Golden Branch

Chapter 76: Move (Seeking monthly ticket)

"Why did His Royal Highness come to Hedong?"

The next day at the academy, Wang Mian went up to Wang Heng and continued the gossip from yesterday.

It was obvious that it was unusual for the Prince of Qi to suddenly come to "celebrate" Lou Yu's birthday.

In modern times, Wang Mian, who has read countless palace fighting and house fighting novels, instantly smelled the scent of "conspiracy".

She asked Wang Heng in a low voice.

She knew that every day when Lou Yu came to the academy, he would "stop by" Wangjiazhuangzi.

After picking up Wang Heng, the two little ones went to school together.

On the way, Wang Heng should also ask about the Prince of Qi.

As long as it wasn't something too confidential, Wang Mian felt that, given how much the little pervert valued Wang Heng, he would definitely tell the truth.

So, if she wanted to hear the latest gossip, she should look for Wang Heng.

"My brother said that the court wants to repair the canals in several prefectures and counties. Yizhou is the fief of the King of Qi, so the Crown Prince will come in person on behalf of the King of Qi to preside over the repair work."

Wang Heng did not hide it, and her brother also said that the reason why the Prince of Qi came to Hedong was not a secret, so he could tell Amian.

"Repair the river?"

Wang Mian traveled back to ancient times and lived by the Yi River. Only then did he realize that river transportation was very developed in ancient times.

Even though there was no Grand Canal that later became famous, and the Cao Gang had not yet grown to a large scale, there were still many industries in Hedong that relied on river transportation.

The prototype of the Cao Gang has also appeared.

and many more!

Grand Canal?
A light bulb went off in Wang Mian’s head.

She chewed over Wang Heng's words again, and then discovered another key point: several states and counties!

So, it's not just the Yi River that needs to be cleaned up, but also rivers in other places?
It was only when Wang Mian came to Hedong that he realized that the so-called Grand Canal was not about digging a new river channel, but about dredging and connecting several existing river channels to form a water transportation route running through the north and south.

Could it be that the Dayu Dynasty was going to have a Grand Canal?

Wang Mian began to speculate wildly.

When she first came here, she tried every means to find out the dynasty, reign title, etc.

However, she soon discovered that this was not any dynasty in the ancient history she had studied.

Empty!

Judging from the clothing, the environment of the literati, the secular customs, etc., Wang Mian guessed that the era here was roughly close to the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties.

However, after further studying many details, Wang Mian discovered that there were shadows of the Sui and Tang dynasties here.

"... Never mind. I don't want to think about it anymore. This is probably just a chaotic mess of dynasties mixed up with a lot of history!"

Maybe it is not real ancient times, but just an ancient book written by a stupid author with a wild imagination.

Wang Mian no longer worries about what era he lives in.

However, the general context of the times still allows her to be considered a "prophet".

The Grand Canal is about to emerge, so what follows is the unification of the north and the south and the relocation of the capital to Chang'an?
These major events all contain great opportunities.

Wang Mianruo was just an ordinary peasant girl, farming, doing some small business, and urging her brothers to study hard and achieve class transition as soon as possible, and her life would pass by like that.

Fortunately, she was lucky enough to get close to Wang Jiuniang, which allowed her to get close to the powerful.

There are some things that she can achieve through Wang Heng if she tries hard.

For example, standing at the forefront of major events and reaping the benefits of "privileges".

"Jiu Niang, there is a business that will make you a lot of money."

Thinking of the huge profits in real estate in the future, Wang Mian's eyes turned into gold ingots.

Repair the river channel and promote river transportation, and the coast will become prosperous.

Rooms with river views, shops along the river... Other places are fine, but there are local tyrants there and they can't get involved.

In Yizhou and Hedong, Lou Yu, the little bully, definitely has the ability to "grab land".

There was also the idea of ​​moving the capital to Chang'an. The former palace of Chang'an had long been abandoned, so if they wanted to move the capital, they had to build a city first.

The new city selected by the court is probably still just a wasteland now.

The new capital city is a huge piece of fat meat. Lou Yu and Lou Jin behind him, plus the resources of the Prince of Qi's Palace that Wang Heng can leverage, can only get a small part of it.

However, even if it is a small part, the benefits that can be obtained are enormous.

Moreover, Wang Mian suspected that people like Lou Jin and Yang Chong, who had their eyes on the world, would not take mere business matters seriously.

For example, Wang Mian’s cooperation with the Prince of Qi’s Palace was achieved through the Princess of Qi and Concubine Jiang.

Even if the Prince of Qi's Mansion wants to get a share of the new city, women such as the Princess of Qi will have to come forward.

The princess and concubine are both noble persons, how can they come forward in person?
Wang Mian felt that he could totally "recommend himself".

Even if you can't take charge of the whole matter, you can still offer suggestions. When the nobles eat the meat, you can get a bowl of soup.

