Golden Branch

gentlemen?

If someone else said this to Lou Yu, he would definitely retort rudely: "Is my Lord Lou still in need of a gentleman?"

"Haven't you seen the huge Dongshan Academy? All the teachers in the academy belong to me, Lou Yu!"

However, the person sitting above him was Yang Rui, who was as gentle as jade and a gentleman of high decency.

Yang Rui's words make people inexplicably convinced, and they believe that he is doing this for your own good and has made the most appropriate arrangements for you.

As if possessed by some mysterious force, Lou Yu nodded obediently: "Okay!"

After he finished speaking, Lou Yu finally reacted, and a trace of shame and anger flashed across his still childish face.

what happened to him?

Could it be that he was possessed by an evil spirit?

Just when Lou Yu was feeling frustrated, Yang Rui, who had successfully obtained Lou Yu's "consent", did not take the opportunity to finalize the cooperation.

Instead, he explained more patiently: "When I first arrived in Yizhou, I had already heard of the great reputation of Dongshan Academy."

"I know that this academy has a close relationship with Mr. Lou."

The implication is: I know you, Mr. Lou Yu, don’t need any.

"The gentleman I recommend to you is a renowned scholar throughout China. He is as famous as my husband, and is known as 'Wei in the North and Shen in the South.'"

Yang Rui smiled gently, and that smile was like a spring breeze blowing across an iceberg.

It's slight, but it warms the heart.

He really wasn't using his gentleness and aura to deceive a young boy. Even if it was a transaction of money and goods, the chips he provided were definitely beyond their value.

"Bei Wei is sinking to the south?"

After hearing this, Lou Yu's shame and anger subsided a little.

Wei in the north and Shen in the south are the most respected celebrities today.

Bei Wei, whose real name was Wei Lingqing, came from a poor family in the north, but he was gifted and knowledgeable.

Lou Hu loved talented people and accepted him as his disciple. He then rose to fame and became famous all over the world.

After the establishment of the Dayu Dynasty, the sage Yang Ji was eager to seek talents. After several signs, Wei Lingqing entered the Secretariat and became one of the prime ministers.

Nan Shen, whose real name is Shen Du, is from an aristocratic family in the southern border.

He was known as a child prodigy when he was young. When he was young, an essay entitled "On the Two Jin Dynasties" came out, and the name of Shen Caizi became famous throughout the north and south.

However, Shen Du was not obsessed with official career. He was only interested in mountains and rivers, traveling around the world and visiting all corners of the country.

Especially after his family declined due to the change of dynasties, he simply hid in the mountains and became a hermit whose whereabouts were difficult to find.

However, Yang Rui said that he would recommend Lou Yu to Shen Du, which showed that Yang Rui, the prince of Qi who was in the northern border, had already confirmed Shen Du's whereabouts.

What's more, he has "controlled" Shen Du.

Regardless of Shen Du's own value and Yang Rui's ability to "lock" Shen Du, Lou Yu no longer has to worry about that bit of shame and anger.

He looked at Yang Rui intently for a long time before nodding gently, "Okay!"

Deal done!

Yeah, I am convinced!

Yang Rui smiled, a rare hint of mischief flashed across his gentle eyes: "Lord Lou, Mr. Shen has never accepted a disciple."

"I can indeed recommend you to him, but I can't guarantee whether Mr. Shen is willing!"

He was just introducing them. Whether it would be successful or not would depend on whether Shen Du and Lou Yu had the fate to be master and disciple.

Lou Yu: ...

Although he was clearly tricked, Yang Rui spoke frankly about it, and Lou Yu did not feel the slightest bit of dissatisfaction.

He would even appreciate what Yang Rui did!

……

Lou family, guest house.

"...Erlang, Qilang, you really disappoint your mother!"

"That's the Prince of Qi, a true noble. The King of Qi's reputation is known to the world. In the future, he will—"

Yang Chong conquered half of the Great Yu Dynasty.

He is definitely the crown prince.

Even though he is only the King of Qi now, with his ability, prestige, and the soldiers under his command, he is the undisputed successor to the empire.

When Yang Chong succeeded to the throne, Yang Rui became the crown prince.

If they had surrendered to the prince earlier, in the future Yang Rui would... their Zheng family would be considered meritorious officials in the palace, and would have had the merit of following the dragon!

Zheng family, there is hope for revival!

Despite such a good opportunity, Zheng Erlang, Zheng Qillang and others did not cherish it.

As soon as the Zheng family returned to the guest house, Mrs. Lou pulled her grandchildren in front of her and gave them a good scolding.

"Mother, please be careful with your words!"

Hearing that his grandmother had actually started discussing the issue of the crown prince, Zheng Erlang quickly spoke up to remind her.

Although the people of the Dayu Dynasty were open-minded, the aristocratic families had no taboos.

Not to mention just discussing the issue of the emperor's succession, even changing the emperor was something that the aristocratic families had done.

