Golden Branch

Chapter 336 Threat
The central courtyard of Tangquan Villa is full of peonies.

There are all kinds of precious varieties such as Yaohuang, Weizi, Zhaofen, Doulv, etc.

In summer, the garden is full of beautiful women, showing its wealth.

Wang Heng liked to sit under the corridor with a desk in front of her, copying Buddhist scriptures or reading storybooks. In her spare time, she would look up at the prosperity in the courtyard, which not only protected her eyes but also allowed her to appreciate the beautiful scenery.

Everyone in the princess's mansion knew Wang Heng's habits, and no one would interrupt her when she was enjoying herself.

Even a domineering little pervert like him would not ruin Wang Heng's mood.

But there are always people who are arrogant and come uninvited, disturbing others' leisure.

"Ajiu, I heard that Hanzhang has been helping you manage the affairs of Lishan Academy these days?"

Madam Dugu knelt on one side, with a polite smile on her delicate and beautiful face, but a cold look in her eyes.

What a frivolous Princess Langya!

How can you entertain guests under the corridor?
Madam Dugu had been favored and pampered by Lou Jin for more than ten years, and had long been accustomed to being the center of attention.

Even though the Anguo Mansion is no longer prosperous, she still has her son Lou Yu. As Lou Yu becomes more and more prominent in the capital, Madam Dugu can still maintain some dignity.

Whether she was attending a banquet or visiting the homes of aristocratic families, no matter what those people thought in their hearts, they were still very polite to her on the surface.

This made Madam Dugu have the illusion that she was still the noble lady of the country, rather than a fallen woman.

Today, Madam Dugu went straight to Tangquan Villa without sending a visiting card in advance or receiving an invitation. Madam Dugu did not feel that she was being rude, but was angry because of Wang Heng's "slow treatment".

"I am Han Zhang's biological mother!"

"As Hanzhang's new bride, Wang Heng should be respectful and filial to me!"

"Well, even if Han Zhang has been adopted, I am nominally just his cousin, but a cousin is still an elder!"

"In the family tree, Han Zhang has no direct relatives, so his cousins ​​from the next room are his closest relatives."

"Whether according to the rules or etiquette, Hanzhang and his new bride should be respectful to me..."

Mrs. Dugu had this thought in her heart, so she was particularly confident.

So, she came to Wang Heng's Tangquan Villa uninvited. Not only did she not feel that she was a "bad guest", she was also very picky about Wang Heng.

Wang Heng curled the corners of her lips, and there was no trace of disdain or ridicule on her beautiful face.

"Tsk, brother always says I can't hide my thoughts. Whatever I'm thinking is clearly written on my face."

"Actually, Madam Dugu is the one who is innocent and naive..."

Wang Heng's cuteness and naiveté were all acted out.

The Lady Dugu beside him was just like that by nature, or rather, she was raised by Lou Jinjiao to be so "ignorant of the world".

Madam Dugu had a false smile on her face, but her eyes revealed too much emotion.

She was dissatisfied, she was picky... She still hated Wang Heng as always.

She was kneeling in front of Wang Heng at the moment, feeling absolutely wronged.

Although he clearly rejected Wang Heng, for some reason, he had to compromise and come to Wang Heng for help.

As for Wang Heng, as a junior, she was rude and presumptuous, and not respectful enough to her elders.

Wang Heng could almost hear Mrs. Dugu's inner voice and could guess her grief, anger and unwillingness at the moment.

"It seems I didn't go easy on myself. I've let this guy have the time to disgust me again!"

Wang Heng smiled sweetly and softly, but deep down she had already started planning to find something for Madam Dugu to do.

She was still thinking to herself, but she did not ignore what Madam Dugu had just said.

"Madam is right. You have indeed worked hard during this period, brother!"

Wang Heng said "hard work" but there was no guilt or self-blame on her face.

She and Lou Yu grew up together and are now engaged. They are the two closest people in the world.

Wang Heng entrusted her affairs to Lou Yu with confidence and without any psychological burden.

As for Lou Yu, he never felt that he was working hard. He enjoyed it very much.

To put it bluntly, Lou Yu would only be angry if Wang Heng was unwilling to bother him.

These are all matters between the two of them and have nothing to do with Madam Dugu, an outsider!

Therefore, Wang Heng did not feel sorry for Madam Dugu's subtle accusations. Instead, she spoke in a very casual tone.

Madam Dugu: ...Does Wang Jiu really think that just because she is a princess, she can boss her future husband around?
Humph, he's just a piece of shit.

There are so many real princesses in the capital, so which one does she belong to when she has no blood relationship with the Yang royal family?

Cursing secretly in her heart, Madam Dugu still forced a smile and continued to greet Wang Heng.

"Han Zhang is a man, so a little hardship is nothing."

"Fortunately, his hard work has paid off. I heard that the Lishan Academy will officially open in the autumn."

Wang Heng's attitude was somewhat perfunctory, and she did not cooperate with Madam Dugu, so Madam Dugu had to bring up the topic herself.

Wang Heng raised her eyebrows. Oh no, Madam Dugu is finally going to reveal her purpose?

Related to Lishan Academy?
Could it be that she wanted to send the twin boy and girl from the Lou family to study in the academy?

This shouldn't be a big deal.

Lishan Academy is open to the public for admission, and many of the conditions have already been written in black and white in the admission brochure.

