Golden Branch

If Anan, a seven-year-old child, could think of it, how could Wang Heng not think of it?

Today, Lu Jialan, contrary to his usual respectfulness, suddenly ran up to her and said some provocative words, just because her daughter was about to marry the crown prince.

Although she was only a concubine, according to Dayu law, a concubine could not be made a wife. A concubine was a concubine and could never become a wife. But the royal family was different. The royal family attached the most importance to etiquette, but it was also the place where etiquette was least observed.

It is possible for a concubine to be promoted to queen or queen mother.

What Lu Jialan wanted was that after his daughter married Yang Cheng, she would become Yang Cheng's favorite concubine and then ascend to the throne.

Although this "future" may be a few years or even more than ten years away, there is always hope.

Having climbed up to the Eastern Palace and hoped to become a superior person, Lu Jialan, who had fallen into obscurity and been trampled under the feet of his old enemy for more than ten years, inevitably became arrogant.

"Idiot! You were always so smart back then, and now, twenty years later, you're still so stupid!"

Lu Jialan's arrogance at this moment was no longer what Wang Mian called "opening champagne halfway", but was a complete act of seeking his own death.

This person is not afraid at all that his own mischief will eventually harm his daughter——

The Crown Prince hasn't gotten married yet, and the principal wife hasn't married yet, so the concubine naturally has to wait as well.

If the status is not determined, there is a possibility of "accidents".

Of course, Wang Heng could guess why Lu Jialan was so convinced.

The Crown Prince's marriage was arranged by the late Queen before her death.

No matter whether it is a saint or a prince, it will not be easily changed.

However, everything is possible.

The Crown Prince may not regret the engagement, but he cannot resist the unpredictable nature of life.

What if, Wang Heng meant what if, what if Yuwen Fan is unlucky and suddenly falls ill before marrying into the Eastern Palace?

Or just die?

No matter how much the royal family values ​​the late queen's last wishes, they cannot bring a dead person into the house.

Even if the royal family could allow Yuwen Fan's tablet into the palace for the sake of the late queen, the person is dead. What benefits can her parents, family, etc. get?

Wang Heng sat in the carriage, looking down through the window at the mother and daughter kneeling on the side of the road.

A hint of murderous intent flashed across her lively lychee eyes.

She has never done anything evil on her own initiative, but that doesn't mean she is a coward who doesn't know how to fight back when being bullied.

If someone dares to reach out, she will chop off their hand!

It’s better not to let Anan know about such a bloody thing.

Wang Heng certainly didn't want to raise her daughter into a greenhouse flower who was ignorant of the sufferings of the world and the wickedness of human nature, but she also wouldn't let her be exposed to darkness too early.

Anan, a small person, held onto the car window with both hands, and his fox eyes, which were exactly the same as Lou Yu's, were flashing.

Humph, what a Lu, what a Yuwen, they dare to be disrespectful to my mother before they even become the Crown Prince's concubine.

Just wait, I will show you what I can do.

Anan was young and innocent. The means of "revenge" she could think of were simple and direct.

Complain!

Ahem, there's nothing I can do. Anan has an innate advantage—

The Crown Prince is Lou Yu's student. In the past few years, the Duke of Qi's Mansion has been the Crown Prince's home outside the palace.

He practically watched Annan grow up.

From a toddler to a cute little girl.

It is no exaggeration to say that the Crown Prince helped Anan walk and taught her how to write big characters step by step.

Although the "brother and sister" are ten years apart in age and are only cousins ​​in name, their relationship is extremely close.

Compared with Anan, a concubine who has not yet married into the family is an outsider!

Of course, filing a complaint is a matter for the future. The most important thing at the moment is for the princess to return home.

The two-horse carriage passed by the mother and daughter kneeling on the ground and slowly entered Pingkangfang.

The carriage stopped in front of the Duke of Qi's mansion.

The servants were busy, first placing the footstools, helping the masters get off the carriage, and then packing up the carriage, luggage, etc.

Wang Heng held Anan's little hand, and the mother and daughter, surrounded by a group of servants, entered the mansion, walked along the winding corridor, and all the way to the main courtyard on the central axis.