But the Zheng family is different.

The Zheng family has fallen into decline and is now living as a guest at the Lou family.

The wall has ears.

Zheng Erlang couldn't guarantee how many spies of Lou Yu were in this guesthouse.

The reason why the Zheng family offended the Grand Chancellor was because of "slip of the tongue".

The secret conversation at home was discovered by others, and then -

When Zheng Erlang was still young and could not remember anything, the Zheng family had already been driven out of the capital.

He had not personally experienced the wealth of the Zheng family. It was his parents, elders, and even the old servants in the family who would mention the Zheng family's life in the capital when reminiscing about the past.

Zheng Erlang longed for it, but he knew very well that it would be very difficult for the Zheng family, which had already reached the bottom, to return to the top.

It requires the efforts of a generation or even two generations.

There was nothing he could do. His father, his brothers, and others were not geniuses. They could only make up for their shortcomings with hard work and slowly climb up.

Clinging to the Prince of Qi is indeed a shortcut.

However, the Zheng family is too weak. If they try to force their way in, not only will they fail to gain the noble’s favor, but they will also become a laughing stock!

Zheng Erlang is not afraid of being laughed at. What he fears is that he will become a clown but still be unable to revive the family.

And the most important point is that the person living in the imperial city now is Yang Ji, not Yang Chong.

Even Yang Chong himself is not completely sure whether he will be able to ascend to that position in the future.

If you stand on the wrong side and fail, it will not just be a decline, but a complete overthrow.

The Zheng family no longer has the capital to make mistakes and can’t afford to mess around!

Zheng Erlang lowered his voice and patiently broke down and explained these principles to Madam Lou.

Mrs. Lou's expression changed again and again.

"Erlang, did you come up with all of this yourself?"

When Madam Lou asked this question, her voice trembled slightly.

Erlang is only thirteen years old, still a teenager.

Yet he understood state affairs so well and was able to restrain his greed. How far-sighted was his vision?

Mrs. Lou always said that her children and grandchildren were excellent, but she knew in her heart that both her son and grandson were just mediocre.

Perhaps they are better than ordinary people. After all, the Zheng family has the notes of their ancestors and so many books.

The resources they have at birth are what children from poor families would find difficult to obtain in their entire lives.

Such a high starting point is only slightly better than those ordinary people who have no starting point at all, which is enough to prove their ability.

But at this moment, Zheng Erlang said such sharp and sober words, which immediately gave Mrs. Lou hope.

Facing his mother's hope and enthusiasm, Zheng Erlang shook his head in shame, "No! These, are, these are told to me by others!"

He also hoped that he could think of so much.

Too bad he's stupid.

"Others? What others?"

Mrs. Lou was stunned for a moment. Such heartfelt words could only be spoken by someone close to her or with ulterior motives, otherwise the other party would not say them.

They were guests at the Lou family's house and had no relatives or friends.

Even if the gentlemen of Dongshan Academy could think of these things, they would not tell them to Zheng Erlang, a boy they just met.

They are Lou Yu's people, not Zheng family members.

Mrs. Lou always seemed to act like her great-aunt when she was in the Lou family, but she knew it in her heart.

Her surname was indeed Lou, but she had married early.

A married woman is an outsider after all.

The maids in the Lou family treated her with great respect, not because she was a daughter of the Lou family, but because they treated her as a "distinguished guest".

No one in the Zheng family can truly "take refuge" in the Lou family.

In this way, no one would "give advice" to Zheng Erlang.

“…Yes, it’s Aunt Yi!”

Zheng Erlang hesitated for a long time, but finally said it out loud.

"Aunt Yi?"

Mrs. Lou was stunned, her mind seemed to be stuck. For a moment, she did not think that the Zheng family had a daughter named "Yi".

仪？

Zheng Yi?

With a crack, Mrs. Lou's head seemed to be struck by lightning.

Her eyes were red as she glared at Zheng Erlang: "Are you talking about that slut Zheng Yi?"

“…” Zheng Erlang’s lips moved, he really wanted to say that Aunt Yi was not a lowly maid.

After all, they are both from the Zheng family and had the same ancestor hundreds of years ago.

At most, they are from different branches, one is the direct branch and the other is the side branch.

Moreover, there were some grudges back then——

More than twenty years ago, Zheng Yi's grandfather and father held the highest official positions among the Zheng family members, even crushing Zheng Shaoqing, the head of the family.

That is Zheng Erlang's grandfather.

Although Zheng Shaoqing didn't say it, he was jealous in his heart.

Therefore, when Zheng Yi's grandfather got into trouble, Zheng Shaoqing, as the head of the family, did not lend a helping hand.

He was even unwilling to pay money to redeem the women of the Zheng family, and allowed Zheng Yi and others to be taken into the palace and become palace maids.

Zheng Yi kept Zheng Shaoqing's indifference in mind.

After she struggled out of the palace and gained a certain amount of power, she turned around and tricked Zheng Shaoqing.