Basically, anyone from the capital who was a powerful or wealthy family, could afford the tuition of 1,000 guan per year, was between six and eighteen years old, could accept the academy's strict rules, and could pass the basic entrance exams, could enroll.

Lou Lin and Lou Lang, born to Lady Dugu, are eleven years old. The Duke of Anguo's mansion can afford their tuition, and the twins have already begun their education. Their family's education is sufficient to prepare them for the academy's entrance exam.

Therefore, Lou Lin and Lou Lang both met the requirements and were able to enroll smoothly. There was absolutely no need for Madam Dugu to specifically seek out Wang Heng because of this matter.

Even if she is your future "niece-in-law", you should not owe her favors for no reason.

Wang Heng secretly speculated, but she had already responded to Madam Dugu's words: "Let Madam know that the academy is indeed scheduled to open in August."

"Oh, so that's the case. I'm just wondering if the academy's enrollment has closed yet? Can they still accept students?"

Lady Dugu received Wang Heng's answer, but she was still unhappy.

"This Wang Jiu seems to be responsive to every word he says, but in reality he lacks sincerity."

"Her replies were either nonsense or casual responses."

"She didn't even understand what I meant—"

Madam Dugu felt that she had tried very hard to give "hints".

If Wang Heng was smarter and more sensible, she should have taken the initiative to speak up and help her elders solve their problems.

Instead of being so lukewarm.

Madam Dugu tightly grasped the handkerchief. Since Wang Heng didn't understand, she could only speak more bluntly.

She asked directly about the specific matters of enrollment.

Wang Heng replied obediently, "The academy is still operating and will continue to accept students until the end of July!"

Then there is no more then.

She didn't even follow up with a question: Madam, since you are asking this, are there any students who need admission?

Madam Dugu: ...

Accustomed to being high and mighty and being flattered, Wang Heng's indifferent attitude really made Madam Dugu feel like there was something stuck in her throat.

Taking a deep breath, Madam Dugu could only state her purpose directly: "That's great! I have several younger generations who are just about the right age to attend school."

"It's just that they come from humble backgrounds and have never received a proper education..."

There is a high possibility that they will not pass the entrance examination of Mount Li Academy.

Therefore, Madam Dugu endured her shame and anger and went to Wang Heng to seek help from her through the back door.

Wang Heng's eyes flashed.

What does Madam Dugu mean?
younger generation?

Are they the relatives from her mother's family and her brother-in-law?

Doesn’t it include Lou Lin and Lou Lang?

Ah!
This is quite interesting.

Mrs. Dugu's meaning is very clear. She just wants to cram a group of cheap relatives into the Lishan Academy, so that they can integrate into the powerful class and become classmates with a group of powerful children, and also so that they can study well.

On the surface, she seemed to be optimistic about the prospects of Lishan Academy and recognized its value.

But in reality, she did not send her own children.

Deep down, she still looked down on Wang Heng's newly established academy!

This is a humiliation, it is definitely a humiliation to her, Wang Heng, and Lishan Academy.

Wang Heng laughed secretly in her heart, but her face still looked sweet and soft.

"As long as they are willing to learn, Lishan Academy will not turn them away!"

As soon as Wang Heng finished speaking, a hint of satisfaction appeared on Mrs. Dugu's reserved face.

Wang Heng looked at him coldly, then immediately changed the subject: "It's just that since there's an entrance exam, that's the academy's rule."

"Rules cannot be broken openly, but special cases can be made."

"There's a note in the academy's admission rules: In addition to the normal entrance exam, Lishan Academy also offers 'special admissions'—"

Wang Heng's proposed special recruitment has two scenarios:
First, those who come from impoverished families and cannot afford tuition but possess exceptional talent may be admitted free of charge.

Second, if someone comes from a wealthy family but is not very bright and cannot pass the entrance exam, then they should pay double the tuition fee to get in.

Wang Heng prided herself on not being a heartless person, so the so-called "double the tuition" wasn't too much of an exaggeration.

At most, it is three to five times the normal tuition fee (one thousand kan per year).

Madam Dugu was her future elder and also a distinguished queen. Wang Heng felt that she must not "insult" her.

Then let’s use three to five times the maximum amount.

Those who fail the entrance examination will be fined 5,000 guan each year!
"What? Five, five thousand strings of cash? Wang Jiu, why don't you just go and rob them?"

Hearing Wang Heng's cold and mercenary words in a soft tone, Madam Dugu, who had endured for a long time, finally gave in.

She called Wang Heng by her name and made accusations without any hesitation.

"Madam, robbing money is illegal! My brother is participating in the compilation of the Yu Law Commentary. As his family, we must not knowingly break the law!"

Wang Heng opened her round lychee eyes, looking so innocent, and her words were like those of a child who was obsessed with right and wrong.

Her implication infuriated Lady Dugu even more: robbing money is illegal, but charging exorbitant tuition fees to students who get in through connections is both legal and reasonable.

"Wang Jiu, you!"

Madam Dugu's chest heaved violently, but after all, she had been the queen for many years, so she was still able to maintain a certain level of rationality.

Taking a deep breath, Madam Dugu suppressed her surging anger and suddenly said, "Nine Lady, if you calculate the days, you will have to stop mourning in a few months, right?"

If you show filial piety, you can discuss marriage.

And if at this moment, something unexpected happened to the marriage...