"Princess, at 1:00 PM, my husband will return home! At 2:00 PM, my husband will go to Taiji Palace to meet His Majesty, His Highness!"

"...The entourage of the young master, as well as the items he brought back, have all been registered."

"In addition to ginseng, pearls and other goods, there are also two Silla women..."

The steward bowed and followed Wang Heng, reporting as he walked.

When mentioning the two Silla maids, the steward's expression was a little subtle.

Uh, this is the first time that the man has brought a woman home.

The princess and her husband had a good relationship, and there had never been any other woman or man between them.

Now, there are suddenly two young and beautiful foreign women, brought back by the man himself... Oh, the princess will not be angry, will she?

"Silla maid? Is she pretty? Can she dance Silla's dance?"

Wang Heng, however, was not jealous or angry at all; she was even a little excited.

If she wasn't a woman, and not so stunningly beautiful, her lustful look would be somewhat vulgar.

Wang Heng's reaction surprised the manager, but at the same time, he felt it was normal.

Think about the group of actors kept in the backyards of the Duke's Mansion and the Princess's Mansion. They are all young men and women with excellent looks.

Their husbands were seldom summoned to serve them, but the princess would ask them to come over from time to time, to dance or sing.

There is also Princess Wang from the Anle Marquisate, who is the most cooperative with the princess.

Not only would he accompany the princess to appreciate the show, he would also write the script himself and have the actors perform.

What about the overbearing prince falling in love with me, a kitchen helper? What about the yandere princess doting on the third place winner? What about the crazy prime minister and the playboy who have to say a few things...

Tsk, it’s bad enough that the name is unbearable to read, but many of the plots are so embarrassing that even the manager, an old man in his thirties or forties, would blush after reading them!

But the princess and Princess Wang were watching with great interest. When they were happy, they would even pull General Xiao and their husbands to watch with them.

Wow, the expressions on the two gentlemen's faces are so wonderful.

The steward guessed that these two nobles had never imagined that the operas their wives liked to watch were such vulgar and absurd things.

Seeing the princess's excitement and thinking of the many actors in the backyard, the steward suddenly had an idea:

Could it be that the young master brought these two Silla maids back not for himself, but to give them to the princess?

"It's very likely! My husband loves the princess the most."

The relationship between the couple of twenty years has long transcended that of husband and wife, or siblings.

They have long since merged into one, inseparable and indivisible.

The prince favors the princess, and the princess also loves the prince.

There is simply no room for a third person between them.

Even their own little girls are often excluded by them.

"I'm so stupid. I was actually worried that my husband would change his mind and that the Duke's Mansion would be in turmoil."

"Even if there is wind and rain, my husband will firmly protect the princess behind him."

"As for these beauties, the one who would really be jealous might be the husband, not the princess!"

After all, the prince never values ​​these pleasures, but the princess enjoys them.

Subsequent facts proved that the manager was right.

"Anan! Later we'll take a good look at the Silla maidservants who have been all the rage in the capital!"

Wang Heng was indeed in high spirits. She pulled Anan to sit in the main room.

The steward suppressed the twitching on his forehead and went down to bring the two Silla women over personally.

The two of them were a little worried——

Lou Yu brought the person back, didn't say anything, handed him over to the manager, and hurried out.

The two had just arrived in a foreign country. When they entered the magnificent Duke's Mansion with its deep courtyard, they were shocked by everything they saw.

They never knew that there was such a beautiful, spacious and majestic place in the world.

Without being afraid to laugh at myself, their palaces are not as grand and luxurious as the Duke's Mansion.

"Are we going to live here from now on?"

"Do we still have a 'future'? I heard that the noble ladies of Dayu are the most fierce and sturdy. Lord Lou's wife is the most noble princess!"

Princess, you are far from being comparable to their royal daughter.

Such a noble and domineering person will definitely not let go easily of the vixen who seduces her husband.

The two Silla women were terrified.

When the steward came to summon them, they felt even more terrified that death was imminent.

