wang Heng, and asked softly, "I heard that Zheng came today. Did she make you unhappy?"

The only person Lou Yu cares about is Wang Heng.

Zheng Shisan, his nominal cousin and the honorable Princess Consort of Prince Rui, is just "Zheng" to him!

"Brother, the Southwestern Protectorate is gradually getting back on track!"

Wang Heng did not answer directly, but asked a seemingly irrelevant question.

Lou Yu knew Wang Heng intimately, and just by hearing her words, he guessed the truth: "Zheng is begging you? She wants Yang Shou to return to the capital?"

Yang Shou is now training his troops in Yongzhou, and he is under the jurisdiction of the Southwest Protectorate.

"Shisanniang's son Yuan is almost two years old! She wants to have a son!"

Wang Heng sighed, "She didn't say it directly, she just mentioned the farce at the Princess Jincheng Mansion to me!"

However, whether it was Zheng Shisan or the world, they all seemed to think that Prince Consort Wei was indeed wrong, but it was also understandable.

He has no children!

As the legal wife, even though she was a princess, Jincheng could not be so domineering as to make Prince Wei's family lineage extinct.

At most, he shouldn't have kept a mistress, but instead took a concubine openly after seeking the princess's consent.

But even if it is "wrong", it is not unforgivable.

No matter how brilliant Jincheng's military achievements were, it was her fault that she didn't give birth to a son for Prince Consort Wei!

People in the streets could criticize him, the censors could impeach him, and even the noble ladies in the capital could "understand" Wei Shilian and turn around to attack Princess Jincheng!

"Brother, is offspring so important?"

Wang Heng raised her head and looked at Lou Yu intently.

“…It’s not important to me!”

Lou Yu said softly, "I am an adopted grandson myself, so why should I beg for the so-called 'biological' status?"

His meaning was very clear: if you want to have children, you don't have to have biological children.

If you don’t have a son and you really need to pass on your inheritance, you can adopt a child.

Moreover, he does not need inheritance.

His title was not inherited from his ancestors, so he was not responsible to anyone.

He is the only one who has the final say on who will be his successor.

"Who says women can't inherit? Haha, I'm going to give it a try!"

Lou Yu is not a law-abiding person at heart. He is not only rebellious, but also crazy.

He looked at Wang Heng deeply, "Heng, there's something I haven't told you!"

"The day after you gave birth, I went to see Li Mingtang and asked her to prescribe me a medicine. I can only have Anan as my child in this lifetime!"