Not to mention anything else, owning a luxury house in the most prosperous district of the newly built Chang'an City is enough for Wang Mian to have no worries about food and drink for the rest of his life!

"Business?"

Wang Heng was not as excited as Wang Mian.

To be frank, she has no idea about money.

When my mother was still alive, she was the mistress of the Wang family. As her only daughter, I naturally had no shortage of food, clothing and other necessities.

After her mother left, Wang Lin sent her to the farm for the sake of his stepmother, but he did not owe her any money.

Later, she met Lou Yu.

Lou Yu may be a bear, and he may be overbearing, but he is also very generous.

Oh, yes, there is also Amian.

Wang Heng didn't understand the business secrets that Wang Mian talked about, such as the tofu shop, the farm, the restaurant... the fleet, etc. Wang Heng would just pay the money directly. As for the subsequent matters, they would be handled by Wang Mian, Lou Yu and Zheng Ai.

Wang Heng had no idea how much wealth her own small treasury had accumulated.

It's not that she is stupid and has a lot of money and is easy to fool, but she simply doesn't need it in her daily life.

If you have no concept of money, you will have even less interest in doing business.

However, seeing that Amian's eyes were shining with gold, Wang Heng still asked in cooperation, "Can you make money?"

"Can? Too much? Jiu Niang, that's not just making money, it's making a lot of money!"

"……Oh!"

"Jiu Niang, don't worry, I will make a good plan, and we must not miss this opportunity!" This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
"Okay! Amian, just go for it, I support you!"

Wang Jiuniang, who is not interested in money, said that she does not value money, but is willing to support friends who value money.

"Jiu Niang, you are so kind!"

Seeing Wang Heng’s cooperation, Wang Mian was deeply moved.

Woohoo, the greatest blessing in her life was not traveling through time after death, but meeting Wang Heng after traveling through time.

Good Ajiu, since you trust me and help me like this, I will definitely reward you with endless wealth... Let's be good friends for life!

Wang Mian excitedly hugged Wang Heng's small fleshy arms, leaned his head against them, and rubbed his face against them vigorously.

Well, the boys' and girls' schools are separated, and the little pervert is next door. This is one of the few good opportunities for Wang Mian to spend time with her bestie throughout the day.

"Humph!"

The little pervert is not here, but there are other annoying people.

On Wang Heng's other side, behind a small desk, sat a girl of about ten years old. The cold snort from earlier was from her.

Wang Heng was in a stable mood. Wang Mian knew his own identity and couldn't confront her openly, so he could only criticize her secretly: Tsk, it's this girl from the Lu family again.

What?
We are sisters and love each other very much. How does it bother you?
But this new student just doesn't like them.

Oh no, to be exact, he disliked Wang Mian.

After all, this little girl from the Lu family comes from a noble family.

Lu, whose original surname was Bu Liugu, changed it to Lu when the previous dynasty promoted sinicization.

The Bu Liugu clan was also among the eight great nobles in the northern border, and had many intermarriages with the Lou (He Lou), Dugu, Yuwen and others.

If you look closely, this young noble lady named Lu Jialan is actually Lou Yu's cousin.

One of Lu Jialan's aunts married a cousin of Lou Yu.

The two people have no direct blood relationship, but according to ancient etiquette, calling each other cousins ​​does not count as establishing a relationship.

This spring, Wang Lin was transferred to be the Chief Secretary of Yizhou, and the vacant Hedong County Magistrate position was taken over by Lu Jialan's father Lu Huaixin.

Lu Huaixin took his family to take up his post. As soon as he arrived in Hedong, he went to visit Loujiawu Fort.

Lou Yu pretended to be a modest gentleman and was quite polite to Lu Huaixin.

Lou Yu smiled and agreed to Lu Jialan's call of "cousin".

Therefore, when facing his cousin Zheng Chi this time, Lou Yu was so calm - he had too many cousins.

I guess a long list of people can be made up of those who are not related at all.

He was just a cheap relative, and Lou Yu didn't take him seriously at all.

Lou Yu did not consider the Lu family as relatives, but the Lu family, especially Lu Jialan, recognized Lou Yu as his cousin.

She didn't have too many thoughts. The elders of the Lu family might have had the same delusions as Madam Lou, but they didn't express it, let alone tell Lu Jialan.

Lu Jialan had a simple child's mindset: Lou Yu is my cousin, and has nothing to do with that fat girl Wang Heng. Why should my cousin treat Wang Heng better than me?

Lu Jialan's domineering and jealous nature made her very repulsive to Wang Heng.

Wang Heng's friendship with Wang Mian was also a fault in the eyes of Lu Jialan, who was self-righteous: calling a pariah a sister and willingly lowering oneself to a lowly level!

Wang Mian: ...Why are you considered a pariah?