However, even though they were so scared that their legs were shaking, they still had to come before the princess and pay their respects politely.

The two of them looked like little quails caught in the rain, curled up and shivering, looking very pitiful.

Wang Heng, however, was only interested in their looks and their service. "You are indeed two beauties! What talents do you have? Can you play the zither? Can you dance?"

“…Slave, slave can dance!”

One of them, with courage and a trembling voice, replied respectfully.

"Okay! Then dance for me!"

Wang Heng sat casually in the main seat, leaning her elbows on the table, and admired the scene leisurely.

Two Silla women began to dance, their gorgeous dresses looking like blooming flowers.

Wang Heng nodded in satisfaction. "It does have some exotic charm, not bad!"

Anan also blinked his big eyes and looked at him curiously.

The two Silla women finished their dance, played the zither and sang. After performing for half an hour, they gradually realized:

what!

This noble princess has no ill will towards us!

She even likes them!

Although it is not quite what they imagined, it is their blessing that the master sitting in a high position is willing to pamper them.

Their lives were saved!

Maybe you can even get the wealth and glory you have always dreamed of!

After watching the singing and dancing for a while, Anan felt a little tired.

She respectfully asked for her leave from her mother, and only after getting her mother's permission did she return to her own courtyard.

Anan did not rest immediately, but asked someone to bring paper and pen and started writing a letter to his brother.

She told him all about Lu Jialan's disrespect towards Wang Heng today, and said coquettishly:

Brother, I don't like them! You won't blame me, will you? After all, she is your concubine!

After writing the letter and letting the ink dry, Anan rolled it up and put it in a small bamboo tube.

He ordered someone to bring a carrier pigeon, and Anan tied a small bamboo tube to the pigeon's claws.

"Go! Deliver the letter to my brother!"

Anan came to the corridor in her arms, holding the carrier pigeon, and threw it into the sky with all her might.

The pigeon flapped its wings, quickly rushed into the air, and then headed towards the Tai Chi Palace.

After returning from the prince's study, the crown prince had just sat down and was about to have some tea when he heard a cooing sound outside the window.

A smile broke out involuntarily on his handsome yet childish face.

"Aying, are you looking for me again?"

Everyone else called Anan by her nickname, but the Crown Prince liked to call her "Aying".

He stood up, went to the window to pick up the carrier pigeon, took out the bamboo tube, and the Crown Prince glanced at it and read the letter.

He frowned slightly. "How could Mrs. Lu be so arrogant? How dare the mother of a mere concubine disrespect my aunt?"

It also made Aying unhappy, which is even more hateful!

The Crown Prince pondered for a moment, then called the head maidservant left to him by the late Crown Princess, "Aunt Lu, go to the Lu Residence and give the 'Female Precepts' written by my grandmother to Yu Wenshi. Have her copy it a hundred times!"

……

The main hall of the East Palace.

The prince sat behind the desk and listened carefully to Lou Yu's report.

Lou Yu reported truthfully the current situation of the Liaodong Peninsula, the surrender of Silla, and the ginseng, gold and other valuables found in that land.

During this period, the prince would occasionally cough twice.

Lou Yu couldn't help but feel a little worried. After reporting the business, he asked in a low voice: "Your Highness, are you feeling unwell?"

"It's alright! My old illness has recurred. The imperial physician has prescribed medicine, and I'm fully recovered now!"

The prince was still gentle and serious. He did not want to talk much about his health, but continued to ask about government affairs.

Lou Yu reported back on the progress of the Liaodong Protectorate's construction, and the Crown Prince's expression softened. "Excellent! Very good! Thank you for your hard work, Hanzhang! You truly have lived up to my trust!"

"Your Highness, thank you for your kind words. It is truly an honor for me to be able to share your worries!"

The king and his ministers exchanged a few more words of idle chat before Lou Yu took his leave.

Watching Lou Yu's figure gradually disappear at the palace gate, the prince could no longer hold back and began to cough violently.

He quickly covered his mouth with a handkerchief. A moment later, a bloodstain suddenly appeared on the apricot-yellow handkerchief...