There are many people who have offended the Grand Chancellor, and the Grand Chancellor would not care about Zheng Shaoqing, who is only a fourth-rank Honglu Shaoqing.

But Zheng Yi intervened and made the Grand Chancellor mistakenly believe that the Zheng family belonged to the young emperor.

And then...there was no further news for the Zheng family.

This is because the Zheng family has not committed any serious disrespectful offenses, otherwise, the Zheng family would be exterminated.

"...Vicious woman! A rebellious woman without ancestors!"

"If it weren't for her, your grandfather wouldn't have lost his job, and he wouldn't have died of depression."

"She harmed our entire family. She is the sinner of the Zheng family!"

"Such a disobedient and unfilial beast, even after death he won't be able to face his ancestors!"

"Wait! Erlang, isn't that slave girl in the capital? When did you get in touch with her?"

Mrs. Lou first vented her anger.

He cursed Zheng Yi bitterly.

As she continued to curse, Mrs. Lou began to regain her senses. She realized the problem: "Erlang, tell your mother the truth. What is going on?"

"Grandmother, Yi and Zheng Yi are in Hedong. I don't know what she went through to come here from the capital."

"She, she is now in the Wang family, and is Wang Jiuniang's mother-in-law!"

Zheng Erlang glanced at his grandmother's face while explaining carefully.

"Wang family? Mother Fu?"

Madam Lou never expected that the "female attendant" who once stirred up trouble in the harem has now fallen to the point of being a slave.

"Mother Fu? Haha, good, Mother Fu is good! You are indeed a lowly servant, serving people in the palace, and even after leaving the palace, you still have to serve people!"

There was a malicious glint in Mrs. Lou's eyes, and she laughed heartily.

Zheng Erlang opened his mouth. He really wanted to say that Aunt Yi was Master Fu, not an ordinary servant.

She was invited by Concubine Jiang to educate the little girl of the Wang family!

Aunt Yi is Concubine Jiang's person.

Concubine Jiang was the most beloved woman of the King of Qi.

In fact, although Zheng Erlang said "no shortcuts", he couldn't help but be moved when he heard Zheng Yi say that he had a very good relationship with Concubine Jiang.

If there is a reliable shortcut, Zheng Erlang is still willing to give it a try.

The reason why he resisted his grandmother's request and was unwilling to get close to the Prince of Qi was not because he really didn't want to, but because he knew that with his current status and ability, even if he wanted to get close to him, others would look down on him!

But it’s different on Zheng Yi’s side.

Zheng Yi did have a grudge against the Zheng family, but she had already taken revenge.

What happened back then has long been settled.

Today, Zheng Yi is just an old woman who has lost her beauty and power.

She has no husband and no children, and now she can make a living by working for others. In the future, when she is older and can no longer work, she can only rely on her family.

Zheng Erlang felt that as long as Zheng Yi was willing to serve the family again, he would agree to let Zheng Yi return to the family when the Zheng family was revived in the future.

With the protection of her family, Zheng Yi, a woman, will have someone to rely on in her old age!

Zheng Yi is a smart person, she knows what to choose!

Zheng Erlang pondered secretly.

After Mrs. Lou had vented her anger, Zheng Erlang leaned close to her ear and spoke these words carefully again.

"...She's Concubine Jiang's?"

Madam Lou is good at harem struggles, so she naturally knows the power of women's "pillow talk".

If I could get close to Concubine Jiang... Huh? How could I have forgotten this before: Wang Jiu's biological mother is Concubine Jiang.

This cannot be blamed on Madam Lou. In ancient times, the patriarchal family was always respected.

The woman remarried, and her biological children had nothing to do with her.

Influenced by this habitual way of thinking, Mrs. Lou only wanted her granddaughter to replace Wang Heng, but she forgot that Wang Heng had a biological mother who married into the Prince of Qi's mansion for the second time.

However, even though Wang Heng's biological mother was Concubine Jiang, Concubine Jiang did not dare to openly favor Wang Heng.

Trying to rely on Wang Heng to get close to Concubine Jiang is not a good choice.

Compared with Wang Heng, Zheng Yi, the former enemy, does not seem so hateful.

"...Is she really willing to 'redress her crime and redeem herself' by helping us establish a relationship with Concubine Jiang?"

Mrs. Lou was moved.

She didn't trust her enemies easily. It was just that the Zheng family had been silent for too long, and she wanted to live a rich and decent life again.

"Aunt Yi said her last name is Zheng!"

……

Click!

Zheng Yi knelt in front of the table, gently cut off the extra branches, and inserted a fully bloomed magnolia flower into the vase.

She also didn't expect to meet someone from the Zheng family in a small place like Hedong.

She avenged herself from that year.

Now I don’t have any resentment towards the Zheng family.

However, since they have nothing to do anyway, and the Zheng family isn't very smart, they have the advantage of having more people. If they lay a clue in advance, it might be useful in the future...