As expected, she is the perverted cousin, she is exactly the same as Lou Yu back then!
Wang Mian was complaining madly in his heart, but he didn't say anything.

Although he was unwilling to admit it, Wang Mian knew that in front of Lu Jialan, he was just a pariah who could be bullied and trampled on at will!

In Deyin Hall, she was not bullied by the noble ladies because she had Wang Heng as her backer.

Wang Mian has a backer, but she will not "take advantage of the power of others" or "bully others". She does not want to cause trouble for Jiu Niang.

"Just let it go! Just treat it as a rhinitis attack. Let's not bother with a 'patient'!"

Wang Mian comforts himself in an Ah Q way.

Wang Heng is a Buddhist person and doesn't need the method of spiritual victory.

Lu Jialan just snorted coldly and didn't say anything. Even if he did, it would probably be something sarcastic and indirect.

She would not mention Wang Heng's name directly, at most she would show off her power to Amian.

As long as it's not excessive, Wang Heng won't care.

My father has already gone to Yizhou.

In Hedong, in the eyes of many people, she is an orphan abandoned by her parents!
Of course, everyone who is really familiar with Wang Heng knows that Wang Heng is indeed an orphan, but she also has the little bully of the Lou family by her side.

Bully her?
Haha, even if you are just not respectful enough, you will be dealt with by the little bully.

Now Lou Yu has transformed from a naughty kid into a "hypocrite" who will not do things himself.

However, if you provoke him, some people will be beaten black and blue, or even have their arms and legs broken, without him having to do anything.

Cherish life, stay away from the bully, and stay away from the fat boy protected by the bully!
This is an unspoken rule that all students of Dongshan Academy must learn after entering the school.

It was because Lu Jialan knew this rule and witnessed Lou Yu's preference for Wang Heng that he became more and more jealous.

Seeing Wang Heng and Wang Mian arm in arm, Lu Jialan couldn't help but snort coldly. She just looked down on Wang Heng's depraved behavior of hanging out with the untouchables.

Unexpectedly, Wang Heng and Wang Mian didn't care at all about his cold snort.

The two seemed not to hear and continued to talk, laugh, eat and drink together.

Yes, just when Lu Jialan was still angry, Wang Mian took out a food box.

Then Wang Heng's joyful voice was heard, "A Mian, what's going on today?"

"Mung bean cakes and rose shortbread are not new things. I just made some slight improvements to them."

"That must be delicious too!" Anything produced by Amian must be of the highest quality.

Even old-fashioned pastries can be made into something fancy.

Wang Heng raised her hand, and the maid serving beside her brought her a clean wet towel.

While Wang Heng was wiping her hands, Wang Mian had already opened the food box, revealing two plates of pastries.

One plate contained mung bean cakes, which were not the usual all-green color, but half green and half white.

"This isn't just mung bean cake."

"Hmm, half mung bean paste and half yam paste! Try it, how does it taste?"

The other dish was rose shortbread, with a golden crust and a deep red filling, combining the sweetness of pastry with the delicate fragrance of roses.

"Delicious! Everything is delicious!"

Wang Heng narrowed her eyes, and her chubby little face was full of satisfaction.

Lu Jialan: ...Eat! Eat again! What a glutton!

No wonder he's so fat!

Unfortunately, Wang Heng is so fat that she is almost as fat as two Lu Jialans, but her appearance is still so outstanding.

Not ugly!

It looks very good and is very cute!

Lu Jialan became even more jealous. If she hadn't had a bit of rationality reminding her that she shouldn't offend Lou Yu, she would have started to mock him directly.

"...It's not fair! I'm obviously his cousin's sister, but he values ​​Wang Jiu more!"

Lu Jialan was filled with resentment, and she didn't pay attention in the following classes.

After school, she left Deyin Hall angrily, as if she was angry with someone.

The backyard of the Hedong County Government Office has now become the residence of the Lu family.

Lu Huaixin's wife's surname was Mu (Qiu Muling). She was less than thirty years old and had a typical northern appearance.
He is tall, with three-dimensional features and a heroic look.

Seeing her daughter come back unhappy, she hurriedly asked, "Jialan, what's wrong? Were you bullied outside?"

Although it is impossible, after all, Galan's father is the official of Hedong.

"Isn't it Wang Jiu? Humph, you're willing to be lowly! Greedy and lazy! You've truly brought disgrace upon a noble lady from an aristocratic family!"

After holding back my anger towards my own mother for a long time, I finally had the chance to vent.

She just kept talking to Mu.

As she spoke, Lu Jialan felt a little aggrieved: "My cousin is the same. He doesn't get close to me, his cousin, but favors Wang Jiu, an outsider."

Lu Jialan mentioned Lou Yu, which made Mu Shi think of the letter he had received.

Wang Jiu's biological mother is Concubine Jiang. Lou Yu's closeness to Wang Jiu indicates that he is close to the King of Qi?!

(End of this chapter)